The Nation Newspaper

Category: Consumer Watch

  • NIPOST restructures

    NIPOST restructures

    The Nigeria Postal Service, NIPOST, has finally been restructured to make its service delivery more efficient and run on learner resources. It has collapsed its 38- territory structure and in its place put a seven-zone structure in place.

    The new structure which is with immediate effect also restructured the postal organisation into six business commercial units, including e-commerce department in order to take advantage of emerging business trends.

    Under the new arrangement, each of the six geopolitical zones of the country constitutes a zone in NIPOST. Lagos stands as a zone because of the volume of business that is handled in the area which formerly had two territories.

    The Postmaster-General of the Federation, Mr. Bisi Adegbuyi, who announced the new development in a circular, appointed Mr. Udo Ekong as Zonal Manager, in charge of Enugu; Mr. A.E Abiyangha, Zonal Manager, Ibadan; and Mr. Iroamachi, Zonal Manager, Lagos.

    Others are Mr. Adebola Ayeni, Zonal Manager, Kaduna; Mr Stephen Mbaya, Zonal Manager, Abuja; Mr. Egwu I. Egwu, Zonal Manager, Bauchi and Mr. Usman Danlami, Zonal Manager, Benin.

    According to Adegbuyi, “The restructuring is in line with the principle of delegation and devolution of powers to enable NIPOST run in a more efficient manner to engender operational efficiency, better service delivery, diversification and inclusive growth process by all the members of staff of the organisation.”

    He added that the zonal structure will make decision-taking easier as the powers to take critical decision for the good of the business.

    To man the new six business commercial units which were created in line with the reform geared towards operational efficiency and sustained growth are Mr. Wambai Yahaya, G.M Mails; Mr. Taiye Ajayi, GM Counter Services; Mr. Rufai Yahaya, GM EMS/Parcel Services; Mr. George Ngidi, GM Properties and Workshops; Mr. Osube Backshaw, GM e-Commerce and Logistics, and Mohammed Makhtar, GM Financial Services.

    The zonal managers and managers of the business units would be given revenue targets that they are expected to make, as well as create new services and seek how to deeper always existing ones.

  • Zoto hits one million users

    Zoto, Nigeria’s fastest growing mobile payment startup, is giving out free credit to new and existing users as it reaches the big milestone of one million users. The mobile app was also trending as No.1 app in the Android app store under the shopping category.

    Zoto users have showered all their love to help them achieve the one million milestone. Zoto is celebrating the milestone by giving away free airtime worth N500 as a small token of its appreciation. All existing and new users of Zoto Mobile application will be eligible for the N500 free airtime with immediate effect and for a short period of time.

    Reiterating the company’s commitment of adding values and ensuring convenience and safety, co-founder, Oshone Ikazoboh, assured that Zoto mobile app is as safe as a bank channel, saying, “This is a Nigerian home-grown brand that is certified by CBN and backed by a strong team of engineers using global norms to ensure safety of each recharge made on it. The user interface is built to add ease and simplicity to recharge experience.”

    Chief Executive Officer Vipul Sharma said, “Zoto and team would like to say BIG THANK you to our users for all their love and trust showered by them on us. We promise to continue to innovate in making the payment experience for mobile recharge and bill payments, the fastest, easiest and most rewarding. We believe we have just started and the team is excited about the new services we plan to launch in the coming months.”

  • Unilever, NDA walk to promote oral hygiene

    Ahead of the 2017 celebration of World Oral Health Day on Monday members of the Nigeria Dental Association (NDA), employees of Unilever Nigeria Plc, dental practitioners, and stakeholders took to the street of Lagos for their annual Oral Health Walk at the weekend.

    The walk is to sensitise Nigerians on the need to brush their teeth twice daily with fluoride toothpaste like Pepsodent.

    The Pepsodent Oral Health Walk which kicked-off from Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi Araba through to Ojuelegba  is in line with the activities leading up to celebrate this year’s World Oral Health Day Celebration themed “Live Mouth Smart.”

