Friday, July 10, 2015
Video - Nigeria's dairy industry
Some economists believe that Nigeria's dairy industry has the potential to be a major source of jobs and revenue for the country. Dairy farmers, however, say the government isn't doing enough to develop the industry. Farmers complain of facing major problems getting their products to the market.
Video - Nigeria electricity crisis worsens
How is it possible to have a country which is veritably swimming in crude oil but where less than half the population has electricity? That's the situation in Nigeria, according to figures from the World Bank. Residents of Africa's most populous nation live with daily power cuts and most rely on generators for their everyday needs. The country is touted as an emerging economy to watch, but can it fix its problems of infrastructure and oil supply in order to meet its touted potential?
Related story: Video - Electricity shortage threatening Nigeria's economy
Volkswagen restarts car manufacturing in Nigeria
Years after vehicle assembly operations got suspended by Volkswagen of Nigeria Ltd (VON), the firm on Tuesday, unveiled brand new Jetta, CC and Amarok models to kick-start full operations in Nigeria.
Stating its commitment to provide customers, particularly Nigerians with not only the right but also consistently the best choice while ensuring that the Nigerian automobile market becomes viable, the official representative of Volkswagen in Nigeria, Stallion group said that it would continue to work harder to make sure that cars become affordable in Nigeria.
Speaking at the event, Chairman of Stallion group Sunil Vaswani said: “This is a great moment for Stallion in partnering with a world leading global brand like Volkswagen.
We are immensely pleased to bring back the proud legacy of Nigeria automotive industry – the Volkswagen brand that once was indigenously produced at the same premises.” According to him, Stallion is committed to investing and expanding its operations in the automotive value chain across multiple global brands and paving the way for Nigeria to establish itself as a regional leader in the automobile eco system.
The Director-General, National Automotive Council (NAC), Aminu Jalal, in a speech delivered by the Executive Director, National Automotive Council, Lukman Mamudu at the event commended the efforts of the organisation, saying, “we delivered and they also delivered” Jalal said the automobile industry is a great tool for industrial development in any nation, particularly in a developing country like Nigeria, stating further that the initiative would drastically reduce unemployment problem in Nigeria.
According to him, the development in the automotive sector would enable Nigeria to create employment, acquire technology for industrialization and reduce pressure on the country’s balance of payment position resulting from escalating vehicle import bill. Jalal stated: “The response to the policy has exceeded our expectations. Nissan, Hyundai, Kia, Peugeot and Renault vehicles are now assembled locally.
Toyota, Ford and many others are concluding their feasibility studies with a view to setting up assembly operations. Our focus has accordingly shifted to the development of local content.” Leader of the Volkswagen Group delegation from Germany, Ratz Wolfgang, noted that the event marks the revival of the assembly of Volkswagen vehicles in Nigeria, stressing that Volkswagen has returned to Nigeria to continue a long history that began in the 1970s.
As the largest market in Sub Sahara Africa, Wolfgang noted that Nigeria remained strategic to the firm as Volkswagen seeks new opportunities to expand its market reach across the globe.
“We are certain that further growth is possible, which is why Volkswagen is constantly searching for new opportunities to increase global market and sales potential and we appreciate the fact that we are able to strengthen our business relationship with our professional partner Stallion,” he said.
The Guardian
Stating its commitment to provide customers, particularly Nigerians with not only the right but also consistently the best choice while ensuring that the Nigerian automobile market becomes viable, the official representative of Volkswagen in Nigeria, Stallion group said that it would continue to work harder to make sure that cars become affordable in Nigeria.
Speaking at the event, Chairman of Stallion group Sunil Vaswani said: “This is a great moment for Stallion in partnering with a world leading global brand like Volkswagen.
We are immensely pleased to bring back the proud legacy of Nigeria automotive industry – the Volkswagen brand that once was indigenously produced at the same premises.” According to him, Stallion is committed to investing and expanding its operations in the automotive value chain across multiple global brands and paving the way for Nigeria to establish itself as a regional leader in the automobile eco system.
