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Tag: excellence

  • ‘Nobody argues with excellence’

    ‘Nobody argues with excellence’

    Titi Adeleye is the CEO of EDEN group which is into architecture, properties and interiors.  She is also the vice chairman of the Lagos State chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Architects. In this interview with Yetunde Oladeinde, she takes you into her passion, challenges and how women can make the best of the opportunities available to them. 

    HOW has the experience been as an architect? It’s been interesting. There comes a time in your life when you just want to begin to give back to the profession that made you, when you realise that you have become a senior member of the profession. I always tell people it’s very demanding on your time and resources but it always pays to be part of a professional body.

    How would you describe the practice in Nigeria today?

    I would say that we are not yet there. In other parts of the world, the practice like other things is regulated. They are guided by codes and all the professionals know their trade. Here we still have to ensure that Architects are given their proper place. The Architect is the head of the building team.

    How many years have you been doing this?

    I have been in the profession for over 20 years.

    Why did you study architecture?

    I studied architecture probably because I realsied that I am a very creative person. The unique thing about architecture is that you have to be good in the arts and in the sciences; you have to be an all rounder. If you are not good in the arts and good in the sciences, then you are most likely to opt for medicine.

    If it is the other way round, then you may become a lawyer. But when you could combine both, then looking for a good course, architecture fitted the bill. Incidentally, we had a good technical drawing department in my school, then Federal Government Girls School, Oyo. I later went to the then University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University.

    How did you find the course in school?

    The course was very good. I must say that as an architecture student, you had to do lots of courses outside the department. We did a lot of courses, some in the law department, survey department and still did our own major courses. We still had to do the sketches, the drawings, studio work, as well as going around the campus to sketch. It was not just the reading thing; you had to go around drawing, sketching with T squares and drawing boards.

    Where was the first place that you worked?

    After my education, I was torn between lecturing and practicing. But I made up my mind that I wanted to practice because as an architect, you have to practice for a couple of years. It is called tutelage, before you pass your exams and get your seal. I actually made up my mind that I wanted to work in one of the five big outfits in Lagos. So I worked with Majoroh Partnership.

    What was the experience like?

    It was quite great because I had a boss who had and still had a passion for architecture. Architect Majoroh tutored us on all aspects of the profession. It was very tough, we didn’t like it then but looking back now, we really appreciate the experience.

    Would you say that female architects are treated equally with their male colleagues?

    Previously no, but now these days, it is coming to about 50/50.

    How would you compare the profession then and now?

    When I started practicing, the profession was more manual than it is now. We had to do a lot of things manually, painstakingly and you had to go through the grill. But now, there are so many short cuts; the profession is more technologically driven and the risk is that, we are losing sight of the fact that this is a very artistic profession. The truth is that your laptop or your ipad can’t design for you. You still have to do some of the designs yourself. From Majaro, I decided to set up on my own. I have been in practice since 1994, started as TICON Associates and it grew to be EDEN Group.

    What are some of the achievements?

    Over the years, we have been privileged to be involved in the designs of houses; the Ondo State Government House as well as refurbishments of places like the Kwara  and Ogun State Government House.

    What are some of the challenges?

    Like every other profession, there are challenges. The other thing is that a lot of people brandish themselves as architects, offering the services that you offer at a cheaper rate and clients would wonder why they should pay more. Another challenge is the dearth of good artisans. No matter how good your designs are, you need good workmanship to translate what you set out to achieve. The truth is that we like paying for products and not services.

    Let’s talk about some memorable moments in life and on the job?

    I am always happy when a client becomes a repeat client, or when they refer us to other clients or see a job that we have done and say it is the architect that has done this, that I want to do my job. Personally, I think it was when I had my first child, when I held my daughter in my arms.

    Would you say that the profession is fair to women?

    Let me start by saying that life is not fair. Then coming to the profession , I always tell young female architects that because of where we have found ourselves  in Africa and Nigeria, a woman has to work extra hard. If men are doing fifty, you have to do a hundred. The fact that you are a woman, people tend to look at you and try to down size you.

    When you prove your mettle, you become different. My mantra is that nobody argues with excellence. When you see an excellent job, it becomes unimportant whether it was done by a man or a woman. So let your work speak for you, no matter how small the job is. What I did for my biggest client today, was a fair. A 25 square meters at the trade fair and I did it with a lot of passion. The fair was going to open the next day, I was there at night, I was there in the morning and somehow the Managing director was impressed. I went beyond what they wanted me to do.

