By Itohan Abara-Laserian

A freight forwarder and end-to-end services provider, Mr Tunde Okiwe, has expressed concerns over difficulties faced by businesses in the ecosystem, due to challenges in accessing forex.

Okiwe, who is also the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Baxwell Global Solutions ltd., told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Monday that the continuous surge in dollar exchange rate was affecting importers.

According to him, about two weeks ago, the Nigeria Customs Service increased its exchange rate from N951 to N1,413, making it difficult for businesses to cope, especially with the high duty payable.

He highlighted the importance of government engendering ‘ease of doing business’ to grow the economy and to erase the ‘busuness used to be good’ mantra.

“It is disheartening that nothing is being done regarding exchange rate and accessible forex, which is killing our businesses as air freight forwarders. The sector is going down.

“Suppliers are finding it difficult to go to the market to buy items abroad and bring to Nigeria. The problem is the exchange rate, and forex is another problem.

“About two weeks ago, NCS brought a new exchange rate which is really killing us now, from N951 to N1,413, that is a huge difference, so, we are finding it very difficult to cope for now.

“With the exchange rate by NCS, the duty payable is higher than what we were paying before,” he noted.

Okiwe said that the Federal Government should consider businesses that could pack up as a result of the issues around forex because many are just praying to survive.

He said that the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCOaviance) also increased its charges annually.

“Sometime in December 2023, NAHCOaviance increased their charges, it was high and freight forwarders had to stop work.

“We went into dialogue with them, but the new charge is what we are working with currently.”

Okiwe said that running a business in Nigeria was difficult because there was hardly any external help, and the business owner struggled to remain afloat.

He said that issues around exchange rate should be taken as serious business, adding that naira should be celebrated instead of the dollar. (NAN)

Edited by Oluwole Sogunle

By Franca Ofili

The Minister of State for Youth Development, Mr Ayodele Olawande, says the Federal Government is working to ensure enabling environment for youths to excel in their chosen career and to stem the “Japa Syndrome.”

Olawande told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that with enabling environment, all Nigerians, especially youths, would not bother to travel abroad and those that travelled would want to come back.

He said “President Bola Tiunbu is working to ensure enabling environment so that people that Japa will come back and live a normal life.

“Japa syndrome is good only when people go and invest in something and then come back to the country to develop and create employment.”

According to him, government is working towards providing an enabling environment where Nigerians will be engaged in one thing or the other.

Olawande said more people would even have the opportunity to travel to gain knowledge and come back to the country and impact lives.

NAN reports that the term “Japa” syndrome characterises a phenomenon in Nigeria where individuals, particularly young Nigerians, choose to migrate abroad in search of better opportunities, often with no intention of returning to their homeland.

A priest, Rev. Fr. Moses Jimbili, Parish Priest of Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Maitama, Abuja, who spoke to NAN about the trend, urged government to gainfully engage youths “so that theywill not see the need to leave the country.

“More can be done to encourage small scale industries for those who are trying to stay self employed. Loans and grants should be made available for youths to to start businesses.”

Jimbili added that “most importantly, government should urgently come up with solutions to the security problems because businesses can’t thrive in an insecure environment.”

The priest explained that it is difficult to advise the youths because everyone seeks to make his or her life better.

“But they must understand that life is not as rosy out there as we imagine. Your country is your country.

“We can join in the race to demand for better governance from government. We have the right to be governed well,” he said.

Also, Mr Daniel Agada , a Lawyer, said that the “Japa” syndrome in recent years has assumed an alarming dimension.

Agada said that Nigerians, especially the youths, continue to move to their preferred countries like UK and Europe in search of greener pastures.

He, therefore, suggested measures that government could evolve to create conducive environment for businesses to thrive.

He said “government should ensure that the process for registration of businesses are easy, automated, seamless and user-friendly.

“Ensure that business start-ups and all small and medium- scale enterprises or businesses get tax holidays, waivers and exemptions for the first few years of operation to enable them to stand on their feet.

“Ensure it gives interest-free loans and grants to small- scale businesses to enable them compete favourably with bigger or well established businesses,” Agada said.

He also urged government to introduce and enforce policies that would encourage local content, emphasising that “al government agencies, as a matter of policy, should patronise Nigerian goods, businesses, companies and contractors.

“Government officials should patronise Nigerian hospitals and their children and wards should attend Nigerian public schools.

“These would help to boost the value of our currency and grow and stabilise the economy.

Agada also called on the youths to develop resilience, cultivate the culture of self-reliance and develop entrepreneurial skills.

He said youths should believe in Nigeria and patronise local goods, services, businesses, hospitals and schools and cut the insatiable appetite for foreign goods and services.