The Director-General, National Automotive Council (NAC), Aminu Jalal, in a speech delivered by the Executive Director, National Automotive Council, Lukman Mamudu at the event commended the efforts of the organisation, saying, “we delivered and they also delivered” Jalal said the automobile industry is a great tool for industrial development in any nation, particularly in a developing country like Nigeria, stating further that the initiative would drastically reduce unemployment problem in Nigeria.
According to him, the development in the automotive sector would enable Nigeria to create employment, acquire technology for industrialization and reduce pressure on the country’s balance of payment position resulting from escalating vehicle import bill. Jalal stated: “The response to the policy has exceeded our expectations. Nissan, Hyundai, Kia, Peugeot and Renault vehicles are now assembled locally.
Toyota, Ford and many others are concluding their feasibility studies with a view to setting up assembly operations. Our focus has accordingly shifted to the development of local content.” Leader of the Volkswagen Group delegation from Germany, Ratz Wolfgang, noted that the event marks the revival of the assembly of Volkswagen vehicles in Nigeria, stressing that Volkswagen has returned to Nigeria to continue a long history that began in the 1970s.
As the largest market in Sub Sahara Africa, Wolfgang noted that Nigeria remained strategic to the firm as Volkswagen seeks new opportunities to expand its market reach across the globe.
“We are certain that further growth is possible, which is why Volkswagen is constantly searching for new opportunities to increase global market and sales potential and we appreciate the fact that we are able to strengthen our business relationship with our professional partner Stallion,” he said.
The Guardian
Thursday, July 9, 2015
Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari meets with campaigners for the kidnapped schoolgirls
Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday held his first meeting with campaigners calling for the release of more than 200 schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram militants in the northeastern town of Chibok last year.
The militant Islamist group, whose six-year insurgency has seen thousands killed in Africa's most populous nation and top oil producer, caused an international outcry when it took the girls from secondary school dormitories in April 2014.
Buhari praised members of the Bring Back Our Girls group for their efforts to prevent the missing children being forgotten.
"Nobody in Nigeria or outside could have missed your consistency and persistence," said Buhari during the meeting at his presidential villa in the capital, Abuja.
"I think you will agree that the present government takes the issue very seriously," he said, adding that the military was working with neighboring countries to ensure a regional task force could fight the insurgency.
Earlier this year an Amnesty International report said that Boko Haram had kidnapped at least 2,000 Nigerian women and girls since the start of 2014, many of whom were sexually abused or trained to fight.
In a statement, the Bring Back Our Girls campaigners said the safe return of the schoolgirls would "amount to the strongest statement that our government has respect for the sanctity and dignity of every Nigerian life".
The frequency of attacks by suspected Boko Haram militants in northern states has increased since the president vowed in his inauguration speech of May 29 that the group would be crushed.
More than 200 people died in a string of attacks last week and dozens more have been killed in northern Nigeria and Chad in the last few days.
Boko Haram, which has been trying to establish a state adhering to strict sharia law in northeast Nigeria, controlled an area larger than Belgium at the end of 2014.
Nigerian and regional forces pushed the jihadists out of most of that territory in the last few months but the militants have a last stronghold in the Sambisa forest reserve and, with the increase in attacks, appear to be growing in strength.
Reuters
The militant Islamist group, whose six-year insurgency has seen thousands killed in Africa's most populous nation and top oil producer, caused an international outcry when it took the girls from secondary school dormitories in April 2014.
Buhari praised members of the Bring Back Our Girls group for their efforts to prevent the missing children being forgotten.
"Nobody in Nigeria or outside could have missed your consistency and persistence," said Buhari during the meeting at his presidential villa in the capital, Abuja.
"I think you will agree that the present government takes the issue very seriously," he said, adding that the military was working with neighboring countries to ensure a regional task force could fight the insurgency.
Earlier this year an Amnesty International report said that Boko Haram had kidnapped at least 2,000 Nigerian women and girls since the start of 2014, many of whom were sexually abused or trained to fight.
In a statement, the Bring Back Our Girls campaigners said the safe return of the schoolgirls would "amount to the strongest statement that our government has respect for the sanctity and dignity of every Nigerian life".
The frequency of attacks by suspected Boko Haram militants in northern states has increased since the president vowed in his inauguration speech of May 29 that the group would be crushed.
