Business

ECOWAS States Reject EU Partnership Deal

Published

12 years ago

April 2, 2014

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has once again refused to sign the Economic Partnership Agreement with the European Union, a media source said on Monday.
The media report said the refusal was contained in a communique issued at the end of the 44th Ordinary Session of Heads of State and Government of the ECOWAS Authority held in Yamoussoukro, Cote d’Ivoire on Saturday.
It said some states found issues with technical matters about the agreement, compelling the heads of state and government to shelve the signing of the deal.
This was in spite of the fact that West African leaders had reaffirmed their strong commitment to the agreement and endorsed its conclusion in principle.
The authority directed the chief negotiators to take steps to address the issues raised within two months before appending their signature to the EPA.
“The authority also directs the chief negotiators to establish a committee, including representatives from Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal and Cote d’Ivoire, to look at issues raised and present the final outcome to the Heads of State and Government,” the communique stated.
The EPA is a trade and development agreement negotiated between the EU and African, Caribbean and Pacific countries engaged in regional economic integration process.
It aims, among other things, to help countries in regional and sub-regional blocs to integrate into the world economy and share in the opportunities offered by globalisation.
Addressing a news conference later, Ghanaian President John Mahama, who was elected the new ECOWAS Chairman, said though the leaders agreed in principle to the agreement, they needed to negotiate an agreement that would be beneficial to their people.
In Ghana and other West African countries, religious and farmer-based groups have opposed the signing of the agreement by ECOWAS, saying it would worsen the economic problems of their countries.
The ECOWAS communique, which was read by ECOWAS Commission President Kadre Desire Ouedraogo, also touched on regional economic performance and consolidation of the common market.
The heads of state stressed the need to step up economic growth to sustain employment and facilitate the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.

“To sustain the good economic prospects in the region, the authority urges member states to pursue efforts toward putting in place sound and stable macroeconomics frameworks,” it stated.
The authority renewed its commitment to ensure peace and security in the sub-region through good governance and democracy.
Ministers of trade and negotiation experts of the ECOWAS on May 12, 2011, decided against acceding to what they termed “unreasonable” demands from the EU over their EPAs.
The decision, reached at a meeting of the Ministerial Monitoring Committee on EPAs stalled further negotiations with the EU.
The MMC, therefore, urged the authority of the heads of state and governments of ECOWAS to take up the matter, taking into account the guidelines on divergences observed within the framework of the Special Summit of Heads of State on the EPAs.
A copy of the conclusions and recommendations obtained by Xinhua noted the concern of the MMC over the decision by the EU to amend a rule on access to the European market.
It stipulated that countries which had concluded EPAs would benefit from provisional and early applications for trade preferences ahead of steps they should have taken to ratify these interim agreements.

L-R: Chairman, Dragon Africa, Mr Obiechina Asika, Country Director, British Council, Connie Price, Chief Executive Officer, Spark, Mr Jason Njoku and Director of Programmes, Co-creation Hub, Femi Longe, at the UK Nigeria 100 SMEs Summit in Lagos last Friday

Business

Agency Gives Insight Into Its Inspection, Monitoring Operations

Published

2 weeks ago

January 12, 2026

The Tide

The Director, South South Zone National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Pharmacist Chujwuma P.Oligbu has said its thorough implementation of its core mandate of monitoring has no link with witch-hunting or fault finding as perceived at some quarters.

Oligbu, made this known when he spoke as as guest at the maiden Rivers state Supermarkets stakeholders’ Seminar/Workshop in Port Harcourt recently.

Rather, he said they were mere opportunities for education, correction and continuous improvement.

The Agency’s South South Boss, noted that Supermarket operators who maintain transparent records, cooperate during inspections, and promptly address identified gaps demonstrate professionalism and commitment to public health standard.

He listed the deserving essence of supermarket operation to include the key aspects of supermarket operation that deserves emphasis is product sourcing.

“Supermarkets must ensure that all regulated products stocked on their shelves are duly registered with NAFDAC and sourced from legitimate manufacturers or distributors”, he said .

According to him, the presence of unregistered, expired, counterfeit, or improper labelled products undermines consumer confidence and poses serious health risks.

He pointed out that such has the likelihood of exposeing supermarket operators to legal sanctions that could damage their reputation and financial stability.

The NAFDAC Operator, further enlightened the participants that mere registration of a particular product with the Federal agency do not guarantee absolute consumption safety.

“Temperature control, cleanliness, pest control, stock rotation, and proper shelving are not optional practice; they are essential components of compliance”, he said.

The South South zonal director also told the operators of supermarket that their employees rotine training on the basis of the product they display for sale is of utmost importance.

In her presentation a Breast Milk Nutrition Expert , Professor Alice Nte of University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH), was against the body’s prime attention to breast milk substitute or baby milk in supermarkets as well as its advertisement or promotion.

