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Ikpeazu seeks funding from AfDB for Enyimba Economic City

John Chukwu
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Ikpeazu seeks funding from AfDB for Enyimba Economic City

Governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu, is seeking partnership from the African Development Bank (AfDB) to make Enyimba Economic City (EEC), an ambitious economic hub, a reality.

The governor who said his government planned to leverage on the industrious and innovative people of the state to transform the state into an industrial hub, urged the African Development Bank (AfDB) to help.

Ikpeazu, who met with African Development Bank President Akinwumi Adesina on Tuesday at the bank’s headquarters in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire to discuss investment for Abia to help boost job creation and enhance livelihood, said a thriving entrepreneurship industry and agricultural base in Nigeria’s Abia State were the foundation for the creation of a potentially viable industrial hub.

“Our vision is to leverage the capacity of our people to become the SME capital of Nigeria. Our people are industrious and innovative. For instance, our people are known as top players in the leather industry. We have a new shoe factory that is producing over 50, 000 shoes. We particularly need the Bank’s help to address the State’s infrastructure deficit,” the governor said.

With a population of over 2.8 million, Abia State is looking to the bank to help make Enyimba Economic City (EEC), an ambitious economic hub, a reality. The State Government’s goal is to transform the region into a manufacturing and industrial powerhouse and create 700,000 jobs over five years.

The project, presented at the Bank’s 2019 Africa Investment Forum, has received significant investor interest, officials said. Other investment interests include a waste-to-energy project.

The bank’s support was also sought to facilitate the Abia State Integrated Infrastructural Project which is designed to develop massive infrastructure in the State, especially in the commercial city of Aba and the State capital of Umuahia.

Adesina said Abia State had “huge potential in agro processing and human resources. “The Bank’s role is to support governments like yours to transform their economies and create jobs,” he said.

Ikpeazu also requested the Bank’s support for the development of key agricultural value chains, including palm oil, rice, cocoa, cassava, maize and cashew, that would also create jobs for women and youth.

Accompanying the governor were the Commissioner for Works, Chidozie Bob Ogu, Commissioner for Finance, Aham Uko, Commissioner for Agriculture, Ikechi Mgbeoji and the Special Adviser to the Governor on Inter Governmental Affairs, Chinenye Nwaogu.

“Over the years, Aba has evolved as a centre of entrepreneurship and SMEs. The city has the potential to be a competitive industrial hub for Nigeria and for Africa. For this reason, the Bank will continue to support your vision,” Adesina concluded.

Since the bank group commenced operations in Nigeria in 1971, it has invested about $ 74.5 million in the state, across four critical sectors of power & energy (53 per cent); education (25 percent); health (15 percent); and transport (seven percent). In the years to come, the State will continue to be a key beneficiary of the Bank’s support with the planned Abia State Integrated Infrastructure Development Project and the Enyimba Economic City.

Exclusive: African Centre for Supply Chain condemns Customs physical examination at ports

John Chukwu
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Exclusive: African Centre for Supply Chain condemns Customs physical examination at ports

The Director-General of African Centre for Supply Chain (ACSC) Dr. Obiora Madu has condemned the 100 percent physical examination on cargoes being observed by Nigeria Customs Service at the country’s seaports.

Madu, who is also a senior lecturer of Business Administration and Country Manager, Malaysia University of Science and Technology said it was a national shame to still have the Nigeria Customs examine all imported cargoes physically at a time when even scanners are no longer in vogues.

The Nigeria Customs Service had abandoned the scanners inherited from destination inspection (DI) service providers at the expiration of their contracts in 2014. Since then, all imported cargoes undergo physical examinations at the ports, with its inherent delay disadvantages. More than three hours are spent on examining one container at the ports, limiting the number of containers examined in a day and leading to congestion at the seaports.

Dr Madu said Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) are now being used to examine cargoes at modern ports, adding that even use scanners have become old technology.

He advised the Federal Government of Nigeria to shift its attention away from purchasing scanning machines for Nigerian ports, but rather embrace a more sophisticated technology such as the RFID at the port.

The RFID is a technology that uses electromagnetic fields to automatically identify and track tags attached to objects including containers, vehicles, cash, clothing, and possessions, or implanted in animals and people for Automatic Identification and Data Capture (AIDC)

“It should be a national shame that we are still talking about using scanning machines for cargo examination at the seaports. The government should go for RFID; that is what nations are using today; that is what every modern port should be using,” Madu told Financial Street, at a shipping stakeholders forum in Lagos on ease of clearing charitable goods in Nigeria.

He advised that scanning machines is old school, and that it leads to delays and cumbersome procedures, while RFID remained the only solution to the congestion at the nation’s seaports.

