The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Director

  • Heirs Holdings appoints Marketing, Corporate Communications director

    Heirs Holdings has announced the appointment of Pelumi Fadairo as Director of Marketing and Corporate Communications.  Fadairo will be responsible for driving the Group’s strategic marketing objectives and co-ordinating brand management of its rapidly growing portfolio of pan-African investments in the power, financial services, oil and gas, hospitality and real estate, and healthcare sectors.

    Prior to joining Heirs Holdings, Fadairo was the CMO of BizzCloud, a Netherlands-based software company, where she designed and executed strategy and go-to-market plans. In this role, she led the internationalisation strategy for the brand and optimisation of customer acquisition, through improved customer experience. She has also provided consultancy for clients across the fintech, cloud services, cleantech and publishing sectors, combining her knowledge, experience and network across Africa, to develop market entry strategies.  Fadairo previously held senior positions at Dell, where she developed and executed marketing strategies across Europe and emerging markets.

    Commenting on the appointment, the Group CEO, Heirs Holdings, Emmanuel Nnorom stated, “Heirs Holdings is at an important growth stage, as we expand and deepen our investments within the twenty African countries where we operate. Pelumi’s experience in building strategies, managing complex stakeholder teams and executing marketing campaigns make her well qualified to take on this new role”.

    The Chairman of Heirs Holdings, Tony O. Elumelu, also commented on Fadairo’s role ” As we are increasingly impacting lives across Africa, through our investments and our commitment to growing social and economic wealth, the role of marketing and communications is increasingly important. Filling this critical role is a sign of our ongoing commitment to institutionalisation and our desire to ensure our unique African message is heard by audiences, globally and across our continent”.

  • Lawmaker charge not to use public office for financial gain

    Lawmaker charge not to use public office for financial gain

    Nigerian Lawmakers have been advised to make laws that will have direct impact on the people rather than use public office for their personal gain.

    The advice was given Monday by Professor Patrick Lumumba, Director, Kenya School of Law, Nairobi, at a special parliamentary session organised by the Lagos State House of Assembly in commemoration of Lagos state at 50.

    Addressing a large gathering audience including, The National Leader of the All Progressive Congress (APC) Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwumi Ambode, Senators Representing Lagos East and west Constituency, Senator Gbenga  Ashafa and  Solomon Olamilekan, party chieftains, former speakers of the House, captains of industries, members of diplomatic corps among others.

    Speaking on the topic, ’The Importance of the Legislature in Democratic Governance,’ he emphasised that the nation or state could survive a bad executive, bad judiciary, but not a bad legislature.

    “Beyond your important titles, how are you serving Lagos, how have you served Lagos.  What would be said of you, when you are gone or even as you are alive?

    “You are never successful until you go down into the grave with success. Those, who acquire power, must exercise it with humility. Before you drink the gin of political power, you must have a foundation of integrity,” he said.

    He lamented the current happening in Nigeria, saying if Africa has to be great, Nigeria must be great.

    “Nigeria started on a sound footing before the government was crudely disrupted by coup-de-tats and went through a bitter civil war.”

    The scholar said further that it should be noted that Nigeria adopted democracy in 1979, but that the democracy the country is practicing was not home-grown and that it is Euro-centric.

    He said the nation’s democracy could be customized to achieve the aspirations of the country, saying that the relationship among the legislative, executive and the judiciary must be symbiotic.

    The legislature, he stated represents the people and that it is a privilege to honour and represent the people.

    “Those, who steal public funds abuse the power given to them by the people.  The legislature is the heart of the people.  On a mere allegation of corruption, the legislature brought down the government of South Korea and the same thing happened in Brazil.

    “But here in Nigeria and Africa, does the legislature bring thieves down. If Nigeria is to be great, you legislators must make solemn vow that you would make laws that would benefit the people.  Make laws that would serve the people and the country.

    “Nigeria can be great if you make a solemn vow that you would be greater than Dubai and Singapore,” he said.

    Another speaker, CEO of Financial Derivatives Company Limited Mr. Bismarck Rewane,  said lagos continue to play a vital role as the financial headquarters of Nigeria.

    Rewane who spoke on “Economic Development- The Role of The Legislature,” revealed that Lagos State contributes 22% to the economy of Nigeria and the it has a GDP of $131 Billion.

    He stated that if Lagos was taken away from Nigeria the country would fall to the third position in Africa, while Lagos would be number seven in Africa, and that the state is bigger than Kenya,  Togo,  and Cote De Voire economically.

