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THE GI..WIDlAN, SUnday;
June 24, 2012
~-BUSINESS .. .
Food Security: 'Nigeria Needs To Enhance Agric Value Chain For Economic Prosperity' By MaIm. MbamaJu
L Jt1HJ'"",rtd "Nigma .. rully go"be\ond
CloI~·;lInd taJuo full am'3.ntag of lhee:dStlng poI:rntioab in AgrIcuiture7 !=rom its mantR of promoc:ing nDnoOll etpOI'U.
Ibikunle Renews Call For Increased Investment
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.-Itv " Sl "aili<la.I'" nnr- Cn _ thls 'case a day;.J SitUd[1on Iblkunl~
and SOfllt: other e:xpt:rts .111 the fontm linkrd with tht: country's failull' lO dt:W'lop thr Agricultural valut' chain that would (naIr moll' jobs. ThIlh is that, e\'!'n though Nlgt:r!a's rural dwellers (and somt: urban seltlers) gent:rally eng<l8t: in one fonn offsubsistencr, including paslorat) fanning or the other, such activity economlally peten. Into Insignlflc<lncr against the bacKdrop of other Infr.utructural challengt:s that nt:g;llt: KOoomic empowrrmrnt. lbikun~ challtngtd the pant:llsts on wh~ despilr lht: IlUgt porrnt1al and romj»fiItlYe advanli1~ that all' In 'WkUlturt', no!lt'l"lous: conartid rfforu all' being madt: to drvdop the S«tor and USC! It as a mt'ans of attillnlng
(0 fadllt:iJ.dng wnrumption of ca5SOlVd !nod, govrmme.m now runs an Intt'oslfitd ampalgn througl) the Ministry of t\lUlcultun to dl~rslfy the dlsappolnting]y oil·oo.sed «Of'IOo
my,aoo{morr aptly put) rffUm thecounuy 10 its first Iove - AgricultuR. If,lndrt'd, tht'tr will be: ~ of o:perlendng KOnomlc prosperity, thls appears the only path to toIkr. $t.1kehoKlm; harp on the ~ to
OI~te local and inrt'matJonalln\'tStJnrllt drort$ In ".grlbw:iness" to Ol(hl~ thl5 "trans-
IOl'TlYllkm<lr go.1l ThIS W<1S I'M'ChIxd at thI: lOll Buslnessday AgrIbusiness Food Security SUmmit, ~ the c{'ncr.ll B.ank of Nigeria (C8N~ BAlN Founddtion Notore, SUnbic 11m:, AcCf:nture, ,md Netheib'nds Embassy In Nigt'ria. ;unong others ~phaslsed greater resol~ to ;lIlIgn adVOCilCY effortS thls dlrt'Ctlon) whh those oftheMinlsUyo Agr'iqIltUR'. ExKUm~ Dlr«tor of tht' BATN Foundation.
