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Jonathan Assumes Chairmanship Of D-8 …Woos Member-States To Invest In Nigeria

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President Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday assumed chairmanship of the Group of Eight Developing Nations (D-8) with a call on member-states to take advantage of the investment opportunities in Nigeria.

Declaring the 7th summit of the group open in Abuja, Jonathan said Nigeria was blessed with abundant human and natural resources that the D-8 members could exploit.

The president said:“With a population of 150 million, Nigeria is not only Africa’s most populous country, but a preferred investment destination on account of its abundant human and natural resources.

“These are assets that we are making available to investors in D-8 member-countries to exploit,’’ he said.

Jonathan said he would welcome proposals for the establishment of the D-8 Joint Investment Fund as a vehicle for expanding the scope, volume and value of trade and investment among member-states.

He said there was the need to encourage private sector-led cooperation in priority projects in areas such as energy, civil aviation and infrastructural development.

The president also advocated the resuscitation of the D-8 Shipping Business Forum to facilitate the development of the group’s maritime sector as well as achieve its intra-trade target of 1.7 trillion dollars by 2012.

He recalled D-8’s vision at inauguration in 1997, and stressed the need for the member-states to combine their strengths and special endowments to generate the best outcome individually and for the group as a whole.

Jonathan said the recognition of the power of cooperation in maximising the outcome of the summit, informed the choice of the theme, “Enhancing Cooperation among D-8 Member-States.

He said his priority during his two-year tenure as chairman of the group would be to focus on practical and achievable means of enhancing private sector participation in its activities.

Jonathan also stressed the need for the D-8 to adopt its own charter, which would create rights and obligation as well as define the organisation’s relationship with other multilateral organisations.

In his statement to the group, the Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, Mr Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who handed over to Jonathan, expressed gratitude to Nigeria for the warm reception accorded members.

He highlighted the achievement of the D-8 since his country took over the chairmanship in July 2008 and expressed confidence that the group would realise its goals and objectives under the “able stewardship of Jonathan.’’

Those attending the summit are President Mahmoud Ahamdinejad of Iran, President Abdullah Gulf of Turkey, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh, and the Prime Minister of Egypt, Dr Ahmed Nazif.

Others are the Coordinating Minister and Head of Delegation from Indonesia, Hatta Rajasa; Pakistan Minister of Commerce, Mr Makhdoom Fahim and the D-8 Secretary General, Prof. Widi Pratikto.

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NPA Assures On Staff Welfare 

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June 27, 2025

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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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June 27, 2025

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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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June 27, 2025

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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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