₦airaland Forum

manny4life: A matured debate shouldn't be about winner or loser, that is so high school reasoning. Real debates is all about convincing your audience and being able to sway their votes(if election) towards you.

nex: I live on Channels TV Avenue in Isheri, the border area between Lagos and Ogun state. There is no light. Some evenings, they bring it for 2 hours, then later about 12 midnight to 6 am. Then most times, we don't have electricity at all for days. Meanwhile, at N12.4/kWh we spend more than N15,000/month on electricity. Some days ago, I recharged the units in the meter with N7,000 which I'm sure will not last till the end of the month.

Unfortunately, GEJ met installed capacity of 6,000 MW, yet today, he's boasting of generating 4,500 MW which we are not seeing. But just wait 6 months to elections, they will release the light to us, then 6 months after elections, they will withhold it again to be used for the next elections. It really is a big shame.

babyosisi: Low esteem?
You respond on a thread and take a jab at Igbos like a market woman selling crayfish
Where is your esteem?
Do you need NdiIgbo to feel worthy
Are you a complete male?
Why are many of you so effeminate,I have asked that question a lot
Where is your manhood?
No wonder your women chase you out of the homes at will
Grow some balls will ya
Look at this nonentity that couldn't even stand toe to toe with an average Igbo man in real life
I don't blame you
We are online where any riff raff OPC tout with a cellular phone can claim to be whatever

Tolexander: to me, the privitization seems to be rubbish. Cos there is no difference between the would be PHCN and the new handlers cos it is just a another way to sell the Nigerian masses to the rich men(highest bidders and political allies to the goverment) .
What is the essence of privatization with no competition? An area given to the extortor to monopolize its power and start to squeeze the area's scrotum as he likes.
We want the telecommunication type of privatization.

Parnassuss: The news is fake, republicans arent that stupid

Parnassuss: The news is fake, republicans arent that stupid

Tolexander: both wastefulness and keeping in Swiss account are all bad anyway.
Must we always build our choice on two bad options?
There are many correct projects to be done with the national resources that will benefit the large percentage of the populace if not all.
A devil is not better than satan cos both have no good things to offer.

Laila Ikeji: UPDATE: The vehicle has been recovered and towed to the shore

solomon111: massive 'support' from state govt?
Lol.

Clerverly: He-goat

Omexonomy: Wetin come be this one naw. I thought that their no thieves and looters in acn party. I thought they are all saint from bola to fash to ikuforiji

Eko Ile: Yawnzzzz... I'm sleepy...

Sincere 9gerian: Things are happening everywhere. But bad-belle people will chop the dividends of democracy courtesy GEJ, clean mouth and still come here to insult GEJ.

Anyway, the real people on ground are counting their blessings and will speak with their thumb at an appropriate time.

The noise makers and HATERS on NL can continue punching air.

Lack of infrastructure to evacuate stranded generated electricity has been identified as the major reason for inadequate power supply in the nation as bottlenecks are usually created when electricity cannot be evacuated to the National Grid.

Engr. Bakara Kazeem, Principal Technical Officer of the Transmission Company of Nigeria made this known when he received members of the National Good Governance Tour who were at the Onitsha 330KV Transmission Substation on inspection on Thursday 25th January, 2013.

[b]He showed the team a Multi-circuit tower that has the capacity for 3 x 330KV and 2 x 132KV the first of its kind in Nigeria which carries 5 circuits simultaneously. He said the third Benin-Onitsha Line a double circuit line and the second Benin – Onitsha Line a single circuit line.

He said the eastern part of the country has stranded generation which could not be evacuated because of the bottleneck created by the single circuit. He said the single circuit is the most critical one in the country. “Whenever there is failure on the circuit the chances are there would be total failure on the entire grid and to start up the grid is always a challenge considering the costs and inconveniences. So this project was conceived to address the problem of bottleneck so that is why we have the second Benin – Onitsha Line and the third Benin – Onitsha Line”, Engr. Kazeem stated.

Engr. Kazeem further pointed out that the issues of way-leave and right of way had caused delays in the installation of the power infrastructure.

He however noted that with the new transmission lines, the stranded power could now be distributed to other parts of the country. “We could not takeout the power from other generating stations. Sometimes they were running below capacity because we lacked the facility to take it out. The good news is the first phase of the project would be commissioned on Sunday (27th January, 2013) and the next phase after 4 weeks because we need to raise new towers.

He said the project would majorly serve three states which are Edo, Delta and Anambra but technically it would affect the whole nation because whatever occurs in one part of the grid affects all other parts of the grid.

