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Salt Refinery: Namibia Issues License, Land To Nigerian Investors

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The Namibian government has issued a mining license and allocated a piece of land that will enable Nigerian investors to establish a salt refinery in that country.
Its High Commissioner to Nigeria, Dr Peingeondjabi Shipoh, told newsmen in Abuja on Monday that the Namibian government allocated the piece of land to the Nigerian investors in August.
The high commissioner, who said the land was located in the country’s Erongo region, near the Henties Bay, added that the Namibian government’s approval was a testimony to its readiness to address all challenges before the investors.
“The government of Namibia has granted license because it is mining and it is manufacturing.
“The land has to be in the proximity of the ocean and it looks like that land that has been offered, you have to cross someone else’s land before you get to it.
“And therefore there should be some negotiations in order to lay pipes to take water into the plant.
“The people involved would like to visit Namibia to go iron out these things.
“I was informed about the problem before I came here (to Nigeria) and I tried my best to resolve it and we are about to resolve that problem of land access so that the plant can go up.
“Investment resource is not an issue; that has been secured; license from the government has been issued.
“So, it’s to find a date to start but the mission has got no control over those issues, it’s to only facilitate if we are told where the issues are.“
The envoy also said that plans for the setting up of a Nigeria-Namibia oil refinery in that country were on.
Shipoh, who said that the project would be private-sector driven, called on investors in the country to take advantage of the opportunities made available by the governments of both countries.
The high commissioner said that “friendly investment opportunities“ existed in the mining, agriculture, energy, fishery, and tourism sectors.
He said that the signing of 11 agreements by presidents of both countries in March had created opportunities for investors in both countries to take advantage of.
He, however, said that the interest shown by investors since the signing of the agreements had been low pointing out that the value of trade between the two countries was not up to one million dollars.
The envoy said, “these agreements are there and we need to make sure that the players are correctly advised so that all stumbling blocks on both sides, if any, are removed.
“Certain factors could constitute problems which we would like to know.
“If maybe the problem is not in Nigeria but in Namibia or maybe the import barrier is on the Nigerian side, which we need to be informed about, we can talk to our counterparts here to resolve such problems.
“If maybe there are export barriers in Namibia, which we need to look at and advise our people at home, we have a Nigeria-Namibia Chamber of Commerce, which has got an office in the Sheraton Hotel.
“It’s another avenue for business people, who might be subscribing to that chamber of commerce to visit that office and get the information they would need.
“We have made a lot of information available to that office, but we have got people coming to Nigeria and when that happens, we will inform businesspeople, who are interested.
“We would like to see more; we have made inroads, but we would like to see the trade volumes increase.“
Speaking on the outbreak of the Ebola Virus, the envoy urged African countries to work more closely in the area of research.
“Let’s now work together and research so we can develop our own cure. If you look at ZMapp, it is from tobacco; let’s see what we can do to support countries that have tobacco.
“If there are researches that are being started, other African countries should contribute to such so we can finalise the work that has been started by others and expand the virology laboratories where they exist.“
On his country’s forthcoming elections on Nov. 28, the envoy said efforts had been made to ensure that Namibians living in or passing through Nigeria voted.
“Namibians in the Diaspora will be given the opportunity to cast their votes on Nov. 14; so they are invited to come to the mission and vote. The voting will be a one-day affair.
“Although it will not be easy for our citizens both outside Nigeria and even in states within Nigeria to come over and vote due to the cost implication, we would still like to encourage them to come and cast their votes.
He said that the high commission had a record of eight Namibians living in Nigeria and that all of them had so far been registered to vote.
He added that 3,441 Namibians living in the Diaspora had been registered to vote.

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Eazipay  Offers Zero-Interest Loans To  150,000 SMEs, Employees

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With a mission to ignite growth, encourage business continuity and help businesses and employees thrive, Eazipay is gearing up to propel the dreams of 150,000 SMEs and employees to new heights through her relief fund.
Gone are the days of financial constraints and stifled dreams. With Eazipay’s support, SMEs and employees alike can bid farewell to limitations and embrace a world of endless possibilities.
Whether it’s start up,  business expansion or personal development, Eazipay is here to make dreams come true.
The mind-blowing initiative, which  kicked off this month, would end in December, and will also offer a range of perks and benefits designed to put a smile on the faces of SMEs and employees alike.
From exclusive discounts to various advisory services and beyond, Eazipay is committed to spreading happiness and creating lasting impact in people’s lives and to the growth of businesses.
The technology company which offers products and services that range from payroll management to IT/Device management and assessments, “Eazipay isn’t just providing financial support but also unleashing a wave of growth and prosperity for SMEs and employees across the nation.
“Interested businesses and individuals can take part in this initiative directly from the Eazipay website: www.myeazipay.com”.

