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Tag: Stakeholders

  • Stakeholders discuss Nollywood’s fate at ACF

    Stakeholders discuss Nollywood’s fate at ACF

    The condition of the 3rd movie producing industry in the world, Nollywood, was the focus of discussion at the maiden edition of the 2017 Africa Cinematography Festival (ACF).

    Discussants, who made up the panel, were Chairman, National Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioners, Makinde Adeniran; Otunba Tunji Sotimirin of Creative Arts Department, the University of Lagos (UNILAG); Ramsey Noah; Professor of Costume and Dancing, University of Ibadan (UI), Chukwuma Okoye; Founder Smart Image Film and Theatre Institute (SIFTI), Dr Yinka Smart Babalola; South West Coordinator, National Film and Video Censors Board, Edion Edward; Public Relations Officer of the Lagos State Chapter, Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Don Kaloti; Mass Communication Department (UNILAG), Dr. Suraj and United States-based Theatre Entrepreneur, Iyare Esosa.

    The stakeholders stated that that there is need for youths to take serious the creative role of films in the development of a nation and begin to think of how films can be used to change the society and also increase our country’s Gross Domestic Point (GDP).

    On his part, Dr Smart asserted that the Nigerian Film Industry has put the country on the global map and holds a prestigious position in the entertainment.

    “The Nigerian Film Industry is solid. It has given us a global identity. But there is need to step up from what we used to be. To this effect, it is important we make adequate use of technology to enhance our work.”

    The festival, which was a six-day affair, featured conference, exhibition of modern audiovisual technology equipments, and workshops, such as the production design enhancement training; Practical workshop; courses on film directing, camera handling, makeup and costume for film.

    It had participants from Nigeria, DR Congo, Cameroon, South Africa, Gambia, Guinea, Ghana, Benin republic and Liberia.

    Founder and convener of the festival, Sunnie Odafe, said the festival was geared towards creating entrepreneurial opportunities in the creative industry, especially in film making.

    “The festival is targeted at the youths and we have the space for the professional who wants to learn more, however our focus is for Africa as a whole and we can tell that Nigeria is a hub for entertainment in Africa. We only planned to have a training exercise for youths but these experiences have been remarkable with over 1,000 youths within and outside Nigeria who came for this training and some of them have started to practice what we have taught them.

    “We have seen some of them do a test run with their camera and makeup and the interaction has been great. We want to catch them youth and provide them with hands-on training, the universities are trying their best but we need practical to drive them towards entrepreneurship and the best way to do that is to bring those who have tested the waters and to show them how it is because I have seen a couple of testimonies. We were able to bring ARRI Alexa, who is the oldest camera manufacturing company in the world.”

    One of the facilitators at the festival, Makinde Adeniran who taught the economics of acting, observed that there is more to acting than just portraying different emotions. “An actor is a walking archive. He has a photographic memory with which he captures different events, when he acts he draws on those things that he has seen and brings out an exact replica of the role he has been told to play. Every intention in acting must be clear; your audience has to receive the meaning you intended,” he said.

  • A’Ibom PDP loses stakeholders to APC

    The gale of defections from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom State have continued, as key stakeholders of the ruling party in Ikot Abasi have moved en masse to the ruling party.

    The defectors, who joined the APC with their teeming supporters, were received into the party last week by the Chairman of the Ikot Abasi chapter, Mr. Ubong Ekpo, at the Women Centre, Ibekwe.

    The defectors include Archibong Umoh, a former chairman of Ikot Abasi Local Government; Hon. Usen Eno Uko, Chief Atako Ukporo, chairman, and Hon. Paul Solomon Uko; member of the Transition Committee in charge of Works,  Hon. Uyai Udoiwod; and former Special Assistant to the Local Government Chairman in Political Affairs.

    The defectors promised their decision to leave the party on the state government’s alleged indifference to the plight of members in the area.

    A PDP chieftain who pleaded for anonymity, disclosed that pleas by the chapter chairman, Harold Iwat, to the stakeholders to stay back in the party, fell on deaf ears.

    The Transition Chairman, Ubong Ukwang, had also concluded plans to leave the fold, but was advised to serve out his tenure, so that he will not be denied his final salary and severance benefit by the PDP hierarchy.

  • Media stakeholders set up committees on 2018 IPI World Congress

    Media stakeholders set up committees on 2018 IPI World Congress

    Preparations for Nigeria’s hosting of the 2018 World Congress and General Assembly of the International Press Institute (IPI) have kicked off with the constitution of nine planning committees.

