The Nation Newspaper

Tag: MANAGEMENT

  • Nigerians in Diaspora to bring in waste management experts

    Nigerians in the Diaspora have promised to get investors to harness the potential in waste deposits in Lagos State.

    The United Kingdom All Progressives Congress (UK APC) Chairman, Mr. Abiodun Ali, made this known at a meeting with the Commissioner for Environment, Dr. Babatunde Adejare.

    According to Ali, the project, when fully on stream, will earn huge revenue for the state, adding that it will also create several job opportunities.

    He said: “We are here because we are very concerned about the Nigerian environment and, particularly, Lagos State environment. We have met the Lagos State Commissioner for Environment to discuss partnership on how to invest in the Lagos environment.

    “We, in the diaspora, can help in this area. There is no much awareness on how to  keep a better environment by our people. The government is sending a lot of money to maintain a healthy environment.  We have suggested that effort should be redoubled create awareness on how the people can inculcate a better environment.

    “Those who drop waste into the drainage should be sanctioned. This is because anytime there is rain the whole place will be flooded. This can lead to a situation where the people will abandon their houses if they are submerged by water,” he said.

    “There is lot of money to be made in environmental development. We are looking at the area of waste water management, waste disposal and the turning of waste to wealth.

    “This will create conducive environment and generate job opportunities for our teeming unemployed youth. There are lots of thing in the areas that refuse are dump which can be turned to money.

    “That can also help the state to generate fund to finance some of its projects. The state cannot fund everything that is why we are talking of partnership with the government to assist the state. Government is going to make lots of money we cannot quantify because we are talking in terms of billions of dollars. Government is going make lots of money from the investors when they come.”

    Adejare  said the state was willing to partner organisations and individuals to make the state better.

    He said the government was working on proposals and projects that would make the state safe, clean and friendly, noting that it was high time people made cleanliness a way of life in view of the spread of diseases, such as Lassa Fever and others.

  • 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.

  • ‘Management, board must refund fines paid for infractions’

    Investors in the insurance sector have said management and boards of companies that cause their firms to pay fines to the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) for infractions must be prepared to refund such payments.

    The Coordinator, Independent Shareholders Association of Nigeria (ISAN), Sir Sunny Nwosu, who spoke with reporters  in Lagos, said allowing a company’s management and board to pay for fine imposed by the regulator would help reduce infractions and keep executives on their toes.

    He noted that shareholders have been made to suffer for crimes committed by the managements and boards.

    Nwosu lamented that the huge fines paid would have accrued to shareholders as dividends.

    He said: “Penalties do not give any value to top executives, it is shareholders money that is thrown away, and that was why ISAN has spearheaded a situation to say that if any company is penalised, the management and board should be held responsible to refund the money.

    “This will check the carefree attitude of some management and board. We believe the parties responsible for the penalties would make them play with caution and protect shareholders’ investments.”

  • How to tackle e-waste management, by UNIDO, NESREA,

    How to tackle e-waste management, by UNIDO, NESREA,

    National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) Director-General/Chief Executive Officer, Dr Lawrence Anukam, has blamed the rise in global electronic or e-waste scourge on technological advancement.

    Anukam, who spoke during a sensitisation workshop on the implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for the electrical/electronics sector at the British High Commission residency in Ikoyi, Lagos, said the high technology consumption rate  implies that sustainable production and consumption of electrical/electronics equipment would help control e-waste.

    The event, organised by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) in collaboration with Hinckley Associates, United Kingdom Trade and Investment and NESREA, was aimed at creating public awareness for e-waste management.

    It was also designed to promote meaningful dialogue and consultations between NESREA and key stakeholders; understanding current e-waste disposal processes; providing an overview on current e-waste volumes and future projections.

    In a paper titled: “Overview of Hazardous Waste Management”, delivered by the Deputy Director, Federal Ministry of the Environment, (FMEnv), Mr. Theodore Nwaokwe, he said strategies for managing hazardous wastes (HZW) include appropriate use of regulations, research into cleaner production techniques, EPR and environmental impact assessment (EIA).

    Other include compliance monitoring and enforcement; polluter-pays-principle, public education to change consumption and purchasing habits.

    He also listed efforts of the FMEnv to manage HZWs to include the ratification of relevant conventions (Basel Convention, Stockholm Convention, Rotterdam Convention); establishment of regulatory agencies such as NESREA; active participation at meeting and relating to the relevant conventions.

