The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Stakeholders

  • Stakeholders seek paradigm shift

    The National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) must enforce discipline on recalcitrant firms and promoteMarket Development and Restructuring Initiative (MDRI), among others, to ensure the growth of the sector this year, Omobola Tolu-Kusimo writes.

    With the desperate need for paradigm shift in insurance business, the regulator,  National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) and operators are at crossroads on what to do.

    They are at a dilemma on how to grow the sector, deepen its penetration, promote and protect policy holders. They are also at a loss on how to facilitate access to insurance and growth strategy that identifies and develops new market segments for products, targeting non-buying customers in targeted segments, as well as new segments with the aim of growing the sector’s premium generation; and enhance its contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

    This is coming on the heels of the cancellation of the two major policies, the Tier-Based Minimum Solvency Capital (TBMSC) and the State Insurance Producer (SIP) by NAICOM. The polices ARE aimed at growing the sector.

    There are divergent views on how to push the industry to, at least, N1trillion sector, a goal they have pursued with the Market Development and Restructuring Initiative (MDRI)  initiative since 2009.

    A key goal of NAICOM’s financial inclusion strategy is to increase insurance penetration to 40 per cent by 2020, however, insurance penetration and density have remained low.

    Industry observers are, therefore, wondering what can happen in the sector this year to make a difference.

    On the other hand, experts said cognitive steps should be taken by NAICOM and individual operators.

    For them, there must be a shift from how businesses are done by operators and how the regulator handles the industry.

    Experts’ views

    A major stakeholder in the sector has advised NAICOM to focus its energy on discipline as it is a major tool needed to bring the industry to the right path.

    He urged the regulator to live up to its responsibility and withdraw licenses of firms  not paying genuine claims in the industry.

    He described the cancelled recapitalisation exercise as a waste of time, noting that if the commission ask insurers to recapitalise 10 times, some will still not pay claims.

    NAICOM, he said, should also renew its focus on other initiatives of the industry, especially the MDRI and enforce the policy.

    He noted that the regulator and operators should come together and promote the six compulsory insurance products, which include Motor Third Party, Group Life, Professional Indemnity, Builders’/Occupiers’ Liability and Public Building Liability Insurances, pointing out that they should also promote micro insurance, Takaful insurance products and industry rebranding, among others.

    The industry, according to him, has been plagued by a negative image among consumers due to an impression that insurers do not pay claims, low levels of awareness, and lack of tailored products, adding that the regulator should highlight them as key concerns and work towards improving consumer confidence and curb malpractices in the industry.

    He said: “The regulator should eliminate unethical practices and withdraw licenses of recalcitrant companies. The cancelled recapitalisation exercise is a waste of time. If the commission ask insurers to recapitalise 10 times, those who will not pay claims will not pay.

    “So why not take actions by suspending their licenses. If you suspend some of them, others will sit up. There is need for NAICOM to change its strategy. No company want its name mentioned in the news as an errant company and they will do anything to avoid it from happening.

    “The problem of the industry is failure of insurance companies to settle claims, unhealthy competition among operators, low awareness, low level of financial literacy, among others.”

    Deputy Commissioner for Insurance, Sunday Thomas lamented the unhealthy and unethical practices among operators. He spoke during a workshop on “End of Year Sector Review/Projection 2019”, organised by NAICOM for Insurance and Pension Corespondents in Lagos.

    According to him, rate cutting is a development that is hurting the industry as it affects premium income. “Rate cutting is a regrettable act that must be addressed to increase insurance contribution to the GDP. There was a point in this market when 10 per cent for comprehensive insurance was sacrosanct, but later, it came down to five per cent and that became the standard. But it got to a point that some operators were charging as low as one per cent. Also, there was a point that third party was N5, 000 and it also came to a point where people were charging N1,000 and the market was producing N200 million premium income from this business. If they decide to charge N5000, what is the market likely to produce?

    “This challenge must be addressed by insurers to increase the stake of the industry to pay genuine claims as and when due because when a risk is underpriced, it affects the ability to promptly pay claims,” he said.

    The Nigerian Insurers Association (NIA) Chairman, Mr. Tope Smart said the nation’s economy has been projected to expand by about 2.5 per cent in 2019, promising that insurance industry will take advantage of this expected growth.

    “We have figures of the growth of about 20 per cent when you compare the figure for 2017 and 2018 and I hope 2019 will be better. By the time we have the end of the year result, we will be having what I call a very positive result. The industry will continue to pioritise claims settlement and both regulator and operators are working together to put insurance companies on their toes to pay genuine claims through NIA and NAICOM complaint bureaus,” Smart, who is also NEM Insurance Plc Managing Director/CEO, pointed out.

    NSIA Insurance Limited Managing Director, Mrs. Ebelechukwu Nwachukwu said insurance in 2018 grew significantly in terms of the quality of products insurers rolled out, the quality of channels of distribution, the quality of people they engaged and the commitment of insurers to grow the people, thereby, increasing insurance penetration in the country.

    She said: “If we can push all of these over and over in 2019, I have no doubt at all that penetration will increase and premium will rise also. Today, the industry is paying better salary and so, people are better; operators study more than any other industry I have engaged with, they are dedicated to writing examinations, attending seminars, conferences and workshops. They want to be heard and an insurance person wants to be heard intelligently.

    “It is important for the average Nigerians or even the so called below average families to insure their risks with insurance companies.”

