Business

Comptroller General Warns Over Expatriate Quota Abuse

Published

15 years ago

March 2, 2011

The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Mrs Rose Uzoma, has cautioned Nigerians to desist from saying many multinational companies are abusing expatriate quota.

Uzoma, who gave the advice on Sunday in Abuja, told newsmen that the relevant agencies were always ensuring that they did not breach their expatriate quota allocations.

She said: “the Nigerian government goes to other parts of the world to woo investors and when they come, they establish businesses or industries that provide jobs for Nigerians.

“That is not to say that we allow them to violate the law,’’ Uzoma stressed.

“Sometimes there is a misconception. We have a population of about 120 million Nigerians and when you have population of less than a million foreigners; would you say we have too many foreigners among us?

“For me I will say we need more foreigners in this country, provided they are the right caliber of foreigners. We need investors because if they come here and establish business or industries, when they are going they will not carry it away.

“And I always say that any business concern that can employ up to 20 Nigerians is quite desirable. All we need to ensure is that they pay their tax and they don’t break our laws.

“So, let not look at any time we see foreigners we say it is abused of expatriates quota. Definitely, there are some people who don’t conform with the laws, but we always remove them when we find them out.

Uzoma also explained that Nigerians must understand rules governing visa applications before demanding retaliatory measures on nationals whose countries would not bend the rules just to issue visas anyhow.

She recalled an interactive session she was engaged recently in London after the British government issued a new visa policy and some Nigerians there were asking that Nigeria should institute retaliatory measure against British nationals planning to visit Nigeria.

“Before I left to the interactive session, I took my time to find out how many British people were living and working in Nigeria. If I remember correctly, there were 586 of them living and working legally in Nigeria.

“And then I asked those Nigerians at the session in London to tell me how many Nigerians they thought were living in the UK. They said they were about three million. I say wait. So if we send away some 400 Britons and they send back three million people, what did they think would happen?’’

Uzoma also said that there were many Nigerian businessmen and women plying their trades all over the world and that it was necessary not to be harsh on foreigners living in Nigeria legitimately.

She said that any foreigner found committing crime would be dealt with, though.

The immigration boss also recalled that the administration of deceased President Umaru Yar’Adua and signed an agreement on the construction of a cement factory in Nigeria with a Chinese company, which would source finance in the international market.

The fund repayment had a deadline and the Chinese company had to mobilise manpower to execute the project in record time.

She then queried if it was improper for the company to move in staff to make the project achievable.

“The question is that at the conclusion of the construction of the factory, the factory will be employing over 2,000 Nigerians. So if this factory is going to take may be one year to build and after that over 2,000 jobs will be created. Is it not desirable? she queried.

“When I enquired, I found that it was in their contract agreement. We have now found that when these contracts are being negotiated, immigration officers should be present so that we can consider some adjoining issues,’’ Uzoma said.

Uzoma said: “Netherlands government has agreed to assist us in updating our basic training school in Kano to bring it up to international level so that it will be comparable to any other training school in Europe.’’

Business

Pipeline Explosion In Abua Odua, LGA Chair Calls For Calm

Published

3 weeks ago

July 3, 2026

The Tide

Fresh explosions have hit oil and gas pipelines in Odau Community, in Abua/Odual Local Government Area of Rivers State, triggering a major security and environmental crisis that has forced residents to abandon their homes.

The first incident occurred along the Kolo Creek – Rumuekpe crude oil pipelines, operated by Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited.

This was followed by a gas pipeline explosion on the Ogboinbiri – Obirikom Gas Pipeline, operated by Oando Plc, in the same week.

In a statement by the Abua/Odual Council Chairman, Hon. Owolobi Michael Ofori said the blasts, suspected to be the handiwork of militants, have unleashed persistent gas leakage in the area, raising fears of fire outbreaks and toxic exposure as residents of Odau have largely deserted the community due to the dangerous situation.

According to him, some residents of the area have been hospitalised after inhaling the leaking gas, adding that the impact has spread to neighbouring communities, including Obedum, Emirikpoko, and Anyu in Abua/Odual LGA, as well as Oruma and Ibelebiri in Bayelsa State.

Hon. Ofori expressed deep concern over the plight of the affected residents and urged the operating companies to act swiftly.

The Council expressed its deepest sympathy to all affected persons and communities and remained gravely concerned about the safety, health, and welfare of residents whose lives and livelihoods have been disrupted by these incidents.

“We call on Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited and Oando Plc to immediately deploy all necessary technical and emergency response resources to contain the fires, halt the gas leakage, secure the affected pipeline corridors, and mitigate further environmental and public health risks.” the Council Chairman Said.

The chairman also appealed to the two oil firms to provide immediate humanitarian assistance and relief materials to the displaced residents while work continues to restore normalcy.

