Business
Hotel Owners Reduce Rates To Woo Customers
Some hotel owners in
Abuja on Monday said they had slashed their service rates to attract more customers as a strategy to combat low patronage.
The hotel owners, who made this known in an interview with newsmen said that the move was in view of the recent low patronage they were experiencing.
Miss Miracle Newman, acting Operation Manager, Bolingo Hotel said that low patronage was a big problem facing the sector, adding that it must be dealt with strategically.
“This year, the management of this hotel has agreed that we review the rates of our rooms and facilities to a reasonable amount that can attract more customers.
“This progress will also give us the chance to record good profit.
“We are exploring new policies to make sure that our daily operations run smoothly and to satisfy our customers, this has made us to review of our rates.
“We also put in latest security measures to make sure that all our guests are treated fine without any form of hitch,’’ she said.
Mr Barry Curran, a staff of Sheraton hotels said that the standards of the hotel across the nation were set to be improved on this year.
He said that the hotel was improving its facilities including the ICT rooms, the swimming pools and the rooms to attract more patronage.
“It is fair to say that the primary goal of almost every operator of a hotel is to make as big a profit as possible. To achieve such a goal the focus needs to be on both revenues and costs.
“Hotels can boost their bottom line by increasing revenues or decreasing costs, we are working towards achieving better goals in the cause of the year,’’ he said.
The Managing Director, Peniel Hotel, Abuja, Mrs Oluwatoyin Adedoyin said that the major priority of the group was to ensure the best and affordable accommodations to its customers.
“One of our major goals is to not only increase our income but also to expand more and create more job opportunities for people.
“We want to be as friendly as ever, we guarantee our customers, the best and affordable accommodations,’’ Adedoyin said.
The Head of Sales, Ibro Ground Hotel, Mr Gabriel Adoba, said that the hotel was giving its best to ensure that its staff and guests “are happy’’.
“Any good hotel operators should be able to give your guests a reason to choose your hotel over other hotels.
“That is exactly what we are working on achieving, guests satisfaction and increase our sales level.
“We want to be the most preferred and to boost our income, you can differentiate your hotel from your competitors on the basis of price, policy and service,’’ he said.
Mr Adesola Ibidapo, a guest in one of the hotels, said that he visited the hotel due to an online advert that displayed its prices.
“I realised that the hotel is offering a reasonable price, I got a coupon from the internet and when I got to this place I realised that they actually changed their prices,’’ he said.
Mrs Doren Akpan, a travel agent, said that most of her clients visited Abuja more frequently between December 2015 and January due to low rates of the hotels.
“Most hotels in Abuja are trying to reduce their service rates; I think this is encouraging and good because it can help to grow the tourism sector.
“Hotels play more important role in redeeming the image of the country and boosting the economy, adding that a rate will give room for competitiveness.
“We have advocated for the hotel operators to be more friendly, we can see that coming to play with the introduction of low rates and adverts,’’ she said.
Mr Joseph Ochimana, a lawyer said that it was important for hotel operators to ensure that tourists and guests got value for their money at all times.
“Whether your guests are just staying for one night or more, you should always do your best to make them feel at home.
“It is our pride as Nigerians to see that businesses are growing.
“I am happy that the tourism sector is placing high quality priority on tourists, especially on the lower rates the hotels are offering to get people attracted to the sector,’’ Ochimana said.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, (NNPC), along with their partner, the Nigerian Content Development & Monitoring Board, NCDMB, and Zed Energy have executed a shareholders’ agreement for the establishment of a 50 million litre Petroleum Products Terminal in Brass, Bayelsa State.
The N10.5 billion Brass Petroleum Products Terminal project is expected to deliver an automated 50 million litre depot with two-way product jetty, automated loading bay, and 6 automated tanks for storage of 30 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS)and 20 million litres of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) and Dual Purpose Kerosene (DPK).
While speaking at the signing ceremony, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his giant strides in the Niger Delta which is making a huge impact on the people of the area.
“I make bold to say today without any fear of contradiction that no President has impacted the people of the Niger Delta like President Muhammadu Buhari. Aside from what we are witnessing today, remember there is also the Brass Fertilizer & Petrochemical Company, the Oloibiri Oil and Gas Museum and the Oil & Gas Park in Ogbia, all under Mr. President,” the Minister stated.
Sylva added that the establishment of the Terminal further demonstrates Mr. President’s commitment to the enhancement of the livelihood of the Niger Delta people particularly, the riverine communities in Bayelsa State where people purchase products at exorbitant prices due to logistics challenges associated with transporting products to that area.