    Industry performance

    The Commissioner for Insurance, Mohammed Kari said the industry has a total premium value of N376 billion in 2017 with less than 1 per cent of Nigerians under insurance cover.

    “In the second quarter of 2018, the insurance sector recorded growth by 6.07 per cent. The sector grew by 3.49 per cent in nominal terms year on year, with a growth rate for the financial sector at 3.01 per cent for the period.

    “Insurance sector contribution to Nigeria’s GDP is 0.4 per cent. Also, the contribution of finance and insurance sector to the real GDP totaled 3.31 per cent, lower slightly than the contribution of 3.32 per cent recorded in the second quarter of 2017, and lower than 3.55 per cent recorded in the preceding quarter.”

    Industry’s initiatives and their downsides MDRI

    The Commission introduced the MDRI in 2009, among other initiatives, to change the industry’s narratives. It was expected that at the end of the implementation of the MDRI’s first phase, which was to end in 2012, the following would have been achieved: Gross Premium Income (GPI) would have grown from N164.50 billion to N1 trillion; Insurance contribution to GDP would have grown from 0.72 per cent to 3.0 per cent; Premium per capita, from N825.00 to N7,500 and; Insurance gap would be reduced from 94 per cent to seven per cent.

    Ten years after, the industry has not achieved the MDRI goals and it is, indeed, far from being achieved.

    Compulsory insurance

    Kari said NAICOM launched the first phase of MDRI in 2009 to among others create awareness on the existence of these classes of insurance and educate the public on the benefits of compulsory insurance to the individual and the Nigerian economy. The Commission did so much in this regard across the six geo-political zones in the country.

    He said not much could have be achieved in the area of enforcement by officers and men of relevant Federal agencies.

    “The various organs to drive the enforcement are not knowledgeable of the products or laws they are meant to enforce. On the other hand, enforcement would become easier if individuals and entities meant to consume these products are made aware of the benefits inherent in the consumption of these products. There is no doubt that compliance with the laws on compulsory insurance will go a long way to mitigate the adverse exposure to disaster by individuals with access to public places.

    “The beneficial importance of compulsory insurance is evident in all sphere of live as it guarantees a form of protection and compensation to victims, provided that they are insured, hence they do not have to bear huge financial burden.  It also serves as a form of social assistance for the vulnerable people in the society. To the economy, the government would not have to bear the burden alone during catastrophic events such as natural disaster, fire accident thereby saving the government money which can be channeled to augmenting the needs of the citizenry, providing infrastructures and creating employment, among others.

    “But the level of compliance with compulsory insurance in the country is still very low. We are working on how to enforce these products towards the attainment of a higher level of compliance.”

    Takaful insurance

    The Commissioner stressed that Takaful is both ethical financing and cooperative risk protection methods that are superior alternatives, because they reinvigorate human capital, solidarity, emphasise dignity, community self-help and economic self-development, to generate manifold benefits, which appeal not only to Muslims but all. “I encourage the people of Kano to embrace it for their protection against risks,” he said.

    The Takaful insurance initiative by NAICOM, he explained, was to complement the efforts of the Financial System Strategy 2020 (FSS2020) as part of the Financial Inclusion initiative aimed at reaching the larger percentage of Nigerians that are unreached and financially excluded.

  • Massilia chief to stakeholders: expect more from us

    The Deputy Managing Director of Massilia Motors, sole distributor of Mitsubishi vehicles in Nigeria, Mr. Kunle Jaiyesimi, has told the stakeholders in the auto industry to expect more innovation from the firm.

    Massilia Motors won the Most Innovative Automotive Brand in 2018 and the Most Outstanding SUV Design for the recently launched Eclipse Cross model. The Mitsubishi L200 was also amongst the nominees for the Best Pick-Up of the Year.

    This did not come as a surprise to many industry watchers as Massilia Motors has in recent times, been very innovative in its marketing push and has given a new look to its car showrooms . The company has also invested in its aftersales facility in Ijora and ensuring continuous quality improvement.

    With the introduction of models such as the Pajero Sport and the Eclipse Cross, Massilia Motors offers customers sophisticated vehicles that are good value for money.

    The brands new approach was seen during the unconventional launch of the Eclipse Cross at the Heineken Lagos Fashion Week where a virtual reality booth was set up for visitor to tour the vehicle through VR glasses. The company also collaborated with fashion designer Sisiano to create the ‘’Eclipse collection’’ inspired by the compact SUV.

    Earlier this year, Massilia Motors celebrated the centenary anniversary of Mitsubishi Motors as part of its repositioning strategies. The event tagged: Heritage Week was an opportunity to showcase achievements of the Japanese car manufacturer.

    After receiving the awards, Jaiyesimi said: ‘’We are delighted with the recognition. We will continue striving to find new ways to add value to our customers.’’

    Aside the Pajero Sport and Eclipse Cross, other models distributed by Massilia Motors include the ASX, Outlander, Pajero SUV and the L200 robust Pickup.

  • Stakeholders okay Nigeria’s REDD+ Strategy document

    Nigeria is set to promote its REDD+ agenda, thanks to a World Bank and Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) initiative.

    REDD+ implies reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation and the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries.

    At an event held in Abuja, a cross section of stakeholders discussed and validated a draft report on Nigeria’s REDD+ Strategy prepared by Messrs. Gotosearch.com Limited and the University of the West England (UWE), the consortium that was engaged to carry out the assignment.

