The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Stakeholders

  • Stakeholders adopt formula for political offices  

    Leaders in Anambra East have adopted a sharing formula for political offices.

    They took the decision at a meeting at the palace of Igwe Kelly N. Nkeli (Okalakwu), the traditional ruler of Igbariam.

    The meeting was convened to entrench understanding in Anambra East.

    Nkeli said the stakeholders considered it necessary to adopt the formula so that the people would have a sense of belonging.

    He said the formula was accepted by political leaders in communities within the local government.

    The monarch listed the sharing thus-  House of Assembly (Igbariam community), Local Government Chairman (Nando community), Deputy Local Government Chairman (Nsugbe  community),  Local Government Secretary (Umueri community) and Leader of Local Government Legislative Council (Umuoba Anam community).

    Deputy Leader of Local Government Legislative Council and supervisory councillors for works, health and agriculture were zoned to the five communities in Aguleri.

    Nkeli said the leaders would ensure the implementation of the formula.

  • MBAN, stakeholders to rev new housing initiative

    MBAN, stakeholders to rev new housing initiative

    Fresh hopes of home ownership are now on the horizon. They are coming on the heels of last year’s inauguration, of My Own Home scheme – a Public-Private Partnership created to increase access to housing finance and housing in the country. The scheme, set up by the Federal Government, is under the Nigeria Housing Fund Programme (NHFP). It is being implemented by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and has the backing of the World Bank’s International Development Association loan.

    The NHFP has broad-based stakeholders and partnerships, which include the Federal Government; Federal Ministry of Finance; CBN; World Bank; Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing; Federal Ministry of Justice and Mortgage Banking Association of Nigeria (MBAN), with mortgage originating institutions participating in the scheme. They are doing so via the equity they took in the Nigeria Mortgage Refinance Company (NMRC). The NHFP entitles all Nigerians above the age of 21 years, and in paid employment, to access a low interest government-funded loan, according to the stakeholders.

    To ensure that the scheme has the desired effect, principal stakeholders in the mortgage sub-sector, on whose shoulders the success of the NHFP rests, last week made known their intentions to adopt a strategy that would simplify mortgage transactions for aspiring homeowners.

    Under the aegis of MBAN, the President of the body, Mr. Niyi Akinlusi, explained that the My Own Home scheme would help revamp the housing finance industry and make access to housing finance a lot easier through the NMRC, which would provide long-term refinancing of mortgages and standardised mortgage procedure.

    To further enhance the scheme, Akinlusi said there is a Mortgage Guarantee Scheme – a window where borrowers with insufficient or no equity contribution can access mortgage for home ownership. Also available is the “Housing Microfinance Scheme”, which is an avenue to stimulate increased lending to low-income earners in the formal and informal sectors. This will be routed through microfinance banks for incremental housing construction.

    “The scheme has set up a framework that will revamp the housing finance sector and make access to housing finance a lot easier. Unlike the conventional mortgage, the scheme allows beneficiaries to use the loan for the purchase of land and incremental building or renovation. People need to know that as long as they continue to pay rents as tenants, they are paying the landlord’s mortgage. They can use this same amount for mortgage and become house owners. When you remain a renter, you have helped the landlord to secure his own house, which will appreciate with time,” Akinlusi said.

    In a similar vein, MBAN Executive Secretary, Mr. Kayode Omotosho, revealed that talks are ongoing with the National Pension Commission (Pencom) on how contributors can pull from their savings with the commission to use as equity contribution in the scheme. Very soon, he said, the guidelines for this will be out and pension contributors can use up to 25 per cent of their contributions of up to 60 months or five years as equity for mortgage loans.

    “In addition to the NMRC, which tackles long-term funding, we also have the Mortgage Warehouse Funding Limited, which will take care of short-term funding. We call this initiative “native intelligence” to tackle our own challenges. In the past, we must have had issues but now, we need to talk to Nigerians on what to do to own their homes seamlessly,” Omotosho explained.

    He is confident that the mortgage banks are in a pole position to actualise this project, especially after the recapitalisation exercise in the mortgage bank industry, which he noted, has prepared them for the new initiatives.

