News
Dogara, Reps Speaker Canvasses for Federal Competition Commission
Yakubu Dogara, speaker of the House of Representatives, has said that the establishment of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, passed by the House will help pull Nigeria out of recession.
According to a statement signed by Turaki Hassan, his special adviser on Media and Publicity, Dogara stated that the two economic bills, Public Procurement amendment bill and Competition bill passed by the House are designed deliberately to midwife Nigeria out of recession.
“Competition regulation impacts positively on production of goods and services, they, in themselves, engender competition in an economy. Where you have an economy where key players, all players are not competing but colluding, there is no way that economy can deliver innovation because whether you compete or not, you can still sell your products with some kind of good profit, so you are not bothered about what goes on there,” he said.
Dogara maintained that for any market to deliver innovation, it must be competitive.
“The essence of this regulation, therefore, is to make our markets competitive in the sense that if you look at our markets, be it the telecommunications or the pay TV market, etc, consumers are dealing with a monopoly price and the reason is that there is no regulation guiding competition in our markets,” he added.
The Speaker stated that when established the commission will kick-start true competition in the market that may lead to lowering of prices and it will also have the capacity to engender innovation and make our markets competitive.
He also allayed fears that the Bill as passed by the House seeks to punish monopolies or those with considerable market power.
“That is not the essence of the Bill. As a matter of fact, some businesses are better carried out by a monopoly, but what the Bill seeks to achieve is to punish those who have powers of monopoly, or who have considerable market power in any given market, where they abuse that power,” he added.
The Speaker stated further , “If you act in a way that distorts competition in the market, whether you are a monopoly or not, you will be punished and on Consumer Rights, it proposes that anyone who contravenes any consumer rights commits an offence and is liable upon conviction to imprisonment of a term not exceeding five years or the payment of a fine not exceeding ten million naira (N10m).”
News
Legit.ng, Shade of Life Foundation Partner to Advance Autism Awareness in Nigeria
Legit.ng recently joined forces with the Shade of Life Foundation to become a voice of autism, and drive advocacy for improved media support during Autism Awareness Month.
Conversations around media support exploration was led by Joseph Omotayo, head of Department for Human Interest Stories at Legit.ng, and Dr. Eziafakaku Nwokolo, founder and CEO of the Shade of Life Foundation,
This partnership is a response to the concerns raised by organizations like the Shade of Life Foundation about the level of support received from the media in discussing autism as a disability.
While other disabilities may receive attention, autism, with its critical developmental implications often lacks adequate representation in mainstream media.
Recognizing the importance of addressing these concerns, Legit.ng took proactive steps by integrating itself into the essence of autism awareness.
It facilitated a one-hour workshop with Dr. Nwokolo, the founder of the foundation, to deepen our understanding of autism, its various spectrums, and the language boundaries associated with it.
Other steps we took in advocating autism awareness in the media, can be seen in our attached press release.
Legit.ng believes that by amplifying the voices of autism and advocating for better media representation, we can contribute to creating a more inclusive and accepting society for all.
News
As Nigeria Struggle, Tanzania Turns off Power Plants Due to Excess Supply
While 85 per cent of Nigeria is in darkness, Tanzania, an African country has shut down five hydroelectric stations in a bid to reduce excess electricity in the national grid.
Kassim Majaliwa, prime minister, Tanzania, has said the main plant, Mwalimu Nyerere Hydroelectric Station, alone generated enough electricity to power major cities, including Dar es Salaam, the country’s commercial hub.
It is the first time Tanzania, which suffers chronic power shortages, has closed hydroelectric stations due to excess production.
“We have turned off all these stations because the demand is low and the electricity production is too much, we have no allocation now,” an official from state-run power company, Tanesco, said.
The 2,115MW Julius Nyerere Hydropower Dam is said to be almost filled with water following heavy rains that started early this year.
Meanwhile, while the country has an installed capacity of 1,938MW and the grid installed capacity of 1,899MW, Nigeria which has an installed capacity of 13,000MW is struggling to electrify 85 per cent of its electricity consumers.
News
President Tinubu Appoints Jim Ovia as Student Loan Fund Chairman
President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Jim Ovia, renowned banker and businessman, as the Chairman, Board of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund.
Ovia’s appointment is contained in a State House statement titled, ‘President Tinubu appoints Jim Ovia as Chairman of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund,’ and issued on Friday by Ajuri Ngelale, special adviser to the President, Media & Publicity.
The statement noted that “Ovia is the founder of one of Nigeria’s leading banks and a respected business leader, with a surfeit of efforts and benefaction towards nurturing and empowering young Nigerians.
“He is an alumnus of Harvard Business School and holds a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Louisiana.”
The National Student Loan Programme is a pivotal intervention that seeks to guarantee sustainable higher education and functional skill development for all Nigerian students and youths.
The Nigerian Education Loan Fund, the implementing institution of this innovation, demands excellence and Nigerians of the finest professional ilk to guide and manage.
“The President believes Mr. Ovia will bring his immense wealth of experience and professional stature to this role to advance the all-important vision of ensuring that no Nigerian student suffers a capricious end to their pursuit of higher education over a lack of funds,” the statement partly read.
Ovia’s appointment will also ensure “that Nigerian youths, irrespective of who they are, have access to higher education and skills that will make them productive members of society and core contributors to the knowledge-based global economy of this century.”
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