The Nation Newspaper

Tag: products

  • Lafarge votes 450m euro for building cities, products

    Lafarge WAPCO is investing 450 million euro  in the development of value-added products, construction systems, solutions and services to meet some of the challenges of urbanisation.

    In a statement, the company said its plan  to contribute to building better cities, would be supported by innovation in line with its 2012 to 2015 plan.

    It said by 2050, about 70 per cent of the world’s population, estimated at nine billion people, would be living in towns and cities, compared to over 50 per cent today.

    “ Urbanisation on such a scale will be a challenge and we will do everything we can to reduce the challenges. This will be done most especially in countries where the group is strongly established,” the statement said.

    Addressing five main challenges,  the group noted that its ambition to contribute to building better cities, includes solutions contributing to more housing in cities; to address the issue of housing for all, including affordable housing; more compact cities, with the construction of vertical buildings which help reduce urban sprawl.

    Lafarge Cement WAPCO Nigeria Plc had, against the backdrop of speculations from market watchers, that the company may shut down its plants following alleged glut of cement in the country recently said that it remains in operation and has no intention of shutting down its plants.

     

     

     

  • Firm to sell products in local dialects

    Sovereign Trust Insurance Plc said it has adopted a nationwide radio campaign in local dialects to sell some of its personal line products.

    It said in a statement that the campaign will leverage on jingles in the major languages and Pidgin in some selected radio stations across the major commercial states and cities to drive the products.

    It said one of the major products on offer is the Sovereign Wellbeing Insurance Scheme for the Family (SWIS-F), adding that the product is a General Personal Accident (GPA) policy with varied features and benefits designed to cater for the family in any situation of eventuality. The premium for this package is N1, 500 per annum.

    It explained that the benefits range from out-of-work benefit resulting from any form of accident; covering medical expenses of the insured arising from accident, payment of wellbeing lump-sum and gives free cover for the fourth child under the age of 17. The features include 10 per cent no-claim bonus, affordable and flexible premium payment, covering strike and civil commotion and has no geographical limitation.

    The firm noted that with the current campaign, it is set to promote products under the Market Development & Restructuring Initiative, MDRI.

    “These products are basically designed to cater for Third Party liabilities whenever the need arises. They consist of the Third Party Motor Insurance, Occupiers’ Liability, Builders Liability and the Professional Healthcare Indemnity Insurance. For personal line products, prospective customers across the country can buy the Householders’/Houseowners’ policy, Fire & Burglary and All Risks Insurance for every of their private belongings in any of Sovereign Trust Insurance offices across the nation,” it said.

    The Assistant General Manager/Head, Direct Marketing Lanre Ojuola, said the move to embark on the radio vernacular campaign became necessary to erase the impression that insurance is only meant for the rich and mighty.

    “We have carefully studied the market and came to the conclusion that a greater percentage of our prospective customers reside in the grassroots areas and could be denied the opportunity of knowing what benefits they could derive from having an insurance cover, hence, the need to take this information to them via the local languages on radio stations,” he added.

    He noted that the initiative is in line with the company’s mission of ‘enhancing the everyday life of its customers’ across all sectors of the Nigerian economy and social class.

    The company’s spokesperson, Segun Bankole noted that the adaptation of the media campaign in vernacular is to further entrench the Brand’s recall rate amongst the identified social class with a view to developing strong business opportunities in those climes.

    He said the programme sponsorship is geared at educating this particular class of people on the need to make insurance a priority in their daily life.

    Its Managing Director Wale Onaolapo said: “The idea behind the initiative is to ensure that the generality of the target audience are well covered and can easily connect with the product and make informed decision in taking any of the policies applicable to them.

    “Our expectation of this campaign is that the target audience which cuts across, Teachers, Traders, Mechanics, Carpenters, Fashion Designers, Hair Dressers, Casual Labourers et al in the non-formal sector of the economy will avail themselves of the opportunities embedded in insurance.”

