THE NAnON THlJ1&)A Y, NOV EMBER 22. lOU
14
Although Nigena is rich in oil, gas and other natural resources, it still faces serious energy crisis. More than half of the population do not have access to electricity. Those who do do not get adequate supply T1Us is why many people depend on generators. However, experts say solar energy may be the best alternative. TOllA AGBOOLA reports.
How solar energy can solve power problem
T
HE Fed~ Government
b
WI to partJ'KO:f SUiles 10 rf'\'1\". moribund oil ~lm Ill-
dU5Uy and mille II onr of 1M rn.""ft'I~ Nm~ for thr coun-
,or
try, Munster of Agncuhure. Dr Al..mwunnu Adesula, hu s.ud. AdeslN ch5dosed thiS at the In.uguratlOn of oil ~ pl4ntabOM by thr CrOH R.....er Stale Go¥~ menl under liS prlv"lIsallon prognmme Thto ourusler Wid such .. partnftship wou1d mU.f' SUiles known fOf" oal p4llm cuJtw.bon to ,,"We! thr RCtOr "'hile the Mmr bn'M!'~. ImgmK other states blHMd W1th
II'
Jlf1Ible u.nd to take to Ilirge 5QW
CU~~::dono:f~~~:::"t ~'U ~
about ch&ngmg tlw
fOr1uneti of "gncultu~ and
mo.-
inS II • worthwhile venturI' for IlIrge and small Kiole' mvestors, lind .p~.. led to bu!imess men to invest M.lvily In .~lturr Al"C'Onimg to tum. In tfw 0;1 palm ,'.Jut' chilin many thins, werr WTOI'Ig thai neNed tM enAbling en\'lfonmenl of government to IUCCH'd ~d tM COD'lDUtmmt of ttw pn,... t~ S«1or ~ton to corrKt; hmc~ th~ Cross Riv~r ~IC amp" was ~ 51ep l1'I thr tight dirKtlon. Th~ gnal of th~ oLl p.llm "alu~ ctt.l1'I of thfocountry. ~ added. was to 1f\CTUSC! 011 production 10 ulisly loal d~mand and evnltually
aport as wd as ~ue thr prodUCI..n'lty of farm~rs and cr~at~ emplovmmt. SpKial Ad"iser 10 th~ Croll RJ,'e" SQI~ GoYenunt!Jlt on investment Prornobon. Mr Ger&ld Adah. had earlier mlormed th~ gathermg that a combined Investment portfolio of ,'an oul companies opt'nllmg l1'I th~ Ihll~ in th~ lasl fiv~ y~ars was now in VCttil of $2 billion H~ described the U\lugunbOl"l of the oLI palm pw,t&tJon .. a mIfOI" rrule5tonP In thr \'lSlon of IttReeIng foreign direct InVe51me"lt to the IhI~ UId COWItry adding tNt l1'I the put two yNtS, the 5b~' S e"Ipgemmts WIth Witm.r has been In the aspects of acqUl$lbon of at leasl 50.000 hectares 01 agricultural lAnd for pnmary producbon of od ~ as well 15 th~ est&blahmmt 0{ an od p.trn pl""OC'tSSlng/rcfu\lng facility worth S400 million H~ Ald. whll~ th~ proposed Invt'Stmmt IS ,..Jucd It $4dO.mWion. thr drr«t bendill acc:rwng to thr ltate tndudt employmmt ol OYe" 20,(0) persons on an a\~ Plyroll of NJol billion iUUlualfy; 0\11grow~rs ~~ppa" Khe:m~ for anOthe!" 2(I..1JX) h.I In'Ul8'!Ig on the World &nl suppa", Corponlt~ Social R~5pon5ibilily (CSR) in terms of standard schoOls and hoJpnals lor employees, dependents and host communities
Peppe Terra gets recognition EM'ETERRA {a tomato pasl~1 h.u Men pn.\S~d for 11:5 III tM marl.ct. Ewomonilor lntft"Nbonal in its r~ on p-=k.lged food prillued tIV Ilnn for Its SUCCftMS, ~ IS cooung aboul rv.'o yUB afle- lIS 1II.mch 1Il1O the mar..-et A«Ordlng 10 MaNgmg Dut"clOf. TroplClLl ~ In"estmrflt Ni~ na lid (makers of Pep~ Teru), Rov ~panJan:MWe lia"e been able to put up a brand who5e quaJIly and proposition IS mternatlonal
P
~'ements
He KId thahas been "lIldlaited bv Eurornonllor lnl~matlonal's s~al mention on Pep~ Tena, addmg thai thebrand ""as pnlued for bemg IRnovatl\"~ and uniquel) .illdapted for to SUltlOCilil
...,"
Roy added; "'The rqKJI1. on pad. 18ft! food lfl Nlgena, gOl'S on to prallif' Pep~ Terra as .iIIn 'unique blend of lomal~s, oRlons. and spicY chilli, that addresses a local need, nlther than banS an lfltemational product to ""hKh consumen h.ne 10 adapt'
Fed Govt targets 10% growth through SMEs country necd:5 strong MIcro, Small and Medium En.... _ _ (MS"' ..) ..... ...n· nurtured small enu"'JHmt"Urs to attain 10 per ccnl growth ralf' and lboI."e lfl Ibr R6I deade, tM Mlnister of Trade and InvC5tm~nt .