    The committees, set up at an extraordinary meeting of Nigerian media stakeholders  last Tuesday, at  George Hotel,  Ikoyi, Lagos are: the Local Organising Committee (LOC) and the committees on finance; sponsorship; programme and events; media and publicity; transport and logistics; contact and protocol; venue and accommodation and security.

    The LOC is headed by the President of the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria (NPAN), Prince Nduka Obaigbena, with Mallam Kabiru Yusuf and Mallam Garba Shehu as deputy chairmen.

    The Secretary, IPI Nigeria, Mr. Raheem Adedoyin, will serve as a member/ secretary.

    Speaking at the stakeholders meeting, LOC Chairman, Prince Nduka Obaigbena, said the Nigerian media was ready to host the world.

    “We have the whole world to host in six months; and we are prepared to host the world in six months, to showcase the best of Nigeria and the best of Africa,” he said.

    Obaigbena also promised that the host committee “would promote an agenda on issues that matter to us (Nigerians) and that matter to Africa”.

    The committees are to meet this month to fashion out a work plan and submit their reports to the LOC in January.

    Other members of the LOC include Mallam Ismaila Isa, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Mallam Wada Maida, Lady Maiden Ibru, Dr. Kalu Orji Kalu, Mr. Sam Nda-Isaiah, Mr. John Momoh, Mallam Yakubu Muhamned, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, Dr. Tonnie Iredia and Sir Folu Olamiti.

    Also in the LOC are Mrs. Funke Egbemode, Mr. Waheed Odusile, Mr. Victor Ifijeh, Mr. Emma Agu, Mallam Mohamned Idris and Mr. Eric Osagie.

    Heads of the other committees, their deputies and secretaries are:

    Finance: Mallam Ismaila Isa (chairman), Mallam Kabiru Yusuf (deputy chair), Mr. Waheed Odusile( member/ secretary).

    Sponsorship will be chaired by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Prince Nduka Obaigbena is the deputy chair and Victoria Ibanga(member/secretary).

    Programme and events is to be chaired by Mallam Kabiru Yusuf,  Mr. Eniola Bello (deputy chair) and Tracia Ubani (member/ secretary).

    Transportation and Logistics has Sir Folu Olamiti as chairman, Mr. Nnamdi Njemanze (deputy chair) and Dr. Qasim Akinreti( member/secretary).

    Media and publicity is headed by Dr. Tonnie Iredia as chairman, Mr. Eric Osagie (deputy chair) and Mr. Yemi Ajayi (member/secretary).

    Contact and protocol has Mallam Garba Shehu as chairman, Mrs. Comfort Obi (deputy chair)and Hajia H.H. Sanni (member/secretary).

    Venue and accommodation is to be chaired by Mallam Wada Maida, Mrs. Funke Egbemode (deputy chair) and  Catherine Agbo (member/ secretary).

    Security will be chaired by Mallam Idris Mohammed, Mr. Madu Onuorah(deputy chair) and Madam Rafat Salami (member/ secretary).

  • SON, stakeholders introduce anti-corrosion roofing sheet

    SON, stakeholders introduce anti-corrosion roofing sheet

    THE Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and stakeholders in the galvanised steel roofing sheets have partnered to introduce an improved stone-coated roofing steel sheet into the market.

    The composite steel sheets have superior qualities and  better performance and efficiency over the zinc coated sheets.

    The development is coming as the standards body has been inundated with complaints over the thickness and coating of galvanized steel sheets in the country.

    Director General, SON Osita Aboloma stated that the new zinc, aluminum and magnesium steel sheets is five times better and stronger than the existing zinc coating roofing sheets.

    He spoke during a technical committee meeting with stakeholders in the galvanised roofing sheets to elaborate on standards for zinc, aluminum and magnesium coated steel sheet for general application in Lagos,

    The SON boss who was represented by the Assistant Director and Head, Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme (MANCAP) Unit, SON Fred Akingbesote said: “It is a new technology and this is why we are preparing a standard in conjunction with all the stakeholders. To us, the end user is our priority in drafting standards. We have considered the cost and the longevity, because there is no need to put a product into the market and nobody buys it. The zinc, aluminum and magnesium coating will be suitable and would also give the common man value for money spent.”

    He, however, stated that the zinc coated steel sheets would still be in the market, stressing that the zinc, aluminum and magnesium would serve as alternatives depending on the choice of the consumers.