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SMEs Critical For Sustainable Dev – Commissioner

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The Commissioner of Finance, Lagos State, Abayomi Oluyomi, has described Small and medium Enterprises (SMEs) as a critical engine for sustainable development in any economy.
He said this recently at the 10th anniversary of the Alert Group Microfinance Bank and the opening of their new head office in Lagos.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics, SMEs accounted for about 50 per cent of Nigeria’s gross.
He commended the positive impact of the Alert MFB as it empowers SMEs in the State.
“Alert MFB in the past 10 years has been at the forefront of empowering SMEs in Lagos State, disbursing over N30bn in loans to over 30,000 individuals having small to medium businesses over that period, which is quite remarkable”, he said.
Speaking, the Group Managing Director of Alert Group, Dr Kazeem Olanrewaju, revealed that the financial institution commenced business in 2013 as a microfinance bank.
“We started this journey in 2013 and it has been expanding. Today, they have about 10 branches across Lagos. They have supported well over 30,000 clients and have disbursed over N30bn.
“The company has been profitable since the second year. Looking at the market and the available opportunity, the Alert MFB board decided to come together to establish a Microfinance Institute (MFI), which is the Auto Bucks Lenders”, Dr. Olanrewaju said.
The GMD further stated that the company was focused more on supporting businesses and small and medium enterprises.
“The loan to support business represents over 98 per cent. The consumer loans you will see are the ones given to entrepreneurs. So, the area of focus of Alert MFB and Auto Bucks Lenders is to support businesses across the country.
“With the establishment of Auto Bucks Lenders, we have the opportunity to also do business outside Lagos. So, presently, we have offices in Ogun State and Oyo State. We intend to go to every part of Nigeria to support what we are doing”, he declared.

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Retailers Explain Price Drop In  Cement Cost

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The cement market, in the last couple of weeks, has seen a significant turnaround with prices tumbling from between N10,000 and N15,000 per 50kg bag to between N7,000 and N8,000.
The sudden rise in the prices of cement and other major building materials in February this year upsets  the construction industry, especially in real estate, where many developers were forced to abandon building sites.
A recent market survey conducted by The Tide’s source in different locations across the country confirmed a price drop, ranging between N7,000 and N7,500 per bag, though BUA cement is selling for N7,500 to N7,800 per 50kg bag, depending on location.
Both entrepreneurs and major distributors who were interviewed,  explained that the price drop is due to low demand and government’s intervention.
At the peak of the price hike, the Federal Government called a meeting with major producers where it was agreed that a bag of cement should be between for N7,000 to N8,000, depending on location.
But the producers did not comply with this agreement immediately, followin which “Nigerians stopped demanding for cement; many project sites were abandoned as developers sat back and waited for the prices to come down.
“So, what has happened is an inter-play of demand and supply with price responding, which is Economics at work”, Collins Okpala, a cement dealer, told the source in Abuja.
In the Nyanya area of the Federal Capital Territory, a 50-kg bag of Dangote cement now sells for between N7,000 and N7,500, while BUA cement sells for between N8,500 and N9,500, down from between N11,000 and N12,000 respectively.
In Lagos, the product has seen significant price drop too. In Ojo area of the state, Sebastin Ovie, a dealer, told our reporter that what has happened is a crash from the January price, attributing the crash to low demand and stronger naira.
“The current price of the product is between N7,000 and N7,500 per 50kg bag, depending on the brand. This is a significant drop from the average of N12,000 which most dealers were selling in February and March”, he said.
A dealer in Agege area of the state who identified himself as Taofik Olateju, told the source that sales are picking up due to the drop in price.
He recalled that Nigerians at a point stopped buying due to the high price of the product at N15,000 per bag.
“I am sure most dealers ran at a loss then because we had mainly old stocks which we wanted to offload quickly”, he said, confirming that the product sells for between N7,500 and N8,000, depending on the brand and the demand for the brand.
Continuing, Olateju noted that “because the naira is now doing well against the dollar, it will be unreasonable for manufacturers to continue to sell the product at the old prices. I also believe that the federal government’s intervention and the threat to license more importers may have worked, leading to the reduction in price”.
In Enugu, the source reports that the product sells for between N7,200 and N7,500 depending on the brand and location.
“This is a city where the price of a 50kg bag went for as high as N12,000 and N13,000 in some cases in February and March”, Samuel Chikwendu said.
He added that the prices of other building materials, especially iron rods, have also dropped considerably which is why, he said, activities are picking up again at construction sites.
The story is slightly different in Owerri, the capital of Imo State, where Innocent Okonkwo told the source that low demand was also driving the price drop, adding that a 50kg bag was selling for N9,000 on the average in the state.
Sundry market observers are optimistic of further price reductions, but they remain cautious as manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers continue to play critical roles in setting prices for end-users.
They lamented, however, that despite Nigeria’s status as one of the largest producers of cement in Africa, the price of the product continues to rise, particularly in the face of high inflation impacting the building materials market generally.
Okpala in Abuja highlighted the variations arising from direct sourcing from manufacturers versus procurement through dealers, with traders holding old stocks selling products at prices ranging from N8,500, N8,300 to N8,000 per bag.
Lucy Nwachukwu, another dealer in Abuja, said the significance of  procurement volume in determining cement costs, noting that stability in prices has been observed over the past month, with the product retailing for between N7,000 and N7,800 depending on the brand.
In Port Harcourt also, a customer, Daniel Etteobong Effiong, said the price goes between N7500 to N8500, depending on the brand and the location one is buying from.

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