Economy
ICT Growth in Nigeria’s Economy Excites Pantami
Dr Isa Pantami, Minister of Communications and Digital Economy is delighted that the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector has recorded the highest growth rate of all sectors of the Nigerian economy.
Pantami said this was based on the fourth quarter of 2020 (Q4 2020) and the entire year 2020 report on Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) released on Thursday by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
Dr Femi Adeluyi, Technical Assistant (Information Technology) to the Minister, made this known in a statement on Friday in Abuja.
According to him, the NBS Nigeria’s GDP grew by 0.11 per cent (year-on-year) in real terms in the fourth quarter of 2020, representing the first positive quarterly growth in the last three quarters.
“This indicates that we have strongly exited recession. In real terms, the non-oil sector contributed 94.13 per cent to the nation’s GDP in Q4 2020 as opposed to the 5.87 per cent contributed to total real GDP by the oil sector.
“It is noteworthy that the ICT sector grew by 14.70 per cent in Q4 2020, making it the fastest growing sector of the Nigerian economy in the last quarter and the only sector to have grown by double digits.
“The ICT sector grew at a rate more than four times the Agriculture sector, which was the next fastest growing sector of Q4 2020, with a growth rate of 3.42 per cent.
“The ICT sector also maintained its rapid growth rate in the overall year 2020 assessment, growing at 12.90 per cent, or over three times the Water Supply, Sewerage, Waste Management and Remediation sector, which was next fastest growing sector of 2020 with a growth rate of 3.81 per cent.”
The minister said that the ICT sector was the only sector with a double digit growth rate.
Furthermore, he said that the telecommunications sector recorded a growth rate of 15.90 per cent, its highest growth rate in the last 10 years, and this performance was unprecedented.
Pantami said the giant strides recorded in the ICT sector were a direct result of the focused and committed effort of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
“The strategic policy directions of the Federal Government include the National Digital Economy Policy for a Digital Nigeria and the Nigerian National Broadband Plan amongst others.
“The GDP report has shown that the ICT sector is a catalyst for the diversification and growth of our economy.
He, however, urged all sectors to take advantage of the government’s new focus on the digital economy to enable and improve their processes through the use of ICT.
The minister congratulated all stakeholders of the ICT sector and urged them to continue supporting the government’s policies, as this would enhance the output of all the sectors of the economy and boost Nigeria’s GDP. (NAN)
The Nigerian Exchange Ltd. (NGX) continued its bullish trend on Wednesday, gaining N183 billion.
Accordingly, the market capitalisation, which opened at N59.532 trillion, gained N184 billion or 0.31 per cent to close at N59.715 trillion.
The All-Share Index also added 0.31 per cent or 303 points, to settle at 98,509.
68, against 98,206. 97 recorded on Tuesday.Consequently, the Year-To-Date (YTD) return increased to 31.
74 per cent.Gains in Aradel Holdings, Zenith Bank, United Bank For Africa(UBA), Oando Plc, Nigerian Breweries among other advanced equities drove the market performance up.
Market breadth closed positive with 34 gainers and 17 losers.
On the gainers’ chart, Africa Prudential, Conoil and RT Briscoe led by 10 per cent each to close at N14.30, N352 and N2.42 per share, respectively.
Golden Guinea Breweries followed by 9.95 per cent to close at N7.18, while NEM Insurance rose by 9.74 per cent to close at N10.70 per share.
On the other hand, Julius Berger led the losers’ chart by 10 per cent to close at N155.25, Secure Electronic Technology Plc trailed by 9.52 per cent to close at 57k per share.
Multiverse lost 7.63 per cent to close at N5.45, Haldane McCall dropped 6.07 per cent to close at N4.95 and Honeywell Flour shed 5.62 per cent to close at N4.70 per share.
Analysis of the market activities showed trade turnover settled lower relative to the previous session, with the value of transactions down by 49.44 per cent.
A total of 320.10 million shares valued at N6.48 billion were exchanged in 7,943 deals, compared with 939.41 million shares valued at N12.81billion traded in 9,098 deals posted in the previous session.
Meanwhile, ETranzact led the activity chart in volume with 70.27 million shares, while Aradel led in value of deals worth N1.22 billion.(NAN)
The central parity rate of the Chinese currency renminbi, or the Yuan, weakened 22 pips to 7.1870 against the dollar on Monday.This is according to the China Foreign Exchange Trade System.In China’s spot foreign exchange market, the Yuan is allowed to rise or fall by two per cent from the central parity rate each trading day.
The central parity rate of the Yuan against the dollar is based on a weighted average of prices offered by market makers before the opening of the interbank market each business day. (Xinhua/NAN)
Arewa Youths Initiative for Energy Reforms (AYIFER), has urged Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) to do everything possible to bring Kaduna Refinery back into operation.
National Coordinator of the group, Mr Bashir Al’Amin, stated this in a statement issued on Friday in Abuja.
Al’Amin specifically called on the Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL, Mallam Mele Kyari, to do all within his powers to rejuvenate the refinery and bring it up to global standard.
He said that having delivered the Port Harcourt refinery, coupled with the establishment of Dangote Refinery in Lagos, attention should be shifted to Kaduna refinery for easy spread of petroleum products.
“We are calling on Malam Mele Kyari to expedite action on Kaduna refinery so we can be at par with other regions in the country.
“We equally beg the NNPCL to do professional work in rehabilitating the old refinery and deliver a standard and functional petrochemical refinery and not a blending plant.
“Kyari should resist any temptation that could make him do something that can jeopardise his good image,” he said.
Al’Amin said that since the extinction of groundnut pyramid and textiles in Kano State as well as PAN in Kaduna State and with the Kaduna refinery getting moribund, a lot of youths had lost their jobs.
According to him, all their hopes in the north are tied to the legacy refinery, expressing the hope that God would use Kyari to deliver it well and on time.
He said that the group was solidly behind NNPCL in prayer and would be ready to celebrate the company if its expectations were met. (NAN)
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