Saturday 31 October 2015

DANGOTE PETROCHEMICAL REFINERY TO COMMENCE OPERATION IN 2018

A senior manager of Dangote Petrochemical Ltd - a subsidiary of the Dangote Group, Mr Madhav Kelkar announced to newsmen a few days ago that the plant which is located in the Lekki Free Trade Zone (LFTZ) will commence full operation by 2018.

Construction work will be completed by 2017 while refinery operations will kick off in 2018. Kelkar made it clear that, Nigeria would have the longest train refinery in the world - Dangote's vision.

Most pertinent about the petrochemical plant project is that, it will create over 2,000 jobs, produce 750,000 metric tonnes of polypropylene per annum while the fertilizer plant will produce 2.8 metric tonnes of Urea and Ammonia.


Credit: aitonline.tv

Friday 30 October 2015

NIGERIAN BORN ARTIST AND DAUGHTER OF LATE DORA AKUNYILI WINS JOYCE ALEXANDER WEIN PRIZE

Daughter of late Dora Akunyili - Former NAFDAC caretaker, Njideka Akunyili Crosby, who has lived and worked in the United States for many years won the Wein Prize – a $50,000 award. The past winners have been Lorna Simpson, Glenn Ligon and Trenton Doyle Hancock.

The prize – established by George Wein, a founder of the Newport Jazz Festival, in honor of his deceased wife, Joyce Alexander Wein, a trustee of the studio museum in Harlem who died in 2005.

Ms. Crosby, 32, recently moved to Los Angeles and has become known for large-scale paintings that depict African and American domestic scenes. The scenes are visually complicated with collage elements drawn from Nigerian lifestyle magazines, her own photo albums and the Internet, works that, as Smithsonian Magazine wrote, “explore a complex topic – the tug she feels between her adopted home in America and her native country.”

Ms. Crosby’s work has recently been featured in a solo show at the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles and was included in the New Museum’s 2015 Triennial. The prestigious Victoria Miro gallery in London began to represent Ms. Crosby earlier this year, and her work is now the subject of an exhibition at the gallery, organized by the critic Hilton Als.

Thelma Golden, the Studio Museum’s director, said Ms. Crosby was chosen because of her work’s “great innovation and promise” and also because she “truly represents the global nature of the Studio Museum’s mission and reach.”


Credit: nytimes.com

GROW YOUR BUSINESS AT AGRA INNOVATE 2015

Agra Innovate is a pioneering trade event which helps participants identify key business opportunities, technological solutions, share best-practice and form the strategic relationships that will drive this new period of market growth. 

Agra Innovate Nigeria is West Africa's leading trade platform that will help introduce your agricultural products and services. It will also help you explore business opportunities with serious buyers from the region.

Present at last year's edition are; Dr Akinwunmi Adesina - Former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Richard Hargrave - Dizengoff Nigeria, Kenton Dashiell - Deputy Director General of International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA).

The event is sponsored by Dansa, BASF, Contact Consulting, and Silos Cordoba. Media Partners are; inafrica24.com, efeedlink, Feed Business, Global milling, Horti news, Corporate Africa, The Organic Farmer, and many more.

This year's edition is proudly supported by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD), Nigeria Agricbusiness Group, and  Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).

Agra Innovate 2015 will hold from 24th to 26th November at Landmark Centre, Victoria Island - Lagos, Nigeria.


Credit:  agra-innovate.com



Thursday 29 October 2015

US PARTNERS WITH LUMOS TO PROVIDE ELECTRICITY FOR NIGERIAN ENTREPRENEURS

The United State Government's Development Finance Institution - Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) have signed an agreement  to finance Txtlight Power Solutions, Ltd. with $15 million. Txtlight Power Solutions, Ltd. will be doing business as Nova-Lumos (Lumos) - An off-grid electricity provider that provides solar electricity to homes and small business throughout Nigeria. 

The signing was part of Secretary John Kerry’s Climate and Clean Energy Investment Forum. In the words of David Vortman - CEO and Co-Founder at Lumos, “We are very excited about this major financing milestone in partnership with OPIC, which will enable us to accelerate our growth in Nigeria and improve the lives of millions.” He added that, “having the backing of an institution such as OPIC provides a vote of confidence in Lumos’ innovative core technology and our unique business model that drives most of our value as a company and we look forward to expanding our relationship with OPIC as we grow in Nigeria and other territories.”