He said, “Nigeria is more than matured for this kind of technology, I was in Malaysia and we visited the company, and when we said we were from Nigeria, the man said that five years ago, Nigeria had put out a bid for that technology and that they applied but were not given. This means that the need for this new technology has been seen seven years ago, it is not something new.

“This technology is the reason why Walmart is the cheapest and biggest shop in the world, because the technology brings visibility. If we have visibility at our ports, a lot of the problems would disappear. When a container has RFID tags, then you install the readers at the port, all you need is just for the containers to be passing, it is not like a scanning machine that is older and more cumbersome.”

NIMASA floating dock will boost Nigeria’s revenue, says Ikpeazu

John Chukwu
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NIMASA floating dock will boost Nigeria’s revenue, says Ikpeazu

The Integrated Security and Waterways Protection Infrastructure, commonly called the Deep Blue Project, received rave reviews on Tuesday from members of the House of Representatives Committee on Maritime Safety, Education and Administration during an oversight visit to the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and tour of some of its facilities under the project in Lagos.

The committee members, led by the Chairman, Honourable Lynda Ikpeazu, inspected the Special Mission Vessels (SMVs) under the Deep Blue Project – DB Abuja and DB Lagos – and the C4i Centre, and pledged their strong support for the project.

Corroborating the legislature’s position, the Commander of DB Lagos, Captain Maksun Mohammed, said the vessels will be a game changer in the fight against piracy and other maritime crimes on the country’s waters, as the criminals could be easily reached and stopped.

On his part, the Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, lauded the National Assembly for its continued support for the Agency and the maritime sector, generally. Dakuku also extolled the Nigerian Navy for its leading role in the pursuit of maritime security.

The maritime security assets are funded by NIMASA and run in conjunction with the Navy and other members of the Armed Forces, paramilitary organisations, and agencies under the Federal Ministry of Transportation.

Speaking at the event, Ikpeazu said the committee was impressed by the projects the Agency had facilitated in recent times, adding that the Floating Dock acquired by NIMASA remained a viable project that would generate lots of revenue for the country.

“We need to get a permanent berth for this huge platform because when it is fully operational it would amount to a very huge revenue earner for Nigeria because a lot of vessels would be able to dry-dock in-country,” she said.

On the SMVs and the Command, Control, Computer Communication, and Intelligence Centre (C4i Centre), which the committee visited, Ikpeazu said she was impressed with the level of coordination at the centre, especially the partnership between NIMASA and the Nigerian Navy. But she advised that aside NIMASA working with the Navy, the Agency should collaborate with other relevant Agencies, saying this would help in the battle against illegalities in the maritime environment.

Speaking on the SMVs, which are fitted with fast interceptor boats, Mohammed stated, “We have had hijack cases on our waters and more often than not, the reason they are successful is because they are beyond reach. But with this craft, that is not going to be an issue anymore, because it is either we launch fast interceptor boats that are capable of attaining the speed of about 55 nauts – no vessel can beat that vessel out at sea – or we put our special forces on the aircraft and send them out to the target and capture the ship.

“This vessel is going to be a game changer based on its capabilities. We are looking forward to going into operations soon.”

He said there will be rigorous training for personnel, who will man the vessels, before going into full operation.

“The vessel is highly sophisticated and highly computerised. That is why there will be a rigorous training process before we launch into operation. The training will be overseen by experts with inept knowledge about the operations of the ship. There will be a lot of emphasis on training so that we can have sufficient competence to operate this craft the way we should,” Mohammed stated.

He added that the vessels were equipped with state-of-the-art intelligence gathering gadgets that could receive information and respond in the quickest time possible.

NIMASA logo

Dakuku said the National Assembly was very crucial in the Agency’s quest to reform the maritime industry.

He stated, “The National Assembly is our most critical partner in our quest to reposition the maritime sector because the success of any regulator depends on the enforcement of laws made by the legislators. We crave their continued support so that we can continue to deliver on our mandate to the Nigerian people.”

The highlight of the visit was the inspection of the two SMVs, DB Lagos and DB Abuja, which are currently anchored at Navy Town, Lagos.

Other members of the committee on the tour included Hon. Kabiru Idris, Hon. Gambo Mubarak, Hon. Bamisili Oluwafemi Richard, Hon. Ajilesor Abimbola Taofeek, Hon. Samson Okwu, Hon. Magaji Amos Gwamna, and Hon. Victor Nwokolo. Others were Hon. Abubakar Abdullahi Ahmad, Hon. Muktar Aliyu Betara, Hon. Abdullahi Idris Garba, Hon. Wole Oke, Hon. Nasiru Sanni Zango Daura, Hon. Yusuf Ahmad Tijani, Hon. Olumide Osoba, and Hon. Bassey Ewa.

