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Shareholders Decry Regulators’ Attitude Towards Investors

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Shareholders say the nonchalant attitude of capital market
regulators toward investors is a major cause of their dismal confidence in the
market. The shareholders stated this in Lagos.

They claimed that the Federal Government, the Nigerian Stock
Exchange (NSE) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) had not done
enough to encourage domestic portfolio investment since the market nearly
collapsed in 2008.

They also and  that
most of them were aggrieved that the regulators abandoned them, in spite of
boosting the nation’s economy through domestic investments in the capital
market and government bonds.

Mr Boniface Okezie, the President of the Progressive
Shareholders Association of Nigeria (PSAN), urged the NSE, SEC and the Ministry
of Finance to woo the investors back to the
market since it had survived “ beyond the holocaust days’’.

He said that the current reforms being undertaken by the
regulators could not restore lost confidence in the nation’s capital market,
but a coordinated enlightenment and people-friendly economic policies.

“The market we are seeing today on a rally point happened on
its own and not because of a specific reform by the Securities and Exchange
Commission (SEC) or the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE),’’ he said.

Okezie said that it was necessary for Nigerians to find out
whether the government’s appointees had made any effort to embrace and woo the investors
who left back.

“ They need to talk to these investors and explain to them
the reason why the market is functioning the way it is,” he added.

According to him, there is also the need for the regulators
to address the issues that led to the loss.

The PSAN president said that asking multinationals to enlist
on the market was not the way to go as it was still on a downward trend with no
guarantee of a steady appreciation.

“They can only list when there is a guaranteed atmosphere
that their share price would not dip dismally. Those who are already listed,
how is the economy protecting their investments?” he queried.

Another shareholder, Mr Bayo Adeleke, agreed with Okezie,
saying that the NSE had not done enough to woo back the local investors who
left the market.

Adeleke cautioned NSE and SEC on what he described as the
overemphasis on foreign investors to the detriment of domestic investors.

He said that the current market’s dependence on foreign
portfolio investment was a “dangerous trend’’ that would make the Nigerian
bourse perpetually depressed on account of their investment character.

Mr Godwin Anono, Chairman of the Nigerian Professional
Shareholders Association (NPSA), urged the regulators to ensure strict
post-listing requirements.

Anono said that poor implementation of post-listing
requirements had misled investors who had no means of cross-checking material
facts about quoted companies.

He also said that the government’s ability to successfully
woo back delisted companies on the NSE could assist in restoring investors’
confidence in the market.

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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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