    The validation workshop was also held to enrich the technical contents of the report and give it a national outlook and acceptability.

    “This is a document that Nigeria will be using to engage with the international community for the purposes of how to bring benefits that are linked to our efforts in emissions reduction, as well as our sustainable forest management approach. If this strategy is not very well crafted and we don’t capture the elements and the options that we intend to use in engaging, then we are taking a wrong step,” submitted Dr. Moses Ama, National Coordinator, Nigeria REDD+ Programme, during the official opening of the meeting.

    Former Director of Forestry in the Federal Ministry of Environment, Philip Bankole, said: “We all know the problems in our forest reserves. So, whatever is written here are common issues familiar to us.

    “It is a good development that the REDD+ Programme has gotten to this stage. It started some years ago and, despite a change of leadership, it is still going very strong because we have competent hands in place. Whatever comes out here today is to our own benefit. It is a national service. This is a policy document and thus it has a lot of bearing on what happens to our forest and government policies in the future.

    Team Leader, Gotosearch.com, Prof Olukayode Oladipo, urged participants to feel free to criticise the document as, according to him, there is always a room for improvement on every document notwithstanding its quality.

    Director of Forestry, David Andrew-Adejo, while declaring open the event, congratulated the REDD+ team “which includes the secretariat and the team that works with them on the field because all of you collectively have been contributing to the successes achieved by the REDD+ secretariat.”

    He added: “Nigeria should start assessing the financing incentives that the REDD+ is trying to achieve as its end point. The benefit will only come if we have a good strategy developed by REDD. It takes care of how the villager that you asked not to cut his tree because of X-metric tonnes of carbon that it stores, and the villager does not eat X-metric tonnes. He just wants to cut it and use to cook or sell it. So, your strategy will be able to give that man an assurance that if he leaves that tree alone, he will be able to do something else that will enable him live the normal life he was living to the extent that he would be the one that will be your champion.”

    The REDD+ Strategy report has sections like “Nigeria’s REDD+ Strategic Directions”, “Basis for Nigeria’s REDD+ Programme”, “Analysis of Strategic Options”, “Governance of REDD+ in Nigeria”, “Monitoring and Reporting of Nigeria’s REDD+ Implementation”, and “Action Plan for the Implementation of the Strategy”.

     

     

     

  • Smooth sailing amid turbulence

    Stakeholders are praising the Federal Government for paying attention to the Maritime sector last year, reports Correspondent OLUWAKEMI DAUDA.

    Stakeholders in maritime have given kudos to the Federal Government, especially the Minister of Transport, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, for paying attention to an industry which freight is worth about $6 billion.

    They said  Amaechi, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Director-General, Dr Dakuku Peterside; the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Managing Director, Hadiza Bala Usman, Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) Executive Secretary, Mr Hassan Bello, Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Comptroller-General, Col Hameed Ali and the National Inland Wateways (NIWA) Managing Director, Senator Olorunimbe Mamora, are round pegs in round holes.

     

    Gaps in the maritime sector

    In the year under review, Amaechi and the five heads of the maritime agencies, the stakehold-ers said, did their best to ensure that the sector’s potential were realised. The officers, they added, initiated policies, which attracted local and international investors.

     

    NIMASA and the maritime industry forecast

    Stakeholders and operators described the forecast released by  Peterside in the first quarter of last year as a very good.

    The forecast, they said, prepared  how developments on the international scene would affect the maritime last year and this year.

    The forecast, according to a lecturer at the Lagos Business School, Dr. Doyin Salami, was essential tools for growing an industry. He urged investors, local and international to take the forecast serious to grow their businesses.

    The forecast, the first in the sector, will serve as a roadmap for those hoping to do business in the maritime domain.

    A university don and maritime lawyer, Mr Dipo Alaka, said the forecast highlights key drivers of the sector, such as geographic factor, availability of skilled labour force, an efficient and effective regulatory environment, manpower and human capacity development, maritime infrastructural development, globalisation and new technology, among others.

    Also,  the Abuja Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) Secretary-General, and NIMASA former Director-General, Mrs. Mfon Usoro. Usoro, a lawyer, commended the forecast, saying it would move the sector forward.

    She observed that the increased presence of NIMASA in the West and Central Africa sub-regions  indicates that the leadership of the agency was on course.

    Highlights of the forecast  are: the maritime is projected to grow by 2.5 – five per cent; there will be more demand  for maritime services in Nigeria; total fleet size will grow by 4.08 per cent in 2018 and 4.41 per cent in 2019; oil tanker fleet size will decrease by 2.23 per cent in 2018 and increase by 1.7 per cent in 2019; non-oil tanker fleet size will increase by 8.15 per cent in 2018 and 8.72 per cent  in 2019 and the oil rig count will increase by 27.67 per cent in 2018 and 0 per cent in 2019.

    Speaking with The Nation, Peterside said: “As a regulator, we are driven by values and commitment, as these are the only ways that investors can be attracted to harness the great potential in our maritime sector. On our part, we will continue to work out incentives and maritime sector specific interventions to attract investments.”

    Critical to the realisation of the projections in the forecast, Peterside said, are some bills now in the National Assembly. These include the Anti-Piracy Bill, the establishment of the Maritime Development Bank, Inland Fisheries Amendment Bill, the Deep Offshore and Inland Basin Production Sharing Contract Amendment Bill and the Cabotage Act Amendment Bill 2017.

