The Nation Newspaper

Tag: firm

  • Firm takes campaign to Anambra

    TO position its brand, Chikki Noodles has intensified its consumer awareness programme

    Recently, the brand campaign train was in Southeast, Umuoji town, Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State.

    The campaign strategy, which revolved around the brand’s sponsorship of key schools’ events in major towns is targeted at creating top of the mind awareness and recognition for the brand.

    The campaign train, which has become a common feature in most schools’ events in Lagos, played a dominant role in the sponsorship of Umuoji Community Secondary School’s yearly inter-house sports.

    It was a highly exciting moment for the pupils, parents and teachers watching the delightful displays by the Chikki Mascot. Gift items consisting mainly of Chikki Noodles and Chip Chips were distributed to guests at the event.

    The inter-house sports featured five competing houses represented by the colours of purple, green, red, yellow and pink.

    The various houses jostled to outdo one another in several sporting events: athletics, egg-race, sack race and fashion display.

    The track and field event was the most interesting, taking a better part of the day. At the end of the various sporting events, Green House emerged tops with the highest number of medals. Red House came second while Yellow House was third.

    The colourful event was witness by a large number of spectators including parents who came to support their wards.

    The event, which started with a march past by the six houses, also featured the Young Farmers Club, the Road Safety Club, Youth Service Corps Members, including  staffmembers.

    Some of the dignitaries, who witnessed the event, were the  Commissioner for Special Duties, Chief Norbert Obi; the  Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Chief Tony Onyima and Chief Edi Umuesi, special guest and chairman of the occasion.

  • Firm wins award

    A FIRM, Servair Nigeria, has been named winner of the Quality and Safety Alliance Inflight Services Programme (QSAI)  Award of Excellence  in Catering Quality.

    The company was named the 2014 Bronze Winner for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region, in the award designed to recognise the world’s best airline caterers.

    This is the first time a West African company is winning the award. It is also the first time any unit of Servair International, the third largest airline catering company in the world, will win the award.

    Patrice Larapidie, General Manager, Servair Nigeria said: “We are thrilled to have won this award. It’s a real boost to Servair Nigeria at a time when we’ve re-focussed our efforts to put the customer at the heart of every meal and cuisine.”

    The announcement of this year’s world’s best airline caterers took place at the Cousino Macul Vineyard in Santiago, Chile.

    The awards were presented by airlines participating in the Quality & Safety Alliance Inflight Services Programme (QSAI), a programme developed and managed by Medina Quality that monitors and improves the safety and quality of inflight food on behalf of international airlines.

    The awards are given across three geographic regions, namely, Asia, the Americas, and Europe/ Middle East/Africa. Gold, Silver and Bronze awards are named for each region, making for a total of nine honorees. One out of these is then selected for the Platinum Worldwide award.

    There were over 200 catering facilities located across 80 countries in the running for the awards.

  • Firm, group walk for health

    In its determination to achieve its corporate social responsibility, the Tempo Group, a nonprofit, nongovernmental organisation at the weekend joined forces with Orange Drugs Limited to deliver value towards their host communities in Lagos.

    Justifying the need for the collaboration with Orange Drugs, Tempo Group, which is passionate about women and children, through its Country Manager, Johannes Goenawan, said the organisation teamed up with Orange Drugs in order to deliver real value to its host communities.

    Specifically, Goenawan said the aim and objective of the exercise was to achieve total well-being for women and children, considering their high level of vulnerability.

    Some of the highlights of activities carried out by the group include a health walk. Speaking on the highpoint of the occasion, Goenawan said: “The Sudrex tablet for headache and fever is the brand that is supporting the event. It is manufactured by PT Tempo Scan Pacific in Indonesia and our sole distributor is Orange Drugs Limited .This is the fifth annual health walk organised by the Lagos State women council of the Ansar Ud Deen Society. It is very good and we are proud to be part of it.”

    Goenawen adds that:  “It is a great initiative from a volunteer organisation and these women’s campaign would reach to a larger audience.  It would be a good idea if things like this are organised regularly to produce a very healthy nation. For the period that I have been in Nigeria.”

