Business
Amnesty ‘ll Impact Positively On The Economy, But …
Lucy Eze, Vincent Clement, Vivian Udeh & Onyekachi Ucheonye
Only few people will believe that the oil rich Niger Delta region that was thrown into immeasurable state of terrorism, kidnapping, killing and insecurity will once again experience peace it was not a period anybody would wish to identify with it was an era people will sleep with one eye open. Development activities were stalled.
Construction works in parts of the region stopped as militants kidnapped construction workers for ransome.
The Niger Delta crisis also affected oil production in the country and this affected national economy.
The unrest cut Nigeria’s oil production by a million barrels a day, allowing Angola to overtake it as Africa’s top oil producer.
In a bid to stem the Niger Delta crisis, and its attendant economic consequence on the nation. The federal government on August 11, 2009 declared amnesty for all the militants. The 60 day amnesty expired on October 6, 2009 and since then, peace has returned to the oil rich region.
What is the economic implication the return of peace in the region? Here are the views of Nigerians on the subject matter.
Isaac Godwin, transport officer at UNAG servicising Nigeria company said: Nigeria has been in a 2008 state and its economic strength over the years could not be stable, especially with the return of democracy since 1999 till date.
The unrest in the Niger Delta has only cut Nigeria’s oil production by a million barrels a day, allowing Angola to overtake it as Africa’s top oil producers.
“Now that militants have accepted the offer of amnesty and have surrendered their arms, oil production will increase and this will impact on Nigeria’s income. But there maybe no economic strength both in the region and the nation at large.
Sounding optimistic, he said there would be a change because the process of the amnesty is an eye opener to the nation’s leaders. The intensity of the unrest in Niger Delta has over the years drawn the attention of international communities and I believe there will be no child’s play.
He, however ,advised the federal government not only to initiate post amnesty policies but try as much as possible to implement them to the letter to make Nigeria a proud place to live like Ghana, South Africa etc.
But he regretted that Nigerian Government anchors its economic strength on oil production which, according to him, will sometime cease to flow and other countries that have their mainstay, on agriculture will leave Nigeria behind because these might be no enough money to invest more on agriculture.
Mr Martins Okonkwo, CEO of Equipment Leasing Firm believes that the amnesty is a good omen for the nation especially the Niger Delta region as government will now concentrate on the economic development of the state and Nigeria.
Again, he said the companies and industries that close their shops in the wake of insecurity in the state will bounce back to life, and the move will give the citizens an opportunity to be employed.
The divisional police in-charge Abali Park Station, Sheman Gana says the return of peace in the oil-rich Niger Delta region will improve Nigeria’s external reserves as the nation will witness improved production of crude oil which will fetch huge revenue for the nation.
According to him, the peace will pave way for development in all sectors of the economy.
Miss Ogechukwu Obika, a student of University of Port Harcourt commended Yar’Adua administration in its efforts to bring back peace, but advised not to relent in meeting the government up with the youths demand so that “we will not return to the status quo”.
She predicted a situation in which the state of Nigerian economy will experience great feature with the return of peace in the oil and gas region of Niger Delta even as it will enable government to invest more on employment generation rather on security.
Mr Tunde Oyewole, Sports Consultants says “though it is not the end yet, the government must come out to fulfil its promises. Government must be prepared more than ever before to address the problem of the region. Then and only then can we begin to see the countries economy grow. We just hope and believe this amnesty programme works effectively once the boys are convinced and they come out, it will be a good start.
Mr Ben Okoronkwo, an Estate Surveyor noted that the amnesty would return confidence to investors and businesses that left the city as a result of insecurity.
According to him, most of the vacated properties would be re-occupied and this is a boom for rental and commercial properties while unveiling CARNIRIV 2009, Hon Marcus Nle-Ejii, the Rivers State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism said amnesty will open tourism window with import on security as tourist and investors would exploit the state.