Embrace Swine, Embrace Fortune: The Hidden Treasure in Pig Farming

Africana Entrepreneur
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Embrace Swine, Embrace Fortune: The Hidden Treasure in Pig Farming

Many detest pig and its meat. Even the mere sight of this mammal evokes unpleasant feelings. But NNAMDI ABANA reveals the hidden treasure in rearing one of the filthiest animals

The agricultural sector is one that has been ignored in Nigeria, even as it was the mainstay of the country’s economy in the 1960s and 70s. Groundnut, cocoa and palm produce were big foreign exchange earners before the discovery of crude oil in large quantity in the 50s.

Efforts by successive administrations to diversify the Nigerian economy, since oil is greatly losing value in the international market, yield little results. Even the palm oil the country used to export has become an import commodity.

However, recent developments have started pushing Nigerians into the farm, as local agro-based industries are springing up with the help of government and entrepreneurs who strive to squeeze water out of the rock.

Rice and livestock farming are gathering momentum since those commodities are beginning to command greater value than before.

Traditionally, northerners are known for cattle rearing, but with the menace of nomadic herders, the pendulum is swinging to other areas of livestock production in different parts of the country, especially pig farming.

Pig, which originated from Eurasian Wild boars, can be substituted with cow, for animal protein.

However, religious and cultural beliefs affected, and still affect, pig farming. But this is one profitable area of agriculture that has comparative advantage over other livestock.

Pigs in free range

Pigs give out more with less input compared to any other livestock. They reproduce geometrically, with as many as 25 piglets in a year, according to some farmers. They are very resilient and have the least mortality rate among livestock’s, that is almost 100 per cent production to supply value.

Today’s domesticated pig has most of the qualities that the modern farmer looks for in livestock, including high profitability, which can entice investors.

According to a pig farmer, Adenike Ayoade, pig farming requires patience and dedication, noting that intending farmers need passion to grow the business.

The gestation period for pig is 115 days, accounting for about three reproductions in a year, she told Financial Street.

“Since I have been doing this business, I have never been broke, because pork is in high demand in Nigeria.

“I have been in this business for about 10 years and I can say categorically that piggery is a very lucrative business and one’s investment can be recouped within a short time,” she said.

Although pig farming has not really picked up in Nigeria like other parts of Africa, the number of small-scale pig farmers is, however, increasing,despite inadequate extension services and the low percentage of investment in agriculture.

A pig geneticist at the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training (IAR&T), Ibadan, Dr. Olufunke Oluwole, said that pig rearing could be a money-spinner for farmers, if properly developed.

According to her, pig is one of the most prolific domestic animals, as it can produce between four to 18 piglets compared to one or two in cattle, sheep and goat.

“It has high feed conversion efficiency, matures early and thereby has a short generation interval. It requires small space to start for small scale production.

“It could be started with moderate capital on small-scale production and it could also be reared on large-scale with huge capital. The management practices are simple as it could be managed effectively on small-scale by members of the family.

“The droppings or faeces can be used as manure to improve soil fertility for vegetables. The meat is delicious, soft, tasty and palatable. It’s equally important for agro-based industries for the production of bone meal, blood meal, cooking fat, cosmetics and bristles.”

According to her, pig can be fed with various household wastes such as plantain peel, yam peel, remnant feeds, but very hardy and not easily infected.

“Under the intensive system of management and proper hygiene, rearing of pig doesn’t constitute nuisance (anymore) to the environment,” she added.

Mr. Ikponze Samson, another pig farmer, explained to Financial Street the profitability of pig farming and its potential of reducing unemployment and poverty.

Along with traditional business ideas, pig farming in Nigeria can play an important role in reducing unemployment, poverty and addressing malnutrition among others, he said.

“By raising pigs commercially, you can both fulfil your family nutrition demands and earn some extra cash.

Pigs feeding

“Pig farming in Nigeria is becoming very popular by the day. It is a wonderful business idea and very profitable. You can get the return of your total investment within a very short time. Pig farming is very easy and pork has huge global popularity which is the main reason the business is increasing in Nigeria.

Samson described pig farming as “a niche and an unusual business”, adding that successful pig farmers enjoy huge rewards.

He said that pig farming had many advantages over other livestock such as cattle and goats.

The advantages, he said, include that reproduction period and faster conversion energy into protein than other livestock.

“Pigs can survive and produce more by consuming little amount of low-quality food; they can also feed on roughage, kitchen garbage and agricultural waste,” he said, urging the government to provide funds for vibrant young farmers to go into the business to create more create job opportunities.

On the benefits of pig farming, Mr. Bola Obajemu,who owns one of the biggest pig farms in Lagos State, told our correspondent that pigs were reared in Bush Waller, but that things changed.

