The Nation Newspaper

Tag: firm

  • Japanese firm chief visits Lagos

    To  boost his firm’s sales in the country, Managing Director of Brothers International (Gulf) Japan Mr Soichi Murakami has visited the Computer Village, Ikeja, Lagos.

    Speaking at the event, Murakami said he was happy to be in the country, especially the Computer Village. He said he came to showcase his firm’s business lines and products. Noting that Brothers International is over 100 years old, he said the firm, which started as family sewing concern, has since diversified into the production of scanners, and printers, among others. He said it has presence in Europe and Asia, adding that its products are unique.  He promised to train technicians and engineers in the country.

    Murakami later opened an outlet owned by a sub-dealer of the firm Rolling Technology Communication at Awolowo House, Ikeja.

    Brothers International Sole Distributor Skysat Technologies Limited Managing Director Mr Izzat Debs said the products would do well in the market. He praised the Computer Allied Dealers Association of Nigeria (CAPDAN) for their support, urging them to continue to do so.

    CAPDAN Vice President Boniface Ania said Murakami’s visit was not a waste as every investor comes to Nigeria for business,, noting that it is profitable to do so. He said the village has the highest number of graduates in any market in the country  with over 135 plazas, adding that the firm should assist his colleagues in empowerment initiatives.

  • Firm to know fate on product counterfeiting

    Firm to know fate on product counterfeiting

    A Federal High Court sitting in Awka, Anambra will tomorrow deliver its ruling on an application filed by a manufacturer, Benjamin Nwizu , seeking to quash the charge preferred against him by the Federal Government for alleged product counterfeiting.

    Nwizu, who is the managing director of Bendusco Nigeria Limited, Onitsha, is being prosecuted before Justice I.B. Gafai on a four-count charge of manufacturing, storing and distribution of substandard tooth brush; breaking of seal order and non-compliance to regulatory standard of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON).

    Nwizu was alleged to have committed the offence in October 2014.

    His counsel, Mr. Chuka Onyali, in the application filed on May 16, asked the court to quash the charge because it was an abuse of court processes.

    Onyali argued that the amended charge filed by the prosecution should be discountenanced as it is the same with the one already in process.

    But the prosecutor, Mr. Joseph Olofindare, argued that the charge was valid and that the application to quash it should be dismissed by the court.

    Following their submissions, the judge adjourned the matter till May 23, 2017 for ruling.

    Justice Gafai had granted him bail following his earlier remand in prison custody after his arraignment.

    The judge ordered Nwizu to produce a surety, who must not be lower than a Grade Level 8 Officer in the Anambra State Civil Service.

  • Firm unveils Lekki estate

    Another estate has joined the growing property business in Lekki, Lagos.

    Known as Royal Residence, it is the brainchild of Obika Realtors Limited.

    It is on a 10-acre land at Eluju Town in Ibeju-Lekki  Local Government Area of the state.

    The  estate with about 54 serviced plots, is zoned into five areas-detached  semi-detached terraced  recreational and commercial to ensure uniformity and aesthetics.

    Its Managing Director, Mrs. Ekamma Ufot, said the estate has basic infrastructure and services, such as roads, drainages, electricity, water, security, and effective facility management.

    She explained that the estate has 54 plots, 20 of which would be allocated under the first phase. A subscriber cannot buy more than four plots which must be developed within five years.

    At the allocation,  Ufot explained that a Deed of Assignment would be given to beneficiaries upon completion of payment. The title  would be transferred to owners and the property excised.

    She said her firm’s business philosophy  is hinged on meeting and surpassing the needs of its  clients by  achieving world class services in the most cost effective and professional manner.

    “We are providing this at a very affordable cost all in a bid to transform the dreams of prospective allottees   to reality. We are already getting testimonies from our stakeholders due to our commitment to deliver as promised within the stipulated time frame,” Ufot explained.

    A subscriber, Mr. John Ikomi, lauded the infrastructure, saying the firm was committed to ensuring that stakeholders’ dreams were actualised.

