Business

NQP’ll Position Nigeria Among 20 Industrialised Nations – Aganga

Published

11 years ago

March 23, 2015

The Minister of Industry,
Trade and Investment, Dr Olusegun Aganga, said the National Quality Policy (NQP) document would position Nigeria among the top 20 industrialised nations if implemented.
Aganga said this when the National Steering Committee (NSC) presented the final copy of the Nigerian National Quality Policy (NNQP) document to the minister in Abuja on Wednesday.
“This is a document by Nigerians for Nigerians for a common goal to reposition the country among the top 20 industrialised nations in the world over time,’’ he said.
The Tide source reports that the policy is aimed at establishing the appropriate framework for the development and publication of national standards.
The committee was inaugurated in January 2014 by the Federal Government to harmonise the quality policy of Nigeria and support the implementation of the Nigerian National Quality Policy.
The minister said that the document would be reviewed and sent to the Federal Executive Council for approval and subsequent legislation to facilitate its implementation in all its ramifications.
“Industrialisation is process and that journey, that train has started. We have started the process and must not allow the train to stop.
“It is the only way we can move from a poor nation to rich nation, from a nation that specialises on the importation of raw materials to a nation that exports processed products.
“No nation anywhere in the world has managed from being a poor to rich nation when it relied on exporting raw materials as we did yesterday and today without having strong industries,’’ he said.
The minister said that the more a nation specialised in exporting raw materials, the poorer it would become, adding, “it is what the industrial revolution plan seeks to reverse.’’
Aganga said that the NNQP was part of National Quality Infrastructure Project (NQIP) put in place to achieve quality products.
He said that the components of NQIP consist of national metrological institute, the national accreditation body, the private sector capacity development and consumer protection to complement NQP.
He said that the government was committed to actualising the implementation of the document in line with the goals and objectives of the transformation agenda of this administration.
He said that the policy document was foundation for safety regulatory framework to assist Nigeria achieve innovation, technology, industrialisation, quality services and quality lifestyles from NQP implementation.
The minister said that the various targeted sectors of the economy were captured in the document and its recommendations would be implemented.
Aganga said that the country had been promoting industrialisation through adding value to commodities, improve the competitiveness of made in Nigeria goods and services, diversifying economy and revenue sources.
He said that the NQP was an indispensable tool for the implementation of the new national trade policy and strategy to integrate Nigerian industrial trade and investment priorities.
He said that Nigerian products were yet to meet the international standards as a large number were rejected because they were not safe for consumption in Europe, America and Canada.
He said that the country had invested in time, money and people to develop quality infrastructure to ensure the country become economy Africa deserved.
He said that compilation of this document was government’s commitment to diversify the economy and improve the competitiveness of local industries, adding, “it is pre-requisite for increasing foreign earnings from non-oil related sector.’’
“The presentation of this document is another milestone in the implementation of Nigeria Industrial Revolution plan. It is a plan that seeks to diversify the economy and revenue sources of the country.
“The policy focuses on the areas where we have competitive and comparative advantage where Nigeria can be number one in Africa and the top 10 player globally. It looked across the value chain globally of each sector,’’ he said.
He said that the document was tied to national development programme of transformation agenda, industrial priorities of the steel ministry, the gas revolution of the Ministry of Petroleum and the integrated mass supply of Ministry of National Planning.
He said that the factors which would make the country competitive include access to affordable finances, infrastructures and power and industrial skills, linking innovations to industries and issue of standard.
He commended the committee, Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), EU and UNIDO for their support in different forms in making the document a success.

Business

Boat Mishap Kills Pastor, Wife And Church Members In Brass Water

Published

2 days ago

May 18, 2026

The Tide

A boat accident in Bayelsa state has killed a serving Pastor, Wife and other church members along Brass waterways

The sad incident happened at Odioama in Brass local government area of Bayelsa State when the Pastor, wife and members of his church were in a programme.

?Tide confirmed that the lifeless body of the Pastor’s wife has been found and deposited in a mortuary while the remains of her husband ,the Pastor is yet to be recovered

as search party are still ongoing.

Although the real cause of the boat Mishap is not yet known as at the time of this report, our Correspondent gathered that the identities of the Pastor, wife and church members were not disclosed to the public.

The mishap, Tide gathered occurred on Friday morning when the church members were on a boat transit

The Bayelsa State government and the state police command are yet to issue official statement’s on the sad accident

By: CHINEDU WOSU

Business

Rivers Workers Seek Scrapping Of Contributory Pension Scheme

Published

2 days ago

May 18, 2026

The Tide

The Rivers State Council of Nigeria Civil Service Union has called on the State Government to urgently scrap the contributory pension scheme, describing it as unfavourable to long-serving civil servants in the state.

Chairman of the union, Chukwuka Osuma, said this in an interview with newsmen in Port Harcourt, recently.