“Lumos brings vision, innovation, and sound business sense to address the power access challenge in Africa,” said Elizabeth Littlefield, OPIC’s President and CEO. “With a dedication to those who live off-grid or have unreliable power access, Lumos’ creative business model will positively impact millions with new affordable electricity access in homes, businesses, medical facilities, and schools.”


With this OPIC financing, Lumos will be able to increase power access to the nearly 90 million Nigerians who currently live without connection to the electric grid. The Lumos service includes a home solar panel linked to an indoor storage and connection unit that allows customers to access significant amounts of power on-demand, day or night. The affordable Lumos service allows customers to utilize a “pay-as-you-go” model, in small amounts, by text message.


Lumos’ business model is highly scalable in large part due to the company’s partnerships with incumbent mobile operators. In Nigeria, Lumos has partnered with MTN, Nigeria largest telecommunications company with over 60 million subscribers base.


This is the largest OPIC investment to the off-grid power sector in Africa, a key component of increasing energy access in a region where people are not grid-connected and the need for reliable power is especially acute.


Lumos was also a recipient of early-stage catalytic funding through OPIC and the Africa Clean Energy Finance initiative (ACEF), a partnership with the U.S. State Dept. that provided crucial start-up capital for 30 innovative clean energy projects across 10 African countries, designed to help projects to progress to a financially viable stage. OPIC’s financing to Lumos proves the catalytic model of this program.


Lumos recently became an official private sector partner of President Obama’s Power Africa initiative, a partnership among more than 100 public and private sector partners to bring new power access to the more than 600 million Sub-Saharan Africans that currently live without electricity. And as a key part of Power Africa, OPIC financing allows private companies like Lumos to scale up business models and broadly increase new power access across Africa.

OPIC is the U.S. Government’s development finance institution. It mobilizes private capital to help address critical development challenges and in doing so, advances U.S. foreign policy and national security priorities.


Credit: opic.gov

Wednesday 28 October 2015

HEINEKEN LAGOS FASHION AND DESIGN WEEK 2015

This year, Heineken Lagos Fashion and Design week (LFDW) tried to build on last year's Fashion DNA by engaging more of Nigerian's ambitious young creatives and supporting the strong cultural, creative and inter-disciplinary connections between Nigeria and the UK. Fashion DNA is an innitiative of the British Council and has partnered with LFDW 2015 by using a workshop to provide training and insight for budding Nigerian fashion creatives, guided by experts from UK and Nigeria’s fashion image-making industries. 

The workshop took place from 20th to 23rd October, and had the likes of Kelechi Amadi (Photographer, Nigeria), Lakin Ogunbanwo (Photographer, Nigeria), Dimeji Alara (Stylist, Nigeria), Tokyo James.(Stylist, Nigeria), Darren Black (Photographer, UK), Nina Manandhar (Photographer, UK), Rebekah Roy (Stylist, UK) and Carri Munden (Stylist, UK) working with sixteen (16) young Nigerian designers.

Winners will have the opportunity to exhibit their collection at the 2015 Heineken LFDW that started yesterday.

This year's sponsors include;   Fayrouz, Maybelline, Sterling Bank Plc, etc. Media Partners include: Mania Magazine, Guardian, Genevieve Magazine, BellaNaija.com, Pulse.NG and Kamdora. Style Partners include StyleVitae.com.

Pictures from Day 1







Credit: lagosfashionanddesignweek.com, creativeeconomy.britishcouncil.org, bellanaija.com

Monday 26 October 2015

UAC FOODS APPOINTS NEW MANAGING DIRECTOR

Mr. Chidi Okoro has been appointed Managing Director of UAC Foods Limited - a joint venture business of UAC of Nigeria (UACN) Plc and Tiger Brands International of South Africa.