He said statistics in 2015/2016 showed that pork was taking like 36 per cent of the total protein meat consumption all over the world, followed by goat and chicken.

Pigs are now refined, eat healthy and drink clean water because pork producers are now enlightened people, he disclosed, adding that pigs eat what an average chicken eats and the issue of worms are being taken care of by new ways of rearing them.

He advised potential investors: “Pig farming is a full science on its own. It is not business as usual and it is no longer like the way our forefathers used to do it. People must have a start-up fund and learn the business because if you don’t learn, you won’t get it right.”

Pork is one of the most consumed animal proteins across Nigeria. As our population increases with disposable income, the competition to supply Nigerians with wholesome, safe pork by different entrepreneurs who are making inroad into this field of business, also increases.

Threat of climate change on Nigeria’s aviation sector

Nnamdi Abana
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Threat of climate change on Nigeria’s aviation sector

Changing weather patterns triggered by the depletion of the ozone layer has a direct negative effect on many key sectors in Nigeria, according to the 2019 report of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency.

The climate agency said the situation was worrisome, and, if not checked, could have a direr impact on the economy and health of Nigerians.

The 2019 review of weather trends, which was contained in a document shared by NIMET at the Seasonal Rainfall Prediction, stated that weather features such as flooding and dust haze significantly affected flight operations and the entire transport sector.

Dust haze was observed all over the country reducing visibility to less than 500 metres. The coast and inland cities witnessed a reduction in horizontal visibility to about 200 to 900m due to early morning fog.

Flight operations were disrupted due to heavy downpour, severe thunderstorms and windstorms, which disrupted aviation activities. The disruptive effect of climate change continued to threaten the country’s aviation sector.

Are we contributing to the dangers of climate change? Certainly! A flight distance of 5,826 miles (9376.019km) emit nearly as much Greenhouse Gas a car would in a year. The aviation industry leads the pack in the league of emission in the transport sector.

Overall, the aviation industry accounts for 11 per cent of all transportation-related emissions in the United States and, according to some estimates, there are over 20,000 aircraft allover the world servicing over three billion people. It is estimated that by 2040, about 50,000 planes will fly the airways.

If Nigeria is really committed to the global efforts towards checkmating the effect of climate change, then keeping our planet’s temperature below the tipping point of 20C should be our priority.

Some 11,221,608 air travellers went through Nigeria airports in 2017, according to figures released by the Consumer Protection Directorate of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority. The 30 airlines on the international routes operated a total of 13,503 flights and carried 3,575,542 passengers during the period under review. Eight domestic airlines operated 48,319 flights and airlifted 7,646,600 passengers across the country. Thus, airlines on the domestic routes accounted for 68 per cent of the passenger traffic, while the international route recorded 32 per cent.

On average, a plane produces a little over 0.02 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide per mile. This,multiplied by the number of flights in Nigeria alone, is worrisome.

The most effective way to check climate change and its debilitating effect on the nation’s aviation sector is to fly less often. If everyone took fewer flights, airline companies wouldn’t burn as much jet fuel.

According to the World Bank, the average frequent traveller generated about 16.4mt of carbon dioxide in 2013 alone. Some calculations show that a round-trip flight from New York to San Francisco emits about 0.9mt CO2 per person.

Source: Google – Climate Change Impact on Aviation

The global average was about five tonnes of CO2 per person in 2013.

Commercial airlines have been using biofuels in some passenger flights since 2011, mixed with conventional petroleum-based fuels in varying amounts. The biofuels, which come from natural oils, seaweed and agricultural waste, can help reduce planet-warming emissions through aviation.

In 2016, United Airlines started using biofuels in all of its flights out of Los Angeles. The biofuel, made by a company called Altair Fuels, is estimated to cut at least 60 per cent of GHG emissions compared to regular jet fuel, according to United.

Other companies and the American government are working to develop alternative biofuels to use in the airline industry.

One wonders if Nigeria is taking steps towards switching to the use of biofuels just like the United States.

Nollywood’s Giant Strides

Ufuoma McDermott
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Nollywood’s Giant Strides

Nollywood, Nigeria’s movie industry, has transcended the borders of the country to other parts of Africa and indeed the globe. It has repositioned Africa’s movie industry, becoming the second largest in the world in terms of film output, surpassing Hollywood in the United States, and second only to India’s Bollywood. According to Norimitsu Onishi, the journalist who helped coin the term ‘Nollywood’, it produces about 2,500 films a year.

The last decade was remarkable for Nollywood, as it recorded multi-faceted successes in the cinema sphere, production, international festival screenings and Netflix deals. No wonder the world stood still just to observe its giant strides.

