Business
How Nigeria lost N1.4tr to waivers – Okonjo-Iwela
… Customs contradict Okonjo-Iweala
ABUJA – Nigeria lost N1.4 trillion through import duty waivers and concessions given in the last three years, according to documents from the Nigerian Customs Service, contradicting claims by the Finance Minister that N170.7 billion was lost in the period.
Mrs. Okonjo-Iwela had said in her response to the 50 questions by the House of Representatives that a total of N170.7 billion was conceeded through import duty waivers and exemptions in 2011-2013.
She said the amounts were N55.965 billion in 2011, N55.345 billion in 2012 and N59.4 billion in 2013.
But documents from the Customs, obtained by Daily Trust on Friday, reveal that a total of N1.435 trillion was lost through import duty waivers and concessions since 2011.
In 2011, about N480 billion was lost, through waiving N389 billion under the fuel, lubricants and similar products category for 149 beneficiaries, and N91 billion through other concessions to 290 companies.
The same amount of N480 billion was lost in 2012, with N288 billion going to companies trading in oil and similar products and the remaining N191 billion being lost through other concessions.
Another N474 billion was lost in 2013. The breakdown of that shows that N359 billion went to 80 oil firms while N114 billion was lost through concessions to another 287 companies.
The Customs documents indicate that about 65 percent of beneficiaries received the waiver/concessions for goods not approved by the government, which ordinarily should be limited to raw materials, machinery and spare parts.
The inclusion by the Finance Ministry of “other goods” in the categories eligible for concessions, according to the Customs, enabled finished goods that add no economic value to the country to be imported. These goods include fish, bullet-proof vehicles, kola nut, palm oil and others.
A spokesman for the Finance Ministry did not respond to questions emailed by Daily Trust yesterday, but he had said previously that, under the existing policy, import concessions are given as incentives to critical sectors for the greater good.
The Customs records show that the concessions in 2011-2013 were granted mostly to fuel dealers, with Conoil being the biggest beneficiary among them in 2013, with N53 billion.
Oando was next with N22 billion, followed by NIPCO Plc (N19 billion), Sahara Energy (N14 billion) and Folawiyo Energy (N12billion).
In 2011, the oil firm that benefited most was still Oando with N83 billion, followed by Capital Oil and Gas (N47 billion), Integrated Oil and Gas (N20 billion), Folawiyo Energy (N18 billion) and Sahara Energy (N14 billion).
The documents show that in 2012, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) was the biggest beneficiary, getting N80 billion in concessions, and Sopon Nigeria Ltd was the highest non-oil beneficiary in 2011, netting about N33 billion.
Coscharis Motors, which supplied Aviation Minister Stella Oduah’s controversial bulletproof cars and supplied 200 cars to the African First Ladies summit in 2012, received waivers of N400 million in 2011 and N698 million in 2013.
Other beneficiaries of import tax concessions include companies in the Dangote Group, the African First Ladies Peace Mission (AFLPM), Inspector General of Police, Chief of Army Staff, Central Bank of Nigeria, Bayelsa State government, Minister of Police Affairs, Nigerian Police Force, Sokoto State Government, Akwa Ibom State Government and the Watchtower Society.
N/Assembly to check abuses
When contacted on Monday, chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, Senator Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi (PDP, Kaduna), said they were aware that waivers that do not have any significant benefit to the ordinary man were being granted.
“We are aware of waivers based on returns made to our committee sometime last year. About 60 percent of it went to a single businessman and his business empire…. I don’t believe that the ordinary man derived significant benefit from (such waivers),” he said.
Makarfi said “there is also a bill that if promptly considered can be expanded to curtail such waivers. The way to deal with this issue is through legislation and it’s our collective responsibility to do so, not continuing investigations and investigations.”
He said documents from Customs show that in 2013 they had collection shortfall of N243.69 billion due many factors including waivers, concessions, duty exemptions and other policies.
Daily Trust sought to get the Finance Ministry’s reaction to the revelation in the Customs documents yesterday, but Mrs Okonjo-Iweala spokesman Paul Nwabuikwu did not respond to emailed questions.
However, Nwabuikwu had issued a statement on Friday in response to a story done by Sahara Reporters which said the minister understated the amounts lost to the import waivers in 2011-2013.
The statement said “the waivers and exemptions policy is a direct government intervention whose objective is to provide incentives to improve industrial competiveness and support job creation in the economy.
“This policy, also implemented by other emerging economies such as South Korea and Malaysia, was misapplied in the past through implementation in a manner that created an unlevel playing field and gave unfair advantage to some individuals.
“The policy was revised and strengthened starting 2012 and is now largely applied on a sectoral basis.