Mr Okoro's 25years plus career before this new role, started as a Product manager at Emzor Pharma Nigeria Limited. He later worked at Reckitt Benckiser Nigeria Limited, Promasidor Nigeria, MTN Telecommunications Nigeria and GlaxoSmithKline Nigeria PLC.

At GlaxoSmithKline Nigeria, he was managing director for four (4)years and the first Nigerian to take the role. He did a great job with the company by increasing her turnover to 15billion Naira from 9.9billion Naira between 2007 and 2009.

He holds two master’s degrees in Positive Leadership & Strategy from IE Business School, Madrid, Spain and Marketing from University of Lagos, Nigeria and a bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy from University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria.

UAC Foods Limited are the manufacturers of consumer goods like Gala Sausage Rolls, Gala Tinkies, Kingsway Chilli Beef Sausage Roll, Funtime Cake, Funtime Coconut Chips, Supreme Ice Cream, Delite Fruit Juice, Swan Water and Swan Soft Drinks.



Credit: thenationonlineng.net, venturesafrica.com


The Management of Dangote Petrochemicals and Fertiliser Plant on Thursday assured Nigerians that its 650,000 barrels Per Day (BPD) capacity petroleum refinery would come on stream by 2018.
Mr Madhav Kelkar, Senior General Manager, Civil and Structural, Dangote Petrochemicals Ltd, a subsidiary of Dangote Group, made the announcement when he took newsmen on a facility tour of the plant located at Lekki Free Trade Zone, Lagos.
- See more at: http://www.aitonline.tv/post-dangote_petrochemicals_refinery_to_commence_operations_in_2018#sthash.exmHtRGA.dpuf
The Management of Dangote Petrochemicals and Fertiliser Plant on Thursday assured Nigerians that its 650,000 barrels Per Day (BPD) capacity petroleum refinery would come on stream by 2018.
Mr Madhav Kelkar, Senior General Manager, Civil and Structural, Dangote Petrochemicals Ltd, a subsidiary of Dangote Group, made the announcement when he took newsmen on a facility tour of the plant located at Lekki Free Trade Zone, Lagos.
- See more at: http://www.aitonline.tv/post-dangote_petrochemicals_refinery_to_commence_operations_in_2018#sthash.exmHtRGA.dpuf
The Management of Dangote Petrochemicals and Fertiliser Plant on Thursday assured Nigerians that its 650,000 barrels Per Day (BPD) capacity petroleum refinery would come on stream by 2018.
Mr Madhav Kelkar, Senior General Manager, Civil and Structural, Dangote Petrochemicals Ltd, a subsidiary of Dangote Group, made the announcement when he took newsmen on a facility tour of the plant located at Lekki Free Trade Zone, Lagos.
He said that when the refinery comes on stream; it would boost the country’s refining capacity and enhance industrialisation.
He said that construction work on the projects was expected to be completed by 2017 while refining operation would commence by 2018, adding that the projects would create job opportunities for Nigerians.
Kelkar said: "the 650,000 barrels per day capacity refinery will meet the 2018 deadline.
"As you can see, piling and land reclamation are going on. Sand filling is the most critical part of the project.
"A Belgium-based dredging company called Jande Nul is in charge of dredging and soil investigation.
"Assembly and coupling of equipment will take only a couple of months. I think we are making progress and I'm happy with what we have done so far.
"At the end of the day, every Nigerian will be very proud that we have the longest single train refinery in the world. That's the vision of Dangote.’’
Kelkar said that if the project is completed, Nigeria would be self sufficient in refining of crude oil.
He said that more than 2,000 Nigerians would be employed when the refinery commence operations.
He said that the petrochemical plant would produce 750,000 metric tonnes of polypropylene per annum while the fertiliser plant would produce 2.8 metric tonnes of Urea and Ammonia.
- See more at: http://www.aitonline.tv/post-dangote_petrochemicals_refinery_to_commence_operations_in_2018#sthash.exmHtRGA.dpuf
The Management of Dangote Petrochemicals and Fertiliser Plant on Thursday assured Nigerians that its 650,000 barrels Per Day (BPD) capacity petroleum refinery would come on stream by 2018.
Mr Madhav Kelkar, Senior General Manager, Civil and Structural, Dangote Petrochemicals Ltd, a subsidiary of Dangote Group, made the announcement when he took newsmen on a facility tour of the plant located at Lekki Free Trade Zone, Lagos.
He said that when the refinery comes on stream; it would boost the country’s refining capacity and enhance industrialisation.
He said that construction work on the projects was expected to be completed by 2017 while refining operation would commence by 2018, adding that the projects would create job opportunities for Nigerians.