    “The oral health walk is part of Unilever’s vision to help millions of Nigerian families adopt the best oral health practices,” said Ibironke Ugbaja, Oral Care Category Lead, Unilever Nigeria.

    “Since the launch of the Pepsodent Oral Health Schools program in 2014, Unilever Nigeria has so far reached 2.5 million Nigerian children directly in over 3,500 public primary schools with products (toothpaste and toothbrushes) educational materials and a 21-days oral hygiene program, teaching them to imbibe the culture of brushing twice-daily using a fluoride containing toothpaste such as Pepsodent. Our goal is to reach 10 million children by 2020,” she concluded.

    Sensitisation materials, Pepsodent toothpaste and toothbrushes were handed over to commuters and residents within the neighbourhood of the areas covered by the health walk.

    Addressing journalists during the walk, the President, Nigerian Dental Association, Dr. Olabode Ijarogbe said: “The health work is part of efforts to prevent and check the spread of oral diseases.”

    He further emphasised that “it is imperative that Nigerians brush twice a day and the annual health walk is one of the ways we create awareness about oral hygiene and its importance.”

  • Questions for Haier Thermocool over internal leakage in freezers

    Questions for Haier Thermocool over internal leakage in freezers

    Conspicuously below the company’s name, Haier Thermocool, is a rider ‘Always There For You’; addressing customers directly. That is one of the brand’s selling points. That is one of the promises that draw consumers like bees to the brand.

    But are they there for customers? They Awere not there for Mrs. Theresa Njoku, Bassey, Uche and many more, who after spending so much have been denied the satisfaction of the products they bought.

    On the company’s website, www.thermocool.com.ng/repair-servicing, they proudly stated, “At Thermocool, we are always there for you. No matter what you need help with, our dedicated customer service team are available to support you”.

    Perusing further, “If your product is out of its warranty period, any costs associated with the repairs will be agreed with you before any work takes place”.

    Further down the line, the company states boldly, “No matter the problem, our trained team will work with you to agree a solution. At Thermocool we are always there for you”.

    However, it seems those services are offered only on the company’s website as in reality, it seems not to exist.

    Mrs. Theresa Njoku, on the 15th of August 2012, bought a HTF 146 Thermocool Chest freezer directly from the company’s office at Plot 1, Block B Isolo, Apapa-Oshodi Expressway, Toyota bus stop. “There are many retail shops selling the brand in my area but I decided to buy directly from the company in order to avoid fake products and buy an original product that will last, but how wrong I am,” regretted the bitter consumer.

    Narrating her ordeal, Njoku said that the freezer which came with a 3-year warranty stopped cooling last month, just barely four years after usage. She said she decided to take it back to the company instead of a road side technician so as to get the real solution.

    Being aware that it no longer has warranty, she took enough money to make sure she pays for the cost of repairs. As her car was not big enough to accommodate the freezer, she hired a vehicle, all in a bid to get to the manufacturer and get professional services.

    However, on getting to the company’s Service Centre along  Apapa- Oshodi Expressway, Toyota bus stop, with the freezer, last Monday, March 10th,  after the freezer had been checked by the company’s technician, she was informed by a lady official identified as Mariam that the freezer was not cooling because it had internal leakage.

    Baffled, Njoku asked for more clarifications and what could have caused the internal leakage. She was informed by Mr. Ade, another official of the company, that it was due to an internal pipe that ruptured because of electric power fluctuations, the type of material or any other thing.

    Listening to the explanations, Njoku pointed out that the problem was manufacturer’s defect as superior standard pipe was not used in making the freezer in the first place and as such the company should not have even put it out for sale.

    In any case, as she wanted her freezer repaired  by the so-called trained technicians and having incurred so much cost conveying it from her home in Alimosho LGA to Isolo, she asked them to repair it as she was ready to pick the cost. That was when the bubble burst.

    To her consternation, Mariam told her that the company does not repair freezers with internal leakage. On what to do, the lady official told her that she has to take it back home. Does taking it back home solve the problem? Looking for succour or support from somewhere else, she went back to Ade who is obviously a more senior official, but to her dismay, he repeated the same thing the lady official said.