    Equally, Omotosho said with the seamless integration of the customers of mortgage banks into the Bank Verification Number (BVN) platform and issuance of NUBAN numbers to facilitate online transactions, there has been improved operational efficiency for mortgage banks.

    “There has also been inclusion of the informal sector with the distinct Uniform Mortgage Underwriting Standards; the amendment of the Pension Act to facilitate withdrawals from the Retirement Savings Accounts for down payments on equity contribution to boost inclusion and reduction in cost of title registration and transfer from 13 per cent of property value to three per cent in Lagos and Kaduna states,” he said.

    Under the ‘My Own Home’ scheme, 34 primary mortgage banks, four commercial banks and nine microfinance banks had been selected to stimulate housing finance for low-income earners in the formal and informal sectors. Subscribers to the scheme will benefit from the $15m Housing Microfinance Fund and the $10m Technical Assistance Fund. LAPO Microfinance Bank is the pivot of the pilot scheme in the housing sector.

     

  • 2018 Budget: Council holds stakeholders meeting

    2018 Budget: Council holds stakeholders meeting

    Surulere local government chairman, Hon Tajudeen Ajide, has met with stakeholders and representatives of wards in the LG area in order to harmonise the 2018 budget.

    The well-attended stakeholders meeting had in attendance community leaders, Community Development Committee (CDC) leaders, party leaders, traditional rulers, market leaders, the corporate community, NURTW leaders, representatives of artisans, youth leaders and the leadership of the local government, head of revenue and other revenue officials of the council.

    Given the opportunity to present their expectations from the local government, the proposition ranges from road rehabilitation to drainage construction, youth empowerment, sports facility, market rehabilitation secretariats for some, monthly stipends for the aged and the physically-challenged.

    Reacting, Ajide said all propositions would be looked into by the local government and all stakeholders will feel the effect of its government.

    “They have told us what they want and we have taken notes. It would help us to plan for the year and know where to direct our work,” said Ajide.

    Two weeks ago, Ajide had opened the 218-metre Alhaji Thanni Street in the Alhaji Masha area of the metropolis. The road, linking Alhaji Masha on the north and Adeniran Ogunsanya Street on the west, will expectedly bring relief to residents and allow outbound access to vehicular traffic.

    In the same vein, the local government is at an advance stage of completing a new customary court, located at Benson Street, in the Surulere I Magisterial district of Lagos State.

     

  • Stakeholders seek change of ‘faulty’ shipping policy

    UNLESS the shipping policy    is reviewed, foreign companies will continue to benefit from it at the expense of their local counterparts, stakeholders have said.

    The policy, they said, could hinder the Cabotage law implementation. They  urged the Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, to change the policy to boost revenue generation.

    Speaking at a forum organised by importers and clearing agents in Lagos, Sea Logistics Managing Director, Mr. Rufus Olanipekun, expressed concern that foreign shipping lines would continue to exploit the country because of the selfish interest of a few and lack of shipping policy that identifies the strategic challenges of the sector.

    Olanipekun said there had been lapses in enforcing the Cabotage Law and domesticating all international treaties and conventions that relate to the sector.

    He regretted that the Cabotage regime was yet to be implemented to meet stakeholders’ expectations.

    Olanipekun also said there was a  gap between the Act and the system, which is yet to empower indigenous operators to take advantage of the law.

    Federal Government’s performance on trade facilitation, high port charges, infrastructure, safety at sea, protection of the marine environment and enhancement of maritime law and security, Olanipekun said, fell below expectation, adding that the ports were performing below expectation.

    The Federal Government, he said, should do more to reduce piracy and armed robbery on the waterways, adding that foreign shipping companies were dominating the industry.

    Another stakeholder and JM Investment Chairman, Mr James Joseph, said conspiracy had hindered the Cabotage Law implementation.

    Its implementation, he said,  would have been easier, but for conspiracy between some officials of the Ministry of Transport and foreign ship owners.

    Joseph said the law can be easily implemented, if the Minister of Transport musters enough political will to do so.

    “The Minister of Transport needs to see to the full implementation of the Cabotage law before he leaves office. We are aware that some individuals within and outside the government are trying to frustrate the implementation.

