Business

Expert Lists Economic Dev Hiccups

Published

7 years ago

October 20, 2017

An economic expert, Mr Franklyn Akinyosoye, says the gap between Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and the Federal Government is hindering the level of economic development in the country.
Akinyosoye, the President, Association of Business Development Professionals in Nigeria (ABDPIN), told newsmen in Abuja, that Business Development Service Providers (BDSPs) were the key to bridging that gap.
BDSPs are consultants to MSMEs and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) that provide intermediary services for small businesses.
They are professionals saddled with the responsibility of bridging the gap between small business owners, international organizations and the government.
According to Akinyosoye, SMEs and MSMEs have the potential of growing the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country but this is not happening because the government has failed in engaging the BDSPs.
He said if the BDSPs were carried along and engaged accordingly in governments plan for small business owners in the country, the economy would be better off.
“For instance, if government comes up with an intervention and gives that intervention to an MSME, it messes up with the money and is not able to pay back, the money is lost forever.
“But if such intervention goes through a BDSP, he is able to set the MSME up, to manage the money and repay when due.
“Also, government does not want to lend or carry out interventions in such a way that it will give it to individual MSMEs; government likes to give it to a bunch, a few or plenty.
“It is the responsibility of the BDSP to put together those MSMEs as a body, a cooperative, to be able to benefit from such government interventions
“You need us to bring them together, because if we do not bring them together, most times, they do not have a way of coming together by themselves.
“ Therefore, if the MSMEs do not carry out their responsibilities, if they do not export the quality of services they are supposed to, the economy will not grow, our GDP will not grow,’’ he said.
He explained that it was the responsibility of the BDSPs to sustain the growth of the MSMEs, using the interventions of government, using their skills and experience.
This, he said, would ensure that those MSMEs were intact and were doing what they were supposed or have promised the government that they would do.
“So we are like a bridge, between the MSMEs and their growth, between the MSMEs and the government,’’ Akinyosoye said.
The expert said the association recently held a conference in Abuja, which brought together small business holders, consultants (BDSPs) and stakeholders alike in the sub-sector.
He explained that the conference, which was a maiden edition, was organised to address the issues surrounding small business owners and the consultants in the country.
“ The conference was held to bridge the gap between the MSMEs and the consultants which have been too wide.
“And there are some Nigerians who do not actually know that there are consultants called BDSPs and whose responsibility or area of specialisation is handling of small businesses.
“The conference served as awareness, as an orientation for small business owners or micro small and medium enterprises to know that there are some consultants that are specifically for them.
“It was also aimed at creating a discuss, on how small business owners can access finance, manage such finances, their working relationship between them and the consultants and then the intervention funds.
“ We also had the presence of government representatives and other stakeholders who addressed us on their various plans for the growth of small business owners.
Akinyosoye said the association planned to subsequently host the conference annually or bi-annually, depending on circumstances and situations.
He urged the government to ensure stronger relationship, collaboration and synergy with the association, to help grow small businesses in the country and increase Nigeria’s GDP.
The association has been in existence for about four years and has spread in about 16 states of the federation, including the capital city.

Business

Fuel Scarcity: IPMAN threatens shutdown over bridging claims

Published

5 days ago

May 3, 2024

The Tide

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) Depot Chairmen Forum, has exonerated its members from the current fuel scarcity in the country.

According to IPMAN, this is caused by its inability to source petroleum products.

The IPMAN Depot Chairmen Forum also threatened to withdraw its services over non-payment of N200 billion bridging claims by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to its members, since 2022.

Alhaji Yahaya Alhassan, the Chairman, of the Forum said this while briefing newsmen in Abuja, yesterday.

Alhassan said the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) was the sole importer of the product, but the marketers could not source products from NNPC Ltd. deport, rather from the private depots at high rate.

“We cannot buy fuel from the private depots at N950 and transport the product from Lagos to the North and other parts of the country with N2 million and still sell it at N900 or N1, 000.

“It is expedient for us to state that we are more pained by the non-availability of petroleum products in the country, which has given rise to another round of untold hardship for Nigerians.

“Contrary to claims that IPMAN members are hoarding Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) known as fuel, we would like to categorically state that PMS scarcity is wholly triggered by inability to get fuel from NNPC and not IPMAN,’’ he said.

Meanwhile, the NNPC Ltd. Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Olufemi Soneye said the disruption was due to logistical issues which had since been resolved.

“We currently have an availability of products exceeding 1.5 billion litres, which can last for at least 30 days. Unfortunately, we experienced a three-day disruption in distribution due to logistical issues, which has since been resolved.

“However, as you know, overcoming such disruptions typically requires double the amount of time to return to normal operations.