    Managing Director of Cordros Capital Wale Agbeyangi hailed the scheme, expressing satisfaction with its infrastructure and layout.

  • Firm rewards winners in malaria essay competition

    Firm rewards winners in malaria essay competition

    RAVIMAL Essay competition organised by Miral Pharm Ltd has come to a successful close.

    According to the project coordinator, Ravimal End Malaria for Good essay competition, Mrs. Ifeyinwa Ugo-Amadi, the essays were assessed based on their ingenuity, structure, insightfulness, content and language style and creativity by Dr Jane Ifechelobi of the Department of English and Dr Obinna Ifechelobi of the Dept of Clinical Pharmacy, both of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU), Awka.

    The award ceremony which took place at NAU, Awka had in attendance the National President of Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria who doubles as the Consul- General of Pakistan to Nigeria, Ahmed Yakasai, the National Secretary, Pharm. Gbolagade Iyiola, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Prof Charles Esimone and several other dignitaries.

    Three star prizes and over  20 consolation prizes were presented. The star prizes include: First position, one year scholarship (N100,000) plus a factory visit to India; second, one year scholarship (N100,000) plus a laptop computer; and the third position, one year scholarship (N100,000).

    The first prize went to Victor Aniagu of the Department of Applied Biochemistry. The second prize went to Asomba Chinonso of the Department of Electronics and Computer Engineering and Friday Chizurum of the Faculty of Medicine

    Chairman of the occasion, GMD, Krisoral Group of Companies, Chief Chris Oranu Chidume said Miral Pharm is taking a road less traveled by calling for essays. He also praised Miral for the new approach taken at uncovering executable ideas that will move the country closer to victory in the war against malaria. He called Ravimal a best in class product well positioned for treatment of malaria.

    Managing Director, Miral Pharm Ltd, Mr. Onyeka Onyeibor said  Ravimal ‘End Malaria for good’ Essay is a deliberate search for ideas, “ending malaria is an achievable and a worthwhile pursuit – saving 1000 lives daily.”

    Yakasai, who presented the award to the star prize winner, Victor Aniagu,praised the efforts of Miral Pharm in the war against malaria and the drive to continue to support the development of youths and education in Nigeria.

    He said that National Universities Commission has approved to work with Miral Pharm and Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria at making this competition an annual National Event with the aim of bringing out the best in Nigerian students.

  • Over 70% of drugs in circulation is fake, says firm

    More than 70 per cent of is fake, the Executive Director, Fidson Health Care Plc, Bola Adebayo, has said.

    Adebayo regretted that the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has failed to curtail the circulation of fake drugs.

    He also blamed the situation on the abscence of genuine drugs manufacturers in the hinterland, as many  are concentrated in big cities.

    He told The Nation that the gap created by lack of genuine manufacturers in the hinterland has led to the over-bearing presence of counterfeit drugs in villages and semi-urban centres in the country.

    On the challenges faced by his members, he said before now manufacturers literarily ran out of raw materials as a result of forex scarcity.

    He, however, praised the apex bank for bending backwards recently by giving them concessionary rate to keep their factories running. He said this has prevented what would have resulted in mass closure of factories.

    Adebayo confirmed that most drug firms are encouraging the Federal Government’s Backward Integration Policy by insisting that they buy pet bottles and glasses locally.

    On the challenges facing the sector, he recalled that they spend over 50 per cent of their working capital on electricity generation.

    “Electricity is not available and where it is available it is not usable. We provide our water, security, roads, access to market and debts from both State and Federal Governments,” he said.

    Meanwhile, the Pharmaceutical Group of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (PMG-MAN) has concluded plans to hold a forum on: Improving Access to Medicines: The Imperatives of Local Manufacturing and Effective Supply Chain Management.

    The Executive Secretary of PMG, Mr. Obi Adigwe. said that the group, with about 120 members, was desirous of bringing high quality, affordable, sustainable pharmaceuticals closer to the people.

