THI SDAY - MONOAY,JUNE25
.2012
39
BUSINESSWORLD
MORE BUS INESS NEWS
Niger Plans Golden Jubilee Anniversary Celebration HnamdIDuru
it is now lime to <Elebrate the company's success. He recalled how NigerInsu.r.mce I!VOIved over time to be one d the most sought after insufimce providers in the rounDy. adding thai the confermce to mark the evenl would have as its theme. "Niger fnstuancr, PIc at 50: Repositiming for the Next Phase 0{ Perlonnances. "This is 11 giant milestone W
that needs 10 be celebrated 0lI'\Sidering the fact that many r:l the ccmpanies which started busirels in tI~ alUnlry ~ yous ago are ro Up in op6'<'l0\..
""""",,,",,-
Aal:lrding \0 the company's
~,
Niger Insurance did not
only remain afloiIt eM!!" the years, it also carved 11 niche foc itself in its area ol business and it is waxing stronger day bydilY·
"Fn:m a !rnaIl office on l.atJ':ti
Island. Ihe c:ompany GUl now
"""'of assets
including mIIgnifk:en1
building< ... "" federation.. """"""" 5pn!ad all"'" o\w the Beskl.l'5, only a few insurant'e W'llpolflie!! 0IJl boost r:l 11 br.o:h network till! si7Je d N"~ Jno;w.. anreinNi~
"'Our enviable hwnan and capital resot.m:l5 put the compe.ny in 11 da.'l5 cl ils own. This
fOrutting
is not the goodwill Niger Insurance continues to
enjoy till dale," he said. Urania stres.sed lhat in its ye;us ol operation in the oou n try; N"tger Insurance has always played by the rules and was never found ~nting in the area of claims setllemenL He I'l"IIIinti1in that the (Uppany's ~t appnriales the fact INI the company is in busines5 primarily to meet the
'GMOs, Key to Agric Productivity in Africa' Crusoe Osagle
• Executive DirectOf" at the African Agricultural Technol-
oro' Foundation
(AA1F). Dr. Deni5 Kyetere, has said improved seeds, espedally by genetic modiflCation and other- fann technologies, are the best bet for enhanced agnu.druml productivity in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This is a region where smallholder farmers make up ill pe- rent of people that """"" - , . ~ ogrirulture for Ihclhood and suffer roost
~ """""the """"""the International
$pt!nking at 2012 'Bio Convmtion: Gklbal E\'ent for Biotechnol-
ogy' in Boston.. MA, USA, K)~ also said smallhoklerfarms also have lowest lann production costs and any inV1!5tment w{II.lld be visible and impactful TIle use of improved tedmologiell wiU resull in ~d bot... yid"'.
rush<'
Labour SiI.\'mgs and will
also allow for possible crop divel'5ification and addleS'5
production ronstrainl5 such as insect and weed pests,
drought, diseases, and soil degmdation and protection d the mvbaunent. " befieo.~ the greatest impact, benefit and return 00 im'eStment will be realised al smallholder level:' he said. However, while agric biotechnology advances I1'Ipidly in the developed world, del.'eIoping rountries
are struggling to keep pace for various reasons including human and institutional capadty dWIenges. lack of familiarity with the biotech
pnxiuct de\~t pnxe& and difficulties in navigating rumbersome regulatory
p""""""We are calling on the private sector to partner with the public sector to
<Dfl!riJu1e.., thede\~t
..... _of-......"
tools to smallholder farmers in. sub-Saharnn Africa to help (J\'l'!tOIl'e one of tre;e chaIImge.. The private secb;r an CO\t:rlbu11" thru ~ know-how and f!\Ul funding. "Other key i!reas indude capacity strengthening in areas such as stewardship, product de-.-elopment and , deployment and participating in policy development debates where they can 'Ihare their experience With g:r.~, K)~addcd.
IRspite thl'5e challenges, thert> Is increa5ed <lnd encoul"1lging biotech actiVity in Alrica. Awal8WSS on the p&'
1mti.1l r::.i II'IOden ap1"ultwal biotechnology in Ii'I:! n-gkn boo the increase with various rountril'S already <lpplying various tools. South Africa, Burkina Fasa and Egypt a1reildy have
developed commcrdalised genetically modified (GM) oops. (n addition, six countries have t'I1<lbling bio-safety laws in place lIlat allow the safe development an::! caruren:ialisatim d GM products.. The 2011 Global Status of Commercialized Biotech/ GM Crops produced by the lntematiana1 Service for the Application of Agri-biotech AppliCillions indicates that there is increased biotech research around important staples in Africa such as COl\'pea, cooking banana,
00-. maize. GIS5<I\'a, ~um. and sweet potato. There is also gte.lter altmtion and inrens towards intelligent crops thai CilIl utilise natural resources to ensure environmental conservation; produce EnOUgh food - 9Xh as wale' use efficiency, nitrogen use efficiency, and tolerance to stress such as salt, drought
IlJld heat. In addition to the above,
resolutions and actions have been taken at continental, sub-regional and country levels 10 provide general direction, support polk)' decisions and action and conlribul1" to R&D acti\rities. This activity has also recogni.sed biotechnology as offering options to food security. "However, there are inuned.iate challenges to O\'errome 50 as to advance
motorlmology ""..toprn.nt in SSA - these include emerging regulatory /bio-
safety framewod.s that may delay smallliolder fanners from accessing the tools of biotechnology and prevent them from enjoying the benefits thai this may bring
".... """"" prod"""""'-
saki Kyetere. Sane bio-safety
policies couJd serve <IS a disincenth'e to introducing technologies 10 smallholder farmers. Kyetere also noloo thai misinformation and cmtroversy regarding biourll was a hindlClllO! to public acceplal'l<r o( biot«h in the- ' ~on.
Thl;' p~ of bringing biotech to $A is al!;o riddJed wIth trust issues as skep6cisn of pm'3.tc 5IE'dor unul"erI'lffil in humanitarian pro;ects through public private
"-",(Pm)"""""""'" FUI"ther, insufficient govern·
"In order to support biotE!Ch crop devdopmmt
funding for research rontributes 10 slow growth of biotechnoJogy 00 the continent.
in less de\'eloped markets like sub-Sahar.m Africa, there is need to nurture and
ment
initiate efforts that contribute IDWl1rds creation of an ~ policy environment for the developmmt of such inrD\'ilIi\~ technologies: said Kyetltt.
............ _
.. ;op;nm.
of its esteemed polkyhoIders. He added thai N"1gI'I'Ira.n-. i\fIIE has always paid much emphasis m claims ~ !be insurance company J"OC'OgI'1Lqs the fact lhal the only credible way it muId remain on top of its business is 10 piIY diUms as at wtUI d\.E. AI
Niger Jnsurara. 0JSUt'eS
are kings and are treated as
sud\. especially when claims crysta1Il:ge," Umnta ilSSI.1I\"li. Established in 1962. Nig~ lnsur.!m!"s pnmum inanE is said to have continued to rise steadily sirn it ~ operations. It is one of the m.1joI" players in the Ililtion'S capilal market whaie acIiviDes have contribured in no small Wily in shaping the activities of the market.
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