    The stakeholders lauded the efforts of the SON leadership under Aboloma for partnering with the various sectors to improve products quality and competitiveness for export.

     

  • Stakeholders proffer solutions to economic challenges

    THE stakeholders in Apapa have resolved to end the issue of traffic bottleneck which is currently crippling the economic activities in the community.

    Rising from a two-day summit at Rock View Hotel, the stakeholders resolved that:

    Aside tank farm.operators having holding bays for the trucks that use their facilities, electronic call up system should be introduced.

    The stakeholders also proposed that “regulators should enforce compliance with Environmental Impact Assessment ( EIA) standards by companies to mitigate negative impact on community.

    “Companies operating in Apapa must ensure that Corporate Social Responsibility forms part of their budgetary considerations annually.

    “Government and the private sector must collaborate to provide employment and capacity building for youths in Apapa:

    “Government must devise ways of improving power generation in Apapa by collaborating with companies who have Independent Power Plants and generate excess power that can be utilized by the community.

    “Port operators and concessionaires must ensure adequate traffic management mechanism and coordinated access control programs that will create operational efficiency at the ports.

    “No further approvals for tank farms construction must be given by DPR for tanks farm development in Apapa.

    “Road construction currently ongoing must be intensified to ease difficulties currently being experienced by residents in Apapa and commuters generally.

    The summit was organized by the Apapa Local Government in collaboration with the Apapa Development Initiative.

    While delivering his opening speech at the summit, the Executive Chairman of Apapa Local Government, Hon. Owolabi Elijah Adele, said that the summit was a significant milestone because it would create a platform to brain storming and cross fertilize ideas and opportunities for self and community development.

    He stated that Apapa, which is regarded as the gateway to the nation’s economy, “is currently in a state of despondency as a result of scourge of hellish traffic situation, affecting every sphere of life in the government.”

    He said with the summit bringing the major players, experts and professionals to brainstorm on the common problem confronting them will not only unravel the mysteries surrounding the traffic problem, it would also examine how economic life can return to Apapa and how our people can optimize the economic potential of having the two large ports in Africa in our domain through concrete workable and implementable solutions.

    The first Lady of Lagos State, Mrs Bolanle Ambode, introduced a new dimension as she emphasized the importance of women in economic development.

    While giving her keynote address, tagged: ‘Women and development,’ Ambode noted that economic development of any society comes faster with the involvement of women.

    She stated that women dominated the informal sector of most economies and that in addition to domestic responsibilities at homes, women were involved in petty trading that would generate income.

    The First Lady submitted that many Nigerian women are now heading the management teams of banks, major manufacturing companies and other blue chip firms with branches beyond the shores of Nigeria and Africa. She also said many influential Nigerian women politicians and appointees in positions of authority daily contribute to major economic decisions at the highest level determining official policy directions.

    The Executive Secretary/CEO Apapa Development Initiative, Mr Mike Egbayelo, said that this summit was a thoughtful constellation of ideas across different sectors on how to positively impact on the generation of revenue and overall development of Apapa Local Government.

    According to her, Apapa would be an indispensable hub of economic haven.

    At the summit, the following topics were deliberated upon for the way forward: Effective traffic management model for Apapa-CIS perspective; Efficient traffic management and truck transit park; The regulators perspective;Automated traffic management and call-up system

  • JAMB to meet with stakeholders on UTME

    JAMB to meet with stakeholders on UTME

    THE Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) says it will meet with “critical” stakeholders in education tomorrow to appraise the general conduct of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME)

    Its spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday in Lagos that the meeting, scheduled to hold in Abuja, would brainstorm on the conduct of the examination and identify possible areas for review.

    Among the stakeholders expected at the meeting were Foreign Affairs Ministry officials, university lecturers, vice- chancellors and rectors of polytechnics, he said.

    “We are also expecting top media executives, state commissioners of education and heads of colleges of education.

    “Other stakeholders expected at the meeting are labour unions of Nigeria universities such as ASUU, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), among others,’’ he said

    Benjamin said the board had held a similar meeting with owners of Computer Based Test (CBT) centres and administrators nationwide to appraise the registration and conduct of the 2017 UTME.

    JAMB Registrar Prof. Is-haq Oloyede had during meeting with administrators of the CBT centres announced new measures that would further strengthen the integrity and general conduct of the examination.

    Oloyede had also banned the use of pens, wrist watches and other devices as part of the newly introduced measures for the 2018 UTME.

