The Nation Newspaper

Tag: eyes

  • AfDB eyes $1tr from African agric sector

    The African Development Bank (AfDB) yseterday call on African governments to create the right environment for the private sector to lead the continent’s industrial revolution.

    “We cannot say we have leadership when we still have 65 per cent of the land in Africa uncultivated. We must develop solutions to agriculture and ensure that the sector can grow to a $1-trillion business,” its President, Akinwumi Adesina, said.

    Participants at the 53rd Annual Meetings of the AfDB in Busan, Korea also advocated for a balance between the role of the state and the private sector.

    Korea was presented as a good model for industrialisation which African countries can learn from.

    “Korea’s example is incredible. Korea was as poor as any African country in the 1960s with a low per capita income; today, thanks to the determination of its people and its commitment to industrialisation, Korea is the 11th biggest economy in the world, an example Africa should learn from,” Adesina said.

    Discussions focused on the theme of the 2018 Annual Meetings, “Accelerating Africa’s Industrialisation,” and the need to tell the great stories of Africa – the story of a resurgent continent ready to take its rightful place in the industrial world.

    Adesina explained that industrialization was selected as the theme of the 2018 Annual Meetings to further showcase what Africa can learn from a country like Korea.

    According to him, “there is nowhere better than Korea to address this theme. Korea’s incredible success over the last 60 years provides a perfect model to the AfDB to redouble its efforts towards Africa’s economic development.

  • CWG eyes New York listing

    The Chief Executive Officer, CWG Plc, Mr. James Agada yesterday said the management of the firm has designed a roadmap that would eventually lead to its cross-listing in either New York, London or NASDAQ. He said the original objective was to be listed in NASDAQ, stressing that it is still being pursued.

    Speaking in Lagos, he said it was incorrect to say that since   the firm listed on the floor of the Nigeria Stock Exchange (NSE) in 2013, its operations have not been stabilised, thus leading to several restructurings over the last five years.

    Agada insisted that going public had not negatively affected the operations of the firm but rather, it has strengthened it and helped it to set institutions and put corporate governance structures that have boosted its operational practices.

    He said: “Going public has not in any way created challenges for us. Rather, it is a source of strength because we are moving forward and have institutionalised every structure in our operations.”

    He recalled that the journey to make the firm to be more standardised preparatory for listing on the NSE began since 2010.

    Agada, who became the Group Chief Executive Officer of the firm two years ago, said CWG was bigger than any one person, adding that the strenghtening its institutions was designed to ensure the firm out-lived  its founders and persons running them, particularly after 25 years of continuous growth and full economic impact.

    He cited the success stories of firms such as IBM and Microsoft that have outgrown their founders because of strong institutions that were built over the years.

    Agada said his appointment was never as a result of management challenges but a planned transition, which he said is an important step in trying to institutionalise the CWG business.

    He said: “There is nothing extraordinary about me becoming the Group Chief Executive Officer of CWG.  Everything that is happening is known to everyone, but what we are doing like we have always done is to reinvent ourselves and take advantage of the situation we found ourselves.

    “The organisation believes in internal progression and it is possible my successor could be anyone amongst the numerous experts we currently have in-house. These management changes are all very strategic to fit the operational needs and external economic requirements and know-how.”

  • Play Tv eyes 90% local channels

    Direct to Home (DTH) broadcasting system that offers services to its subscribers through highly entertaining and informative channels, Play Tv has said its focus is to make 90 per cent of its channels totally indigenous to support the creative sector of the economy.

    The Executive Chairman, Digital Play Nigeria Limited, Toyin Subair, who spoke in an interview with The Nation, said Play is a brand that has been developed, conceptualised and is being rolled out for different sectors in television, video-on-demand, cinemas and in production.

    “Play Television is coming up in a lot of channels and we will create more local channels. The ideal situation for us is getting 90 per cent of our channels to be local channels. We are not just doing that, what we are doing is that we are creating a partnership with different people who have good ideas about monitoring the channels; we have the infrastructure, the facility to use to partner with them to make it easier for them. They don’t need to go and re-invent the wheel again. You know everybody has become so used to becoming our own utility centres where you are the one doing everything yourself. This infrastructure now becomes a hub. You don’t need to start putting structure in place. You just come here and everything is ready for you. That’s where we make good use of our resources because we don’t have it like many other people. It is not even cheap; so instead of people going to get that (loan at) 35 per cent (interest rate), it is available somewhere you can use the little money you have to  create what you have and let the expert put it together for you, transmit it for you,” Mr Subair said.

    He said the idea of Play Tv is a common world where people come together making it easy for them to monetise their creative talent.

