IMPORTATION A MENACE TO THE ECONOMY

Chief Eric Umeofia, Chief Executive Officer, EriscoBonpet Group, who disclosed that 91.9 percent of imported tomatoes pastes from China into Nigeria are substandard, said that the simplest way to stop dumping is to ban importation of finished goods. A fully loaded truck in one of the inland dry ports in the sub-region, will be delayed, harassed for bribes by the numerous security agents along the region’s transport corridor before it gets to its destination. Umeofia whose company produces tomato paste locally, said: “Importation is doing a lot of damage to us. The influx of foreign goods is one of the dangers the Nigerian manufacturers and producers are facing, because the cost of production here is quite high. The power situation, the cost of diesel, compared to production cost in Asia, we discover that the goods that come in here from those places would be far cheaper and at times, leave only a small margin between our cost of production and cost of sales. So, it is a very big problem, so many producers cannot just survive. “Fiscal policy should be put in place to discourage much of the importations of these goods and services. High tariffs should be placed on those goods they know that we have the capability of producing here in Nigeria. It is not too difficult to take a census or to sample goods that are being produced here and such goods; government should have a deliberate policy from Ministry of Finance hiking the tariffs of the imported ones. “That is the simplest way to stop it and it takes some good patriotic and political will to do this, and I encourage the government and the CBN to do this for the good of us all. I agree that the world is a global market right now, but we have to look at our position, we are a consuming nation. Those that are exporting to us right now, we must realise that there was a time when they had a closed market, and they did not allow goods from outside their country to flow in,” he said. According to Umeofia, a study conducted by NAFDAC recently, revealed that majority of the tomato pastes in the market across the country fall short of required standard. “The laboratory analysis of study which covers 27 main markets and four major supermarkets in Lagos indicated that 286 tomato paste out of 298 sampled fall short of the codex standards and the Nigerian Industrial Standards has specified that tomato content should be 28 percent minimum.” He said that another survey carried out by Nigerian Institute of Science Laboratory Technology, NISLT, showed that of 16 tomatoe paste samples analysed for 13 parameters selected, some manufacturers compromised standard in area of amount of lycopene, starch content and heavy metal contamination. He said it will be in the interest of local manufacturers for imported tomato paste brands in retail packs from China and other high risk countries to be suspended and immediate mop ups of those brands of tomatoes paste already in circulation. “Apart from killing Nigerians with their substandard tomato pastes, these people are also killing the Nigerian economy as they dump these substandard tomato pastes with subsidies from their home government. In the end, genuine manufacturers of tomato pastes find it difficult to remain in business as the consumers unfortunately go for this perceived cheaper tomato paste brands, not knowing they are paying for ill health and untimely death,” he stated. Umeofia commended CBN for its recent monetary policy tools, adding that the forex measure is a welcome development which will help reshape and reposition the real sector. He further urged CBN to monitor all the banks to ensure that the forex made available is not diverted to traders and Bureau De Change dealers, stressing that government should focus on industrialising Nigeria and not to trade the country away. Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/02/importation-doing-us-a-lot-of-damage/

Read More »

DO YOU REALLY WANT TO SHED SOME FAT?

5 foods you should not eat again When you are trying to get healthy and lose weight, there are certain foods you should avoid. Most of these food are obvious because they contain ingredients known to cause weight gain. There are some foods not as obvious and can be just as bad for you. These foods are a problem because most people do not know how to avoid them and therefore consume them more often than they should. Here are five such foods you should never eat again. White bread White bread is a local staple but the truth is, it doesn’t have any nutritional value. It contains a lot of sugar and isn’t as filling as desired. Substitute your white bread for whole grain or whole wheat bread when possible. Also substitute bread on your sandwiches with lettuce leaves or whole grain tortillas. Fried Foods Many people only associate fried food with fast food restaurants and do not realize they also consume them at home. Avoid frying any meal, consider baking or broiling instead. Fried foods are not nutritious and can cause blood pressure and cholesterol levels to rise. They can also cause you to gain weight needlessly. Cream-based salad dressings Salads can be very nutritious but can become unhealthy when covered in cream-based dressings that contain a lot of fat and calories. There can be more calories in your salad dressing than in the rest of your entire salad. Try oil-based salad dressings instead. They taste lighter, and have less calories. White rice Rice is a common staple but the truth is, white rice can cause your body to store fat when it doesn’t need to. It also has no nutritional value. Local rice (Abakaliki) and brown rice is the best option because it is full of fibre, vitamins and nutrients. It will also keep you satisfied longer so you are less likely to overeat. High fructose corn syrup High fructose corn syrup can quickly cause you to gain weight and even make you have cravings for more sugar and sugary foods. Overeating sugary foods and foods that are high in fructose corn syrup can even lead to diabetes and other health problems. Avoid processed sugars and opt for fresh fruits and berries.

Read More »