    He said  signing of memorandum of understanding (MoUs) with relevant ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) on chemicals and HZW management; establishment of linkage centres, hosting of Basel & Stockholm Convention regional centres, and preparing guidelines, regulations, policy frameworks and standards are other steps the government has taken.

    Nwaokwe also listed some projects undertaken by the ministry to include the establishment of scrap metal recycling plants in some towns, establishment of plastic recycling plants in some cities, establishment of waste recycling facility (material recovery facility) in two cities, establishment of integrated waste management facility, clean-up and remediation of Warri Refinery & Petrochemical Company dumpsites, remediation of sludge pits at Kaduna Refinery and Petrochemical Company.

    He called for a more effective HZW in the country, stressing that there is need for increase in both the federal and state budgetary allocations for HZW management; strengthening of collaboration among MDAs, increased compliance monitoring and enforcement.

    He argued that domestication of all ratified treaties and conventions relating to chemicals and HZWs and intensification of research on cleaner production techniques through increasing advocacy with the National Assembly are ways the menace could be addressed.

    He also called for increased sensitisation of stakeholders and the general public, periodic and regular review of legislations, guidelines, standards, policies and regulations and provision of more infrastructure like landfills, treatment plants, incinerators, transfer stations.

    Speaking on the occasion, UNIDO’s Country Representative, Dr David Tommy, said environmental issues are universal and require everyone’s involvement. He said UNIDO is fully committed to promoting sustainable developmental projects. He highlighted some efforts of UNIDO in the EE sector which include organising an e-waste forum a year ago in collaboration with Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), and the development and submission of a proposal on e-waste, which has been submitted to Global Environmental Fund (GEF) for support.

    Tommy also called for holistic approach to environmental protection. To this end, he stressed the need to set up the Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO); set up  Black Box, Registry and Advisory Council for the full implementation of the EPR in the sector. He  pledged UNIDO’s commitment to working with NESREA on EPR implementation.

    Speaking on the relationship between e-waste management and sustainable banking,   Head, Environmental Sustainability/CSR Division, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. A. C. Ifechikwu, said the Nigeria Sustainable Banking Principles (NSBP), an initiative of the Bankers’ Committee, was developed to incorporate social and environmental considerations into the activities and operations of the financial sector, and has been adopted by the Nigeria Financial Sector since July 2012, with nine principles. The principles include environmental and social risk management as well as environmental and social footprint, among others.

    He said in deploying a strategy to reduce environmental carbon footprints, the three “Rs”- reduce, that is, waste minimisation/smart procurement; re-use, that is, e-waste, furniture and others. Recycle that is, paper, plastic,; and proper disposal of other wastes.

    In supporting government in e-waste management, Mr. Oluyomi Banjo, an environmental expert at the UNIDO Regional Office, listed UNIDO’s mandate to include helping to promote the greening of existing industries and creation of green industries.

    They also include the implementation of different green industry flagship programmes such as  Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) phase out; persistent organic pollutants phase out and hazardous waste management. Specific products in e-waste that are of concern include flat screens, batteries, CFCs/Fridges and air conditioners.

    In a related development, UNIDO has also organised a workshop on amending the national environmental Ozone Layer protection (OZP) regulations 2009 for the country. The workshop was organised as part of the steps towards the implementation of the project: “Demonstration Project for Disposal of Unwanted Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) in Nigeria”.

    The objectives of the workshop were to identify the gaps in the ODS regulation; inform stakeholders about planned introduction of  the mandatory destruction of unwanted ODS and  product stewardship in ODS containing equipment among others.

    Tommy said the time has come for Nigeria to be fully compliant with product stewardship in line with the EPR. He said the Montreal Protocol on Substances that deplete the ozone layer was the first  protocol  of the United Nations to have all  its member states as signatories

    Therefore, he said Nigeria, as a signatory to the convention,as well as Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and Arican Union (AU) are not left behind on recent trends.

    In her presentation on “The Role of Media in Ozone Layer Protection and Environmental Matters” by Environment Editor, Voice of Nigeria (VON), Ms Nkechi Itodo,  listed wrong content alignment in news, poor capacity of media practitioners and organisational issues as some of the challenges weighing down mass media reportage of environmental matters in the country.

    Therefore, she  urged government to champion environment programmes and projects, including funding of media’s participation in environmental conferences to boost media capacity.

    She also tasked journalists to always highlight environment-related matters as developmental issues in their reporting and analysis.

    In all, six papers were presented at the workshop.