With over 40 films per week, at an average cost of $40,000 per project, Nollywood has metamorphosed into a $590m industry in just two decades.

In 2016, Nollywood filmmakers cracked the challenge of low patronage in various cinema houses across Nigeria by paying detailed attention to the quality of movies produced in the country. One of the movies that revived the cinema, and by extension the movie industry, is Mo Abudu’s EbonyLife film, The Wedding Party, a romantic comedy directed by Kemi Adetiba, which took Nigerians and the international community by surprise.

The Wedding Party is a classic movie of many shades dotted by slangs, comedy and suspense. Featuring first-rate actors, it remains the highest grossing Nigerian movie till date, raking in N452m.

The success story of Nollywood cannot be complete without a mention of two commercial platforms, Africa Magic and Iroko TV. The former, a 24-hour paid television channel, streams Nollywood movies directly into people’s homes and offices, while the latter is an online streaming platform from where movies are downloaded on the go.

Nollywood’s great accomplishments have enthralled global audiences who now seek to collaborate with Nigerian actors. The movie, Ije, is one of those international collaborations.

The industry’s international acceptability is no longer hearsay. The movies are making tremendous inroad into international platforms like the Oscars in the U.S. and Cannes film festival in France. The recent submission of Genevieve Nnaji’s ‘Lion Heart’ to the Oscars and the feature of Abudu’s ‘The Wedding Party’ in Cannes are two cases in point.

Nollywood accounts for $7.2bn of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product and directly employs more than a million Nigerians, which makes it possibly Nigeria’s second largest source of employment aside agriculture. It generates $590m annually, and still has great economic potential.

This great feat by the industry did not come without challenges. It had to contend with the dominance of the digital versatile disc menu provided mostly by Hollywood and Bollywood movies, which enjoyed high patronage of Nigerians. Again, its prolific nature at the expense of quality production elicited distaste by many Nigerians for Nollywood at the time. They considered the production mediocre.

However, this narrative has changed remarkably, as Nollywood has re-invented herself by investing heavily in the production of quality movies with good storylines. It now enjoys positive reviews and patronage from many Nigerians. As it is, most households cannot have a fulfilled day until the see at least a Nigerian movie.

Marlians In Business

Gideon Remigius-Iwu
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Marlians In Business

In Nigeria, a new epidemic has gripped the young and old, literate and illiterate, mannered and ill-mannered, just about every demography.

Many people identify with the movement, including those who know next to nothing about the originator or his “calling.”

Every corner in Nigeria, in Zuckerville, Twittersphere and Instaville, you hear the “I’m a Marlian” declaration. Some of the sacred places of worship are not left out.

One very true character of Marlians is breaking the norm.

Nigeria’s music star, Naira Marley, started the movement and it is blazing like wild fire. But with the way it is, many people just want to live the Marlian moment. It’s the new fad. And like other trends before it, expiry date beckons.

Marlians seek freedom and independence, irrespective of anyone else’s opinion; hence, they fight to live their lives just the way they feel like. So, you find stories of Marlians without undies (including panties and bra) and belts, weeding off without a care. The other day, the chairman of Heirs Holdings, Tony Elumelu, was associated with the trend because he was spotted without a belt holding up his pair of trousers.

Now, enough of trying to talk up Marlians. Are there Marlians in the business sphere?

Take a ride with me.

Some of the breakthroughs in business are credited to ‘Marlians’. From the banking space to the tech space, there have been breaks by the young and daring. To some, it’s an adventure; to others, it’s an experiment; to the rest, it’s an expression. They needed not be addressed as Marlians before they thought out of the box in their endeavours.

Almost every smartphone user has an Opera News app. That is a product of smart thinking. The guys at Opera had to push their product to the people without waiting for demand. Their news aggregate site is just in the face of every phone user. And they have taken the push a notch further by rewarding writers for publishing on their sites. These tech ‘Marlians’ aren’t here to joke.

The agribusiness sector has witnessed some profound improvements through the deployment of technology in racking up funds from investors to the real farmers with encouraging return on investment, improving yields and connecting farm produce to the consumers in good conditions, and doing well to involve youths.

Innovations from these Marlians have seen a lot of farmers spring back to life and some business-minded individuals become farmers by proxy. Today, you have loads of agriculture investors who have never been to any farm.

Real estate is not left out. Sijibomi Ogundele of the Sujimoto Group of Companies is one entrepreneur whose landmark projects bestride the real estate landscape in the country.

There were people who told us that being guided and told what to do all our lives, like we don’t have brains, was the norm. We strayed with their foible. But some of today’s entrepreneurs all over the world are breaking the norm. Many are actually learning on the go, and doing well.

