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Quick Takes 18 French Companies for Agrofood Exhibition
PLANNING YOUR RETIREMENT
L-R: Executive Director, Investments, Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers Limited, Mr. Oladele Sotubo; Head, Business Development, Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers Limited, Mrs. Nike Bajomo; Consultant Endocrinologist, Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta, Dr. Olubiyi Adesina; Chief Executive, Stanbic IBTC Asset Management Ltd, Mrs. Bunmi Dayo-Olagunju; and Executive Director, Operations, Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers Limited, Mr. Steve Elusope; at a pre-retirement forum organised by Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers Limited in Lagos …recently
Nigeria Ranks 67 in Open Data Barometer Obinna Chima Nigeria is currently ranked 67 out of 92 countries in the Open Data Barometer published by the Web Foundation. The Web Foundation is published by the World Wide Web inventor, Sir Tim Berners-Lee’s. The report obtained at the weekend showed that Nigeria has open government data available on both health and education. This, the promoters of the initiative described as a good step forward for transparency and innovation in the country. They therefore stressed the need for more data to be opened to the public to allow citizens to access and analyse information for free, and find ways to improve policies that
ECONOMY affect them. According to the Web Foundation, open data will play a critical role in anti-corruption, adding that Nigeria must open data on procurement contracts, public spending, budget and company registers. The report, which further stated that over half of countries studied now have open data initiatives, however noted that less than 10 per cent of the government data vital for sustainable development is open. “Today the Web Foundation, set up by World Wide Web inventor Sir Tim Berners-Lee, announced the results of the third Open Data Barometer, a global snapshot of the state of
open government data in 92 countries. Open data is data that is openly published online and is free for all to access and reuse. For the first time, over half of the countries in our study have open data initiatives in place,” it added. However, faster progress on translating commitments into action is needed to close data gaps in the developing world, the study warned. “Fewer than 10 per cent of the data set surveyed were open, and most of these are in the rich world: nearly half of the open datasets in our study are found in just 10 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, while almost none are in African countries. “Although many
developing countries have pledged to open up more data - with 10 additional developing countries making open data commitments last year alone - a lack of resources and weak data infrastructure are limiting implementation,” it added. This data divide, it noted was depriving developing countries of the information tools needed to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals on education, health, environment, and rule of law, the study warned In the area of combating corruption, the report pointed out that: “Only two per cent of countries in the study publish Continued on page 26
Telecoms Industry Stakeholders Demand Review of FG’s Fiscal, Monetary Policies Emma Okonji Telecommunications industry stakeholders have called on the federal government to revisit its fiscal and monetary policies, in order to create enabling environment that will boost infrastructural development and drive broadband penetration in Nigeria. The stakeholders who met in Lagos last week at the focused industry stakeholders forum organised by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), faulted the deplorable condition of telecoms facilities across the country, blaming it on the harsh conditions of the
TELECOMS country’s fiscal and monetary policies, which they said, were inimical to telecoms development. The Executive Vice Chairman NCC, Prof. Umar Danabatta, while responding to the stakeholders’ complaints on the difficulties that telecoms operators encounter in rolling out telecommunications services in underserved and unserved areas of the country, said poor telecoms infrastructure has been a major challenge to rapid broadband development in the country. According to him, the re-
quired infrastructure needed to drive fast broadband penetration is not available in the country and where such infrastructure exist, they are not adequate to enhance faster broadband penetration. Danbatta expressed concern about the recent ranking of Nigeria as the 134th country out of 144 country ranked on Global Competitive Index (GCI) by the World Economic Forum, said Nigeria dropped in the ranking as a result of her poor state of telecoms infrastructure that was supposed to drive development in the country. He therefore called in the federal government to review