tcOoomk prosperil')t
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Gbc!ng;IlbHwnle. who participated (as s~aw and p.1ndlSt) at the LlgO$ rw:nt. spedfblJy st~ the need to enhanC!' tht: t:ntJ~ Agric v.llut: dwln lOr KOnomlc pl'O$'pt:rlllt Tht: BATN foundation boss rut:d what he ~rnmt to u tht: ptJIo'!'rty pilr.tdox In • Q)lJn!f)' with a "soft glftn soIr that could usily bt: harnc:s.srd ror sodo«onomlC development. Iblkunlr's semin.ar topic - Enh.Jncing Agricullural Valut: Chain ror Economic "'""'C - drrivl!d from tht:gt:nt:rally.KCrptt:<! h ls thaI, 70 percenl (at the Irast) of Nlgt: 's populadon llW: klow b a d.l~ e\o'!'n as unrmploytnent remains ~nerally high. )'t:I, thr country Mis blessed with abundant human and natural ~rc:cs. which, If propt:rly harnrssal, would raslly rnrufonn thr counoy Into.J gIobil KOnomic giant- Nlgt:ria, hr saKI,
arguably has: the liIrgtst arable Iimd In SubSahara Africa.. iln ilSStt that (lIVVIdes 011 IUrul1lll platform to engenderscdo-eamomkdeYdopment and mo'!'flr the cunmt trend of bring a nrl Importer of food to bKomlng a nt:t "'PO"'" According 10 Iblkunle, the ~ of Agriculture comes not only from Its dill'Ct poverty rMuctlon dfm but also from its potentIally strong lInkiagt: rffm on Ihr Il'Sl of tilt: KOIlOm~ lblkunle's ~rtlon - that !Nell over 70 pt:ru:nt of NISeryans all' dlr«tly or Indi~ t:ng<lged In flS"CUlture - , howMr, rabes a."tn greater question iIS to whytht: SilITH' (70)pm:mtageoftht:poptJlatlon,accordingto
"Successl'o'!' govrmmrnts: he said, -~ ~id lip servta 10 tht: S«tDr. whllt tllr Il'latlvdY frw (genuine) attt:mpts madt: al drvdoplng tlir sector all' not holIStic In natull' toachle\o'!' anythi!l$ mt:.lllillgfuLIn htS thoughts. the neglm and underde\o'!'lop:" mrnl of l\grIcultural S«tOr, thr t'JCJ)OI1ential 5I:fOWth of population (set to hit 200 million In the nrxt lS yean.) aU fonn the ratlolUle ror Ina-eased im.'!'StIllt:nt in thesector. In what i1p~mI a sdr->Jppra1salt~fOll', Ibikunle soiJRht to rai5t: hope. He .said thr BATN Foundition had prioti.sed Iht: !lKtor (Agricultull') as focal area or Its Corpol1llle SoCial InV!'Stment (CSI) anMtlt'S in Nige:ria slna Inception In N~mber2002 and allgnt:<! agrtcultul1lll agenda with national d~lop lIlelll plan via parmrrshlps and CSR Initiatives. The 1l'IOYr. according to him, was prompted by thr ~allSillion of tht: hugr potentlals and tht: promlst: !.holt a)tliculrurt' hokis as ,) vmtable platfonn for soc3o-ecooomic deveJopmrnt and
fXMItYm:lurnon In NIgeria. Mit is our belief that the ntgI«t and Dt'l'«"Md ddlkratt: undC!rdrwolopmrnt of ~ S«tor portends a great danxt:r for the futurt' of thr counD')( most ~ty wllh the ruJlsition that the population of the counlI}' IS txpeaed to rt'iKh the 200 million I1\.lrk In the nt:ltt 25 ~a.rs and with about 60 ptrcrnt of these ~t:<! to br Within tht: 20 to <40 yedl'S agt:
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5omf' of the foundation's efforu at boosting agricultull' include establlshmt:nt of pilot agdc projects as ....,.11 iIS distribution 0{ farm Inputs and mining for fannrrs In Northern arid We!itml states oCNlgma. According to him. "'tht: <lppn»eh and !ItJ'iIt~ gies wr~ holistic. .~ we ~ on rural povrrty mluction through aJllicultufill de\tiopmerit bvrmploving the follOwing str.Jtegies: v.llue adding and v.ilue chain ~menL agricultul1llr t~hnology lransfrrfGlpacity building and agro-fomuyd~lopm('llL -Having realised lhal agricultural ~uceare perisha61t: and If w.ut.ages and loss of ll"o'e1lut: all' to k prevenled. .some fonn of farm I~I pl'OClSS1ng and v.llur adding must k promot:t:d. This, ....'