Business
‘Quality Infrastructure, Key For Diversifying Non-Oil Sector’
Scene of fire incident at Mile 12 Market, Ketu, Lagos State, last Friday.
The United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) has in Abuja said the National Quality Infrastructure Project (NQIP) would assist Nigeria to diversify its economy to non-oil sector.
The Project Coordinator with UNIDO, Mr Charles Malata, told newsmen that the project would be useful to Nigeria as it had several commodities across the country.
He said the four years NQIP signed in 2013 had begun operation in May 2014 and was being sponsored by EU with 12 million Euros committed to cover its five components.
Malata said the components included development of functional and internationally recognised National Accreditation Body (NAB).
Others are National Metrological Institute (NMI), National Quality Policy (NQP), consumer protection and creating linkages for private sector.
He said once the avenue for the products to get to international market opened up with all the resources in the country, it would enable it to compete and become economically viable, compared to oil.
He added that if Nigerian products must be found in EU market, it had to meet the quality and safety requirement to compete with the oil sector.
The coordinator also said the project would assist in implementing strategic framework for vision 20:2020.
The framework is aimed at developing policies and measures to improve competitiveness and diversification to non-oil sector.
Matala said Nigeria lacked an internationally recognised quality infrastructure bodies with the capacity to ensure safety, integrity, marketability of goods and services.
He said NQIP would support the improvement and establishment of missing quality standards control bodies needed to improve the quality of products and services for exchange locally and internationally.
He said NQIP was an institutional framework required to establish and implement standardisation, metrology, accreditation and conformity assessment services.
The coordinator said the idea of the project was to facilitate the commodities to find market at the international level.
“We are still progressing in all these areas to establish the missing infrastructure and the policies. So far, we are making positive progress in all the areas.”
Malata said NAB would enable certificates issued on quality control products in Nigeria to be recognised internationally.
He said the body would be driven by the international best practices and had been at the final stage of its registration while the targeted date for its operation was June 2015.
The Project Co-ordinator said UNIDO and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) had been working together to prepare the relevant construction plans for the building which would house the institute.
He said SON would construct the building to house the institute while UNIDO would provide the necessary support of international best practices.
Matala said the SON had sent some of its personnel, whose fields were related to metrology, to study while others had gone to the international training workshop to prepare toward the project.
“We are not going to impose the concepts on the stakeholders but we have to get to a point where they will be able to understand the need to partake in the new principles.
“Worldwide, the issue of quality is paramount because if there is no quality, it is very unlikely there wouldn’t be an exchange of products. We will want to buy products that meet our needs,” he said.
He urged people to support the project as it would bear fruit in the long run for Nigerians, adding that this was the programme the country had been looking for.
MoniePoint Inc. a digital financial firm in Nigeria, has said it is empowering community pharmacists across the country with innovative payment solutions to improve access to drugs.
The financial firm said it had also provided loans for pharmacists under the aegis of the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) to drive healthcare delivery in the country.
MoniePoint in a release titled, “Inside Nigeria’s community pharmacies: How Moniepoint drives healthcare access with payments and funding”, has reaffirmed its commitment to providing digital payment solutions to improve health outcomes in Nigeria.
The release examined how community pharmacies play a crucial role as vital access points for medical care in Nigeria, especially in areas with limited hospital or clinic access.
According to the release, the ACPN National Chairman, Ambrose Igwekwam, highlighted the critical role played by community pharmacies in Nigeria’s healthcare system over the years.
Igwekwam, however, expressed concerns over the challenges confronting the nation’s pharmaceutical industry which he said was hindering access to affordable medicines.
The pharmacist listed poor infrastructural systems, power, transportation, regulatory bottlenecks, importation dependency, and limited research opportunities as major challenges facing the pharmaceutical sector.
He also stressed the need for robust collaborative efforts with institutions like Moniepoint to strengthen the sector.
“As Nigeria continues to grow, improving local pharma manufacturing to meet the demands of this growth presents a key opportunity for us all.
“There is also the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement, which is expected to boost our industry, especially when we start producing our drugs locally, which will provide the much needed foreign exchange from exports.
“We are also seeing advancements in digital health and technology which would hopefully deepen the practice of e-prescription in Nigeria”, the ACPN boss said.
Corlins Walter
In order to enhance customer service and streamline operations, the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN) has called on stakeholders in the insurance industry to embrace Artificial Intelligence (AI).
The President of the institute, Yetunde Ilori, made this call at the 2024 Office Representatives Committee (ORC) Workshop, organised by the institute, with the theme “AI and the Future of the Insurance Industry”, in Lagos.
Ilori at the event, emphasised the importance of AI adoption, noting that it was not a threat to jobs but rather a tool to improve efficiency across the insurance sector.
“It is not about AI taking over our jobs, but about us using AI to simplify processes and give maximum satisfaction to all the customers we serve whether as underwriters, brokers, loss adjusters, or in educating our members”, she said.
The workshop, which brought players in the insurance sector together, aimed to address how AI could be leveraged to transform business processes and improve customer interactions.
The Chairman of the ORC, Monica Nwachukwu, underscored the role of AI in modernising the industry, adding, “AI can automate customer and claims processes, allowing insurers to provide faster and more efficient services to their customers”.
She explained how AI could help extract data from legacy systems, enhancing decision-making processes.
“By integrating AI with APIs, insurers can feed valuable data into AI solutions to improve operations and customer service”, she added.
In his address, the Managing Partner of A4S and Training Heights, Orlando Odejide, stressed the need for companies to align their strategies with future technologies like AI, especially as they prepare for 2025.
“Any organisation that wants to grow into the future must have its strategic plan in place. If your strategy for 2025 is not ready, it should be done by October”, he advised.
He encouraged participants to think critically about how AI could be integrated into their business models to ensure they remain competitive.
“The idea is for you to use this workshop as a platform to think about your organization and how AI can help streamline your processes and improve growth”, Odejide noted.
In order to gain global respect and recognition, the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) has reaffirmed its determination to pursue its goal in ensuring that Nigeria’s space capabilities are recognised on the world stage.
The agency also reaffirmed its commitment to positioning Nigeria as a key player in the global space economy.
In a statement by the Director of Media and Corporate Communications, Dr. Felix Ale, NASRDA revealed that the Director-General of the agency, Matthew Adepoju, emphasised this during recent engagements at the 79th United Nations General Assembly and the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) and Global Alliance Business Association international conference in Michigan, United States.
The statement noted that Adepoju outlined a forward-thinking agenda, stressing the importance of Nigeria’s space programme as a leader in research, exploration, and technological innovation.
“Our goal is to ensure that Nigeria’s space capabilities are recognised on the world stage.
“We must foster collaborations with global space agencies to enhance our satellite capabilities and technological infrastructure”, he stated.
The NASRDA boss said the agency is focusing on enhancing satellite capabilities, expanding international collaborations, and leveraging space science for national development.
He said NASRDA will have no stone unturned in pursuit of excellence, ensuring the agency secures the necessary resources and recognition to propel it forward.
“The relationships we build today will pave the way for tomorrow’s advancements in space science.
“Innovation and progress thrive in an environment built on collaboration and inclusivity”, he stated.
He emphasised that with the support of the government, international partners, and a dedicated team, NASRDA is poised to make significant strides in the evolving global space landscape.
“We are on the brink of a new era for Nigeria’s space agency. Together, we will ensure our nation stands out in the global space economy”, he said.
Corlins Walter