    He noted that the company launched the SWIS-F product in 2008 and has since been enjoying patronage from different socio-economic groups in the country but that this campaign would help enhance a larger coverage of prospective customers in localities yet to benefit from the product.

  • Mutual to launch 50 micro products

    Mutual to launch 50 micro products

    Mutual Benefits Assurance Plc is set to roll out 50 micro-insurance products as part of efforts to boost the Market Development and Restructuring Initiative (MDRI).

    Its Group Managing Director, Akin Ogunbiyi, who made this known in a media parley in Lagos, said the first batch would be introduced in April, adding that the products were developed along social, demographic, trade groups and risks peculiar to each segment of the nation.

    He said the firm has taken time and expertise to develop the different products for the different groups and needs, as there are no more ‘Off the shelf ‘products for everybody.

    Speaking on means to get the products across to Nigerians, Ogunbiyi said the firm would open 200 offices by 2015, adding that 32 offices were opened last year and that the number would reach 70 by December this year. He said the effort would bring existing and new offices of the firm nationwide to 96 by the end of this year, adding that Lagos, Oyo, Osun and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) were used as the pilot states.

    He said the firm would create 22,000 new jobs by 2015 in line with the man-power need of the industry under the MDRI.

  • Firm launches new products

    Firm launches new products

    ForexTime Ltd (FXTM) has announced the launch of seven new currency pairs for trading to enable traders to choose from a variety of options.

    The firm, in a statement, said the new currency pairs include exotic pairs, crosses with the Swiss Franc and crosses with the Australian Dollar, a major commodity currency.

    ForexTime gives its clients access to the global currency market and offers trading in forex, precious metals, commodities, shares and indices.

    Chief Executive Officer, ForexTime,Olga Rybalkina, said: “The new currency pairs include exotic currencies, such as the Turkish Lira, the Danish Krone, Norwegian Krone and Swedish Krone. These currencies tend to make quicker and larger movements than major currency pairs and it is this volatility that makes these pairs popular with experienced traders.”

    The firm said the currency pairs are USD/TRY (US dollar vs Turkish Lira);EUR/TRY (Euro vs Turkish Lira); AUD/DKK (Australian Dollar vs Danish Krone); AUD/NOK (Australian Dollar vs Norwegian Krone); AUD/SEK (Australian Dollar vs Swedish Krone); AUD/SGD (Australian Dollar vs Singapore Dollar); CHF/SGD (Swiss Franc vs Singapore Dollar).

  • Army seizes 453 drums of crude products

    Soldiers from 14 Field Engineers Regiment, Onitsha, Anambra State yesterday intercepted two boats loaded with 453 drums of illegally refined petroleum products.

    The products, which is estimated at N16 million, was handed over to men of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

    Handing them over to the Assistant Commandant of the NSCDC and Head of Intelligence Unit, Eme Ugwuogo at the bank of River Niger in Onitsha, Brig-Gen Koko Essien said the Federal Government has assigned the NSCDC to investigate and handle cases of oil bunkering.

    “This is why we are handing over the products to the NSCDC,” he said.

    The Commanding Officer 14 Field Engineers Regiment, Lt. Col. Bayode Adetoro, said the two boats were intercepted on March 12 at 2pm by the soldiers.

    He said the operators abandoned the boats after demobilising them.

    “But my men used their engineering skills to start the boats.

    “They brought the near sinking boats to the jetty and off-loaded the drums.”

     

  • Senate panel: quality products vital to SMEs’ growth

    The Senate Committee on Industry has said standardisation is essential to the growth of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs).

    Its Chairman, Senator Nnenadi Usman said for SMEs to be relevant, there is need for them to meet the basic standards so that their goods would be acceptable.

    She was speaking during the committee’s tour of Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania.

    The essence of the visit, she said, was to boost trade within and outside the region, adding that the basic thing necessary for economic growth is the development of the SMEs.