!' kllr'o'!', will not onlyt:nhancr fannm ' lncolTH' but aI.sornhance productivit)l. Our approach [§ mrouKh setting up or cotta~ procasing industril'S lorCilSSilva and palm oil pr0cessing. In tht: last nlnt' ~an. tht: BAlN Foundation hilS estabUshal 14 cas.Y\'iI and palm oil processing com~ Industries In II stales In Nlgt':r1a. -nus apprOach has trlcldr-down tffms In Lltr areas of promoting indigrnow agricultural tqulplTH'nt fabrlcalion anil seed and seedlings pr'oductlon e.ntt:rprise.. The Inclusion of Wiltu component In thr processing fudUties also has. health ilnd economic Implications beouse LIte rural communitil'S now have acCl'SS 10 dt:an Wilter opportunltlrs 10 establlsh businesses that are f1lghly drpmdrnt on water such as food vmdoring and IWrdl1'!lSlng.-
'Fibre-Optic Cable Is Telecommunication Infrastructure, Operators Must Invest In It' Africa's GSM Market Still Largely Untapped, Says Viettel On Mny 15. 2012, Vienel announced in Maputo, Mozambique, the official launch of Movitcl- the group's first mobilo network In Africa - to join ils already flourishing nel~ works in Asia and latin America. In jusl over a year since being licensed on January 10, 2011, Vienei has built 12.600 kilomelres of fibre optic cable and 1,800 mobile stations in Ihat country, This network represenls 70 percenl of lhe total Mozambique's fibre optic cable network and 50 percent of the country's mobile slalions. TIle system Helped triple the density of the telecom infrastructure (Increasing the lenglh of fibre oplic cable nel· work and number of mobllo slalions per one million inhabitants In Mozambique by 2~3 limes) , making the country one of the world's fastest growing telecommunicalions networks and placIng it among Ihe top three nations in Sub~Saharan Africa, in terms of fibre oplic cable systems, Now, the globallelecommunications operator has its gaze fixed on Nigeria and sister countries_ MARGa MBAMALU reached out to Mr, Nguyen Ouy Tho, Viena! Globars General Director, on the company's Africa stralegy as well as reasons behind lIs plans 10 roll oul in Nigeria and some olher West African countries_ Excerpls: in tht' countrlt:.sthat Vfrut:1 ha.s started lIS Wbyd0e5 Ylw:~ W'gt:t tht: AfrIcan ma.rktt7 A (CORDING 10 [hr World Bank ~port of la operations for mo~ than tWO yt:ars, our l"'linfrastructu~ Issued In Junt:, 2011_ thr companir:s have rankt:d fln.t In lelKOmmuaveragt: broadband dt:nslty In tht: Sub- nlCiitlons, contribullng onr pC!rcrn[ to {WQ Sahan.n Africa Is very low. accounting for two percent 10 the local country's total GOp; percent In urban are:asilnd nearly one percent building 50 percent 10 80 pe.rct:nt of Iht: telecommunlcal!ons Infranructurt: of the In rural a~ilS. The mobllr cover.lgt: are:.a only rt:acht:.s 60 counoir:s that they have Invested In, helppercrm of tht: African population on averagt Ing ralst: tht' Infrutructural density by and mainly tht' urban a~.ls. Only 20 percent three to l-S limes hlght:r tholn thr aYMage Oflht:MrianproPleIi2 -n Inrurala~uhilve telecommunlcallons level In tht: world_ Also, In tht:se countries. we hrlp bring accw to tht: mobUr si coverage. Mrla Is a huge potential mar t:L Apart from Soulh telecommunications servict:.S to t:YeJ}'One, Including 95 pen:rmo( the rural peopfe. We Mrica owning 80 prrant of tht: fib~ optical cablt: systt:m_ thr Su~S.ah.tran countrlt:.s have have alsO gt:nrraled tt:ns of tholJ.SiUlds of lobs for thr fUr.l1 peoplr who work for u.s ~ tilt average dt:nslty of 1<40km of flbrr optical Cilblr ~ronr million peoplr. which lsont st:\'- salrs agt:nlS. How can tht: Mozamblqur brodlt from rnth of tht: global