Business

Atiku Gets Invitation to Speak at African Trade and Investment Global Summit in Washington DC

Published

6 years ago

June 18, 2018

Eric

Members of the ruling party and President Muhammadu Buhari’s die-hard supporters may be in for a disappointment as one of their greatest rivals— Atiku Abubakar— has been invited to speak at the forthcoming African Trade and Investment Global Summit (ATIGS) scheduled to take place in Washington DC, the United States capital.

The event starts on June 24 and ends on June 26.

Abubakar will speak alongside African Union Ambassador to the US, Arikana Chihombori-Quao, and former Ambassador of Trinidad and Tobago to the US, Mexico and the Organisation of American States, Neil Parsan.

Deputy Senate President of Nigeria, Ike Ekweremadu, will also speak at the event, alongside Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Okechukwu Enelamah.

ATIGS is a biennial event that hosts African and international investors in Washington DC. Discussions at ATIGS shape the policies of African countries and their partners.

This year’s event will welcome the participation of prominent officials and distinguished personalities, accredited investment firms, high-level speakers, quality exhibitors, and delegation groups from over 70 countries.

There have been calls in recent times for Abubakar, the presidential aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to visit the US if he is free of corruption.

But Abubakar has often responded that he has applied for US visa before but was refused by the US Embassy.

Abubakar is accused of being indicted by the United States of America’s Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs in a report entitled, ‘Keeping Foreign Corruption Out of the US: Four Case Histories’.

Abubakar, who is expected to run for president in 2019, said in an interview with The Boss newspaper that he had made an attempt to visit the U.S. but was refused visa on administrative grounds.

“I applied, but wasn’t issued a visa. However, they did not decline me categorically either. They’ve only said my application is going through administrative process,” Abubakar had said.

He had pointed out that it was the sole prerogative of America to determine who they wanted in their country, adding that such administrative denials were not unique to him.

He stirred the hornet’s nest when he said Muhammadu Buhari could not also visit the US for 15 years because of his religious views.

This elicited reactions from Buhari’s supporters who saw Abubakar as a drowning man clinging to straw.

The US embassy could not be reached before the publication of this story.

However, this invitation may change the country’s political climate and may curry support for Abubakar, who, like Buhari, has contested the presidential seat many times.

“If he attends, that will be a big plus for him,” said a top PDP member, who did not want his name in print because of the sensitivity of the matter.

“He is a candidate to beat, and will gain more support once he steps his feet on US soil. But how are we sure it is not a bait to arrest him over there?” the source asked.

An APC stalwart in Abuja said he would remain calm now until Abubakar is found in the US.

“Who told you he will go?” he asked.

“He will send a representative as I am not sure the US will give him visa.”

BusinessDay

Business

Glo Launches New Internet Solution Products for Homes, Businesses

Published

1 week ago

April 8, 2024

Eric

Two new products, which provide internet connectivity solutions specially designed for Residential and SME commercial customers, have been unveiled by digital solutions company, Globacom.

The products, Fibre to the Home (FTTH) and Fibre to the Business (FTTB) were packaged for Glo customers to enjoy reliable and high speed internet through linked fibre services.

Globacom said in a statement in Lagos “With these services, businesses and homes can access dedicated internet speeds of up to 1GBps, allowing unlimited internet usages for seamless video calls, video and music streaming and a whole lot of other dedicated usages to promote business success and equally provide endless entertainment for homes”.

It explained that the new product comes with a unique opportunity for “Residential Estates, High Rise Apartments, Commercial SME Estates to enjoy dedicated high speed internet in their cluster”.

These services, according to Globacom, give exceptional experience and unmatched speed for users at home or in offices and are provided through hi-speed fibre – unlike copper which was being used in the past.

Positioning itself as the premier provider of innovative solutions for businesses of all sizes, Globacom assured customers of the best value for money with the new offerings, adding that users who sign on for these services will also enjoy fully dedicated bandwidth.

“We are committed to delivering the most cost-effective data connectivity experience for homes and businesses in addition to providing dedicated and reliable services.” Globacom concluded.

Business

Naira Appreciates Further, Sells at N1,280/$ at Parallel Market

Published

3 weeks ago

March 30, 2024

Eric

The naira, on Friday, appreciated to N1,280 per dollar at the parallel section of the foreign exchange (FX) market.

The current FX rate signifies a 5.19 percent appreciation from the N1,350/$ reported on March 27.

Currency traders in Lagos, also known as bureau de change (BDCs) operators, quoted the buying rate of the greenback at N1,260 and the selling price at N1,280 — leaving a profit margin of N20.

“The price of the dollar as well as other major currencies have been falling. It is affecting our business as some customers prefer to keep their currencies than change it with us,” a currency trader identified as Aliyu told TheCable.

At the official section of the FX market, the local currency depreciated by 0.69 percent to N1,309.39/$ on March 28 — from N1,300.43/$ on March 27.

Meanwhile, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), on March 29, said the economy recorded over $1.5 billion in foreign exchange (FX) inflow this month, indicating its monetary policy initiatives are effective.

The apex bank said the naira is headed in the right direction, and the administration of Yemi Cardoso, CBN governor, remains committed to ensuring the stability of the market and the appropriate pricing of the naira against other major currencies worldwide.

TheCable

Business

NNPC Denies Reducing Petrol Pump Price

Published

3 weeks ago

March 28, 2024

Eric

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Limited has declared that there is no plan to reduce the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) aka petrol and Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) aka diesel.

The national oil company disclosed this through a statement on Wednesday by its Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Mr. Olufemi Soneye.

He said: “The NNPC Limited wishes to clarify rumours suggesting a price adjustment for Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) and Automotive Gas Oil (Diesel) at its retail stations nationwide.

“The company asserts that these reports are false and urges Nigerians to disregard them entirely.

“NNPC Ltd. reaffirms its commitment to sustaining the current sufficiency in petroleum products supply across all its retail stations in the country,” the statement added.