By Lucy Ogalue

The Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) has urged the media to be good ambassadors and promote the country positively to enable it to attract more investments.

The NIPC Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Aisha Rimi, said this at a media “Meet and Greet” organised by the Commission on Friday in Abuja.

Rimi said Nigerians had a role to play in driving President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and ensuring the growth and development of the country, adding that the media was not left out.

“So it is essential that we make Nigeria work in whatever shape or forms we can. We are all stakeholders in this, and at every level, everybody has a role to play.

“There are countries where you never hear the press talking wrong about their country, no matter how the story goes, they spin it to their benefit.

“So let us try to do that. Let us be ambassadors. Let us promote Nigeria and promote the good things about Nigeria,” she said.

The CEO acknowledged that there might be instances where we get it wrong and things were not done as they should, but it was up to us to act as ambassadors.

Rimi said, “everybody is an ambassador of this country, and we must ensure that Nigeria is seen positively worldwide.

“Let us highlight the good stories; let us learn to support each other so that investors will be attracted to the country, and we will be able to grow the economy.”

While reiterating the mandate of the Commission, Rimi said NIPC was set up to facilitate and promote access to investors in the country and retain the ones already in existence.

She said,” if nobody traps these people and gives them the support they need, other countries are competing with Nigeria, so we must be very intentional.

“So our job is to bridge that gap between the private sector and government.

“To ensure that our investors, be they foreign or domestic, incoming or already here, that we ensure their experience and economic activities in Nigeria are fruitful and beneficial.

“This is because if they do well, we do well; we know the resultant effects, the multiplier effects that a successful investment will have on our economy, job creation, diversification of the economy, and all of that.”

According to her, the commission is realigning its focus and efforts to key into the new administration and Mr President’s eight-point agenda.

She thanked the media for the support the commission had enjoyed in the past and expressed optimism that such supportive cooperation would continue.

Rimi said,” as I settle down, I will continue to depend on your support to promote the commission’s activities.

“As we go into the next year (2024), by God’s grace, we will keep you abreast of the developments as they occur.

“Please look at us as an open agency. Our doors and ears are open; we will listen to constructive criticism and information, verify what we can, and provide you with what we can.

“But it is a partnership that we all exist in the same ecosystem, and so we must coexist harmoniously, cordially, and respectfully.”

The NIPC boss then pledged a stronger partnership with the media in the coming year while wishing everyone God’s continued blessings, guidance protection, good health, and all prosperity in 2024.

Also speaking, Mr Ifeanyi Onuba, the President of the Commerce and Industry Correspondent Association of Nigeria (CICAN), pledged the members’ commitment to showcase the commission in good light.

Onuba also called on the commission to carry every member of the association along in all its activities.

He said this would enable them to contribute their quota in disseminating the right news/information in a manner that would benefit NIPC and the country’s interest. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
LCN/EEE

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Edited by Ese E Eniola Williams

By Gregg Mmaduakolam 

The Management of Council For the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) says the Council targets to generate over N5 billion as its revenue in 2024.

The Acting Registrar/ Chief Executive Officer of CRFFN, Mrs Chinyere Uromta, said this at the two-day workshop for the staff of the Council on Friday, in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the workshop is with the theme “signed Performance Bond 2024 to 2027 by Acting Registrar/CEO of CRFFN, Mrs Chinyere Uromta’’.

According to Uromta, every agency under the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy came with its mandate to sign the bond and it is no longer business as usual.

“We have three areas, where we collect our revenues, such as the Land border, the Cargo Airport and the Seaport.

“We are now only collecting at the sea port and our field officers are monitoring our collections.

“We also have a training centre for training, enforcement and regulation that is where we get our revenues. We as well have a  Register that registers all that met our qualifications,” she said

She stressed that when the enforcement officers were well trained, they would be able to collect more revenues.

She said the usual signing of APPER FORM for staff not coming to work would not be tolerated, as each staff must have done his or her job before the form could be signed by the departmental head.

She added that for any staff to be promoted to the next level he must have done what was expected of him to do, before he could be promoted.

Uromta said all enabling requirements had been put in place by CRFFN to ensure that members of staff deliver on what was expected of them.

She noted that various department heads had been directed to monitor the performance of staff of their units.

The Head Research Development of the CRFFN, Dr. Ben Ojumah, said the training would impact meaningfully on the staff, as it would enable them to give their best having undergone the two-day training.

On whether the Council would be able to achieve its mandate looking at its staff strength, Ojumah said such was no problem as CRFFN had enough staff to achieve its mandate.

The Unit Chairman Senior Staff Union, Dr Temitope Hamzat, expressed appreciation to the Acting Registrar, adding that the Council would want more of such training every year.

Hamzat noted that the agency had provided the enabling environment for the staff to achieve its goals, stressing that the only challenge facing CRFFN was scarcity of funds.

Mr Folarin Akinsoni, a Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist, who anchored the workshop, said specifically he came to train the staff on what they intended to do as their jobs.

Akinsoni noted that the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr Adegboyega Oyetola, was the first person that signed the bond with the heads of the agencies under the ministry.(NAN)

The report showed that during the period under review; 147,736 meters installed under the Meter Asset Provider (MAP} framework while 207 other installations recorded under the National Mass Metering Programme (NMMP).

By Esenvosa Izah

The Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions (ASSBIFI) has attributed the current naira scarcity to panic withdrawals by bank customers.

Its President, Mr Olusoji Oluwole, in a statement on Wednesday in Lagos, said such withdrawals were done out of fear of the sufferings and hardship experienced earlier in the year.

He said that activities of ignorant and unscrupulous persons who elected to hoard the naira notes for unethical gains, inflicting pains and hardship on innocent and vulnerable fellow Nigerians, was also contributory.

Oluwole urged those hoarding the naira notes to desist from it, saying, such actions were adding to the surging inflation bedevilling the economy.

The labour leader also urged the general public not to make panic withdrawals, saying, “ the Central Bank of Nigeria has announced indefinite acceptance of the old denominations as a legal tender.”

He urged the union members, who were in interface between Money Deposit Banks and the general public, to remain focused.

Oluwole also urged the members to avoid distractions in the discharge of their responsibilities as the CBN continued to work with banks to ensure adequate supply and distribution of naira notes.

“ASSBIFI commends the resilience of bank workers, and advises the general pubic to remain calm and safe by desisting from holding excess cash that may put them at unnecessary risk, “ Oluwole said. (NAN)

Edited by Oluwole Sogunle

By Kadiri Abdulrahman

Nigeria’s total public debt stock hit N87.91 trillion (114.35 billion dollars) as of Sept. 30, according to a statement by the Debt Management Office (DMO) on Wednesday in Abuja.

The DMO said that the amount represented the domestic and external debts of the Federal Government, the 36 state governments and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the N87.91 trillion total debt stock represents a marginal increase of 0.61 per cent, when compared to the June figure of N87.38 trillion.

The debt office said this trend was explained by the decrease in external debt from 43.16 billion dollars as at June 30 to 41.59 billion dollars as at Sept. 30.

It said that there was also a relatively moderate increase of N1.80 trillion in the domestic debt.

“External debt decreased due to a redemption of 500 million dollars Eurobond.

“It also decreased due the payment of 413.959 million dollars as first principal repayment of the N3.4 billion dollars loan obtained from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in 2020, during Covid-19,” the DMO said.

According to DMO, the servicing of all the debts is a clear demonstration of the federal government’s commitment to honouring its debt obligations.

It, however, said that President Bola Tinubu’s revenue generation initiatives remained important to Nigeria’s overall fiscal balance. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Olawunmi Ashafa