    “The brand will evolve over the next few months, launching various products both for Nollywood, making Nollywood available to people in their homes even if they don’t have internet, that’s one of our products. Then you have the television and a whole multitude of channels for different people. We have very well-known creative people leading and spearheading the different channels of their own and a product line put on television. The future of television is mobile and people that are able to enjoy it and so that is what PLAY is about at the end of the day,” he added.

    Last week, award winning hip hop sensation and Play Brand Ambassador, Olamide aka Baddosneh launched his music and lifestyle channel, Voice of the Streets (VOTS) on Play Tv.

    VOTS is expected to deliver the best in showbiz bringing in the best street music, lifestyle, reality shows and entertainment news across Nigeria. The channel will also offer rich contents on events, documentaries, red carpet events, features, interviews and many more.

    Speaking on the occasion, Olamide had said: “This is just the beginning of good things to come to Entertainment industry in Nigeria. In Play TV, we have a collaborator that enhances our offering of local contents to our fans. For me and my team, we have always aimed to launch a channel that will speak for the streets and so when the opportunity came up, the choice of Play TV and the launch of VOTS for us is significant as it will cement VOTS as the leading music and entertainment channel in Nigeria and beyond.”

    Formerly known as Continental Satellite Limited (CONSAT), Play Tv has deployed advanced digital broadcasting system to broadcast world-class international channels, channels from Africa and Nigeria. With the target audience of age group 0-70,  it offers the best music hits  exclusive movies, entertainment, cartoon, comedy, lifestyle, fashion and an exclusive behind-the-scene access to top African celebrities: from the latest video clips/concerts of the major urban artists, behind the scenes to the most( intimate interviews with A-list champions.

    With over 40 channels, the platform is home to some of the world’s most popular brands, including Rishtey Asia, Aljazeera, HFATV, Colors International, Mount Zion Television and 1Music.

    In less than one year, Pay has grown into a global urban entertainment brand that is the catalyst, the voice and the one stop destination for urban entertainment creators and fans. Each Play channel has a clear mission: ( to entertain, empower and engage with a passionate multicultural cross over audience.

     

  • Play Tv eyes 90% local channels

    Direct to Home (DTH) broadcasting system that offers services to its subscribers through highly entertaining and informative channels, PLAY TV, has said its focus is to make 90 per cent of its channels totally indigenous to support the creative sector of the economy.

    The Executive Chairman, Digital Play Nigeria Limited, Toyin Subair, who spoke in an interview with The Nation, said Play is a brand that has been developed, conceptualised and is being rolled out for different sectors in television, video-on-demand, cinemas and in production.

    “Play Television is coming up in a lot of channels and we will create more local channels. The ideal situation for us is getting 90 per cent of our channels to be local channels. We are not just doing that, what we are doing is that we are creating a partnership with different people who have good ideas about monitoring the channels; we have the infrastructure, the facility to use to partner with them to make it easier for them. They don’t need to go and re-invent the wheel again. You know everybody has become so used to becoming our own utility centres where you are the one doing everything yourself. This infrastructure now becomes a hub. You don’t need to start putting structure in place. You just come here and everything is ready for you. That’s where we make good use of our resources because we don’t have it like many other people. It is not even cheap; so instead of people going to get that (loan at) 35 per cent (interest rate), it is available somewhere you can use the little money you have to  create what you have and let the expert put it together for you, transmit it for you,” Mr Subair said.

    He said the idea of PLAY Tv is a common world where people come together making it easy for them to monetise their creative talent.

    “The brand will evolve over the next few months, launching various products both for Nollywood, making Nollywood available to people in their homes even if they don’t have internet, that’s one of our products. Then you have the television and a whole multitude of channels for different people. We have very well-known creative people leading and spearheading the different channels of their own and a product line put on television. The future of television is mobile and people that are able to enjoy it and so that is what PLAY is about at the end of the day,” he added.

    Last week, award winning hip hop sensation and PLAY Brand Ambassador, Olamide aka Baddosneh launched his music and lifestyle channel, Voice of the Streets (VOTS) on PLAY TV.

    VOTS is expected to deliver the best in showbiz bringing in the best street music, lifestyle, reality shows and entertainment news across Nigeria. The channel will also offer rich contents on events, documentaries, red carpet events, features, interviews and many more.

    Speaking on the occasion, Olamide said “This is just the beginning of good things to come to Entertainment industry in Nigeria. In Play TV, we have a collaborator that enhances our offering of local contents to our fans. For me and my team, we have always aimed to launch a channel that will speak for the streets and so when the opportunity came up, the choice of Play TV and the launch of VOTS for us is significant as it will cement VOTS as the leading music and entertainment channel in Nigeria and beyond.”