    According to him, experience has shown that some candidates were using the devices to perpetrate examination malpractices.

    No fewer than 617 centres had been accredited nationwide for the examination and 72 others are waiting for approval.

  • …SouthWest leaders, stakeholders insist on consensus candidate

    …SouthWest leaders, stakeholders insist on consensus candidate

    Leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the South-West region may have resolved to do everything possible to ensure that the zone goes to the national convention of the party scheduled to hold next month with a consensus candidate for the position of national chairman.

    The decision, according to very reliable party sources, is to forestall a situation where the region will lose the coveted position of national chairman to the South-South region.

    Speaking to The Nation shortly after an emergency meeting of PDP leaders and stakeholders of the region in Lagos yesterday, a member of the party’s Board of Trustees, pleading anonymity, revealed that in spite of the criticism and condemnations that have trailed earlier efforts to reduce the number of chairmanship aspirants from the region, party leaders at the meeting resolved to move for a consensus candidate at all cost.

    He also said majority of the stakeholders at the emergency meeting which was called to discuss the chances of the region at the elective convention, threw their weight behind the call for a consensus candidate. The APC chieftain added that majority of the leading aspirants for the position from the Southwest were invited to the meeting.

    “Yes. We met. And the meeting was to discuss our chances as a region at the elective national convention holding in December. You will agree with me that many observers have been saying the Southwest may lose the chance to produce PDP’s national chairman for the first time if we fail to put our house in order before the December date of the convention.

    “What they are simply telling us is to reduce the number of chairmanship aspirants we are currently parading. We stand the risk of dividing our votes at the convention while the South South with less number of aspirants will get block votes and win the election. This is our dilemma and this is what we met to discuss today,” he said.

    According to him, the meeting among other things, discussed possible ways of improving the region’s chances of winning the coveted chairmanship seat and resolved to do everything humanly possible to go to the convention with only one candidate. He said party leaders have been mandated to champion the cause of getting a consensus candidate for the region in good time.

    “The meeting, though an emergency one, was well attended by leaders, chieftains and stakeholders from all the states in the region. Some of the aspirants themselves were in attendance. And after thorough deliberations, everything still boiled down to the fact and necessity that we need to put our house in order if we really want to win the chairmanship seat.

    “More meetings and consultations will be held and the process will be announced to ensure that it is fair to all those involved,” he added.

    The meeting, it was learnt also discussed an earlier report that the BoT members of the party in the region have reduced the number of aspirants to three, asking all others to drop their ambition in the overall interest of the region. Leaders and stakeholders at the meeting were said to have while agreeing that there is need to do something urgently, faulted the process adopted by the BoT members in arriving at their earlier decision.

    “Yes we discussed the earlier report but we all resolved to put that aside and put in place a more open process that will give us a result that will be acceptable to all and sundry. We are hoping that it will be better handled this time and at the end of the day, reasons and superior arguments will prevail in the interest of southwest PDP.

    “We want to get our acts together and do the needful before it is too late. That is why nobody is talking to the press about this just yet. We have to popularize the decision. We have to educate our people on the need to do this. We cannot force anything on anybody. We all have rights but we can all come together and reason in favour of our collective interest,” he said.

  • Stakeholders seek end to impunity in Nigeria 

     

    Stakeholders in the media and Safety Industries have called for better synergy between the media and Security Agencies with a view to reducing incidences of impunity and disregard for rules leading to injuries and sometimes death of journalists.

    They made the call at a one day symposium held in the Lagos as part of activities marking 2017 World Day of Safety of Journalists with the theme “Safety of Journalists and the challenges of Impunity in Nigeria.

    The Symposium which had representatives from Security Agencies, safety professionals and the academia among others noted that the relationship between the security agencies and the media which has always been that of suspicion, ought to be more cordial as both are supposed to be working for the good of the society.

    Veteran journalist Emma Agu who delivered the keynote address, posited that the judiciary must not only be totally independent but must be seen to be independent if the campaign against impunity is to be won.

    The former Group Managing Director of Champions Newspaper, called for increased campaign against crippling of the judiciary so as to checkmate situations where perpetrators of impunity walk away with panache leaving sorrows tears and blood. He further noted that aside from brutality against journalists even nonpayment of salaries as at when due is part of impunity. While canvassing for insurance for journalists, Agu who once served as the Chief Press Secretary to Head of Interim government President Ernest Shonekan called for training and re-training of journalists and other stakeholders noting that learning is a continuous process.