Mr Oseni Olasumbo, businessman agrees that if the federal government is sincere with its promises and the Niger Delta region and indeed the nation are in for good times.
Though he noted that “our leaders have not shown enough commitment in moving the nation forward, expressed happiness on how the amnesty programme is unfolding so far.
A lecturer in the University of Science and Technology, Nkpolu, Port Harcourt, who pleaded anonymity says the amnesty has a negative effect on economy. There will be high inflation rate as the prices of goods and services will fluctuate, there will be corruption in the society as most of these boys will join the ‘419’ business, the lecturer declared, adding that government would embark on redundancy in most of the federal parastatals or agency so as to meet up with the settlement.
A businessman who would not give out his details disagreed with the lecturers. He said the amnesty would have positive effect on the economy as the output of crude oil has increased considerably from 1.1 million barrel per day to 2 million barrel. He said also that in the general sense of security in the Niger Delta, “oil companies” in the Niger Delta will boom back to work unlike before.
And NYSC member who gave his name as Michael said “with the militant accepting the amnesty, there will be crude oil will increase”. This, he added bring more development in the country as 80% derivation comes from oil. He also says that this will curb unemployment as most of the boys in the creek will be gainfully engaged in various skills that will keep them busy.
He also said that as peace returns to the Niger Delta region, foreign investor will return and invest and poverty will be alleviated.
A civil servant who simply identified himself as Patrick saw the amnesty as era of new peace that will usher in much money in circulation as most companies will come back to life.
Anayo Attah, a trader says” amnesty can’t have any effect if the federal government can not fulfil the promises made to the militants. They can still go back to the creek at anytime.
The Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) says it has registered 160 Port stakeholders into its Regulated Port Service Provider and Users platform since the initiative began in 2023.
Executive Secretary, NSC, Mr Pius Akutah, made the disclosure on the sideline of a sensitisation programme by the commission for port operators in Lagos, with the theme, “Regulated Port Service Provider and Users”.
Represented by the Director, Consumer Affairs, Chief Cajetan Agu, Akutah emphasised the significance of the programme for stakeholders.
He said the sensitisation programme was the second edition after its commencement during the last quarter of 2023.
The Secretary said the 160 registered port operators consist of agencies, terminal operators, shipping companies, individual port users as well as service providers.
“We invited the ports stakeholders for enlightening them on the processes for online registration of Regulated Port Service Provider and Users.
“We have demonstrated to them how to register and how to make payment and we were able to present before them the various categories of the registration.
“The rate of payment is also in the registration. The payment of each group depends on the operation. A shipper pays N30,000, terminal operators and shipping companies pay N300,000, truckers also pay N30,000, while some pay N50,000 and N100,000.
“The Council was able to intimate them on the benefits, because port users benefit more as we help to interface on reducing port charges from time to time”, Akutah said.
He said that there was a need to continue to work with port operators to stop delays and eliminate high costs to make the port efficient.
Also speaking, the Deputy Director, Stakeholders, Service, NSC, Mr Celestine Akujobi, said “the sensitisation exercise was important for the council to enable us bring all the port stakeholders together”.
According to him, this is to avoid challenges during the implementation of the council’s responsibilities.
“By the time we introduce sanctions on defaulters, no operators will complain that he or she is not aware of the registration.
“I’m happy with the turnout of this sensitisation. This shows that the operators are well informed of the statutory friction of the council as the port regulator.
“The final implementation will commence as soon as we discover that all the operators have keyed into the portal.
“We are engaging other ports across the country and we’re hopeful that before the last quater of 2024, the council will implement sanctions on defaulting operators”, Akujobi said.
Earlier, Vice Chairman, National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwards (NAGAFF), Dr Ifeanyi Emoh, said port challenges were enormous, adding that they originated from some of the government agencies.
Emoh urged the council to look into regulating other government agencies, so that there could be a window through which they can collect port charges collectively instead of indiscriminately.
