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FG owes non-oil exporters N123bn
By Chris Agabi
Exporters in the non-oil export value chain are groaning under the federal government’s inability to pay them over N123bn accrued incentives as at December 2015.
A delegation of the organized private sector in the non-oil export which visited Daily Trust in Abuja yesterday, said the backlog was crippling exports and investments in the non-oil sector. They called on government to pay so that jobs could be created and to help sustain and diversify the economy.
Speaking on behalf of the delegation, Dr. Sodhi said in the past 10 years, based on the government’s input, non-oil export companies had invested in value addition and processing activities but now, most of these investments are facing illiquidity crunch because the system of incentives – the export expansion grant – put in the place is no longer working.
He added that there were certain misgivings about the implementation of these incentives.
On the team were Mr. Ade Adefeko, the Chairman NACCIMA Export Group (NEXAG), Dr. Navdeep Singh Sodhi, a consultant to UNIDO, World Bank and Partner at Afroconsulting Trade & Services ltd and Mr. Jayeola Paul Olarewaju, the General Secretary, Organized Private Sector exporters Association (OPEXA).
70 Nigerians get $4.6m US scholarships
By Abdullateef Salau
The United States Embassy in Nigeria says over 70 Nigerian students have received partial or full scholarships worth over $4.6m from various universities in United States this year.
The students, according to the Deputy Chief of Mission, Maria E. Brewer, were among the 130 Nigerians who just gained admission into various institutions in that country.
Brewer was speaking yesterday in Abuja at a pre-departure orientation organised for Nigerians in pursuit of higher education in the United States.
She said about 9,500 Nigerians were currently pursuing higher education at over 730 colleges and universities in the country.
Quoting figures from the Institute of International Education’s Open Door report, she said Nigeria experienced a remarkable increase in the number of students pursuing higher education in the country.
Compared to the previous school year, she said nearly 20 percent more were enrolled in US higher institutions of learning.
According to the envoy, the rise almost single-handedly fuelled Africa’s overall student population of eight percent.
“Nigeria is the top African source country and the 15th nation worldwide with students in the United States,” she said.
Brewer urged the students to take advantage of the orientation to prepare themselves for the challenges ahead.
She also enjoined them to be good ambassadors of Nigeria and take their responsibility seriously to be good citizens and scholars.
Nigerian students returning from foreign varsities-Okojie
By Chidimma C. Okeke
The Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Julius Okojie, has said that most Nigerian students abroad were returning to universities in the country as a result of high tuition fees charged by foreign institutions.
Okojie, who spoke with newsmen in Abuja yesterday, said the return of students to the country was also connected to the improvement of the quality of university education in Nigeria.
“Many Nigerian students are coming back home, not only because of issue of high school fees but because there is improvement in programmes in Nigerian universities. They are coming from Ghana and all over the world. The rate of Nigerian lecturers going abroad has also reduced and we will continue to improve our university system,” he said.
On the rejection of National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) law graduates by the Nigerian Law School, Okojie blamed the problem on the mistaken belief that programmes of NOUN were part-time, saying, the commission was working very hard to resolve the problem.
Okojie who will retire from the NUC next month, advised his successor to build on the existing structures to further transform the Nigerian university system.