Economy
BOI Sets Up Team to Improve Industrial Energy Efficiency
By Adedapo Adesanya
A six-member Project Investment Committee (PIC) aimed at improving Industrial Energy Efficiency (IEE), Resource Efficiency and Cleaner Production (RECP) through pragmatic and innovative approaches has been set up by the Bank of Industry (BOI).
Members of the team inaugurated on Tuesday at the BOI office in Lagos included BOI, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), and Chartered Institute of Bankers Nigeria (CIBN).
Others are the Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment (FMITI), and the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC).
Speaking at the event, Mr Olukayode Pitan, Managing Director of BOI, said that the establishment of the committee was to enable industries to align with energy management systems for a sustainable environment.
“Climate change is getting harder every year and the issue of industrial pollution, including air, noise, and waste disposal among others have been a major concern around the globe.
“Industrial pollution contaminates drinking water, releases toxins in the air, reduces the quality of soil for agriculture, and constitutes a danger to human health as well as animals and plants,” Mr Pitan said.
According to him, to achieve its developmental goal, BOI knows that sustainability considerations must be incorporated into its business and professional activities.
“This project will enable industries to align with energy management systems which will lead to reduced environmental pollution, lower industrial power level and reduced cost of production among others.
“Therefore BOI’s participation in this project demonstrates a strong commitment of the bank in contributing its quota towards achieving sustainable development,” he said.
He said the benefits of IEE and RECP include reduced cost of production, improved profitability, resourcefulness and competitiveness.
Others are improved health, a stronger economy, improved brand image and a reduction in the explosion of global rising energy prices.
He urged the committee to ensure that the goals of improving energy efficiency for a sustainable environment were actualised.
Mr Oluyomi Banjo, a representative of UNIDO said the project would address questions on how industries can improve efficiency and increase profitability.
He also said would help industries operate at international best standards, comply with regulations and maintain improved relationships with policymakers.
Mr Banjo said the project hoped to support not less than 75 industries across five sectors and beyond.
“The five sectors are food and beverage, steels and metals, petrochemicals, wood and furniture, textiles and garments.
“UNIDO has implemented IEE in over 18 countries across the world and RECP in over 60 countries.
“This project will create an opportunity to develop IEE and RECP methodologies and human capacity building which will see Nigerians being trained to global standard as energy assessors and RECP experts.
“We are hoping that this will eventually lead to national cleaner production centres in the country which will also produce a circular economy,” he said.
Responding, Mr Segun Ajayi-Kadir, Director-General, MAN, commended BOI for developing ways businesses can thrive and survive in a sustainable environment, assuring that the committee would work with BOI assiduously to achieve the objectives of the committee.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The federal government has been asked by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to suspend the implementation of the controversial tax laws.
In a reaction to the tax reform acts, the president of the group, Mr Afam Osigwe (SAN), the suspension of the laws would allow for a proper investigation into allegations of alterations in the gazetted and harmonised copies.
A member of the House of Representatives, Mr Abdussamad Dasuki, alleged that some parts of the laws passed by the parliament were different from the gazetted copy.
To address the issues raised, the NBA said it is “imperative that a comprehensive, open, and transparent investigation be conducted to clarify the circumstances surrounding the enactment of the laws and to restore public confidence in the legislative process.”
“Until these issues are fully examined and resolved, all plans for the implementation of the Tax Reform Acts should be immediately suspended,” the association declared.
It noted that the controversies “raise grave concerns about the integrity, transparency, and credibility of Nigeria’s legislative process.”
“These developments strike at the very heart of constitutional governance and call into question the procedural sanctity that must attend lawmaking in a democratic society,” it noted.
“Legal and policy uncertainty of this magnitude has far-reaching consequences. It unsettles the business environment, erodes investor confidence, and creates unpredictability for individuals, businesses, and institutions required to comply with the law. Such uncertainty is inimical to economic stability and should have no place in a system governed by the rule of law.
“Nigeria’s constitutional democracy demands that laws, especially those with profound economic and social implications, emerge from processes that are transparent, accountable, and beyond reproach. Anything short of this undermines public trust and weakens the foundation upon which lawful governance rests.
