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Hong Kong Entrepreneurs to Invest in Bauchi

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Steel Manufacture At Evraz Plc West-Siberian Metallurgical Plant

Sequel to a visit by a high level government delegation, led by Governor Mohammed Abubakar of Bauchi state, to Hong Kong on investment mission, the Lee Group, a well-diversified conglomerate entity, which operates from a number of African countries and Asia and specialises in the production of steel, footwear and plastic goods is leveraging on the offers made by the Bauchi State Goverment to invest in the state given the investment potentials that exist in the state.

The conglomerate, which has over 35 years in running successful businesses and plans to expand by diversifying into agro-based products and solid minerals in the northeastern Nigeria, especially Bauchi State gave the conglomerate’s willingness to invest in Bauchi state after the Governor’s visit to them in Hong Kong.

The Chairman of Lee Group, speaking through the Director, Mr Lee Mang Loog tuesday stated that the conglomerate wishes to invest in mining solid minerals especially Kaolin, Clay, Quartz, Natural Gas, Iron ore, Hydrocarbon all of which abound in commercial quantity in Bauchi state.

The Group also indicated interest in setting up of factories in Bauchi State for the manufacturing and production of Truck Tyres, Rubber slippers, Ceramic tiles, other ceramic products and Bakery that can generate hundreds of thousands of direct and indirect jobs to the youth in the state.

According to a ress statement signed by the Press Secretary to the state Governor and made available to THISDAY in Bauchi, the governor urged the Group to look into other agro-based investment opportunities such as in the production of Sesame seeds, Soy beans, Poultry and Fishery.

The delegation that centered on deriving foreign direct investment into Agricultural, Mining and Tourism sectors comprised of the commissioner works, housing and land development, Abubakar Tatari Ali, member state house of assembly, director general, Bauchi state investment promotion agency, Muhammad Aminu Musa Kamisu Idi and special adviser/sole administrator, Yankari Game Reserve Engineer Habu Mamman Muhammad.

Others are MD, Bauchi state solid minerals development agency, Muhammad Tahir Isa, GM, Bauchi state agricultural supply company, Kabiru Adamu Sade and members of the business community.

The Governor also led the delegation to key institutions and organiations as well as the famous World Food Expo exhibition with a view to creating a platform for institutional recognition of economic potentials of Bauchi state, one of which was the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, a statutory and nonprofit body established to promote international marketing of Hong Kong-based traders, manufacturers and service providers by organizing trade fairs, business missions and international conferences to connect companies with opportunities in Asia and beyond.

The Governor, in company of the Nigerian Consulate General and his team, Mr. William Chui, Director, International & Mainland Relations and his team, made a sector-based presentation on economic and investment opportunities in Bauchi state ranging from agriculture to solid minerals, tourism as well as Infrastructure.

He also showcased the numerous incentives, reforms on land acquisition law as well as Public Private Partnership policy, all in an effort to ease ways of doing business and sustainable support to investment climate in the State.

At the Hong Kong Tourism Development Company which invited Bauchi state government to take advantage of its trade mission, Foodexpo and its portal to showcase its enormous potentials especially in solid minerals and agriculture, the Governor requested the Hong Kong investors to take advantage of the Bauchi state investment promotion agency being a “One-Stop-Shop on investment processes and establishment for any existing and potential investor”.

The Hong Kong Tourism Development Company pledged to network within it members on the investment opportunities in agriculture and solid mineral in support of the Bauchi state investment drive.

The governor attended the famous World Food Expo exhibition on the invitation of the Hong Kong Tourism Development Company where he invited the Company to attend proposed “Bauchi State Investment Summit” slated for early next year.

He also attended the Africa Chamber of Commerce, a private and non-profit-making organization which remains dedicated to serving members by providing an effective platform for enhancement of trade and investment by moderating between investors and relevant authorities, promoting seminars and trade exhibitions in Africa and Asia, advising on investment and projects, as well as business matching and pitching.

He also showcased the numerous incentives, reforms on land acquisition law as well as PPP policy, all in an effort to ease ways of doing business and sustainable support to investment climate in the core areas of economic and investment opportunities in Bauchi state, especially ranging from agriculture to solid minerals, tourism as well as Infrastructure.

The chairman, Africa Chambers of Commerce, Mr. Mark Chan, who has an investment in Nigeria eco-friendly agrochemicals promised to open up the potentials that exist in Bauchi state to other investors in Hong Kong and mainland China in the area of both agricultural and solid minerals.

Governor Abubakar also had a meeting with a visiting Professor to a number of Universities Dr. Marafa who is a Director Postgraduate Programme in sustainable Tourism in Chinese University of Hong Kong during which discussions dwelt on the tourism sector and key investment needs were detailed out, centering on eco-tourism, Public Private Partnership in operation and management as well as Development of infrastructure in Sumu and Yankari game reserves.

The University don promised to engage the tourism industry captains in Asia and beyond on the investment opportunities in the sector while promising to invite the BASG to Malaysia Tourism Summit coming up next year which he said would be another window of opportunity for Bauchi State Government to showcase its potentials in the tourism sector as well as investment needs

Is the CEO/Founder of Investors King Limited. A proven foreign exchange research analyst and a published author on Yahoo Finance, Businessinsider, Nasdaq, Entrepreneur.com, Investorplace, and many more. He has over two decades of experience in global financial markets.

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Minister Accuses Past NCDMB Leadership of Squandering $500m on Unproductive Projects

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The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, has accused the former executives of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) of mismanaging a whopping $500 million on projects deemed unproductive.

Speaking at a dinner hosted by The Petroleum Club in Lagos, Lokpobiri minced no words as he shed light on what he described as egregious financial mismanagement within the organization.

Lokpobiri, during the interactive session, alleged that substantial sums were squandered on ventures that yielded little to no tangible results.