“This is a milestone that has been achieved as we can now manage the power in the grid. The incessant collapse and total blackouts will be a thing of the past by the Special Grace of God.[/b]

Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku on behalf of the NGGT team expressed appreciation being done at the Onitsha station to stabilize power supply in the South South, South East and South West but also along the national power grid.

He noted that the Federal Government has invested heavily in Transmission Infrastructure all over the country citing the Alaoji and Makurdi stations. He said by the time work is finished on the power plants they would number ten adding that every aspect of the Power Road Map is being implemented to ensure that the private sector is fully involved and power is stable.

The Management of the Sam Mbakwe International Airport, Owerri, Imo State says it is set to commence night flights following the upgrading of its equipment and expansion work on its terminal. Due to the poor lighting, the airport could not operate night flights.

Managing Director of the Airport, Mr. Young Ekwekwuo made this known on Tuesday 22nd January, 2013 when he received members of the National Good Governance Tour who were at the airport on inspection of facilities.

He told the team that the communication equipment of the Airport have also been upgraded, while total coverage of its airspace which extends to Port Harcourt and beyond has been achieved.

Mr. Ekwekwuo pointed out that the Federal Government embarked on the remodeling of the Airport because it was previously not looking like one. He said the airport now has bigger arrival and departure halls.

According to him, the Departure Hall now has over 240 seats as against the 40 seats it previously had to make-do with. The M.D further informed that the interior of the Departure has been completed except for the conveniences.

In his remarks, the Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku noted that under the present Administration Nigeria now has 100 percent radar coverage of its airspace.

The Minister informed that the modernization was being carried out in 11 airports all over the country under phase 1. He reiterated President Goodluck Jonathan’s determination in ensuring that the country’s airports are modernized to international standards.

He further stated that cargo airports were also being constructed across the country under the administration’s Aviation Programme. Mr. Maku noted that the Aviation Programme which is a comprehensive one would provide more job opportunities.

The Minister disclosed that the programme is also designed to assist airlines in the country replace aged planes. He commended the Aviation Minister for the good job she was doing in the sector saying the programme was the first of its kind in Nigeria.

“The President is quietly working for Nigeria and Nigerians should know that despite all the political attacks development is being achieved”, Maku said.

A waiting passenger, Dcn. Joseph Uche who spoke to newsmen on the team described the ongoing remodeling of the Sam Mbakwe International Airport as tremendous. He observed that the Airport was now looking like any other. Some other passengers who spoke at the departure hall commended the Minister for the National Good Governance Tour which they pointed out has given them the opportunity to interact with government

Following two years of operation of the N100bn intervention fund, the Textiles, Cotton and Garment subsector appears to be regaining breath, LAYI ADELOYE reports

Stakeholders in the Nigerian Cotton, Textile and Garment subsector have assessed th performance of the N100bn intervention fund given to the industry two years ago, submitting that it has revived operations.

They, however, called on the Federal Government to make available to the sector an intervention fund of about N1n, in view of the current economic reality that has made the initial N100bn seed fund inadequate.

Similarly, they called for a longer tenor rate on the repayment of the loans in order to aid the growth and development of the sector.

The operators also commended the Bank of Industry for its painstaking approach to the fund’s management, mobilisation and disbursement, which, according to them, resulted in the revival of the once comatose subsector.

Meanwhile, the bank has said that about 60 per cent of the N100bn initial intervention fund offered by the government had been disbursed to the sector in the last two years.

All these came out at a validation workshop organised by the Bank of Industry, in collaboration with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation, in Abuja, on Tuesday.

In 2010, the Federal Government introduced a N100bn Cotton Textile and Garment Revival Scheme, managed by the Bank of Industry to reverse this ugly trend of progressive industry collapse and ensure a rapid resuscitation and upgrading of the entire CTG value-chain.

Two years down the line, the subsector’ stakeholders appraised the funds’ performance, saying substantial portion of the fund had been successfully disbursed to beneficiaries, with the impact emerging “very encouraging.”

Recent figures from the Manufacturer’s Association of Nigeria revealed that the capacity utilisation in this subsector has increased tremendously, from 29.14 per cent in 2010 to 49.70 per cent in 2011. In addition, a number of hitherto moribund textile mills have been reopened, with about 8,070 jobs saved, just as over 5,000 new jobs have been created.

The Minister of Trade and Investment, Mr. Olusegun Aganga, recalled the developments in the subsector, stressing that the subsector had gone through ups and downs since 1960 but had just started getting some reprieve through the intervention funds.

He said, “Nigeria’s Cotton, Textile and Garment Industry was a leading sector in the economy from the 1960s through to the 1970s, and in the early 1980s, when the industry had about 175 textile mills and employed over 600,000 workers making it the second largest employer of labour, after the government.

