Connect with us

Business

RMRDC Plans Business Clusters In 774 LGAs

Published

15 years ago

on

The Director General, Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), Professor Peter Onwua1u, said lastThursday that the council would develop business clusters in the 774 Local Government Areas of the Federation.

Onwualu said this in an interview with newsmen in Abuja that the council had already started the process of technologically developing those clusters.

“If you look around the country, there are so many naturally existing clusters in Nigeria, like the furniture cluster in Abuja, the leather cluster in Kano, the shoe and bag cluster in Aba.

“Our idea is to look at these clusters, study them, find out their challenges and see how we can assist them to function better and make them produce competitively.

“The whole idea is to inject technology into existing clusters and see how we can solve the challenges they have, using technology and in some cases, establish new clusters,” he said.

Onwualu added that the council was looking at finding research centres with developed technologies and injecting such technologies into clusters that require them, thereby making them competitive.

He said that the council in 2010, began the mapping out of the clusters, which involved a scientific identification and analysis of the existing clusters.

The director general said that the RMRDC had conducted a baseline study in all the states of the federation to identify such clusters.

Onwualu said that the council had already conducted an international training programme in collaboration with the Swedish International Development Agency and Pan-African Competitive Forum with him as the Chairman.

He said that it was difficult to start the development in all council areas and as such, two clusters were selected from each geo-political zone for the training, which a total of 30 clusters were trained.

“The concept of the cluster programme is to see to the emergence of one viable technologically based cluster in every local government area; it is a tall order but it is part of our vision 20:2020.

“Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) is now collaborating with us to inject technologies into these clusters and fund all projects on a 50-50 basis,” Onwualu said.

He said that the trainees were given templates and told to go back and analyse their problems, especially technologically based ones and come back with intended projects,

Onwualu added that the clusters had submitted their intended technologically-based projects and that the council was synthesising them for submission to CIDA.

He said that a pilot project had begun with the establishment of a technologically based Cashew processing cluster in Kogi, adding that four more would spring up in other states this year.

Onwualu added that one of the clusters to be developed was the organic fertiliser cluster in Enugu State and sheer butter processing plants in Kebbi State.

The director general said that the development of the clusters was going to be of economic importance to the country.

“When these clusters move into full production, they will begin to pay tax to the government.

“One of the aims of assisting them is to know exactly what they do and the quantity they produce with a view to accurately taxing them,” Onwualu said.

He said that the required technologies were not going to be totally imported as the council was partnering with some agencies in Nigeria, which could provide some of the technologies.

“We are already partnering with some agencies in Nigeria, which can have some of the technologies fabricated, it is when we cannot source them locally, that we will resort to importation,” Onwoalu said.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Business

Association Woos Govt, Coys On  Boat Operators  Employments

Published

6 days ago

on

June 12, 2026

By

The leadership of Bonny Maritime Boat Association has called on Rivers state Government and oil companies operating in the state to provide sustainable employment to unemployed boat Operators.
The Association also want the government, companies and other relevant employers of labour to provide trainings for boat Operators to enhance their skills
Safety Officer of the Association, Comrade Kingdom Kingsley made this known in  a  telephone interview with  The Tide.
He noted that most of the boat Operators and owners plying Bonny route lacks jobs due to the fleets of boats introduced by Bonny Road Transport that had taken over the passengers to the Island
He noted that passengers are no longer patronizing boats owned by the Association, thereby rendering the operators redundant
“Most of our operators can not afford to feed their families due to no jobs, we don’t want to indulge in crime, government should fix our members with  sustainable jobs to take care of their immediate needs”
He called on oil companies operating in the state to engage their skilled boat Operators in their companies to reduce the sufferings faced by the Association.
The Safety Officer called on the state government  to made funds available to unemployed youths in the state to start up business than roam the streets.
He noted that provision of funds to youths would reduce crime rates and reposition their mindsets for a better life
“The  youths of Rivers state are suffering, have no job to feed their families, thereby indulging in criminality daily”
“The youths need empowerment,  jobs,  recreational facilities and better things of life as citizens of this Nation”, Kingsley said.
CHINEDU WOSU
Continue Reading