Among the projects cited was the infamous Brass modular refinery in Bayelsa State, for which a staggering $35 million was purportedly disbursed without any discernible progress.

Similarly, Lokpobiri raised concerns about a $20 million investment in a fertiliser factory, questioning its whereabouts and efficacy.

The minister’s accusations didn’t end there. He underscored what he termed the imprudent disbursement of funds, highlighting instances where significant amounts were released in lump sums against professional advice.

Lokpobiri stressed the need for a comprehensive review of these investments, lamenting the magnitude of the financial losses incurred.

Furthermore, Lokpobiri pointed fingers at the mismanagement of loans totaling approximately $350 million, which were intended to support investors.

According to him, a staggering 90% of these loans ended up as non-performing, exacerbating the financial hemorrhage experienced by the NCDMB.

Addressing the crisis between himself and the incumbent NCDMB boss, Felix Ogbe, Lokpobiri clarified that his intervention was grounded in the oversight responsibilities vested in him as the chairman of the council overseeing the NCDMB.

He stated the importance of due diligence in governance and reiterated his commitment to ensuring transparency and accountability within the organization.

In response to Lokpobiri’s accusations, the immediate past Executive Secretary of the NCDMB, Simbi Wabote, vehemently refuted the allegations, asserting that they lacked substantiation.

Wabote defended the integrity of the Nigerian Content Intervention Fund, hailing it as a pivotal initiative with an impressive 96% payback rate.

Wabote also defended the NCDMB’s investment decisions, citing instances of successful ventures such as the equity investment in Waltersmith’s modular refinery, which has shown promising returns.

He attributed challenges faced by certain projects to external factors and legal disputes, maintaining the organization’s commitment to prudent financial management.

As the allegations continue to reverberate across the industry, stakeholders await the outcome of the government’s review, which could potentially reshape the trajectory of the NCDMB and its approach to investment and governance.

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SEC Brings N2.36tn in Funds Under Custody with New Guidelines

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The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has successfully brought about N2.36 trillion in discretionary and non-discretionary funds under custody.

This achievement follows the implementation of updated guidelines for Collective Investment Schemes (CIS) in Nigeria.

Last December, the SEC proposed amendments to address grievances within the Collective Investment Scheme segment of the capital market.

These amendments sought to enhance investor safeguards and address concerns raised by market participants.

In a notice published on its website titled ‘Exposure Of New And Sundry Amendments To The Rules And Regulations Of The Commission,’ the SEC outlined the new regulatory changes.

Among these changes was the requirement for all CIS funds, including those in discretionary and non-discretionary windows, to be placed under custody.

This move was aimed at strengthening investor protection and mitigating risks associated with fund management.

Dr. Okey Umeano, the Chief Economist at SEC, provided insights into the impact of these regulatory updates during a media briefing after the first-quarter Capital Market Committee meeting.

He highlighted that prior to the regulatory amendments, only funds designated as Collective Investment Schemes were subject to custody.

However, with the new guidelines in place, all funds, regardless of their discretionary or non-discretionary nature, are now required to be custodied.

Umeano revealed that the SEC conducted inspections to ensure compliance with the new regulations, resulting in N2.36 trillion of discretionary and non-discretionary funds being brought under custody.

This move underscores the SEC’s commitment to safeguarding investor interests and fostering trust in the capital market ecosystem.

Former SEC Director-General, Lamido Yuguda, emphasized the importance of segregating asset management and custody functions to mitigate risks.

He noted that while the separation of these functions was standard practice for public CIS products, it was not uniformly applied to bilateral arrangements.

However, with the implementation of the new rules, all investment management activities, whether in public CIS or bilateral spaces, are mandated to be in custody.

Yuguda stressed that the objective of these regulatory changes is to improve trust, protect investors’ assets, and bolster market confidence.

By ensuring that investment management activities are segregated, with custody handled by duly licensed custodians, the SEC aims to create a more resilient and transparent capital market environment.

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Lagos State Government Set to Demolish $200 Million Landmark Beach Resort

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Landmark Beach

The Lagos State Government has issued a demolition warning to the proprietor of the $200 million Landmark Beach Resort, a renowned tourist destination in the region.

The resort nestled along the picturesque coastline faces imminent destruction to make way for the construction of a 700-kilometer coastal road linking Lagos with Calabar.

Paul Onwuanibe, the 58-year-old owner of the Landmark Beach Resort, revealed that he received a notice in late March instructing him to vacate the premises within seven days to facilitate the impending demolition.

The resort, which spans a vast expanse of land and hosts over 80 businesses, is a hub of economic activity, sustaining over 4,000 jobs directly. Also, it contributes more than N2 billion in taxes annually.

The news of the resort’s potential demolition has sparked concerns among investors and stakeholders in the tourism sector. Onwuanibe expressed dismay at the government’s decision, highlighting the substantial investments made in developing the resort’s infrastructure.

He explained that the planned demolition would not only lead to significant financial losses but also jeopardize the livelihoods of thousands of employees and businesses associated with the resort.

The Landmark Beach Resort is a popular tourist destination, attracting approximately one million visitors annually, both local and international. Its unique amenities, including a mini-golf course, beach soccer field, and volleyball and basketball courts, make it a favorite among tourists seeking leisure and recreation.

The prospect of the resort’s demolition has triggered widespread panic among international and domestic investors associated with the Landmark Group. Many are now considering withdrawing their investments, citing concerns about the viability of the business without its flagship beach resort.

The Lagos State Government’s decision to proceed with the demolition is part of its broader plan to construct the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway, a 700-kilometer roadway connecting Lagos to Calabar.

The government had earlier announced its intention to remove all “illegal” constructions along the planned route of the highway, including the Landmark Beach Resort.

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