Business

AfDB, AIMS To Transform Industry-Led Research In Africa

Published

6 years ago

April 20, 2018

The African Development Bank (AfDB) and the African Institute of Mathematics and Sciences (AIMS) are now in a landmark relationship to build a research institution in the league of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
The bank said this in a statement by its Communications Officer, Mr Emeka Anuforo, on Wednesday in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
He said former President Olusegun Obasanjo led a delegation of the High-Level Advisory Council of AIMS to a meeting with the bank in Abidjan.
At the meeting, a 10-year partnership proposal was made to build mathematical and scientific capacity in Africa, strengthen industry linkages and create a competitive industrial and innovative space.
He said that Obasanjo was the Patron of the council for AIMS’ Next Einstein Initiative, while former Ghanaian President, Mr John Kufuor was Vice-Chair.
Obasanjo described the visit as a huge opportunity for the bank and aims to forge an extraordinary partnership to support African countries in the expansion of mathematical science education, training and research.
He commended the AfDB President, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, for championing Africa’s development and assured that the proposed partnership was critical for the continent’s future.
“If we are going to make substantial progress in industrialisation within the next decades the continent must produce well motivated and well trained young innovators,” he said.
Adesina emphasised the need for Africa to develop with pride and pledged the bank’s commitment to build a partnership with AIMS that would allow the continent to compete with the rest of the world.
“We must recognize that the world is moving fast. Consequently, how can Africa position itself in a rapidly changing world so that it does not become disadvantaged?”
“We are a knowledge-driven bank and think our partnership will help us build quantum knowledge for growth.
“We are excited about the focus on young people and we also like the regional integration dimension of the work that AIMS does.”
Adesina also promised to convene a meeting of donors to discuss AIMS’ funding request, anf the need for greater participation by the private sector.
Of particulay interest are key industries that benefit from the institution’s research and work in science, technology and innovation.
He described the involvement of industry-led research as the driving force of the Silicon Valley and made a case for venture capital and private equity funds to support research outputs from the continent.
Neil Turok, founder of AIMS, described the bank as a leading institution in Africa, adding that the institute was excited about the prospect of a partnership.
He said AIMS’ research and industry-led capacity development aligned with the bank’s High 5s, including its regional integration targets.
“I was trained to believe in Africa. I can tell you AIMS is the most exciting and dynamic science and educational institution in the world and what has driven the institution are the young students from Africa.
“What we are doing at AIMS is to transform Africa by giving opportunities to the youth.
“AIMS is African-owned, African-run, African-operated, but it hosts the best scientists in the world to give African young scientists the stuff they need.
“Our goal is to be the MIT for Africa. We know the impact MIT has on U.S. industry and we want to create the same for Africa, but we struggle with sustainable funding.
“We want to work with AfDB to develop sustainable funding,” he said.
The aim of the partnership programme is to ensure that each of the 54 African countries has an additional 100-250 world-class specialists in mathematical sciences by 2020 to lead research and innovation in various fields.
The cost of the partnership is projected at 54.6 million dollars.

Business

Fuel Scarcity: IPMAN threatens shutdown over bridging claims

Published

10 hours 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

4 days 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