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Nigerian Tribune 31 Mon day, 30 May, 2011
Agric sector: Gbola Subair, Abuja
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HE Director of Trade, Federal Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Mr. David Adejuwon, h as urged American investors to invest in the agriculture
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and agro-allied sector of Nigeria's economy. He made the call during a meeting betWeen the Department of Trade and the officials of the United
WOOS Mr. Russ Nicely, at the ministry's headquarters in Abuja. Mr Adejuwon stated that Nigeria had comparative advantage in the agricultural sector and reiterated the need for of the
American investors products for value addition for both local consumption and export to the international market. The director said tha t the ministry had been facilitating trade in all sectors of the economy between the United States of
America as well as other agricultural sector, especountries, adding that the cially in the area of proministry was addressing cessing of the products th e issues that were of and urged the governgreat concern to Nigeria ment to look into the packpartners in order to ensure aging in order to meet ininte rna tional standards ternational standards. in th e trade and comHe identified the chalmerce sector. lenges in the agricultural He recalled that "the sector in Nigeria and · USA still remains major urged the government" to trading partners o f Nige- promote internation a l ria" and ca lled for contin- standards. to make things ued mutu al benefit invest- easier, adding that the US ment for both countries as Embassy wou ld con tinu e well as investment in co- to promote win-win situcoa and rubbe r p la nta- a ti ons in the investment tion, worksh op on pro- relationship with Nigeria. duction techniques and On the entourage of the value addition in the ag- _US Embassy Regional Agricultural sector in orde r .{icultural Counsellor were to meet world stand ards. Mr. Eric Trachtenberg of Earlie r, the Regional the USA POUltly and Egg Agricu ltu ra l Counsellor, Export-Council (Atlanta) Mr. Russ Nicely, had ac- a nd Mr. M ichael Dav id, knowled ged tremendous US Embassy Agriculture opportunities in Nigeria's speCialist. '.
Microfinance bank gets commendations from MoneyGram, Grameen t, Mr. Olukayode Adeoluwa, Company ..,prrf'rarv: and Mr. Clement Adekunle Olowokande, Chairman, all of R. T. Briscoe (Nigeria) company's Pre-Annual General Meeting, which was held at Ikeja Ford Centre, Lagos, recently.
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DAAR Communications' loss due to L N3.4bn FG's debt -Dokpesi Gbola Subair, Abuja
HE Chairman of DAAR Communi- itability. cations Pic, Chief Dokpesi said. "InRaymond Dokpesi, has cluded in turnover is an attributed the refusal of amount of N3.4bn which the Federal Government represents estimated into pay the N3.4bn owed come receivable from the the company for broad- Federal Government for cas ting services to the the provision of host N2.6bn loss recorded by broadcast and other serthe company in the 2009 vices for hosting the Fed- · financial year. eration of International Dokpesi, speaking at Football Associations Uthe company's combined 17 Junior World Cup Annual General Meeting tournament." for 2008 and 2009, in He said while the FedAbuja , said tha t the de- eral Government acvelopment made it im- knowledged the proviperative for the manage- sion of these services by ment of the company to DAAR Communications make full provisions for the debt. According to him, despite the huge debt portFICE of the Aufolio of the governinent, i tor General of the company recorded a the Federation turnover of N7.35bn in will soon move to the 2009, as against N3.67bn Central Business District recorded in the 2008 fi- as it purchased an office nancial period. complex from the UACN The DAAR Commu- Property in Abuja . ni cations chairman deSpeaking at the scribed the operating en- hand over ceremony of the viron,\,ent during the pe- eight storey property, the riod as h ostile, streSSing Auditor General of the that with the recent in- Federation, Mr Samuel T. vestments that the man- Ukura , commended agement had made President Goodluck within the last few Jonathan for approving m o nths, the co mpany the purchase of the buildwould soon return to prof- ing which was paid for
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Pic, no agreement h ad been reached on the actual amount owed. "Consequently, this amount has been fully provided for and included in exceptional item," he said. Expressing optimism that the amount would soon be paid, Dokpesi told the shareholders that discussions on the debt with the Federal Government had reached advanced stage . He said the company had not held any AGM since it was listed in 2008 on the Nigerian Stock Ex-
change, because of the hosting of the 2009 World Cup and the ill health which he suffered in 2010. He, however, promised the shareholders that the 2010 AGM would be held on November 3, this year. Some of the shareholders who spoke at th e meeting commended the management for the high quality programmes of the company and urged the management to ensure that the company declares dividends wh en next it hold s it annua l general meeting.
Or g ani sa t ion (LAPO), a foremost microfinance bank in the country, has been commended for its efforts at alleviating poverty in the country. Addressing newsmen in Lagos at the weekend, Manager of Inves tme nt, Grameen Foundation, Steve Wardle, who was in N igeria to review its programme with LAPO, said he was impressed with what he saw on ground after interaction with the beneficiaries of the loans, stressing that the lives o'f people at the grassroots were being touched by LAPO. IIGra meen
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committed to providing poor people across th e
Auditor General gets new office complex
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piece meal. Ukura, who said the office of the auditor general of the federation required total independence, including a befitting accommodation, stated that the procurement of an office would now make it possible to ensure the withdrawal of all officers in the auditor general's office presently in various ministries, departments and agencies to be housed together in one place. "Wrth the officers in
one place, it will enhance administrative efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery," he said. The managing director of the UACN Property Development Company Pic, Mr Hakeem Ogunnirqn, stated that the UACN relationship with the office of the Auditor General of the Federation commenced when the office complex was offered for sale He said the office was the second of such sold to g ··.o v ern m Ii n t '
organisation s, the first being the Securities and Exchange Commiss ion office complex so ld si x years ago. As a leader in real estate market, the UACN Property Development company boss said the company pride itself in providing convenient and comfortable hOUSing for Nigerians, stressing that it was the company's plan to make a siginificant mark on the Abuja land~cape as..Pone in Lagos.
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globe with t.he financi al tools and mformatIon technology they need to hft themselves out of poverty. We have a long standing relationship with LAPO to make meaningful changes in the lives of low income earners across Nigeria and
we look forward to those achievements over th e years and co ming beyond," he said. Grameen Foundation, a global nonprofit organisation, helps the world's poorest people lift themselves out of poverty by providing access to finanCing and management stIategies to the local organisations that serve them. Also speaking, Regional Director, Anglophone West Africa, Feyikemi Adebayo, stated that for Nigeria to be counted among the league of developed countries, governments, donor agencies, developing partners and the private sector would need to double their efforts at poverty alleviation, adding that its support to LAPO through Grameen was to alleviate poverty in the COWltry. "For us at MoneyGram, the momentum towards eliminating poverty is an integral part of our DNA. From our interaction with
some of the beneficiaries this morning, I am convinced this money is well spent. We urge the beneficiaries to expend the funds extended to them judiciously for the purposes intended for," sho> said.
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