Nation
Local Electronic Card Industry May Save Nigeria $300m Import Bill
Nigeria may be saving about $300million annually with local manufacture of electronics card as bank cards alone gulp about $36million.
This was disclosed by the Managing Director of one of the few electronic cards manufacturing firms in sub-Sahara Africa, Electronic Payplus Limited, Bayo Adeokun.
Speaking to some media operatives at the backdrop of commencement of operations at its multimillion dollar new manufacturing installations, Adeokun stated, “Bank cards alone is about $36million every year prior to our intervention. I have not done the cost of SIM card; I have not done the cost of tax card by Lagos State Government for instance and other states that are now coming up with that; I have not talked about the national ID card and I have not talked about the voters card. By the time you put everything together in terms of dollar you will be talking about $300million savings for the country.”
Calling on the Federal Government to take steps to protect investments in the card industry, he stated further, “In this period that remittances from abroad is going down, crude oil revenue is coming low and all of that the government really needs to make a lot of savings in terms of foreign reserves.”
He also harped on the employment value the industry adds to the economy saying, “Prior to this (commencement of its new production lines) Electronic Payplus had about 100 staff. Now, we are up to 150. So, we are also generating employment. I mean, if you look at the nature of Nigeria, those 50 staff, each of them has dependence, so, we are talking of additional 500 or more that we are catering for.”
Giving details of the company’s new production capacity, he said, “We can do any smart card. So, the purpose is to extend it to every area of the economy. I showed you national ID card downstairs we produce for Nigeria. So, we are known to the government. Now, when the present administration came in they said there is no money to finance the production of that again. So, they said they want to go into digital ID card. We are also playing in that space because we have the license.
“We presently enrolled Nigerians in Diaspora. We do local enrollment that is currently ongoing as well. We have the license to produce that. We also are presently working with the Lagos State Government because they want to roll out what is called residency card which is also going to be a payment card. So, we are going to service all the industries.
“We are also talking to telecommunication companies on the possibility of supplying their SIM cards as well.
“Also are looking beyond Nigeria. We have customers all over Africa. All the banks in Gambia we produce all their cards, for instance. We have customers in Ghana, Guinea, Cameroun, Uganda and Kenya.”
On the impact of the company’s new production facility upgrade, he said, “What we have done is 60 million production cards per annum capacity. But the idea is all about improved turn around that we can offer because, today if you give me an order of one million cards, I can deliver it within a week. I can even deliver 250,000 per day to you. So, we believe that, that will be a game changer for us, and in addition we are now able to scale up our capacity utilization as well”.
The Rivers state Government has identified six local government areas with the highest burden of maternal and Neonatal mortality in the state.
State Commissioner for Health Dr Adaeze Chidinma Oreh said this in an interview with newsmen at the Maternal and Neonatal Reduction innovation initiative ( Mamii)Rivers state activation workshop and state engagement meeting in Port Harcourt.
The event was organized by The Federal Ministry of Health in conjunction with its Rivers state counterpart in Port Harcourt.
Dr Oreh also restated the preparedness of the state government to support current efforts by the federal government towards the reduction of maternal and infant mortalities in the country.
She mentioned the affected Local Government Areas to include, Andoni,Akuku Toru and Ahoada West
The rest according to the Commissioner are, Bonny, Etche and Emohua Local Government Areas.
She said the workshop will enable the team from the federal ministry of health and social welfare to brainstorm with the view to finding solution to the problem.
The Commissioner also gave reasons why the Mamii initiative was the best as far as finding solution to maternal mortality was concerned.
“The uniqueness of the Mamii initiative driven by the federal ministry of health and social welfare was that we used evidence to elicit the reasons for this deaths, so that the solutions will be context specific and tailored to the particular environment where those deaths are occuring
“For us in Rivers state we have six Mamii LGAs , nationally we we have 172 local government areas “the Commissioner said.
Earlier in her opening remarks,Dr Oreh said the state government is prepared to work with the federal ministry of health and social welfare to check the rate of maternal mortality in the state.
She commended The Minister of Health and Social welfare Professor Ali Muhammad Pategi for driving the Mamii initiative across the country and expressed optimism that the programm will see to the end of maternal mortality in the country.
Also speaking the National Coordinator Nigeria health sector Renewal Initiative Dr Adam Ahmed said Rivers state is the last state among Mamii states in the country to host the team.
He said the team will visit the affected Local Government Areas with the view to interacting with the people on how to check the trend.
He expressed the hope that with continuous efforts, maternal mortality will be checked.
Also speaking the permanent secretary Rivers state Ministry of Health Professor Justinah Jumbo said the government is not leaving any stone unturned towards reduction in maternal deaths.
The permanent secretary said Governor Siminalaye Fubara is a health friendly Governor who is desirous in improving the quality of health of Rivers people.
John Bibor
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Rivers state has declared a one day fasting and prayer to seek divine intervention on the political crisis rocking the state.
The Association said this at a media briefing in Port Harcourt.
State chairman of the Association,Most Rev. Dokiboeriya B. Kaladokubo said the fasting and prayer which holds February 5th at the Ecumenical center Abonnema wharf was in furtherance of the Association peace, advocacy, good governance and political stability in Rivers state.
He said the Association has observed with disappointment the dangerous trend and and gradual descent of governance in Rivers state into uncertainty and near oblivion, adding that the trend has exposed Rivers citizens to insecurity, economic hardship, loss of livelihood and the destruction of lives and property.
Kaladokubo said the association has also watched with dismay the unfolding political crisis in the state, stressing “what we see today is not merely a disagreement among political actors,it is a dangerous drift that threatens the very foundation of governance, peace, security and the collective well-being of our people”
According to him,”as the custodians of the spiritual and moral conscience of Rivers state,we can not remain silent while the state is pushed steadily towards chaos, institutional breakdown and avoidable suffering
“We are not oblivious of the fact that Rivers state like some other states in the federation often experience tension between the Executive and the Legislature “adding”when disagreement escalate they can hinder governance, delay budgets ,erode public trust and impede peaceful, constructive development”
The Christian body stressed the need for parties involved in the conflict to seek for peaceful resolution, stressing that as Christians and children of God “we should seek the path of peace and reconciliation as Christ Himself taught us”it said
The Association further encourage the both arms of government to imbibe the spirit of forgiveness and prioritize good governance in Rivers state
“We also advised all the parties in these conflict to call their supporters to exercise restraint in all their utterances and de-escalate tension in the interest of peace in Rivers state ”
CAN also described as disturbing the role some elder statesmen and individuals in the state have played and continue to play in the crisis when they should have serve as voices of wisdom, restraint and unity
“Rather than guiding the process towards peace, some have taken sides,fueled division and encouraged instability becoming more dangerous than those currently holding power”,it said.
John Bibor
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