By Franklin Alli

The Federal Government ‘s Cotton , Textile and Garments N100 billion  revival fund has started telling positively on  the sector as capacity utilisation in the industry peaked at 52 percent in 2011.

Minister of Trade and Investment, Olusegun Aganga , who disclosed this in Abuja during the ministry’s capacity building programme for journalists, said that data made available to him by the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, showed that the capacity utilisation in the sector moved up from 29.1 percent in 2010 to  52 percent  in 2011.

The Textile Revival Development Fund, it will be recalled, is being disbursed through the Bank of Industry in tranches of N10 billion to qualified beneficiary companies in the sector.  “The good news is that textile companies in Kaduna, Kano and Lagos who have accessed the fund at appropriate interest rate are using the money to revive their operations. That tells you that the fund is working,” he said.

FG appoints Anohu-Amazu as PenCom’s new head

The Federal Government on Tuesday appointed Mrs Chinelo Anohu-Amazu to preside over the affairs of the National Pension Commission (PenCom). Mr Emeka Onuora, Head of Corporate Communications of PenCom, said this in a statement sent to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday. Onuora said that Anohu-Amazu was selected for the position as the most senior official of the commission.

He said that Anohu-Amazu was directed to preside over PenCom by the Secretary of the Government of the Federation. “The appointment of Anohu-Amazu was as a result of her being the most senior officer in the commission,“ the statement said. Anohu-Amazu is one of the key players in the pension reform programme and one of the experts that “midwifed” the Contributory Pension Scheme in Nigeria.   She served in the Fola Adeola Pension Reform Committee set up by former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, and which helped in the enactment of the Pension Reform Act 2004,“ the statement said.