     

  • Firm develops app for church mgt

    Complustech Nigeria Limited has unveiled an application, Church+ v2, for churches to overcome administrative and management challenges.

    Speaking to reporters at the  Co-Creation Hub, Lagos, venue of the  launch, its Chief Executive Officer,  Peter Ihesie, described the product as dream come true, which is aimed at helping churches build better relationship with members, manage full administrative operations, improve communications and connections and measure performance at any time.

    He disclosed that, due to Church+’s flexible, seamless and user-friendly interface, they were upbeat to reach at least 10,000 churches across the country within the next six  months.

    According to him, Church+ v2 apart from being amazing, simple and effective software for church management and administration, it offers users Better Membership Management; Performance Analysis; Accounting; Improves SMS and Email communication

    Today, in Nigeria, Church+ remains the right solution, with cutting-edge advantages, offering automated birthday and anniversary email and SMS messages to members on special days; this improves the member to church relationships, thereby reducing outflow. It offers effective church performance management and helps the churches measure progress better. Church+ even provides many analytical tools best suited for churches to achieve this!

    “By using the double entry and fund accounting methodology, church+ provides churches with flexible, simple and proper accounting system for better church financial recording and reporting. Also, with a scheduled church service email and sms reminder, church+ automatically notifies members of activity date and time when due, thereby improving overall attendance. Aside that, Church+ uses the modern cloud based technology, such that, pastors and administrators can access the solution via mobile and web, from anywhere with internet access”.

    The CEO, Complustech Nigeria Limited, added that with “People Management” feature, Churches can, “Easily manage the information of members of the church, new converts and first timers. The Solution has powerful search functionality with quick email and SMS that makes the feature quite special”, while ‘Special First-timer Management’ feature makes it the “Most Complete First timer management and follow up system that aids churches, Fellowships and ministries with the needed tools to effectively follow-up your first timers automatically and measure your retention rate”.

    He explained that with a token subscription fee, Church+ vs can be deployed to churches, fellowships, missions or ministries, mobile, desktop, Private Single Branch Cloud Online Deployment Model or Private Multi-Branch Cloud Online Deployment and these do not require special training for usage and adoption.

    On the Church Mobile App, he said the mobile will enable churches to engage with members on the go. given the large adoption of mobile devices by members, church+ mobile app will allow them share testimonies, send prayer request and access audio and media contents, it also comes with a seamless online giving and donation feature.

    Ihesie also hinted about the E-Collection and Online capability of the platform for churches enabling easy integration and setup of collections of both local and international donation. “This app is in line with our vision which is to build a world class system that will enable a seamless information integration aimed at increasing productivity and efficiency amongst different sectors; this time around, helping churches meet up with their administrative and management systems.

     

  • Firm woos investors for tertiary institutions

    To enable investors make the best of investment opportunities available across the nation’s tertiary institutions, Campus Alive Initiative, a campus-based marketing communications and consultancy company, has listed a number of projects, which investors are being sought in some Nigerian universities.

    Speaking with reporters on some aspects of its consultancy, which include providing linkage programmes to help individuals and corporate organisations increase their bottom-lines, the firm’s Managing Director,  Oyinwola Don Babatope identified the projects to include hostels, space for outdoor adverts, banks, telcos, fast food, lecture halls, general supply of stationery, computers, diesel, petrol, among others

    Oyinwola added that since its incorporation, one of its subsidiaries, Campus Logistics has facilitated diverse investments for a good number of investors in the highlighted areas.

    “Through campus logistics, we give ideas that would make you smile to the bank; and this is what we have been helping our diverse clienteles to achieve over time. At the moment, we still have a list of universities looking for investors to come and invest in various projects within their campuses.

    “This is, therefore, a subtle invitation to discerning organisations, individuals and investors to catch in on these opportunities and make the best of them,” he stressed.

    Campus Alive Initiative Limited has been operating since 2005, providing campus services for different corporate organisations.