    Struggling to comprehend what they said, she listened to Ade further explain that due to the challenges of rectifying problems associated with internal leakage in freezer the company made a policy not to work on them.

    “If the manufacturer of a product, who knows the product and has the spare parts cannot repair it, who else can?” Njoku asked the duo of Mariam and Ade. “Is it the road side technician she has been trying to run away from?”

    Exasperated, she demanded to speak to a more senior official but was given only the Customer careline, 07008437662665. Calling the number, a lady who said her name was Ifeoma responded without giving any satisfactory solution.

    Seeing her predicament and wanting to take advantage of the situation, some of the company’s technicians approached her to solve the problem privately for her if she would pay N40,000.

    According to them, they will replace the aluminium pipe the company used with a superior copper pipe. What a shame, within the premises of Thermocool Service Centre?

    Njoku was disappointed that a big brand cannot live up to expectations of customers but is instead creating avenues and encouraging their technicians to exploit customers even within the company’s premises.

    Littered within the Service Centre premises were many of the company’s products which aggrieved customers brought back for repairs.

    Mostly visible were fridges and freezers of various sizes. The ones still going through repairs were inside the warehouse while those beyond repair were stacked outside within the premises. Major problem of those products was internal leakage.

    Further enquiries from the technicians revealed that most of the abandoned freezers and fridges were from the fortunate customers who noticed the internal leakage while the product warranty was still active.

    That much Njoku gathered from Ade who explained to her that sometimes there may be out right exchange if a product still has warranty.

    “But that is a very bad way to treat a customer,” said Engineer Abel Okie, Head of Operations, of a manufacturing multinational company operating in Nigeria. “In my company, as long as that customer took the pains of bringing the product back, we would not let her go without working out a solution. At worst, we will give her another brand new freezer and demand she pays a little extra.

    “Freezer is not something you buy every other day. It is not shoe or cloth. It is not a product you just discard. They are manufactured to be durable. It’s not something you use for one or two years and discard, so the people saying you should take it back home should go for more training in customer service.”

    Meanwhile, the last has not been heard of the story as Njoku is not cowing down. We will keep you abreast as the story unfolds. Please we will appreciate it if you can share similar experiences with us.

    Follow us on our Facebook, Consumer watch-The Nation and also on Twitter; @jillokeke

  • CPC commences investigation of Fanta and Sprite as NBC’s assure consumers

    The Consumer Protection Council (CPC) has instituted an investigation into the safety of addictives in Nigerian Bottling Company’s Fanta and Sprite with a view to safeguarding consumers.

    The Council’s action came on the heels of a recent court judgment which alleged that consumption of Fanta and Sprite, two products of Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC), could be harmful if taken with Vitamin C, the Consumer Protection Council (CPC) has instituted an investigation into the issue with a view to safeguarding consumers.

    Announcing the Council’s position to the media on Thursday, CPC’s Director General, Mrs. Dupe Atoki, pointed out that the investigation became inevitable in view of the safety issue raised by the judgment.

    Mrs. Atoki  stated that the Council “is keenly interested and extremely concerned about the questions that have arisen from, and on account of this judgement”, adding that “as such upon the discoveries therein, the CPC is launching a broad and detailed investigation as a matter of urgency”.

    The director general hinted that the key questions in the investigation would include “Is Sprite/Fanta at the time of production potentially harmful to consumers when consumed with Vitamin C? If yes, what is NBC’s obligation to consumers and has NBC fully discharged that obligation?”, adding that “pursuant to the Consumer Protection Council Act, the Council is interested in discovering what steps if any, NBC took after the testing and confiscation of Fanta and Sprite by the United Kingdom’s authorities”.

    While fielding questions from journalists at the press conference, Mrs. Atoki asserted that it would be hasty for CPC to make any categorical directive to consumers on the products without carrying out the necessary investigations.