  • NESG director honoured

    Member of the Board of Directors, Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) Udeme Ufot is amongst distinguished global industry professionals to perform the role of speakers and jurors at the forth coming African Cristal Festival Awards holding from May 10 to 12, in Morocco.

    Ufot, the Group Managing Director of SO&U Limited  and a renowned Advertising professional, has over 33 years of practice and Co-founded one of the most sought after marketing communications Group in Nigeria.

    Speaking on the gesture, he said: “It is an honour to be selected amongst the Speakers and Juror in this year’s Africa Cristal Festival Awards. The event provides another opportunity to share ideas, reward creativity, put forward cultural specificities of the regional advertising works and promote professionalism. In all, the event seeks to advance the cause of African advertising and creativity by showcasing them for global competitiveness. I am proud to be associated with this worthy initiative”

    Ufot is the immediate past Chairman of the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON), past President of the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN), past President of the Lagos Business School Alumni Association (LBSAA). He is aalso a Board Director of Special Olympics Nigeria; Member of the Board of Directors, Nigerian Economic Summit Group  and was recently conferred with a prestigious national honour of Member of the Order of the Federal Republic in 2014 by the Federal Government for his outstanding impact on the Nigerian Advertising Industry and Corporate Nigeria.

    His commitment and service in the advertising industry has made him a much sought after speaker at local and International marketing communication conferences as well as entrepreneurship programmes.

  • Non-executive directors for CBN Board

    Non-executive directors for CBN Board

    President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, forwarded the list of his nominees for confirmation as Non-Executive Directors of the Board of CBN o the Senate.

    He acted in accordance with Sections 6 (1) (d) and 10 (1) and (2) of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) (Establishment) Act, 2007.

    A statement by the Special Adviser on media and publicity, Femi Adesina, said that the letter to the Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki, contained the following as the nominees and their geo-political zones.

    Professor Ummu Ahmed Jalingo – North East, Professor Justitia Odinakachukwu Nnabuko – South East, Professor Mike I. Obadan – South South.

    Others are Dr. Abdu Abubakar – North West and Adeola Adetunji – South West.

     

  • Group condemns masquerades’ attack on Catholic priest

    Prof. Ishaq Akintola, Director, Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has called for the prosecution of masqueraders, who attacked a Catholic seminarian in Nsukka on March 29.

    A Catholic seminarian, Lawrence Ezeugwu, was attacked by masqueraders in Nsukka, and was beaten to coma at Ugwuoyia, Nsukka, Enugu State.

    The group, in a statement on Tuesday, condemned the exhibition of religious extremism by traditionalists, describing it as crude.

    Akintola called on the Inspector-General of Police, to ensure that those who carried out the attack are fished out and punished.

    “We call the attention of the Federal Government of Nigeria to the excesses of traditionalists, particularly in Southern Nigeria.

    “Even in the South-West, the Oro cult worshippers behave as if they are above the law.

    “Traditionalists impose illegal curfew without being challenged by the authorities.

    “A good example is the curfew imposed by Oro cultists in Ikorodu, Lagos State, during the last Ramadan season, which nearly caused a violent clash between Muslims and traditionalists.

    “It is well known that Muslims shuttle between the mosques and their homes day and night during Ramadan.

    “The imposition of a curfew during such a period was not only illegal but also provocative.

    “Although the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Section 38 (i) & (ii) guarantees freedom of religion, thereby empowering traditionalists to freely practice their faith.

    “It does not allow one group to laud it over another.

    “The right of traditionalists to religious freedom stops where it begins to encroach on others’ rights and vice versa.

    “For genuine and enduring peace, Nigerians must learn to respect one another’s rights.

    “This country has witnessed too many human and material losses as a result of religious crisis.

    “And the only way to guard against recurrence is for the authorities to strictly apply sanctions against those who violate the sanctity of religious freedom,” the group said.

    MURIC also advised state and local governments to ban illegal proclamation of curfews by cultists.

  • Another fake medical doctor arrested in Ogun

    Another fake medical doctor has been arrested in Abeokuta, Ogun, a top government official has said.

    Dr Sola Adebiyi, Director, Hospital Services, Ogun State Ministry of Health, told newsmen on Friday in Abeokuta that one Sunday Adeyeye was the sixth quack nabbed in the state.

    She added that Adeyeye had been practising with a forged certificate obtained from the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, Kaduna State.