     

  • Firm donates drugs to police, community

    Drugs worth N2 million were donated to the 7 Squadron, Police Mobile Force, Sokoto and the  Wajakke community in Wamakko Local Government Area of Sokoto State by the Cement Company of Northern Nigeria (CCNN).

    The donation comprised assorted drugs which were presented to the respective beneficiaries by the Managing Director, Mr Alf Karlsen who was represented by the company’s Head of Human Resources, Alhaji Abubakar Bala.

    Making the presentation, Karlsen said the gesture was part of the corporate social responsibilities of the firm.

    The drugs included antibiotics, anti- malarial, analgesic; anti-fungal and four prostate leg supporters.

    The Managing Director said: “This is part of our goals to complement the efforts of the government in providing the health care needs of the people.

    He further explained that the gesture to the beneficiaries was in appreciation of the existing cordial relationship between the firm and the host communities.

    Receiving the donation, the Commander of the Mobile Police Squadron, Mr Yusuf Danlami, represented by Mr Isah Kabiru recalled the long standing cordial relationship between the Squadron and the organisation, even as he also commended the firm for its sense of commitment to fulfilling its corporate social responsibilities by extending the gesture to them.

    He also promised to utilise the drugs judiciously, pledging to continue to work round the clock to ensure the security of lives and property of the people of the state.

    In the same manner, Chairman of Wamakko Local Government Area, Alhaji Ahmed Kalambaina who spoke through the Director of Health, Alhaji Garba Aliyu commended CCNN for the gesture, promising the judicious use of the drugs.

     

  • Ogoni farmers to receive N24m grants from firm

    There is good news for Ogoni, Rivers State farmers.  The management of Belema Oil is ready to release N24 million grants to peasant farmers  to assist them in the new farming season.

    The Chief Executive Officer, Managing Director of the company, Tein Jack-Rich disclosed this at a meeting he held with traditional rulers and representative of communities and youth bodies of the four local government areas of Ogoni Kingdom in Port Harcourt, the state capital.

     Belema Oil and Gas  is one of the eight companies seeking permission to bid for the SHELL operated OML11 oil block in Ogoniland . Jack-Rich promised to lift the lives of Ogoni peasant farmers with N24 million grants.

    The company pledged to offer 300 scholarship slots to brilliant youths of humble backgrounds to pursue their academic dreams.

    Jack-rich said his promise to touch lives in Ogoni was not tied to his starting oil business in the land but to fight poverty.

    “Because you have accepted Belema Oil, I cannot withhold what belongs to you. Belema Oil will give 300 scholarships for those that want to further their education, but do not have the means.

    “The company will release N24 million for peasant farmers in Ogoni. The peasant farmers will have the money. The money is not meant for the rich people. This is a way to empower them,” he emphasised.

    He noted that the firm’s coming into Ogoniland was not to create disaffection among people and communities but to alleviate the people’s sufferings.

    He assured them that the 10 per cent derivation for the communities would be implemented.

    “Belema Oil is not to come to create cracks. What will come to me (Belema Oil) will not be more than 20 per cent. What I will get will still come back to you,” he said.

    Paramount rulers from Khana, Gokana, Eleme and Tai attended the meeting.

     

  • Workers accuse Lagos of planning to sell water firm

    Workers accuse Lagos of planning to sell water firm

    DESPITE management’s refuttal of plans to privatise Lagos Water Corporation (LWC), the workers yesterday protested at the governor’s office in Alausa, Ikeja, urging him to stop the proposed sale.

    In branded blue polo shirts and face caps, the protesters under the aegis of Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE) disrupted traffic on Obafemi Awolowo Way as they marched to Governor Babatunde Fashola’s office.

    Carrying placards, with inscriptions such as, “We say no to privatisation, water is our right”, “Water is for the people, not business”, “We say no to sale of our common assets” and “Holloway, who do you represent?”, they said government was hiding under the guise of Public Private Partnership (PPP) to privatise the corporation.

    Last week, LWC Managing Director Mr Shayo Holloway, said that there was no plan to sell the corporation, stressing that LWC is only partnering with some firms under the PPP Law of 2004 to execute its master plan to increase potable water production.

