APA – Lagos (Nigeria)
The report that the real sector’s contribution to the Nigerian economy dipped to 2.20% (year-on-year) in the second quarter of 2023, according to the National Bureau of Statistics is one of the trending stories in Nigerian newspapers on Friday.
The Punch reports that the real sector’s contribution to the Nigerian economy dipped to 2.20% (year-on-year) in the second quarter of 2023, according to the Gross Domestic Product report of the National Bureau of Statistics.
According to the report, the growth rate of the sector on a quarter-on-quarter basis stood at -14.98 per cent.
The real contribution to GDP in the second quarter of 2023 was 8.62 per cent, lower than the 8.65 per cent recorded in the second quarter of 2022 and lower than the 10.13 per cent recorded in the first quarter of 2023.
The manufacturing sector comprises 13 activities: oil refining; cement; food, beverages and tobacco; textile, apparel, and footwear; wood and wood products; pulp paper and paper products; chemical and pharmaceutical products.
Others include non-metallic products, plastic and rubber products; electrical and electronic; basic metal and iron and steel; motor vehicles and assembly; and other manufacturing.
The drop in the sector’s contribution to the economy has been linked to an array of bottlenecks, which bedeviled the real sector of the economy in the second quarter of the year.
The newspaper says that the African Union’s Peace and Security Council on Thursday suspended Gabon following the Wednesday overthrow of President Ondimba Ali Bongo by soldiers led by the head of the Republican guards, Gen Brice Nguema.
The continental body in a post on X, formerly Twitter, condemned the military takeover of power in the Central African country.
This came as Rwanda and Cameroon hurriedly retired 1, 029 senior officers in a surprise move against their respective militaries.
The Rwandan authorities approved the retirement of 12 generals, including two four-star generals, James Kabarebe and Fred Ibingira, two three-star generals, Charles Kayonga and Frank Mushyo Kamanzi, and several officers.
According to a Rwandan national newspaper, News Times, the government approved the retirement of 12 generals and many officers. The publication stated that the retirements were announced on Wednesday, in a statement issued by Rwanda Defence Force.
In Cameroon, President Paul Biya has also reshuffled the military with new appointments to the Controle Generale des Armees.
The new controllers are Capt Ajeagah Njei Félix Colonel and Colonel Nguema Ondo Bertin Bourger.
Appointments were also made to the positions of Technical Advisers, Bureau Commissariat, and Air Force Technical Inspector.
Disclosing its decision after a meeting of its Peace and Security Council, the AU said it “decides to immediately suspend the participation of Gabon in all activities of the AU, its organs and institutions.”
The Guardian reports that the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, yesterday, ordered the immediate relocation of all foreign airlines to the new but deserted Chinese terminal at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos.
Keyamo, on a tour of the airport yesterday, said the mandatory evacuation is to pave the way for shutdown and renovation of the old MMIA terminal beginning from October 1.
Similarly, the minister also directed suspension of the embattled Nigeria Air and the airport concession projects of his predecessor, Hadi Sirika, pending an “honest assessment” of the exercise.
About 15 months after its official opening, the new international terminal is still largely deserted because of constraints over aircraft parking space, provision of which was not included in the original design that dated back to 2013.
The structural defect features the terminal with a multi-layered car park on its right shoulder and general aviation hangars on its left, both of which are encumbrances for wide-body aircraft to gain easy access to about four passenger facilitation fingers of the terminal.
As at the last check by The Guardian, only eight airlines – all African carriers – occupy the edifice, built at an estimated cost of $100 million borrowed from China.
For legacy carriers, the complaint has been that the design flaw had little or no consideration for aircraft parking lot and apron for manoeuvring of wide-body airplanes.
Apparently not unaware of the space constraint, Keyamo said efforts were on to also relocate “obstructing” Dominion and EAN hangars, to make way for requisite aircraft parking space.
In the interim, he said the government would also do an emergency procurement to ensure buses are provided to transit international passengers to and from where wide-body aircraft are currently parked for boarding and disembarkation.
The newspaper says that the Minister for Sports, John Owan Enoh, yesterday in Lagos said that his administration has endorsed the concession of the National Stadium in Surulere and other stadiums nationwide to private individuals, who will help to revamp and maintain them.
Enoh, on his first official inspection of facilities at the National Stadium, Surulere, said the deplorable state of the stadium moved him to tears, adding that the only way to rescue the facilities is through a government, private sector partnership.
“The challenge for my administration is to revive sports development and the only way is to get good faculties and organise grassroots championships in different sports.
“The MKO Abiola Stadium also needs to be maintained to regain its standard. That is why concession is important. The government cannot do it alone. That is why working with the private sector is important,” he said.
Enoh also emphasised the need to work closely with special athletes, who have won many laurels for the country at international engagements.
“In my administration they will be given priority attention. President Tinubu knows my capabilities that is why he specifically said I should be made the minister of sports. I don’t need to be a sports personality to perform well as minister. All I need is the passion to deliver. That is why I am moving my office to the MKO Abiola Stadium to ensure I am close to the federations and athletes.
“I also direct all sports federations, who don’t have their offices at the stadium to move there immediately,” he said.
GIK/APA