  • Wema Bank’s Capital Adequacy Ratio strong, says management

    Wema Bank’s Capital Adequacy Ratio strong, says management

    Wema Bank Plc yesterday said its Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) is 18.6 per cent based on September 2015 results, which is significantly higher than the 10 per cent required by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for regional and national bank.

    The CAR is the ratio of a bank’s capital to its risk. The CAR for banks’ with offshore subsidiaries is 15 per cent minimum requirement (which rose to 16 per cent by March 1, 2015 for systemically important banks). The CAR for banks operating only in Nigeria is 10 per cent.

    In a statement, the lender said it has existing shareholders funds of N44 billion; significantly higher than the N25 billion shareholders funds required for national banks, prompting it to apply for national license, which has been approved by the CBN.

    The lender said it is not part of the banks required to re-capitalise by the CBN, otherwise, the apex bank would not have granted it national license

    “The bank’s decision to go national is largely for us to be able to take advantage of any opportunities where they exist. Our approach to the implementation of a national banking expansion will be a phased roll-out of branches,” the statement said.

    It added: “We will quickly open branches in locations where we already have existing infrastructure and captive business to ensure that we take immediate advantage of the latent business opportunities in those locations. Subsequently, we will take a cautious approach to expansion and only deploy resources to areas that have been assessed as commercially viable.”

    The statement further said: “Going by the encouraging and growing level of electronic banking penetration in the country, our new branch builds will be very cost effective as the space required to serve will continue to get relatively smaller as it obtains today in more advanced financial systems.”

    It added: “The bank requires additional capital largely to grow its business in the new year and to also provide additional buffer to cushion against economic shocks.

  • U.S govt backs CBO investment management fund with $18.75m

    U.S govt backs CBO investment management fund with $18.75m

    The Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), the U.S. Government’s development finance institution, has approved an $18.75 million commitment in CBO Investment Management (CBOIM’s) fund, CBO Growth Private Equity Investment Limited Fund. The Fund is seeking to raise $150 million from international and local institutional investors to invest in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in West Africa.

    CBOIM is one of the first private equity fund managers to target African institutional capital through a Nigeria onshore fund in parallel with a fund backed by international investors. The fund will specifically invest in SMEs with scalable growth patterns and credible management teams across six core sectors including agri-business/food processing, energy services, manufacturing and import substitution, education and healthcare services, technology, media and real estate services.

    CBOIM and OPIC have a mutual commitment to make investments that not only generate commercial private equity returns but also have a positive developmental impact. “CBOIM presents an opportunity for OPIC to support an institutional-quality investment manager that will provide critical capital to SMEs in a variety of sectors in Nigeria and the rest of West Africa where access to finance for SMEs remains a challenge, but has a strong potential for development impact.

    “I’m especially proud that this is the first Africa-focused approval to result from OPIC’s Innovative Financial Intermediaries Program (IFIP), an OPIC initiative to facilitate capital flow to developing economies,” OPIC’s President/CEO Elizabeth Littlefield, said.

    Managing Partner of CBOIM, Bex Nwawudu,  commented: “Securing investment from OPIC is a powerful endorsement of the opportunity and our strategy to support the best caliber SMEs in West Africa, and our governance structures. We have a long term vision for CBO and a clear plan for delivering superior returns. We are now making excellent progress to ensure we are attracting both international and African institutional investors as well as the partnerships required to fulfill them.”

    CBO Investment Management is a West Africa investment firm based in Lagos, Nigeria and founded in 2008. The firm is managed by Managing Partners Bex Nwawudu & Chuka Mordi, along with Managing Director Joanne Yoo. The firm has 17 professionals on the ground.

    CBOIM recently appointed Gary Steinberg (the former Chief of the Investment Unit at the International Monetary Fund) as Chair of the Advisory Board and to the Investment Committee.

  • Expert calls for better irrigation, reservoir management

    To protect farmers from the growing stresses of extreme weather and climate change, the Federal Government has been urged to promote better use of irrigation to improve food security.

    Dr Ademola Adeyemo, Head of General Management Division, Agricultural & Rural Management Training Institute (ARMTI) in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, said it would give the country’s agriculture sector a new lease of life, in the face of shifting weather patterns.

    He said it paved the way for the country to use its available land resources for the sustainable development of irrigation.

    He said irrigation development is crucial since rain-fed agriculture is affected by drought and floods that will be exacerbated by climate change, impacting significantly on both the national economy and smallholder farmers’ vulnerability to food insecurity.