    Formerly known as Continental Satellite Limited (CONSAT), PLAY TV has deployed advanced digital broadcasting system to broadcast world-class international channels, channels from Africa and Nigeria. With the target audience of age group 0-70,  it offers the best music hits  exclusive movies, entertainment, cartoon, comedy, lifestyle, fashion and an exclusive behind-the-scene access to top African celebrities: from the latest video clips/concerts of the major urban artists, behind the scenes to the most( intimate interviews with A-list champions.

    With over 40 channels, the platform is home to some of the world’s most popular brands, including Rishtey Asia, Aljazeera, HFATV, Colors International, Mount Zion Television and 1Music.

    In less than one year, PLAY has grown into a global urban entertainment brand that is the catalyst, the voice and the one stop destination for urban entertainment creators and fans. Each PLAY channel has a clear mission: ( to entertain, empower and engage with a passionate multicultural cross over audience).

     

  • Nigeria eyes ‘100,000Mw by 2030’

    The Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN) has predicted that Nigeria will be able to generate 100,000 megawatts (Mw) of electricity by 2030.

    Its Director-General, Eli Bala,yesterday said the projection would be possible with an annual economic growth rate of seven per cent and steady implementation of the National Energy Plan by the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing.

    Bala saaid: “With the incremental power programme; every time, every year, we must have an increment in power generation.

    “We will also increase our capacity to transmit as well as the capacity to distribute. So I think we are on course, although it is not easy.

    “Very soon, we will get to a level where we will have a 100,000Mw or 100 gigawatts by 2030 and the economy growing at the rate of about seven per cent annually.”

    Noting that the mandate of the commission is to produce strategic plans and coordinate national policies, Bala said: “If you look at the strategic plans we have produced, we produced energy master plan and in particular with respect to electricity generation.”

    He said the commission was the first to articulate the various energy mix, including renewable and nuclear energy.

    “We made a plan in such a manner that we project by 2030, if the economy is to grow at seven percent, we need nothing less than 100 gigawatts of electricity capacity.

    “And you know our politicians want the economy to grow by double-digits. If the economy is to grow by double-digit, we need nothing less than 300 gigawatts by 2030.

    “I think knowing what you want is a very important thing. If you don’t know what you want, you are going nowhere,”  he told NAN.

  • Fed Govt eyes N141b from mining sector

    The Federal Government is eyeing a sectoral contribution of N141 billion from Minerals and Metals to the gross domestic product (GDP).

    This will be an increased contribution to the GDP, from N103 billion in 2015 to N141 billion in 2020, at an average annual growth rate of 8.54 per cent,  the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr Kayode Fayemi said yesterday in Abuja.

    He spoke  at the inauguration of the newly constituted Boards of agencies and parastatals.

    Fayemi also stated that other targets for the sector includes the facilitation of Coal to Power Plants to contribute to our energy mix towards bridging the energy deficits.

    He said: “The mining sector remains crucial as one of the frontiers of the Federal Government’s recently launched ‘Economic Recovery & Growth Plan (2017-2020)’, in which the Minerals and Metals sector was duly recognised as one of those to drive Nigeria’s recovery. The strategic document projected to grow sectoral contribution to GDP from N103 billion (2015) to N141 billion in 2020, at an average annual growth rate of 8.54 per cent.

    “Consequently, the ministry has been selected as one of the critical players in the ERGP Focus Labs about to be launched by Mr. President this week.

    “Other targets for the sector include the facilitation of Coal to Power Plants to contribute to our energy mix towards bridging our energy deficits; the production of geological maps of the entire country by 2020 on a scale of 1:100,000; as well as the sustainable integration of artisanal miners into the formal sector.

    “Moreover, we are being guided by other far reaching prescriptions contained in our ‘Roadmap for the Growth and Development of the Mining Industry’, which was approved in August, 2016 by the Federal Executive Council, which provides a pathway for the sustainable turnaround and growth of the mining and metals sector over the short, medium, and long term. As you may well know, Institutional Strengthening and effective sector governance is one of the major themes that run through our roadmap.

    “It is therefore noteworthy that this inauguration is coming at a time we have commenced the full operationalisation of the Roadmap, as well as the implementation of the World Bank supported Mineral Diversification Project. We therefore count on the patriotic service of the new Board members to play their own part as crucial enablers in the industry, towards advancing a common vision for the revitalisation of the sector.”