    For a lot of women coping with family life and career can be tough, how did you survive this?

    A woman has to priortise. That’s what I do; I am always making a to-do list. Here you know what you have done and what you need to carry over till next day. You need to know what is important and what is not. Then you have to have the buy-in of your family. Let the man and children understand what you are doing. At the end of the day, whatever sacrifice is being made is made by everybody and whatever gains is for everybody. The little time, you spend with your family should be quality time.

    Let’s talk about the people you admire?

    Internationally, I admire Hilary Clinton, Michelle Obama and Joyce Meyer. Locally late Dora Akunyili, she was a remarkable woman and Sam Adeyemi of Daystar.

    Do you attend Daystar?

    No, that’s not my church. I admire him because he is a man who practices what he preaches.

    His wife is also an architect, do you also admire her?

    Yes. She was actually my classmate, we were in school together. I admire them for the Ministry they have built and because they practice what they preach.

    Who or what do you consider as the greatest influence in your life?

    I think the greatest influence in my life has been my parents and my upbringing. We were not very rich and despite the fact that they had four girls before the boys came along, they gave us the best they had then. My dad especially was practically everything. The moment they could afford to take us abroad, they sacrificed everything.

    They ensured that by the time, we were leaving home, there was really nothing anybody could do or show us to make us behave like, we had never seen this before. My dad thought all the girls how to drive personally, by the time we turned 16. They were both school principals, very strict but very loving.

    If you had to advise our women, what would you tell them?

    A woman has to be strong. Don’t just fall apart at every little thing. You can go to the toilet and cry, wipe your tears and face the world. TD Jakes says, life is meant to test your staying power. Secondly, women should strive for excellence. This should show in the work you do, your office and the way you dress. Thirdly, women have to be there for themselves, not fighting each other.

  • Firm rewards excellence

    Firm rewards excellence

    The joy of members of staff and agents of African Alliance Insurance, a foremost insurance company, knew no bounds when they received special recognition, awards and gifts for excellent performance in Lagos. WALE AJETUNMOBI reports.

    They came in their best suits and traditional attires. Their happiness was self-evident.  It was the day African Alliance Insurance, a foremost insurance company, gave special recognition, awards and gifts to its deserving employees and agents in Lagos. It is an annual fiesta looked forward to by employees and agents.

    For employees, the honour of standing on the rostrum to be celebrated cannot be quantified. And they glowed with pride as they took turn to receive their awards.

    Some of the rewards were in Best Unit Manager in Takaful, a family plan product; Best Three Agents in Takaful, Best Agency Managers in Annuity Premium Income, Best Agency Manager in First Year Premium Income, Best Agency Manager in Renewable Premium Income, among others.

    The essence of the ceremony, which was initiated in 2013, is to encourage the employees and agents of the company to explore more opportunities in the insurance world that is increasingly becoming more competitive.

    “It is not essentially because the money and gifts thatcome with the award that I am too much bothered with. It is rather the honour and recognition that advertise you as a hard working staff. I narrowly missed being recognized this year but I hope that by next year, I will be one of those to be celebrated,” said an employee.

    African Alliance Insurance Managing Director Alphose Okpor, who introduced the initiative on his appointment in 2013, explained that the essence is to reward the winners and challenge others to work harder in order to be able to meet the goal of the company, which he said, is to become a leader in the life insurance sector. In apparent reference to the biblical story of the mustard tree which started as the smallest seed but later became the largest tree in the forest, he disclosed that the company began the reward system from a humble beginning before taking it to its current enticing status.

    He said: “We started with small gift items like generators and plaques before we realised that they were not enough. We upgraded when we introduced new targets across policies”.

    In explaining the qualifications for the award, Okpor disclosed that an employee who delivers individual life policies and life annuity insurance worth specific amount of premium, is entitled to a saloon car from the company.

    Okpor added that since the introduction of the gesture, staff and agent morale for achieving more, has been boosted greatly.

    At this year’s exercise, plaques, cars, cash prizes and home appliances were given to deserving staff and agents.

    Sylvester Onu, Onitsha, Anambra Branch Manager of the company, who won in two out of 25 categories, was presented with a Hyundai Elantra Saloon Car, which he earned in Best Agency Manager category in Renewable Premium Income. He was also given a trophy and cash award.

