General
Guinness Nigeria to Expand Benin City Factory
By Adedapo Adesanya
Guinness Nigeria Plc has announced plans to expand its factory in Benin City, Edo State as part of efforts to deepen investment and boost job creation in the Heart Beat of Nigeria.
At a presentation on Tuesday, Mr Baker Magunda, the Managing Director of Guinness Nigeria, said during a courtesy visit to the acting Governor of Edo, Mr Philip Shaibu, that the brewery giant would also invest in clean water projects for both the company’s utilisation and communities in the state.
“We are interested in the opportunities we see in Edo, Guinness success is beyond dividends for shareholders but the impact on job creation as well as the development of host communities.
“Water is important in what we do and we have invested in water recycling to save water and to enable host communities to access potable water,” he said.
Mr Magunda also informed the acting governor of what the company was doing to promote equal job opportunities, reduce climate change as well as protection of the environment.
“We have initiated an association called Food and Beverage Recycling Alliance, it is involved in collecting disposed materials like plastic, to limit harm to the environment.
“We are also involved in clean energy projects in West Africa and our goal is to take the project to a sustainable level.”
He added that the visit was to appreciate the state government for its long-standing support of the brewery’s investment in Edo State.
Also speaking, Mr Rotimi Odusola, the Corporate Relations Director, Guinness Nigeria, said the company’s water recovery plant in the state would be inaugurated in a month’s time.
Mr Odusola said the plant had a capacity to treat 800,000 cubic meters of water per day, noting that the brewer was also involved in the empowerment of women in the state as well as enrollment of students in host communities in scholarship scheme.
Mr Shaibu, while commending the social corporate responsibility components of the company, sought the company’s sponsorship for sporting activities in the state.
Mr Shaibu said: “We will like you to sponsor our programmes, especially sporting activities; the easiest way to reduce youth restiveness is engaging them in sports.
“We have identified 15 sporting events that we want to revamp in the state starting from January 2023.
“We want to take back our place in sports, we now have a standard lawn tennis court and we want Guinness to take advantage of branding the court with its different brands.”
He also assured of the government’s support in the brewery’s site expansion project in the state noting that the state promotes a private sector-driven economy.
“When we have companies like you, issues of energy, and clean water can be addressed by both government and private sector for the betterment of the people,” he said.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigeria’s National Economic Council (NEC) has approved the establishment of Cotton, Textile and Garment Development Board as part of efforts to drive non-oil revenues.
This was disclosed by the Governor of Imo State, Mr Hope Uzodinma, while briefing State House Correspondents at the end of the 149th NEC meeting chaired by the Vice-President, Mr Kashim Shettima, on Thursday at Presidential Villa, Abuja.
He explained that in order to make the board function effectively, the council approved a proposal for Public-Private Partnership (PPP).
Mr Uzodinma stated that the chairman of the board would be selected from the private sector, adding that the body would be funded from import levies on textiles.
“The National Economic Council, among others things, received a representation from the members and leadership of Cotton, Textile and Garment Development Forum.
“These are private sector operatives who are into the cotton business, garment and textiles and the presentation highlighted their proposal on how to revitalise the cotton industry in Nigeria.
“The council endorsed the presentation and approved the establishment of a National and regional Offices for the board in each of the six geopolitical zones for proper coordination,” said Mr Uzodinma.
On his part, Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa said the council also received proposal from the Minister of Livestock Development on acceleration strategy for the livestock industry.
He said the presentation was on on a plan to transformation the livestock industry between 2025 and 2030, stating that the strategy was built on the national livestock growth acceleration plan, which is expected to transform the sector to create jobs, export products and serve as an engine room for internally generated revenue.
“The projection is that the strategy will generate between $74 billion down and $90 billion in that sector by the year 2035.
“It will be a direct partnership with the state governors, the private sector and foreign investors under a very sound federal regulatory umbrella,” said Mr Diri.
He added that the investment would be prioritised into five key pillars between 2025 and 2026, saying the pillars are: animal health and zones control, feed and further development, water resources management, statistics and information and livestock value chain development.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has announced plans to commence the disbursement of the $700 million Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF) within the next four months.
Last week, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr Adegboyega Oyetola, instructed the maritime regulator to initiate the long-awaited disbursement process for the fund.
This directive marked a significant shift from over two decades of administrative stagnation and ushers in a new era of strategic repositioning of Nigeria’s indigenous shipping.
Speaking on Wednesday, NIMASA’s Director General, Mr Dayo Mobereola, providing a timeline for the disbursement said this will happen within the next four months, which by calculation, is August 2025.
He made the announcement during an oversight visit by the House of Representatives Committee on Maritime Safety, Education, and Administration in Abuja, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
“We are acting in accordance with the directive of the Minister to ensure indigenous shipowners finally have access to this critical funding. The guidelines have been streamlined based on the Minister’s approval, so beneficiaries can access the funds within three to four months,” he said.
“To effectively manage the $700 million intervention fund, the number of Primary Lending Institutions (PLIs) has been expanded from five to twelve.”
The CVFF, established under the Coastal and Inland Shipping (Cabotage) Act of 2003, was designed to empower Nigerian shipping companies through access to structured financing for vessel acquisition. However, successive administrations failed to operationalize the fund—until now.
According to Minister Oyetola, the disbursement of the CVFF will represent not just the release of funds, but a profound commitment to empowering Nigerian maritime operators, bolstering national competitiveness, and fostering sustainable economic development.
“This is not just about disbursing funds. It’s about rewriting a chapter in our maritime history. For over 20 years, the CVFF remained a dormant promise. Today, we are bringing it to life—deliberately, transparently, and strategically,” he stated.
NIMASA, in alignment with the Minister’s directive, has already issued a Marine Notice inviting eligible Nigerian shipping companies to apply.
Qualified applicants can access up to $25 million each at competitive interest rates to acquire vessels that meet international safety and performance standards.
The fund will be administered in partnership with carefully selected and approved Primary Lending Institutions (PLIs), ensuring professional and efficient disbursement.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Ogun State Government, through its Environmental Protection Agency (OGEPA,) has sealed four industries for environmental infractions.
According to a statement by the spokesman of the agency, Mr Luke Adebesin, the affected organisations are Fortune Height Farms Limited and Sanda Wood Industry Limited, both in Odogbolu Local Government, Shengceramic Material Limited in Ogere axis of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and Nehemiah Grace Developer Limited at Ijako in Ado-Odo, Ota Local Government.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on OGEPA, Mr Farouk Akintunde, reiterated that all companies must comply with operating and environmental standards laid by the state.
The agency alleged that Fortune Height Farms Limited, which is into production of eggs and catfish, was sealed after a petition was received from its host community for discharging untreated influence into the environment.
Sanda Wood Industry Limited was sealed for allegedly denying government officials access into its facility while engaging in open burning, while Nehemiah Grace Developer Limited was sealed for encroaching on the waterways and constructing drainage without the state government permit.
“Ogun State government will not fold its hand and allow these industries to violate our Environmental laws,” the agency said, adding that it will continue to ensure that the South Western state is safe and secure.
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