its fiscal and monetary policies and allow tax waiver on the importation of some critical telecoms infrastructure that will drive broadband penetration in the country. The forum was organised by the Universal Service Provision Funds (USPF) of NCC, to seek stakeholders’ contribution and collaboration on the best way to fund telecoms projects in the country that will lead to faster broadband penetration across the county. The stakeholders also called on USPF to undertake telecoms projects like building of Base Continued on page 26
The second Agrofood Exhibition in Nigeria is expected to gather more than 85 exhibitors from 22 countries at the Landmark Centre in Lagos from 26th to 28th April. Present since the first edition of Nigeria Agrofood exhibition, Adepta is coming back this year with 21 companies, which represents the largest European participation. A statement from the organisers explained that France will be well represented through 21 companies, of which 18 are exhibiting on the expo under the French Pavilion. “As a French agrofood association, Adepta brings together French agro industries, French manufacturers and suppliers of equipment, technologies and inputs for agriculture, livestock and agrifood production. Through its 244 members companies and organisations, this professional association is a unique showcase of the French commercial offer and expertise in these sectors. “The target of agrofood and plastprintpack Nigeria 2016 is to support the Nigerian agrofood industry and we believe that French know-how can meet Nigerian requirements. Adepta’s members have the ability to provide made-to-measure solutions to Nigerian market,” it added. According to the statement, French Pavilion will be organised around four sectors: large-scale farming, bakery, livestock and process and packaging. Throughout the exhibition, an entire running industrial bakery line will be equipped with French equipment, producing breads all day under the French Pavilion.
Etisalat Appoints New VP, Directors
Etisalat Nigeria has announced the appointment of a new Vice President and two new Directors within its senior management team. Olawole Obasunloye has been promoted to the position of Vice President-Finance/ Financial Controller, whilst Ikenna Ikeme and Olalekan Bankole were recently promoted to the positions of Director-Regulatory and Corporate Social Responsibility and Director-Finance Operations and Support respectively. As VP-Finance/ Financial Controller, ‘Wole assumes responsibility for overseeing the evolution and integration of the company’s accounting and financial reporting functions. Ikenna with over 20 years of legal, regulatory and marketing experience in the banking and telecoms sectors will be responsible for ensuring that Etisalat’s regulatory and CSR interventions continue to translate into positive socio-economicoutcomesindifferentcommunitiesacrossthecountry. As Director-Finance Operations and Support, ‘Lekan assumes leadershipforallactivitiesrelatedtothecompany’sfinancialsystems. Chief Executive Officer, Etisalat Nigeria, Matthew Willsher, said: “Etisalat remains fully committed to executing its business strategies with the help of a high-performing team of dedicated, hardworking employees. The collective knowledge, expertise and experience that ‘Wole, Ikenna and ‘Lekan bring to the Organisation further strengthens our business and reinforces our position at the forefront of delivering excellent products and services to our over 23 million customers. These promotions continue to consolidate the leadership of our organisation and are evidence of the great career opportunities that employment with Etisalat offers”.
EMCOAN Holds Business Seminar
The Electronic Media Content Owners Association of Nigeria (EMCOAN), the umbrella body of Chief Executives Officers (CEOs) of content owners in Nigeria, is set for the 2016 edition of its CEOs Business Seminar for its members. The event, which will give participants opportunity to learn from season media strategist, will take place in Lagos on Thursday May 5th. In a statement signed by the EMCOAN President, Mrs. Debbie Odutayo, it was stated that the essence of the seminar is to ensure that as part of the agenda for year 2016, EMCOAN will be interested in programmes that can empower its members and place them strategically in the comity of content owners globally. “AsEMCOANispreparedtosupportandaddvaluetotheongoingdigitisation migrationprocessandtheMOPICONBill,thebodyisalsoconcernedabout thecapacitybuildingofitsmembers”thestatementstated.
“A strategic leadership issue facing Nigerian executives is poor vision, sometimes when leaders have visions those visions are unrealistic” The founder and CEO of the London-based These Executive Minds Ltd, TEXEM, Dr. Alim Abubakre