    Onu, who enthused that he had won awards for three consecutive years, lauded the company for motivating him to do more. In his words; “I have won this category for three consecutive times now and the company still appreciates my efforts by giving me tools to explore. I thank the management for keeping their vision up”.

    Vivian Adams, Best Unit Manager of the year category award winner, was no less enthusiastic. Obviously overwhelmed with excitement at attaining the rare feat, she described the reward as a challenge for her to do more in the years ahead. “I feel so great to be recognised as best among my colleagues. This award is a tool for me to work harder in the coming year”, she stated.

    Winners in other categories expressed similar notes of excitement at their recognition and pledged to do more. On their own, those who could not make it this year, vowed to ensure putting up performances that would earn them recognition and accompanying reward next year.

    African Alliance Insurance, it was gathered, does not limit its efforts at motivating and encouraging its agents and workforce only to awards and special recognition.

    The company, according to the General Manager, Marketing, Vincent Emezi, also organises training programmes on time management and strategic marketing, among other incentives, for the staff and agents. Such engagements, he said, contribute in enhancing quality and capacity building within the company’s workforce and in the process, securing its future.

    He spoke glowingly on the annual award ceremony, stressing that it promotes healthy competition among the marketing staff of the company.

    The exercise, he said, “is a replica of what is done abroad to challenge employees to engage in healthy competition”, adding, “that is why the company rewards the First to the Third Winners at the event”.

    African Alliance Insurance Plc was incorporated as a Private Limited Liability Company on May 6, 1960 and was the first indigenous insurance company to carry out the business of Life Assurance in Nigeria. The company which was originally set up in partnership with Munich Reinsurance Company of Germany, one of the largest reinsurance companies in the world, has a shareholders’ fund of about N9 billion.

    It has in the last three years improved its revenue profile after recording losses in previous years. The liquidity of the company’s balance sheet and profitability ratios indices have also improved significantly.

    The core competencies of the company are a creative combination of Protection (Term Assurance and Group Life), Savings and Investment Products, which the insurance company has established a solid reputation for excellent customer service over the years.

  • Firm attributes performance to operational excellence

    Firm attributes performance to operational excellence

    The impressive performance of Afriland Properties Plc in the immediate past business year was due to its operational excellence, commitments to customers and high corporate governance standards, its Chairperson,  Erelu Angela Adebayo has said.

    Key extracts of the audited report and accounts of Afriland Properties for the year ended December 31, 2014 showed a profit before tax of N1.74 billion, representing 311 per cent increase on the previous year. The company’s total assets increased to N8.1 billion in 2014 as against N4.2 billion in 2013. The company is paying a total dividend payment of N499.6 million to shareholders, representing a dividend per share of 40 kobo.

    Addressing shareholders at its annual general meeting in Lagos, Erelu Adebayo said the upturn in the company’s net earnings is attributable to improved operational efficiency and focus on value creation.

    She said the company is prepared to further strengthen its balance sheet and business model this year by tapping into the opportunities that will be created in the building and construction sector.

    “We are equally poised to take advantage of other structural reforms of the federal government, which hopefully will impact the housing sector,” Adebayo said.

    Its Managing Director, Mrs. Uzo Oshogwe said the company’s financial performance is an evidence of its operational excellence, a customer centric culture and high corporate governance standards.

    “Our deliberate focus on excellent delivery has prompted increase in our full-year performance,” Oshogwe said.

    According to her, Afriland Properties as a property development and management company, offers end-to-end services along the real estate value chain, from management to joint-venture investments.

    According to her, with a portfolio size of over N8 billion and one of the largest land banks in Nigeria, Afriland Properties is pioneering the opportunities presented by an institutional approach to real estate, serving niche markets throughout Africa.

    Afriland Properties was spun off from United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc and merged with Heirs Real Estate Limited in December 2013. The merger aligned the long-term interests of both companies and leveraged on their complementary strengths to expand operations and expertise.

    At its first AGM in Lagos, the company had distributed N100 million to shareholders, representing a dividend of 10 kobo per share for the 2013 financial year.

  • WAEC should educate beyond academic excellence

    WAEC should educate beyond academic excellence

    Making good grades is good, but not enough, the Liberian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Augustine Ngafuan, has said.

    Ngafuan who delivered the 20th Endowment Fund lecture of the council last Monday, which was part of the 63rd annual Council Meeting of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), said the time has come for the council to conceptualize new ways to reward excellence beyond just making A1.

