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Bank Pledges Partnership With NASENI On Indigenous Technology

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The Bank of Industry (BoI)
has pledged its willingness to collaborate with the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), to promote indigenous technology in Nigeria.
The BoI Managing Director, Mr Rasheed Olaoluwa, said this in Abuja recently when he led the bank’s management team on a working visit to the NASENI office.
Olaoluwa said that BoI was prepared to support and encourage Small and Medium-scale Enterprises (SMEs) that were ready to patronise NASENI’s products.
He also urged engineers to key into the agency’s initiative by partnering it on technology innovations that were development oriented.
He said there was a direct correlation between technology and the nation’s development, adding that it had been proven that no nation could develop without technology.
“BoI will be prepared to support SMEs that are ready to patronise NASENI’s technology. We are also willing to collaborate with the agency on many of its products like the solar panel and agricultural processing machines.
“A nation that wants to develop must pay attention to technology because it has been proven from the beginning of humanity that technologies control the economy.
“No matter how hard we try, unless we are able to achieve some form of independence in terms of technology, we are only scratching the surface,’’ the BoI boss said.
He said the bank’s role was to serve as an active link between centres of innovation such as NASENI with its affiliate institutes and industries, because BoI was seated at the centre of industrial development.
He urged NASENI to get its technology products patented to be able to get returns in form of royalty from its users to sustain the agency.
Executive Vice-Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NASENI, Dr Muhammed Haruna, said the agency was determined to own its technologies locally to drive the nation’s industrialisation.
Haruna said that NASENI had launched made-in-Nigeria motorcycles and tricycles and many other technologies which included cassava and grain processing machines and solar panel.
He said that BoI’s support for the agency’s innovations would help increase its capacity to produce more.
According to him, the possible areas of collaboration expected from the bank include training and capacity development for new and existing SMEs.
Haruna said the agency also needed the bank’s collaboration in the provision of appropriate technologies for entrepreneurs, indigenous industries, SMEs and industrial parks around the country.
“We also need collaboration in technical support and extension services to sustain the growth of new and existing indigenous industries and the development of off-grid electricity generation to support indigenous industries,” he said.
The NASENI boss said the agency had launched five kilowatts of kinetic turbine in Mada River in Nasarawa State, while currently working on 2×35 kilowatts in Ikeji in Osun.

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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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