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6,000mw Electricity Target: NACCIMA Slams FG

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The president, Nigeria Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Dr Simon Chukwuemeka Okolo has slammed the federal government for not fulfilling its promise of meeting the much-touted 6,000 megawatts of electricity by December 2009.
Okolo who was assessing the performance of the central government on the power sector last year, said it was disheartening that government was unable to meet the 6,000mw electricity target set for the end of 2009.
The inability of the federal government to deliver on 6,000mw of electricity, he said has cast doubts in the federal government’s ability to achieve the much-hyped seven-point Agenda and Vision 20:2020.
At the 37th Annual General Meeting of NACCIMA in Lagos recently, the president of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Alhaji, Bashir Borodo said that the industrial sector suffered lots of challenges last year, including the problem of frequent power cuts, unfavourable terms of credit, especially high interest rates etc.
In the last six months, macro-economic indices were disrupted when the exchange of the naira fell suddenly by almost 20 per cent after a relatively long period of stability. The combined effect of high interest rates and devaluation, of course was increase in inflation, “Borodo said.
Borodo, however was optimistic that “the recent reduction of Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) to six per cent from eight per cent and the Central Bank of Nigeria CBN guarantee of all inter-bank lending as well as placements with banks by pension fund managers until March 2010 will ease liquidity in the system with its attendant significant reduction in lending rates.
The Managing Director, Crusader Sterling Pensions, said his fund was watching equities closely and would increase its exposure to 15 per cent from 10 as the market re-prices this year.
“I expect the market to re-value prices particularly for the banking sector who automatically will have a multi plex effect when it comes to the pricing of other equities,” he said.
In his own assessment of the nation’s industrial sector under president Umar Musa Yar’Adua, Dr Jasper Akintunde, an economic analyst, said there has been little or no significant growth in terms of capacity utilisation in the past year just as he lamented the problem of infrastructural decay in the country.
Akintunde said there was need to adopt pragmatic measures aimed at taking the tide for the country this New Year, especially in the real sector of the nation’s economy.
However, going by the preliminancy loading schedules, Nigeria plans to export about 1.7 per cent more of its 14 biggest crude types by February this year compared with the previous months. Shipments of Nigeria’s 14 biggest crude grades will average about 1.965 million barrels a day or a total of 55 million barrel.

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NPA Assures On Staff Welfare 

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The Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, has said the management will continue to accompany its port infrastructure  and equipment  modernization drive  with the development of the welfare of its personnel.
Dantsoho made the disclosure recently while responding to the commendation by the Maritime Workers Union (MWUN) and the senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government-Owned Companies (SSASGOC) on the  clearing  of the age-long problem of employee stagnation, when the union paid him a courtesy visit at the Authority’s headquarters in Lagos.
A Statement by NPA’s General Manager Corporate & Strategic Communications, Mr. Ikechukwu Onyemekara, quoted Dantsoho as saying,  “our Port infrastructure and equipment modernization drive will go hand-in-hand with continuous staff welfare improvement”.
The NPA MD disclosed that human capital development constitutes the key strategy for creating and sustaining superior performance under his watch, adding that “talent development constitutes a critical success factor for the actualization of the big hairy audacious goals we have set for ourselves especially in the area of Port competitiveness.
“The only way we can meet and indeed exceed stakeholders’ expectations is to deepen the competencies of our human resources assets and boosting their morale.”
Speaking further, Dantsoho commended the Honourable Minister of Marine & Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, for approving the strategic proposal of the Dantsoho-led Management team that solved the over a decade-long problem of lack of promotion that had fuelled industrial disharmony.
“I must specially appreciate our amiable Minister for graciously approving the multi-pronged stratagem we deployed that cleared all outstanding cases of employee stagnation by conducting examinations in one fell swoop and instituted timelines to forestall a recurrence of such anomaly”, he sad.
Speaking on behalf of the joint maritime labour unions, the President  of Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations & Government-Owned Companies (SSASCGOC), Comrade Bodunde stated, “In addition to clearance of the backlog of stagnated promotions, we also wish to express our appreciation for the increase in productivity bonuses, provision of end-of-year welfare packages for staff, and the revision of the Financial Guide to the Condition of Service, which now addresses our members’ concerns about inflationary pressures.”
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
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ANLCA Chieftain Emerges FELCBA’s VP

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National Secretary of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Elder Olumide Fakanlu, has been elected Vice President of the Federation of ECOWAS Licensed Customs Brokers Association (FELCBA).
The election took place during the FELCBA Congress, held from Tuesday, June 17th to Thursday, June 19th, 2025, in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Fakanlu’s emergence as Vice President marks a significant achievement for Nigeria within the regional customs brokerage community.
Apart from Fakanlu, Secretary of the Seme Chapter of ANLCA, Austin Nwosu, was also elected, securing the role of Secretary of Relations with Institutions.
The Nigerian delegation played an active role in the congress, with Michael Ebeatu nominated as a member of the electoral officer team, ensuring a fair and transparent election process.
The three-day congress concluded with delegates undertaking a visit to the Sierra Leone Port, offering insights into the host nation’s maritime operations, followed by a recreational trip to the Tokeh Beach.
The newly elected executives are expected to lead FELCBA in its efforts to harmonize customs brokerage practices, promote trade facilitation, and advocate for the interests of licensed customs brokers across the ECOWAS sub-region.
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
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NSC, Police Boost Partnership On Port Enforcement 

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In a bid to enhance more enforcement in the nation’s Port, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has reaffirmed its commitment to stronger inter-agency collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
The Council said the collaboration is aimed at enhancing stronger enforcement, compliance and improve operational efficiency across Nigeria’s ports.
Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of  NSC, Dr. Pius Akutah, made this known during a visit to the  Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, at the Force Headquarters, Abuja.
The visit, which he said, focused on strengthening institutional synergy, comes in the wake of growing responsibilities for the NSC under the newly created Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.
Akutah emphasized the critical role of security agencies in supporting port operations and ensuring regulatory compliance.
He called for the posting of police officers to assist the Council’s monitoring and enforcement teams at key port locations including Lagos, Warri, Onne, Port Harcourt, and Calabar.
“The posting will complement the activities of our revived task teams and enhance our ability to enforce standards across the maritime logistics chain”, he said.
Earlier, the Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Egbetokun, assured the Council of the Force’s readiness to continue supporting the growth of the maritime sector.
The IGP acknowledged that compliance enforcement is essential to the successful implementation of Nigeria’s Blue Economy objectives.
“The NSC and NPF are expected to deepen collaboration in the months ahead, with a shared focus on building a secure, efficient, and competitive port environment”, to the IGP emphasized.
Chinedu Wosu
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