The report that the first goal of the implementation plan of the African Continental Free Trade Area is to grow the export capacity of every state to the tune of $1.2 billion focusing on specific products and service chains is one of the leading stories in Nigerian newspapers on Monday.
The Guardian reports that the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Sector Matters and the Secretary, National Action Committee (NAC) on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Francis Anatogu, has said that the first goal of the implementation plan is to grow the export capacity of every state to the tune of $1.2 billion focusing on specific products and service chains.
This, he said, would make every state and community in Nigeria economically viable and resilient through intra-Africa trade.
Anatogu, in his keynote address at the 29th mandatory Continuous Professional Development Workshop of the Institute of Public Analysts of Nigeria (IPAN) with the theme ‘Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA): The Crucial Role of Quality Assurance of Products’ said there was a lot ongoing at the state level in terms of building production and service capacity.
According to him, there are two key areas the committee had started working on in the implementation space, which include aggregating small and medium enterprises for export and e-commerce initiatives to make products visible.
Another key area is the area of commercialising research findings to improve yield, he said. While emphasizing that Africa imports about 80 per cent of what it needs, he said the AFCFTA would provide an opportunity to grow intra-Africa trade and double Nigeria’s export revenue by 2035.
The newspaper says that the Nigeria Football Federation, yesterday, terminated the appointment of Gernot Rohr as Super Eagles coach and named former national team captain, Austin Eguavoen as the team’s interim boss.
According to the NFF, Eguavoen, currently its technical Director, becomes the Technical Adviser of the Super Eagles on an interim basis with immediate effect.
Rohr, who has been in charge of the three–time African champions for the past 64 months, is Nigeria’s longest–serving manager.
In a statement yesterday, the NFF said: “Following a virtual meeting of the NFF Executive Committee on Sunday, it was decided that Eguavoen will work with Salisu Yusuf (Chief Coach); Paul Aigbogun (Assistant Coach); Joseph Yobo (Assistant Coach); Dr. Terry Eguaoje (Assistant Coach) and Aloysius Agu (Goalkeeper Trainer).
“Former Nigeria captains, Augustine ‘Jay Jay’ Okocha, Nwankwo Kanu and Garba Lawal have been appointed to provide technical and ambassadorial support for the crew.”
NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi said: “The relationship between the Nigeria Football Federation and Mr. Rohr has come to an end. We thank him for his services to the Super Eagles and Nigeria.
“We also want to thank the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports for their collaboration and guidance all through.”
Eguavoen, a former Nigeria captain, was coach of the squad when it finished in third place at the Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt in 2006. He was on-field captain when the Super Eagles lifted the Africa Cup for the first time on away ground, in Tunisia 27 years ago.
He will now take charge of the team as it begins preparations for the 33rd Africa Cup of Nations holding in Cameroun from January 9 to February 6, 2022, and until the appointment of a substantive head coach.
The Punch reports that a total of 63.97 million lines were disconnected in one year amid the National Identity Number-Subscriber Identity Module data verification, data obtained from the Nigerian Communications Commission show.
The NCC data revealed that the total number of connected lines in the country fell by 21.79 per cent to 229,582,206 in October this year from 293,554,598 in October 2020. Within the period under review, the number of connected lines was highest in August 2021 (328,114,538) and lowest in September 2021 (229,467,077).
The number of active lines fell from 207,578,237 in October 2020 to 191,618,839 in October 2021, a 7.69 per cent decrease (15,959,398).
According to the commission, 37,963,367 connected lines were inactive as of October 2021, down from 85,976,361 in the same month last year. Telecommunication companies in the country have been losing subscribers since the Federal Government began the linking of NIN with SIM cards.
“Mobile subscribers declined by 7.6 million to 68.9 million, impacted by the regulatory restrictions on new SIM sales and activations,” MTN Nigeria Communications Plc had said in its half-year financial statements.
According to the company, it is actively in support of the government’s NIN enrolment programme.
The Sun says that as part of moves to increase Nigerian market penetration which currently stands at 50 per cent market share and 89 per cent population coverage, respectively, leading telecommunication company, MTN Nigeria has begun its public offer of 575 million shares at N169 per share.
The public offer, according to the MTN Nigeria leadership, is not only to raise capital at the stock exchange, but to also allow more Nigerians to be part owners of the company, thereby making more Nigerians to be MTN shareholders.
The offer, which is said to be in line with MTN Group’s commitment to reduce its shareholding in MTN Nigeria from 78.8 per cent to 65 per cent over time, is designed to provide as many Nigerian retail investors as possible with an opportunity to own shares in MTN Nigeria.
The public offer to retail investors for the sale of up to 575 million shares held in MTN Nigeria by MTN Group is priced at 169 per share and has been sale since on Wednesday, December 1, and closes on Tuesday, December 14, 2021.
Speaking at the MTN Nigeria Roadshow in Abeokuta, Ogun state capital on Tuesday, Shoyinka Shodunke, Chief Information Officer, MTN Nigeria, noted that the public offer of 575 million shares at N169 per share was designed to further domesticate the ownership and operations of MTN Nigeria.
ThisDay All ducks now appear to be in a row for the launch of Exchange Traded Derivatives (ETDs) in the Nigerian capital market. This comes on the back of the official launch of NG Clearing as Central Counterparty (CCP) Clearing House in Nigeria on Thursday, 9 December 2021.
Speaking at the event, the Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX), Mr. Temi Popoola, CFA, stated, “I am excited to witness the official launch of NG Clearing and must congratulate its Board and Management for this historic milestone.
As a multi-asset Exchange, NGX recognises the importance of a well-developed Derivatives market, and we have worked hard to put the right regulatory and technology framework in place to support the launch of a standardized Exchange Traded Derivatives (ETDs) market.
Our efforts will be further supported by NG Clearing, the best in class CCP and Clearing House. These are indeed exciting times for the Nigerian capital market and I am excited about the prospect of deepening Africa’s position in the global financial market with the imminent launch of ETDs.”
“The activities of NGX in establishing a vibrant Derivatives market have also focused heavily on capacity building.
GIK/APA