But one thing others must learn from these young enterprising business minds is dynamism and flexibility in management.

Believe it, the business Marlians are here.

Huawei to Develop 2 Million ICT Professionals over the next five years

Financial Street
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Huawei to Develop 2 Million ICT Professionals over the next five years

Huawei officially released the Huawei ICT Academy Program 2.0 at the Industrial Digital Transformation Conference. The program aims to develop 2 million ICT professionals and popularize digital skills over the next five years by collaborating with universities. This is part of Huawei’s digital inclusion initiative, TECH4ALL, which is intended to expand the benefits of digital technology to everyone, everywhere. Huawei will set up the Huawei ICT Academy Development Incentive Fund (ADIF), with a total investment of at least US$50 million over the next five years.

2013 saw the establishment of the Huawei ICT Academy program, under which Huawei has provided quality courses and support services to universities/colleges to help them train teachers, establish and optimize ICT majors, improve the curriculum system, and build standard labs. Huawei ICT Academy also introduces Huawei’s ICT technologies and products to students in universities around the world, encourages them to participate in Huawei certification, and develops innovative and application-oriented technical talent for society and the global ICT industry. Since 2015, Huawei has partnered with more than 600 international universities to set up Huawei ICT academies, helping the universities improve their ICT teaching abilities and train more than 1500 teachers.

To meet new requirements and challenges, the Huawei ICT Academy Program will enter the 2.0 phase in 2020. According to its five-year plan, Huawei will develop 2 million ICT professionals and continuously update its school-enterprise cooperation solutions in cutting-edge technologies, such as 5G and Artificial Intelligence (AI).
To achieve this goal, Huawei will set up the Huawei ICT Academy Development Incentive Fund (ADIF), with a total investment of at least US$50 million over the next five years. This fund aims to help ICT academies operate stably by the following four actions:

 Providing teaching experiment equipment for cooperative universities to improve students’ practical skills.
 Training teachers through ADIF, providing free exam vouchers to encourage students to take Huawei’s certification exams, and setting up an education fund to reward excellent teachers and students.
 Holding the Huawei ICT Competition to provide a platform for students to communicate with their peers and show their talents.
 Cooperating with partners on ICT Talent Job Fairs to help students find jobs and promote efficient matching between talent supply and demand.

Hank Stokbroekx, Vice President of Enterprise Service, Huawei Enterprise BG, said that, Huawei will continue to establish more ICT Academies. Every year, we will build 600-1000 Huawei ICT Academies. By doing so, we aim to benefit more university teachers and students in the digital world, enable more people to enjoy equal and high-quality education, enhance digital skills, and inject fresh impetus into the industry.

The launch of Huawei ICT Academy Program 2.0 marks a new stage of Huawei’s talent ecosystem development. In the future, Huawei will deepen cooperation with all parties in the ecosystem, increase investment, and accelerate the construction of an all-round, full-cycle sustainable talent ecosystem to fuel the digital transformation of industries.

Funds, graft, taxes, others bane of entrepreneurship in Nigeria – Muyiwa

Africana Entrepreneur
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Funds, graft, taxes, others bane of entrepreneurship in Nigeria – Muyiwa

Folorunso Muyiwa is the Chief Executive Officer of Divergent Enterprise, the parent company of Nigeria’s biggest pig farm, PorkMoney. In this interview, he talks about the country’s investment climate, economic diversification, among other issues. Excerpts.

The Federal Government of Nigeria maintains its determination to diverse the economy, do you think that is achievable?

It is definitely achievable. The diversification of the economy is probably the only option left for development. This is because the economy continues to rely so much on crude oil. The numbers speak for themselves. Oil accounts for 80 per cent of government’s revenue and 90 per cent of foreign exchange earnings. No country, especially one that is blessed with a lot of natural resources like Nigeria, can totally depend on one economic sector.
I believe that there are great opportunities for non-oil sectors to grow, and this growth has been visible since 2001. Of course, the changes cannot be very quick and the transformation will not happen overnight.
However, the Federal Government can develop different sectors by taking important steps necessary for growth to take place. We can no longer be a mono-economic country.

Could that explain why you ventured into pig farming?

The idea of PorkMoney grew out of the desire to tap into a neglected sector of the livestock farming that has the potential to create value and change the agricultural ecosystem for good. Long ago before PorkMoney was launched in 2018, I visited a pig farm in Ogun State, one of the biggest in the country, and realised how fast the pigs grew and the viability of pig farming system in general. I knew this was something I needed to be a part of and I’m glad for the decision that I took. We are currently the leading pig farming enterprise in West Africa and our achievement speaks for itself.

Did the idea of establishing PorkMoney emanate from that?