    In his contribution Ex-President, Trustee and Life Member, Institute of Safety professionals of Nigeria (ISPON) Professor Innocent Okunamiri challenged government to create enabling environment for journalists to do their job, even as he urged journalists to undertake risk assessment before embarking on any assignment. “You must ask yourself am I fit to embark on this assignment. It will not be wise to travel for instance to a hostile place if you are not fit,” he said

    Journalists he further added must receive compulsory safety training, carry first Aids kits and be conversant with how to use them.

    Earlier President Nigeria Guild of Editors Mrs Funke Egbemode had described journalists as endangered species even and frowned that no case of attack and murder of journalist has been prosecuted.

    She insisted that time has come for stakeholders to come together and change the narrative and move steps beyond frowns and lamentations year in year out.

    “We complain and frown every year and nothing has come out of it. Time has come to enforce our rights, all stakeholders must come together to change the narrative,” she said

    Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Olarinde Famous-Cole who was among participants at the symposium, agreed that regular interface among stakeholders will bring about a better and safer society.

  • Stakeholders seek end to exportation of arbitral hearings

    Speakers at a roundtable organised by the International Centre for Arbitration and Mediation Abuja (ICAMA) have urged Africans to end the practice of going abroad for arbitration, reports Eric Ikhilae.

    Legal experts gathered in Abuja last week to examine the state of arbitration and alternative dispute resolution (ADR) practice on the continent.

    Speakers noted that although steps have been taken to grow and sustain the ADR culture in Africa, much still need to be done, particularly in relation to commercial dispute management.

    They stressed the need for stakeholders, beginning with state actors, to implement measures towards creating a conducive business environment on the continent.

    Key among these measures, they said, include the perfection of arbitration and ADR mechanisms to allow for local management of disputes.

    This, they said, would help to reverse the trend where arbitral disputes are shipped outside the continent for resolution.

    The event was the 2017 biannual African Arbitration Roundtable, with the theme: “Growing and sustaining domestic arbitration and ADR in Africa.”

    It was put together by the International Centre for Arbitration and Mediation Abuja (ICAMA), currently chaired by former Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Bayo Ojo (SAN).

    Speakers at the opening session were the President of Nigeria’s Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa; Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami (SAN); Ojo; President, Chartered Institute of Arbitration London (CIAL), Prof (Dr) Nayla Comair-Obeid and CIAL’s Director-General, Anthony Abrahams.

    Others were the President, National Industrial Court of Nigeria, Justice Babatunde Adejumo; Chairman, Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Senator David Umaru and Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Justice, Razaq Atunwa.

    The event also featured five other sessions, with each examining an aspect of the roundtable’s broad theme. The first and second sessions had as sub-themes: “Growing and sustaining arbitration and ADR in Africa:  Historical background, policy objectives and issues;” and “Promotion and harmonisation of economic growth: The role of African states.”

    The other three sessions examined “African states and governments: to use or not to use ADR; Balancing the relationship between courts and arbitration (ADR); and Arbitration and ADR in Africa: Where do we go from here?”

    Bulkachuwa contended that it was time African put an end to the practice where arbitral disputes were exported for settlement.

    She urged Africa to develop its ADR capacities, including providing skilled hands to drive the process. This, she noted, was necessary in view of the increasing number of arbitration cases involving Africans and African businesses.

    Bulkachuwa, who identified efforts being made by her court to institutionalise ADR, said the Appeal Court would, by the end of this year, commission its ADR centres in Abuja, Lagos and two other divisions, as a way of activating the provision of Order 16 of the Court of Appeal Rules 2016.

    She said under the arrangement, where a case subjected to the court’s ADR process (known as the Court of Appeal Arbitration Process – CAAP) succeeds, the court shall adopt the agreement reached by parties as its judgment. But where it fails, the appeal shall be taken through the normal procedure of the court.

    Malami said the Nigerian government was aware that the existence of an effective dispute resolution mechanism was key to attracting investment. He said, having realised this, it was now willing to work with all stakeholders in the public and private sectors to ensure that disputes were resolved timeously.

    He said: “We shall also continue to collaborate with the Judiciary, which has a key role to play in ensuring the overall efficacy of dispute resolution mechanisms in the country, including a ADR.”

    Malami, who hailed Ojo and ICAMA for working to promote arbitration and ADR practice in the country and the continent. He urged the gathering to dwell on ways arbitration and other ADR options could better serve the nation’s economy, as a tool for timeous resolution of commercial investment disputes.