    Fifty three members were inaugurated into the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA), National Steel Raw materials Exploration Agency (NSRMEA), National Metallurgical Development Center (NMDC) and Council of Nigerian Mining Engineers and Geoscientists (COMEG), including four board chairmen.

     

  • MTN eyes Africa’s biggest bank

    Africa’s biggest mobile telecoms operator, MTN’s ambitious business strategy is to become Africa’s biggest bank, its CEO Rob Shuter, has said.

    The company is encouraged by the progress made by its Mobile Money offering in other areasthat it operates in. This is despite MTN Mobile Money failing to gain traction in the South African market, with the telco eventually killing it off in 2016 due to lack of commercial viability.

    MTN Mobile Money allows anyone with a mobile phone to send and receive money quickly, safely, affordably and conveniently.

    “The core digital service that we have decided to put our money on is Mobile Money. Mobile Money is really about leveraging the strength of the brand and leveraging the strength of the distribution because we have built a huge informal distribution network for prepaid airtime to bring customers into a transactional banking system,” Shuter was quoted to have said by ITWeb Africa at Deloitte Africa 2018 Outlook conference in Woodmead, South Africa.

    He pointed out that MTN has deployed Mobile Money in 14 markets and “if we look at our 30-day active users, which is the most important matric, we are growing by half a million customers a month. I think that’s pretty cool and today we are sitting at 21 million subscribers”.

    “We are a new age transactional banking provider and it’s a very big imperative for us, and the key thing we want to do is to scale it rapidly,”he said.

    According to Shuter, MTN wants to build Mobile Money into a 60 million customer business in the next three to four years.

    “We will be the largest bank in Africa, leveraging scale, network, brand, infrastructure and distribution,” he noted.

    Detailing the company’s other plans, Shuter said he is upbeat about the economies of Africa and the Middle East, where the telco has operations.

    “We are very optimistic about what we see. For us, we see more opportunities than challenges. We see the need to focus on our core geographies and this is partially because this is where we see the growth. We see Asia-Pacific as the fastest growing economy, but Middle East and Africa are also following suit. MTN looks at the market in terms of three core customer segments – consumer, enterprise and wholesale,” Shuter pointed out.

    He added:“If we look at consumer, what is quite inspiring for us, looking at our geographies, is that we have a population of about 650 million people across the 22 markets we operate in. In the next three to four years, that 650 million people is going to grow to 700 million people. An increase of 50 million people is the same as adding another South Africa to the portfolio.

    “So, that gives us a lot of opportunity, actually still in the traditional voice business – SIM penetration, voice, handsets, SMS, etc.”

    According to Shuter, the three biggest markets for MTN are South Africa, Nigeria and Iran. He added that the economic conditions are improving. “In Nigeria, oil prices are coming back and inflation is coming under control. South Africa is also witnessing winds of change politically, while Iran is a market that is opening up, particularly to Europe, despite the rhetoric that we hear from the US,”he said.

    The other aspect that defines the market, he said, is the low level of Internet and digital services. “When you look at the adoption of mobile Internet, we are talking 20per cent to 30per cent of these markets. These are markets with born-digital youthful populations – these are people who were introduced to the Internet on a mobile device.”

    He believed that there is also potential for the adoption of digital services, which include mobile money, media, entertainment and social media.

    “So there are a lot of positives in the consumer side of the business. If we are looking at the market size, we are looking at R500 billion to R600 billion in all the geographies that we operate in; that’s about two-thirds of the market. If you want to be successful for the long run in our industry, you have to be very well-positioned in the consumer market in terms of brand, products, network, technology, resources, etc,”he said.

    The enterprise market, according to Shuter, is valued at R210 billion and growing at eight per cent year-on-year. “For sure, we have to be successful in the consumer segment because that’s the biggest segment but for an operator like us, a push in the enterprise sector can make a very big difference. It’s a large market with decent growth,”he said.

  • ‘Help save my sight and dreams’

    ‘Help save my sight and dreams’

    Losing both eyes to the deadly paws of cataract just five years ago, Master Holy Ogene, a talented musician is appealing to well-meaning Nigerians to save his sight and dreams

     

    At the first encounter, his visual handicap is not obvious, considering  the way he carries himself with little or no assistance at all. It is astonishing to find him deriving strength and courage from his inability to see. It is true that even in his physically challenged state, Master Holy Ogene has managed to craft a worthy name for himself, struggling to make ends meet and  living without his parents help.

    Christened Master Holy Ogene by his parents, he lost his sight in highly unfortunate circumstances just five years ago when he was still a student at Baba Fafunwa Millennia Senior Secondary School, Ojota, a Government school where both eyes were infected by cataract.

