Aso Villa Reads for Mon. 30/11/2020
Every day, we bring you the best stories that the Media is reporting about the Government of Nigeria
The Federal Government on Sunday announced that it just concluded conversations with the government of Germany on the exchange of views on future bilateral cooperation between both countries. Minister of State, Budget and National Planning, Clem Agba, said both governments discussed the general context for development and economic cooperation between Nigeria and Germany. Both countries agreed on areas of mutual interest such as ensuring inclusive economic development, promoting sustainable investment and creating jobs for all, especially youths and women. They reaffirmed their commitment to the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and the implementation of the Paris Agreement on climate change. [Punch]
The Federal Government has signed an agreement with Messrs La Mancha Incorporated to enable the foreign firm to invest in gold mining in Nigeria. It was learnt that La Mancha, a Luxembourg private gold development company in Cairo, Egypt, signed an expression of interest agreement with the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development to invest in Nigeria’s gold sector. The signing ceremony was coordinated by Egyptian African Arab Company for Development in Cairo, Egypt. [Punch]
The Bank of Industry, African Development Bank, and the International Fund for African Development will provide funds totaling $1.7bn to support the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) project in Nigeria. The project is aimed at raising the productivity and competitiveness of the country’s agriculture sector and reducing poverty in rural areas. Punch correspondent learnt that the SAPZ project would help the government expand economic opportunities in the agric sector by enhancing processing infrastructure and services to rural families.
The Executive Secretary, Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Mr Hassan Bello, on Friday said that he was optimistic that the gridlock in Apapa, Lagos State, would disappear by the first quarter of 2021. Bello made this known while receiving members of the National Advisory Committee set up by the President on African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). He said that the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) would deploy electronic call-up system to manage traffic, customs would be on e-customs and there would be the provision of scanners. [PM News]
The estimated 25 million Nigerians that will benefit from the Federal Government’s Solar Home Systems that commences this week will be expected to pay about N4,000 monthly, the presidency has said. The Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande was giving further insight into earlier reports that the Federal Government will from next week commence the process of installation of five million solar home systems in underserved and off-grid communities across the country. The installation is in continuation of the implementation of the government’s Economic Sustainability Plan. [Punch]
The Federal Government through its Rural Electrification Agency on Saturday announced the provision of electricity to the Olooji community, Ijebu East, Ogun State, for the first time since the community came into existence 200 years ago. It said residents of the community experienced power supply for the first time on Friday with the official inauguration of a 100KWP solar-powered off-grid electricity system by the REA. The REA in a statement issued in Abuja by its spokesman, Mouktar Ebraheem, said the remote community had about 4,500 residents. [Punch]
Mallam Mele Kyari, the Group Managing Director at the Nigerian National Petroleum Commission (NNPC) has disclosed that the second phase rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt refinery would commence in the first quarter of next year. Addressing media parley with Energy Correspondents in Abuja the GMD also said that much had been put in place to boost oil exploration and production with an aim of raising national reserves to 40 billion barrels and daily production to 3 million. [NIPC]
President Muhammadu Buhari will on December 1 roll out the auto-gas scheme in Abuja as the Federal Government moves to create alternative fuel for automobiles and other prime movers in Nigeria. Mr Ibrahim said the autogas scheme and deepening domestic utilisation of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) would create about 12.5 million direct and indirect jobs for Nigerians. He disclosed that cars in the presidential fleet had been converted to run on Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). [NIPC]