    Ojo said his group has made considerable contribution to the country’s drive to increase the popularity and utilisation of arbitration and other alternative dispute mechanisms “as an active component of the national strategy to build a more credible, humane and efficient justice delivery system capable of adjudicating dispute expeditiously and ultimately, enhance the ease of doing business in the country.”

    He argued that it was now imperative that, African countries, who are seeking to attract foreign direct investments, must first put in place a conducive business environment – a key factor of which is the provision of means of prompt dispute resolution.

    Ojo, who noted that arbitration was fast becoming the preferred mechanism for oiling the wheel of economic growth, stressed the need to evolve ways of growing and sustaining domestic arbitration in Africa.

    He said the ICAMA roundtable is intended as a platform to engage the diverse perspectives and experiences of arbitrators and other stakeholders in addressing existing challenges in arbitration and ADR practice on the continent, with a view to evolving effective means of dispute resolution in Africa.

    Adejumo said it was impossible for any nation to grow and attract investments where disputes are not resolved within the shortest possible time.

    He attributed the slow growth of ADR practice on the continent to lawyers’ unfounded apprehension that their embrace of arbitration and other forms of ADR would negatively impact on their earnings. He argued that lawyers would actually earn more where disputes were promptly resolved and not held down in the long-winding process of litigation.

    Umar, who assured that the Senate would do all within its powers to encourage arbitration practice in the country, said the upper legislative chamber was working to ensure that when passed, the ‘Bill for the amendment of the extant arbitration law’ will meet the expectation of all.

    Represented by Igariwey Iduma Enwo (a member of the House of Representatives), Atunwa noted that in Nigeria, as elsewhere in Africa, the future in settling business disputes now lies in arbitration and other ADR mechanisms.

    This, he said, results from the fact that the conventional recourse to courts could be too slow, cumbersome and prohibitive in cost.

    Keynote speaker, Comair-Obed, stressed among others, the urgent need for Africa to grow its ADR capacities through enhanced financing and manpower development.

  • Stakeholders move to end Apapa gridlock, port congestion

    Stakeholders move to end Apapa gridlock, port congestion

    The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, has called for the collaboration of all stakeholders to tackle traffic gridlock, port congestion and other problems in Apapa and its environs. He made this call at a stakeholders meeting on the ongoing Apapa Wharf Road reconstruction project in Lagos, last week.

    The stakeholders at the meeting included the three financiers of the project, AG Dangote Construction Company Ltd, Flour Mills of Nigeria Ltd and Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).

    Others were National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO) and National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), among others.

    The stakeholders, after extensive deliberations, agreed to resolve issues of logistics and regulation of truckers and port operations.

    They called on shipping companies to return to the system of using their loading bays and effective call up systems to end port congestions.

    They also  advised AP Molar Multi Terminal (APMT),  whose cargo operations take hours to emulate the operations of Port Terminal Multipurpose Ltd (PTML) who have perfected the act of evacuating cargo within minutes.

    They agreed that emergency interventions should be carried out on the roads around Coconut bus stop area and some other bad portions.

    They resolved to have another inclusive meeting to carry Shippers, government regulatory agencies and other stakeholders who were absent at the gathering along to evolve permanent solutions,

    Fashola advised the stakeholders to organise forums where they could proffer solutions to the problems and make recommendations to government to speed up solutions on various issues.

    The minister stressed the need to put other ports in the country  to use to reduce pressure on the two major ports in Apapa and promised to work with his transport counterpart, Mr Rotimi Amechi,  to involve the rail sector in finding solutions.

    He called for sacrifice on the part of the various stakeholders as the Yuletide season is approaching to ensure speedy solution to all the problems.

    “During this period when everybody is sacrificing something, let us sacrifice, it is an exchange everybody must sacrifice.

    “This is not about us, it is about everybody,” he told stakeholders.

    He explained that procurement process for the Oshodi Tin Can Island road was ongoing.

    Earlier, Fashola had inspected ongoing rehabilitation works at Costain and its environs, which he told journalists was to ensure smooth roads during the festive period.

    Honorary adviser to the Dangote Group, Mr Joseph Makoju said that Dangote was handling and co-funding the Apapa Wharf Road reconstruction project as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

    Makoju said that it was painful that the project was being misunderstood by both the public and a section of the media who make negative remarks against the Dangote Group instead of  commending it for giving back to society.