    Usman said the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has a critical role to play in reducing substandard products and encouraging other African countries to set up office and agencies to develop and maintain standards.

    She said the visit would explore Ethiopia and map out areas of collaborations between both it and Nigeria in developing and maintaining standards.

    “Our SMEs should be revitalised to stop dumping. The way forward is to empower SON to train SMEs owners to conform to standards.This would increase their productivity, expand their business; leading to more income and wealth creation,” she said.

    She pointed out that Ethiopia also faces the same challenges as Nigeria in terms of dumping substandard goods, adding that Ethiopia has a new way of resolving their challenges which Nigeria must adopt.

    She said the major challenge most African countries are facing is importation because most importers like to bring in goods at cheaper prices. He said when African products try to compete in the market, they do not do so well.

    “It is cheaper to go to China to make a substandard good than to make a good of standard quality in Nigeria. Most people prefer to use cheaper goods even though it does not last. We have had influx of substandard cheap cables from China where people used to build houses which later resulted in fire outbreak destroying lives and property,” she said.

    She said: “The issue of funding is critical to maintaining standard. We have learnt something about the funding of the agency itself because without fund, the agency will never work properly and it will not produce any result.”

    According to her, the summary of the three visits to the three countries showed that they have spent a lot of money to improve their standards and said that they all have well-equipped laboratories that can compete globally.

    “I think Dr. Odumodu is doing a great job and if better equipped he would do more because he has the will and the capabilities,” she said.

    She said when one organisation should look at standards, ensuring that goods that are substandard do not enter the country.

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Firm unveils Internet products

    Internet security firm, Norton by Symantec, has released the latest versions of its security products into the market. They are Norton 360, Norton Internet Security, and Norton Anti-Virus.

    The products are Windows 8 compatible and engineered to make Windows 8 safer and faster compared with running Windows Defender on Windows 8.

    In a statement, the Group President, Consumer Business Unit, Symantec, Janice Chaffin, said the products will guarantee the security of users online.

    “According to this year’s Norton Cybercrime Report, one in 10 social network users said they’d fallen victim to a scam or fake link on social network platforms. Today, consumers are living nearly every aspect of their lives online and often putting personal information at risk.“

  • Panasonic unveils,

    Panaserv Nigeria Limited, authorised service agents for Panasonic consumer electronics products, in conjunction with Panasonic Corporation, Japan has unveiled the latest product lines for 2012. The unveiling took place during the 2012  annual Panasonic dealer’s convention held in Lagos.

    Some of the products introduced include air conditioners, flat screen televisions, home theatres and music systems, digital still cameras, camcorders, home and kitchen appliances.

    Over the years, Panasonic Corporation has maintained a firm grip on air conditioning technology, leading the way with landmark product innovations that impact living. The 2012 model Econavi dual sensor and Super Alleru Buster Filter with Econavi mono sensor air conditioners are completely inspired by nature, with great emphasis on energy conservation and optimal performance. Econavi dual and mono sensor air conditioner utilises human sensor and control programme technologies to detect where energy is normally wasted and self-adjusts cooling power to reduce energy waste. Panasonic air conditioners now guarantee a consistent supply of comfortable, clean and healthy air with minimal use of energy and inbuilt air purifying.

    According to the Promoter, Panasonic in Nigeria, Bhujraj Rupani, “Panasonic air conditioners now come with a new air purifying system called nanoe-G which utilises nano technology fine particles consisting of ions and radicals to purify the air in the room. It works effectively on airborne and adhesive micro-organisms such as bacteria, viruses and mold thus ensuring a cleaner living environment. Panasonic air conditioners remain the most reliable in temperate regions like Nigeria with its highly durable super tropical compressors which have been tested and proven in severe temperature conditions in desert regions of the Middle-East and Africa.

    The exhibition at Panasonic Dealer’s Convention also unveils Smart viera infotainment televisions with Swipe and Share. The new Smart viera infotainment television series encompasses Progressive 3D full HD, LED/LCD and plasma televisions.