“Saharareporters arrived at the conclusion that the country has lost $9 billion because it considers every waiver granted by government to critical sectors such as manufacturing, agriculture, power, gas etc as fraudulent and as a loss to the nation.
“This implies that Saharareporters doesn’t understand government policy and the importance of giving incentives to industries. We do not share that view and there is no question of loss to the country when it is government policy. The policy choice is between customs revenue and incentive revenues for industries. The government chose the latter because we believe the country stands to gain more from the incentives.”
– DAILY TRUST
Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 3.46% year-on-year in the third quarter of 2024, marking a strong performance compared to the 2.54% growth recorded during the same period in 2023 and 3.19% in Q2 2024, according to the latest data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
The growth was largely fueled by the services sector, which expanded by 5.19% and contributed 53.58% to the overall GDP.
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“The performance of the GDP in the third quarter of 2024 was driven mainly by the services sector,” the NBS stated in its report.
Key areas in this sector, including financial institutions, telecommunications, and trade, played significant roles in the economy’s growth.
The agriculture sector, while still positive, showed a slight slowdown, growing by 1.14%, compared to 1.30% in Q3 2023.
The industrial sector, however, posted a notable recovery, increasing by 2.18%, a marked improvement from the 0.46% recorded in the same quarter of 2023.
In nominal terms, Nigeria’s GDP at basic price for Q3 2024 reached N71.13 trillion, a substantial 17.26% increase from the N60.66 trillion recorded in Q3 2023.
“This performance is higher when compared to the third quarter of 2023, which recorded an aggregate GDP of N60,658,600.37 million, indicating a year-on-year nominal growth of 17.26%,” the NBS added.
The non-oil sector also showed strong performance, growing by 3.37% in real terms during Q3 2024, outperforming the 2.75% growth seen in the same quarter of 2023 and exceeding the 2.80% growth recorded in Q2 2024.
“The sector was driven in the third quarter of 2024 mainly by financial and insurance (financial institutions); information and communication (telecommunications); agriculture (crop production); transportation and storage (road transport); trade; and construction, accounting for positive GDP growth,” the NBS explained.
Despite the growth in the non-oil sector, its share of the total GDP decreased slightly to 94.43%, compared to 94.52% in Q3 2023, though it remained higher than 94.30% in Q2 2024.
The oil sector, in contrast, recorded a 5.17% year-on-year growth in Q3 2024, reversing the -0.85% decline seen in the same period in 2023.
However, growth slowed from the 10.15% recorded in Q2 2024. The NBS reported that Nigeria’s oil production averaged 1.47 million barrels per day (mbpd) during the third quarter, a slight increase from 1.45 mbpd in Q3 2023 and 1.41 mbpd in Q2 2024.
Family-owned businesses (FOBs) can continue to drive economic success, create value for shareholders, and positively impact their communities worldwide by staying true to their core values and adopting strategic practices that prioritise long-term growth, efficiency, and resilience.
This was part of the submission made by the Group Executive Director of Dangote Industries Limited, Halima Aliko-Dangote, during the Forbes Global CEO Conference in Bangkok, Thailand.
Halima, who is also the Executive Director, Family Office, spoke at the panel session on Family Business: Looking at the Next Frontier, opined that family-owned businesses have demonstrated exceptional resilience, navigating challenges and thriving over multiple decades.
Other speakers include the Managing Director and CEO of Worldwide Hotels, Carolyn Choo; the Managing Director of Damen Yachting, Rose Damen, a third-generation family shareholder of Damen Shipyards Group; and Co-Chairman of B.GRIMM Pharma, President of B. Grimm Joint Venture, and Board Member of B. Grimm Power, Caroline Link.
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According to her, success in family-owned businesses starts with shared values, goals, governance policies and alignment adding that reputation is part of ‘family capital’.
She maintained that governance structure, adherence to core values, customer satisfaction, optimization of shareholder value, meritocracy, integrity, leadership, brand equity, diversification/growth, philanthropy and preserving generational wealth play key roles to the success of our businesses.
Halima revealed that Dangote Group’s governance policies do not allow board and management to operate in silos as each business unit has at least three independent directors who offer a holistic view.
On other factors of success for Dangote Group, Halima emphasized, “We family-owned businesses have to stick to our tradition of asset rich-cash moderate or as my father will correct me, asset rich-cash poor. We as Dangote perpetuate a profitable business with strong values and strong governance structure. We make money while building our nation by contributing heavily to the global economy, creating massive jobs, thinking of our great grand kids and contributing excessively to humanity.”
Highlighting the significant contribution of FOBs to the global economy, Halima noted that studies by Mckinsey showed that they account for more than 70% of global GDP, generate annual turnovers of between $60 trillion and $70 trillion, and provide around 60% of global employment.
