OPS

The Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, has called on the Organised Private Sector (OPS) to invest in the production and commercialisation of local technology in order to boost Nigeria’s GDP.

The National Space Research and Development Agency (NARSDA) has unveiled its newly developed Disinfection Tunnel to curtail the spread of COVID-19 pandemic.

The Police Service Commission (PSC), has announced the promotion of four Assistant Inspectors General of Police (AIG), to the rank of Deputy Inspectors General of Police and thirteen Commissioners to Assistant Inspectors General of Police (AIG).

The police in Oyo State have recovered the corpses of two persons, including a soldier, during their search for two Indians abducted in the state last week.

United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defence secretary Mark Esper are holding a dialogue on Tuesday with their Indian counterparts Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Rajnath Singh aimed at enhancing defence and strategic ties.

Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo, disclosed this at a virtual meeting held with members of the OPS, made up of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), Nigerian Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (NASME), and Nigerian Association of Small Scale Industrialists (NASSI).

Members of the organised private sector (OPS) and some analysts have hailed the plan by the federal government to further review downward the oil price benchmark in the 2020 budget to $20 per barrel.

Organised Private Sector, OPS; Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and its United Labour Congress of Nigeria, ULC, counterpart, have agreed that there is need for guided relaxation of the COVID-19 lockdown.

The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has charged the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to consummate its process of reforming the petroleum downstream sector with an appropriate legislative framework, stating that with the legal framework, the reform would not be like the previous dead initiatives.

More groups have donated food, relief materials to vulnerable Nigerians in recent times to help curb the spread of the coronavirus disease.

The richest man in Africa and Founder & Chairman of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, stated on Sunday he has tested negative to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) disease.

Stakeholders in the organised private sector (OPS) have expressed divergent views on the use monetary intervention to mitigate the impact of the global Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic on businesses in Nigeria.

With the Coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak in China, there are indications that the country’s agro-allied, manufacturing sectors and dealers on various products have put on hold the importation of several production raw materials, consumable items coming from China.

Ahead of the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) in July, the Nigeria’s industrial sector has identified the need for the country to address current market challenges to ensure its gets benefits of the agreement.

President Muhammadu Buhari has lauded the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) for scaling up economic diplomacy and establishing bilateral relations with other countries.

Members of the Organised Private Sector (OPS) have described the ongoing border closure as a temporary solution to a long term problem, noting that policy measures and proper implementation is necessary and more effective.

Nigeria’s Senate decision to approve 56 amendments in Finance Bill, an executive bill submitted by President Muhammadu Buhari, seeking an approval to raise tax rates payable by consumers and business entities to augment Federal Government’s declining cashflow, last week opened another pandora box of debate as to the fate of ordinary citizens when it eventually gets signed into law by the president in the days and weeks ahead.

Recently, Lagos State governor, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, signed the $629 million financing facility aimed at completion of the Lekki Deep Seaport project.

Baring any last minute disruptions in the implementation guidelines, Nigeria’s cashless Policy piloted by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) would go live nationwide from March 31, 2020, after about eight years of clinical trials of its pilot phase.

The Bangladesh High Commissioner to Nigeria, Shameen Ahsan, has called for the strengthening of its international relations with Nigeria to harness investment potential that abounds in both countries.

In October 2013, when the Federal Government under former President Goodluck Jonathan introduced a National Automotive Industry Development Plan (NAIDP) the objective was to stimulate investment in local vehicle production.

The Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) has come up with a 16 point agenda to promote a vibrant regional economy through public and private sector collaboration,