“Unfortunately, however, by 2008, the Textile factories still in operation had reduced to 24 textile mills and 10 ginneries employing less than 25,000 people, and with exports less than $50m.

According to him, among the factors that led to the decline in the sector include but not limited to massive influx of textiles and apparels from Asia particularly after the Multi Fibre Agreement expired in 2005; inadequate and epileptic energy supply and heavy reliance on self-generation of power, leading to high and uncompetitive production costs; global economic challenges; massive smuggling of cheaper textiles of lower quality; changing consumer tastes and habits; and huge debt burden on producers in the value chain amongst others.

He said the subsector held strong potential due to its natural cotton endowments, large market size and legacy sector knowledge.

He explained, “Nigeria’s population of over 167 million people represents a natural market for basic textiles and apparel related goods. Potential to export to regional and select developed markets (such as the United States, under the African Growth and Opportunities Agreement tariff regime) are also very attractive.

“The existing textile infrastructure and skill base provides the industry with a pool of knowledgeable workforce particularly in Northern Nigeria. The above make this sector too important for government to ignore.

Aganga said the evaluation of the socio-economic impact of the Fund to the beneficiaries and the national economy at large could, therefore, not have come at a better time.

“Although, it is evident that the CTG Revival Fund Scheme has provided the industry players with a unique source of incentive-based long-term fund for the financing and refinancing of capital investments and revolving working capital, based on my interactions with some of you and my findings during my visits to your factories, I am not unaware of other challenges being faced by you.”

The Chief Executive Officer of BoI, Ms Evelyn Oputu, said there was the need for a line of credit to be opened for the resuscitation of companies in the textile industry, in view of the fact that it remained a key sector generating a high number of jobs in the country.

She noted that the bank and other agencies were doing a mid-term evaluation of the Cotton, Textile and Garment Scheme in a bid to examine the progress made and other areas of concern.

According to her, BoI has disbursed nearly 60 per cent of the N100bn allotted to the textile sector to revive it, but hopes to increase funding to the sector, if empowered.

The Country Representative, UNIDO, Patrick Kormawa, advocated the need for an improved investment climate, effective policies for the real sector and enhanced capacity building for operators in order to aid the growth of the sector.

He identified the lack of adequate machinery and manpower as challenges the growth of the real sector. He, therefore, called for a renewed effort to revitalise the subsector.

[b]The General Secretary, National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers, Isa Aremu, commended the government for the intervention effort in the textile sector, noting that though it came late, it was better as many firms had been revived.

He said, “When the textile industry was still vibrant, a single firm could generate about 10,000 jobs. However, due to the intervention fund, we have been able to revive some firms. There is a need for an accelerated growth in the sector and this can be achieved through increased funding to the sector.

“Presently, 58 companies are managing N10bn, while AMCON has spent about N5.6tn on rescued banks. This gesture can also be replicated in the real sector if the desired growth and employment generation will be achieved.”

He, therefore, urged BoI to increase the tenor rate for loans sought by firms in the real sector in order to aid attractiveness of the loans to the companies and foster development.

“A drop in interest rates for the real sector will foster its growth. I believe we can work towards a zero per cent interest rate if we set our mind towards it”, he added.

On efforts to encourage the subsector’s development, he said, “We are working through the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, to reduce the dumping of sub-standard goods into the country.

“Some of these goods include textiles and apparels. We are also exploring diplomatic channels through our Trade Ambassador at the World Trade Organisation. To ensure increase in power supply, we are working with the Ministry of Power to ensure 10 industrial cities in the country have, at least, 18 hours of uninterrupted power supply by first quarter of next year (2013).

He added, “Our aspiration for the textile and apparel industry is to increase its domestic market share from its present position of 12 per cent to 25 per cent by 2020. We also expect this sector to create over 60,000 direct jobs within this period.

“To achieve this, the strategic thrust requires reviving the entire value chain. This includes strengthening the base by boosting cotton production for use in the domestic sector and potential exports, supporting existing players to expand their current operations and attracting strong brands to set up local manufacturing operation in the country. This explains why we have included the sector in the Industrial Revolution Plan which is being[/b]

cjfavour: so oby Ezekwesili of all ppl is lying? Tell me why i shld believe and nt oby ezekwesili aka madam due process,ex director of transparency internation,ex imf director?

take dat: Don't try to partially exonerate GEJ and put most of the blame on Yaradua. The truth is, they both mismanaged, aided the plundering of the monies with the governors as collaborators!

cjfavour: are u looking for her voice or the money? Do u understand d post? Its nt about d repressive govt bt about d missing 67billion dollars and nothing to show for it.