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Services are powering growth than manufacturing- UNCTAD

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UN trade and development (UNCTAD) urges developing countries to look beyond  manufacturing-led exports as services are gaining more traction than manufacturing.

UNCTAD in its 2024  review,  noted: ” Service exports, now representing 25% of world trade, offer a bright spot amid a subdued global economic outlook.”

UNCTAD said that in 2023, trade in services expanded by 5% in real terms, contrasting a 1.2% contraction in merchandise trade, according to the Trade and Development Report 2024.

As a development strategy, services are gaining more traction than manufacturing, a longstanding growth engine for middle-income countries.

This is largely because the comparative advantage of cheaper, less-skilled labour no longer aligns with the reliance of modern manufacturing on skill- and capital-intensive production,” the report notes.

“Additionally, industrialization is increasingly scrutinized for its large ecological footprint and contributions to climate change.

” North-South gap risks widening The dawn of a service economy could be a game changer for developing countries, but not without challenges.

Currently, developing economies account for under 30% of global services export revenues and 44% of merchandise trade.

With services and intangible assets – such as brands, designs and patented technologies – getting prominence in global value chains, asymmetries between developed and developing regions could worsen.

Market concentration in the creative services trade is a case in point. In 2022, creative services were valued at $1.4 trillion, four fifths of which came from developed countries.

The predominance also manifests in the geography of multinational firms providing international services. In 2022, 70% of these companies were headquartered in developed regions, compared to just 10% in developing ones excluding China.

Recalibrating development strategies Current trade in services cannot generate enough quality jobs in developing countries, urging an ambitious policy mix towards green transition and promoting labour-absorbing activities, especially in the non-tradable services sectors.

Some examples can be construction, retail, various types of care work as well as the personal and public sectors that provide services consumed locally in the country or region where they are produced.

A three-pronged strategy could focus on:

• Encouraging lower-skill job creation by larger firms in non-tradable services.

• Providing public inputs and access to productivity-enhancing investments for smaller enterprises.

• Investing in technologies that complement, rather than replace, low-skilled workers in the services sectors.

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Tax Reform: I rented secret apartment after death threats –Oyedele

These are not small boys and girls,” he said. “They are big people with deep connections and resources. So naturally, they would resist any effort to block those illegal streams.

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Oyedele said that the threats began shortly after he announced a clampdown on more than 60 government agencies illegally collecting taxes and levies across the country.

Chairman of Nigeria’s Presidential Committee on Tax Policy and Fiscal Reforms, Taiwo Oyedele, has revealed that he was forced to flee his home and now lives in a secret location under armed police protection after receiving death threats linked to his tax reform efforts.

The Guardian reports that during a live radio interview on Nigeria Info FM, Oyedele said that the threats began shortly after he announced a clampdown on more than 60 government agencies illegally collecting taxes and levies across the country.

“I had to pack out of my house,” he said. “I rented a place in a secret location where I now live. I’m not the kind of person who wants anybody carrying a gun to follow me around, but I had to accept mobile police protection.”

”Oyedele, a former Africa Tax Lead at PwC, has led the drive to simplify and clean up Nigeria’s tax system.

He described the backlash as unexpected but driven by powerful individuals who had turned tax collection into a personal revenue stream.

“These are not small boys and girls,” he said. “They are big people with deep connections and resources. So naturally, they would resist any effort to block those illegal streams.”

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Dangote Refinery Planning 1.6m Barrels Fuel Storage Tanks in Namibia

The storage tanks would be used to supply petrol and diesel to Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

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Dangote petroleum refinery will construct storage tanks in Namibia to hold at least 1.6 million barrels of petrol and diesel to supply refined fuel to southern Africa.

Reuters reports that the storage tanks would be used to supply petrol and diesel to Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Dangote was also considering supplying fuel to southern Democratic Republic of Congo, the sources said.

It was not immediately clear how much the project would cost, but the second source said construction of the storage tanks would begin shortly in the port city of Walvis Bay.

The move underscores the refinery’s ambition to dominate fuel supply in Africa and beyond, potentially reshaping energy trade flows in the region and boosting access to refined products for southern African nations.

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UBA Announces Strategic Expansion into Key Markets Across Africa

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UBA Group senior executives have concluded the Group’s Half Year Business Review, which was held at the global headquarters in Lagos Nigeria.

UBA Group Managing Director/CEO, Oliver Alawuba, brought together executives responsible for UBA’s twenty-four countries of operation.

He said “the gathering was an opportunity to restate the Group’s pan-African strategy, and commitment to further expanding the Group’s coverage across high potential markets across Africa, while also deepening its operations in its existing twenty African presence markets.

“With over 51.7% of Group revenues from ex Nigerian operations, UBA’s journey to being Africa’s most diversified financial services group was clearly in evidence.”

The international strategic intent reinforces with the Group’s intention to deliver innovative financial solutions to its fast-growing global customer base.

The strategy demonstrates UBA’s unique position as Africa’s global bank and ability to leverage growth opportunities in emerging and leading African markets.

The Group commenced its Pan African journey, with its entry into Ghana in 2004, followed by rapid expansion into 18 additional African markets.

Today, as a resilient and future-focused institution, UBA continues to push boundaries by connecting Africa to the world and the world to Africa.

Mr Alawuba highlighted the Group’s expansion plans, disclosing that the Group is excited about the vast opportunities that the new markets present, a testament to UBA Group’s confidence in the African economy, providing world-class banking services that meet the continent’s evolving needs.

He noted that: “UBA’s vision is clear – we are building a truly global institution anchored in Africa, but serving customers across continents”.

“Further strategic expansion positions us to unlock new opportunities, support intra-Africa trade, and deliver world-class banking experiences wherever our clients choose to do business,” Alawuba said.

“In Europe, UBA has operations in the United Kingdom and upgrading its license in France, expanding its capacity to serve cross-border trade, investment flows, and the African diaspora, complementing our over 40-year presence in NY.”

These moves signal a clear message of UBA’s intent to reshape the competitive landscape”, Alawuba further said.

As part of the Group’s plan to expand its global presence, UBA, in January, announced plans to open operations in Saudi Arabia.

Operating in twenty African countries and the United Kingdom, the United States of America, France and the United Arab Emirates, UBA provides retail, commercial and institutional banking services, leading financial inclusion and implementing cutting edge technology.

United Bank for Africa is one of the largest employers in the financial sector on the African continent, with 25,000 employees’ group wide and serving over 45 million customers globally.

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