    “All these, if passed to Law, will help realise the dream of making Nigeria the maritime hub in Africa,” he said.

     

    Proposed Nigerian Maritime Data Bank

    Experts, lawyers and stakeholders also gave Peterside a pass mark for his policies and his call for the establishment of Nigerian Maritime Data Bank (NMDB).

    For instance, a senior official in the Federal Ministry of Transport (FMoT), who craved anonymity, said the country loses over N10 billion yearly to inaccurate data in the  industry.

    Peterside, the official said, wants the NMDB to become the official information source approved by the government in maritime.

    The vision of the NMDB, according to him, include the following: It will provide all information needed for decision makers and people interested in the maritime transport industry through the NMDB website.

    Other stakeholders said they supported the move by NIMASA to have a credible data bank and urged the agency to ensure that the nation’s ways are safe for business.

     

    Criticism

    International reports on piracy, and other criminal activities on the waterways, importers said, were not given the necessary attention by NIMASA. They called on Peterside to collaborate more with local and foreign agencies to tackle these menace.

     

    NPA in stakeholders’ eyes

    Operators and stakeholders in the industry said Ms Usman brought to the front burner the Apapa gridlock and the industry and ways to resolve them.

    The Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) Vice President, Dr Kayode Farinto, gave credit to Usman for the collaboration between the NPA, AG Dangote Construction Company Limited and Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc in fixing the road from Wharf/Apapa.

    Farinto, like other stakeholders and residents of Apapa, said they were happy over the completion of work on the Apapa-Wharf Concrete Road.

    With the completion of the road, ANCLA immediate past president, Prince Olayiwola Shittu and other stakeholders said it would end the gridlock on that side of the Apapa Road and boost the 48 hours cargo clearance policy of the government.

    “In September 2017, Hadiza  Usman had expressed displeasure with the slow pace of work by contractors handling the Apapa Road when she visited the construction site.

    “The two-kilometre road starts from the Lagos Port Complex, Apapa to Ijora Bridge end of Western Avenue.

    “During the visit, we remember that Usman insisted that the contractors needed to bring more equipment to site and increase the number of moles used to fast-track the completion of the road as specified in the terms of agreement with the Federal Government.

    “Today, we are happy that the action she took then and the assurance she gave to port users, truck owners/drivers and Apapa residents that the Federal Government, through the NPA, would see to the quick completion of the road to alleviate their suffering have yielded the positive result. It shows that the heads of our maritime agencies are round pegs in round holes,” Shittu said.

    Stakeholders also said they were happy over the quarterly stakeholders’ meeting she organised across the country. Apart from implementing the suggestions made by operators and stakeholders, they said the authority also introduced feedback mechanism to ensure transparency and efficiency in all the ports across the country.

    A motor vehicle importer, Mr Gboyega Emmanuel said the NPA helmsman has recorded significant achievements. Among her many achievements, he said, was the drive to ensure that operators were held accountable.

     

    Measures to boost business at port

    Importers and clearing agents said  to cut losses, increase international trade and boost the economy, the NPA introduced at the end of last year, some positive measures.

    Last year, NPA  directed shipping firms to deploy sweeper vessels to evacuate empty containers from the ports to clear the backlog within four months. The NPA also directed the shipping firms to use Onne Ports for such sweeper vessels.

    According to NPA, the measures will reduce the attendant financial burden that the congestion at the Apapa and Tin Can Island ports has brought on importers.

    The agency also said there would be an increase in rent-free period for cargoes housed in the terminals from  three free days before commencement of rent charges to 21 free days before commencement of rent charges for four months.

    Stakeholders said despite the gridlock in Apapa, NPA failed to make the port outside Lagos attractive for business and urged Usman to address the problem.

    NPA and other agencies, Shittu and other stakeholders said, must bring the issue of National Single Window to the front burner in the new year.

     

    Nigeria Customs Service

    The Nigeria Customs Service under Col. Ali Hameed (rtd) also recorded tremendous success, notwithstanding the slow growth in economic activities.

    As at last November, the service has generated has generated N1.1 trillion for the Federal Government and seized contraband worth more than N40 billion between January and November last year.

    Its Public Relations Officer, Mr. Joseph Attah broke the news at the end-of-the-year breakfast meeting in Lagos last year.

    “Our experiences in this outgoing year have shown that with robust stakeholder engagement, enhanced automation and strict implementation of the import and export guidelines, NCS can generate more revenue and effectively suppress smuggling to the barest minimum.

    Despite the huge cash it made for the country, Customs, stakeholders said, did not do enough last year in terms of efficiency and trade facilitation programme of the Federal Government.

     

    Shippers Council/ MAN

    collaboration

    The collaboration between the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) and the Manufacturer Association of Nigeria (MAN) to streamline export, import procedures at port, importers said, was a robust initiative of its Executive Secretary, Mr Hassan Bello.

    Bello said he took the initiative because export trade is important to the Federal Government in its effort in diversifying the economy.

    He said the economy needs to come out from an import dependent economy and encourage manufacturing.

    Findings revealed  that the Council is discussing with export inspection agents and the NSC to ensure that export trade is done seamlessly.

    He said: “The Nigerian Shippers Council will continue to support project and programmes that will improve port efficiency and reduce cost and simplified procedures and processes for the clearing of goods at the Nigerian ports.

    “We have been advocating for the automation of the port operational processes and procedures in line with best practices.

