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  • Firm donates 8,000 entrepreneurship books to Kwara schools

    Firm donates 8,000 entrepreneurship books to Kwara schools

    As part of activities to commemorate its 25th Anniversary, a petroleum and manufacturing company, Lubcon Groups has donated 8,000 books on entrepreneurship to the 566 public senior secondary schools in Kwara State.

    Copies of the book titled: Entrepreneurship for Senior Secondary Schools, were also presented to local government chairmen, some federal institutions and private secondary schools in the state.

    Speaking at the presentation of the books in Ilorin, Acting Group Managing Director, Lubcon Groups, Kalu Onwunta said the book, written by Dr. Muritala Awodun, a former Dean of School of Business and Governance, Kwara State University, Malete, was inaugurated by Lubcon to expose secondary school pupils to entrepreneurship.

    He said: “To celebrate our  25 years of performance, we decided to commission a textbook on entrepreneurship for senior secondary schools, to bring closer to our children what we have been practising in the past two and half decades.

    “Entrepreneurship is new in secondary schools but is a compulsory subject. As there had not been many books on this subject at the secondary school level, we decided, as part of our corporate social responsibility to commission a book on the subject.

    “We do hope that the schools will find the books useful. We encourage the principals to ensure that their students excel in entrepreneurship to make our society better, now that white collar jobs are difficult to come by.”

    Appreciating the gesture, the Kwara State Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, Musa Yeketi said the books would add value to education in the state.

    “The state government believes that the future of youths lie in entrepreneurship training as it will enable them set up their own businesses rather than relying on white collar jobs.

    “This laudable achievement will no doubt go a long way in enhancing both teaching and learning in schools.

    “I therefore call on the school principals and all those in charge of libraries to jealously safeguard the books with a view to ensuring their effective usage as a way of encouraging other corporate bodies and other public spirited individuals to donate to our schools,” he said.

    Yeketi also spoke of plans by the state to train about 500 teachers on entrepreneurship in collaboration with the Kwara State University (KWASU).

    He urged the management of Lubcon Groups to assist in the training as a result of paucity of funds.

  • Firm donates to 600 IDP children

    A logistics firm, Greater Washington Nigeria Limited has donated foodstuffs to about 600 school children displaced by the Boko Haram insurgency at the New Kuchingoro Internally Displaced (IDP) Camp, Abuja.

    Items presented to the coordinator of the IDP school, Mr. Sanwo Olatunji-David, include 20 cartons of noodles, six bags of rice and cartons of vegetable cooking oil.

    The GWL manager in Abuja, Mrs. Fidelia Dickson who presented the items on behalf of the Managing Director, Owolabi Awosan, said the donation of foodstuffs would be a continuous process.

    She explained that the donation was meant to show the company’s love to the children who were forced to relocate from their community by the Boko Haram insurgency and take abode in the Federal Capital Territory in order to survive.

    Dickson said, “On behalf of Greater Washington, we appreciate your efforts in taking care of the children and God who is using you to take care of the children will bless you. This donation is a continuous effort, we will partner with you to care for the children.

    “We are also calling on other public-spirited individuals to come to the assistance of the school children. We would discuss further with the management of the IDP school to see how we can assist in the area of school fee payment for other displaced school children in Orozo, Nyanya and other parts of the FCT.”

    Olatunji-David in his response explained that his organization, Life Builders Initiative, has been running two schools for about 600 children displaced by Boko Haram insurgency.

    He noted that there were some children whose school fees his organization was paying, adding that he would like assistance in this regard.

    “We have about 600 children in two schools that we are taking care of. There are others who were not in school yet, so we would like financial assistance for these children who are about 200. Some of them are in Orozo, Nyanya, Wassa and Waru. We appreciate GWL for this good gesture, thank you for remembering us,” Olatunji-David said.

     

  • Firm pioneers architectural media

    Lagos-based Medife Media has pioneered Africa’s first Advertising glass building technology, which enables buildings to be transformed into architectural media.

    Medife’s CEO Ifeanyi Asiodu explained that “the advertising glass is the first LED display technology which offers up to 80 per cent transparency that allows windows and building facades to be used as high impact visual display platforms while preserving the view from within the building.”

    He added that “using this innovative technology makes it possible to bring windows, storefronts and building facades to life with stunning and eye-catching graphics, videos and animation to create spectacularly rich media content, which literally grabs and attracts attention from both short and long distances.”

  • GEMS4 partners firm to boost rice production

    GEMS4 partners firm to boost rice production

    Growth and Employment in States – Wholesale and Retail Trade (GEMS4), a United Kingdom-sponsored programme, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Popular Rice Mill to increase the production of local rice.

