The Nation Newspaper

Tag: partners

  • Senators laud Total, partners on Egina FPSO

    The Senate Committees on Gas and Petroleum Resources (Upstream) have commended Total and its partners for the progress made in the completion of the Egina Floating Storage, Production and Offloading (FPSO) vessel, being finalised at the Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) shipyard in LADOL Free Zone, Lagos.

    The Senate Committee Chairman on Petroleum Resources (Upstream), Senator Omotayo Alasoadura, and his counterpart, Senate Gas Committee Chairman, Senator Barnabas Gemade, led their committees’ members on an inspection of the 330m-long Egina FPSO, where they expressed delight with the pace of work on the unit and its massive Nigerian content.

    “Seeing the Egina FPSO has shown that a good investment has been made to ensure that Nigeria moves deeper and deeper into the sea to exploit its God-given endowment of oil,” Senator Alasoadura said, pointing out that touring the FPSO facility had been a very wonderful experience.

    “I believe that with Egina going operational very soon, Nigeria will be able to meet its quota not only to the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), but also will have enough to meet its other commitments. I believe that it is a good project and Total has done a great thing bringing such a facility to Nigeria for integration of locally fabricated modules, making it first in Africa. This milestone has brought us to where we should be as the giant of Africa,” he added.

    On the local content work being done on the project, Senator Alasoadura said: “It is massive development of capacity. You cannot do much for local development without building capacity and that has been done by giving Nigerians the opportunity to build part of what we are seeing here today. I am sure the next time it will take less money and time to build something similar because of developed capacity.”

    Senator Gemade said: “We are very excited about the participation of Nigerians that are technically qualified in major and huge projects like Egina. This impact cannot just be swept under the carpet.Those responsible for actualising this project must be commended.”

    The Managing Director of Total Upstream Companies in Nigeria, Mr. Nicolas Terraz, thanked the senators for taking the time to visit the Egina FPSO saying, “What you are seeing here is a product of the hard work of our staff, many of whom are Nigerians, along with our very supportive partners and Nigerian authorities.”

    Other senators on the visit were Senators Gershom Bassey, Magnus Abe, Samuel Egwu, Peter Nwaoboshi, Benjamin Uwajumogu, Baba Garbai, Ogola Foster and Ibrahim Kurfi.

    Being the first project to be launched after the enactment of the Nigerian Oil & Gas Industry Content Development Act in 2010, the ongoing integration and work on the Egina project pushes the Nigerian local content on the project to the highest level and has set a benchmark for the Nigerian oil and gas industry.

  • Heritage Bank partners MultiChoice on BBNaija

    Heritage Bank Plc has partnered MultiChoice Nigeria Limited, owners of the DSTV and GOTV brands to bring the third season of the Big Brother Naija entertainment to viewers across Africa and beyond.

    The Big Brother Naija 2018 was launched with Ebuka Obi-Uchendu as the host. The programme has 20 house mates battling for the winning prize of N45 million which include a cash gift of N25 million and SUV Jeep among others. The theme of this year’s edition is “Double Wahala.”

    The host said one of the innovations in this season was that viewers could give housemates secret tasks to do and some lucky viewers could win cash prizes of N1 million during the duration of the show.

    The house mates will stay at the Big Brother House for the next 85 days to entertain viewers and the show promises to show case a lot of drama intrigues and romance.

    Speaking at the live streaming of the opening session in Lagos at the weekend, Group Head, Corporate Communications of Heritage Bank, Fela Ibidapo,  said, “When the last season of the reality show was about to start, some of us did know what we were getting into. We are back here again because last year was successful.’’

    He said Heritage Bank believed in creativity and innovation and expressed appreciation to MultiChoice for the opportunity to be part of this edition of the show.

    About 20 house mates were invited to the house in the third season of the show which began last Sunday night, with four of them debuting in a reality show for the first time in their lives.

  • Kia partners Cars45 for trade of used cars

    Kia Motors Nigeria has teamed up with Cars45, the foremost online retail platform for used car sales, to provide a seamless pre-owned car sales and Trade-in programme for all Kia cars.

    The Certified Used-Car scheme offers a unique and comprehensive service where a car owner can trade in a car for an all-new Kia car or an outright sale of a used Kia car with an immediate payment. The scheme offers a fair valuation and a competitive deal on used cars. The process is seamless, accessible to all and very easy, above all, it provides a Certified Used-Car service that’s tailor-made and customisable to suit customers’ needs.