    Speaking on the topic: “What Else Are We Writing on the Slate? A Call for a Holistic Preparation of the Youth”, the Minister said that the high level of illicit funds flowing out of Africa, insurgencies and violence that have underdeveloped the continent could only be addressed by an education that enthrones morals, team work, leadership and other virtues.

    In a lecture that was hailed by many as excellent, Ngafuan showed how academic excellence alone cannot help to produce good leaders.

    He said: “What are the ideal outcomes we seek on the WAEC exams? Obviously, an outcome where every candidate sitting the exams would master the various subjects so well that they would earn an ‘A’ and fall in the ‘Division One’ category.  We call these top performers in public exams ‘excellent students’.  But again I ask, is academic excellence in and of itself sufficient in getting the youth of today prepared for the multifarious challenges of today and the future? It is often said that the young people are the future leaders, but are we preparing them so that they can be good future leaders of our countries, our region, our continent, and our one world?”

    Ngafuan stunned the audience when he said some of his former classmates were among the rebels that unleashed mayhem during the 14-year Liberian civil war.  He equally said there are many brilliant people responsible for Africa’s loss of about $50 billion yearly in illegal funds.

    To adequately prepare youth for future leadership roles, Ngafuan said “all players including the family, the peer group, the government, and faith-based institutions must play their part.”  However, he made a case for proper treatment of teachers.  He noted that as strong influencers, teachers must be adequately rewarded so they can teach without being tempted to compromise.

    Ngafuan said: “To help close the integrity gap in the system, we need to address a host of challenges that undermine the strength and integrity of the system, not the least of which is the dismal plight of teachers and other education workers. This will require increased and sustained financial support to the education sector from governments, the private sector, donors, and ordinary citizens.

    “Students in their impressionable years do not only learn from what the teacher says in the classroom but also what he actually does in and out of the classroom.   Therefore, we should never cause these teachers, examiners, invigilators, test markers and support staff,all positive contributors to the forward march of our countries,to become so desperate for survival that they could easily yield to the slightest temptations.  We must change the situation where to pursue a career as an educator is to sign a perpetual contract with poverty.”

    The four-day meeting, which should have held in Liberia, culminated in the election of Dr. Evelyn Kandakai and Mrs. Hawa Goll-Kotchie, both of Liberia, as the chairman and vice-chairman of the WAEC Council.  It is the first time in the 63-year history of the council it would be chaired by a woman.

    She took over from Prof Pius Obanya, a renowned Nigerian educationist.

  • Esther’s excellence

    Esther’s excellence

    • Little Miss |Okade is a great one for Nigerian excellence, even in the Diaspora. Still, everything must be done to ensure she doesn’t lose her childhood

    A Nigerian has made the headlines internationally for bright reasons, and this is commendable especially against the background of the country’s image issues. The phenomenal story of United Kingdom (UK) – based 10-year-old prodigy Esther Okade who has been accepted for a course of study at the Open University in the UK stretches the limits of the possible. Esther will study for a degree in Mathematics following her A-Levels success, which included a B grade in Pure Mathematics. It is a reflection of her feat that she is being celebrated as “Britain’s cleverest girl.”

    Particularly striking and noteworthy is the information that Esther was homeschooled and has never experienced formal schooling. Her mother, Omonefe, who is a mathematician, was quoted as saying: “By the time she was four, I had taught her the alphabets, her numbers, how to add, subtract, multiply and division. I saw that she loved patterns, so I developed a way of using that to teach her new things. I thought I would try her with algebra and she loved it more than anything.” It is interesting that the homeschooler has been in the spotlight from the age of six when she passed her General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) with a C grade in Mathematics.

    It is fascinating that Esther is expected to study for the degree at home, which would represent a continuation on a non-formal educational trajectory. She intends to pursue a PhD subsequently and go on to establish a bank, reports said. On her ambition, her mother said: “She wants to be a millionaire.”

    Indeed, it is speculative to reflect on whether Esther will reach the finishing line, and in what shape; but it is relevant to observe that some critical commentators have accused her parents of an alleged negative interference with her growth as a child. It is significant to note that Esther’s younger brother, Isiah, may reportedly outshine her by passing his A-Levels at the age of six. This picture has attracted criticism of their parents, specifically, that they are “depriving the kids of their childhood, by pushing them too hard.”

    Beyond the glory of prodigious academic achievements, the Okade phenomenon poses a central question about how to strike a balance between intellectual intelligence on the one hand, and emotional and social intelligence on the other hand, in the context of childhood.