More than 200 people died in a string of attacks last week and dozens more have been killed in northern Nigeria and Chad in the last few days.
Boko Haram, which has been trying to establish a state adhering to strict sharia law in northeast Nigeria, controlled an area larger than Belgium at the end of 2014.
Nigerian and regional forces pushed the jihadists out of most of that territory in the last few months but the militants have a last stronghold in the Sambisa forest reserve and, with the increase in attacks, appear to be growing in strength.
Reuters
Wednesday, July 8, 2015
Only one Nigeria univeristy in Africa's top 10 universities
Only one Nigerian university has made it to the list of top 10 African universities, a rating that has six South African schools.
In a ranking released Tuesday, Nigeria’s University of Ibadan came a distant eighth on the top 10 list, beaten by schools from South Africa, Kenya and Egypt.
With its performance, the University of Ibadan naturally came tops as Nigeria’s best, according to the research conducted by Journals Consortium.
The result shows how the Nigerian education system struggles against its African peers.
The ranking was based on research publications and citations from 2010 to 2014 as well as visibility on the Internet, Journals Consortium said.
The University of Cape Town in South Africa was graded the continent’s best while Cairo University in Egypt came second.
Another South African institution, University of Pretoria, ranked third while the University of Nairobi, in Kenya, ranked fourth.
University of South Africa was ranked fifth leaving Witwatersrand University at the sixth position and Stellenbosch at seventh.
The University of Nigeria, Nsukka, came 13th in Africa – apparently Nigeria’s second best.
While the University of Ibadan started off as University College in 1948, the University of Nigeria was founded in 1955 and was formally opened in 1960.
Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, ABU, ranked 18th in Africa and third in Nigeria, while the University of Lagos ranked 20th in Africa, and fourth in Nigeria.
Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, ranked 24th in Africa, and fifth in Nigeria while University of Benin ranked 27th in Africa and sixth in Nigeria.
University of Ilorin was rated seventh best in Nigeria but 31st in Africa while the University of Port Harcourt ranked eighth in Nigeria, and 36th in Africa.
Nnamdi Azikiwe University stood at ninth position in Nigeria, and 42nd in Africa, leaving the University of Calabar as 10th in Nigeria but 43rd in Africa respectively.
“University of Ibadan has always maintained that rank status from as back as I know, and am proud to be a product of that University,” Bayo Aladejo, an alumnus of the University of Ibadan said.
Premium Times
In a ranking released Tuesday, Nigeria’s University of Ibadan came a distant eighth on the top 10 list, beaten by schools from South Africa, Kenya and Egypt.
With its performance, the University of Ibadan naturally came tops as Nigeria’s best, according to the research conducted by Journals Consortium.
The result shows how the Nigerian education system struggles against its African peers.
The ranking was based on research publications and citations from 2010 to 2014 as well as visibility on the Internet, Journals Consortium said.
The University of Cape Town in South Africa was graded the continent’s best while Cairo University in Egypt came second.
Another South African institution, University of Pretoria, ranked third while the University of Nairobi, in Kenya, ranked fourth.
University of South Africa was ranked fifth leaving Witwatersrand University at the sixth position and Stellenbosch at seventh.
The University of Nigeria, Nsukka, came 13th in Africa – apparently Nigeria’s second best.
While the University of Ibadan started off as University College in 1948, the University of Nigeria was founded in 1955 and was formally opened in 1960.
Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, ABU, ranked 18th in Africa and third in Nigeria, while the University of Lagos ranked 20th in Africa, and fourth in Nigeria.
Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, ranked 24th in Africa, and fifth in Nigeria while University of Benin ranked 27th in Africa and sixth in Nigeria.
University of Ilorin was rated seventh best in Nigeria but 31st in Africa while the University of Port Harcourt ranked eighth in Nigeria, and 36th in Africa.
Nnamdi Azikiwe University stood at ninth position in Nigeria, and 42nd in Africa, leaving the University of Calabar as 10th in Nigeria but 43rd in Africa respectively.
“University of Ibadan has always maintained that rank status from as back as I know, and am proud to be a product of that University,” Bayo Aladejo, an alumnus of the University of Ibadan said.
Premium Times
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