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SMEDAN Boss Hails Nigeria’s 2017 SAGE Delegates

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The Nigeria’s delegates to the 2017 Students for the Advancement of Global Entrepreneurship (SAGE) World Cup performance in Ukraine has been described as brilliant.
The Director- General, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Mr Dikko Radda made the recommendation in Abuja at a reception organised by the agency for the delegates.
“My delight and pleasure comes from the fact that we represented Nigeria at the 2017 SAGE World Cup in Ukraine excellently with our brilliant performances,’’ he said.
Radda said that Nigeria performed creditably well at the World Cup in Odessa with over 33 countries representatives.
Odessa is the third most populous city of Ukraine and a major tourism centre.
He said that the outstanding teenage entrepreneurs were from the Junior Secondary School Jikoyi, Abuja and University of Calabar International Demonstration Secondary School, Calabar, Cross River State.
According to him, the students competed on most creative, innovative and impactful Social Enterprise Business Category and Socially Responsible Business Category respectively.
Radda said that Nigeria has won the SAGE world cup eight times in the last 10 years with support from SMEDAN.
He listed the cities where Nigeria won the competition in the past as Odessa Ukraine 2007, Abuja 2008, Brazil 2009, New York 2011, San Francisco U.S. 2012, Abuja 2013, Seoul South Korea 2015 and Manila Philippines 2016.
“One of the teams, Junior Secondary School Jikoyi, prescribed the use of cassava peels as a major energy source in poultry/livestock feed formulation which is abundant waste in Nigeria.
“The Jikoyi team helped in reducing environmental pollution associated with dumping of cassava peels to wealth creation across rural villages in Nigeria.
“It will also help to form cooperative of women to help process and market the product and increase sales per month of rural women.
“The Calabar team also demonstrated a high sense of innovativeness and creativity through the invention of Water – Powered Generator.
“This will help small business householders reduce cost of powering generator and reduce the impact of gas emission associated with the release of CO/Co2 in convectional Gas – Powered Generator,’’ he said.
Radda said that the team had helped different Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to reduce cost of business operation associated with petrol automobile gas oil.
SAGE is a global, non-profit organisation that connects secondary school student organisations to mentors from local universities and businesses.
Its mission is to advance youth entrepreneurship and community service around the world, emphasising ethical business practices, social responsibility, civic engagement and environmental awareness.

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NPA Assures On Staff Welfare 

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2 weeks 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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2 weeks 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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2 weeks 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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