    “We remain neutral, unbiased, providing a level playing field for all. We are indeed a referee and umpire and will ensure that decision of vital issues in this port sector is arrived at through consensus, opinions of stakeholders.

    “We are talking about reduction of cargo dwell time at Nigerian Ports, Nigerian Shippers Council is also a member of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Committee on Comprehensive Import Supervision Scheme, CISS, and our pre-occupation is the procurement of scanners at various Customs formations across fozr quick examination of cargoes.

    “Shippers’ Council has keyed in this project to ensure that export trade documentations are streamlined and reduced to the barest minimum.’’

    Shippers Council, stakeholders said, has put measures in place to reduce the cost of transportation.

    Steps taken by the NSC last year, importers, clearing agents and terminal operators said, were in tandem with international best practices.

    Stakeholders urged the NSC to resolve the legal issue between it, and the terminal operators to boost government revenue and make the port attractive for business in the new year.

     

    NIWA

    The appointment of Senator Olorunnimbe Mamora as NIWA  Managing Director was seen as a good step by the government.

    Stakeholders urged the Senator to live up to their expectations by repositioning the agency and ending the rift between NIWA and the Lagos State Government.

     

     

     

     

  • Massilia chief to stakeholders: expect more from us

    The Deputy Managing Director of Massilia Motors, sole distributor of Mitsubishi vehicles in Nigeria, Mr. Kunle Jaiyesimi has told the stakeholders in the auto industry to expect more innovation from the firm.

    Massilia Motors won the Most Innovative Automotive Brand in 2018 and the Most Outstanding SUV Design for the recently launched Eclipse Cross model. The Mitsubishi L200 was also amongst the nominees for the Best Pick-Up of the Year.

    This did not come as a surprise to many industry watchers as Massilia Motors has in recent times, been very innovative in its marketing push and has given a new look to its car showrooms . The company has also invested in its aftersales facility in Ijora and ensuring continuous quality improvement.

    With the introduction of models such as the Pajero Sport and the Eclipse Cross, Massilia Motors offers customers sophisticated vehicles that are good value for money.

    The brands new approach was seen during the unconventional launch of the Eclipse Cross at the Heineken Lagos Fashion Week where a virtual reality booth was set up for visitor to tour the vehicle through VR glasses. The company also collaborated with fashion designer Sisiano to create the ‘’Eclipse collection’’ inspired by the compact SUV.

    Earlier this year, Massilia Motors celebrated the centenary anniversary of Mitsubishi Motors as part of its repositioning strategies. The event tagged “Heritage Week” was an opportunity to showcase achievements of the Japanese car manufacturer.

    After receiving the awards, Jaiyesimi said: ‘’We are delighted with the recognition. We will continue striving to find new ways to add value to our customers.’’

    Aside the Pajero Sport and Eclipse Cross, other models distributed by Massilia Motors include the ASX, Outlander, Pajero SUV and the L200 robust Pickup.

  • Stakeholders, govt laud partnership as firm delivers house in 14 days

    Hope for timely delivery of houses in the country received a boost last Tuesday, as a property development firm, EchoStone Nigeria Limited, delivered the first house from its stable in 14 days.

    The firm, which introduced a revolutionary measure that facilitates speedy delivery of houses in the country, used the occasion to prove that its building technology is indeed, the needed solution in tackling housing deficit being experienced in the country.

    At a ribbon cutting ceremony at the premises of the Lagos State Vocational Education Centre compound in Agidingbi, Ikeja, where a building is located, the  Commissioner for Housing, Gbolahan Lawal, praised the firm describing, it as “Echostone represent technology at its best”. He said the building, which was built in 14 days, is a proof that when technology is deployed, development is faster.

    “It is satisfying to know that a 64-square-meter house can be completed from the scratch in just 14 days. Echostone is fired up to do more because of the response they have received from government. They have the funding and technological know-how to help us greatly in tackling the deficit in the state,” Lawal said.

    The Commissioner, who appealed for trust for the firm from the public, assured Echostone that the capital investment it has brought into the state would yield good return-on-investment for them. He disclosed that Lagos State was already discussing with the developer to work out the modality of deploying the same technology in assisting the state in constructing compact storey buildings, as this is the way to go to accommodate Lagosians.

    “We want to build compact storey buildings. We are in discussion with echostone and they have assured us that it is doable,” Lawal said.

    To the Chief Executive Officer and co Founder, Echostone, Anthony Rechhia, the delivery of the building in 14 days and handing over of the keys to LAwal, is a feat that many thought would be impossible. “So, we have made the impossible possible in just 14 days,” he said.

    EchoStone Co-Founder and President, Business Development, Mr. Ander Lindquist, remarked that it was a promise kept for the firm, adding that the firm looked forward to building more houses both in the state and the country.

    In similar vein, Nigerian Mortgage Refinance Company (NMRC) Managing Director, Mr. Kehinde Ogundimu, said the company was set to remove the barrier to home ownership and provide liquidity for achieving the goal. Besides, he said the NMRC was determined to make affordable accommodation a reality, especially in Lagos State, where the demand acutely falls below supply.

    ‘Beyond engaging EchoStone, efforts by the state, the Ibile Holdings, Lagos Homes Developers, through Public Private Participation (PPP), the involvement of the NMRC to ensure that mortgage will be made available for those who needed it to buy houses will be fully supported,” Ogundimu said, adding that EchoStone technology is a much needed solution to the housing deficit in Lagos State in particular, and Nigeria as a whole. These problems, he noted, will never be solved if we continue to build in the traditional way of one block at a time.