    “My suggestion to the minister is that he should make sure every ship that calls at the ports first declare arrival to the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the Navy. By doing so, it would become easier to implement the law,” he said, adding that poor policy implementation  is the bane of the sector.

    “No government agency needs to go to the jetty to arrest a ship. NIMASA, for instance, can ask any ship to tell her its point of loading. So, if it is offshore Lagos or offshore Cotonou, the agency can then verify if it is on the list of Cabotage registered vessels. Therefore, if the Minister is determined, implementation should not be a problem,”he said.

    According to Joseph, Nigerian ship owners must be supported with good policies by the government and banks to enable them buy vessels to carry out coastal trade.

    The Coastal and Inland Shipping Act, 2003, he said, is a protectionist law enacted to create exclusive areas of operation in the coastal trade for indigenous operators.

    “Much as it is estimated that marine transportation offshore alone has a potential annual revenue/profit of millions of naira as against coastal trade in commodity and products, it is believed that harnessing the opportunities of effective implementation of Cabotage will provide a springboard for indigenous operators to acquire requisite capacity and expertise in launching them into global shipping,” he added.

     

  • Stakeholders move to replace ex-Kogi Speaker

    Stakeholders in Lokoja I state constituency of Kogi State are backing Mohammed Abubakar to replace the ex-Speaker of the House of Assembly, Alfa Imam.

    Imam, who represents Lokoja I resigned as Speaker last year.

    At a news conference yesterday, the stakeholders, including market women associations, elders and youth forum, described Abubakar as an embodiment of their aspiration.

    Represented by Hajia Huwa Haskey, Garba Bako and Mallam Shaibu Kenchi, they said Abubakar will “carry” them along.

    “We repose our confidence in him; he is young and bustling with energy. He will carry us along,” they said.

  • Tourism 2018: Stakeholders hope for better year

    Tourism 2018: Stakeholders hope for better year

    2018 is here. It is important to take stock of tourism last year and then have an idea of the expectations from the industry this year.

    The ultimate aim of industry practitioners is for the country to get to a level where its tourism assets would be developed to the level of attracting both local and in-bound tourists to a reasonable degree that tourism numbers will significantly have effect   on  the country’s GDP.

    The success and failure of the industry are predicated on the activities of both the private and public sectors. At the level of public sector, policies and the provision of infrastructural facilities to help the industry thrive is the key.

    Taking that into consideration, it is difficult to say that the country’s industry performed very well last year.  There were no serious policy shifts by the government to push the sector forward in 2017. All the major issues that have been highlighted as being important to move the sector forward were not advanced beyond the state they were at the beginning of last year.

    The roadmap for tourism development in the country, the National Tourism Master-plan, did not move beyond the point it was in 2016. Tourism policies and their implementation are still at the whims of the directors-general (DG)to formulate and execute based on their understanding.

    At he beginning of last year, apex tourism body for the country, the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), was running without substantive director general. Two senior workers of the corporation were claiming seniority and as such the right to act as acting director-general. First was Mr. Borniface  Eboka to whom the agency was handed over to at the expiration of the tenure of the former DG, Mrs. Sally Mbanefo. Then, on January 22, the supervising  ministry, the Ministry of Information and Culture, instructed Mrs. Mariel Rae-Omo to take over  as the acting director-general by virtue of being the most senior.  Less than two months later, on March 15, another acting director-general, Dr. Paul Adalikwu, came on board.  Three DGs in three months in the parastatal.  The federal government corrected this anomaly by appointed Mr.Folarin Coker as the substantive DG  on April 7 last year.

    Folarin Coker in July last year  unfolded his tourism roadmap using Tour Nigeria as the signature project to get local buy into tourism by Nigeria. Folarin said he was going to concentrate more to promote domestic tourism. Part of the incentive was to create tour packages that would help the Nigerians visit tour sites.

    Although many practitioners see this initiative as laudable, they however believe that the policy should have been better framed with inputs from the private sector. The NTDC, they believe, should enlist the private sector to run with the vision rather the NTDC trying to implement it. Many hope this will come to fruition in 2018.

    The tourism development fund, which most countries create to get dedicated funds for the development and marketing their tourism, is still in doldrums in Nigeria.

