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1,000 Companies Compete For 12 Rail Projects

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More than 1,000 contractors are participating in the bids for 12 projects advertised by the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC).
The corporation has opened the bids to pre-qualify the contractors for the 2018 projects.
Mr Ben Iloanusi, the NRC Director of Procurement, told newsmen during pre-qualification exercise at the NRC headquarters, Ebute Meta, Lagos, Wednesday.
Iloanusi said about 1,000 submissions were received across the various categories.
“The projects numbering 12 as advertised recently by the corporation in some national dailies attracted over 1,000 companies.
“The projects included emergency repair and maintenance of tracks, bridges and culvert, renovation.
“Also inclusive are upgrade of railway stations nationwide, procurement of locomotives, coaches, wagons, railway inspection vehicles and cranes, rehabilitation of locomotives and coaches.
“Others are procurement, rehabilitation and installation of equipment for mechanical, electrical, security, printing and ICT facilities; procurement of rolling stock consumables and spare parts and provision of insurance services,” he said.
The director further disclosed that the exercise may be concluded by the end of October as the procurement team had been directed to conclude the evaluation process in one month.
Mr Niyi Ali, the Director of Operationa, promised that the process would be transparent, saying the corporation will be fair to all in the pre-qualification and selection stages.
Our source reports that about N12 billion was approved by the Federal Government for the corporation’s projects in the 2018 budget.
Representatives of the various companies were on ground as the team verified the documents submitted by them amid tight security.
International Trade Fair slated for Sept. 26 to Oct. 7.
Mrs Tonia Shoyele, the Director-General, Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI), made the disclosure at a news conference in Abuja.
The theme of the fair is “Enhancing Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Agribusiness through Innovative Technology’’.
“There are about 43 countries coming in, 11 embassies will be attending the fair, all the states of the Federal Republic of Nigeria will also be present,’’ Shoyele said.
She said that trade fair would bring together more than one million visitors with about 1,500 exhibitors across all the sectors of the economy.
Shoyele said that exhibitors would have an ample opportunity to showcase and promote their brands to a captive audience of decision makers, which would in turn increase their market share.
According to her, it will be an opportunity for manufactures to interact with product end users, handle customer complaints and reward brand loyalists.
She said that this year’s edition would provide a platform for sharing of trade, investment and market opportunities and information and would help buyers and sellers, investors and countries to foster business relationship.
Shoyele said that the objective of the fairs was to promote all aspects of the economy through national and international cooperation and promote made in Nigeria products.
She said it would create conducive trade atmosphere between Nigeria and other countries for the actualisation of joint venture projects.
“Other objectives are to form partnership with international investors and also create opportunity to acquire latest updates in the global market,’’ Shoyele said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that in the past, exhibitors complained of middlemen that would buy more than 10 exhibition stands and sell to them at an exorbitant price.
Shoyele said that the issue of middlemen had been addressed saying “we have taken steps to ensure that extortion of exhibitors will not occur in this year’s trade fair.

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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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