Business
AfDB Blacklists 40 Nigerian Firms, Individuals In Four Years
The African Development Bank (AFDB) has blacklisted at least 40 Nigerian firms and individuals for engaging in corrupt practices, fraud and collusive practices between 2017 and 2021, according to data obtained from the bank’s website.
The AfDB said the firms and individuals were debarred “for coercive, collusive, corrupt, fraudulent, or obstructive practices under its sanctions system or adopted under the Agreement for Mutual Enforcement of Debarment Decisions from other global lenders.”
Due to the debarment, the firms and individuals are not eligible to engage in projects financed or implemented by the AfDB.
The AfDB statement stated in part. “The individuals and firms below have been sanctioned by the African Development Bank Group or by signatories to the Agreement for Mutual Enforcement of Debarment Decisions. Sanctions are imposed on entities found to have participated in coercive, collusive, corrupt, fraudulent, or obstructive practices under the Bank’s sanctions system or adopted under the Agreement for Mutual Enforcement of Debarment Decisions.
“These individuals and firms are therefore considered ineligible to participate in contracts financed or administered by the African Development Bank Group for the stipulated periods.”
While some of the debarments were made by AfDB, others were made by the World Bank Group, but recognised by other multilateral organisations including the AfDB under the cross-debarment policy.
In 2017, a Nigerian and a Nigerian firm were debarred by the World Bank under the cross-debarment policy recognised by the AfDB.
In 2018, two Nigerians and two Nigerian firms were debarred by the World Bank under the cross-debarment policy recognised by the AfDB.
Mr. Patrick Alozie Onwuka and Marabef Global Limited were debarred from January 11, 2018, to January 10, 2022, while Mr. Efe Michael Udumebraye and his firm, Efemaz Construction and GE Services Limited, were debarred from December 13, 2018, to December 12, 2022.
In 2019, five Nigerians and seven Nigerian firms were debarred, making a total of 12. Out of this, six debarments were made by the AfDB and the rest by the World Bank. The AfDB debarred Abuharaira Labaran Gero and his firm, ALG Global Concept Nigeria Limited, from January 23, 2019, to January 2022.
The World Bank debarred Mr. Benson Ojoko, Mr. Henry Chinedu Ojoko, and their firm, Emmajoko Nigeria Enterprises, from January 29, 2019, to January 28, 2024, under the cross-debarment policy recognised by the AfDB.
The AfDB also debarred Oceanic Construction and Engineering Nigeria Limited from February 1, 2019, to January 31, 2023.
The World Bank debarred Mr. Robinson Ojoko and his firms, Rojoke CNE Services Limited and CNE Environmental and Waste Services Limited, from February 5, 2019, to February 4, 2024, under the cross-debarment policy recognised by the AfDB.
While the AfDB debarred Qualitrends Global Solutions Nigeria Limited from April 16, 2019 to April 15, 2022, the bank debarred (Mr. Bamidele Obiniyi (also known as Mr. Bamidele Abayomi) and Lutoyilex Construct Limited from May 14, 2019, to May 13, 2022.
In 2020, three Nigerians and 15 Nigerian firms were debarred, making a total of 18. Out of this, nine debarments were made by the AfDB and the rest by the World Bank.
The World Bank debarred Mr. Ugochukwu Ezeh and a firm, Kenoster (Nigeria) Limited, from February 3, 2020, to February 2, 2024, under the cross-debarment policy recognised by the AfDB.
The AfDB debarred Bluestream Systems and Device Limited from February 13, 2020, to February 12, 2021. The debarment is still ongoing. The bank also debarred Beulah Universal Link Resources Limited from February 13, 2020, to February 12, 2024
China Zhonghao Nigeria Limited was debarred by the AfDB from April 14, 2020, to October 13, 2021. The debarment is still valid.
The AfDB debarred CCC International Engineering (Nigeria) Limited and Sinotec Co. Limited (Nigeria office) from April 20, 2020, to April 19, 2023
The World Bank debarred Mr. Mayor Ejiro Hasting and a firm, Puriholi Nigeria, from April 21, 2020, to November 20, 2026, under the cross-debarment policy recognised by the AfDB.
In 2021, four Nigerian firms were debarred; three by the AfDB and one by the World Bank. Maxicare Company Nigeria Limited was debarred by the AfDB from February 23, 2021, to February 22, 2024
The World Bank debarred Asbeco Nigeria Limited from May 25, 2021, to May 24, 2026, under the cross-debarment policy recognised by the AfDB.
The AfDB debarred Sargittarius Henan Water Conservancy Engineering Limited and Sargittarius Nigeria Limited from July 28, 2021, to January 27, 2023.
Business
NASS Engages Agric Minister On Food Crisis
The National Assembly through its joint committee on Agriculture Production Services and Rural Development has engaged the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari on an urgent solution to food inflation bedeviling the country.
The committee chaired by Senator Saliu Mustapha (APC Kwara Central), at an interface with the Minister, interrogated him on plans being put in place to arrest high cost of food prices in the country and make it affordable and available to the poor masses.
In his response, the Minister said the Federal Government has commenced distribution of 42,000 metric tonnes of grains to some focal points of state capitals nationwide.
