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Analysis

Cassava revolution: Boosting production of cassava flour to reduce the wheat import bill
OBG
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Holding a loaf of bread in one hand President Goodluck Jonathan extolled the virtues of cassava flour to an assembled audience of journalists and dignitaries at the Federal Executive Council in Abuja in November 2011. Nigerian bakers are being strongly encouraged to bake bread made with up to 40% cassava flour instead of wheat. Leading food manufacturer UTC is one of several firms now selling cassava…

Analysis

Meeting demand: Efforts get under way to increase housing supply
OBG
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One of the biggest opportunities and challenges for the construction sector over the next decade will be the provision of affordable housing to a rapidly growing and changing population. While the government’s main focus in the short term is on infrastructure development, in the medium to long term housing is likely to become the most pressing issue for the country. The provision of residential…

Analysis

Steps to self-sufficiency: The sector’s action plan aims for greater food security
OBG
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Self-sufficiency is the over-arching theme of the action plan to revitalise the agricultural sector. Raising import tariffs on key staples such as rice and wheat is designed to boost domestic investment and production. Nigerian farmers and producers used to play an important role on the global stage, and Abuja hopes its new plan will put the sector on a secure footing for the future. TOWARDS…

Analysis

Nuts and bolts: Expanding and upgrading the networks
OBG
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Telecoms equipment and infrastructure suppliers are in high demand across the country. Having attracted international firms from India, the UAE and South Africa to invest in GSM licences, the state is encouraging Chinese and other international firms to invest in Nigeria in an attempt to address the current shortfall in terrestrial telecoms infrastructure. BUILDING INFRASTRUCTURE: At the Mobile…

Analysis

Reaching for the clouds: Capacity upgrades are paving the way for development in new areas
OBG
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The expansion of Nigeria’s international fibre-optic capacity is easing long-standing constraints on high-speed internet connectivity, which in turn is attracting the attention of global cloud computing service providers eager to gain a foothold in one of Africa’s most promising markets. Disaster recovery services, remote back-ups and the provision of software-as-a-service (SAAS) all have potential…

Analysis

An ounce of prevention: Efforts to thwart diseases before contraction have increased
OBG
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Disease prevention, a vital aspect of the health care sector’s development, has the ability to create enormous cost savings, as preventive health measures tend to be significantly less expensive when compared with disease treatment. HIV/AIDS provides an excellent example of an extremely difficult and costly disease to treat, yet an incredibly easy disease to prevent through education and preventive…

Analysis

On the horizon: Reforms linked to the National Tax Policy look set to continue
OBG
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In line with the National Tax Policy launched by the president in the second half of 2012, Nigeria continues to pursue various tax reforms which are geared towards achieving a business-friendly environment and a simplified tax administration. The National Tax Policy also serves as a reference point for future tax legislation and continuous improvement in tax administration. Below are some of the…

Analysis

Counter measures: The pharmaceuticals industry begins tackling counterfeit products
OBG
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In 2009 the Pharmaceutical Group of the Manufacturers’ Association of Nigeria pegged the size of the pharmaceuticals industry in Nigeria to be at least $2bn per year. Other organisations, however, have offered up more conservative estimates. For example, Frost & Sullivan, a global market research and consulting firm, estimated the industry at $740m for 2009. Whatever the actual figure, the…

Analysis

Fighting back: The government is stepping up efforts to eradicate the polio virus
OBG
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As one of the few remaining countries in the world still battling polio, Nigeria has made significant strides in reducing the threat of the disease in recent years. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the primary areas of focus in the global fight against polio eradication are indeed just northern Nigeria and the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Slight increases in the number of…

Analysis

University bound: Availability of tertiary programmes looks set to increase
OBG
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In his Democracy Day address in May 2012, President Goodluck Jonathan declared, “At the tertiary level, it is the policy of this administration that every state will have a federal university.” This vision has been backed up by some action, as his administration has overseen the establishment of nine new federal tertiary institutions since 2011, raising the total number of universities in the…