She stressed the crucial role these businesses play in creating jobs, sustaining communities, and driving development in sectors such as manufacturing, education, healthcare, and infrastructure across the world.
“Family-owned businesses (FOBs) have proven to be resilient, weathering challenges and thriving across multiple decades. Despite facing external pressures, many FOBs not only survive but also grow, contributing significantly to the global economy in ways that are often underestimated or overlooked,” she said.
She also pointed out that family-owned businesses often employ two key approaches in preparing the next generation for leadership roles: internal and external capacity building. Regarding internal capacity building, Halima explained that many families create internship programmes for young family members interested in taking over the business or assuming leadership positions.
“In Nigeria, we train the next generation so they can grow organically to leadership roles in family businesses. My dad’s approach is for you to start from ground up knowing you will get to leadership role if you work hard and do your job right. These experiences make it easier for you to learn the ropes and be prepared for leadership role in the future,” she pointed out.
On external capacity building, Halima discussed the practice of sending younger generations to work in non-family businesses. This approach enables them to acquire new skills, learn better processes, and gain diverse perspectives that can benefit the family business in the long run.
Halima revealed that she started her career as an Analyst at KPMG before joining Dangote Industries Limited.
The approach, she explained “removes the familiarity tag as the young generation got employed as other people and supervised to monitor their performance. This has been a common avenue business families have chosen to pursue for many years, having their next generation spend three to five years working outside the family business before eventually joining with a new set of skills and business knowledge.”
Addressing the challenges of succession planning, Halima emphasised the importance of involving the younger generation in the business early on.
She suggested that this creates a space for open communication, where the next generation can share their thoughts, ideas, and aspirations, while the senior generation provides critical information to help the next leaders make informed decisions.
She stressed the need for a balance between tradition and innovation in family-owned businesses. While tradition provides continuity and stability, she noted that innovation is vital to staying relevant and competitive in the modern marketplace.
“Successful family businesses recognise the need to adapt to changing consumer preferences, technological advancements, and market trends. Family businesses often have a wealth of experience and deep-rooted traditions. They can also benefit from external expertise and fresh perspectives,” she concluded.
A total of 9,000 youths in the Niger Delta have acquired entrepreneurial skills under the LiveWIRE programme of The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) since it was introduced in 2003 as part of efforts to boost employment opportunities among people aged 18 – 35 years.
It was gathered that the recipients were trained and supported with start-up grants and business mentorship enabling them to launch their own businesses and become employers of labour.
The latest training, sponsored by the SPDC Joint Venture which includes the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, TotalEnergies and Nigerian Agip Oil Company, involved more than 1,000 young entrepreneurs from host communities in Rivers, Bayelsa and Delta states. They graduated last week in Port Harcourt having developed business plans and pitched them to experts as part of the training. 654 trainees were selected as best-performers.
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“We’re delighted at the success of the LiveWIRE programme,” SPDC Director and Head Corporate Relations, Igo Weli, said at the graduation ceremony. “This training is set aside for young people from our host communities which means they can also enjoy the benefits of the programme and join the teeming number of entrepreneurs, several of whom now have the chance to participate in SPDC’s business as vendors. LIveWIRE is one of many ways through which Shell and her partners are powering progress in Nigeria.”
The graduation ceremony featured a technical conference with the theme, “Unlocking Growth: Leveraging Policies to Build an Inclusive Tech Eco System in the Niger Delta.” The keynote speaker, Iyke Kemabonta, and panelists, Soala Jumbo, Davies Awongo, Kalada Briggs, Vivien Ene and Ezieke Amaefula, challenged the beneficiaries to grow their businesses, overcome environmental challenges and enable the Niger Delta to reap the rewards of the programme.
Trainees from the 2023 Regional LiveWIRE programme from Rivers, Delta, Bayelsa, Imo, Abia, Akwa Ibom, Cross River and Edo states also joined the graduation ceremony. Beneficiaries were inducted into the LiveWIRE Alumni Group by three previous participants who now run their own businesses — Precious Adeho, Queen Esther Bolou-Ebi and Kalada Briggs. The trio encouraged the recipients to use the opportunity as launching pads into international recognition and success.
In a notable achievement, five previous beneficiaries won the LiveWIRE International “Go and Trade Enterprise Linkage Award” which enabled them to embark on trade visits to London, Dubai, Malaysia, and neighboring Ghana. Livewire Nigeria also offers beneficiaries the chance to compete for the Global Shell LiveWIRE Top Ten Innovators Award which comes with huge rewards.
LiveWIRE is Shell’s global enterprise development initiative for small businesses and is active in 18 countries. As at 2023, the programme had trained about 3,400 people and helped create more than 1,200 jobs around the world.
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