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D-8 Countries pledge support for Nigeria’s power sector reforms

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The D-8 Countries on Wednesday pledged their support for the power sector reforms in Nigeria.

Ms Herietta Ighomorore, Head Corporate Communication, Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc. (NBET), said this in a statement in Abuja.

Ighomorore quoted Amb. Isiaka Imam, the Secretary-General of the D-8 Countries Organisation for Economic Cooperation, as making the pledge when he  visited the management of NBET.

She said that the D-8, also known as Developing-8, is an organisation for development cooperation.

The D-8 countries are : Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkey.

According to her, some member states of the D-8 have successfully implemented reforms in their respective electricity and energy sectors, Turkey, Egypt and Iran have a combined total installed electricity capacity of over 240,000 MWs.

Imam assured NBET management of the commitment of the D-8 Organisation Secretariat to provide support and all necessary assistance toward facilitating collaboration among the D-8 countries for sustainable development and growth.

He commended the managing director of NBET for his commitment and resilience in managing the financial transactions and contract administration in the Nigeria Electricity Supply Industry (NESI).

According to him, both parties are optimistic of the immense opportunities in the Nigerian Power Sector and pledged to collaborate for sustainable development of the sector.

”Nigeria can leverage on the learning experience from these countries to develop its electricity market,” he said.

Earlier, the Managing Director of NBET, Mr Nnaemeka Ewelukwa, acknowledged the mutual relation and cooperation between both organisations.

He also acknowledged the organisation’s support in facilitating collaboration among the D-8 member countries, especially in the area of energy development and economic growth.

Ewelukwa said that leveraging on NBET recent Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Energy Exchange of Instanbul (EXIST), it was set to implement series of actions toward a quick turnaround of improvements in NESI.

He reiterated the Federal Government of Nigeria’s commitment and support in improving electricity generation and distribution in the country.

According to him, the current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari has demonstrated strong political will and commitment in ensuring steady progress and development of the power sector.

”This is evident by the implementation of the Power Sector Recovery Programme and other interventions being implemented in the sector.

”With a sense of urgency, NBET is poised to collaborate with other D-8 countries in areas of technical and knowledge exchange toward enabling sustainable development in the NESI,” he said.

D-8

D-8 tasks members on prioritising agriculture, food security

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The Developing-8 Organisation for Economic Cooperation (D-8) has called on its Member States to prioritise agriculture and food security for sustainable growth.

The countries are Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkey.

This is contained in a statement by Mr Ilham Uludag, Research Analyst and Press Secretary at D-8 on Saturday.

The statement was issued against the backdrop of the seventh D-8 ministerial meeting on Agriculture sectors, including Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) hosted by Bangladesh from Jan. 12 to 13, 2022.

The D-8 was established on June 15, 1997, for economic cooperation among eight countries.

The objectives of the D-8 are to improve member states’ position in the global economy, diversify and create new opportunities in trade relations, enhance participation in decision-making at the international level and improve standards of living.

According to the statement, the meeting themed: “Promotion of CSA” identified agriculture to be a key issue for the D-8 Member States, Ministers of Agriculture, Forestry and Food.

“The delegates from the Member States underscored the need to place agriculture and food security at the front burner of development agenda.

“D-8 calls on the Member States to prioritise development agenda and to purse it vigorously at all levels.

“The project is aimed at boosting the capacity of farmers among the Member States in collaborative research and implementing agriculture of Bangladesh.

“Rural communities in D-8 countries are to improve their agricultural production systems towards achieving targets,’’ the statement said.

It further stated that the ministerial declaration “Dhaka Initiatives” was adopted at the meeting to ensure the implementation of the CSA goals.

It identified such goals as track indicators/sub-indicators regarding sustainable agriculture and exploring opportunities for partnership among D-8 countries.

Other goals include scaling up CSA programmes, technologies and farming systems, food and nutrition security, crop intensification, increased farm income and livelihood practice under SDG-2, to move effectively and promote CSA in the D-8.

The meeting was attended by The Secretary-General of D-8, Amb. Isiaka Imam, as well as stakeholders from International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT).

Others were representatives from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI).

The objectives of D-8 are to improve member states’ position in the global economy, diversify and create new opportunities in trade relations, enhance participation in decision-making at the international level and improve standards of living.

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Nigerian becomes Secretary-General of D-8

Nigeria’s Amb. Isiaka Imam has assumed office as the Secretary-General of the D-8 Organisation for Economic Cooperation in Istanbul, Turkey.