    Holloway said the master plan would discourage the sinking of boreholes, adding that the multi-billion dollars project would provide surplus potable water to people at a cheap rate.

    But, the protesters said the PPP agreement would lead to LWC’s privatisation and workers’ retrenchment.

    Chanting solidarity songs, they said private firms have no business providing a service the government can handle. But the protesters could not see the governor who was said not to be in the office. They dropped their protest letter at his security post.

    Lagos AUPCTRE chairman Comrade Subair Muali said the workers would resist plans to sell off the corporation’s facilities to private firms.

    Subair, who noted the protest was not politically motivated, said the union had been engaging the government over the matter for the past five years. He accused Holloway of initiating the planned privatisation, saying the government wanted to hide under the PPP guise to sell off the 105-year-old asset.

    He said: “They can use any name to sell off public assets to private owners, we know it is privatisation. Holloway has been telling us that they are into Public Private Partnership, but we know his motive. How can you expect an individual to invest his money in producing potable water for the people without him wanting to take over the corporation asset?

    “Their aim is to retrench workers after they sell the water corporation asset to private investors. We do not trust their argument that they are not selling the corporation. We want the Lagos State government to know that water is not for sale; it must remain a social commodity to be provided by government to the people. We will not stop the protest until Holloway desists from his move to sell our common asset to his cronies.”

    The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) chairman in Lagos, Comrade Idowu Adelakun, said the workers would not stop until Holloway stops his “anti-people” policies at LWC.

    He said: “Lagos citizens and workers are rejecting privatisation of water in Lagos State. We have seen results of where privatisation has taken place; none has ended with good stories. This is why we want Governor Fashola to stop the secret sale of our assets to private individuals, because we don’t want the calamity that befell other government assets to fall on Lagos Water Corporation.”

  • Firm introduces merchant registration

    Firm introduces merchant registration

    In a bid to address series of complaints from entrepreneurs and service providers, Nigeria’s online financing (repayment) website, bigdeals.com.ng, has incorporated a merchant section into its services.

    The financing package helps consumers pay for products or services upfront while the consumer repays in instalments.

    According to the CEO of the company, Mr. Seun Adegoke, “many businesses in Nigeria today fail due to lack of patronage. With this innovative option for business owners, we will pay you (service providers) upfront for services to be performed and the customer pay us back later. It is that simple, with 0% down payment. Even banks cannot offer this package.”

    A merchant, CEO of SGL Trading, Mr. Olamide Olawuni, who expressed confidence in the package, said, “we have been looking forward to this as Big Deals has only always partnered with multinationals, this will certainly help small businesses and will reduce debts as many a time we rely on loan to perform some jobs, but with this upfront payment, it will help many of our customers as they get the same value and pay later.”ac

  • Firm wins award

    Firm wins award

    Computer Warehouse Group Plc (CWG) has been recognised as the Solution Provider of the Year and Renewals Partner for the Year in the West East and Central Africa (WECA) at the yearly VMware Channels awards held in Johannesburg, South Africa.

    Organised by VMware, CWG’s Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) partner, it is meant to recognise the dedication of her partners, acknowledged for outstanding achievements in sales, performance and customer satisfaction every year.

    In a statement, the company said: “The VMware Channels Award is to celebrate outstanding partners and the continual investment they make in developing their skills and capacity in order to better support VMware customers.”

    Head, Partner and General Business Lead, VMware, Mark Reynolds, said  the awards portrays that “VMware appreciates the critical role  partners play in helping its customers move to the cloud, embrace the software-defined Data centre and plot their path to the hybrid cloud”.

    CWG received the recognition alongside 16 other prominent firms across Africa. They include foremost global technology outfits IBM, Royalty OEM Partner of the Year (WECA);  HP, as Royalty OEM Partner of the Year (South Africa), Dell as the highest Revenue contributor of the year (South Africa), Ubuntu as the outstanding OEM reseller (South Africa) amongst others.

    CWG, however, is the only IT firm from Nigeria that was recognised.