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Industrialist Bemoans Poor Infrastructure At Airports

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Renowned industrialist in Rivers State and Managing Director of Sodibem Engineering Works, Port Harcourt, Engr. Solomon Diri, has bemoaned the level of decay of infrastructure at the nation’s airports.
Speaking with journalists recently at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa on arrival from an Engineering Summit in Brussels, Belgium, Diri urged the Federal Aviation Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to quickly overhaul infrastructural facilities at the airports to make them attractive to would-be investors into the Nigerians economy.
He specifically lamented the state of toilets, insufficient trolleys and the sizes of Port Harcourt International Airport, Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja and the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, among others.
Diri pointed out that Nigerians have seen that there was inadequate number of trolleys at the arrival and departure axis of the airports.
He advised the authority to ensure that friendly flagrance was put to use in the toilets in order to ensure that visitors form good opinion about the country.
Diri, a RSU-trained mechanical Engineer said that Nigeria was in the process of becoming the aviation hub for sub-Sahara African region and other parts of Africa and therefore stressed the need to ensure best practices in terms of movement of goods and people, as well as provision of adequate infrastructure.
According to him, “the facilities for now at these airports are still not adequate. There is a lot of room for improvement of facilities”.
Diri noted that, “if we want to achieve the best goal and transformation agenda of President Mohammadu Buhari we need more injection of funds, government alone cannot do it. We believe that with the renewed interest from prospective foreign investors who are prepared to team up with the Federal Government to expand the facilities and make it cope with the increase number of flight envisage in the next four years”.
The industrialist said that government has to draw the attention of FAAN to some of the gaps in the services and believed that, within the shortest possible time, necesary amendments should be made.
He, however, expressed the hope that E-Passport equipment installed at the airport had made organisations to perform their civic duties effectively, noting that some passengers still present old MRP passport, which the service had stopped accepting.
Diri added that instruction on designated issuance of visa to genuine investors and tourists had not been communicated to them to commence the process as pronounced by the federal government.

 

Bethel Toby/Peace Ihedoro

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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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