    To combat the effects of climate change, he said the nation needs sustainable irrigation that recognises the role of farmers and the challenges they face in developing the sector.

    He called for funding to pave the way for financing irrigation activities carried out by individual farmers and investors, through loans or grants. This will enable farmers’ groups, private individuals, associations and companies to own built irrigation infrastructure.

    He wants the government to improve the management of its numerous reservoirs to optimise the efficiency of its water management.

    He said the effects of climate change and natural disasters are becoming more unpredictable. He said the management of reservoirs should also encompass the collection of weather statistics, rather than depending on information provided by weather forecast agencies.

    He stressed the need to build a more comprehensive reservoir management system that prioritises structural safety, efforts to reduce adverse effects of flooding, and initiatives to maintain the water supply in downstream areas.

    He said the country had the potential of becoming a leading food producer since it had vast water bodies for irrigation purposes.

    According to him, irrigation facilities in the country are not in shape and the onus is on Government to invest more on irrigation infrastructure to boost food production capacity instead of relying on imports.

    He urged the government to boost the nation’s agriculture by accelerating the development of infrastructure such as roads and storage.

    He emphasised that increasing productivity in agriculture is critical for sustainable development and economic growth.

  • NAHCO takes over management of Osubi Airport

    NAHCO takes over management of Osubi Airport

    Ground handling services provider nahco Aviance has taken over the running of Osubi Airport in Warri, Delta State.

    The airport is owned by Shoreline Group.

    The company,  according to its spokesman, Tayo Ajakaye,  is implementing the letters of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with the Shoreline Group which would provide ground handling services at the Osubi Airport.

    The agreement, Ajakaye said, gives nahco aviance exclusive right for ground handling services at the airport including  passenger ramp, and cargo operation.

    Some domestic  carriers  are currently operating in Osubi Airport. They include Aero, Arik, and Escravos .

    The MoU, he said, provides for NAHCO  aviance to negotiate separate agreements with the other operators using the airport.

    Expressing his delight over the new deal, the Chief Commercial Officer of the company, Mr. Seyi Adewale, said that there had been good benefits from Public-Private Partnership (PPP) and FGN’s concessionaire initiatives in the aviation sub-sector.

    According to him, “Airports within the country now have opportunities for new capital (investments) to improve airport infrastructure and also improve the overall airport architecture that helps to  facilitate excellent passenger experience within our borders.

    “Using this partnership model, we are currently witnessing concessioned airport terminals outperforming the publicly managed airport terminals and many of these concessioned airports rely on NAHCO in-part to achieve this feat.

    “Specific to Osubi Airport, we would be bringing over 35years  aviation ground handling capabilities to further accentuate the excellent passenger  experience through skilled manpower .”

  • SSANIP-OGITECH lauds Management

    The Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Polytechnics (SSANIP), Ogun State Institute of Technology (OGITECH), Igbesa Chapter, has lauded the Rector of the Institution, Dr Olufunke Akinkurolere, for prioritising workers’ welfare.

    This was contained in a communiqué at the end of their meeting held in the school premises.

    SSANIP Chairman, Mr. Muideen Fatai, praised management for being sensitive to workers’ yearnings such as prompt payment of salaries, payment of deduction to pension administrators, and encouragement of staff development through training.

    Others are timely promotion, and infrastructural provision with adequate security/offices renovation.

    Fatai, therefore called on workers to support the present management.

     

  • VC counsels new students on time management

    Newly-admitted students of Elizade University, Ilara-Mokin, Ondo State have been advised to use their time wisely to fulfill their purpose of study.

    Vice-Chancellor (VC) of the University, Prof. Kunle Oloyede, gave the advice while addressing the students at an orientation programme organised by the Student Affairs Unit.

    He cautioned that if they failed to use their time judiciously, they would find it difficult to achieve academic excellence.

    Oloyede urged them to think creatively, plan and implement with the guidance of their lecturers and other members of staff ready to assist them.

    The VC, who described them as drivers of their destiny, enjoined them to drop any “passenger” that would not allow them to arrive at their desired destinations.

    Also speaking, the Registrar, Mr. Omololu Adegbenro, advised the students to always adhere to school rules and regulations. He warned that the University would not hesitate to sanction any student found wanting in morals.

    Adegbenro encouraged them to always seek advice from their mentors and the Counseling Unit of the university on matters bordering on their academic and personal lives.