Business

We’ll Bring More Swiss Products To Nigeria – Envoy

Published

8 years ago

August 2, 2017

The Consul-General of Switzerland in Lagos, Mr Yves Nicolet, last Sunday, expressed the readiness of more Swiss companies to export their products to Nigeria, as soon as the recession is over.
Nicolet made the remark in Lagos at the celebration of the 726th anniversary of the foundation of the Swiss Confederation.
The Consul-General said that the celebration of the Swiss Day in Lagos, which was usually meant to be celebrated on August 1, every year, was not a blunder.
“Today, we are celebrating the 726th anniversary of the foundation of the Swiss Confederation. We are not making a plunder if we are not celebrating the Swiss National Day on August 1st.
“Let me say that we have been trying to strengthen our bilateral relations with Nigeria, especially in the areas of Economy and Culture.
“In the last two months, we are proud to see five new Swiss companies who took the decisions to open their branch offices here in Lagos, and this is a very positive sign.
“Let us hope that as soon as the economic recession ends in this country, we will have a lot more of Swiss companies that will show big interest in the Nigerian market,’’ he said.
The Consul-General, however, said that the current economic situation was also the “right moment’’ for companies to come and invest in Nigeria.
Nicolet expressed optimism at the possibility for the improvement in the current Nigerian economy.
He said that he was committed to attracting more Swiss companies to come and invest, as well as do business in Nigeria.
Nicolet also announced his home government’s plan in October, to organise “Nigerian Days’’ in the three linguistic regions of Switzerland, where Swiss companies would be exposed to investment opportunities in Nigeria.
“The volume of the bilateral trade between Switzerland and Nigeria has to be increased, and I am here with the goal of reaching this objective.
“We believe that the bilateral trade between our two countries is quite still weak. I am convinced that we can bring more Swiss company products to Nigeria, as well as have more Nigerian products go to Switzerland,’’ he said.
According to him, about 90 per cent of Switzerland’s importation from Nigeria is crude oil.
Nicolet added that to further promote bilateral relations between both countries, a Swiss-Nigerian Business Council was founded last year.
He said that his government’s engagement with Nigeria was being guided by the vision that Nigeria would be an example of a peaceful multi-ethnic, multilingual and multi-religious country model, like Switzerland.
After South Africa, Nigeria is Switzerland’s second-largest trading partner in sub-Saharan Africa.
Nigeria exports mainly crude oil, while Swiss exports primarily comprise machines, pharmaceuticals and other chemical products, as well as textiles.
Due to its oil imports, Switzerland has a very negative trade balance with Nigeria.
Some 60 to70 Swiss firms are active in Nigeria, mainly in the south of the country.

Business

NPA Assures On Staff Welfare

Published

5 days ago

June 27, 2025

The Tide

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

Business

ANLCA Chieftain Emerges FELCBA’s VP

Published

5 days ago

June 27, 2025

The Tide

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

Business

NSC, Police Boost Partnership On Port Enforcement

Published

5 days ago

June 27, 2025

The Tide

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