    He called for a concept that will guarantee medicine security and sustainable access to the people in the hinterland.

    Adigwe said there is need for the support of Private Sector Health Alliance of Nigeria (PHN), which represents the country’s foremost private sector platform.

    The platform is led by Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Mr. Jim Ovia, Mrs. Sola David-Borha, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede  and others. It has the target to save a million lives every year through various innovations including the setting up of the Africa Resource Centre for Supply Chain (ARC Nigeria).

    Adigwe said the forum hopes to deepen the debate regarding the most effective and efficient strategies to ensure sustainable access to affordable, high quality medicines for Nigerians.

    CEO, Private Sector Health Alliance of Nigeria, Mr. Muntaqa Umar-Sadiq, regretted that Nigeria has a complex healthcare system and pledged the preparedness of his organisation to optimise the nation’s innate abilities.

    He identified the challenges to include fiscal policies, taxes, regulatory agencies; supply chain, which has made it almost impossible for the majority of the people in the rural areas to have access to quality medication.

    Umar-Sadiq called for the reorientation of sovereignty and ownership by the Nigerian government and policy makers to move the country away from being a dumping ground for all manner of products.

    He said: “We should take the issue of health care for the majority of the citizenry as a priority and that of national security. The idea is to prioritise sovereignty over aids and grant.

    “Why should we allow our country to be a testing ground for all manner of vaccines and drugs? What our manufacturers need is encouragement and the provision of an enabling environment with the required and competitive infrastructure.”

  • Ogun, firm partner on N5 billion road

    The Ogun State government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the a private firm, Sino-African Investment Free Trade Zone Company, for the construction of a four-lane, 10- kilometre Lusada-Igbesa Ogun Quangdong Free Trade Zone road in Ado-Odo Local Government Area.

    A statement by the Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Mr. Olamilekan Adegbite, after signing the MoU, said the road would be financed by the company. The statement was signed by the Head of Media in the ministry, Mr. Ayokunle Ewuoso.

    Adegbite, who described the  situation of the road as clay, dusty and dilapidated, said the company would reconstruct it into a four-lane rigid concrete pavement complete with median, walkways and green belt.

    “Our government recognises the importance of this road that is why we have bought into the proposal brought by this company to reconstruct it into a four-lane, 10km, rigid concrete pavement. This road would be tolled for 15 years and run by the company to enable them recoup their investment; 10 per cent of the annual collection on this road shall accrue to the state government.” The time frame for completion is between six to eight months,” Adegbite explained.

    The Commissioner pointed out that when completed, the road would increase economic and commercial activities of the area, attract more investors, increase the property value in the area and reduce the hardship faced by farmers when transporting their farm produce to the city.

    He revealed that government has set aside about N8 billion as compensation for those whose property may be affected by the project.

  • Firm partners Lagos, Ogun against malaria

    Firm partners Lagos, Ogun against malaria

    Reckitt Benckiser (RB) Nigeria, makers of Mortein insecticide, has partnered the Lagos, Ogun and Abia State governments to fight malaria.

    At a news conference to mark the World Malaria Day, General Manager, RB West Africa, Mr. Rahul Murgai, said the partnership is to improve action in the fight against malaria, through community engagement, continued investment and sustained efforts.

    According to him, the environmental sanitation, free tests and consultations in markets, were to sensitise residents on the benefits of maintaining clean environments.

    He noted that the partnership demonstrates RB’s commitment to the anti-malaria fight.

    “At RB, our global vision is to have a world where people are healthier and live better. In achieving this, we will continue to make a difference by giving people innovative solutions for healthier lives and happier homes. We know that regular combined interventions of Long Lasting Insecticide Nets (LLINs), Larviciding and insecticide use, like Mortein, is the solution to achieving a Malaria-free Nigeria.  “Therefore, to protect our children and ourselves from getting sick, the first thing to do is to educate ourselves about prevention.”