“We therefore call on all relevant authorities to act swiftly and responsibly in addressing this controversy, in the overriding interest of constitutional order, economic stability, and the preservation of the rule of law,” the organisation stated.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Demand for hot stocks, including MRS Oil Plc, buoyed the NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange by 0.52 per cent on Tuesday, December 23.
The energy company was one of the three price gainers for the session as it chalked up N19.69 to sell at N216.59 per share versus the previous day’s value of N196.90 per share.
Further, FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria Plc gained N2.95 to close at N56.75 per unit versus N53.80 per unit and Golden Capital Plc appreciated by 84 Kobo to N9.29 per share from Monday’s N8.45 per share.
Consequently, the market capitalisation went up by N10.95 billion to N2.125 trillion from N2.125 trillion and the NASD Unlisted Security Index (NSI) rose by 18.31 points to 3,570.37 points from 3,552.06 points.
Yesterday, the NASD bourse recorded a price loser, the Central Securities Clearing System Plc (CSCS), which gave up 17 Kobo to close at N33.70 per unit against the previous trading value of N33.87 per unit.
The volume of securities traded at the session went down by 97.6 per cent to 297,902 units from the previous day’s 12.6 million units, the value of securities decreased by 98.5 per cent to N10.5 million from N713.6 million, and the number of deals remained flat at 32 deals.
By value, Infrastructure Credit Guarantee Company (InfraCredit) Plc ended as the most actively traded stock on a year-to-date basis with 5.8 billion units exchanged for N16.4 billion. This was followed by Okitipupa Plc, which traded 178.9 million units valued at N9.5 billion, and MRS Oil Plc with 36.1 million units worth N4.9 billion.
In terms of volume, also on a year-to-date basis, InfraCredit Plc led the chart with a turnover of 5.8 billion units traded for N16.4 billion. Industrial and General Insurance (IGI) Plc ranked second with 1.2 billion units sold for N420.7 million, while Impresit Bakolori Plc followed with the sale of 536.9 million units valued at N524.9 million.
By Dipo Olowookere
It was another bullish trading session for the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited as it closed higher by 0.59 per cent on Tuesday.
The market further rallied due to continued interest in large and mid-cap stocks on the exchange by investors rebalancing their portfolios for the year-end.
Yesterday, Aluminium Extrusion sustained its upward trajectory after it further appreciated by 9.96 per cent to N14.90, as Austin Laz gained 9.81 per cent to close at N2.91, Custodian Investment improved by 9.69 per cent to N38.50, and First Holdco soared by 9.35 per cent to N50.30.
Conversely, Royal Exchange declined by 7.22 per cent to N1.80, Champion Breweries shrank by 6.57 per cent to N15.65, NASCON lost 5.36 per cent to trade at N105.05, Sovereign Trust Insurance depreciated by 5.28 per cent to N3.77, and Japaul went down by 4.51 per cent to N2.33.
At the close of business, 29 shares ended on the gainers’ table and 27 shares finished on the losers’ log, representing a positive market breadth index and bullish investor sentiment.
This raised the All-Share Index (ASI) by 895.06 points to 153,354.13 points from 152,459.07 points and lifted the market capitalisation by N579 billion to N97.772 trillion from the previous day’s N97.193 trillion.
VFD Group finished the day as the busiest stock after it recorded a turnover of 192.0 million units worth N2.1 billion, GTCO exchanged 63.5 million units valued at N5.6 billion, Access Holdings traded 49.8 million units for N1.0 billion, First Holdco sold 45.8 million units valued at N2.3 billion, and Secure Electronic Technology transacted 38.3 million units worth N28.4 million.
In all, market participants bought and sold 677.4 million units valued at N20.8 billion in 27,589 deals compared with the 451.5 million units worth N13.0 billion traded in 33,327 deals on Monday, showing an improvement in the trading volume and value by 50.03 per cent and 60.00 per cent apiece, and a shortfall in the number of deals by 17.22 per cent.
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