Nye jerked up the importance of mothers breast milk to the newborn baby and added that it help in fighting against childhood diseases, infections and combating cancer in breastfeeding mothers.

Meanwhile, NAFDAC Deputy Director, South – South Zone , Mrs. Riter Chujwuma educated the participants on the guidelines for global listing, and the need to adhere strictly to rules guiding global listing to avoid confiscation of their imported products.

By: King Onunwor

Business

BVN Enrolments Rise 6% To 67.8m In 2025 — NIBSS

Published

2 weeks ago

January 12, 2026

The Tide

The Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) has said that Bank Verification Number (BVN) enrolments rose by 6.8 per cent year-on-year to 67.8 million as at December 2025, up from 63.5 million recorded in the corresponding period of 2024.

In a statement published on its website, NIBSS attributed the growth to stronger policy enforcement by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the expansion of diaspora enrolment initiatives.

According to the data, more than 4.3 million new BVNs were issued within the one-year period, underscoring the growing adoption of biometric identification as a prerequisite for accessing financial services in Nigeria.

NIBSS noted that the expansion reinforces the BVN system’s central role in Nigeria’s financial inclusion drive and digital identity framework.

Analysts linked the growth largely to regulatory measures by the CBN, particularly the directive to restrict or freeze bank accounts without both a BVN and National Identification Number (NIN), which took effect from April 2024.

The policy compelled many customers to regularise their biometric records to retain access to banking services.

Another major driver, the statement said, was the rollout of the Non-Resident Bank Verification Number (NRBVN) initiative, which allows Nigerians in the diaspora to obtain a BVN remotely without physical presence in the country.

The programme has been widely regarded as a milestone in integrating the diaspora into Nigeria’s formal financial system.

A five-year analysis by NIBSS showed consistent growth in BVN enrolments, rising from 51.9 million in 2021 to 56.0 million in 2022, 60.1 million in 2023, 63.5 million in 2024 and 67.8 million by December 2025. The steady increase reflects stronger compliance with biometric identity requirements and improved coverage of the national banking identity system.

However, NIBSS noted that BVN enrolments still lag the total number of active bank accounts, which exceeded 320 million as of March 2025.

The gap, it explained, is largely due to multiple bank accounts linked to single BVNs, as well as customers yet to complete enrolment, despite the progress recorded.

Business

AFAN Unveils Plans To Boost Food Production In 2026

Published

2 weeks ago

January 9, 2026

The Tide

The leadership of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) has set the tone for the new year with a renewed focus on food security, unity and long-term growth of the agricultural sector.

The association announced that its General Assembly of Farmers Congress will take place from January 15 to 17, 2026 at the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industries, along Lugbe Airport Road, in the Federal Capital Territory.

The gathering is expected to bring together farmers, policymakers, investors and development partners to shape a fresh direction for Nigerian agriculture.

In a New Year address to members and stakeholders, AFAN president, Dr Farouk Rabiu Mudi, said the congress would provide a strategic forum for reviewing past challenges and outlining practical solutions for the future.

He explained that the event would serve as a rallying point for innovation, collaboration and economic renewal within the sector.

Mudi commended farmers across the country for their determination and hard work, despite years of insecurity, climate-related pressures and economic uncertainty.

According to him, their resilience has kept food production alive and positioned agriculture as a stabilising force in the national economy.

He noted that AFAN intends to build on this strength by resetting agribusiness operations to improve productivity and sustainability.

The AFAN leader appealed to government institutions, private investors and development organisations to deepen their engagement with the association.

He stressed the need for collective action to confront persistent issues such as insecurity in farming communities, climate impacts and market instability.

He also urged members to put aside internal disputes and personal interests, encouraging cooperation and shared responsibility in pursuit of national development.

Mudi outlined key priorities that include increasing food output, expanding support for farmers at the grassroots and strengthening local manufacturing through partnerships with both domestic and international investors adding that reducing dependence on imports remains critical to protecting the economy and creating jobs.

He stated that the upcoming congress will feature the launch of AFAN’s twenty-five-year agricultural mechanisation roadmap, alongside the announcement of new partnerships designed to accelerate growth across the value chain.

Participants, he said wi also have opportunities for networking and knowledge exchange aimed at transforming agriculture into a more competitive and technology-driven sector.

As part of its modernisation drive, AFAN is further encouraging members nationwide to enrol for the newly introduced Digital ID Card.

Mudi said the initiative will improve transparency, ensure proper farmer identification and make it easier to access support programmes and services.

Reaffirming the association’s long-term goal, he said the vision of national food sufficiency by 2030 remains achievable if unity and collaboration are sustained.

He expressed optimism that with collective effort, Nigeria’s agricultural sector can overcome its challenges and deliver a more secure and prosperous future.

Lady Usendi