5 Snacks you can only find in Nigeria

Nigeria is a haven for anyone seeking to explore gastronomic delights. Each community within the nation offers its own unique delicacies which you will find nowhere else – not even in restaurants! These food and snacks are different from rest of the world not only in taste but also in cooking methods as they reflect a perfect blend of cultures and histories. Just as the culture, snacks in Nigeria has had its fair share of western influences. However, there are some that remain originally unique to the country. Jovago.com, Africa’s No.1 online hotel booking portal, brings you an assortment of 5 snacks that are not ‘only’ be savoured, but are set to make your mouth water. Kuli kuli kulikuli A favourite Nigerian snack originated from the Hausa people of Northern regions of the country, Kuli-Kuli is primarily made from peanuts. The process of making this snack is such that peanuts are roasted and then ground into a paste called Labu, then mixed with spices, salt, and sometimes ground pepper. The paste is further stripped of excess oil, made into the desired shape then fried until it solidifies. While the snack is often eaten alone, it can be paired with a mixture of garri (cassava), sugar and water. It is often also ground and used as an ingredient for Suya and Kilishi. Kokoro A common crunchy snack consumed in the western parts of Nigeria, Kokoro is a found only in Nigeria. The snack is made from a paste of maize flour mixed with sugar and gari (cassava) or yam flour which is deep-fried in either groundnut or palm oil. Two kinds of the kokoro are sold in the local markets :the Crunchy plain type and the Crunchy Spicy type. The difference is noted in in shape and taste. Kilishi kilishi Kilishi ,also known as the Nigerian beef jerky, is one of the most loved meat delicacies derived either from beef, mutton or chevon, and it is common among Hausa people in Northern Nigeria. Kilishi is prepared by slicing lean meat into thin sheets which are sun dried on a raised wooden table covered in rush matting for about four hours. The dried sheets of meat are then immersed in “Labu”, a slurry of groundnut and seasonings including sugar, salt and paper. After being immersed in the Labu, the meat is returned to the rush matting to dry in the sun for a five to twelve hours. The final product is finally roasted briefly over fire, and can be kept for months without much change to its taste. Nigerian Chin Chin A crunchy deep-fried snack that originated from Nigeria and very popular around the country, Chin Chin is an ideal snack for periods you feel puckish or just light refreshment. The snack is very easy to make as it does not require baking or grilling. It is made from basic combination of flour, milk and sugar with optional ingredients like egg, baking powder and nutmeg. It can be made hard or crunchy and can last for weeks if stored in an airtight container. Kpekere Kpekere is the pidgin lingo for fried unripe plantain, a Nigerian snack found in almost every part of the country, mostly sold by street vendors and hawkers. It is also known as Igbekere by the Yoruba tribe of Western Nigerian. Kpekere is the simplest plantain recipe to try and it can be made in varieties : crunchy, salty, spicy or sweet.

Read More »

NIGERIA ESCAPES THE DEATH TRAP

Nigeria's Best Web design firm In spite of criticisms from various quarters, President Muhammadu Buhari’s intensive war against corruption may actually be making a noticeable mark. One of the indications that the anti-corruption war may be recording successes, is the escape of Nigeria from Transparency International’s top 10 most corrupt countries’ list. Nigeria, a regular customer, was not included in the upper echelon of corrupt countries in the world, as released by TI on Wednesday, January 27. The countries listed as the most corrupt in the world are: 1.North Korea and Somalia (Tied) 2. Afghanistan 3. Sudan 4. Angola and South Sudan (tied) 5. Iraq and Libya (tied) 6. Haiti, Guinea-Bissau and Venezuela (tied) 7. Eritrea, Syria, Turkmenistan and Yemen (tied) 8. Uzbekistan 9. Burundi, Cambodia and Zimbabwe (tied) 10. Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo and Myanmar (tied) On the other side of the coin, the top ten least corrupt countries are 1.Denmark 2.Finland 3.Sweden 4.New Zealand 5.Netherlands 6.Norway 7.Switzerland 8.Singapore 9.Canada 10.Germany, Luxemborg and United Kingdom (tied)

Read More »

MTN AND HER LOYAL CUSTOMERS

Ok, I have a lot of friends that relate to the fact tha MTN hasn't been good to them at all. I appeal on behalf of them to please do something swiftly. So you don't lose your customers. A SENIOR Advocate of Nigeria, Mr. Rickey Tarfa, has filed a N5 billion suit against the telecommunication giant, MTN Nigeria, over the alleged act of violation of his rights to privacy at the Federal High Court, Lagos. Joined, as respondents in the suit, are the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), its boss, Ibrahim Mustafa Magu, Mrs. Rashidatou Abdou and a Lagos lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN). The originating motion on notice was brought pursuant to Section 37 of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution (As amended) and Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act Cap 10, LFN, 1990. The applicant is therefore asking the court for an order declaring that the unauthorised act of using his iPhone 6 with mobile number 08034600000 in calling one Alhaji Ado in Kaduna on mobile number 08061272929 on February 9, 2016 while the said phone was with Magu and the agency without any reasonable cause or any court order is unlawful, wrongful, illegal and a gross violation of his rights. Specifically, the applicant asked the court to declare that the unauthorised act of accessing his bank details, client’s information, private and confidential information contained in his iPhone 6 with number 08034600000 and Samsung 6 phone with number 08077341616 by EFCC and Magu without any reasonable cause or any court order is unlawful, wrongful, illegal and a gross violation of his fundamental rights. Besides, Tarfa asked the court to declare that the unauthorised act of accessing the phone call records/call log of his phone with mobile number 08034600000 by the respondents and forwarding same to Sahara reporters and other online news agencies without any reasonable cause, or any court order, is unlawful, wrongful, illegal and a gross violation of his rights under the constitution. Also attached to the motion on notice is a 134-paragraph affidavit wherein the applicant stated that trouble began when the relationship between his client, Ghanhoue Nazaire and third respondent, Mrs. Rashidatou Abdou, blessed with a child, went soar in 2011. Consequently, Mrs. Abdou complained of being excluded from the management and control of Rana Prestige Industries Nigeria Limited. By 2012, she filed a minority shareholder’s action in suit No: IKJ/CP/179/2012 between herself and Nazaire for winding up of the company. The petition was later withdrawn and struck out. And dissatisfied, she wrote another petition to the Police Special Fraud Unit complaining about her exclusion from the company and Mr. Nazaire was detained for a day but when the Inspector-General of Police discovered the case lacked merit and not within scope of their power, he told parties to settle amicably and Nazaire was released.

Read More »