    Over the past few decades, there had been a direct nexus between the buying power of the people and the upsurge in the used car sales. However, this demand was exploited thereby making the country a dumping ground for all sorts of used cars across the globe and sadly affecting the growth of the country’s auto industry.

    Kia Motors Nigeria Vice President Olu Tikolo said: “We have witnessed strong demand for our used Kia cars and customers have over the years asked for a trade-in option for a new model. The market size of pre-owned cars has grown significantly and our partnership with Cars45 is aimed at offering a well organised used car and trade-ins with a complete peace-of-mind and a hassle-free ownership experience to our customers. The country’s used car market has a huge growth potential and we expect ‘Kia Certified Used Car’ business to grow in the foreseeable future and contribute to the brand’s growth in Nigeria. Our partnership with a leading online used car sales portal, will not only roll out a used certified car programme but also offer customers more choice, enabling them to create a bespoke buying process that suits their needs.”

    Cars45 Chief Executive Officer Etop Ikpe said the platform is beyond providing an avenue for Nigerians to sell their cars, adding: “The desire to meet the customers’ expectations is what is paramount for us at cars45.  The Used Car Market is growing and we have seen a lot of requests from Kia owners for an opportunity to swap their old Kia for new ones. This plan, we believe, further restates Cars45´s commitment to the Nigerian people to ensure that there are cars for the average Nigerian whenever he or she wants one”.

    The programme enables you to sell your car or swap it for a new model.

  • House of Ganiyah partners First Bank, Wfm to launch She-EO Lagos

    House of Ganiyah, an independent non-partisan organization, is set to unveil the Lagos edition of its talk-show style experience, She-EO. The event tkes place on January 13 at the Clear Essence California Spa and Wellness Resort.

    The first edition took place in Maryland USA on August, 19 2017.

    Pioneer of the idea, Tope Fajingbesi, said that the goal of ‘She-EO’ is to provide safe platforms for women to retreat and discuss issues related to personal growth and community engagement. Tope says that this event is especially for women who wish to break barriers, who have the potential to be change agents in their families, organizations and communities and who are passionate about leaving a better world for future generations

    A Hot Seat guest and sponsor of the She-EO event, Toun Okewale, the CEO of WFM 91.7, said She-EO is breaking barriers by having no-holds barred discussions about issues that are “taboo” topics in many cultures and communities.

    Another Hot Seat guest and sponsor, Bashirat Odunewu, Group Executive, First Bank of Nigeria Plc, described She-EO as a soul inspiring and life transforming experience for purpose-driven women.

    Other expected hot seat guests include Bolanle Shobowale, Head of Customer Experience, Stanbic IBTC, Genevieve Mbama; Director, Oracle Insight EMEA, and Mo Abudu; CEO EbonyLife Television.

    Fajingbesi is a Nigerian-American financial management consultant, speaker and the author of Amazon bestselling novel, Love in Cancun. She created and hosts Impact Africa, a radio program that inspires listeners to participate actively in African development through entrepreneurship. She also invests her time into providing education, healthcare and social welfare initiatives for children from low-income families through United for Kids Foundation, an organisation she co-founded in 2002 and which she continues to serve as its Executive Director/Coordinating Trustee (Pro-Bono).

  • Volkswagen partners Aurora for self-driving cars

    Volkswagen AGVLKAY announced that it has entered into a strategic partnership with Aurora Innovation at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, United States.

    The collaboration intends to introduce self-driving electric vehicles as Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) fleets in cities.

    Started in 2016, Aurora Innovation is a leading self-driving technology company offering software and hardware for development of autonomous cars.

    Experts from both the companies have been functioning together for the last six months to incorporate Aurora’s sensors, hardware and software such as, machine learning and AI technology in Volkswagen’s vehicles to develop self-driving vehicles.

    This recent development is in sync with Volkswagen’s Together – Strategy 2025 under which, it aims to introduce highly automated self-driving systems in the market by 2021.

    The company’s association with Aurora will provide a significant contribution to its mission of becoming a leading provider of sustainable mobility with self-driving vehicles. The company also aims to develop new MaaS solutions with high safety standards, top user experience and digital intelligence for its customers.

    Last September, Volkswagen announced its plan to unveil a number of autonomous Level five electric cars, vans and trucks by 2021.