“Some folks are taking advantage of this situation to maximise profits. Thankfully, product scarcity has been minimal lately, but these folks might be exploiting the situation for unwarranted gain,’’ Soneye said.

He however, said the lines would clear out soon.

On the non-payment of bridging claims, the IPMAN forum said it was distressed and depressed by the laidback attitude of the NMDPRA towards the survival its member’s businesses, arising from its refusal in paying the claims.

“It is with deep frustration that we have assembled here today as the IPMAN Depot Chairmen Forum. It is also disheartening to note that some of our members have completely shut down businesses and retrenched employees.

“As businessmen and women, our members acquired bank loans to keep their fuel retail outlets running on a daily basis across the nooks and crannies of Nigeria in order to serve the teeming population of Nigerians,’’ Alhassan said.

He recalled that Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri, Minister of State Petroleum Resources (Oil), at a stakeholders meeting in February mandated the NMDPRA management to clear the entire debt in 40 days.

“However, today, we have crossed the 40 days’ time lapse given to the NMDPRA to clear the debt, and it is shameful to state that only the paltry sum of N13 billion has been paid, ignoring minister’s directive.

“We are not happy with the indiscriminate increment in the issuance and renewal of Sales and Storage Licence, by the NMDPRA, and the subsequent delays in acquiring the licence, which our members are recently subjected to.

“We are also calling on President Bola Tinubu to look into this unwholesome figure which is highly detrimental to our business and reverse it forthwith, as it is bound to impact negatively on the masses.

“We are poised to take far reaching decisions that may cripple the supply and sales of petroleum products across Nigeria if our demands are not met within the shortest period of time.

“We are collectively prepared to withdraw our services, shut down every single outlet, and suspend lifting of products forthwith till our demands are fully met, and the consequences will be terrible.

“We call on our members to however remain resolute and law abiding, even as we draw close to the immediate ultimatum for our demands to be met by the NMDPRA,’’ the chairman said.

Reacting to the IPMAN’s claims, the Acting Head, Corporate Communications, NMDPRA, Seiyefa Osanebi said the bridging claims payment was ongoing.

“The bridging claims payment is always an ongoing process,” she said.

Maritime

Shippers’ Council Registers 160 Port Operators

Published

1 week ago

April 29, 2024

The Tide

The Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) says it has registered 160 Port stakeholders into its Regulated Port Service Provider and Users platform since the initiative began in 2023.
Executive Secretary, NSC, Mr Pius Akutah, made the disclosure on the sideline of a sensitisation programme by the commission for port operators in Lagos, with the theme, “Regulated Port Service Provider and Users”.
Represented by the Director, Consumer Affairs, Chief Cajetan Agu, Akutah emphasised the significance of the programme for stakeholders.
He said the sensitisation programme was the second edition after its commencement during the last quarter of 2023.
The Secretary said the 160 registered port operators consist of agencies, terminal operators, shipping companies, individual port users as well as service providers.
“We invited the ports stakeholders for enlightening them on the processes for online registration of Regulated Port Service Provider and Users.
“We have demonstrated to them how to register and how to make payment and we were able to present before them the various categories of the registration.
“The rate of payment is also in the registration. The payment of each group depends on the operation. A shipper pays N30,000, terminal operators and shipping companies pay N300,000, truckers also pay N30,000, while some pay N50,000 and N100,000.
“The Council was able to intimate them on the benefits, because port users benefit more as we help to interface on reducing port charges from time to time”, Akutah said.
He said that there was a need to continue to work with port operators to stop delays and eliminate high costs to make the port efficient.
Also speaking, the Deputy Director, Stakeholders, Service, NSC, Mr Celestine Akujobi, said “the sensitisation exercise was important for the council to enable us bring all the port stakeholders together”.
According to him, this is to avoid challenges during the implementation of the council’s responsibilities.
“By the time we introduce sanctions on defaulters, no operators will complain that he or she is not aware of the registration.
“I’m happy with the turnout of this sensitisation. This shows that the operators are well informed of the statutory friction of the council as the port regulator.
“The final implementation will commence as soon as we discover that all the operators have keyed into the portal.
“We are engaging other ports across the country and we’re hopeful that before the last quater of 2024, the council will implement sanctions on defaulting operators”, Akujobi said.
Earlier, Vice Chairman, National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwards (NAGAFF), Dr Ifeanyi Emoh, said port challenges were enormous, adding that they originated from some of the government agencies.

Emoh urged the council to look into regulating other government agencies, so that there could be a window through which they can collect port charges collectively instead of indiscriminately.

By: Chinedu Wosu