TI
ot~ AgMltpI. ha5 Nld
He spol.~ I I thi Banklng.Pan~1
ma lden Ni~ evalullllon for SMEs' b\l5lOll!S5 propo5Als III ugos. Ag&nJl,I,who was rqlreeRled 1:?' thr Chid Execull"e Offim- of NIgerian leadership Inlliallve (LOII,Mr Yin'" OYlnlola. challenged banls 10 looL ~ond mulltnlbonals.and luge domestJC cor· ponite ~ And ImptOl'e ac~ 10 those linng In rund arel5 and the IIlfomUll S«1or, stres&rng thai II 15 onl) III dOU\g 50 thai the linanCIII s~rVIC~5 Induslry CI.n m~aning[uJJy coni rib ute to nalIonal economic dC'velopment H~ said SMEs hav~ b~n pnotill5ed to fuJuon out p~ b"C' dt"'clopmcnt pohocs, addmg that the gO"rmme"lt IS worltng
wlthlnlC'rnatlonal devclopm~nl partnftS, In pW'JWl\g financi.iIIl Ul-
=o~os:~tl:i:~::~ erto aduded
SMEs.
tv $aid III rKOglUbOfl of the ~
porunt roko ).\1II)TC1 by MSMEs lfl
economic d~elop~1 and their contribullons to emplnymftll and theGrou DomesIIC Product (GOP), and rewmg tha t fU\lnOal access 15 O"lbC.iIIJ fOf" M!:iMEs'growth and d~"elopment, hIS Minlstry,lh~ CcntnllloaN. n1NI~ ICBN) and \hie &nl..of Ind~try (801) We/? w.mg the ~ad In suppnrbng IrutJ.alives that ....ouId unprove ICCCS6 to f~
-In sprafic terms, my muustry I5looLing at three k) areas losup~ thr df'"\i~Jopmml and 8f01'\'ih of a d''tlaffilC SME toeCtor Ifll'l,;lp;e-
n."'First,
hl"e dfSlgn:ued SMEs ~ 'pnonty sector' iII"II:f are flsruoning, pro-aclive SME development poliOfS In re5pec1 of fuancC'. apprnprilt~ ledmology and skins WC'
de,'elopmC'nl, in. add ilion 10 rahonalisul& the eWhng polioes and nbtubON. "5«ond. as part of the overaU aaao-«:oiiOUdC man.iIIgm"llmt. we a re focused on crealmg an enablln!;; Konomu:' ennronmenl compiifcd «lUnd rNCrOeCOnomlC and structural p6Uc:ies. 2"OOd mfr.tstructure. f'llr policy 01 competition, and C'lflclentiv functJonmg InslJlUlUJlU Ilurd, we are p"""dlllg nect"Ssan.' tNsanes. support SCf\'~ for SMEs Indudmg d .. iIIs training. tradC' 11115 and 6hi"bIIlON. product ree.illrch and ~'eIoprnent appropn.ltc ~ reSnrch. at· «S$ 10 uron Pr~~lng Zones (EPZs), and bustne. ""'pport .:mIres, - he- IoIid Heurgedentrep~lOunder
stand diat a pote-nh~1 busmess IdN must be open 10 t"'alu~hon ~nd fef'dback from others who may provldt' ge"tUme inSight on rdin109 the ew.ll1'Ig C'OnC'ef'l