    Marketing Director, RB West Africa Leferink Aliza said through the grassroots community engagement, residents are sensitised on the importance of hygiene, and how the simple habit of maintaining clean surroundings and drainages can reduce malaria.

    According to Aliza, there is an estimated 100 million malaria cases, with over 300,000 deaths, yearly in Nigeria, mostly among children under the age of five.

    “Malaria is preventable and we have made it our fight to advocate protection, especially for the most vulnerable – pregnant women and children – and their families, against Malaria. This has also leveraged on the Clean Healthy Naija program which RB is leading across various platforms, especially for preventable diseases,” she said.

    Marketing Manager Omotola Bamigbaiye-Elatuyi said Mortein has been at the forefront of the fight against Malaria. “In the past few years, Mortein has partnered the Federal Ministry of Health, through the National Malaria Elimination Program (NMEP), Lagos State Ministry of Health (LSMOH) and various state ministries of health, to foster education on malaria prevention via TV infomercials, education at primary healthcare centers, and Mortein’s ‘Own a Community Project’.

    “We intend to take this a step further by having free malaria test and consultations in markets of cities with high prevalence,” she added.

     

  • Firm, council donate to nursing mothers

    Firm, council donate to nursing mothers

    A firm, Hayat Kimya Nigeria Limited, manufacturers of Mofix diapers, and Ejigbo Local Council Development Area, Lagos have donated diapers worth thousands of naira to nursing mothers. No fewer than 100 women benefited from the gifts, with each going home with a pack of the product.

    At the event, held at the LCDA’s headquarters, its Sole Administrator, Hon. Ibrahim Adigun, said the partnership with the firm was aimed at boosting the health of babies in the area.  He said one of the cardinal objectives of his administration was to ensure that those at the grassroots felt its impact, adding that the beneficiaries were residents of LCDA.

    He said the Governor Akinwunmi Ambode administration harped on the welfare of the people which was what they were implementing at the council. He urged the people to support government’s activities regularly and be law-abiding.

    Hayat Kimyat Nigeria Brand Manager Mrs Oluwaseun Ayeni said her organisation’s diapers are the best in the country and on the continent, adding that it won an award last year to show for it. She asked the mothers if they had any problem with the product. They said no.

    However, one of them complained of its high price. Mrs Ayeni explained that it was due to the high cost of raw materials and the exchange rate. She said so far, they have not had cases of anyone tampering with the product.

    During the sensitisation by Mrs Adedotun Adesanya, she explained that Mofix diapers are unique because they are soft, have super elastic band and colourful. She also said they come in five sizes, features other diapers do not have.

    Some guests asked how they could secure the distributorship of the product to sell in the LCDA. They were referred to Mrs Ayeni.

     

  • Property boom won’t ease soon, says firm

    As the economic climate bites harder, making investment decisions in real estate has become tougher. While  some have lost hope in the sector, preferring to trade in foreign exchange in view of the recent dollar surge against the naira, key industry analysts and stakeholders are still convinced that the real sector investment still holds the ace.

    Their position was based on some fundamental principles of investment; one of which is never make permanent decisions based on temporary situations. One of such optimists in the sector is the Managing Director /Chief Executive Officer, Sujimoto Construction Limited, Mr. Sijibomi Ogundele.

    According to him, although the real estate and property market was slightly affected by the downturn in the economy, yet, unlike other investment portfolios, properties in the Ikoyi axis, especially in Banana Island, have enjoyed great stability as their prices have consistently held value.

    The Sujimoto helmsman revealed that his firm, by applying three fundamental principles of real estate has been able to guide prospective investors in the sector to achieve maximum return on their portfolio. These principles he listed include property location, price and quality.

    “Our only mission is always to exceed customers’ expectations by providing exceptional real estate at an affordable price. If you want to know about luxury real estate, speak to Sujimoto. The same rule applies when you want to learn about investment, you need to consult someone who has amassed substantial wealth and successes by investing in several businesses,” he said.