    Families Home Fund Managing Director, Mr. Femi Adewole, declared that the body will engage Messrs EchoStone Nigeria, in the provision of 100,000 housing units in four years for Lagos residents, with the memorandum already in the pipeline.

    “We have a product known as Home Loans Assistance, put in place by the Federal Government’s social intervention to assist Nigerians in getting decent, but affordable accommodation.

    “Besides the provision of housing, the scheme will create huge employment opportunities for Nigerian youths. This, we will do in conjunction with the Lagos State government, which has shown an enormous goodwill that attracts the attention of foreign firms such as EchoStone America,” he stated.

    Speaking on the completed prototype, official of EchoStone Nigeria, Mr. Sammy Adigun, assured that his firm will meet the housing needs of Lagos residents, with the support of all the relevant stakeholders, without compromising quality

    While congratulating the firm for identifying the need for improvement in the building sector and for taking the bold step, Operations Officer, Green Building Lead, Accra, Ghana, of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), Mr. Dennis Quansah, said Nigeria’s future depends on how it is built today.

    He said the building, which is exactly what Echostone will build in the Peridot Parkland Estate, Idale, Badagry, is built green per the standards of IFC’s Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies (EDGE) certification.

    “The Peridot Parkland Estate has been designed to achieve the following impressive EDGE ratings; 29 per cent energy savings; 35 percent water savings; 43 per cent less embodied energy in materials. The savings will ensure that the utility bills for these housing units will be minimised and contribute to a reduction in harmful greenhouse gas emissions,” Quansah said.

    He revealed that green buildings are not only a challenge that all must overcome together, because IFC believes there are available solutions it can provide to policy makers. Together, he said, IFC and policy makers can create an investment opportunity for developers, financial institutions, and home buyers or commercial buyers or renters.

    Echostone, it will be recalled, announced a fortnight ago that it was deploying an innovative technology which allows for rapid and scalable construction in the construction of a 250 units of two-bedroom detached bungalows in Idale, Badagry. The estate will be fitted with state-of-the-art facilities and comes at N9 million per unit. In all, it plans a construction of 2,000 housing units in three Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state- Ayobo in Alimosho and Imota in Ikorodu.

  • Way forward for museums, by stakeholders

    In the wake of growing concerns, stakeholders of private and public museums converged on Freedom Park, Lagos to chart proactive ways of promoting museums in Nigeria, Jane Chijioke reports.

    ThE functionality of museums is the goal that private and public museums should achieve.

    This was the summary of the discourse at a symposium, tagged: Public Museums vs Private Collections: Synergy or Competition, organised by Goethe Institut, Lagos in collaboration with SMO Contemporary Art.

    The event, held at the Freedom Park, Lagos, had as speakers the Obi of Onitsha, Nnaemeka Alfred Achebe; Director, Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Arts, South Africa, Azu Nwagbogu; the pioneer Managing Director, Dangote Foundation, Dr Adhiambo Odaga, and Acting Director of Museums, National Commission for Museums and Monuments,  Nigeria (NCMMN), Edith Ekunke.

    Owners and managers of private and public museums were urged to leverage  each other’s experiences in developing museums.

    Museums are difficult entities to run, it was observed. While the private ones rely on individual effort or source for funds, the public ones are funded by the government and are faced with underfunding, unfavourable policy regulation, poor access to exhibitions and others. She, however, called for collaboration between private and public museums, saying it  would provide sufficient skills and expertise in managing exhibitions to attract attention, locally and globally.

    Although both entities have overlapping functions to co-exist, she was of the view that there are enormous opportunities to be derived from each partnering with the other.

    While observing that 95 percent of the African antiquities lie outside the country – majorly in private collections, she raised concerns over the fact that those collections may not be presented to the public for years. She, therefore, stressed that the aforementioned trend can be taken care of if private museums partner with public ones.

    “How come many years ago we were so meticulous, we produced such beautiful pieces of work. These are fundamental questions we need to ask ourselves because no country can go forward without looking back and appreciate where it is coming from. We need to decide that we love our heritage and will preserve it as best as we can,” Odaga asserted.

    Odaga, who is a former member of the Ford Foundation, commended the success of The Kingdom of Ife: Sculptures from West Africa exhibition in 2010, which saw the collaboration of the British Museum with Nigeria’s National Commission for Museum and Monuments (NCMM).

    Noting that the African artifacts were the biggest assets of that exhibition, she said the partnership would enhance the capacity of workers to conceptualise and curate exhibitions to attract local audience and also sell anywhere.

    Odaga decried the attitude of African governments towards preserving cultures and heritage, urging Museums should borrow a leaf British Museum that has led to its success.

    She said: “To what extent do we take our culture seriously? In Africa, we underfund to our detriment in preserving our heritage. The government has a greater role to play in ensuring there are well-drawn out policies to move the sector foreward. We need to be clear on what kind of museum we want? How much can be spent in building the capacity to put together exhibitions and to preserve the artefacts?”

    On his part, Achebe, who is a private collector in Onitsha, said historically, most public museums started as private museums and 90 percent of the antiquities in public museums were donated by private collectors.

    The monarch wondered if this could be the reason for the increase of private museums as the public ones were mostly established to oversee, manage curators and display what has been donated. He said though public museums were accessible, sometimes private collectors were dismayed about how their collections were stored without being exhibited for years.