    A few years ago, the government showed its desire to provide visas on arrival for tourists and visitors to Nigeria. There is no clear-cut pronouncement on the implementation. This is among the key issues for tourism in 2018.

    For Nigerians seeking to travel out of the country, procuring international passport is still expensive and process is cumbersome. All these are disincentives to tourism in the country.

    2017 also saw points of disagreement between the public and private sectors as the private sector umbrella body for tourism industry practitioners, the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN), kicked against the bill before the National Assembly  for the amendment of the laws setting up the Nigerian Institute of Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR) and the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC). The FTAN said there was not adequate consultation with the private sector before the bill was presented.

    At the private sector level, for most tourism establishment, especially the hospitality sector, it was cautious optimism.  Unlike the years in which they had to battle with Ebola and inflation, 2017 was devoid of such. The occupancy rate of most branded hotels in the country was average, managing to survive with serious improvement.

    Just to undercover the rather cautious disposition in the sector, there was little or no activities from the major international branded hospitality outfits in the country. Most were more concerned about managing their properties out of the post-recession era.

    However, Nigeria’s biggest tourist attraction, Pastor T.B.Joshua, and the Synagogue Church of All Nation, continued to enjoy huge numbers in terms in terms of inbound tourism arrivals.  One advantage that Ikotun has in terms of tourism arrival, is that it is not a seasonal destination. It enjoyed and all year round influx of religious tourists.

    High profile visitors, like George Opong Weah, the President-Elect of Liberia, was among thousands who visited the church last year.

    2017 was supposed to be the year Nigeria’s much touted visas on arrival was to take off. Despite all the noise, the policy is yet to be implemented.

    In 2017, the 12-year-old Abuja Carnival was finally led to rest as it was cancelled by the Federal Government. The carnival which was first held in 2005 to showcase all that is good in Nigerian culture gradually lost steam and deviated from the vision for which it was set up. The crowd disappeared and the initial excitement the festival brought fizzled. It became just an annual routine until it was finally laid to rest.

    The private umbrella body for tourism industry , the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN ), elected a new set of executives led by Alhaji Saleh Kareem Rabo.

    One of the biggest positive things of the  year came in December 16 when the Ethiopian Airlines made history in Nigeria by putting together an all-female crew, led by Captain Amsale Gualu,  to fly a Boeing 777-300ER from Bole International Airport to Lagos, Nigeria. It was the first all-female air crew flight in Nigeria.

    Captain Gualu talked on the historic flight to Nigeria: “Actually, this is not my first international flight; this is my first African all-women operated flight and I am very privileged to be part of this historical flight. I am very proud to be part of this flight.”

    She was quick to dismiss the slight turbulence experience around the Cameroonian airspace. On whether she was apprehensive, she said: “Not at all, that is our day to day experience.”

    She also talked about how she became a pilot: “This is my childhood dream to fly. Since I was a child, I always wanted to fly. I wanted to be pilot. I guess I developed my passion for flying from when I was young. Then, my father used to take my sister and I to the airport to see airplanes take off and land. When I was in high school or so, I used to be impressed by pilots’ uniform, I guess that is when my passion for flying developed. And after graduating from the university in Addis Ababa, I joined Ethiopian Airlines as a First Officer, then I went all the way, I flew Fokker 50 and Boeing 767, then I became a captain in 2010 on Dash 50-400. Then as a captain I flew Boeing 767, and then triple seven, plus the latest aircraft.”

    On the significance of the flight, she said:  “I believe Africa is the future, so we need 50 per cent of the society involved and we need the female touch. As men and women, we have our differences, but regardless of that, anything is possible. Being a woman should never stop us from doing what we want to do.”

    At the international level, 2017 saw Africa lose  golden opportunity to produce the United Nation World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) secretary general. The leading candidate was former Zimbabwe  tourism minister, Mr. Walter Mzembi. He got the African Union (AU) endorsement as the official candidate of Africa. He was cruising to a comfortable victory until Seychelles’ tourism minister, Mr.  Alain St. Ange, decided to throw his hat into the ring. Africa ended up losing the seat to Europe in a keenly contested election.

    The general consensus among industry practitioners was that tourism in Nigeria did not do well last year. They are, however, optimistic it will improve in 2018.