    In an interview with  our correspondent, he recalled the genesis of his present situation.

    “When I was born, I had short sight. I was asked to use glasses but my father refused to let me use them as he believed I was too young to use recommended lens.”

    Tragedy  actually struck when he was admitted to Baba Fafunwa Senior Secondary School at Ojodu Berger where the inability to cope due to large groups of students finally coerced his father to let him use recommended lenses. However, the damage had already been done at the ripe age of 14.

    “It was after I started using glasses upon admission that I got cataract on my left eye and it got serious. My Dad had to take me to Eye foundation and they advocated surgery as the only solution. I was about 14 at the time and the implications of an eye surgery was much which included an operation via my brain and the risk being my Dad signing a form if anything happened to me.”

    The delayed decision in undergoing a surgery led to the complete closure of the right eye after cataract covered the second eye.

    The 22 year old who is an upcoming musician and politician witnessed the loss of both eyes after the unfortunate incident. Not willing to concede to defeat, he picked up a singing career due to his current condition.

    “Singing comes from emotions, how I feel and the society around me. How I feel being depressed and just hearing people around me. At times, when I eat I don’t see what I eat,” Holy said.

    He described his foray into politics by the nature of his unique singing talent. He was able to attract the attention of politicians and majorly the political presence of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    “Due to my knowledge, and my brain, I operate phones and create technology. I created caller tunes and the current one for my phone was created by me. I created caller tunes and ways to advertise politicians which instantly peaked their interest in me, especially the PDP, though I would not want to say much over that.” He however attested to creating his own caller tune himself.

    The event which happened in his heydays in secondary school hampered him from acquiring higher education but did not stop him from developing his mind.

    “I wasn’t able to go to university but I went for some lessons to take my knowledge to another level.”

    When asked if he used braille as means to communicate or express himself; he stated that he did not believe in the use of braille phones, he attested to the capability of using any phone no matter the complexity in functionality in less than three days.

    “I use a normal phone and there is no phone I can’t use. Right now, I can send you a text message as fast as possible,” he demonstrated using his Nokia phone. Even the caller tune I created, you can hear it yourself; I did it in less than 3 minutes.” He reaffirmed: “I create caller tunes for myself and can operate any phone in 3 days.”

    “I require #340 000 for the operation which is the specific operation price but the total is #360 000 drugs inclusive. Eye foundation gave me a bigger bill of #750 000 which is much. The Federal Medical Centre Asaba is cheaper and I have the doctors report with me here offering me #360 000.”

    Ogene appealed  to well-meaning individuals, Churches, NGOs, and most importantly government officials and political parties. “I think this is a medium where parties can use my knowledge instead of making me a nuisance in the society to create an avenue where I can get my sight back.”

    Ogene isn’t new to donations, he claimed that he had been given donations in the past but they had been very meagre to pay the bills for the drugs prescribed. “I got only #10 000 to #15 000 with little assistance from people but you know drugs and it has been almost two years and nothing else came. I don’t stay with my parents in Delta State, I have been feeding alone and life has been a little bit terrible and horrific.”

    Holy who was accompanied by his distraught mother solicited the help of well-meaning Nigerians to save his sight by not letting the light of his dreams die a premature death, at the very tender age of 22.

    His phone numbers are 08104974780 and 08142556716 while his account details is Ecobank, Ogene Holy 3823067769.

     

  • ‘I always have my eyes on the ball’

    ‘I always have my eyes on the ball’

    Mrs. Olubunmi Oke is Managing Director/CEO, 141, one of the frontline PR and advertising agencies in the country. In this interview with Bukola Aroloye she speaks on the prevailing credit crunch vis-à-vis opportunities for growth in critical sectors of the economy as well as her management style and motivating factor for success. Excerpts:

    What is your principle on success and how have you translated this into your management of 141?
    I’m a kind of person that just loves result. I like to understand what is the end game of any project am going into. I like to be objective-driven because it saves a lot of trouble. When you are not clear about your objectives, it is difficult to win. Sometimes, it requires thinking and thinking requires efforts because you have to put knowledge into use. Objectives are very clear. Once you are focused on the objectives, it is easy to determine what the end game will be and you develop discipline required to go from point A to B.
    In this life, it is result that matter. It is easier to congratulate a child for doing well in school than saying you can do well next time. Failure and success needs management but it’s easier to manage success than managing failure because it requires less energy. If you are successful, you don’t need to advertise. Everybody will be all over you but if you fail in a project, everybody will be asking you why you failed and you will be explaining yourself to everyone.
    Success has its challenges. I read long ago that getting organised requires upfront investment of energy to manage success. If you want to look good to your client, it means you have to prepare upfront and anticipate what they want. Your client’s success is your success. If you are able to make your clients achieve success, you also will be successful. They may not like your face at first but when you go there looking good, they will begin to like you. It’s natural you like people that are making you look good. Even in school scenarios, teachers like students that normally pass exams.
    It is difficult to achieve results but the results compensate for another type of pains that you would have gone through. We are all talking about Usain Bolts but nobody knows the pains he went through during training to achieve results. We are not seeing through the trainings, we are only seeing the success. There is no shortcut to success; you have to go through the pains. When you are going through pains, you endure it knowing the results will nullify any pain. Failure is a hard thing to do. When you are successful, you don’t have to talk too much. The success speaks for you.
    How has your management style contributed to the success of 141?
    Don’t forget that 141 is also a team. In a team, everybody has effective roles to play. There are some people who know how to get things done because they are courageous. Some people are good at making jest. In a team, there are stars and there are leaders, though you need grace and favour. There are some people that will like to do business with you because they want to be around your company. So the success of 141 is a combination of style, favour and teamwork. It’s like the cabin crew in an aircraft. They have to be polite even under difficulties in the air. They are trained to make passengers comfortable, courteous, and friendly. Even the way the pilot looks, it attracts people to the profession. Some people have elevated themselves to the level of proficiency and professionalism because of their mindset towards success.
    How do you motivate your staff?
    There are some motivations that come from structures such as paying of salaries. But self-motivation is the biggest motivation. When you understand that work is a privilege, not a right and is a means to gain not an end result, then you know it’s about self-actualisation. If you can see the biggest picture that you are privileged to have a job, and that there are people who would have loved to do the work you are doing but could not do it because of physical challenges, you will appreciate your work.
    Some people want to do the work, but they don’t have the capability to do it or the education required. We dwell more on what we don’t have than what we have. The Bible says God blesses the work of your hand so any work that you find to do, do it. It can take you to places.
    Attitude makes a difference to what you can achieve. In this course, you begin to discover qualities that you didn’t know you have. That’s why it is said challenges should not be ‘a stumbling block’ but a stepping stone. For me, it is a stepping stones because it has to do with attitude. If you are waiting for only money to motivate you, don’t you think everybody will be demotivated because of this recession? You have to get a bigger picture to motivate yourself because wherever you are, you will see opportunities that go with it. Whether you live as a rich person or pauper, everybody will die. Any level you occupy, you will still die. It’s about your attitude. Many people have become presidents or governors not because they are the best, but because of the position they occupy. Some people dropped out of school not because they are less intelligent but because their parents couldn’t pay their school fees. But there are some whose parents paid their school fees but the children didn’t go to school.
    We have to remember that in this life, we are running a race so whatever position we are we have to make the best use of it. Our prayer is to see bigger picture. Wherever I’ve worked, I found out God allows me to distinguish myself. I learnt you have to make your life in a positive way and move on. You may ruffle some shoulders but you end up better off. It is a privilege to lead a team. When a job is well done, you don’t have to talk too much.
    Can you take us through your philosophy?
    My philosophy is that every challenge or role I have to play in life I see it as an opportunity and not a problem, so that perceptive makes a difference. It is not until you become the president that you can add value. Anywhere you go and whatever you do, ask yourself if you add value to others, even to yourself. I have some staff I had worked with and whenever they see me, they greet me with respect and thank me. I don’t like failure in any sort; failure will always come but it depends on how you handle it. It has to do with perspectives. You go from level to level. There is no success story without pains. It all involves hard work.
    The country is going through recession, how is the industry fairing in terms of patronage?
    It is not easy. Challenges bring out opportunities. All of us now have to choose our priorities. The largesse has gone but it has allowed us to think. We have been very wasteful. There are things we now realised are not needed. It’s helping everyone to now know his or her priority. Even clients have priority now. Recession makes you to get better value. It makes you to remove scales from your eyes. Technically, everybody has become poorer. You start to reappraise certain things. It’s a challenging opportunity. It’s like a refining process. If we can be honest with ourselves, I think we will be better for it. If we can reappraise our values, it is better. You no longer send your child to school you cannot afford. If all of us look at our potential, we would not be looking at excuses.
    Now, you don’t take your job for granted because there is no more job security. There are some hard lessons we are learning now. We have to get our values right as a country. Though I believe in the power of prayers, but we should also work towards our prayers. The good thing is that new things are coming out. People are now being creative. It is an interesting period which has made us to have a rethink. We should stop being global jokers.
    Can you mention some tough decisions you have made as the CEO?
    Building an institution comes with tough decisions. Being able to tell a staff that he or she is not adding value to the company is a tough decision. You must have courage. Sometimes you meet clients who are not being honourable to their contracts. It takes courage to ask for money you have earned. The question is whether you did it well. Once I did a job well, I always have the confidence to ask a client for my money. As you lay your bed so you lay on it. That’s why am ruthless when it comes to service delivery. We all react to good things so if you want good things to happen you also do good things.
    What inspires you?
    My inspiration was when I realised I was privileged. I am a British-born Nigerian and we were trained in Britain to know our rights as a child. At four years old, I knew my age, my parents’ name, and the area I was living. We were trained. But coming to Nigeria is a different culture. Elderly parents think you are too bold when you look them in the face unlike what we were taught as a child in UK. As a child that grew up in UK, I had a mind of my own. That system believe you must have an opinion; this is not so in Nigeria. When I came to Nigeria, I came to know there are people who can’t go to school not because they can’t afford it but the society does not allow them. I started realising I was privileged to be educated in the UK. It changed my orientation. God gave me the grace to realise I can’t have the best of the whole world. So that changed my whole outlook.
    As a woman, how have you been able to compete in a male-dominated sector?
    Confidence has nothing to do with gender. You can be a very confident man or a confident woman. The best is the complement of each other. I’m very confident as woman and there are things I bring to the table that a man cannot bring. By nature, women have taken subservient role in organisations. Women run homes though they agree men are their head. Women make difference even in business. Research has shown that when you have women working in a business, there are better results. Half of the world population is women. There is no product you want to sell in this world, if it doesn’t affect women, it won’t sell. I didn’t grow with the mindset that only men can get things done.
    How do you unwind?
    Enjoy your job not endure it. Enjoy what you do because everything you do on earth has time. I like things done well and enjoy what I do. Once I don’t enjoy what I do, I find my way out.