    The target, according to the Deputy Team leader, GEMS4, Mr Olatunde Oderinde, is to produce 50,000 metric tonnes of local rice as well as create livelihoods for 25,000 farmers.

    He said the programme was determined to promote improved rice production system, combined with training and the adoption of innovative approach along the rice value chain that shortens processing time, reduces drudgery, and does not expose  farmers to heat burns.

    According to him, unless rice farmers use improved rice processing technologies that produce marketable products, consumer demand will not be satisfied by locally-produced rice.

    Besides, he said the quality of local rice has to be similar to that of imported rice.

    To achieve this, he said the programme was empowering farmers to improve the quality and competitiveness of locally-produced rice; and  that rice production processes require upgrading by actors in the value chain.

    GEMS4 Senior Intervention Manager Busuyi Okeowo said the programme was introducing measures to enhance the effectiveness and sustainability of  rice production by improving the value contributions among the various actors involved in the rice chain: farmers, millers, input dealers, traders, microfinance agencies and extension services.

    He encouraged farmers and entrepreneurs to participate in the rice value chain and promote the sale and consumption of locally produced rice.

    He said the project was focusing on training in value addition, marketing arrangements, quality packaging/labeling and leadership.

    Okeowo added that GEMS4 has a micro retailing initiative segment aimed at providing access to markets intervention and increasing incomes and employment for retailers.

    The initiative, according to him, works with organisations to create buyer groups, who aggregate purchasing power to order stock collectively, thus negotiating lower wholesale prices from suppliers of fast moving consumer goods. This results to an increase in the sales margins for many micro-retailers who previously, could not access such markets due to economies of scale and scope.

    According to him, urban consumers seldom buy local rice because in comparison to Indian or Thai rice, Nigerian rice is perceived to be a low quality product.

    Under its access to markets initiative, he said the organisation is working to increase brand awareness for local rice through promotion of branding and marketing of high quality locally milled rice.

    The programme, he added, has provided the opportunity to raise the profile and create demand for locally grown rice through improved packaging solutions. By improving product packaging sizes, distribution and marketing of rice in pilot states, Okeowo said it will create jobs and result in increased incomes for local farmers.

    He added that the programme is pursuing a linking rice farmers to commercial mills initiative to facilitate the channelling of locally-grown rice paddy to large commercial mills to enable farmers earn more for their paddy and to help commercial rice mills diversify from importing foreign brown rice at premium rates.

    The General Manager,Agric Business, Popular Farms and Mills Limited, Mr Amit Kumar, said the organisation was determined to support efforts to  help  sustain small scale rice farms.

    Group Executive Director, Stallion Group, Tokunbo Aromolaran said most farm families are smallholder farmers and they undeniably contribute a lot to household, national food security.

  • German firm trains WAUU staff, students on emergency management

    A German-based company, Randmed Pharmaceuticals, has trained some students and staff of The West African Union University (WAUU), Cotonou, Republic of Benin on emergency management and first aid medical response.

    The programme, which was held at the weekend on the campus of WAUU, is under Randmed’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) arm for Africa, Africa Medical Capital (AMEDICAP), through its maiden edition for tertiary institutions across the African continent.

    Project Manager of AMEDICAP, Andreas Reiner, who met with the management of WAUU earlier before the training session, emphasised that many avoidable deaths occur in Africa owing to lack of effective emergency management, which necessitated its (AMEDICAP) set-up as a response squad to give Africans effective and professional training on the subject matter.

    The training session was attended by the management staff  of WAUU including the President, Dr Bishop Adeyemi; Registrar, Alhaji AbdulKabir Onifade; Sub-Dean, Faculty of Science and Technology, Mrs. Benedicta Egbuharan and Head of Nursing Science Department, Dr Djibril Nadjim among others during which some medical equipment and defribillator, a diagnosing machine on emergency health management,  were presented to the institution.

  • Firm sues bank, others for ‘breach of contract’

    A company, Style 4 Less Limited, has sued Skye Bank Plc and others at an Ikeja High Court, Lagos for alleged breach of contract.

    It is alleging unlawful occupation of Suite 001 of a building on 56, Opebi Road, Ikeja, said to be owned by a cleric but managed by Meridian Properties Limited.

    The company said it rented the  suite for N1.5 million in addition to paying agency and legal fees, damage deposit, service charges and diesel surcharge.

    After a year into the tenancy agreement, Style 4 Less said the property manager increased the rent and demanded for additional fees which it had earlier paid.

    When the company refused to comply with the new charges, its electricity supply was cut off.

    Style 4 Less said its offer to pay for the service charge and diesel surcharge was rebuffed by the property manager.

    The matter was taken before an Ikeja Magistrate Court, which ordered the reconnection of the power supply which was done but was disconnected again.

