Business
Minister Harps On Infrastructural Development
Good infrastructure is critical to the development of the
Nigerian economy, the Minister of Works, Mike Onolememen said in Washington on
Wednesday.
“Good and sustainable infrastructure is needed in Nigeria
not only to serve as a catalyst for economic growth but also for the creative
engagement of citizens for national development.
“Good infrastructure also provides a platform for the
socio-political transformation of the nation,’’ the minister said at the
Nigeria -U.S. Infrastructure Conference.
He said stakeholders in Nigeria had realised that good and
sustainable infrastructure were necessary for realising the Federal
Government’s Transformation Agenda and Nigeria’s vision 20:2020.
According to him, desire to achieve the goal has led the
government to focus on infrastructure development in the past few years.
The minister said that local and foreign investments were
needed in the infrastructure sector to drive economic growth in the country.
He said the Federal Government was willing to forge a
healthy collaboration between the private and public sectors to create a
mutually beneficial ‘win-win’ relation in the development of key national
infrastructure that would aid economic growth.
Also the Minister of Transport, Idris Umar, represented by
Mr Nebolisa Emodi, Permanent Secretary in the ministry, said Nigeria like many
countries, was willing to ensure massive investments in order to close the wide
infrastructure gap.
He said to achieve the objective, the Federal Government had
adopted a policy framework for the private sector to play a significant role in
providing some of the investments through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs).
“The use of private investments, where appropriate, to
address the infrastructure deficit and improve public services in a sustainable
way is regulated by the Infrastructure Concession and Regulatory Commission
(ICRC) Act, 2005,’’ Umar said.
He said that in line with government’s commitment to
transparency and accountability, the legal and institutional framework provided
for PPP was to ensure that the transfer of responsibility to the private sector
follow the best international practices.
The minister said that in pursuance of government’s
strategic vision, the rehabilitation of more than 90 per cent of the existing
narrow gauge lines throughout the country was at the various stages of
completion.
Umar said that the government had also invested heavily in
rolling stock, workshops and equipment.
Business
NAFDAC Decries Circulation Of Prohibited Food Items In markets …….Orders Vendors’ Immediate Cessation Of Dealings With Products
Importers, market traders, and supermarket operators have therefore, been directed to immediately cease all dealings in these items and to notify their supply chain partners to halt transactions involving prohibited products.
The agency emphasized that failure to comply will attract strict enforcement measures, including seizure and destruction of goods, suspension or revocation of operational licences, and prosecution under relevant laws.
The statement said “The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has raised an alarm over the growing incidence of smuggling, sale, and distribution of regulated food products such as pasta, noodles, sugar, and tomato paste currently found in markets across the country.
“These products are expressly listed on the Federal Government’s Customs Prohibition List and are not permitted for importation”.
NAFDAC also called on other government bodies, including the Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Immigration Service(NIS) Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Nigeria Shippers Council, and the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS), to collaborate in enforcing the ban on these unsafe products.