“These will in no small measure, ensure the desired growth and stability in the economy, thereby making Nigeria better for all and the darling of all investors, both local and foreign,” Agada said.

On his part, Mr Callistus Ikwuazom, a Lecturer at FUT Minna, said government’s role is pivotal in fostering supportive atmosphere for Nigerian youths.

He said that “in combating the ‘Japa Syndrome’ and endorsing alternative entrepreneurial path, it’s essential for government to extend support through resources and programmes that focus on entrepreneurship and skill enhancement.

“Investment in education, hands-on training, and mentorship can empower the youth to venture into diverse business realms and seek investment avenues domestically.

“Moreover, government’s commitment to enhancing the entrepreneurial environment by streamlining bureaucratic processes, facilitating financial accessibility, and establishing a supportive regulatory ecosystem for emerging businesses is crucial.”

He advised the younger generation to adopt a forward-looking approach and actively participate in the country’s development activities.

He said “the temptation to pursue opportunities overseas is understandable, yet, recognising the prospects for advancements in Nigeria is crucial.

“Young individuals should capitalise on their abilities, interests, and enthusiasm to drive communal and national progress.

“I urge the youth to seek out varied prospects domestically, engage with peers who share similar goals, and pursue guidance from established entrepreneurs and professionals.

“With a mindset geared toward positivity, resilience, and perseverance, the challenges can be surmounted, leaving a significant mark and forging a brighter future for themselves and future generations.

“Together, we can aim for a flourishing Nigeria, rich in opportunities for every,” he said.

A businessman, Mr Chibunna Okolo, said that he travelled abroad, got married to a white woman and has two children, but he came back to Nigeria to establish companies.

Okolo said that although he has the citizenship of Holland, he preferred to build his country.

According to him, he has some friends abroad who for years have nothing doing but cannot come back due to shame.

He, therefore, advised the government to focus on creating enabling environment for businesses to flourish. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Hadiza Mohammed-Aliyu

By Lydia Ngwakwe

The Lagos State Government, through its Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, hosted a visit from the Delta State Commissioner for Urban Renewal, Mr Michael Anoka.

The Deputy Director, Public Affairs, Mr Mukaila Sanusi, in a statement on Saturday, said that the visit was to share Lagos’ experience in urban planning and development with Delta State.

Sanusi said that the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr Oluyinka Olumide, received the Delta State Urban Renewal Commissioner and told him about Lagos and her long history of developing resilient planning strategies.

He said that the commissioner cited example of the creation of the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority  (LASPPPA) and the Lagos State Building Control Agency ( LASBCA).

He said that the agencies were formed in response to building collapse, and had been helping in regulating the state’s built environment.

Sanusi quoted the commissioner as saying, “The Ministry, as presently constituted, is poised to meet the yearnings of the people.

“It has, at the apex, two policy formulating offices: that is, the Office of Physical Planning and the Office of Urban Development.

“It also has four implementing agencies, including the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority, the Lagos State Planning and Environmental Monitoring Authority (LASPEMA), the Lagos State Building Control Agency, and the Lagos State Urban Renewal Agency (LASURA).”

The Commissioner said that the administration of Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu had given physical planning its pride of place with massive investment in Operative Development Plans such as Master Plans, Model City Plans, Action Area Plans, and Development Guide Plans, to birth an orderly, organised and sustainable built environment.

Sanusi said that Mr Oluwole Sotire, Permanent Secretary, Office of Physical Planning, acknowledged the state’s experience in urban planning while recognizing the potential for mutual learning with Delta State.

He quoted Sotire as saying that the two states had a lot to learn from each other as far as planning the physical environment was concerned.

“Physical planning plays a crucial role in shaping the development and sustainability of cities.”

Sanusi stated that critical departments and units in the ministry explained their mandates and achievements to the visitors, while the commissioner presented his counterpart from Delta with copies of the Lagos State Operative Development Plans.

Explaining the purpose of his visit, the Delta State Commissioner for Urban Renewal, Mr Micheal Anoka, said that he visited Lagos to learn from jts successful urban planning strategies.

He acknowledged the leadership of Lagos  in the field and expressed his appreciation for the knowledge gained.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Oluwole Sogunle

By Perpetua Onuegbu

Experts have called on media practitioners to bring the critical issue of affordable housing to the front burner of national discourse.

They made the call in separate presentations at the 2024 Real Estate/Housing Reporters’ Workshop on Friday in Abuja.

Dr Austin Maho, a resource person from the International Institute of Journalism (IIJ), said journalists have great roles to play in realising affordable housing in the country..

Maho tasked the media to set agenda for government in tackling housing deficit plaguing the nation.

According to him, the prices of goods, services, cement and affiliated products used in construction of houses should be made accessible and affordable.