    The plaintiff further added that as a result of the office being disconnected, Style 4 Less continued to incur huge financial losses as it could not showcase its goods.

    While the matter was still pending before the court, the property manager locked up the shop and prevented the company from gaining access to its goods which it said is worth N9.2 million.

    The plaintiff claimed that its goods were locked up in a store room of the property management company.

    It said the space was given to  Skye Bank which now occupied the entire ground floor and on which the Bank’s ATM machines have been fixed.

    According to the plaintiff, its goods which were seized by the property company in 2013 has not been released.

    It further claimed that it lost N50 million in sales and customers patronage during the period.

    The plaintiff, through its lawyer, Miss M. A. Bamidele, is demanding N90million damages from the defendants for disturbance of its use and occupation of the suite, removal of its goods without its knowledge and for alleged threats and harassment of the company’s management.

    The High Court case is yet to be assigned to a judge, while the one at the Magistrate’s Court  will be heard on February 8.

  • Firm rewards lawyers

    The law firm of J-K Gadzama LLP has honoured  some  lawyers who distinguished themselves in the chambers.

    The awards were presented during a Christmas  Carol organised by the law firm for its staff, clients and friends. The Abuja International Choir entertained guests at the ceremony.

    Yemta Ali received the long- service award  for being longest serving counsel while Sunday Dzarma  received the  long-service award  for support staff  as  the longest serving support staff in the firm.

    Darlinghton Onyekwere received the  merit award as most dedicated and hardworking counsel in chambers.

    Nura Sani won the merit award  for being the most dedicated and hardworking support staff. The awardees received a month’s salary as prize. Other awardees include: Mr. Tajudeen Ayeni who came first in the Table Tennis Champion (Male Category); Miss  Rachel Nsefik-Eyo who came first in  Table Tennis Championship (Female Category).

    Others are Jacob Ogiri Ajene (First runner-up, Table Tennis, male category) and Miss Stephanie Ere Tobi (First Runner-Up, Female Category).

     

     

  • Firm launches study abroad loan scheme

    Zedvance Limited has created an avenue for students seeking to study abroad to do so through its loan scheme.

    The loan package, called Easy Travels Loans, would provide funds to the students to pay their fees in lump sum while they or their guardians repay instalmentally.

    Chief Operating Officer of Zedvance Limited, Mr Kayode Oluwagboye, said the loan can be accessed once the students meet all the necessary requirements.

    He said: “Pupils can borrow to apply for their visas as well as pay school fees to their desired institution overseas once the applicant can service the loan as well as meet other basic requirement.”

    The documents needed include: admission letter, passport photograph, identity card, utility bills as well as six-month bank statement.

    Oluwagboye was, however, silent on the percentage of interest on the loan.

    He said the initiative started because they discovered that parents and guardians could not afford to pay at once but were capable of doing so instalmentally.

    Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, underscored the need to fix the education sector to boost the economy.

    Ambode, who was represented by Mrs Olabisi Ariyo, the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Education, said quality manpower would secure Nigeria’s future, not oil and gas.

    “Our educational system must be functional and capable of producing a younger generation with high technical skills and creative minds that can think out of the box in proffering solutions to the challenges facing our nations in all sectors,” he said.

    One of the keynote speakers at the event, Prof. Oluwayemisi Obashoro, also called on pupils to desist from going to school to get certificates but rather focus on solving problems with the knowledge gained.

    Speaking on the theme:  “The Impact of quality education on  the economy,” she said: “Is our education in Nigeria solving problems Or we are just acquiring certificates If we cannot solve half of our problems then we have a problem. Our education must contribute progressively and positively towards economic advancement.”

  • Firm unveils power equipment

    A firm, Mantrac Nigeria Limited, said it would provide a ‘Smarter Energy Solution’ to help improve power supply in the country.

    The company, which is the only organisation that has the franchise to distribute caterpillar products in Nigeria, said the solution is driven by gas.

    The Managing Director, Edmund Martin Lawson, who made this known during a seminar in Lagos, said the solution uses gas, adding that institutions and individuals, who can afford the equipment can use it generate electricity.

    He said Stanbic IBTC Plc has promised to finance the acquisition of the equipment through the CAT Financial Service.

    He said: “The engines will help in bringing power closer to the communities. The country is facing problems in the areas of generation, distribution and transmission of electricity. When the solution or technology is well deployed, there would be power in areas where it is used.’’

    He said industries would operate optimally once power is improved, adding that employment opportunities would be created in the process.

    He said: ‘’Given the fact that the economy has grown in the past at an average of six percent per annum without adequate power, coupled with the fact that Nigerian economy has been ranked first in Africa one can imagine what the country would do, if the power is stable.’’