  • NASS, stakeholders collaborate on extending Local Content to construction, power sectors

    Members of the Federal House of Representatives have begun working with stakeholders in Power, Construction and Information Communication Technology sectors to extend the Nigerian Content Act to the three sectors of the economy.

    The collaboration was firmed up at the recent workshop organised by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) for members of the House of Representatives Committee on Local Content, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

    The consensus at the event was that extending the Act to those key sectors would replicate the achievements recorded in the oil and gas industry through the implementation of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act.

    In his presentation on Opera-tionalising Local Content in the Construction Sector, Chief Executive Officer, Megastar Construction Company, Arch Harcourt Adukeh stated that the construction industry could be a key driver of the Federal Government’s economic diversification programme when the prevailing dominance of the industry by international companies is reversed.

    Adukeh underscored the need to encourage indigenous participation in the construction sector, adding that the industry was a key enabler of ancillary services like financial services, education, retail, real estate and hospitality.

    Speaking on Local Content in the power sector, Commissioner, Engineering, Performance & Monitoring, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Prof. Frank Okafor, stressed that”no country in the world had grown its power network through the importation of all components and devices.’’He canvassed a legislation that would promote deliberate utilisation of local human and material resources, goods and services in the power sector.

    Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Local Content, Hon. Emmanuel Ekon in his address, highlighted some of the achievements recorded in the oil and gas industry through the imple-mentation of the Nigerian Content Act.

  • Stakeholders urge more women participation in manufacturing

    The Chief Executive Officer, Ruff ‘N’ Tumble, Mrs. Adenike Ogunlesi, has commended the women in manufacturing.

    She said though women have done a lot in the sector, they still need more voices and opportunities to enable them grow and mentor others to succeed.

    Ogunlesi spoke on the sidelines of the celebration of Women in Manufacturing in Africa (WIMAfrica) conference organised by Lafarge Africa Plc.

    Speaking on the topic, “Perspective from a woman in manufacturing,” Ogunlesi said women have been building iconic brands from their kitchen.

    According to her, women in Africa are 50 per cent more entrepreneurial than their counterparts in other continents and should be encouraged more.

    Ogunlesi added that to further position women properly, the challenge of finance, culture and social status has to be addressed. “We have to change the narrative. We can easily transit from subsistence manufacturing to industrial manufacturing,’’ she said.

    The Ruff ‘N’ Tumble chief said women are creative, passionate, imaginative, beautiful, intuitive and have the capacity and capability to deliver on all fronts.

    An Executive Director, Access Bank, Mr. Victor Ikoku, revealed that his organisation was very sensitive to gender issues, which has made the bank to be flexible for female workers.

    He further revealed that this flexibility made the bank to give three months’flexible working hours for women after maternity leave and paternity leave for men whose wives give birth.

    “We call it gender inclusiveness. We know the biggest sector in the world is the female sector because over 90 per cent of household consumption is decided by women. That is why we have taken it as a business by the establishment of women desk,” Ikoku said.

    Similarly, the Executive Vice President for Ghana and Nigeria, Unilever Nigeria Plc, Mr. Yaw Nsarkoh, said as part of the firm’s belief in the female gender, it has a global diversity board that represents various strata.

    He warned that women should not be viewed based on gender, but be seen as partners in development.

    “It is the value that links us together as human beings and what is important is meritocracy,” Nsarkoh said, adding that Unilever has extended maternity leave and flexible working hour after resumption for nursing mothers.

  • Maritime: Stakeholders seek intervention fund

    Maritime: Stakeholders seek intervention fund

    Our Correspondent OLUWAKEMI DAUDA dissects policies that will shape the sector in 2018, benchmarking it on stakeholders’ expectations.

    During the presentation of the 2018 budget to the National Assembly, President Muhammadu Buhari projected that the much-expected rail to link Apapa and Tin-Can Island ports would come on stream by the end of this year. This, the government said, is part of efforts to reposition the sector.

    But the stakeholders in the sector, however, said what they want in addition to what the President promised, is that the government should  formulate an holistic policy that will enable the country maximise the benefits of  its oceans, seas and water this year.