My visit to that farm was definitely a turning point for me. Before then, I was oblivious of the untapped goldmine that is pig farming.

What challenges did you encounter?

Every business comes with a few challenges. One of the challenges we constantly face is the need to micro-manage casual workers from farm handlers, managers, production managers and other workers. Many of them compromise on set standards by cutting corners, especially in meat processing and livestock welfare.
Another challenge is the religious sentiments in this part of the world towards pigs and pork products. However, this was a more pronounced problem at inception and it is dissipating with time.

Knowing the religious sensibilities of the country, did aversion to pork cross your mind?

Not at all. In as much as there is a religious proscription to the consumption of pork, we cannot ignore its usefulness and benefits to our health and nourishment and just how lucrative pig farming is. I mean, Nigeria is a major consumer of pork and 80 per cent of it is imported. This means that a lot of people enjoy this animal protein. All we are doing is localising its production.

Is it possible to alter negative public perception about pig farming?

Definitely. One of our key responsibilities is to enlighten the general public about the great side to pig farming and inform them of the many benefits of pork consumption. Somehow, our environment and the kind of information we were exposed to as a people have influenced our idea of certain things. There are a lot of things we might need to unlearn as time goes on. So by using all our platforms – our social media, our website and even our adverts, we have ensured that we always show the good sides of pig farming because they are much.

Did you consider the possible health challenges in pork breeding?

Of course, we do. However, we ensure that we take the appropriate steps to mitigate any possibility. We also take proper hygienic measures like vaccination, quarantine and biosecurity, which keep our weaners very healthy.

Are you saying there are no associated diseases?

Livestock farming comes with a risk of epidemics; but if managed properly, they can be prevented. The great thing about pigs is just how resilient they are, compared to any other livestock, to farm. They are simply incredibly disease-resilient.

Vaccines and disease surveillance have always been the bane of animal husbandry. How do you take that observation?

Livestock are very prone to diseases; hence the need to constantly take precautionary measures such as administration of vaccines and disease surveillance activities across the farm to prevent outbreaks. Very recently, China witnessed its biggest animal disease that claimed livestock and cost the country billions of dollars because of its flawed surveillance.

So it’s important for other pork-producing countries to take adequate disease surveillance and testing programmes to detect these diseases early enough and prevent a fast spread.
So far, our farm partners under our management have taken adequate measures that have seen us not witness any outbreak since our launch in 2018. We expect that with our measures, this would continue to be the case.

What would you consider the most limiting factors to entrepreneurship in Nigeria, especially for youths?

Lack of capital is one of them. Aside that the Nigerian environment is not too conducive and encouraging for budding entrepreneurs, access to funds is one of the biggest challenges for youths in business. Another is the unfavourable tax policies, poor management, corruption, lack of training and experience, poor infrastructure and lack of specialised skills to scale one’s enterprise, none of which is insurmountable for a determined person.

How would you rate Nigeria’s Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, compared to other countries like Malaysia?

The SME sector is the backbone of major developed economies and an important contributor to employment and economic growth. Malaysia is doing remarkably well when it comes to the business scene. About 98.5 per cent of business establishments in Malaysia are SMEs, which contribute 36.5 per cent to the country’s Gross Domestic Product and 65 per cent of the employment. This is impressive. Despite the significant contribution of SMEs to the Nigerian economy (48 per cent), challenges still persist that hinder the growth and development of the sector. Some of the overriding issues are access to funding, lack of skilled manpower, multiplicity of taxes, high cost of doing business, among others. This proves that there is still much to be done.

As an entrepreneur, how did you overcome initial apprehensions, especially funding, and what areas have you exerted your ideas so far?

When I was starting out in business, I had no capital, training or resources to start my journey. The brilliant ideas were there. All that was needed to execute them was finance, which was lacking, but I had to start small and grow multiple businesses over the years till I was able to afford the capital needed to start my current pursuit.

Funds, graft, taxes, others bane of entrepreneurship in Nigeria – Muyiwa

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Funds, graft, taxes, others bane of entrepreneurship in Nigeria – Muyiwa

Folorunso Muyiwa is the Chief Executive Officer of Divergent Enterprise, the parent company of Nigeria’s biggest pig farm, PorkMoney. In this interview, he talks about the country’s investment climate, economic diversification, among other issues. Excerpts.

The Federal Government of Nigeria maintains its determination to diverse the economy, do you think that is achievable?

It is definitely achievable. The diversification of the economy is probably the only option left for development. This is because the economy continues to rely so much on crude oil. The numbers speak for themselves. Oil accounts for 80 per cent of government’s revenue and 90 per cent of foreign exchange earnings. No country, especially one that is blessed with a lot of natural resources like Nigeria, can totally depend on one economic sector.
I believe that there are great opportunities for non-oil sectors to grow, and this growth has been visible since 2001. Of course, the changes cannot be very quick and the transformation will not happen overnight.
However, the Federal Government can develop different sectors by taking important steps necessary for growth to take place. We can no longer be a mono-economic country.