    The director said that the culprit was arrested during the ongoing re-validation exercise of health facilities across the state.

    Adebiyi added that the arrest was made easier as the culprit unknowingly walked into his own doom at the re-validation venue at the ministry.

    The director said that the state Commissioner for Health, Dr Babatunde Ipaye, had made it mandatory for all private health facilities across the state be re-validated and re-registered following an incessant loss of lives by quacks.

    According to Adebiyi, the owner of the facility who unknowingly engaged the doctor, brought him for the re-validation of his hospital, where his fake certificate was discovered.

    “We were suspicious when the owner of Ganny-Hash Clinic and Maternity Hospital in Ifo, Mr Ganiyu Okewole, presented the said fake Dr Sunday Adeyeye’s certificate for re-validation of his facility.

    “We then asked him to bring the doctor in person which is one of our requirements for the exercise.

    “Going through the Ahmadu Bello University certificate he presented and comparing it with the ministry’s records, there we discovered he has been practising with a forged certificate and we immediately call the police to effect his arrest,’’ Adebiyi said.

    Responding to questions from newsmen, Adeyeye said he was not a doctor, that the ABU certificate was forged in his name in Zaria, adding that he has been working with the hospital since February 2017.

    Also speaking the proprietor of the affected clinic, Mr Ganiyu Okewole, said he was unaware of the doctor’s case.

    He said if he had not brought him for re-validation, he would not have known.

    NAN also reports that revalidation exercise started in January 2016.

    The task force has shut down 168 private health facilities since the commencement of the exercise in the state.

  • No life, sensitive materials lost to fire outbreak – INEC Director

    No life, sensitive materials lost to fire outbreak – INEC Director

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said no life or sensitive materials was lost at the fire outbreak that occurred at the commission headquarters on Monday in Abuja.

    Mr Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, Director of Voter education and Publicity, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

    He described the incident as minor, adding that it was quickly brought under control.

    Osaze-Uzzi said the incident happened 1 p.m. at the first floor of the commission headquarters.

    “It was a minor fire incident and the officers of the Fire Service and staff of the commission put it off with the use of fire extinguisher.

    “There is nothing to worry about the incident; nobody was injured, no loss of life, and no loss of sensitive documents to the fire outbreak,’’ Osaze-Uzzi said.

    He said that work resumed at about 3 p.m in the affected after it was cleaned up by staff.

  • Kano suspends director, nine others over fraud

    The Kano state government has suspended a Director in the ministry of Finance and 9 staff of the Ministry of Local government over alleged diversion of millions of Naira meant for payment of salaries.

    This is contained in a statement signed by the state Head of Service, Alhaji Muhammad Na’iya and made available to newsmen in Kano on Tuesday.

    The statement further revealed that the nine local government employees were scheduled officers under the platform of REMITA.

    According to the report, the government has handed over four employees of the Kano State Pension Funds Trustee, including two top members of Kano Pension Union to police authorities for investigation. .

    The four persons, whose case files had been handed over to the state Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission for investigation, were accused of connivance to siphon public funds.

    Further more, the statement expressed the state Governor ‘s concern over the salary scam, warning that “any violation of due prcess, contravening the government’s quest against corruption would not go unpunished.”

    It added that the state government would deploy the necessary machinery to recover all the diverted funds.(NAN)

  • Ex-CBN director: high interest rate disincentive to agric

    A retired director with the Central Bank of Nigeria ( CBN) Bishop Fred Adoyi said the high interest on loan to farmers is a disservice to the agriculture sector .

    Bishop Adoyi, who retired as Development Finance Officer (DFO)  appealed to deposit money banks to give loan to farmers on  0-9 per cent interest considering the hash economic reality in the country.

    In a telephone interview shortly after he was presented with an  award and appointment by National Farmers Export, Cooperative Congress (NAGFCC) in Makurdi Benue  state capital, Bishop Adoye stated that high interest loan to farmers is burden and cannot addressed food sufficiency .

    He said farmers needed to be encouraged to produce more food to feed the country and the only way was to give them loans on zero interest, saying farmers are still grappling with manual farming implements unlike their counterpart in Europe and America.

    Bishop Adoye said until Nigerians embraced  mechanised farming, achieving food sufficiency will be a mirage.