By: Chinedu Wosu
Chivita| Hollandia (CHI Limited) leading fruit juice and value-added dairy manufacturer in Nigeria has rewarded its long standing distributors at the recently held 2024 Distributor Conference. The event with the theme, “Break Boundaries Exceed Expectations” served as a platform to recognise and reward the exceptional contribution of the distributors and wholesalers who play a critical role in Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited) success and business goals for the year.
The Distributor Conference was held in two sessions. While the morning session featured keynote addresses, industry insights and brand immersion experience, the evening session was a cultural display of elegance and funfair that culminated in the award presentation and recognition of the contribution the trade partners made to the company in the 2023 year under review.
A key highlight of the event was the award ceremony which acknowledged outstanding trade partners in various regions across the country. The awards recognized commitment, dedication, and outstanding performance in areas of sales growth, brand promotion, and market expansion.
Eelco Weber, Managing Director, Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited), stated that the company’s success story is incomplete without the strong partnerships it has built with trade partners. “Today, we celebrate not only the achievements, but the collaborative spirit that has made our growth possible” he said.
Bola Arotiowa, Chief Commercial Officer, Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited), in his statement revealed that, the event which was first of its kind will continue to be an annual meeting to enable the company work more closely with its distributors, share insights and action points, help the trade partners familiarize themselves with the company’s goals and objectives for each year, and serve as a driver for mutual success.
“Our distributors are the backbone of Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited). Their relentless efforts in distributing our products, promoting our brands, and expanding our reach across the nation is truly commendable. As the bridge between us and our valued consumers, it is very important to reward their hard work and dedication for being an essential part of the Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited) family. Together, we will continue to deliver great products to our conusmers which in turn will deliver value to them”, Mr. Arotiowa added.
Speaking at the conference, HajiyaBilikisuSaida, Chief Executive Officer of Smabirm Nigeria Limited, who won the Outstanding Distributor of the Year in North 1 region, and got a reward of two million Naira worth of Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited) products expressed delight at the company’s recognition, and stated that the awards served as a way to inspire distributors to do more and put in more effort, which in turn would help both the distributors and the company to grow.
Other outstanding performance distributors of the year rewarded with a two million Naira worth of Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited) stock include, Sunny Chuks Limited for East 1 region, MRS FA & Sons Limited for East 2 region, Hussakas Ventures for North 2 region, Rookee 1388 Ventures for Lagos 1 region, Pik N Pil Ventures for Lagos 2 region, FaithJoe Event Management Limited for West 1 region, and Progress Family Nigeria Enterprise for West 2 region.
The annual Distributors Conference aims to strengthen the bond between Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited) and its trade partners. This collaborative approach fosters mutual growth and ensures the continued success of the brands in the Nigerian market.
A global leader in insurance and asset management, AXA Mansard, has supported three female-owned MSMEs with business grants totaling 1.4 million to boost their operations.
This, the company said, is part of its commitment to women and the Medium, Small, and Medium-scale Enterprise (MSME) sector in the country.
The three businesses were successful at the International Women’s Day Pitch Competition, organised in partnership with SME 100 Africa in Lagos.
According to the Head of Marketing, AXA Mansard, Olusesan Ogunyooye, the competition, which is aimed at supporting female entrepreneurs in Nigeria, “is another way AXA is demonstrating its commitment to the causes of women and stimulating the MSME sector in Nigeria”.
The business pitch competition received numerous entries from women across different sectors, but after a rigorous selection process, shortlisted participants were selected to participate in the competition.
Ogunyooye said “the programme provided a unique opportunity for women from various works and socio-economic classes to showcase their innovative ideas and solutions in sectors such as food, tech, fashion, and fragrance, creating an atmosphere filled with excitement, enthusiasm, and a strong sense of community”.
He stressed the importance of investing in women, saying it is not just the right thing to do, but also aligns with AXA’s purpose of acting for human progress.
He explained that AXA believes the future of women should not be at risk, hence investing in their economic empowerment is a crucial part
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