Business
Stakeholders Present Proposals For Implementing South-South Cooperation
The Ministry of Budget and National Planning has presented a proposal for the South-South Cooperation assisted projects to stakeholders for inputs and comments.
Ms Jessica Ahgu, an official of the Department of International Cooperation, presented the proposal on behalf of the ministry at a meeting in Abuja yesterday.
Ahgu spoke at a two-day meeting of the National Task Force Partners in Population and Development (PPD) on South-South Cooperation and MBNP, UN Population Fund (UNFPA), MDAs and Implementing Partners.
According to her, the proposal is developed in collaboration with the UNFPA.
“The proposal is to access assistance to implement projects in the two key areas.
“The areas are to harness the Demographic Dividend (DD) for Sustainable Development, and Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRV) for Evidence and Data,” she said.
In addition, the official said the ministry had conducted a National Taskforce meeting for partners in 2016 to discuss their achievements and challenges to build their capacity.
She said that no fewer than 14 Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) attended the Taskforce meeting.
Ahgu said that the partners had developed an Operational Guide for the Implementation of the Addis Ababa Declaration on Population and Development in Africa Beyond 2014 for follow-up and domestication.
She also said that presentations on the outcomes and recommendations of the 49th Session of the United Nations Commission on Population and Development were presented and discussed at the meeting.
On challenges, the official attributed late implementation of activities to the delay in the signing of Annual Work Plan.
She said that the delay was also as a result of the delay in National Budget process at the ministry.
She further said failure of the government to fulfil its counterpart obligations due to the current economic downturn also delayed implementation of some of the UNFPA-assisted projects in the country.
Mr Fatigun Adewale, who presented on behalf of Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), said the UNFPA had assisted the FCTA to implement some projects on family planning and health.
“A number of 30 health care providers (Nurses/Midwives) were trained on Long Acting Reversible Contraception (LARC) – Family Planning.
“Equally, 30 Health care providers -Doctors, Nurses/Midwives and Community Health Workers were trained on Active Management of Third Stage of Labour.
“Overall, healthcare providers were empowered to provide services that will enhance the wellbeing our girls, women and mothers,’’ he said.
Adewale, however, emphasised on the need to address some of the challenges hindering effective implementation of UNFPA project in the FCT.
He said there was need for more fund to train more staff on LARC and “AMTSL’’ in the FCT especially in the Area Councils.
“For example, out of the current 234 facilities currently providing Family Planning Services, less than 100 provide Long Acting Methods.
“Non release of Counterpart fund by the FCTA. This could be seen from two perspectives -late passage of FCT Statutory Budget by the National Assembly.
“Secondly, lack of political will to release counterpart funds,’’ the official said.
On his part, Malam Muhammad Tola said that the agency is enjoying a robust partnership with the UNFPA.
However, Tola said that inadequate funding and delays in releasing funds for the implementation of the Agreed Work Plan were some of the challenges threatening the activities.
He called for increased funding, capacity building and effective synergy among the implementing partners to drive the goals of the South-South Cooperation and SDGs to attain sustainable national development.
The National Task Force for PPD is the bridge builder in implementing the objectives of the South-South Cooperation.
It seeks to implement the objectives of promoting family planning, gender, sexual, reproductive health, and population and development to enhance capacity building.
In a concerted effort to tackle racketeering and reduce inflated transportation costs in the Nigeria’s seaports, Trucks Transit Parks Ltd. (TTP) has trained Licensed Customs Agents and Freight Forwarders on the use of its Ètò electronic call-up system.
The training was held recently at Customs Processing Centre (CPC) Auditorium, Apapa, Lagos, in collaboration with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and supported by the leadership of the Joint Association of Licensed Customs Agents and Freight Forwarders (JALCAFF), Apapa Command.
Speaking at the event, Comptroller Babatunde Olomu expressed appreciation to TTP for facilitating the training and emphasized the need for customs agents to take personal ownership of the Ètò booking process.
“I want to thank TTP for this impactful training. I encourage all customs agents to begin doing their own bookings directly. By doing so, they can take back power from the unscrupulous elements exploiting their lack of knowledge, selling tickets at highly inflated prices,” Olomu declared.
He noted that empowering agents with hands-on training was key to dismantling racketeering networks that have plagued access to the ports and frustrated efficient logistics processes.
Also speaking, the Chairman, Apapa Chapter of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Chief Emeka Chukwumalu, said the engagement was critical to the ongoing push to reduce cargo transportation costs and ease business operations at the Apapa Port.
According to a freight forwarder, “The training is basically for us to have awareness of the operations of the Ètò call-up system through TTP. We also want to brainstorm on ways to reduce the high cost of cargo transportation in Apapa Port.
“This training opened our eyes to how simple it is to book tickets ourselves. We now know the right steps to follow and how to avoid falling victim to fraudsters.”
Earlier, Head of Operations at TTP, Mr. Irabor Akonoman, talked on common misconceptions about ticket pricing, reaffirming that the cost of Ètò bookings had remained consistent since its inception.
“The official price remains the same since inception. What people are paying higher amounts for is the manipulation by racketeers”.
Towards strengthening small businesses and promoting a more supportive regulatory environment, the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) says it will hold the 2025 edition of its flagship MSMEs Fair on Tuesday (May 6, 2025).
The event, themed, “Galvanising MSMEs for Economic Growth and Stability”, will take place at NECA House in Lagos.
According to NECA’s Director-General, Mr Adewale Smatt Oyerinde, the fair seeks to provide micro, small, and medium enterprises with essential tools, resources, and strategic networks to thrive in Nigeria’s challenging business climate.
He emphasised the vital role MSMEs play in national development, describing them as the “lifeblood of Nigeria’s economy.”
Oyerinde noted that the fair is designed to offer entrepreneurs practical solutions to navigate economic uncertainties, regulatory hurdles, and business scalability issues.
A major attraction of this year’s event is the keynote address by the CEO of FATE Foundation, Mrs. Adenike Adeyemi, a prominent advocate for MSME development.
She is expected to share transformative insights on innovative strategies for sustaining and growing small businesses in Nigeria.
A unique feature of the fair will be interactive sessions with key regulatory bodies. Entrepreneurs will engage directly with agencies responsible for licensing, compliance, taxation, and business registration.
NECA said these sessions aim to demystify bureaucratic processes and foster a more enabling business environment.
It also said the fair will provide a platform for entrepreneurs to exhibit their products and services, connect with potential investors, and explore new markets.
It added that participants would gain critical knowledge on digital transformation, access to finance, and strategies for sustainable business growth.
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· NECA stressed that the fair aligns with its broader mission of promoting enterprise development and economic resilience.
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· “By empowering MSMEs with the right support and information, the organisation aims to stimulate job creation, innovation, and long-term economic stability”, NECA said.
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· The 2025 MSMEs Fair is expected to attract a wide range of stakeholders, including financiers, tech experts, regulators, and industry leaders, all united in advancing the growth of Nigeria’s MSME sector.
The Lagos State Commissioner for Transport, Mr Oluwaseun Osiyemi, says over two million passengers have been transported on the Blue Line Rail since its launch, while state-run buses move an average of 42,000 commuters daily.
Osiyemi, who disclosed this during the Year 2025 Ministerial press briefing held at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, Alausa, on Tuesday, noted that the Lagos State Transport Policy, launched in May 2024, was now in its implementation phase, focusing on inclusivity, safety, affordability, and sustainability.
“On rail development, Phase One of the Blue Line (Marina to Mile 2) has served over two million passengers, with Phase Two (Mile 2 to Okokomaiko) in progress.
“Phase One of the Red Line (Agbado to Oyingbo) is now operational with eight stations and additional rolling stocks procured, while Phase two (Oyingbo to link Blue Line at National Theatre) is underway”, he said.
The Commissioner said in the state-owned bus operations, over 60 million commuters have been served since 2019, with daily ridership exceeding 40,000.
He also said plans were on to deploy new buses with Quality Bus Corridors under construction, adding that the Abule=Egba Bus Terminal had also been commissioned.
“For water transport, 15 locally-built Omibus Ferries have been launched and are in operation, with the Ijegun Egba Terminal now open.
“The OMI EKO project, in partnership with the French Development Agency (AFD), will deliver 25 terminals and 78 electric ferries.
“Over 280,000 passengers have used ferry services in the past year, and 12 boats have been upgraded to meet safety standards”, he said.
On road infrastructure and traffic management, the Commissioner said 49 junction improvement projects had been completed, including ongoing ones at Ikorodu, Iju, as well as Allen-Opebi-Toyin axis.
He added that solar-powered Traffic Signal Lights, road markings covering 67.9km, new medians, laybys, and 3,941 parking lots had also been provided.
Additionally, Osiyemi announced that the deployed Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras had detected over 470,000 traffic violations and that the Vehicle Inspection Service issued over one million roadworthiness certificates.
He also said that the Lagos State Drivers’ Institute trained more than 32,000 drivers in the past 13 months.
The event marked the second anniversary of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s second term, showcasing major strides in the transport sector under the THEMES+ agenda.
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos