BOA disburses first set of SME loans under CBN's NIRSAl 'T"'he tint let of Small and 1 Medium Enterpriaes ISMEaI loan. under the CBN', Nigeria InccntJve..Based Rlsk.Sharing System for- Agricultural Lend· ing (NIRSALI. haa been dilburacd by the Bank of AgricuJture (BOA). The facilities are for ca.a.aava processin& to two co-opcratives UlinC the group crubt mem.ruam. The diabunc:mcnla dfectJvdy bnng on stream the actual opcntion of NJRSAL.. opc:rIItiona. NJRSAl. i.e a credit nak I\l8I'Dtee and inl.cr'est drawbeck fund prucrammc operated by the Ccntnl Bank of Nlgcia ICBH) to aumubltc qnculturaJ financin& and triger the nation .. apiculturallndualrialisation pI"CICleSl. The programme wtuc:h empha&lKS the empowerment or operaton M:f'OA the agncultun: value-chain I, designed to deploy risk-sharing instrument. that will lower the naka of lendin" prcmde technical ....I.tanoe to farmen and banks, and dcvdop • bank rating .cherne that will inccntiviac and position banka hued on their capllCitics to lend to the
DOled that lhe BOA's ability to dJ'ectivdyadapt to the NIRSAL loan procedures and spearhead actual disbunementa in the SME:. sector witJun a short time i. an atlcstation to the depth of the Bank'. aperiena: and competence in the p&ek.aging of facilities in agricftnandng. The BOA chid obSCfV'ed that agric-ftnancing I. a apedalised domain with pecuhar characteristics which require .pedaliaed akill set.s to be dfecuvdy and efficiently managed, espcdalJy fOf' the amall opcr1It.or. who dominate Nisenan agm:ultural acc:tOT. Such competcndca, SanturaJd saJd, aTe abundant In the BOA which he noted has been openotino ogncultwal Iinance aa It.s core buamen since it.s incepbOn about four decades 8&0. The BOA boN commended the NIRSAL atatr rOf" thor dili· gence in the proceumg of the application., and acknowkd&es the commitment of the BOA .taff who pnx:e:aaed the apPlication. for showcasing BOA'. professionalism and leadcnhip in agric·financing, espc:ciaUy at the SMEa level.
Stakeholders harp on infrastructure development takeholders at the thin:! Niplan Non-oil Export Confercnce, ExhibiOOn and Awards (NNECEAJ have harped on products' quality and infrastructure devdopment to grow the non-oil sector or the
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agriculturaJ leCtor.
Commenting on the dil' burKmenla, the Managing Director and Chid' ~tive Oflictr 01 BOA, Of" Mohammed Santurald commended the CBN Cor the NIRSAL butiative which he uud ahouJd cncow--ce rmIIr"e ftnandal in,btutlons to prowidc credit CDI'" the agricultural aec:tor wtuch accordinS to him, ·hu ,uffered c:xtreme financial ltarvauon due to the pcmcwcd high nab .allOCated .nth agncultuTBllendmCBe added that the NIRSAL have the potential of opening up the agricultural 8C'Ctor to ~ntc:rpriainl young p-aduatea and women with Interest in various Kgment.. of the agr;cultunal value chain The BOA Manacml DlJ'eCtOf"
Kehmde Lawanaon, the Chairman oJ the auodation, said in Lap that equipment leasing to the agriculture 1CCt0r topped the UaL Acawdinl to him, the industry has also made substantial contributiona to the CSlpftal ronnaOon in the nation'. economy. Such contributions, he .aid, were in the area of leasing aaseu neceasary for productive ventures. He, ~,apt'CUCd re~t that the lmpKt of leulnl'" not fdt in Y8t1OU. lCCtors of the econOlDy. Lawanaon llf"IUed that the situation had impM:tcd nepln'dy on the producuon of qricuJtural commodities He Mid that the uaodation would support onpnl dforla to tranaform the apicuJtural sector to eoaure the objective wuKhie¥ed. " We arc ready to pumer with the pernmeot and dC'fdopment agencies to facilitate the provi.ion of neceaaary asset.s and InrraatructUTC. "Thia I. with the aim of en.unnl a more robust activity in the agricu]turc sector,- he Mid, adding that the aaaociation planned to introduce agicu.1turc IeuinS acheme Kf'OU the country.