    It is instructive that, in all probability, Esther’s admission to the Open University could not have happened outside the particular framework as the university system generally requires age qualifications that imply a consideration of maturity. Even in Esther’s peculiar case, which was described as an “interesting process,” it is illuminating that her mother said, “We even had to talk to the vice-chancellor. After they interviewed her they realised this has been her idea from the beginning and in December last year she was told she had been accepted onto the course.”

    It is pertinent to consider whether Esther’s experience could be replicated in Nigeria? Apart from the reality that homeschooling is rare in the country, it is perhaps even more fundamental that the level of educational awareness and development in the society constitutes another likely hindrance.  The truth is that Esther’s accomplishment and the flowering of her mind cannot be divorced from the socio-economic conditions in her country of residence.

    There may be similarly prodigious children in Nigeria whose manifestation is obstructed by the milieu in which they have found themselves. The definitive lesson to be learned from Esther’s excellence is that the society owes its young ones an enabling environment for the expression of their potential.

  • Tinubu, Fashola, Ambode and baton of excellence

    For Lagos State, the last 15 years of civil administration had been an epic. Lagos has been able to live up to its alias as the “Centre of Excellence” as the successive administration continue to build on the foundation laid by the enigmatic pathfinder, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu who became governor when the democratic ship berthed on our shores way back in 1999.

    With a professional background steeped in private sector audit, Tinubu was quick to realize the need to depend less on federal allocation by shoring up the revenue base of the state. This feat was achieved through a systematic re-engineering of the internally generated revenue regimes by plugging loop holes and leakages, keeping within existing financial guidelines in a way that does not impose additional burden on the people.

    In addition, he initiated far reaching policies in all sectors of the socio-economic spectrum such as transportation, education, judiciary, health, environment, commerce and industry as symbolized by the Lekki Free Trade Zone and other initiatives. The Enron initiative still remained unbeaten in the power sector in terms of constancy and quantity. Many a times in the history of our power supply, it has remained the only source of supply.

    His reforms in the judicial sector was quite legendary as governments, state and federal and some other African nations were falling on themselves to adopt the Lagos model in a bid to enhance their justice system.

    To ensure that these policies endure beyond the lifetime of his administration, he created institutions that will not only sustain the initial gains but to ensure that the policies and programmes continue to evolve to meet up with time dynamics.

    An astute statesman and strategist that he was and still is, Tinubu played safe with his choice of Babatunde Raji Fashola as successor, a capable hand he styled as the “The Best Man for The Job” to steer the ship of the state after him. Ever since, Lagos State and its people have been the better for it as the state continues to move from one level of advancement to the next. Tinubu has become the powerhouse of grooming successful leaders in Nigeria, a feat, yet unequalled in the history of the country.

    The Fashola administration has redefined the art of governance in the country through its numerous innovative and creative programmes and projects. He strongly demonstrated that with a focused, visionary leadership, and hard work, the Nigerian of our dream is not unattainable.

    From the outset, Fashola set out to do government business in an unusual fashion; completely different from what we are used to. That is why he always affirms an Albert Einstein’s maxim that: “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”.

    Hence, Fashola set out to place Lagos among the prime investment hubs, not only in Africa, but in the whole world. His vision is to build a Lagos that is similar to reputable cities like London, Mumbai, Istanbul, Sao Paulo, Jakarta, Delhi, Dubai, Bangkok, and Cairo among others. With the relative success of the State Security Trust Fund in taming crimes in the state, Lagos has become the preferred point for investors as the business atmosphere has become predictable and stabilized.

    Lagos is safer today by any standard of the world. The state government’s intervention in the work environment in the areas of training, equipment, logistics and motivation and other crime management measures continue to yield results.

    Many have been trying to analyze the Fashola phenomenon in Lagos. Some analysts are of the view that the governor succeeded because he has a passionate commitment to connecting with the people, particularly the ordinary man on the street, and building their trust in the sincerity and noble intentions of his government. Others, however, ascribe Fashola’s success to his rugged determination to leave an indelible footprint in the sands of time. This, according to pundits, has really made him to focus totally on governance. Quite a few also attribute the success of the administration to the assemblage of a crack team of committed individuals, an intricate blend of professionals, administrators, scholars and politicians.