     

    Use the sea to boost economy

    The Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) President Prince Olayiwola Shittu said the sector needs intervention fund to boost maritime trade. The government, he said, needs to come up with a better intervention fund like they have done in the aviation, manufacturing and agriculture sectors.

    “Nigeria must emulate countries  like Britain, Rome, America, Australia, Canada, Turkey, Norway, Belgium, Greece, Singapore and India on how best to use the sea to boost the economy.

    “Seventy-six per cent of shipping business that takes place in West Africa is done in Nigeria, which means that the country is very important in the continent sea ladder. Maritime trade must, therefore, be of great interest to President Buhari and the Federal Executive Council (FEC) to boost economy. If we get intervention fund from the government and make it available to the people, millions of Nigerians would have gainful employment and that would solve a lot of problem the country is facing now and in the future,” Shittu said.

     

    Ports’ access roads

    The roads that lead to the seaports in Lagos, Warri, Onne, Port Harcourt, Calabar, and Sapele are impassable.

    These ports’access roads have not attracted the government’s attention. Those leading to the Apapa and Tin-Can Island ports in Lagos are so bad that some stakeholders have described them as a “shame to the nation”, despite efforts by the Dangote Group to fix part of the road.

    The Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO) President Mr Remi Ogungbemi and other port users urged President Buhari to fix the road this year.

    “The bad roads have constituted nightmares to consignees, importers, exporters, freight forwarders and other port users who use the roads to evacuate their goods. The chaotic situation on the road is making port users spend hours daily to access or exit the terminals. The Federal Government must support the NPA in fixing the road this year.

    “Importers, truck owners and clearing agents have agreed to give President Buhari and his team the first two months of this year to fulfil part of his projected plans to fix the Apapa roads, reduce the congestion and its adverse effects on business activities at the ports before we can take the government serious on its plans to uplift the maritime industry this year,” Ogungbemi said.

     

    Addressing misnomer in the oil and gas cargoes by NPA

    At the forum organised by the Minister of Transport Rotimi Amaechi in Lagos last year, the management of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) was confronted with protests by some terminal operators over the designation of a terminal operator as the exclusive handler of oil and gas cargoes.

    This, the protesters said, was against the port reforms carried out by the Federal Government in 2006. The operators insisted that the government must ensure that all ports operations are modeled in line with global best practices which recognised only three classes – bulk, container and multipurpose cargo. This, the protesters insisted, is the practice globally.

    The operators and Prince Shittu, however, gave kudos to President Muhammadu Buhari and the management of NPA for initiating last year, an impressive policy that empowered the authority to return to the three classes as it is done across the globe. Shittu and other operators, importers and clearing agents said they hope that the misnomer in the oil and gas designation which was corrected by the NPA in 2017 to enthrone competitiveness and end the unwarranted monopoly must not be allowed to resurface its ugly face this year.

     

    Inauguration of the Command & Control, Communication and Intelligence Centre by NPA

    Shittu said the unveiling of the Command & Control, Communication and Intelligence Centre by the NPA which was seen as one of the giant strides taken by the authority last year and needs to be improved upon this year to boost the government revenue.

    “The facility is a very good facility because it serves as surveillance for NPA’s activities and for security agencies.While commending the authority for the launch of the provisional, final billing and customer portal module of Revenue Invoice Management System (RIMS) to improve its service delivery and reduce revenue leakage, we hope the management of the Authority will ensure that the efficacy of the platform is not compromised

     

    Acquisition of tug boats and dedication of terminal for exports

    “The acquisition of four new tug boats – MT Daura, MT Ubima, MT Uromi and MT Majiya by the NPA was part of the good policy initiated by the authority to improve operational efficiency that must be sustained this year.

    “Ditto the development of a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) and establishment of  a dedicated terminal to handle exports aimed at diversifying the economy and improving earnings in line with the mandate of the Federal Government. The terminals include Ikorodu Lighter Terminal for Lagos, Shoreline logistics terminal for Calabar Port and Bua Ports. This year, all the terminals must be mandated by the NPA to establish dedicated desks that will handle all documentations on export, receipt of consignment and the loading of vessels to boost the Easy of Doing Business posture of the current administration,” said, a maritime lawyer Mr DipoAlaka.