The Council Chairman said he is working closely with security agencies and emergency responders to monitor the situation and coordinate necessary interventions.

The Council Boss advised Residents of the Local Government Area to remain calm, cooperate with authorities, and adhere strictly to safety directives.

Ofori further called on the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), the Rivers State Government, and other relevant bodies to intervene urgently to prevent loss of lives and environmental damage.

Hon. Ofori assured that the council remains committed to the protection and welfare of its people and will continue to engage all stakeholders to resolve the crisis.

Enoch Epelle

Business

Fidelity Bank Collaborates YEIDEP To Empower Nigerian Students

Published

3 weeks ago

July 3, 2026

The Tide

Fidelity Bank Plc has reaffirmed its commitment to youth empowerment, financial inclusion and entrepreneurship through a strategic partnership with the Youth Economic Intervention and De-radicalization Programme (YEIDEP), a Federal Government-backed initiative aimed at equipping young Nigerians with the skills, support and opportunities needed to build sustainable livelihoods.

Under the partnership, the bank will support the enrolment of students and young people into the YEIDEP programme, which is designed to tackle youth unemployment, promote enterprise development and expand economic participation among Nigeria’s growing youth population.

The next phase of the initiative is scheduled to end today at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, where the enrolment exercise for students and youths across the South-East that started since July 1st would be concluded at the university’s Convocation Arena.

The exercise is expected to reach more than 60,000 regular undergraduate students.

Speaking on the partnership, Fidelity Bank’s Divisional Head, Product Development, Osita Ede, said youth empowerment remains central to the bank’s vision of building a more inclusive and prosperous society.

He noted that Nigeria’s youths represent the country’s greatest asset and stressed that providing them with the right skills, opportunities and financial support is critical to unlocking their potential and driving national development.

According to Ede, the bank continues to provide young Nigerians with tools for success through its digital banking platforms, financial literacy initiatives, youth-focused products and strategic partnerships.

He added that Fidelity Bank recognises that limited access to funding, mentorship and business development support remains a major challenge for many aspiring entrepreneurs, and is committed to creating pathways that will help them overcome these barriers.

The bank said its support for YEIDEP aligns with its longstanding commitment to empowering Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), which it described as key drivers of economic growth and job creation in Nigeria.

Interested students and youths have been encouraged to open Fidelity Bank accounts and register for the programme through the bank’s dedicated online portal.

Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos

Business

NPA Launches Multi-Agency Taskforce To Combat Apapa Traffic Gridlock

Published

3 weeks ago

July 3, 2026

The Tide

The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has launched a multi-agency task force to combat the resurgence of traffic gridlock choking the Lagos Port access roads, in a fresh push to restore seamless cargo evacuation and sustain recent gains in Port efficiency.

The intervention followed a stakeholders’ meeting convened by the Managing Director of NPA, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, on June 23rd, 2026, where security agencies, freight forwarders, truck operators and representatives of the Lagos State Government agreed on coordinated measures to eliminate the bottlenecks disrupting cargo movement.

At the meeting, stakeholders identified illegal extortion points, overlapping responsibilities among security agencies and other operational distortions as major factors responsible for the renewed congestion along the port corridor.

Speaking on the outcome of the meeting, the NPA’s General Manager, Corporate and Strategic Communications, Mr. Ikechukwu Onyemakara, said the Authority’s overriding priority is to guarantee the unhindered movement of cargo to and from the nation’s seaports.

According to him, the task force comprises the NPA, the Police, the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) and the Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO).

“The responsibility of the task force is to monitor truck movement on the Port access roads on a regular basis, identify any disruption capable of causing gridlock and immediately resolve such challenges,” Onyemakara said.

He stressed that members of the task force would not establish checkpoints along the corridor but would maintain strategic presence at designated locations to ensure compliance without obstructing traffic.

To enhance rapid response, Onyemakara disclosed that the task force has created a dedicated WhatsApp platform through which members can instantly report infractions or emerging traffic issues for immediate intervention.

On the long-delayed renewal of the Electronic Truck Call-Up (ETO) system contract, the NPA spokesman said the Authority is reviewing the terms to ensure a more robust contractual framework before awarding a fresh agreement.

He explained that although the previous contract had expired, the ETO platform remains operational under the management of the Truck Transit Parks (TTP) pending completion of the procurement process.

He expressed confidence that the renewal would be concluded soon.

Reaffirming the Authority’s commitment to maintaining free-flowing Port access roads, Onyemakara said efficient logistics remain central to the NPA’s drive to improve Nigeria’s Port competitiveness and preserve its growing international reputation.

“We are more interested in the free flow of logistics into our ports than anyone else because it is in our own interest,” he said

Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos