Business
Now, Time To Revamp Economy – Osinbanjo
The Vice President, Prof.
Yemi Osinbajo, has, said that the country had the best opportunity now to turn its economy around.
The vice president said this during policy dialogue at the ongoing 22nd Nigerian Economic Summit in Abuja.
He said “we have the best opportunity for now to turn this country around; I think that without a doubt, we have some of the most committed people now.
“The President is committed, the President is honest, obviously one that can be trusted and relies on very competent people he has put together.
“I believe that in taking this important opportunity for the country, it can only be with the active collaboration of the private sector.”
Osinbajo added that everyone had a role to play and all must come together to make the nation work.
He declared that every member of the President’s cabinet was determined to ensure that they turned
the country around for good.
“There is determination to incrementally make things happen day-by-day.
“Sometimes, we may not be getting it right, sometimes it may be wrong and Nigerians are extremely engaging and they tell you that you can’t go wrong for too long.’’
The vice president expressed gratitude that the interaction was taking place “because this is not about anyone or any government; it is about our country.
“All of us should commit to working together to make these happen for our country.’’
He noted that the administration initiated the N-power project to bring in 500,000 graduates to work in the areas of teaching, public health and extension farming.
He added that the plan was to utilise technology to train people, adding that government was investing heavily in that sector as part of its social intervention scheme which was a N500 billion government policy.
On food security, he said government appreciated that there would be bumper harvest this year which could lead to drop in prices of produce.
Accordingly, he said, the federal and state governments were collaborating to build and operate many silos across the country for storage.
“We have a minimum price guarantee scheme and the Ministry of Agriculture has suggested that there will be a buy-back scheme.
“We are committed to silos and buy-backs because without them, the storage of farm produce won’t work.’’
Osinbajo recalled that government was investing the highest money on rail transportation, especially the Lagos-Kano standard gauge and the Lagos-Calabar standard gauge.
“We have already provided our counterpart funding to the loan that is coming from China; we are concessioning the existing routes to General Electric.’’
He said investment in rail was important because some of the nation’s roads deteriorated because of haulage of heavy duty items on the roads.
The vice president described the recession in the country as peculiar because of the lack of power caused by sabotage in supply of gas to the turbines.
He said the sub-sea pipeline project being undertaken was important “to avoid the temperamental nature of Niger Delta where today, there is peace and tomorrow people are blowing up the pipelines.’’
He noted that the administration was quite focused in its projections for power but acknowledged that there were a few problems in the power sector.
Osinbajo, however, expressed the hope that gas supply would stabilise but that the administration was also investing heavily on solar and other renewable energy sources.
“We have about 1,600mw of power projects coming from solar onstream,’’ he said, adding that the country had no choice but to use solar because of the abundance of sun in most states of the federation.
He also said that the administration was working on improving the River Basin Authorities and improving on the hydro capacity of the dams in the river basins to boost power generation.
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