Business

FG Approves $1 Bn AFCFTA Credit Facility For Nigerian Exporters

Published

6 days ago

on

June 12, 2026

By

The Federal Government has approved a whooping $1bn credit facility to support Nigerian exporters and small scale businesses to take advantage of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) in order to boost production, competitiveness and intra-African trade.
The $1bn AfCFTA Adjustment Fund Credit Facility is also expected to address some of the financing gap being faced by Nigerian exporters and enhance the competitiveness of African businesses within the continental market.
The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole, disclosed this  during the second quarter 2026 meeting of the AfCFTA Central Coordination Committee held in Abuja.
According to a statement issued by the ministry’s Head of Press and Public Relations, Obilor-Duru Okechi, Oduwole said the financing facility represented a major opportunity for Nigerian businesses seeking to expand operations, modernise production processes and increase exports to African markets.
The statement partly read, “?The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to accelerating Nigeria’s export-led growth agenda under the African Continental Free Trade Area, unveiling opportunities for businesses to access a US$1 billion AfCFTA Adjustment Fund Credit Facility aimed at boosting production, competitiveness, and intra-African trade.”
She noted that despite the progress Nigeria had made in implementing the continental trade agreement, many local businesses continued to face obstacles that limited their ability to take advantage of the single African market.
?
“Many businesses still face challenges relating to export documentation, certification, standards compliance and market access,” the minister said.
She explained that the Federal Government was addressing these bottlenecks through enhanced trade facilitation measures, simplified AfCFTA guidance tools, stakeholder engagement programmes and stronger collaboration with institutions such as the Nigeria Customs Service and the Nigerian Export Promotion Council.
Oduwole stressed the need to strengthen Nigeria’s legal and regulatory framework by domesticating key AfCFTA protocols, particularly the Digital Trade Protocol, to position the country as a major player in Africa’s growing digital economy.
The minister also highlighted some of the gains recorded in Nigeria’s AfCFTA implementation efforts.
According to her, the expansion of Nigeria’s Air Cargo Corridor Initiative to Rwanda, increased collaboration with development partners and private sector players, as well as sustained engagement with state governments, were helping to deepen awareness and participation in the continental market.
In her welcome address and first-quarter update, the National Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office, Mrs Patience Okala, provided details of the financing initiative.
Okala said the $1bn AfCFTA Adjustment Fund Credit Facility was targeted at large African businesses with a minimum financing capacity of $10m.
She revealed that the National AfCFTA Coordination Office was working closely with fund managers to facilitate access for eligible Nigerian companies and had begun assembling a pilot group of businesses to ensure that Nigeria maximised the opportunities provided by the facility.
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
Continue Reading

Business

NIWA Harps On  Avoidance Of Leaking Boats

Published

6 days ago

on

June 12, 2026

By

The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has advised Nigerians against boarding boats that require constant bailing of water in the interest of their safety.
 NIWA Area Manager for Cross River and Ebonyi, Mr Stanley Onuoha gave this warning in an interview with Newsmen in Calabar.
Onuoha who spoke on waterway
safety, said that passengers should take responsibility for their safety by inspecting boats before embarking on any journey.
According to him, repeated scooping of water from a boat is a clear indication that the vessel may be leaking.
“If you are entering a boat and see people using a bailer to remove water, it is the first signal that the boat is leaking,” he said.
He urged passengers to check the integrity of boats, including seating arrangements and other visible safety features.
The Manager restated the importance of using safety jackets, saying that damaged jackets may fail during emergencies.
He further said that passengers should ensure that safety jackets were appropriate for their body sizes in order to guarantee effective flotation.
 Onuoha reiterated the need for passengers to fill manifests before departure to aid accountability during emergencies.
The NIWA official further advised travellers to monitor weather conditions and avoid boarding boats when the weather is unfavourable.
According to him, poor weather conditions can trigger strong tidal waves capable of affecting small boats commonly used on inland waterways.
He said that waterway journeys should be embarked upon between 6.00a.m and 6.00p.m for clearer visibility.
Onuoha said  the Authority had continued to sensitise riverine communities to the need for safety precautions during waterway journeys.
He stated that sustained awareness campaigns and enforcement measures had contributed to safety waterway safety in Cross River.
CHINEDU WOSU
Continue Reading

Trending