  • Lagos eyes 27,500 jobs in new environmental policy

    Lagos eyes 27,500 jobs in new environmental policy

    Barring the unforeseen, the implementation of the harmonised environmental law will start. BUNMI OGUNMODEDE writes on the dos and don’ts of the new environmental policy 

    WITH the Environmental Management and Protection Bill signed into Law by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, the stage is set for the implementation of a new policy on the environment in the State of Aquatic Splendour.

    The relevant ministries and agencies are bracing for the implementation of the law signed by the governor on March 1.

    A source at the Ministry of the Environment told The Nation yesterday that the take-off date will soon be announced by the government.

    After appending his signature, the governor expressed optimism that the law would go a long in securing the public health safety of residents, especially children. Ambode recalled how his administration, in its early days,  decided to overhaul the state’s environmental, waste management and handling practices and also to harmonise all existing environmental laws.

    The governor said the sanitation law, as bequeathed to his administration, needed to be reworked in line with Lagos’ mega city status.

    The law, when operational, will drive the adoption of innovative technology to tackle existing environmental problems in the state.

    According to him, since the provisions of the inherited environmental laws were outdated and no longer applicable to modern-day realities, the government swung into action and came up with a model that would have sanitation as its centerpiece.

    The governor said: “While charting a new direction, it became quickly apparent that the government on its own would struggle to bear the cost of wholesale changes while meeting its other obligations in other equally vital sectors.

    “It was necessary to make investor-friendly laws that attract the type of capital we need to advance  our development agenda and achieve our sustainability goals. We believe it is worth the risk involved in changing the legislative framework if the reward is a healthier and cleaner Lagos for our children – our future.”

    Under the new dispensation – the Cleaner Lagos Initiative (CLI), the commercial sector would be serviced by licensed as waste managers. A consortium of environmental service providers, among them some globally-acclaimed waste management companies, will provide waste collection, processing and disposal services for residential properties under a long-term concession arrangement.

    The consortium will be expected to deploy a large multi-dimensional fleet of over 20 landfill and Transfer Loading Station (TLS) management vehicles, 590 rear-end loader compactors, 140 operational vehicles and about electronically-tracked 900,000-litre bins that would be monitored by Public Utilities Monitoring Assurance Unit (PUMAU) of the Environment Ministry.

    “I am delighted that our bill has been signed into law. Under this initiative, we have (referring to the public and private sector) worked collectively to make laws that will result in historic environmental victories,” Ambode said after signing the bill.

    New role for KAI brigades

    The new law mandates the Lagos State Waste Management Agency (LAWMA) to review and regulate all waste management activities within the state. It has also rebranded the sanitation police – Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) – and gave a new identity – Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LASECORPS).