Kelkar said: "the 650,000 barrels per day capacity refinery will meet the 2018 deadline.
"As you can see, piling and land reclamation are going on. Sand filling is the most critical part of the project.
"A Belgium-based dredging company called Jande Nul is in charge of dredging and soil investigation.
"Assembly and coupling of equipment will take only a couple of months. I think we are making progress and I'm happy with what we have done so far.
"At the end of the day, every Nigerian will be very proud that we have the longest single train refinery in the world. That's the vision of Dangote.’’
Kelkar said that if the project is completed, Nigeria would be self sufficient in refining of crude oil.
He said that more than 2,000 Nigerians would be employed when the refinery commence operations.
He said that the petrochemical plant would produce 750,000 metric tonnes of polypropylene per annum while the fertiliser plant would produce 2.8 metric tonnes of Urea and Ammonia.
- See more at: http://www.aitonline.tv/post-dangote_petrochemicals_refinery_to_commence_operations_in_2018#sthash.exmHtRGA.dpuf
The Management of Dangote Petrochemicals and Fertiliser Plant on Thursday assured Nigerians that its 650,000 barrels Per Day (BPD) capacity petroleum refinery would come on stream by 2018.
Mr Madhav Kelkar, Senior General Manager, Civil and Structural, Dangote Petrochemicals Ltd, a subsidiary of Dangote Group, made the announcement when he took newsmen on a facility tour of the plant located at Lekki Free Trade Zone, Lagos.
He said that when the refinery comes on stream; it would boost the country’s refining capacity and enhance industrialisation.
He said that construction work on the projects was expected to be completed by 2017 while refining operation would commence by 2018, adding that the projects would create job opportunities for Nigerians.
Kelkar said: "the 650,000 barrels per day capacity refinery will meet the 2018 deadline.
"As you can see, piling and land reclamation are going on. Sand filling is the most critical part of the project.
"A Belgium-based dredging company called Jande Nul is in charge of dredging and soil investigation.
"Assembly and coupling of equipment will take only a couple of months. I think we are making progress and I'm happy with what we have done so far.
"At the end of the day, every Nigerian will be very proud that we have the longest single train refinery in the world. That's the vision of Dangote.’’
Kelkar said that if the project is completed, Nigeria would be self sufficient in refining of crude oil.
He said that more than 2,000 Nigerians would be employed when the refinery commence operations.
He said that the petrochemical plant would produce 750,000 metric tonnes of polypropylene per annum while the fertiliser plant would produce 2.8 metric tonnes of Urea and Ammonia.
- See more at: http://www.aitonline.tv/post-dangote_petrochemicals_refinery_to_commence_operations_in_2018#sthash.exmHtRGA.dpuf
The Management of Dangote Petrochemicals and Fertiliser Plant on Thursday assured Nigerians that its 650,000 barrels Per Day (BPD) capacity petroleum refinery would come on stream by 2018.
Mr Madhav Kelkar, Senior General Manager, Civil and Structural, Dangote Petrochemicals Ltd, a subsidiary of Dangote Group, made the announcement when he took newsmen on a facility tour of the plant located at Lekki Free Trade Zone, Lagos.
He said that when the refinery comes on stream; it would boost the country’s refining capacity and enhance industrialisation.
He said that construction work on the projects was expected to be completed by 2017 while refining operation would commence by 2018, adding that the projects would create job opportunities for Nigerians.
Kelkar said: "the 650,000 barrels per day capacity refinery will meet the 2018 deadline.
"As you can see, piling and land reclamation are going on. Sand filling is the most critical part of the project.
"A Belgium-based dredging company called Jande Nul is in charge of dredging and soil investigation.
"Assembly and coupling of equipment will take only a couple of months. I think we are making progress and I'm happy with what we have done so far.
"At the end of the day, every Nigerian will be very proud that we have the longest single train refinery in the world. That's the vision of Dangote.’’
Kelkar said that if the project is completed, Nigeria would be self sufficient in refining of crude oil.
He said that more than 2,000 Nigerians would be employed when the refinery commence operations.
He said that the petrochemical plant would produce 750,000 metric tonnes of polypropylene per annum while the fertiliser plant would produce 2.8 metric tonnes of Urea and Ammonia.
- See more at: http://www.aitonline.tv/post-dangote_petrochemicals_refinery_to_commence_operations_in_2018#sthash.exmHtRGA.dpuf