Osuma said the current pension structure has continued to worsen post-retirement hardship for workers.

He noted that the contributory pension scheme had failed to provide adequate retirement security for workers who had spent many years in service, especially those approaching retirement age.

According to him, civil servants who had served for more than 20 years were among the worst affected under the scheme, insisting that many retirees could no longer cope with prevailing economic realities.

He also informed that the Union has made moves to showcase their concerns, pleading with Governor Siminalayi Fubara to abolish the pension policy and introduce a more favourable arrangement for affected workers.

“The union was not opposed to pension reforms, the contributory scheme should only apply to newly employed workers or those with fewer years in service”, he said.

Osuma explained that workers who had already spent decades in the civil service ought to remain under a more secure pension structure capable of guaranteeing stability after retirement.

The labour leader further noted that inflation and the rising cost of living had continued to erode the value of retirement savings, thereby increasing the suffering of pensioners across the country.

He also appealed to the state government to consider extending the years of service in the civil service from 35 to 40 years and the retirement age from 60 to 65 years.

Osuma argued that such adjustment had become necessary in view of present-day economic realities and changing conditions in the workplace.

The unionist also reviewed that similar policies had already been adopted in some sectors and jurisdictions, expressing optimism that the State could also implement the reforms for the benefit of workers.

He however, commended Governor Fubara for approving an N85,000 minimum wage for workers in the state, noting that the amount was above the national benchmark of N70,000.

Osuma also acknowledged the government’s efforts in the area of workers’ promotions and bonuses, but insisted that pension reforms and extension of years of service remained critical to the long-term welfare and stability of civil servants in Rivers State.

By: King Onunwor

Business

FG Begins South-West Tour To Promote New Cooperative Bank

Published

7 days ago

May 13, 2026

The Tide

The Federal Government has launched the South-West zonal engagement and ministerial advocacy tour on the Cooperative Bank of Nigeria share capital mobilisation, sensitisation and cooperative sector digitalisation.

Reports say the initiative was launched through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.

According to reports, the advocacy tour, organised by the ministry’s Federal Department of Cooperatives, began on Monday in Lagos.

Speaking at the event, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security and Supervising Minister of Cooperative Affairs, Dr Aliyu Abdullahi, said the initiative was part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

Abdullahi described the exercise as a strategic effort to reposition the cooperative sector as a key driver of inclusive economic growth, financial inclusion, enterprise development, food security and national prosperity.

“Today represents a defining moment in our collective determination to reposition the cooperative sector as a major driver of inclusive economic growth, financial inclusion, enterprise development, food security and national prosperity,” he said.

The minister noted the modern cooperative movement in Nigeria originated in the South-West following the 1934 Strickland Report, which led to the enactment of the Cooperative Societies Ordinance of 1935.

According to him, the decision to commence the sensitisation and share capital mobilisation tour in the region is symbolic, as it marks a return to the roots of cooperative development in the country.

Abdullahi said the advocacy tour was a direct outcome of resolutions reached at the 8th Regular Meeting of the National Council on Cooperative Affairs held in Abuja in March 2026.

He said the council approved the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme, a comprehensive framework designed to strengthen the cooperative sector and align it with the administration’s goal of building a one-trillion-dollar economy.

“The reform programme focuses on seven strategic pillars, including governance reforms, cooperative financing and the establishment of the Cooperative Bank of Nigeria, digitalisation, capacity building, value chain development, inclusion of youths, women and persons with disabilities, and strategic partnerships,” he said.

He said the establishment of the Cooperative Bank of Nigeria and the digitalisation of the cooperative sector were the two major transformational initiatives under the programme.

“The Cooperative Bank of Nigeria is aimed at rebuilding a strong cooperative financial system capable of supporting cooperators, farmers, artisans, traders, SMEs, youths, women and persons with disabilities with accessible and affordable financial services,” he said.

Abdullahi emphasised that the proposed bank would be government-enabled but not government-funded.

“Government is not establishing the bank as an owner, nor will it rely on Treasury Single Account funds.

“The role of government through the FMAFS is to provide policy support, stakeholder coordination, regulatory facilitation and an enabling environment under the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme,” he said.

Also speaking, the Lagos State Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, Mrs Folashade Ambrose-Medebem, reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to cooperative sector transformation.

She described cooperatives as critical tools for promoting inclusive growth, grassroots productivity, food security, financial inclusion and community wealth creation.

Ambrose-Medebem said Lagos State would continue to support reforms and collaborate with stakeholders to ensure the successful implementation of the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme (2025–2030).

“Together, let us build a cooperative ecosystem that is modern, transparent, digitally enabled, financially inclusive and globally competitive.

“Let us build cooperatives that not only mobilise savings, but also mobilise prosperity,” she said.