    It’s only a few months to the end of the Fashola administration, yet there are indications that the progressive train of governance in Lagos is not, in any way, ready to berth. The emergence of Akinwunmi Ambode as the gubernatorial candidate of the ruling party in the state, the All Progressive Congress, APC, is another indication that the party is not in short supply of capable hands to keep the state on the path of growth and progress.

    With the intimidating credentials of this candidate, it is indicative that the tradition of excellence in the state is about to soar to a higher heights. It is difficult to fault this line of reasoning for many reasons. For one, everything about Ambode sparks of brilliance and excellence.  At 21, he graduated in style in Accounting from the University of Lagos, Akoka. At the age of 24, when many of his contemporaries were yet to find their bearings in life, Ambode had earned a Master’s degree in Accounting and had also became a Chartered Accountant.

    It is, however, the selfless and committed stance of Ambode to the service of the government and people of Lagos that actually marks him out as a diligent and conscientious public administrator. An astute public servant, Ambode has had a highly illustrious and consummate career as a public sector accountant and administrator in Lagos State. In a most distinguished public service career spanning almost three decades, Ambode rose to become the Auditor General for Local Governments in the state, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance and Accountant General of Lagos State, a position he held till his voluntary resignation from the public service in 2012.

    A resourceful and ingenious administrator, part of Ambode’s enduring legacies as Accountant General of the state was the establishment of the State Treasury Office (STO), which transformed public sector financial budgeting, management, planning and expenditure in Lagos State. In his six years as Accountant-General, the financial position of the state recorded a great boost while budget performance averaged 85% per annum. A prudent and shrewd manager of public resources, Ambode strongly holds the view that public funds should be judiciously expended for the good of the people, whom it is primarily meant for.

    Indeed, Ambode’s meticulous process of re-engineering the state’s financial status was partly responsible for the development and sustenance of the Lagos mega city. The ingenuity of the Tinubu administration in overcoming difficulties and frustrations occasioned by the seized allocation of local government councils in the state by the Obasanjo administration has been traced to the amazing financial wizardry of Ambode. How the administration was able to stay afloat in those trying era remains a major talking point till date. Of course, there is no way that the political-economy of Lagos state of the period would be discussed without giving him a prime of place.

    With Ambode poised to take over from the incumbent, Fashola, as the state governor, Lagos would, indeed, be the better for it. The direction of things to come in the next few years became clearer recently when Fashola publicly presented the Lagos State Development Plan 2012-2025. The governor who publicly presented the document at the Banquet Hall of the Lagos House, Ikeja, with Ambode in attendance, added that infrastructure is being built to redress the infrastructure deficit that the state has suffered. He added that the Development Plan document is about the vision for the future and how it would affect the Lagos Mega City. The import of this development is that Ambode, when he eventually takes over from Fashola, already has a master plan with which he could realise his dream to take the state to a new level.

    The lesson to be learnt in the current development in Lagos is that continuity in governance, especially from one visionary leadership to the other is quite critical, for the social, economic and political stability of the polity. However, continuity must just not be embraced just for the sake of it. It must be laced with the attendant tradition of exemplary performance. Not the type of crude cluelessness we have been witnessing at the centre in recent times. Nigeria might have been a better place if the rudder of the ship is being steered by a person who has defined passion for the country and not a conscripted and unwilling individual. This is where Lagos differs. This is why Lagos continues to excel.

     

    • Raji is Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor on Information & Strategy.
  • Reward for service, excellence

    Reward for service, excellence

    The 19th edition of the Pearl Awards Nigeria was held on Sunday at the Grand Ball Room of the Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos. OLATUNDE ODEBIYI reports.

    The Pearl Awards is  a gathering of business tycoons. This year, they gathered for the 19th edition at the Grand Ball Room of Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.

    Guests were in suit and bow tie, evening gown and native attire.

    They beamed with smiles, exchanging pleasantries and posing for photographs on the red carpet before moving into the hall for the event.

    A bevy of pretty, tall and fair women decked in coffee brown net dress, lined in gold, welcomed guests.

    The hall was decorated in gold and coffee brown with lights. Chairs were covered in the same colours. There were lots to eat and drink

    The event started with the national anthem. The duo of Bimbo Akintola and Gbenga Adeyinka were the comperes.

    The President, Pearl Awards Nigeria, Mr Tayo Orekoya welcomed guests.

    He said the gathering was to celebrate the titanic quest for corporate excellence in the Nigerian capital market and also to bring to the front line the remarkable achievements of quoted companies in the year under consideration who have served and contributed to the growth of the capital market in the country.

    He said one of the main objectives of the awards is to engender healthy competitiveness among quoted companies with the view of enhancing their performance, making them globally competitive and enhancing shareholders wealth.

    He said awards like this will go a long way to stimulate excellence performance by quoted companies. He congratulated the awardees for the outstanding performances for which they are being rewarded and urged them to sustain and improve on the past performance.

    He said the night will also feature the public presentation of the 2015 edition of the Nigerian Stock Market Annual (NSMA), an annual publication of Pearl awards Nigeria, which incorporates the awards practice, criteria, facts and figures of how the winning companies emerged.

    A popular singer, Yinka Davies led the Pearl Awards theme song.

    In his opening remarks, the chairman on the occasion, Chairman CFAO Nigeria Plc, Chief Molade Okoya-Thomas said he was proud to be at the gathering. He said that the ideal for which the award was set up is laudable and credible, adding that is why it has lasted long.

    He said Nigeria must be great and urged the gathering to tell the truth always.

    “We have people in this country who have the abilities and what it takes to make the country great but we are not doing the right things; those of us that know these dishonest people are not saying anything about it, we are afraid to say the truth. We know people who are not good enough for where they are, but we cannot say the truth,” he said.

    He lamented that only 10 percent of the population of the country can be described as rich people.

    “When you are in a position of honour please tell the truth, God is watching; say it as you see it, then you will correct most of the things in this country and bring an end to corruption,” he said.

    Director-General, Securities and Exchange Commission, (SEC) Arunma Oteh, in a goodwill message, said one of the things we do not do in Nigeria is to celebrate excellence, adding: “it is important that we do so.” She said it is good to have an initiative like Pearl Awards to promote hard work and the best of Nigeria based on facts and verifiable data.

    She said Pearl Awards had done a great service to the nation in the last 19 years, adding that its achievement will continue to encourage our leaders, journalists and companies to influence the society.

    “I’m glad that this award takes different kinds of indicators so that we can celebrate market excellence. The launch of the Annual is also an important initiative because knowledge is very crucial as it will allow many more Nigerians to be familiar with the capital market,” she said.

    Director-General, Securities and Exchange Commission, Ghana, Mr Adu Anane Antwi, represented by his deputy, Mr Alexandra Williams, congratulated all the award winners and the nominees. He applauded Pearl Awards for its good job.

    Representative of Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola, Commissioner for Science and Technology, Dr Adebiyi Mabadeje said he was impressed by the programme. He said that the state is always ready to associate with anything that celebrates merit.

    Another known artiste, a singer, Lara George entertained guests with songs.

    The Nigerian Stock Market Annual (NSMA) was presented by Chief Okoya-Thomas, who is the Asoju Oba of Lagos.

    It was reviewed by the Chief Executive Officer, RTC Advisory, Mr Opeyemi Agbaje. Mr Orekoya is the publisher/Editor-in-chief. The annual was edited by Festus Odume and forword by the Chief Judge of the Investments and Securities Tribunal (IST), Dr Ngozi Chianakwalam.

    Patrick Doyle anchored the launching of the annual

    Market excellence awards and secretarial leadership awards were given to 22 companies who emerged winners from the list of 66 nominees. Among the winners are Arbico Plc; Roads Nigeria Plc; Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc; Dangote cement Plc; UAC of Nigeria Plc; PC Cussons Nigeria Plc; University press Plc and Nigerian Breweries Plc.

    The high point of the event which most companies look forward to was ‘who will be the overall winner of the year 2014 Pearl awards Nigeria’.

    Guests were expectant and applauded as the emcee announced Forte Oil Plc as the overall winner.

    Representing the company, Head brand and corporate communications, Odion Aleobua walked tall to the stage to receive the award.

    Dr Okoya-Thomas presented the award to him, assisted by Mr Orekoya and other guests.

    They all took photographs after the presentation.

    Aleobua described the award as a charge to do more.

    “We just don’t want to be winners at the podium like this we want to be winners at our retail station, we want to have integrity and we want to have shareholders. We promise that our company will be one where shareholders value creation will be top of our objectives,” he said.

    Special honorary awards were also given to some individuals. A fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Bankers, Dr Joseph Sanusi was given Pearl Special Recognition award for Capital Market Development; Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dangote Cement Plc, Devakumar Edwin was given 2014 Pearl Most Outstanding CEO of the Year award; Assistant business editor, Capital market, Vanguard, Peter Egwuatu  got 2014 Pearl Capital Market Journalist of the Year award and ThisDay newspaper got the 2014 media award for capital market reporting.