This is contained in a statement issued on Wednesday in Abuja by the D-8 country office in Nigeria.

According to the statement, it is Nigeria’s turn to take the helm of affairs of the intergovernmental organisation.

It stated: “It is the turn of Nigeria to take the helm of affairs of the intergovernmental organisation, therefore, Imam assumes duty as Secretary-General of D-8 based on principle of rotation in alphabetic order.

“This is in consonance with article 9.3 of the D-8 Charter, which stipulates that the Secretary-General shall be appointed on recommendation by the Council of Ministers.”

It also stated that Imam’s emergence was by consensus from among the nationals of the Member States and approval by the Summit for a non-renewable four-year term.

According to the statement, the position was accorded the Nigerian in accordance with the principle of rotation in alphabetic order with due consideration for competence, integrity, and experience.

“The Secretary-General will be of the rank of Ambassador in the diplomatic service of the Member State,” it stated.

Imam, a retired Ambassador, who hails from Ilorin, Kwara, joined the Nigeria Foreign Service in 1993.

He served in different capacities at the Nigerian Mission in Jeddah; Saudi Arabia; Pretoria; South Africa; Tokyo, Japan; and Brasilia, Brazil, respectively.

He was conferred with the title of Ambassador in-situ by President Muhammadu Buhari in Council in 2020, who also approved his nomination as Secretary-General of D-8 in 2021.

According to the statement, it is pertinent to underscore that the D-8, founded in 1997, is an intergovernmental organisation that comprise Bangladesh; Egypt; Indonesia; Iran; Malaysia; Nigeria; Pakistan; and Turkey.

The aspiration of the D-8 is to become an economic powerhouse that will promote sustainable development of its member states to become major actors in the global economic system.

“The recent development is critical to Nigeria as the office of the Secretary-General of the D-8, during this tenure, will provide Nigeria with a veritable platform to achieve President Buhari’s economic diversification agenda.

“Through trade cooperation largely driven by the non-oil sector and partnerships in other priority areas of comparative advantage,” the statement added.

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D-8 Economic Cooperation moves to improve living standards

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The D-8 Organisation for Economic Cooperation will continue to foster result-oriented approach through its founding principles, to improve living standards of citizens of member countries.

D-8 was established on June 15, 1997 for economic cooperation among eight countries – Turkey, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, and Nigeria.

The Secretary-General of D-8, Mr Dato’ Ku Jaafar Ku Shaari, said this in his address on Tuesday in  Istanbul, to commemorate the 24th Anniversary  of the organisation.

“D-8 will continue to move forward with result-oriented and action-based approach in line with targets of  founding father of the D-8, Prof. Necmettin Erbakan and other leaders of the organisation.

“Our aim is to work within framework of founding principles of peace, dialogue, cooperation, justice, equality and democracy, to improve developing countries’ positions in the world economy.

“To diversify and create new opportunities in trade relations, enhance participation in decision-making at the international level and provide better standard of living for our people.”

He commended Erbakan’s initiative to have resulted in establishment of the D-8 during the Summit of Heads of State/Government of member countries on June 15, 1997, at Çırağan-Palace, Istanbul, Turkey.

He described the organisation as a veritable global infrastructure of multilateral cooperation, saying it would continue to make its name heard,  based on potential to increase its effectiveness.

“Since establishment, the D-8 has succeeded in making its name heard and playing an active role in the global arena with commendable initiatives it has introduced and cooperation among its Member States.

“The D-8 Member States have huge potentials in economic and social terms; currently the organisation command’s a combined GDP of about four trillion dollars and a total population of 1.16 billion.

“They also account for almost five per cent of the global GDP; the total trade volume of the D-8 Member States is 1.6 trillion dollars, which entails 4.5 per cent of the total trade volume of the whole world.

“50 per cent of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation’s total trade comes from D-8; intra-trade has increased from 15 billion dollars  in 1997 to about 111 billion dollars in 2018,” Ku Shaari said.

The secretary-general explained that the organisation had executed programmes that cut across trade to industry, transportation to tourism, health to technology.

He mentioned such activities to include payment system, health and social protection programme, network of pioneers for research and innovation, technology transfer and exchange network, among others.

He, however, said that D-8 signed MoUs with international organisations and institutions to advance its activities and ensure  the welfare and living standards of citizens of the Member States.

The objectives of D-8 are to improve member states’ position in the global economy, diversify and create new opportunities in trade relations, enhance participation in decision-making at international level, and improve standards of living.