oounuy. The .takeholders' "'ewlJ contained In the commuruqut iuuod at the end of the two-day conference ..ith the theme " Enhancing Nigena'. Non-oil Export OpportunJties: StnltqJc Imperatives in Abuja on Friday In the communiqut, playen in the non-oil trade acctOT ""ere adviaed to deal with the issue of products' quality in a hoUslic manner The stakeholders called ror creatJ"'ty in deftnins product.s'
quality. packagmg. brandml and atandardlsauon to boost the compcti~ of nonoil aport busmessea in the
oounuy. They saJd that there ..... the need to estabhah a standard plannins and analysis module to make exporters' products meet International .pc:dficaUona. " Manufacturers and exporters should embrace knowtcdse acquiaiUon, tTaininl and alterna~ production prncesacs as well . . take cak:ulated risk and confront the &fobaI trade dynamo *'T'here IS need fOf' coUttove barpinins by aportera .. well .. targeUnl markcu that offer opportUnities rOf" growth and equal terma of tnde and economic ..:rw:rrignty, " tMy
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The commuruqut urged
au te.d. of covemment in Ni&eria to wtdnu the t.S\Ies of tnadequate Infr..tructure such .. roada, pcJ""'a" and water aupply so as to facilitate greater production of non-oil export goods. They said that more government Investment In lnfraalt'UClure would reduce the co.t of doinS business in the: counlfy. '-We will be more prudent with OUT reaoun:ea fOf" cfl"ccuve product branding and pac:kaJjn1 if Nigeria had adequate infrastJ"UCtUre" Again, the nauon will also be seen increasing investon' confidence and thereby boosttng the economy " 't la also impc:ra~ that our trade policies arc properly c:nforccd. our burcal.lCrllC1 reduced, information I. readily made available and there should be increa.sed interface between exportera and the pernmenL ''There also i. the need to bridse the gap between the .tate and the private sector, It said. The stakeholders &aid that 'Mth sound buaineu ethic:a and application or the rule of law, Nigeria could be: " built .. a collective brand " The commuruqut urged every professional to help in the rebr"andinS of the country ,. Nigena 'a rebn..nding proceu muat be reinforced by a holi.tic change in the culture of dams busmess and In aI.J faceta of our national life, it said
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Agric sector topped eqUipment leasing in
2011 'l""he Equipment Lea.inl 1 Association of Nigeria (ELAN) has valued the volume of 1eases in the counuy last year at N623 billion
Skills trainer advises youths to embrace skill acquisition A Ilkilla tnlUler In Rivers I'lstale, lbiamanpbara Hemi, Mil called on unslolled youths to use the opportunities: offered by skill acqUlaiuon ~tnea to im~ their ""ell being.
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Nc:rru. founder of the BUudom Re.orta and Bar Skill Acqui.ition Centre in Rivers, made the- caJl m Pvrt HanDUrt. She said that her centre was offennljoba to 10 best artiaan. after-
pwtuation,
8ddmg that the olJer .... one of the centre's ....ys of chcclDnl unemployment In the80Ciety NCIIlI said that the cc:ntre lra1I1ed more than 60 student.s annually and was worlanS with the gukh:Unc.s prcMded by the National Directorate of Employment (NOE) She said that the acquJaition ccnlrt: waa tnlminx youth. on various akilla l1ke bead malang. taiJonng, dietary and bAkery. amonl othen "For admiuK)n, we don' admit by ouracJvcs. every ad.miaaion cornea from NOE and after whkh the trainees will be sent to ua for lTalning. ExKtIy, this i. a JOVCf1U11ent-owned centre; evuything here is easy and aunpk: because It is [ree tralnlna. NOE has more other aktlll8CqUi.a.ltion centnea here In Port Harcoun and each of the ccntnea i. engaged m vanous .kill. tBlmn,,· she UJd. A trainee, Cdeb Piu•• deac:ribed the tnurung as wonderfu.l, ..}'tnl that he would Immediately stan hi. own busmeu after ~uatJon Plua called on the youth. to embrace .kill acquJ.loon as a way o f helpinl the government to reduce unemployment m the ",~uy
~ou know, here in !.his counlIy, nobody want.s to dlveraily elTorts to improve the economy; akiU acqwsition i. the beat for a growinl economy I am goln8 to be a ma.ter or my own business when I graduate, I have not gotten the money. but I bdiew: I 'Mil make it; Pius ....d MatT)' Anyan....... another trainee. al., commended the governmClt 'a dTortll and Uf"J'ed the youths to make the best use or the programme.
NCAA assures Nigerians on air safety 'T'he Nigerian CIVLi AV18.tJon 1 Authonty (NCAA) has S8Jd that Nigaians should not