HRH ADEYEYE ENITAN OGUNWUSI AS THE NEW ONI OF IFE

The Managing Director of Howard Roark Gardens Limited, and a non-executive director of Imperial Homes Mortgage Bank Limited (a subsidiary of GTBank), Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi graduated from the Federal Polytechnic of Ibadan with a Higher National Diploma in Accountancy.

In a statement signed by the Secretary to Osun state government, “the Governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola has approved the appointment of a new Ooni of Ife.

HRH Adeyeye Ogunwusi is a successful young real estate business man from the famous Ojaja Lineage of the Giesi ruling house of the Agbedegbede Quarters in Ile-Ife. The Giesi ruling house last produced a king in 1880.

Kabieyesi oooO! Alaiyeluwa! Oba Alashe ikeji orisha.

May your days be long.




AGICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT: IFAD PLANS IMPROVED VALUE CHAIN PROJECT FOR BENUE STATE

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), on Wednesday, said it has commenced planned implementation of improved value chain project for the Benue State Agricultural Revolution Programme.

Its Country Programme Manager, Ms. Atsuko Toda, disclosed this in Makurdi at a meeting with Governor Samuel Ortom, who released the state counterpart fund for the project.

She identified key areas of women and youth empowerment programmes in agriculture and to encourage large scale farmers to concentrate on agricultural produce of which the state has comparative advantage.
Governor Ortom while responding said the return of Benue State to agriculture has become imperative as people of the state must earn a living in the face of dwindling income from the national purse.


Credit: allafrica.com

SUPER EAGLES DRAW THE STALLIONS OF BURKINA FASO TO QUALIFY FOR CHAN 2016

The Super Eagles of Nigeria has qualified for African Championship CHAN 2016 after drawing the Stallions of Burkina Faso in a goalless match at the August 4 stadium in Quagadougou.

The Super Eagles had a not  so impressive outing but were lucky to box the impressive side.

Super Eagles won the first leg by two goals to nothing at the Adokiye stadium in Port Harcourt, and that has ensured their ticket to CHAN 2016.

Saturday 24 October 2015

20YEARS OLD CEO OF DE REHOBOTHS THERAPEUTIC STUDIO



20years old nursing student, Blessing Fortune Kwomo started De Rehoboths Therapeutic Studio – a holistic healthcare solution for low income families in Port Harcourt at the age of 19.

Her inspiration for starting the company was drawn from her own experience. As a child brought up in a poor family, she found that she would often return to hospital after being discharged, as she was unable to fully recover in the home environment. She grew up in a rural district of Dakata in Kano State of Nigeria, as one of eight children.

Blessing realized that there was a need to provide an alternative healthcare solution that would support traditional methods, and founded De Rehoboths Therapeutic Studio, which extends home-based healthcare through tailored family action plans for treating illness and addressing root causes to empower families to live healthier within the context of their surroundings. Her business which exists to provide health care services for low income families. The aim was to prevent their home and social environments from landing them back in hospital.

De Rehoboths treats root causes through management of chronic illnesses and tailoring ‘family action plans’ which firstly treat illness and second address root causes and empower families through education to live healthier within the context of their surroundings.

She believes her model can be easily scaled and replicated across Nigeria to reduce rural mortality.
Through this venture, Blessing employs three people in her community and impacts health outcomes for countless people within her community who would otherwise not afford healthcare services.