“Housing comes under welfare of the citizens but if Nigeria as a country has 17 million housing deficit, it is a great problem and government must put measures in place to bridge that housing gap.

“The media has a critical role to play putting the issues out there and making sure that government respond to them,” he said

Speaking in the same vein, Mr Bode Adeyemi, Executive Director, African Media Round Table Initiative called for more media coverage for the real estate sector in the society.

He said there are lots of investment opportunities in the real estate sector but many low income earners were not aware of.

“Most Nigerians especially people in the lower rung of the economic ladder are not familiar with the opportunities that are inherent in real estate investment.

“It is a sector that has capacity to engage nearly all other sectors.

In the informal sector it’s only the construction sector that has ability to bring together all other informal sectors together at site

”The press can do more by giving details into the investments opportunities and the ability the sector has to promote Nigerian economy,” Adeyemi said

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports the theme of the workshop is, “Promoting Estate Investment through Informed Media Alliance and Sustained Reporter’s Professionalism through Capacity Building”

Organised by Leisure Court Estates Limited, the event was attended by seasoned media professionals and journalists from prints, broadcast. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

≠≠=======
Edited by Rotimi Ijikanmi

L-R: Dr Lawrence Haddad, Executive Director, Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), and Mr Tomisin Odunmbaku, National Coordinator, Scaling Up Nutrition Business Network (SBN) Nigeria, at SBN Annual Members Convening on Friday in Lagos.

By Oluwafunke Ishola

Scaling Up Nutrition Business Network (SBN) Nigeria has stressed the need for concerted efforts and strategic partnerships to accelerate meaningful progress in making healthier diets affordable, available and accessible for citizens.

Mr Tomisin Odunmbaku, National Coordinator, SBN, said this during the SBN Annual Members Convening on Friday in Lagos.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event was organised by the SBN, Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), and the World Food Programme.

The meeting had the theme: “Building a National Collaborative Mechanism for Nutrition in Nigeria: A Catalyst for Change.”

Odunmbaku noted that recent data from the National Bureau of Statistics paints a sobering picture of the nutritional landscape in Nigeria.

According to him, 133 million people are classified as multidimensionally poor, and over 100 million children lack adequate intellectual stimulation.

According to him, nutrition remains a fundamental driver of poverty across all regions.

“Despite extensive investments and interventions, malnutrition indicators have unfortunately worsened over the past decade.

“This underscores the urgent need for collective action, with the private sector, including the 39 million MSMEs in Nigeria and our esteemed 397 SBN members, playing a crucial role,” he said.

Odunmbaku noted that SBN was committed to providing the support and technical assistance necessary to fulfill commitments towards improving nutrition in the country.

According to him, SBN remains dedicated to advocating for an enabling environment that empowers nutrition businesses to thrive.

He said that the next phase of SBN’s programme implementation was geared at strengthening the ability of businesses, especially SMEs, to contribute to better nutrition indices in Nigeria.

“These businesses play a vital role in how our food is grown, processed and delivered. Thus helping them position around objectives that reflect the country’s specific nutrition needs is a smart move.

“We encourage you to leverage the support and resources offered by GAIN through SBN, forging strategic partnerships across the nutrition value chain and within communities.

“By doing so, you not only position your businesses for success but also contribute significantly to the collective goal of eliminating malnutrition for good,” he said.

Similarly, Dr Lawrence Haddad, Executive Director, (GAIN), said Nigeria has lots of opportunities to transform its food system to follow a healthier and nutritional path that would enhance the well-being of its citizens.

Haddad said that collaboration between government and businesses was critical to enhance the nation’s food system.

He commended the Federal Government for raising the profile of food security and nutrition, urging the government to prioritise nutritious foods such as fish, eggs, vegetables, diaries and fruits.

Haddad appealed to the government to incentivise businesses to produce nutritional food, and create an enabling environment for businesses to operate and thrive.

Also, Dr Michael Ojo, Country Director, GAIN Nigeria, said malnutrition represents a serious issue in Nigeria.

Ojo said that GAIN’s strategy to assist address the challenge was to transform food systems and make healthier diets accessible to all people, especially those who are most vulnerable to shocks

Commenting, Mr John Uruakpa of the Nutrition Department, Federal Ministry of Health, said the Federal Government was committed to support SBN programmes.

Uruakpa called for more collaboration between SBN and the government toward improving nutrition indices and hunger reduction in the country. (NAN)

Edited by Chinyere Joel-Nwokeoma

By Angela Atabo

The Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu, has urged Nigerians to remain hopeful, saying President Bola Tinubu’s policies to transform the country were already yielding results.

Bagudu said this at a National Policy Summit in Abuja, organised by the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu(P-BAT) Academics and Professionals

The summit had the theme` `Activating the Policies and Promises in the President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.”