    On the award, he said it came  to him as a surprise  because he left the  service of the CBN years ago and was not expecting any award

    President of NAFECC Comrade Zakari Mathew said the award and appointment as consultant to  Bishop Adoyi was as result of his hard work and dedication during his period in CBN, which he rose to the rank of director before he retired

    Comrade Mathew noted with delight that during his years of service, Bishop Adoyi improved the fortunes of farmers in what is known  today as CBN/Anchor Norrowers Scheme.

    The scheme he said has led to the massive rice production  in the country.

  • My third class degree from UNILAG turned out a blessing —Wakanow Executive Director

    My third class degree from UNILAG turned out a blessing —Wakanow Executive Director

    Mrs Toyin Odutayo is an Executive Director of IT with Wakanow, a front-line travel agency. With more than 17 years of experience in IT and management consulting gathered in the United Kingdom and Nigeria, she speaks with HANNAH OJO about her staying power in a male dominated field.

     

    JOURNEY to the UK in search of knowledge

    One of the reasons behind me doing a master’s degree was because I didn’t do too well in my undergraduate studies. I made a third class. I had always been one of these people that sort of looked at myself and felt the need to differentiate myself. I had always been ambitious, so I said let me go and do this master’s while I am more matured and focused, knowing what I wanted in life.

    I got into London Southbank University and I did a master’s in Information Systems Engineering. That was one of the most focused years of my life, because I knew what I wanted. I knew the impediments, given that I had a third class from my Nigerian degree. So I told myself I have to do really well to make sure that moved forward. So I had an MSc with distinction and literally that was what opened all the doors for my career advancement in the UK.

    What I did differently

    I will be brutally honest here. I also had a part time job while I was doing my master’s. What I did different was that I just read. Having said that, when I was in UNILAG, I noticed the time I was focused, I did very well. I was young then. You get into the university at 16 or 17, you want to play. So what was different was that I was completely focused. I knew what I wanted. I knew that to get a really good job, something should set me apart from the other applicants. I made my distinction and it really opened up lots of doors such that when I put in an application for a job, when I look at the ratio of rejection from when I had a third class to the number of  rejections that I had with having a distinction, it was crazy. Literally, if my CV goes anywhere, a door would open. I also feel that God was really on my side.

    Programming Experience in the UK

    I had a good project manager who looked at me after I had been in the UK for about three months and said I could be a team leader. I was in my early 20s and I didn’t have as much experience as the people on my team. What he explained to me was that there are people who are destined to lead and there are others who are destined to just be developers. I worked as a team leader for a company now called EDS for about two and a half years and I left to work in the retail sector. From team leader, I became a project manager by the age of 25. Having realised that somebody could have that confidence in me and realised my capabilities, I made a conscious decision to keep reading up and trying to make myself different. The Internet wasn’t rife then, so I just found myself investing in self-help books, and then I moved into the financial service sector and became a systems integrator. Again, I did that for about three years in the UK. I stayed in the UK until 2001. I was in the UK for about 12 or 13 years.

    Returning to Nigeria, a sanity break

    After working in the financial services sector, I began to get itchy feet. So I decided to leave the techie world behind to go for an MBA. That has to be the hardest year of my life. What made it challenging was that I am techie born and bred. With techies, it is bits and bytes whereas in the business world, one plus one equals two, but it could be two in a bit or slightly less than two.

    Going into business school was also my turning point. So when I left Nigeria in 1989, I left with the mind of going for five years, but five years became 12 years. The reasons why that was is because it was just very easy to go into the UK and fit since I had lots of Nigerian friends.  Although that ‘fit’ will always be fit in quote, because you look at your skin, you are a black person. No matter how English you try to sound, you are still a Nigerian.

    That realization hit me when I did business school, because there were many of us who came from Ghana, Namibia and other African countries. The kind of things they were talking about going to do back home prompted me, and I was like oh my God, I need to go back home and do something too. That was the turning point really.

    I wanted to make a difference and I know that would not be made working in the UK. I was brought home by the late Osaze Osifo, former MD of FBN Capital. I knew that after spending so many years in the UK, I would need the sanity break, and that sanity break was coming home to Nigeria.

    My experience coming back home

    I turned my back on the UK and came to live in Nigeria, and I have no regrets. I moved into Oando as the head of IT. It was extremely challenging. I would go in and talk the talk, but I am actually a leader by example. I strongly believe that your followers will have confidence in you if they see that you have proven experience and you are not afraid to get your hands dirty if you have to. I am an ED now but I still get my hands dirty. Not everyone has to be a leader that leads by example, but I think for me, that is what works and that is what has always worked.