Blessing is a 2015 finalist of the Anzisha Prize, an initiative of African Leadership Academy. The recognition and prize celebrates innovative young African entrepreneurs


Credit: anzishaprize.org, cnn.com

Friday 23 October 2015

IFAD MOVES TO PILOT AGRO-ALLIED PROCESSING CLUSTERS IRRIGATION IN OGUN STATE

The international Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), has chosen Ogun State as one of the Six (6) Southwest States to launch irrigation farming system and agro-allied processing. IFAD, which is a specialized agency of the United Nations has chosen Ogun and five (5) Nigerian States selected from other geo-political zones of the country......

Click to read full story

NIGERIA MOBILE MONEY TRANSFER SCHEME HITS 815.47 BILLION NAIRA



Mr Dipo Fatokun, the Director of Banking and Payment System in the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) says about N815.47 billion has been transferred though the Nigerian mobile money system since it's inception. He said that the figure was as at Sept. 30 2015.

Fatokun disclosed this in Ilorin on Monday at the NDIC workshop for business editors and finance correspondents with the theme : "Developments in E-banking, Mobile Payments and Deposit Insurance Corporation in Nigeria".

Fatokun, who was represented by Mr Sola Agboola, an Assistant Director of the department, said that the monies were transferred in 76.95 billion transactions by 24.4 billion subscribers.

He said that the platform had created employment opportunities through the 98,158 agents in the scheme.

The CBN director said that there were still untapped opportunities under the system, stressing that the CBN and other stakeholders were putting in efforts to fill the identified gap.

According to him, there are some challenges for the Micro, Small, and Medium Scale Enterprises (MSME) in the process of job creation through mobile payments system.

Fatokun, however, said that the apex financial institution in collaboration with various stakeholders is making frantic efforts to surmount the challenges.

He listed the challenges to include epileptic power supply, poor telecommunications connectivity and lack of synergy between mobile money operators and telecommunication companies.

Fatokun said that there was the need to enhance customers' awareness of the scheme, particularly at the grassroots.

He said that 21 Mobile Money Operators had been licensed and carrying out commercial operations, although eight were actually running the pilot stage.

Fatokun also said that mobile money scheme was to leverage on the existing business network infrastructure as strategy for driving financial inclusion of the unbanked.

According to him, the primary objective of mobile payment is to foster financial inclusion, deliver on employment, transaction cost reduction and facilitate economic growth in the medium to long-term.


Credit: NAN

Wednesday 21 October 2015

BET 9JA BOSS BUYS PORTUGUESE CLUB TO EMERGE FIRST NIGERIAN TO SET THE RECORD

 
The Chairman of popular sport bet site, Bet 9ja bought Portuguese second division club, Clube Desportivo Feirense. Kunle Soname bought a 70percent stake to own the top European club.

Soname is also the President of Nigeria National League (NNL) team and Remo Stars Football Club.
According to a statement on the club’s website, “Last Friday we effected a transformation of our club through the sale of part of the capital to our new partners, Tavisstock Global Resource Ltd, led by Mr. Kunle Soname. 


In Soname's word, "Securing Clube Desportivo Feirense was the next step in the right direction for him. He loves everything about the club: the organisation, the philosophy and the fans He has no intention of changing anything in the club because He is satisfied with their operations. However,  Soname want to ensure the progress of the club through promotion to the Portuguese Primera division, and having been involved in Nigerian football over the years by running Remo Stars Football club, He feels it's time to further develop the team by bringing benefits for Nigerian football through players transfer, training for officials and administrators, who have proven they have what it takes to succeed in Europe.

Kunle Soname becomes the first Nigerian to own a top European Club.

Clube Desportivo Feirense was founded on 19 March 1918 from the town of Santa Maria da Feira. Feirense is currently playing the Segunda Liga.


 The club has the following to its credit;
  • Segunda Liga:    Runners-up (1): 2010–11  
  • Portuguese Second Division: Winners (1): 2002–03; Runners-up (3): 1961–62, 1976–77, 1993–94 
  • AF Aveiro First Division:  Winners (3): 1959–60, 1965–66, 1967–68


 
Credit: ngrguardiannews.com, completesportsnigeria.mobi, yen.com.gh, wikipedia.org