The minister said that the president had not relented on his oars since assumption of office,” working within the resources available.

“This P-BAT academicians came together to say what can we do for our country?

“This is really humbling and encouraging to all of us that we should not just lament but come together to put our best brilliance to draw the government’s attention to what can be done better.

“This is what the president has invited Nigerians to do to ensure that they take ownership of the government and keep public officials on their toes by asking questions especially because we took measures that are not convenient but demanded.

“Sometimes, to rebuild, you have to live with some inconveniences.

“Our country Nigeria is a great and blessed country, but for decades, particularly under democracy, Nigeria has been literally on a tiny budget.

“The highest our budget has been, is less than 40 billion US dollars. Of all the countries in the world with populations of 150 million and above, we are the ones with the smallest budget. ‘’

According to Bagudu, a study by the Organisation for European Economic Cooperation and Development, reveals that Singapore spends somewhere between 20,000 to 27,000 pounds followed by the United States where its different states spend between 10,000 to 14,000 dollars.

“This is followed by Brazil, Mexico, and China spending between 4000 to 800 to 5000 to 700 dollars.

“The study went further to extrapolate that for you to have a good primary education system, you need to be spending at least 700 dollars.

“This calls for a fundamental rethink and to achieve this, we need those blessed with that capacity to contextualise beyond the polity so as to quit the blame game which is what the president is doing,” he said.

Bagudu said that there was also a need to have insightful leaders willing to accept the challenge and take on new ideas.

He said that Nigerians had a reason to be optimistic because they had found a leader in Tinubu who had succeeded before in a leadership capacity to transform Lagos from what it used to be through an inclusive leadership.

“Today, there is a cry for inclusion across the country and we have a leader who believes in inclusion and has practiced it in Lagos by creating a state that works for all, carrying everyone along and giving them the opportunity to excel.

“All that is needed is a support system for Tinubu to work.

“His policy to move the economy from less than 500 billion GDP to a trillion Naira GDP in three years, requires boldness and requires risk taking with our support to his leadership.

“The decision to remove fuel subsidy is a necessary step. As painful as it may be, that needs to be done to lead to a greater tomorrow.

“So, some of the measures being taken particularly under the leadership of the president are measures we believe will lead to a greater tomorrow.

“All policies have a lifetime. So, as good as a policy can be and its strategy, if we don’t appreciate it, we can lose some stakeholders because sometimes the benefits take time to come,’’ he said.

Bagudu said that there were so many reforms in the pipeline adding that, “We will run within time and do our very best with your support.

“We know that by God’s grace we are on the right course and all men and women of conscience will support us to remain on the right course under the able leadership of Tinubu,’’ he said.

Mr Tope Fasua, Special Adviser on Economic Affairs in the office of the Vice President, said that the implementation of Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda was still very much on course.

Fasua said the president recently launched the renewed hope housing estate idea which would be starting soon with 200,000 houses nationwide.

“I have always preached that Nigerians should try not to be cynical because these are opportunities going on. We did promise double digit growth, it’s not over yet.

“What is going on right now is like the Chinese bamboo, we are digging roots. Some of the reforms that the president has committed to are very painful reforms.

“However, they are also the very necessary roots that must be planted so that when it starts germinating it’s going to be in leaps and bounds.

“The 2024 budget is one of the best budgets ever done, reducing deficit by half and making provisions for the right things, reducing deficit and reforming the revenue sector.so basically, we are remaking the economy.’’

Prof. Yemi Oke, National Coordinator and Convener, P-BAT Academics and Professionals, said the group desired a shift in the paradigm of merely criticising the government and its policies to engaging the process of governance.

According to Oke, the group does that by offering well-thought -through practical suggestions and solutions to support the government in policy implementations.

“Our aim is to volunteer our time, efforts, and resources by deploying our privileged positions to support the Tinubu-led administration.

“At inception, the group tasked itself with the sole objective of using her intellectual input to support President Tinubu to win the election, after the election, we transformed into P-BAT Academics and Professionals.

“The next mission is to positively engage and add critical objective views and values to all forms of governance and continue to volunteer our talents and skills.

“This is bearing in mind that to be elected is not as crucial as to deliver on the mandate of renewed hope to Nigerians.’’

According to Oke, Nigeria belongs to all and not the exquisite reserve of those in government, so it is up to citizens to own the process, encourage inclusivity and tell the government when they do right or wrong.

The media Spokesperson of P-BAT, Mary Ikoku, said members of the group did not only support the aspiration of Tinubu but were also professionals and academics who developed and designed and formulated policies.

Ikoku said that these policies would be sent to the government for implementation for a transformed Nigeria. (NAN)

Edited by Kevin Okunzuwa/Sadiya Hamza