    Martin-Lawson said the country is battling huge volume of untreated gas, stressing that if such gas is well channeled to where it can be used to provide electricity, the economy would be better.

    “If you use the gas well, you will be able to reduce the cost of power, power need is going into the next level and we should be able to assist as many as are willing to kick start the operation and the ones that are already in operation; we want to give them the support to achieve their objectives.

    “As of today, we do diesel but there is no argument that gas is the cheapest source of power. We cannot compare what we spend on gas to what we spend on diesel. Gas is lighter, it is environmentally friendly; it reduces pollution and emission; it is cleaner.’’ That is the closest to green energy.

     

     

     

    All that makes gas the most veritable source of driving down the cost of production”, Martin-Lawson maintained

    “We are saying that gas solution is effective, smarter solutions that can bring down the cost of power, there is a lot of potential in gas and we are helping companies take advantage”, he added

    The Territory Manager, Gas, Electric Power Projects, Sohail Anwar who noted that caterpillar has been in the gas business said what the company is doing at the moment is investing more in developing gas-powered technology because of the ever rising demand for electricity now and in the future.

    “It is green energy, it is environmentally friendly. It is much convenient for the environment so it is much better to invest in green energy. It is basically available; there is abundance of gas in Nigeria, so why not use the natural resource and switch over to a better and efficient gas-powered solution”, he stated

  • Three arrested as fire guts water firm

    Three arrested as fire guts water firm

    A two-storey building went up in flames yesterday on Ayuba Daudu in Ilasamaja in Mushin Local Government Area of Lagos State, leaving four flats razed.

    Part of the building housed Lamee Ventures, maker of Skord bottle and sachet water.

    Residents of two of the flats could not salvage anything.

    Some residents said the fire started few minutes past 2pm from an apartment.

    A resident said: “I learnt somebody was cooking with gas in one of the apartments, the gas exploded and it caught fire,” he said.

    A worker in the water firm was said to have run out of the toilet on sighting the raging fire.

    “He couldn’t wait to clean himself up before storming out of the toilet. He did not even wear his trousers; it was somebody that gave him trousers after his escape from the fire,” the resident said amid laughter by sympathisers.

    The Ojuelegba unit of the Federal Fire Service raced to the scene to quell the fire.

    Occupants of houses on both sides of the building seen rushed out in fear.

    Some assisted other sympathisers to put out the fire before the fire fighters’ arrival.

    A woman threw packs of sachet water to them to fight the fire.

    In the melee, three persons were arrested for stealing from the building.

    An eyewitness, Adeola Olawale, said the hoodlums pretended to be helping to fight the fire.

    “They went into one of the rooms while many were trying to put out the fire to steal some items. Some of the things found on them include jewellery, wrist watch, handsets among others. Somebody raised the alarm before the mob pounced on them. They were handed over to policemen, who came to the scene with Mushin Local Government Executive Secretary,” he said.

    Another eyewitness, Miftau Otaru told The Nation that occupants of his building rushed out to assist in putting out the fire.

    According to Otaru, a Laboratory Scientist, “There was no electricity as at the time it started, so you can’t say its electrical surge. We just hear fire! Fire!! Fire!!! And we all ran out. The boys in this area really tried to ensure no casualty; they assist in getting the people in one of the apartments behind out of danger,” he said.

    Aloysius Ukwuani, Head Officer of Federal Fire Service praised the residents for clearing the way for their vehicles to reach the building.

    “They called. We responded very quickly because the person that informed us came with a bike and we followed them immediately. We were able to contain the fire.

    We have no idea what the cause may be. The crowd was very cooperative. People should be fire conscious. Assuming they had the right equipment, they would have quenched it,” he said.

    Igbehin-Adun Community Development Association (CDA) chairman Chief Oladele Dasaolu said some residents came out to put  out the fire when it started.

    He said: “The only unfortunate thing was the boys that came to steal. The policemen have taken the three of them away.  We tell residents from time to time to be wary of things that can lead to fire. Also, those who park their vehicles on the streets are ought to be careful because of situations like this so as to have a thorough fare for the fire fighters’ vehicles. That is the problem we have to address.”

    Mushin Local Government Execuitive Secretary Jide Bello urged residents to always check home appliances before going out.

    “As the council boss, I am always on ground and my people are always around me which is part of my responsibilities. I wouldn’t know the cause. I called both the federal and state fire services. Their responses were prompt. Residents did their best to put out the fire. Even if you look at the back, there is a woman who was bringing out sachet water packs; she gave them to people to quench the fire. People should be fire conscious. They should always check their electrical appliances before they leave their houses,” he said.