    She disclosed that the Council had already engaged NBC in furtherance of the investigation, stating that the bottling company has been given seven days to respond to “us because we asked them for a lot of documentation.

    “We want to be free and fair. We do not want to base our decisions on what someone else has analysed. We have given them seven days within which to provide this information. And let me say that this will also involve us inviting experts to testify as to the various components and the effect on the consumers” Mrs. Atoki stated.

    On the time frame for the investigation, she said: “To say that it will take two to three weeks or even a month, I may not be able to say so, but because of the urgency, we will fast track all the processes and come to a very quick conclusion”.

    Meanwhile, NBC has allayed concerns over benzoic acid in soft drinks.

    According to the company in a statement, it said there has been some misleading information on the saftey of benzoic and ascorbic acids as ingredients in soft drinks.in some Media reports.

    “In the judgement delivered on February 15, 2017 in a suit involving Fijabi Adebo Holdings Limited & Dr. Emmanuel Fijabi Adebo v. Nigerian Bottling Company Limited (NBC) & National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), the Lagos High Court dismissed all claims against NBC and held that the company had not breached its duty of care to consumers and that there was no proven case of negligence against it”stated the Soft drink company.”

    NBC also noted in the same Statement that. “In the same judgement, the court directed NAFDAC to mandate NBC to include a warning on its bottles of Fanta and Sprite that its contents cannot be taken with Vitamin C as same become poisonous if taken with Vitamin C. This order was premised on the fact that the products contain the preservative, benzoic acid. NBC has since appealed this order.

    The Soft Drint Company further stated that the wrong perception emanating from the media reports that “our Fanta and Sprite beverages which are fully compliant with all national and international food quality and safety standards are unsafe, simply because their levels of Benzoic acid were not within the UK standards, is not only unfounded but also undermines the entire food and beverage industry in Nigeria which is regulated by the same ingredient levels approved by NAFDAC and other regulatory bodies for the country”.The company assured consumers and members of the public of their unwavering commitment to product quality, safety and customer satisfaction.

  • SON to tyre users: Beware!

    SON to tyre users: Beware!

    Mrs. Ebere Okoye bought four brand new 15 rim tyres from a man simply identified as Emma from his shop at No. 38 Fatai Atere Way, Mushin, Lagos, as she prepared to travel home for the Christmas.

    On the fateful day, her driver gripping the steering wheel of the Honda Accord car with confidence calculated that at a steady speed of 100 kilometres per hour, he would be able to enter Onitsha under six hours barring any incidence especially as the car has been fitted with brand new tyres.

    He had gone to a professional to fit the tyres and, immediately after, took the car for wheel balancing and alignment just to make sure that everything was perfect as he was embarking on the long journey with a family of four.

    Leaving home as early as 5a.m in order to beat traffic hold ups, he was happy that after about three hours, he was almost at Ore, Ondo State. But all of a sudden, he heard a big burst and everyone in the car screamed ‘Jesus’ out of fear.

    Alarmed and gripping the steering hard, without applying brakes, he managed successfully to steer the car off the highway. Relieved that no further damage was done, they successfully got a vulcaniser after about 45minutes. After changing the burst tyre with the spare, they continued the journey though very apprehensive and mindful that they had no spare tyre now.

    At Ore town, they had to buy another spare tyre at a very exorbitant price. The question on the mind of every occupant of the car was: how could a brand new tyre bought just a week ago burst just like that?

    As he continued the journey, just after Benin Bye Pass, he heard a big blast, intimating him that one of the rear tyres has gone burst. Pulling over, to his surprise and chagrin, he realised it was one of the new ones that was recently bought and not even the spare tyre.

    The third tyre went burst on Niger Bridge. Out of annoyance, Okoye searched through her bag and pulled out the receipt she was issued when she bought the tyres. In annoyance, she called Emma threatening to get him arrested anytime she gets back to Lagos. Feigning surprise, the seller explained that other people that bought the tyres did not complain and that even if the tyres were substandard that he did not manufacture them.