    Volkswagen apart, Aurora Innovations has partnered South Korean automaker, Hyundai Motor Company HYMLF.

    Under this partnership, the former will provide its self-driving technologies for the latter’s custom-developed models.

  • Casers Group celebrates 30th anniversary with clients, partners

    In furtherance of its 30th anniversary celebrations, Casers Group hosted clients, partners, industry players and associates to a grand dinner and exhibition in Lagos.

    Speaking on the growth and successes of the group, Chairman, Enyi Odigbo lauded clients and partners for contributing immensely to the remarkable feat. He said: “We are here to celebrate 30 years of influencing choices. This remarkable journey has been made possible by brands, businesses, family and friends. With your support, we’ve influenced thousands of choices”.

    “The successes of the group have been made possible by the Casers people. With people at the centre of our corporate philosophy, we have grown to become a leading creative group in Nigeria, West and Central Africa.”

    In the first 30 years of its existence, Casers Group has grown to become one of Africa’s leading Integrated Marketing Communication companies with business interests in Nigeria, Benin, Cameroun, Congo Brazaville, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Guinea Conakry and Liberia. The group has benefited immensely from affiliations and relationships with DDB Worldwide and OMNICOM Group.

    Odigbo added that the group is prepared for the future that will be shaped by technology and creative talents. “We’re well positioned for the next 30 years of adding value to brands and businesses with creative solutions in the midst of significant changes in our world.  “We are set to witness more significant changes over the next 30 years triggered by explosive developments that are already in place all around us.”

  • Wema Bank partners Petrolex on $300m tank farm

    Wema Bank has partnered with Petrolex, an indigenous oil and gas company, for the development of $300 million Ibefun Tank Farm.

    The farm, located in Ibefun, Ogun State, holds a 300 million litres storage capacity and can turn over 600 million litres of petroleum products in one month. The complex also comprises a residential estate for staff, an army barracks, 30 loading gantries for product disbursement, and a 4,000 truck capacity trailer park with accommodation for drivers.

    The facility is part of a long-term plan by Petrolex to develop a $6 billion Oil Megacity. Once completed, it is expected to be Africa’s largest petroleum products hub.

    The megacity will sit on a landmass that spans over 101 square kilometres, a tenth of the entire size of Lagos State. It will house a 250,000 barrels per day capacity refinery – estimated to cost $3.5 billion, an ultramodern lube plant, an LNG and LPG plant, and a power plant. The project is expected to create over 2000 direct and indirect jobs.

    Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Petrolex, Segun Adebutu, explained that while the tank farm will immediately bring on board thousands of jobs, his long term vision for the megacity is to build a largely indigenous company that will enhance the livelihood of many Nigerians and ensure the country’s self-sufficiency dream in energy is made a reality.

    The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer  of Wema Bank Plc, Olusegun Oloketuyi,  expressed his delight that Wema Bank was part of such a prestigious project. He said the bank’s involvement in part-financing the largest Tank Farm in sub-Saharan Africa further reaffirms its commitment to play a crucial role in the country’s growth and development by providing funding for critical, economically-enhancing projects.

    “We are extremely delighted to have partnered with Petrolex on this laudable project,” said Mr Oloketuyi. “Our participation in this remarkable venture further reaffirms our brand position to go all the way with our customers in ensuring their dreams become a reality. We remain unwavering in our quest to support historic and value-adding propositions that ultimately enhance the lives of people and bring about economic prosperity.”

  • Yuletide: LASPARK canvasses partners for decoration

    Lagos State Parks and Gardens Agency, (LASPARK) General Manager Mrs. Bilikiss Adebiyi-Abiola has called on the Green Partners of the state to support the government’s Christmas decoration by beautifying and lighting up the sites adopted by their organisations.

    Acknowledging the contributions of some of its partners who had embraced the Christmas lighting and decoration project of the state government, Adebiyi-Abiola, appealed to others to key into the project as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and tp add glamour to the Yuletide festivities.

    She acknowledged the roles of all the environmentally friendly organisations towards the sustainability of the greening programme in the state and noted that more efforts were needed.

    ‘One mitigating measure against the adverse effect of climate change and global warming is to increase the green cover immensely and this can only be achieved through conscious, intensive and aggressive landscaping, beautification and tree planting activities which our partners have keyed into’, Adebiyi-Abiola said.