     

    Restoring investors’ confidence

    An importer, Chief Celestine Davies, said he was happy with the efforts of the authority to restore investor’s confidence in the maritime industry. “The China Harbour Engineering Company has agreed to take up 15 per cent shareholding in the Lekki Deep Seaport project. Dubai Port World also negotiated an agreement with Josepdam Port Services while the Tanger Med Port of Morocco also indicated willingness to develop a green field terminal logistic base.

    “These initiatives must be pursued by the NPA and translate into a more efficient port sector this year, so that the country achieves its vision of housing the leading port in Africa,” Chief Davies said.

     

    National single window policy

    Chief Davies also urged NPA to continue to collaborate with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority to develop the operational framework of establishing the National Single Window, Ports Community System and Scanning services to address the chaotic clearance of cargoes from the port. The collaboration, the importer said, must be used by the NPA this year in simplifying and harmonising formalities that impede trade.

     

    Making more large vessel berth in Eastern Ports

    Many decades after the Eastern Ports came into being, a flat bottom ship, berthed at the Calabar Port last year. It elated importers and clearing agents. The vessel, MV’ Desert Ranger, weighing about  62,000 metric tonnes, made history as the largest ship to call at the port, despite its draft limitations. The heavy vessel, which sailed from Greece, was laden with 60,000 tonnes of wheat. The 200-metre long vessel, which called at the port after the arrival of large MV Desert Rhapsody was seen as a good omen that must not end with last year. Many importers and clearing agents operating at the Eastern ports gave kudos to the management of NPA for achieving the landmark and specifically urged its Managing Director Ms Hadiza Bala Usman to sustain the tempo this year.

     

    Concerns over ports and harbour bill

    Maritime unions are protesting some aspects of the Ports and Harbour Bill as it relates to retrenchment of staff and harbour operations being ceded to the private sector. A former member of the House of Representatives Mr Moroof Akideru-Fatai said it was good that NPA drew the union’s attention to the fact that the bill would not in any way bring about retrenchment or retirement of staff. “The Bill will  allow the NPA to concession some of its operations but it does not stipulate that harbour operation would be handed over to private company by the authority,” he said.

     

    Making the ports competitive and review of the concession agreement

    The Federal Government, through its agencies, stakeholders said, must do everything possible to make the ports competitive.

    ANLCA Publicity Secretary, Dr Kayode Farinto said: “One of the two approaches adopted by the NPA to achieving this is to have a competitive pricing and tariff regime. The agency has embarked on conducting a study to determine respective tariffs and pricing regimes across the region.

    “Also, the authority also set in motion last year, the machinery to review the concession agreements after the initial 10 years. We believe the effort is to reposition the ports by ensuring that critical issues around equipment deployment and infrastructure deployment are carried out by all parties, as entrenched in the agreement.’’

     

    Executive order and 24-hour port operation

    “The Federal Government last May issued an Executive Order on the promotion of transparency and efficiency in business and sequel to this order, government agencies, such as the NPA, NIMASA and the Shippers Council, commenced implementation of some of the directives at the ports. One of the executive orders mandated 24-hour operations at the Apapa Ports and the NPA. Some of the actions taken by the authority included Pilotage  and Berthing of Vessels on 24-hour basis.

    “We are aware that last June 18, when the Order took off, NPA’s Harbours Department handled 20 vessels after 19.00 hours at Lagos Port in the first two weeks of the commencement of 24 hours operation and we hope that the trust of the Order would not be jettisoned by the management of the authority this year. We also appeal to the government to direct other agencies and terminal operators to also make their tariffs accessible anywhere in the world like NPA.

    “Cargo dwell time (CDT), the average time a cargo remains in the terminal from the point of discharge to the point it exits the terminal, must be improved upon significantly this year. The government must support NPA and the Nigerian Shippers Council in ensuring that human contact, which breeds corruption in the seaports, airports and international land borders are eliminated to boost the campaign for 48-hour cargo clearance regime announced by the Federal Government.

    “About 90 per cent of goods are still subjected to physical examination as against use of the mobile and fixed scanners. A lot of deals devoid of transparency and integrity that are taking place at ports and international land borders must be addressed seriously by the government this year,” DrFarito said.