    “If you donate to museums,  you have to give them money to manage it. You have to create that space for them to manage it. So many collectors won’t want to subject their collections to such treatment, rather they create their own museum” he noted. Achebe called for a better synergy to occur, public museums must respond to change and adaptation to modern realities to respond to audience demands with support from the private.

    Promoting audience interest, the discussants argued that the museum still holds its place in the technological age.  It preserves history and serves as a link between the past, present and future. It is an epistemology for the next generation and also a place of reorientation.

    The panel’s moderator, Nneoma Ilogu, said the number of museums globally was on the rise. While the United State has 35,000 museums, the United Kingdom boasts of 16,000. Nigeria has less than 20.

    According to the Private Art Museum report,  53 percent of the world private contemporary museums were established between 2001 and 2010, with South Korea having the world’s largest concentration of private museums. Despite this increase, Africa still records a low audience interest.

    The Director of Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art, South Africa, Nwagbogu ascribed the low patronage to the inability of people to relate to what they see in museums, noting that there is a disconnect the museum and the people.

    He compared the museum’s worth to a university where opportunities are created to provide knowledge, noting that a museum should be accessible.

    Meanwhile, to make the museum accessible, NCMM Acting Director, Ekunke said a token of N50 was required for entry, which has since been increased to N100. She added that efforts were in place to revive the museums. “These include building museum kitchen where traditional cuisines, spices, traditional drinks and entertainment in traditional music are available.

    “Others are craft villages where craft works would be done for the delights of visitors. These side attractions, she said, were parts of museums in the past. Evaluating the benefits of museums to boost tourism, she called on the private collectors to collaborate.”

    She blamed  lack of awareness of the average Nigerian which makes Nigerians to classify objects in the museums as “juju” that should be discarded, stating that museum pieces were not only displayed for beauty purpose but to tell a story.

    “My appeal is that we are asking the private museum to form a lobby group that will impress on the government the importance of museum.  Most of them do not know how important a museum is and that is why when they are budgeting for a certain aspect of the society, they view culture as last part. Let us partner to form a pressure group on the government to let them know that we can do something from these museums,” she said.

    On the repatriation of stolen objects, Nwagbogu suggested that stolen artifacts  should be returned with interest. He said it was painful to see stolen artcrafts abroad; while NCMM Acting Director, explained that returning them was a diplomatic and political matter.

    However, it was stated that a group has been established with some European countries to reason together as curators in making these objects accessible to the public. Ekunke stated that in the next two years, a museum would be built in Benin in partnershipwith NCMM to house returned objects.

    She said it was voted in the 2018 appropriation bill when repatriation was still ongoing.

     

  • Stakeholders warn against strike

    The decision by the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) to shut depots is not the solutiion to the problems of the industry, Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN)  Vice Chairman,  Southwest, Mr Debo Adesina and the former country’s President, International Association of Energy Economist,(IAEE) Prof Adeola Akinnisiju, have said.

    According to them, the country has experienced the worst industrial action in the sector and that any issue that would further plung the country into crises may not get the support of the stakeholders.

    Adesina said the operators in the downstream sub-sector had waited for their subsidy arrears and were happy that their needs were being attended to by the Federal Government.

    He said stakeholders, especially major and independent marketers, were indisposed to the DAPPMAN’s decision.

    He said IPMAN and the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria(MOMAN) get fuel from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation’s (NNPC) 20 depots, adding that the issue would not affect them much.

    Debo said: “ Marketers that operate  under the platform of IPMAN and MOMAN are controlling the supply of fuel in the country and as long as they do not participate in any strike, the country would not witness serious industry crises.’’

    He said unity among stakeholders was key to any industrial action, adding that where there is inter and intra crises among the associations, no industrial action would succeed.

    Also, Akinnisiju said the industry is facing many problems, stressing that the industry has serious issues to attend to than a crises that is fostered by a single entity.

    “ At present, the prices of crude oil in the global industry are falling. This is where Nigeria earns 70 per cent of its revenue and, ideally, the government would be interested in seeing how the issue is addressed; rather than closing down the depots,” he said.

    He said the payment of subsidy arrears, which marketers were fighting for, would be addressed soon, adding that the government had taken steps to address the issue.

    He said the issue of closing down the depots cannot solve the problems facing the country, as it would rather compound the situations in the industry.

  • Stakeholders unite against vote buying

    •Saraki, Dogara attack security agencies

    POLITICAL stakeholders yesterday agreed that drastic action should urgently be taken to deal decisively with vote buying in the interest of the country’s electoral process.

    It was at a one-day public hearing on “Vote buying and improving electoral process in Nigeria” organised by the National Assembly Joint Committee on Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    Those, who spoke at the event, included Senate President Bukola Saraki, House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara and INEC Chairman Mahmoud Yakubu.

    But, Saraki and Dogara descended heavily on securities for allegedly aiding and abating electoral malpractices, including vote buying.

    Saraki said security agents were beginning to emerge as major clogs in the election process.

    Dogara, however, noted that the country must not surrender to the criminality of vote buying.

    He added that more worrisome dimension to vote buying was alleged use of the officials of the electoral umpire, INEC, and officers of security agencies to induce or intimidate and coerce voters to vote for particular candidates.

    Apart from vote buying, Saraki insisted that the use of Incident Form to bypass the lawful process of accreditation must be done away with.