    Just Dance Entertainment thrilled the guests with dance to sound track.

     

  • NB brands bag ADVAN awards for excellence

    NB brands bag ADVAN awards for excellence

    For the third year in a row, brands from the stable of Nigerian Breweries Plc have again bagged awards for marketing excellence. Last weekend, Star Lager Beer, Star Lite, Gulder Beer, Amstel Malta and Fayrouz soft drink shone after picking seven prestigious awards during this year’s edition of the Advertising Association of Nigeria (ADVAN) Awards for Marketing Excellence, which held at the Muson Centre, Onikan, Lagos.

    The Star brand clinched the gold Award for the ‘Experiential Marketing Category’ with its annual national musical concert, Star Trek.  It was also the third position in the ‘Campaign of the Year Category’ with the Shine on Nigeria campaign.

    Nigerian Breweries’ newest product, Star Lite, also stood out as it clinched the golden award for the New Brand of the Year category and second position in the ‘Innovation of the Year Category.’

    Gulder Beer was awarded second position in the ‘Consumer Promotion of the Year Category’ with its Gulder Ultimate Search Consumer Challenge. Soft drink Fayrouz also clinched the second position in the ‘Experiential Marketing Category’ with the Fayrouz L’Original Expression Show. Amstel Malta got the third position for the ‘Digital Marketing of the Year Category’ with its ‘Act the Part’, an online contest.

    Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian Breweries, Nicolaas Vervelde, said the awards was a major improvement from the 2013 stands and has proved to be a testimony to the professionalism of the marketing team of Nigerian Breweries. According to him, the award would boost the company’s effort in its execution to win drive.

  • ADVAN rewards marketing excellence

    The President, Advertising Association of Nigeria (ADVAN), Mr. Kola Oyeyemi has said the group is promoting the development of advertisement by recognising firms with marketing excellence.

    He spoke during the awards for marketing excellence with the  ‘Marketing in the 21st Century in Lagos’ as its theme.

    “ADVAN is geared to help advertisers stay on top of critical issues that affect marketing today, forewarn them on tomorrow issues and assist in developing the right tools to address them,” he said.

    Those that emerged winner at the award night were Nestlé Milo that got the campaign of the year award, consumer promotion award and brand of the year award, while Oral B got the consumer insight award.

    PZ Cussons got the corporate social responsibility award; Origin got the innovation award; MTN got the digital marketing award while Star Lite got the new brand or service launch award.

    The ADVAN president said all entries received for the awards were critically evaluated by a panel of seasoned professionals, who maintained the highest level of equitability in the judging process.

    Oyeyemi said the awards for marketing excellence had evolved over the years in response to new developments in marketing theory and practice, to reflect the growing appreciation of the critical role of marketing as the vital source of value creation for business.

    “It is no secret that marketing has undergone more changes during the past five years than perhaps the preceding 100 years. Staying current with the dizzy arrays of technologies and trends has emerged as a daunting and often frustrating task,” he said.

  • Firm gets NIS excellence service delivery award

    Continental Transfer Technique Limited (CONTEC), Nigeria’s foremost biometric technology and secured system organisation, has won the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS)’s most prestigious award, the NIS Recognition of Excellence Service Delivery.

    The award which was announced at a ceremony to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the service at the International Conference Centre, Abuja by NIS Comptroller General of Nigeria Immigration Service, Mr. David Parradang, was in recognition of CONTEC outstanding performance as a technical service provider.

    Parradang, who spoke on the award, pointed out that it was to appreciate CONTEC’s initiatives that have demonstrated leadership and commitment to service excellence through practical application of technological solutions for new and existing needs of the Nigeria Immigration Service.

    A major area of recognition is the Combined Expatriate Residence Permit and Aliens’ Card (CERPAC) Project that was conceived and designed entirely by CONTEC in 1999 to introduce a new type of Residence Permit and Alien Card which is both forge and tamper-proof to replace the paper type residence permit which was subject to manipulation and abuse in Nigeria on the CERPAC project.

    In his citation, Parradang said, “CONTEC technical solutions and professional contribution in CERPAC project has led to a more effective and responsive immigration service.”

    CONTEC is an international company with a strong regional African base, as almost 40 per cent of Africa’s population use one form of system platforms designed, processed, printed and delivered by the company.