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Minister Inaugurates 7th ECOWAS Trade Fair Committee

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12 years ago

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The Minister of State for Trade and Investment, Mr Samuel Ortom, has inaugurated the Nigeria chapter of the National Organising Committee for the 7th ECOWAS Trade Fair.

The Tide source reports that the event is slated for Accra, Ghanaian capital, between October  24 November 4

Director Trade, Ministry of Trade and Investment Mr Been Iyeh will serve as chairman of the committee, while Mr Sabo Bello, Director of Market Development at the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) is the alternative chairman.

Inaugurating the 29-member committee, Ortom said that its main function was to plan Nigeria’s effective participations in the fair.

To this end, he urged the members to “develop strategies on how to improve on Nigeria’s share of regional trade and attract substantial direct foreign investment into the nation’s economy.

This, according to him, is stimulate economic growth and achieve the transformation agenda of the present administration.

Ortom said government was determined to take advantage of the trade fair to attract more direct foreign investments to the country.

Nigeria, in the last three years, has witnessed strong economic growth which has positively impacted on poverty reduction and unemployment levels in the country. Government is determined to maintain this tempo.

A central focus of government, therefore, is to ensure an employment generating growth process capable of addressing the issue of development and poverty reduction,” he said.

The minister, however, said that Nigeria’s share of global and regional trade was still low both for exports and imports.

He said that economic activities in Nigeria had not gathered enough momentum to improve trade performance in the regional market, in spite of the country’s enormous human and material resources.

Fortunately, the region now has a solid market within which to develop intra-regional trade investment. The region has population of  about 300 million people. This is an opportunity  to be explored by our business in order to further spur growth and provide jobs for our population. “I, therefore, urge you to focus on issue that would spur trade and investment during the trade fair. “the ECOWAS Trade Fair remains a tool for showcasing the regional industrial, manufactured goods, services and attracting foreign direct investment. The fair is a multi-sectoral event that attracts a wide range of products such as industrial and agro –allied products.

It is my firm belief that Nigeria, as a strategic and important economic player within the sub-region, should positively use the platform availed by the fair for economic growth and development,” he said.

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NPA Assures On Staff Welfare 

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7 days ago

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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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7 days ago

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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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7 days ago

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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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