    The GM, who spoke at a meeting with the agency’s stakeholders in her office, revealed that the meeting afforded her the opportunity to understand some of the challenges faced by partners and assured them that she would look into the identified challenges and see how best to collaborate to continuously improve the living environment and wellbeing of Lagosians through landscaping, beautification and tree planting.

    “Your immeasurable financial and material contributions in nurturing and keeping the adopted sites green and clean cannot be overemphasised. I enjoin you to do more so that we can bequeath an enviable environment to the generation yet unborn,” she said.

    Present at the meeting were representatives of Zenith Bank, Fidelity Bank, Sterling Bank, Kiosque Vegetal, Shodex Gardens, F-Plus, Chevron Nigeria, Nigerian Bottling Company, among others.

  • Lafarge Africa Plc partners Canaancity on safety

    A building solutions provider, Lafarge Africa Plc, has partnered an association of indigenous and foreign companies, Canaancity Consortium, on a safety awareness programme training for 200 employees of the consortium.

    The partnership is aimed at improving the safety standards and practices at Canaancity sites, which is building over 700 housing units in the first phase of estates it is developing. More estates are still being planned. Directors and heads of projects of the consortium attended a one-day health and safety training at the Covenant University Guest House, Otta, Ogun State, last week.

    Speaking on the training initiative, Director for Health and Safety at Lafarge Africa Plc, Graeme Bride, said: “We are always pleased to share our experience on safety in the Nigerian construction industry. Our aspiration to do business with zero harm is not limited to our factories and employees. We are also particular about safety on the sites of clients and contractors.”

    Canaancity Consortium Chief Executive O fficer (CEO) Pastor Tokunbo  Olofin said: “We are happy to partner Lafarge on this initiative. It will improve our project site safety standards and reduce lost time incidents. We see this engagement as an avenue to build a stronger relationship with Lafarge.”

    During the training programme, engineers, technicians and other operational employees were trained on the risks related to their construction work while health workers were trained on how to prepare for and respond to emergencies. There were also sessions on the best onsite safety practices such as deployment of safety signages as well as procedures for reporting and responding to incidents.

  • GPP summit targets finance partners for infrastructure devt

    GPP summit targets finance partners for infrastructure devt

    The value of Nigeria’s infrastructure stock (road, rail, power, airports, water, telecoms and seaports) is only 35 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP). This is a far cry from some of the emerging market countries’ average of 70 percent. To attain a considerable increase in this area, it is estimated that the country needs to invest $3 trillion in infrastructure over 30 years.

    However, experts agreed that the government was not in a position to singularly make this a reality, except it sourced for private financing.

    “It is, therefore, critical that Nigeria leverages private financing opportunities for infrastructure development from global institutional investors through Public Private Partnerships (PPP),” said Managing Director/Chief Executive of Global Property Partners (GPP), Mr. Emmanuel Odemayowa.

    Odemayowa said GPP, a consortium of firms with diverse interests in real estate and infrastructure development, would organise a summit on infrastructure development in Lagos on October 26.

    Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, will be the special guest of honour. “This year’s summit is to create a platform for the engagement of global institutional investors for infrastructure development. The summit aims to raise Partners to Finance the National Economic Recovery Goals with regards to Infrastructure Development,” he explained.

    The summit, with the theme: “Infrastructural development as catalyst for economic growth”,  will focus on creating avenues to generate sustainable income and wealth through global partnerships, innovation and sound investments. Among the issues to be discussed are investment opportunities in Africa and beyond; mobilising institutional investments for infrastructural development and current government policies and regulations on public-private partnerships. There will also be networking opportunities with distinguished business executives and corporate leaders in the national and global infrastructure finance sector at the Summit.

    The summit will attract key players in infrastructure finance and development, both locally and internationally, including Dr. Zhao Changhui of China EximBank; Mr. David Smith of the British African Business Alliance and the Minister of State for Power, Works & Housing, Mustapha Baba Shehuri.

    Also billed to speak at the summit are Mr. Bismarck Rewane of Financial Derivatives Company; Dr. Joseph Nnanna, Deputy Governor, Financial System Stability of the Central Bank of Nigeria; Ms. Yewande Sadiku, Director-General of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission; Arc. Gbenga Onabanjo, Chairman of GPP and Olabintan Famutimi, President of the Nigerian-American Chamber of Commerce, among others.