     

    NIMASA, security and CVFF disbursement

    Indigenous ship owners said they were sad because they had not accessed the Cabotage Vessel Finance Fund (CVFF). A member of the group, Mr Margret Orakuwsi  urged the Minister of Transport RotimiAmaechi to ensure that the money is disbursed this year to boost indigenous capacity id shipping.

    Other stakeholders said they were happy that the NIMASA Director-General Dr Dakuku Peteride brought the issue of the blue economy to the front burner. Maritime, they said, has become a key sector.

    “As an oil-producing and exporting country, as well as a consumer nation, the country is a large market for foreign goods owing to its population. Thus, the industry is key to growth.  To unlocking the potential in the sector this year, policies and programmes on blue economy by the Federal Government are vital. Although, NIMASA is  taken steps to reposition the maritime security landscape. The security of the waterways and the sea must be a key component of DrPeterside’s policy this year,” Alaka said.

    Cabotage Act, Alaka said, must be made to work in areas like the environment, lives and clean ocean.

     

    Shippers Council and intervention fund

    The Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) needs the maximum support of the Federal and state governments to build the Truck Transit Park (TTPs) and the Inland Dry Ports (IDPs) across the country. The Council must continue with his laudable engagement of the terminal operators and other critical stakeholders to make the ports attractive and competitive.

    Its role as economic regulator transcends the position of the Federal Government on every issue relating to trade and commerce. “Shippers Council is the umpire between the government and the investors at ports. It is not biased and it must be seen to be faired to everybody this year to make the ports attractive and competitive in the sub region,”  Alaka said.

    Its Executive Secretary, Mr Hassan Bello, according to the operators, has what it takes to contribute meaningfully to reviewing the concession agreement and to carry out the reforms in our ports.

  • SON, stakeholders begin review of cement standard

    SON, stakeholders begin review of cement standard

    The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has held a stakeholders’ Technical Committee Forum on the review of standard for Cement NIS 444-1-2014 with the theme: “Repositioning the Cement sub- sector”.

    The forum, which held in Lagos, comes four years after the Federal Government approved new cement standard for the producers, aimed at  reviewing the quality of the products.

    The grade-strengths of cement production in Nigeria have been NlS 444-1, adopted as conformity criteria for cement.

    The committee in the wake of  protests against the building collapse, fingered low quality of cement as a key factor. There were  fears over misapplication of the different strength classes of cement allegedly attributed as the cause of frequent collapse of buildings in the country.

    At the forum, SON’s Director-General, Mr. Osita Aboloma, noted that the exercise is “imperative as standards can be reviewed after five years or at anytime at the instance of the stakeholders or if found inadequate due to changes in technology, test methods and government policy”.

    Aboloma, represented by the Director, Standards Development, Mrs. Chinyere Egwuonwu, said cement standard is a important, given that about 80 per cent or more of buildings and other infrastructural development of any nation are carried out with the use of cement. He expressed confidence that the proposed standard will help monitor the quality of cement in Nigeria as well as checkmate the menace of incessant collapse of buildings and concrete structures by poor cement quality and application.

    Egwuonwu said this makes the review of the NIS444-1-2014 very necessary so that the country can attain world best standard, while  promoting product sales.

    She maintained that to develop a certain standard for the country certain principles must be adhered to because the country also belong to an international standard body.

    “Cement is a binder for all the components of the building and its poor application in the construction has been blamed for failures and collapse in the building and construction industry. The standard is a consensus document that promotes trade and ensure a positive impact on the national economy, if strictly adhered to. “Standard development is a stakeholders responsibility for which the SON provides the secretariat,” she said.

    The Chairman, Technical Committee for the review, Professor Joseph Odigwe, said the forum was aimed at regulating the standard of the product in the country and the concentration  is to create standard for all brands of cement in the country.

    The Founder, Building Collapse and Prevention Guild (BCPG) Mr. Kunle Awobolu, advised that government can help in the reduction of prices of cement through the provision of infrastructure such as road and electricity, adding that cost and price are as important as standard.

    The national president of block moulders association of Nigeria, Mr. Rasheed Adebowale, explained that the way cement is mixed is of great concern.

    He, therefore, called on the public and the SON to assist the association in identifying quacks in the system because they cannot do it alone.