    Saraki said: “It is all too clear that security agents are beginning to emerge as major clogs in the election process.

    “Reports of collusion with political actors to disenfranchise voters are very worrying indeed.

    “We cannot under any circumstances militarise elections, because that defeats the purpose of free, fair and credible polls.

    “In an election, access to the polling units for the purpose of casting one’s vote is the bare minimum. Once a voter is denied the opportunity to vote through bullying, intimidation and other forms of harassment, then vote rigging and electoral malpractice have free reign.

    “Let me, at this point, mention that our major concern should be entrenching global best practices in our electoral process and ensuring that these are backed by legislations to make them sustainable and permanent.”

    For Saraki, Nigeria cannot at this time fail the electoral process, especially when the world is looking forward to what happens in the forthcoming elections.

    He noted that it was equally instructive that President Muhammadu Buhari is the Chairman of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the INEC Chairman is the head of Electoral Commissions in West Africa.

    Saraki said the leadership of two chambers of the National Assembly should come together and review issues concerning the 2019 elections dispassionately and patriotically.

    Dogara said: “The recent phenomenon of direct pricing and buying of votes as if in a market square is very disturbing. It is one of the highest forms of corruption.

    “The high prevalence of vote-buying in the electoral system of the country is, without any doubt, of great concern to all Nigerians and members of the global community who truly love democracy.

    “It is disheartening that this absurd phenomenon has assumed alarming proportions in recent times.

    “As citizens, we must not surrender to this criminality as we cannot do so and still expect honour.”

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    The INEC Chairman, on his part, said the electoral umpire does not sell or buy votes.

    Yakubu, who condemned vote buying unequivocally, warned that it should not be allowed to define the country’s electoral process because it remained an aberration.

    The INEC boss said there was no doubt that vote buying deny the citizens quality representation and gives the country a bad name before the international community.

    He however noted that rather than public hearing, it would have been better if confessional hearing is conducted by the National Assembly about the development.

    The INEC boss also urged the National Assembly to pass the Electoral Offences Tribunal Bill into law as recommended by Uwais, Lemu and Ken Nnamani electoral reform committees.

    The INEC boss stated further that part of the challenges behind votes buying was impunity and poverty.

    Yakubu sought synergy between the INEC, security agencies and the lawmakers to find solution to votes buying.

  • Apapa gridlock worries Senate, stakeholders

    Senators have joined the growing complaint over the Apapa, Lagos gridlock.

    The Senate Committee on Marine Transport, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), the Nigerian Chamber of Shipping and others are worried  over the Apapa gridlock, which has cost huge losses to businesses and brought pains to motorists.

    At a meeting in Lagos, they said bad roads were killing trade. They frowned at the decision of Julius Berger Plc, which is handling the rehabilitation of Apapa roads, to close the Ijora Bridge, a major artery to Apapa Port and Tin Can Island Port, for four months.

    The committee plans to summon the company’s officials to justify the closure, which will worsen the gridlock.

    A member of the committee, Senator Mao Ohuabunwa, responding to some complaints,  said it was in contact with the construction giant and monitoring the road rehabilitation contracts in Apapa.

    According to him, the committee will hold a meeting with top management of the company. But with the level of the people’s suffering, the committee is left with no option than to summon the company to explain why the bridge should be shut for such a long time.

    “We are taking so many things away from this engagement today; one of them is the closure of the Ijora Bridge. We are scheduled to meet with the management of Julius Berger sometime in January, but as things stand, we will invite them next week to explain to us the reason for the closure of such an important artery to the seaports. We did not know about it before now”, Ohuabunwa said.

    Former Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President and pioneer President of the Nigerian Chamber of Shipping Dr. Olisa Agbakoba decried the situation in Apapa.

    He said it took about five hours to access their offices in Apapa because of the closure of the bridge, despite that the Wharf Road has been completed.

    “We are dying gradually in Apapa and I am telling you the truth. People stay on the gridlock for hours and when you get to your office after several hours, one becomes useless, having spent the better part of the day in the traffic”, he had said.

    Chairman of the committee Senator Ahmed Sani said the gathering was to bring the parliament to the stakeholders, brief them on what had been done and take their input to lay a foundation for maritime development.

    He told the stakeholders that several maritime legislations had been passed with some at various stages of passage. They include the Anti-Terrorism Bill, National Inland Authority Amendment Bill, National Transport Commission NTC Bill, the Nigerian Ports Authority Amendment Bill, he said, adding that law making is a long and painstaking process.

    NIMASA Director-General Dr. Dakuku Peterside said the committee members displayed a high level of patriotism, placing national interest over personal or any other interest.

    Speaking with The Nation on the sideline of the event, Peterside said the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration was determined to fix ports’ infrastructure to revamp the economy.

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    NIMASA, according to him, is not happy that some measures adopted so far have not yielded the expected result. He promised what he called positive action soon.

    Peterside said the quick rehabilitation of the road from Tin-Can Island Port to Oworonsoki area of Lagos was to salvage the economy.

    He applauded  Dangote Construction Nigeria Limited and Flour Mills Nigeria Limited for reconstructing Wharf Road.

    Peterside appealed to the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, to ensure that the Tin Can Island Port Road was completed on time and to hasten the usage of the trailer park opposite the port.

    He urged truck drivers and port users to submit to security checks at the gates into the ports, warning unauthorised truck drivers to stay off the ports and Apapa or face sanctions.