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Tech Expo: Exhibitor Wants Collaboration With Institutes

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The Manager, S. Adiss Agricultural Engineering Ltd., Mr James Adeleye has advocated that government research institutions should partner with the upcoming companies to enhance their productivity.
Adeleye made the call in an interview with newsmen at the ongoing Technology and Innovation Expo 2017 in Abuja, Thursday.
He advised that the government should enact a law to make investors to use 40 to 50 per cent locally made machines and other research products in the country.
Adeleye said that such law would go a long way to help both the government and private sector to improve locally made products.
He explained that his participation in the expo was to create awareness on the capability of the company.
He said that the company designs, fabricates and installs high precision machines for livestock, brewery, flour making, cassava processing and other agro-allied industries.
Adeleye said that the company had been working in partnership with the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training, Ibadan to produce the products. .
“Before we started the partnership with the institution, we were not perfect with the melon shelling machine, we could only achieve 40 per cent of what we needed.
“At times, the machine may not even work but when the institution came, it gave us the materials and ideas and now we can achieve up to 70 per cent for the machine and many others,” he said.
According to him, the bulk of the work is on the government, the private sector can only do little.
He said that the government could patronise the private sector or even fund them.
Mr Nkworka Chuks, the Managing Director, Jacey-jon Engineering Ltd., said the expo was a good concept but might not achieve its objective.
Chuks said that the objective of the expo should be to promote research and development activities and encourage Nigerians to take up science professions.
According to him, others are to encourage and promote creation of innovative enterprises utilising Nigeria’s indigenous knowledge and technology to produce marketable goods and services.
Chuks, however, called on the government to make the process of accessing funds easy to encourage technological innovations by individuals and groups.
He said that at the expo, all government officials did was just to congratulate them without any concrete promise to assist any of them, especially the younger inventors from secondary schools.
He lamented the way governments at all levels paid little or no attention to youthful creations and innovations.
Chucks called on research institutions to identify the youths that are interested in research and innovations.

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“FCCPC Approves Sale Of Chivita|Hollandia To UAC Nigeria PLC 

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UAC of Nigeria PLC (UAC) has announced the completion of it’s in a press release on October 3, 2025, that it has completed the acquisition of Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited), following approval from the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC).
Revealing this in a Press Release, at the Weekend, UAC said the transaction, first disclosed on July 30, 2025, involved the transfer of ownership of CHI Limited, a leading Nigerian food and beverage company best known for its market-dominant Chivita juice and Hollandia dairy brands, to UAC.
Commenting on the development, the Managing Director, CHI Limited, Eelco Weber, expressed optimism in the company’s future under UAC’s ownership.
“We are pleased to have received regulatory approval for this transaction. We look forward to a smooth transition and to seeing Chivita|Hollandia thrive under UAC’s ownership,” he said.
Group Managing Director of UAC, Fola Aiyesimoju, highlighted the strategic importance of the acquisition saying “We are excited to officially welcome the Chivita|Hollandia team and brands into the UAC family, and we are eager to work together to build on their strong legacy and market leadership”.
The acquisition is expected to strengthen UAC’s position in Nigeria’s fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector, expanding its footprint into the growing juice and dairy markets.
UAC further said that the acquisition aligned with its growth agenda by adding two market-leading brands and a well-established distribution network to its por.
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PenCom Reintroduces Gratuity For Federal Civil Servants

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The National Pension Commission has said it has deployed a framework to restore gratuity for Federal Civil Service under the Contributory Pension Scheme.
Director-General of PenCom, Omolola Oloworaran, disclosed this at a Stakeholders’ Conference on the Workings of the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) for Employees and Pensioners of Federal Government Treasury-Funded Ministries, Departments and Agencies, in Abuja, last Thursday.
Represented by the Acting Commissioner, Technical, PenCom, Hon. Hafiz Kawu Ibrahim, Oloworaran said, “Working with the office of the Head of the Civil Service, a framework has been developed to restore gratuity benefits for federal workers under CPS, in line with Section 4(4) of the PRA 2014.”
The PenCom DG added that “PenCom has enhanced pensions for over 241,000 retirees, representing 80% of those under Programmed Withdrawal. Monthly pensions rose from N12.157 billion to N14.837 billion, effective June 2025.
“Also, since July 2025, no retiree waits to access their pensions. Payments are now immediate, aligned with monthly salary releases from the Federal Ministry of Finance”.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission, Ekpo Nta, stated that the Commission would partner PenCom to examine the current rate of retirement benefits and recommend appropriate mechanisms for periodic reviews of retirement benefits.
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CAC, SMEDAN To Register 250,000 MSMEs Free ……..As CAC Forfeits ?3b In Fees Nationwide

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The Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) have announced a joint initiative to register 250,000 Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) free of charge across the country, with CAC foregoing about ?3 billion in registration fees
The initiative, announced during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Abuja, at the Weekend, seeks to remove barriers such as high costs and bureaucratic challenges that have long kept many small businesses in the informal sector.
The Registrar-General, CAC, Hussaini Ishaq Magaji, SAN, explained that the scheme would eliminate the registration fee, helping entrepreneurs access official recognition and grow their businesses.
SMEDAN Director-General, Dr. Charles Odii, added that registration is just the first step, noting that registered businesses will benefit from continuous aftercare such as grants, training, and market access.
Together, the two agencies noted that CAC will forgo approximately ?3 billion in registration fees, while SMEDAN will provide continuous support to help these businesses thrive.
They added that this partnership supports the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope vision to boost Nigeria’s economy by empowering entrepreneurs.
CAC further disclosed measures to ease company registration with the steps as follows: 1. Visit the SMEDAN portal: http://portal.smedan.gov.ng., 2 Sign up and complete your registration on the portal., 3. When asked if you have a CAC number, select “No”., 4. Submit your details to complete the process., 5. Once registration is completed, you will be contacted with the next steps to finalise your free CAC registration.
It further clarified that MSMEs already on SMEDAN’s database without CAC registration automatically qualify for this free registration drive.
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