Barely a week after pledging support for rice farmers and processing companies in Nigeria, the Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele, CON, has underscored the Bank’s determination to lead the revitalisation of the oil palm sector in Nigeria in order to provide jobs for Nigerians. Mr. Emefiele made the pledge in Abuja on Friday, July 10, 2015, during a meeting between the Bank’s management and oil palm value chain stakeholders to agree on a road map to resolve the challenges in the oil palm value chain in Nigeria.

THE All Progressives Congress (APC), yesterday, asked the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to account for $5.5 billion realised from Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) since 2004.

Zenith Bank has become the first company in Nigeria to achieve at once three certifications from British Standards Institution (BSI). Last week the bank achieved the BIS certifications for Information Security Management System ISO/IEC 27001:20013, IT Service Management System ISO/IEC 20000-1:2011 and Business Continuity Management System, ISO 22301:2012.

Accion Microfinance Bank (AMfB) is targeting micro entrepreneurs and low income earners in Port Harcourt (PH) Rivers State with a viewing to expanding beyond Lagos. The bank with about 20 branches in the south west region has been operational since inception in 2007.

Manufacturers Association of Nigeria and the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture arms of the Organised Private Sector, OPS, have called for the take off of the SMEs Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN) without further delay. Vanguard learned that since the Bank with $1 billion capital base was inaugurated last year by the Federal Government to cater for the credit needs of manufacturers in the micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) sectors of the economy, it has neither office nor Board of directors.

The Accident Investigation and Prevention Bureau, AIB, has commenced investigation into the ground accident involving a Boeing 777-200LR belonging to Emirates Airline and a parked plane of Hak Air which occurred last Monday night at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos. The incidence which occurred around 9.30pm had the B737-400 plane owned by HAK Air badly damaged.

Stakeholders in the nation’s telecommunications industry yesterday openly disagreed with the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC on its planned introduction of lawful interception and licensing regulations.

STAKEHOLDERS IN the
nation’s telecommunications industry yesterday openly disagreed with the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC on its planned introduction of lawful interception and licensing regulations.
They argued that even though, the Commission is empowered in its Act to make regulations, such must pass through the legislative procedure to invalidate the existing laws in the constitution.
This position was canvassed at the public inquiries on the draft, Lawful Interception of Communications (LI) Regulations and Licensing Regulations organized by the NCC.
The draft LI Regulations aims to provide a legal and regulatory framework for the lawful interception of communications in Nigeria as well as the collection and disclosure of intercepted communications.
Also, it is expected to specify the nature and type of communications to be intercepted, penalties for non-compliance and measures to safeguard the privacy of citizens as contained and guaranteed under the Nigerian Constitution.

Medview Airline began flight operations into the Maiduguri airport last weekend following the opening of the airport to flight operations. Disclosing this development to newsmen, Managing Director of the airline, Alhaji Muneer Bankole said that the airline will commence four weekly flights beginning from Friday, Sunday, Monday and Wednesday.

Aviation Round Table, ART, a non-governmental organisation in the aviation industry, has called for a stronger Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, to enable the Authority discharge its functions creditably. This is just as the group accused the Asset Management Company of Nigeria, AMCON, of misplaced priorities in the bailout and takeover of some airlines in the sector.

Nigeria’s online gifting platform, Suregifts.com.ng has introduced an online solution that leverages technology to drive and improve the process of employee and customer rewards. Suregifts offers a platform for organizations to purchase gift cards for as many employees as they want with each gift card tied to a monetary value which employees can redeem at over 50 top retailers of their choice nationwide.

The Forum of Nigeria Polytechnics Alumni Associations has called for the establishment of the National Polytechnics Commission.

Critical logistics infrastructure must be put in place if the full potential of e-commerce in Nigeria must be realised, this is according to the Managing Directors of African Courier Express, ACE Tunde Kehinde and Ercin Eksin. The duo who pioneered e-commerce in Nigeria as co-founders of the online retailer, Jumia.com said that while e-commerce will play significant roles in the economic boom that is expected in the coming years, logistics presents a unique challenge that must be tackled before the objective will be attained.

WARRI—A Federal High Court sitting in Warri, Delta State, has ordered parties to maintain status quo in the suit challenging the naming of Deep Seaport project in Warri South-West Local Government Area, Delta State, pending the determination of the substantive suit.

“I fought for 13 per cent derivation which is meant to improve and develop the oil producing areas. It came during the time of (former governor) Ibori. We were all happy because the devastation of oil production in our area and indeed the whole of Niger Delta is unspeakable.

Over 7000 Nigerian students have been offered admission to school abroad through Global Education Counseling (GEC) in the last 14 years. Meanwhile, about eight students graduated penultimate week, from its Management Education Training (MET) centre in Lagos to study at Debreceen University in Hungary.