density Intel. How many countries has Ylettrllnvestrd In V1t:tt~'sloft5tmt:nts .against tht: backdrop and wha.t lJ tht: dHdt:ncy of It! ovt:nus tbatthut: an airt:ady two mobile operaton. srttled In th.at country? invesanent? Regarding tht: consumrrs. they Ciln have Vlt:url has Invested In six natlons,lncludlng cambodia and uos In Asia, Haiti and Ptru In more cholet:.s and bentr SttviC6 whenever Ammca, and Mozambique In AfriCiL Our total a com~ny Introduces Its s~rvicr_ Tht: presen(r of Vit:llrl. In the brand namr of rrvenur In MovItt:l, wtll ht:lp rnh.ancr tht: compelltJve2011 WilS nearly six billion US Dollan._
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!less of Moullnbiqur markel and drvt:lop tht' telecommunication markrt. The pressure of competition wtll require companlrs to Improve network quality, service quality. and lowrr thr srrvlce. pric~, LO attract more CUSlomt:n., Thrl'clo~, mo~ ptaplt: can benefit from thr srrvlct:S. With the bulldlngofa i.argt' I"frastructu~, the p.anlclpatlon of- Movltt:1 In Moumblqur'slCTlndu.soy hi!st:nabled It bt: among top three nations, In tt:rnu of Cilblr nt:twoi'k. In Sub-Sahilr.ln Africa (along with South Mria and Nigeria). To dart, Movitel has built 70 per crnt of the toul fibre optical Cilblt' systt:m Mld more: than 50 pt'fCenl of the DTS stations In Mozambiqut:_ Movltel IS txpandlng Its nt:t.....ork and will makt: Mozambltjur's Inrrastnlcturr mrasurr up to tht: global and reglonal.standard development (1,000 km of fibre optical uble per I million pt""-' ~ ""d 200 mobllt: mUons (STS) per .o«>pl.; . Tht:lnttlal success ofYlt:tlei 10
m.ay not be repeated in other AfrIcan countries bt:caUSt: Mozambique Is silll a small marUt compared to blggu couotries such as Nlgt:iU- Has V1t:ttel p~Dared for t:hl.s cha1It:n~ and what is V1ettel's marlcet pmttr.ldonsuarestY7 Man of me countrit:.s that Vlettd Is ptfUSIng Investment opponunitles aft: denloJr Ing markt'ts, In It:mu of tht:lr rconomlrs anCl tt:lKOmmunlatlons, nils Is tht: advantage of V1end wht:n Wt: t'ntrr tht: markrt. Vft:ttd has ~n thr Sffiallt:!lt investor among International trlt:COlllmunlcatlons Investon., but we have grown up (rom ol dt:Y!:loplng market; so, wr have !lad many business experiences In Ihrsr markets ana Wt knowthls~ ormarkel vtf)'wrll. What <Ire Viettt:l's concrms as there are oWa big Investors who art: stronger than you md havt' been In AfrIca fordecides7 Wr are: the smallen compilny among 30 international telecommunlcatfons companlrs. Wt' are: thr 01111. company, which has grown up from chal rnges and difficultit:!ll Crom the lowest Irwol, and wt: have rt'acht'-(l the top Irvelln fit:racompetitlW: markns In a short tlmr (t~)"!ar timt). Those are our advantilges in tlit: drveloplng markrts_ We understand and we know how to perfonn and what we haY!: to do 10 survive and devel· oping the dtVeioplng cou mrtes. t undt:rstand that your company.spends: so bluch rlmr and money buUdlng the cablr systrm in rt:mo(t: areu Instt:ad of using the Wirdes.s tra.ns-mWlon systt:m, u otha trI~ com provldrrs; whrdo)'tlU do so7 Tht: advantagt:.s 0 fibrlXlptic Cilblt are tht: bmadband, large s-p«d, high stability and provision of multJ srrvict:s. FlbrlXlptfc cablt: Is tht: tt:lecommunicatlon Infrastrucrure_ ThC!Jl!fore,lnvestmt:nt In £ibt:r~pdc cablt: ls rvidt'ncr forourstriousnrss In Investlngln a country. A!r1c:a.n mobUt: phone wen art: somttJrnes dl.sappolnted bytht: service qUa1ltythatthey re«I""- Can VI.ttd Improvt thls sltuad.n? big Invt:.stn1rnt In £Ibrr~pUc Cilblt will '~tht: oY!:rali servlct: quanl)!:
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