    According to the provision of the law, the agency will oversee the enforcement of ‘stringent’ penalties to be imposed on defaulters. The governor said that LASECORPS’s performance evaluations and remuneration will be tied to the number of actionable fines they issue for non-compliance with the law.

    The agency will be saddled with the responsibility of monitoring and maintaining surveillance on the highways, streets, public drainages, canals, markets and parks. It will also have the primary role of ensuring that citizens fulfil their civic duty by paying the Public Utilities Levy (PUL). The PUL is a property-based charge payable by tenements for the management of solid and liquid waste, waste water and environmental intervention for the state.

    It an annual charge that will take effect as the rollout commences will replace all service fees previously paid to the waste management authorities.

    Zero tolerance for street trading

    One of the highlights of the new law is the prohibition of street trading.  It stated: “It is an offence to engage in street trading on the major highways and streets of Lagos and sell in an unapproved market in Lagos while every owner, tenant and occupier of any shop, kiosks, space or stall in any market within the state shall, on a regular basis, ensure the cleanliness of his space.”

    To ensure sparkling streets and a dirt-free environment, commercial vehicles operating within the metropolis must carry litter bins to discourage indiscriminate dumping of waste from the vehicle.

    The law states: “If the driver fails to provide the litter bin, the driver will also be penalized alongside the passenger or the occupier of the vehicle who commits the offence.”

    War on illegal structures

    The law has further empowered relevant government agencies to clampdown on all illegal structures. House and kiosks built on sewage systems and drainage alignments would be demolished.

    The office of drainage services will henceforth approve boreholes and any other structure connected with water supply.

    According to the governor, there would be no compromise on the application and implementation of the new policy.

    He said: “Compliance is the key. The burden of the cost of providing these services will remain low if everyone does his or her part and pays the Public Utilities Levy (PUL).

    “With the repositioned LASECORPS, we will work within the community to enforce the new laws. The state will have a zero-tolerance policy for offenders because disregarding payment of your PUL or flouting the new regulations ultimately promotes activities that lead to the loss of lives.”

    “We have worked closely with the public in determining the rates and have succeeded in keeping this levy relatively low.”

    Trust Fund coming

    The PUL will be a major contribution to the state’s ongoing efforts at addressing severe challenges that are peculiar to Lagos because of its rising urbanisation. The money will be held in the Environmental Trust Fund (LSETF) being proposed and managed meticulously by a Board of independent Security Exchange Commission (SEC) regulated trustees.

    The Trust Fund, which will be chaired by the Commissioner for the Environment, is aimed at promoting the development and sustenance of the state’s performance in managing its environment.

    It will create a system that can attract funds from persons, organisations and authorities in tackling environmental issues. The trust fund will also promote the creation of job opportunities for the youth in waste management and waste recycling, among others

    LASECORPS’s performance evaluations and remuneration will also be tied directly to the number of actionable fines they issue for non-compliance. The sanitation Corps will be supported by the PUMAU.

    Defaulters of these laws will face stiff penalties, including payment of fines, ranging from N250, 000 to N5, 000,000 and/or imprisonment.

    Ambode said: “The primary driver of the new bill and the initiatives that we have undertaken is not just cosmetic but to save lives. Therefore, we will unapologetically prosecute offender to the full extent of the law.

    “We will make Chief Executive Officer (CEOs) accountable, from the very top to the bottom, and the law is very specific about the consequences of non-compliance.”

    Toxic waste, smoke-emitting vehicles, generators banned

    The harmonisation of the various environmental laws and the signing of the bill, the governor has secured the needed legal teeth to turn into reality his vision of ensuring that every resident’s access to a right to a clean, safe and healthy environment.

    In the newly promulgated law, no person or group of persons shall dump over any toxic waste capable of causing harm in the state and all emissions from vehicles, plants and equipment including generating plants in residential, commercial and industrial areas within the state must mandatorily meet air emission standard.

    Similarly, the new law will ensure that no manufacturing of chemicals, lubricants, petroleum products, gases, quarry, cement (except for those used in construction), takes place in a residential premise. The law prescribed that any manufacturer of such items will procure an insurance policy from an approved insurance company.

    Also, under the law, every owner or occupier of a facility who uses, stores, keeps and maintains underground storage tanks and surface storage tanks shall register such tanks with the enforcing authority while a facility monitoring and inspection exercise shall be carried out on all sites with surface or underground tanks periodically to determine the integrity of the facility involved while the soil test of the immediate environment shall be carried out as required.