Speaking shortly after signing the agreement, the Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Mallam Mele Kyari said the Corporation was proud to be part of the project which aside ensuring products availability in all nooks and crannies of the Niger Delta, will also guarantee the nation’s energy security and generate employment.
“This Terminal will create 1,000 direct jobs during the construction phase, and over 5,000 indirect jobs during its operation. Considering the potential for employment when completed, this will definitely reduce youth restiveness in the Niger Delta area and will also address the problem of illegal refining in the area,” Kyari stated.
In his remarks, the Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Simbi Wabote stated that this milestone was as a result of strong interagency collaboration and public-private sector partnership.
“The NCDMB will continue to drive such partnerships across the industry to bring development in Nigeria,” he noted.
Earlier, the Coordinator of the Project and Group General Manager, National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS), Mr. Bala Wunti stated that the project would enhance the economics of marine petroleum products distribution.
The senate has commended the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) for its efforts towards attaining profitability and stamping out corruption from its system.
Chairman, Senate Committee on Anti-corruption and Financial Crimes, Suleiman Abdu Kwari, gave the commendation at a hearing which was held at the national assembly complex, Abuja.
Kwari said it was heart-warming to learn that the NNPC was making great strides towards profitability and urged the corporation to sustain the gains recorded so far for the good of the country.
In his presentation at the hearing, Mele Kyari, the group managing director of NNPC, said the corporation was championing the fight against corruption in the oil and gas industry by placing measures to curb incidences of corruption across its various business portfolios and by enlisting as a partner company of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI).
He also said that the corporation has reported several incidences of infractions such as products diversion and crude oil theft to the police, EFCC and other investigating agencies of the federal government to stem corruption within the oil and gas industry.
In an effort to clampdown on fuel smuggling, the ministry of petroleum resources launched the operation white project in October 2019 to monitor and track the movement of petroleum products in the country.
Also in February 2021, the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) launched the downstream remote monitoring system (DRMS) to track the movement of petroleum products from depots to retail outlets.
“We have created an anti-corruption desk in NNPC that engages the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and other anti-corruption agencies on a regular basis,” NNPC GMD said.
“The desk ensures that in all our operations, every staff complies to the code of conduct procedures with consequence management.
“We have established a regulatory compliant governance charter and transparency policy; this is a mark of our compliance to the anti-corruption strategy.
“For the first time in 43 years, NNPC, as a part of the evolving culture of transparency and accountability, published its Audited Financial Statements (AFS) for 2018 and 2019. We are going to publish that of 2020.
“The AFS is the only document that tells how a company does its transaction. We are happy that by the time the 2020 AFS will be published, Nigerians will see the dividends of our accountability.”
Chairman/Managing Director, Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL), Rick Kennedy, said the company has in the last 10 years spent an estimated annual average of $1 billion on Nigerian suppliers and service providers in line with its commitment to Nigerian Content Development.
Highlighting the opportunities and new approaches to the future of hydrocarbons at the ongoing 2021 NIPS in Abuja, Kennedy stressed the need for robust policies and regulations to address and remedy existing challenges in the oil and gas industry; digital technology/innovations; cost efficiency initiatives; sustained social investments as well as continued support for Nigerian Content Development.
Kennedy, who was represented by Monday Ovuede, director, NNPC/CNL Joint Venture, identified opportunities in lowering carbon emissions and harnessing Nigeria’s gas resources as key enablers in complementing the new approaches to future of hydrocarbons in the Nigerian oil and gas industry in the post COVID-19 era.
According to him, the global community has continued to scale up the collaboration towards lower carbon emissions, adding that Chevron supports global efforts to reduce carbon emissions and is actively investing in operations to improve environmental performance while also working with industry to develop new innovative technology and best practices to achieve these objectives.
He emphasised that CNL’s gas strategy is to end routine gas flaring and build a profitable gas business through a portfolio of projects, and stated that in Nigeria, CNL, with its joint venture (JV) partners, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), has progressively reduced routine gas flaring by over 95% in the past 10 years and remained ahead in terms of maximising supply of on-spec gas into the Nigerian domestic market.
He also highlighted the NNPC/CNL’s Gas Sales and Aggregation Agreements with Egbin Power Plc, Dangote Fertilizer Limited, and Olorunsogo Generation Company Limited, while mentioning the positive impact of the West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP) through which Nigeria supplies gas to countries in the West African sub-region – specifically, Ghana, Togo, and Benin – thus, helping to boost economic development in West Africa.
Kennedy also noted that Chevron has joined other energy companies supporting the Methane Guiding Principles to reduce methane emissions from natural gas exploration and production operations through digital innovation and deployment of best practices, which include designing, constructing, and operating its facilities in a manner to reduce emissions from its operations.
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