    On the cultural shock when I came back, I am a Nigerian at heart. I may speak English in quote because the first 12 years of my life I spent in the UK, then I came back to spend another 10 years of my life and I went back to the UK. Coming home, I was not expecting 22/7 power. I was not expecting the roads to be fantastic. In fact, I think one of the turning points was when I came for my mum’s 60th birthday and that was when I was like you know what, Nigeria is not so bad, because we were trying telecoms wise.

    The biggest challenge for me with Nigeria was more communication rather than the power sector. In my own case, I was pleasantly surprised because when I came home, I was able to get a flat that didn’t have a 24 hours light but I was able to have light most evenings. This is the thing that I tell people that want to relocate. When you left Nigeria, how was Nigeria? Yes, you may have risen to a level where you can stay in an estate that has 24 hours power, but that is not reality. That is not how Nigeria is. So if you can just get your head around that.

    Career transitions and challenges in the IT field

    From Oando, I was approached to go to Virgin Nigeria, and that was like to be one of the pioneer people. I always like startups. Yes, I want to do things for myself, but I also want to make a difference in Nigeria. It is good to be part of a movement, pretty much like what we are doing in Wakanow. In the whole of my career, I have been a techie person; the only things that are challenging are the materials things. We need power to run. And again, because I’ve got varied experiences, I tend not to have people challenges. I think it’s because I am a reader. If I have a challenge, the first thing I will do is pray and then there is a book where somebody has gone through that challenge. So by the time I read how somebody overcame that challenge, it is usually very easy to resolve.

    When you build up to a level that people have confidence in you and they know that when you go to complain or talk about a challenge, everyone knows that the challenge is genuine. When I was younger in my career, if I had a challenge, would rather go and meet my mentor. Before I take up the challenge of heading an organization, I have mentors who I could talk to and ask questions. It is all about what I call effective networking. I may never have met someone before, but I will look for someone who knows that person and say look, this is the role that I am going to take, I need help. I just need someone to sound me out.

    Wife, mother, woman

    I honestly don’t believe these days that Nigerians believe it is a big deal for a woman to be something. I have gone to so many women conferences and I see so many amazing women around. I think it is now becoming the run of the mill for women to succeed in their careers and businesses. You just need to look at Ibukun Awosika for instance. She is a major role model.  Some of these things were instilled in me when I was growing up. You can still manage your home, be a good wife and a good mother. Not everybody has the same resources, but there is juggling and in fact, if there is one thing I always say, it is all about investing in yourself. It may mean that I sometimes get four hours sleep instead of six or eight, but it is knowing why you are making these sacrifices. In terms of my work ethics as a person, it has always been to deliver. So it also depends on the kind of environment you find yourself in.

    When people realise that your work ethics is to deliver to the best quality, people will make concessions to the fact that you have to rush out sometimes for your child’s event. It is all about doing what you want for yourself and making those moves to get it. It is the socialising aspect that I really cut down on because I have to manage my life and my career is also important to me.

    Faith and mentoring

    I was brought up to know that God is always first. Through a lot of reading and my formatting career in the UK, one thing I never used to do was mix career and religion. I am a Christian, my parents were Muslims, but I was brought up in a situation where because there was no mosque surrounding where I grew up in the UK, my parents were of the opinion that we had to grow up as God fearing children, so we used to go to Sunday school. If there is one thing that I believe I have learned from this, it is that openness and knowing that there is God.

    I mentor young people on a constant basis. The generation gap is huge and expectations are very different. If you really want to do well at something, it is important that you are doing what you like.

    Marriage…God intervened at my hour of need

    I actually met my husband at work, which is very strange because I remember a friend of mine once asked, ‘You spend so much time at work. How are you going to get married?’ Honestly, this is where I said faith comes into play. I strongly believe it really was God. God intervened at my hour of need and gave me an absolutely amazing husband. I got married quite late probably because I was focused on my career. My husband understands the fact that I have a demanding job. He also has a very demanding job himself and somehow we have just been able to make it work. It is really God being the pillar of that relationship and it’s just been so good.

    It’s hard for me to talk about my marriage without smiling because I have a lot to smile about and I am really grateful to God. I just got a hundred per cent completely supportive husband. I also do my bit as well. It is really important that I also support him in the way that I can. So I have got an understanding husband, a nice family. I’ve got an eight years old and it’s been fun. I am just lucky that I am able to juggle work and career and family.