APA – Lagos (Nigeria)
The confirmation by the Nigerian Government yesterday that the evacuation of Nigerians stranded in Sudan has commenced is one of the trending stories in Nigerian newspapers on Thursday.
The Guardian reports that after days of uncertainty, the Federal Government, yesterday, began evacuating Nigerians stranded in Sudan, following the outbreak of conflict in the North African country.
Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs,Geoffrey Onyeama, and his counterpart Minister of State, Zubairu Dada, confirmed the development, after the matter was deliberated upon at the Federal Executive Council meeting, presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Onyeama, who briefed State House Correspondents of government’s plans for stranded citizens in that country, confirmed that 40 luxury buses were already on ground in crisis-ridden Sudan to pick up Nigerians in the country to Egypt.
He said once they are safely moved to Egypt, other arrangements would be effected to airlift them back to Nigeria.
Onyeama also revealed that the evacuation is being coordinated by the Nigerian embassy in Sudan as well as authorities of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), whose Director General has been on ground in Egypt to receive the evacuees.
According to the minister, buses conveying the citizens were hired at a cost of $1.2 million dollars, just as he noted the risks associated with moving the people.
He noted that the provision also included cost of providing security while conveying the citizens to Egyptian territory.
The newspaper says that the Director General, Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Farouk Salim, yesterday, said that Nigeria had witnessed a disturbing increase in cases of building collapse over the years.
He noted that statistics have shown that there are over 221 cases in Nigeria, making it the topmost country in Africa with the highest number of building collapse, adding that Lagos State alone constitutes 60 per cent of the cases.
Salim spoke at the opening of the fourth edition of builders’ breakfast workshop, tagged: “Building Surveying Practice and Procedure: Charting a New Course in Building Post-Construction Services in Lagos.” The event was organised by the Nigerian lnstitute of Building (NIoB), Lagos chapter. Salim said the building sector in Nigeria faces several challenges, including lack of enforcement of existing standards and regulations.
According to him, other factors responsible for building collapse include poor structural design, and others.
In another development, professionals, under the aegis of Nigerian Institution of Builders in Facilities Management (NIBIFM), yesterday, advised operators in the industry to synergise for quality assurance and put an end to age-long infrastructure decay and structural collapse in the country.
The Guest Speaker, Prof. Olumide Adenuga, while speaking at a virtual facility management and maintenance training organised by NIBIFM in Lagos, lamented that management and maintenance of facilities was not being practised in the right way in Nigeria hence, the nation witnessed many cases of dilapidated and collapsing infrastructure like the National Stadium and others.
Adenuga, who is a lecturer in the Department of Building, Faculty of Environmental Sciences of the University of Lagos, challenged the seven professionals in the building industry to work in synergy and revive the culture of maintenance.
On his part, the National Chairman, Nigerian Institution of Builders in Facilities Management, Dr. Akinsola Olufemi, said certificates to be awarded at the end of the training would have a QR codes, which would prevent counterfeiting or impersonation.
The Punch reports that the President of the Nigerian Chamber of Shipping, Aminu Umar, says that rising insecurity and poor government policies have forced about 50 per cent of trading vessels to exit Nigerian waters in the past one year.
He said that the development had led to a scarcity of ships in the West African region, adding that the situation had pushed up freight rate by 70 per cent.
According to him, there is a stronger market for vessels in Europe than in Africa due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.
Umar, who is also a former President of the Nigerian Indigenous Shipwoners Association, said, “About 40 to 50 per cent of vessels plying the Nigerian waters have gone back to Europe between 2022 till date. So 40 per cent of the capacity has moved back to Europe.
The truth is that these are foreign-owned vessels trading within the West African sub region which includes Nigeria. So what it means is that it has created scarcity which will increase the freight rate. So the freight rate has gone up by almost 70 per cent due to this. There is 70 per cent increase in freight rate, it went up to 100 per cent before but it has reduced to 70 per cent.”
While noting that the changes started in March 2022, the shipping expert further said, “The reason they won’t come again is that the market is stronger in Europe, there is a stronger market in Europe due to the Russian-Ukraine war and then the environment is easier to trade when you compare the trading restrictions in Africa as well as policies in the West African region. Also, don’t forget the security issues. We have fewer security issues in Europe than we have in Africa. Up till now, any vessel that is trading in West Africa has to pay war risk insurance, it is still on, so they don’t want to pay that.”
He however explained that despite the fact that these vessels bring wet and dry cargoes to Nigeria, the country would not experience scarcity of the products.
The newspaper says that the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Bank Of Industry, Olukayode Pitan, has said globally, small and medium enterprises account for the majority of business enterprises.
He said they were contributing to production output, exports, and boosting innovation, which represented hallmarks of economic growth in most economies, and contributed between 40 per cent and 55 per cent of Gross Domestic Product and 50 per cent to 80 per cent of employment in most economies, according to World Bank.
A statement said Pitan spoke at the regular weekly meeting of the Rotary Club of Lagos.
He said SMEs possessed great potential for employment generation, improvement in local technology, economic diversification, development of indigenous entrepreneurship and wealth.
According to him, 22 per cent of Africa’s working-age population were entrepreneurs, which was the highest rate in the world according to African Development Bank.
“In Nigeria today, we have 39.7 million MSMEs, contributing 46.3 per cent to national GDP, accounting for 96.7 per cent of businesses, 87.9 per cent of employment, 6.2 per cent to exports,” he said.
He added that with a rapidly growing population that was expected to increase from 200 million currently to 410 million in 2050, an opportunity existed for Nigerian SMEs to provide services, jobs, innovation and economic growth to meet the country’s growing needs.
The BOI boss noted that despite these existing opportunities and their strategic role in national economic development, most SMEs still faced challenges limiting their ability to thrive, compete and succeed.
GIK/APA
Press zooms in on evacuation of Nigerians in Sudan to Egypt, others