    Buttressing further the huge inherent potentials in the industry, Ogundele referred to Andrew Carnegie, an American industrialist who led the expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century. “More money has been made in real estate than in all industrial investments combined. 90 percent of all millionaires become so through owning real estate,” Carnegie was quoted to have said.

    Therefore, he said, one vital lesson investors need to learn from Carnegie is that those who depend on the current weakness of the naira will have themselves to blame, as real estate has proven to be a secured and safest investment portfolio that guarantees the best return on investment (ROI).

    He blamed the prolonged economic recession and the crash of the forex market- two factors that have forced landlords and caretakers to reduce the prices of their apartments, for the prevalence of several empty apartments in the country. Besides, the quality of apartments is also a factor for its occupancy.

    “Recently, a client commissioned us to help look for a good property and we realised that there are lots of extremely expensive terraces and apartments with terrible finishing. It is like offering a Toyota for the price of a Bentley,” he said. This shocking revelation, Ogundele further said, prompted his firm to set up a small project in Banana Island in Ikoyi. The apartments, all sold out, Ogundele explained, has been able to bring the three major principles of real estate into one space—incredible location, great finishing, and exceptional price.

    He advised investors to ensure tat they are investing in the right property that will guarantee value, great returns and peace of mind at a great price, even as he expressed confidence that the housing market will experience a great boom, even as the economy gradually frees itself from recession.

  • Firm trains Nigerians on ‘Zero to Hero’

    Nigerians have been urged to look beyond the negative side of the current economic hardship, by positioning themselves to benefit from the situation. This, according to the promoters of  Pertinence Nigeria Limited- an enterprise with interest in Real Estate, Business Consultancy, Finance Advisory Services, Seminars and Trainings, is because in every adverse economic climate, new millionaires and entrepreneurs are always born.

    Last weekend, the firm held a public training on “Hero to Zero”, targeted at gingering the public to rise up to the occasion by taking their future in their hands. Drawing from real life experience, the organisers explained that the concept tells the story of how the firm grew from nothing to where it is now, providing houses and housing solutions to the public at affordable rates.

    “It is our story of how we came from the bottom and how we are now at the top, hence the success of Pertinence Limited. We aim at playing a significant role in solving the poverty and unemployment problem by being part of the solution to the housing deficit challenge in the country. It works to ensure that everyone, regardless of their socio-economic status can be a land/house owner,” explained an executive director and a co-founder of Pertinence Limited, Mr. Wisdom Ezekiel.

    He said the firm deploys the strategy of an Asset Business Club (ABC), to help people convert their network into net-worth. The ABC, he further explained, is opened to anyone who has drive, determination and perseverance to succeed and create wealth through assets and business development, anyone that wants to control his/her life and financial future, anyone who wants to learn the skills of entrepreneurs, rather than the skills of an employee or people who only want to become highly paid managers in the corporate world, anyone who wants to lead by teaching.

    “With this ABC, we try to influence others to find their own world of financial abundance without having to beat competition; encouraging people looking for an opportunity to face his/her fears, deal with them, overcome them and let the winner in him/her thrive,” Ezekiel further said. To him, recession is a mindset; hence, his firm is not in recession because its mindset is that things can still work for them even in spite of the recession.

    In similar vein, another Executive Director and a co-founder of the firm, Mr. Sunday Olorunsheyi, agreed that there are challenges in the country, but people should be seeing the opportunities that abound in the country. “If people begin to see opportunities, because  we saw opportunities that is why this business is where it is today, they will be better off,” he encouraged.

    Awards were presented at the end of the training to people in different categories. One of the awardees, Mrs. Justina Omoyajowo, a former lecturer at Yewa College of Education, got a set of chairs. She thanked the firm for the kind gesture, saying the training the firm gives on regular basis is truly empowering people. “The firm give you the platform to realise the real you with their trainings and all they do,” Omoyajowo said.