Could that explain why you ventured into pig farming?

The idea of PorkMoney grew out of the desire to tap into a neglected sector of the livestock farming that has the potential to create value and change the agricultural ecosystem for good. Long ago before PorkMoney was launched in 2018, I visited a pig farm in Ogun State, one of the biggest in the country, and realised how fast the pigs grew and the viability of pig farming system in general. I knew this was something I needed to be a part of and I’m glad for the decision that I took. We are currently the leading pig farming enterprise in West Africa and our achievement speaks for itself.

Did the idea of establishing PorkMoney emanate from that?

My visit to that farm was definitely a turning point for me. Before then, I was oblivious of the untapped goldmine that is pig farming.

What challenges did you encounter?

Every business comes with a few challenges. One of the challenges we constantly face is the need to micro-manage casual workers from farm handlers, managers, production managers and other workers. Many of them compromise on set standards by cutting corners, especially in meat processing and livestock welfare.
Another challenge is the religious sentiments in this part of the world towards pigs and pork products. However, this was a more pronounced problem at inception and it is dissipating with time.

Knowing the religious sensibilities of the country, did aversion to pork cross your mind?

Not at all. In as much as there is a religious proscription to the consumption of pork, we cannot ignore its usefulness and benefits to our health and nourishment and just how lucrative pig farming is. I mean, Nigeria is a major consumer of pork and 80 per cent of it is imported. This means that a lot of people enjoy this animal protein. All we are doing is localising its production.

Is it possible to alter negative public perception about pig farming?

Definitely. One of our key responsibilities is to enlighten the general public about the great side to pig farming and inform them of the many benefits of pork consumption. Somehow, our environment and the kind of information we were exposed to as a people have influenced our idea of certain things. There are a lot of things we might need to unlearn as time goes on. So by using all our platforms – our social media, our website and even our adverts, we have ensured that we always show the good sides of pig farming because they are much.

Did you consider the possible health challenges in pork breeding?

Of course, we do. However, we ensure that we take the appropriate steps to mitigate any possibility. We also take proper hygienic measures like vaccination, quarantine and biosecurity, which keep our weaners very healthy.

Are you saying there are no associated diseases?

Livestock farming comes with a risk of epidemics; but if managed properly, they can be prevented. The great thing about pigs is just how resilient they are, compared to any other livestock, to farm. They are simply incredibly disease-resilient.

Vaccines and disease surveillance have always been the bane of animal husbandry. How do you take that observation?

Livestock are very prone to diseases; hence the need to constantly take precautionary measures such as administration of vaccines and disease surveillance activities across the farm to prevent outbreaks. Very recently, China witnessed its biggest animal disease that claimed livestock and cost the country billions of dollars because of its flawed surveillance.

So it’s important for other pork-producing countries to take adequate disease surveillance and testing programmes to detect these diseases early enough and prevent a fast spread.
So far, our farm partners under our management have taken adequate measures that have seen us not witness any outbreak since our launch in 2018. We expect that with our measures, this would continue to be the case.

What would you consider the most limiting factors to entrepreneurship in Nigeria, especially for youths?

Lack of capital is one of them. Aside that the Nigerian environment is not too conducive and encouraging for budding entrepreneurs, access to funds is one of the biggest challenges for youths in business. Another is the unfavourable tax policies, poor management, corruption, lack of training and experience, poor infrastructure and lack of specialised skills to scale one’s enterprise, none of which is insurmountable for a determined person.

How would you rate Nigeria’s Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, compared to other countries like Malaysia?

The SME sector is the backbone of major developed economies and an important contributor to employment and economic growth. Malaysia is doing remarkably well when it comes to the business scene. About 98.5 per cent of business establishments in Malaysia are SMEs, which contribute 36.5 per cent to the country’s Gross Domestic Product and 65 per cent of the employment. This is impressive. Despite the significant contribution of SMEs to the Nigerian economy (48 per cent), challenges still persist that hinder the growth and development of the sector. Some of the overriding issues are access to funding, lack of skilled manpower, multiplicity of taxes, high cost of doing business, among others. This proves that there is still much to be done.

As an entrepreneur, how did you overcome initial apprehensions, especially funding, and what areas have you exerted your ideas so far?

When I was starting out in business, I had no capital, training or resources to start my journey. The brilliant ideas were there. All that was needed to execute them was finance, which was lacking, but I had to start small and grow multiple businesses over the years till I was able to afford the capital needed to start my current pursuit.

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