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ECOWAS Moves To Check Unemployment

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The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) recently in Addis Ababa, tasked member states on effective measures to address the alarming rate of youths unemployment in the West Africa region.

Addressing the Ministerial meeting of the 9th ordinary session of AU Commission’s Labour and Social Affairs, ECOWAS Commissioner for Human Development and Gender, Dr Adrienne Diop said over 33 per cent of the population in the ECOWAS region were youths and that 70 per cent of them were unemployed.

Diop lamented that although the Community recorded an average of 5.6 GDP growth, youth unemployment remained a serious challenge to the region.

“ We cannot sit on the fence and allow this productive age group to waste away as they constitute a serious social problem to the community.

“ Our member states are actively involved in drawing up of measures to address the challenge, but we need to do  more at the regional level especially with the adoption of the ECOWAS Action Plan in 2012.“

She said  the situation was compounded by the conflicts in Mali, Guinea Bissau and other parts of the region.

“As the challenges continue to flow in torrents, we need to equip ourselves with innovative  ideas and stronger commitment to take them one after the other.’’

Diop, however, said that ECOWAS had expanded its scope of operation by putting in place policy measures, tools, and developed functional and dynamic programmes to address these challenges to make positive impact on the populace.

“On the labour sector there has been some imitative with the adoption of labour and employment policy and strategic plan of action which are now being implemented.“

She appealed to the member states to effectively promote social dialogue and tri-partism cooperation as efficient “means of mainstreaming social harmony at national and regional levels to provide a forum for dialogue and consultation among stakeholders in the labour and employment market. “

Earlier, AU Commissioner in charge of Labour and Social Affairs, Dr Mustapha Sidiki called for inclusive pro-job growth combined with employment and social protection schemes among AU member states.

Sidiki said “Africa is still the least productive region in the World, lagging far behind other regions.

“ According to the 2012 AUC-ECA MDGs report, this situation will worsen unless vigorous measures are taken to address it.

“It is, therefore, imperative to look into the critical challenge of productivity by further engaging in the implementation of the AU Productivity Agenda for Africa.“

The Commissioner also appealed to member states to address the increasing trend of inter-regional labour migration.

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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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