    Just last week, Engineer Kester Ajayi left his house in Surulere in his Mercedes car to his office at Alausa, Ikeja. Not up to five minutes of driving along Ikorodu Road, one of his front tyres which he attested to be brand new went burst, causing the car to somersault several times before finally resting on its side. The only occupant, Ajayi, sustained injuries.

    Most of us are quite familiar with the story of Chief James Ocholi, the former Minister of State for Labour who died with his wife and son as a result of an accident occasioned by a burst tyre.

    Explaining how the minister, his wife and his 20-year-old son died, Kaduna State Sector Commander of FRSC, Francis Udoma, said the rear tyre of the SUV they were travelling in went burst, while the vehicle skidded off the road and somersaulted several times into the bush. The minister and his son died on the spot while the wife died later in hospital.

    Okoye, her family and Ajayi were lucky, but the minister, his family and many others were not lucky. The stories are endless.

    The Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has been on their toes trying to curb and stop the importation and smuggling into the country of substandard tyres

    Last weekend, many were speechless and taken aback when SON conducted journalists to a massive warehouse beside Navy Barracks, Ojo, Statellite town, Lagos, that was filled with over two million substandard tyres imported into the country by the duo  of Taolung Shen and Xu Jing Yau, Chinese nationals.

    Abuses were hurled at the callous importers as they were paraded before journalists. People wondered at the cruelty and lack of regard for human life they exhibited by bringing into the country tyres which from the look and texture of most of them were already weak and not likely to withstand any road pressure.

    Tempers ran even higher as people examining the tyres noticed that they were also post dated. Some of the tyres had manufactured dates as March, January, February 2017, while the day of this inspection was February 25th 2017.

    The first comment from the Director General and Chief Executive Officer of SON, Osita Aboloma, as he walked into the premises, horrified at the sight of the huge number of substandard tyres, was, “this is a terrible shame.”  A terrible shame that importers could sear their conscience and endanger human lives like that. A terrible shame that with all the warnings and everything that the agency has put in place to deter such unscrupulous importers from such wickedness they still engage in it.

    The tyres described by the agency as the largest seizure of substandard tyres in one swoop in the history of Nigeria is over two million and worth over N5 billion.

    The DG and CEO of SON, who took journalists round the warehouse, described the tyres as dead on arrival, adding that allowing them to enter the market amounted to surreptitiously taking away the lives of millions of Nigerians.

    Apart from being substandard tyres, the two arrested Chinese importers were also cloning different sizes of tyres in the warehouse under brand names of Powertrace, Aptany, Harmony, Daraturn, Bearway, City Tour, Winda, Glory, Chachland, City Grand, Grandsonte [Tyre Type] and Sunny [for tricycle], among others.

    Many of the tyres arrived the country with about five tyres stuffed into one resulting in the tyres bending and most of them ruptured and looking weak and slack.

    The Chinese then adorned them with new tyre labels and shining linings to create the impression of being new and strong.

    According to the SON DG, “We have over 60 containers of tyres, actually stuffed tyre to be precise. Again, even if these are to be standard tyres, the fact that up to five of them were tucked into one, with operators using rods to separate from one another when they reached Nigeria, the tyres will naturally become substandard.

  • Differentiating pure honey from adulterated one

    Differentiating pure honey from adulterated one

    Another Valentine is here again. Just two days from today. Since the past one week, majority of boutiques have been busy displaying red garments, the colour associated with love, even though we have different kinds of love.

    Nevertheless, we are focusing on honey today but we still wish all our readers who celebrate Valentine’s Day, a lovely one.

    To the business of the day. I got a call and text from an ardent reader of this page, Dr. Patrick Nagguda from Plateau State. Listening to him pouring out his frustrations over his latest purchase ‘Rowse Honey’, my heart went to him.

    Yes, I could empathise with him because I have been a victim. Not just me but many other people.  Each time we carry articles on honey, readers bombard us with negative experiences they encountered just trying to get pure honey.

    Mrs. Juliana Omowumi said she went to the popular Balogun Market in Lagos Island for an entirely different purpose only to see a small gathering of people around a wheel barrow.

    Stretching her neck as she passed them to have a glimpse of what was going on, “I saw three plastic buckets inside a wheel barrow with a man meticulously scooping from the bucket and pouring inside plastic bottles for the eager buyers.

     “On enquiry, I was told by one of the excited buyers that it was pure honey. ‘Pure honey!’ I echoed as my interest became aroused. I came closer to have a better look at the supposed honey.”

    Relating her experience, Omowumi said she saw dead bees, honey comb and some other debris usually associated with pure honey. To cap it all, the seller packaged himself convincingly by wearing a wide palm frond hat and other bush farm cloths.

    “Impressed with the look of things, I eagerly bought ten litres of the said honey,” said Omowumi. “However, the next day,” she continued, “I found out that I could not get the honey out of the plastic gallon. Most of it had congealed. Before I could get any drop out, I had to immerse the gallon into a basin of hot water to heat up the contents.”

    In terms of the taste, “It tasted more like sugar than honey. My entire family became so apprehensive that we had to get rid of the whole honey. Now I just buy my honey from the supermarket even though I do not believe it to be pure honey.”

    The big question therefore is: Is it possible to differentiate pure honey from the adulterated one?

    Research findings from ‘Natural Nigeria’, a company that deals with bee farms and honey, reveals that there are many things that make pure honey stand out from the adulterated one.

    Pure honey has the exceptional honey smell. It causes a mild burning sensation in the throat and does not separate into layers. Pure honey has natural impurities like pollen, bee bread, propolis, micro particles of wax. Other things that make it stand out is that it has a soft texture, though it is thick, trickles in a thin stream.

    Home test to verify authenticity of pure honey.

    *Hold a lighted match to the honey. If it is natural honey, it will melt and not hiss straight away.

    * Mix the honey in water. Natural honey will not dissolve. If you add 2-3 drops of iodine to the solution it will not turn blue.

    * Put the honey onto a piece of paper. If a damp patch spreads around it then it is diluted.

    *Dip a piece of stale bread into the honey, after 8-10 mins it should still be firm and not soft.

    *Mix some water into the honey and add 2-3 drops of vinegar essence. If the solution becomes foamy, it is adulterated honey.

    * Heat a stainless steel piece of wire and insert it into the honey. A good product will stick to the metal and not flow back into the jar.

    However, reacting to the above and fermentation of honey which many thought was because of adulteration, the Managing Director of another bee farm, ‘Earthly Produce’ in Osun State, threw more light on the topic. According to information on the website of the company, fermentation in honey does not mean the product is fake.

    “It’s not that it is fake; it was probably not ripe before harvesting. Honey is like a crop, it has to ripen first before it is harvested, this means that the water content has to be low. The bees do this themselves but sometimes people are not patient enough and may try to get to the honey first. Unripe honey is ok to consume but it does not last very long as the fermentation process begins.

    “In response to your tests, I must say it’s quite a mixed bag. If two different textures of honey are mixed, you will find layers in the final product. Some types of honey granulate, hence you might experience it setting or forming granules. Some types of honey are quite watery not the thick ones you are used to. Not all honey burns the throat, some are quite smooth. Once honey is harvested, pressed and sealed straight away it tends to form a bit of foam at the top. There are just as many aromas as there are colours and textures.”

  • Happy Hour by Chivita wears new look

    CHI Limited recently re-launched its Chi Happy Hour fruit drink, and rebranded it as “Happy Hour by Chivita” Fruit Drink. Happy Hour fruit drink now comes in new refreshing packs, with exciting new features that are appealing and distinct, a new logo and a new brand name “Happy Hour by Chivita” Fruit Drink.

    The new design is stylish and comes in vibrant and unique colours of peach, purple, blue, lime green and groovy red. The colourful packs use storytelling and hashtags to communicate effortlessly with the consumer and are emblazoned with interesting visuals that delight the eyes. This visual communication is a great asset to help connect with consumers, reinforce personality of the brand and deepen the brand’s story.

    In line with the brand’s aspirational and trendy outlook, every variant pack of the new Happy Hour by Chivita Fruit Drink tells a unique story of excitement and adventure. For instance, consumers can enjoy visuals of a camera, road and car with the #wanderlust hashtag or microphone, disc jockey and sunglasses with #partymode hashtag as well as guitar, trumpet and musical notes with #nonstop hashtag, among others. Each variant pack shares images that consumers can easily relate to in times of refreshment as they continue to enjoy the fruity goodness every pack offers.

    With attractive variant names like Splashing Apple Peach Pear, Groovy Kiwi Mint Lime, Peach Pop, Totally Tropical and Guava Cheer, that connotes excitement and satisfaction, Happy Hour by Chivita Fruit Drink fully reflects its positioning as the best choice for fruity natural refreshment at all times.

  • P&G unveils new Always Ultra sanitary pad

    In a bid to improve consumer experience, leading consumer products company, Procter and Gamble (P&G), has unveiled a new-improved Always sanitary pad in the Nigerian market.

    For that time of the month, the new Always Ultra sanitary pad is gentle on the skin and comes with softer top-sheet, new improved absorbency, it also promises no stain for up to eight hours.

    Speaking on the new product, Brand Communications Manager P&G, Tomiwa Ajewole, remarked that Always has a commitment to help consumers live their lives up to the fullest potential and be confident even while on their period.

    “Always wants women to feel confident and unstoppable every day of the month, and the new improved Always Ultra has been designed to absorb fast while being dry and comfortable to wear. The new Always has a softer top-sheet for improved comfort and more super absorbent granules to guarantee Always’ superior leakage protection,” Tomiwa said.

    “We are quite confident that our consumers will love the new and improved Always Ultra as we continue to receive great feedback from those who have tried it,” Tomiwa added.

    Through the Always school programme, aimed at educating young girls on proper feminine hygiene and reproductive health, Always has been at the forefront of bringing puberty education lessons to girls globally for more than 30 years, reaching up to 20 million girls around the world every year. In Nigeria, the Always school programme has been running for over 20 years. In the past five years, this programme reached over one million Nigerian girls aged 11-13 every year, educating them on proper feminine hygiene and puberty while offering them free pads. .

    Speaking on this initiative, Tomiwa Ajewole stated that “It was recently estimated that one in 10 girls in Africa are missing school during their period and eventually drop out of school. That’s why empowering girls through education and a superior protection product is at the heart of the Always brand purpose. We believe that the right education gives them knowledge, confidence and increases their chances to excel in life.”

    The new and improved Always is intended to continue to support girls and women everywhere giving them the confidence to be themselves even on those ‘period’ days while providing superior quality products that offer unmatched dryness and protection.

  • Mantrac receives gold certification award

    Mantrac Nigeria Limited has received the Gold Certification Award of Caterpillar Marine Service Assessment. The award was in line with the company’s long history of maintaining standard. The assessment was carried out by Det Norske Veritas, Germanischer Lloyd (DNV-GL).

    Managing Director of the company, Edmund Martin-Lawson informed the award was won by the Company’s Lagos and Port Harcourt facilities following three years of consistent efforts and thorough audit by DNV-GL on Caterpillar Marine Service Assessment carried out for five consecutive days in September 2016, in both branches.

    He said the MSA was a tool to measure product support capability and quality levels based on a number of standard requirements which according to him every Caterpillar Marine Dealer must meet.

    Martin-Lawson, who expressed the delight about the award, said it was coming from an assessment carried out by DNV. GL, describing it as the world’s largest classification organisation with 13,175 vessels and mobile offshore units which according to him amounted to 265.4 mill gt in its portfolio, all representing 21per cent of the global market.

    He commended the Nigerian team whom he said worked tirelessly in achieving the feat, noting that the Caterpillar Gold Level Certification placed the company in a very prestigious position as one of the top-notch dealers in marine service capability in the caterpillar dealer network.