“We have received directive and approval from Mr. President to distribute for immediate impact 42,000 metric tons of assorted grains free of charge to the Nigerian population.
“This was received in mid-February, as we are speaking, we have a record of the distribution being carried out, but I will want to plead with the honorable house and distinguished senators that some of the movements can’t be made public but a lot of states have started receiving their grains.
“We are distributing to state capitals in the first instance as you all are aware of the risk involved in the vandalism of foodstuff so we are working with the office of the national security adviser and other national security agencies.
“Furthermore, 58,500 metric tonnes of milled rice from mega rice millers will also be released into the market for stabilisation”, he said.
Speaking with newsmen shortly after the interactive session, Senator Mustapha expressed satisfaction with the steps being taken by the federal government.
He said: “From our interactive session, we are on the other side of the parliament; we are fully in the picture of what is happening, we are convinced that the steps being taken by the federal government are in the right direction.
“All we did again is to further emphasise on the need for certain things to be done on time, I think from this collaborative approach by the grace of God, Nigerians will have a better feel of the government policy on food security”.
Business
Obj Harps On Cheap Credit, Policy Consistency For Food Production
Nigeria’s former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, has called on the government to provide cheap credit and ensure policy consistency to enable farmers increase food production in the country.
The former President made the call as food inflation and nutrition security concerns grow in Africa’s most populous country.
Obasanjo’s made the call at the 9th Agrofood & Plastprintpack conference in Lagos recently, where he said farmers in the country were yearning for consistency in policy and single-digit interest loans to drive growth in the sector and attain food security.
“Policy sustainability and predictability is what farmers want. It helps them to plan. Availability of finance is also what farmers want. They cannot survive on the double digital interest rate”, Obasanjo, who is also a farmer, said at the conference.
According to him, food and nutrition security start with availability, then affordability by ensuring that everyone who needs food can get it.
He noted that food was one of the major imperatives in life, adding that “there cannot be food without agriculture and agribusiness”.
Obasanjo further stressed the importance of agriculture in changing the fortunes of the economy, with attendant exponential gains by way of earnings, employment, food security and other spin-offs.
He noted that agriculture must be made attractive to the country’s teeming youth population, saying this would address the rising unemployment, worsening insecurity and youth migration through the Mediterranean.
“We have to make agriculture attractive to the youths. We have to think within and outside the box to make it attractive to the youths so they are willing to get their hands dirty and feet wet”, he advised.
He continued that “Part of the security issue is owing to our inability to get them engaged. The need for agro-food and agribusiness is for food security, employment, wealth creation and income generation, particularly foreign exchange”.
Speaking also, Wouter Plom, the ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, said his country had faced challenges similar to those Nigeria confronts – feeding a growing population with limited resources.
He said as partners with a joint vision, the Netherlands and Nigeria recognise that the agricultural sector was one of the prominent drivers for economic growth.
He noted that the Netherlands has further strengthened its partnership with Nigeria to boost the agriculture sector in three main areas- economic growth, improved diets and youth employment.
The ambassador noted that all the challenges in driving growth through the sector, improving diets and tackling unemployment can be addressed when food production is efficient.
Paul Maerz, Managing Director of Fairtrade Messe, said with more investment in agro-food & plastprintpack solutions, products and technologies, brighter days were ahead for Nigeria’s agriculture.
Business
Abuja Farmers, Others Lose N12bn To Ginger Disease
The Federal Government, has confirmed the outbreak of ginger blight epidemic in four States in Nigeria, saying ginger farmers have lost over N12 billion due to the disease.
The government disclosed this at the inauguration of the National Ginger Blight Epidemic Control Taskforce in Abuja, revealing that the fungal disease had inflicted significant damage on ginger farms in Kaduna, Nassarawa Plateau and the Federal Capital Territory.
The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Aliyu Abdullahi, said the blight had caused billions of naira in losses, impacting not only the livelihoods of farmers, but also Nigeria’s position as the world’s second-largest ginger producer.
“Our preliminary estimates suggested that affected farmers in southern Kaduna lost over N12bn.
“Furthermore, considering that over 85 per cent of Nigeria’s ginger cultivation occurs in this region, we can safely assume a substantial loss of cultivated land, potentially exceeding 70 per cent of total land”, he stated.
Abdullahi, however, stated that the Federal Government through the National Agricultural Development Fund would launch a N1.6bn recovery package for affected farmers in ginger-producing areas.
He said the ginger blight epidemic served as a stark reminder of the importance of preparedness in safeguarding agricultural resources, adding that by investing in research, extension services and farmer support systems, “we can build a more sustainable future for our agricultural sector”.
On his part, the Chairman of the task force committee, Abubakar Abdullahi, said there was no doubt that the blight on ginger had negatively affected the Gross Domestic Product earnings from this subsector.
“It is of necessity and great urgency that various subcommittees are put in place to forestall these negative effects”, he stated.
Abdullahi assured the minister of the commitment of the team to salvage the situation, as he pleaded with the minister to give the committee the power to co-opt members that would add value to the task force to discharge their duties efficiently and effectively.
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