Connect with us

Business

N-Power First Batch Beneficiaries Continue With Scheme …As FG Offers No Exit Date

Published

on

The Federal Government says no date has been announced for the exit of the first batch of volunteers enrolled under the N-Power scheme.
Communications Manager, National Social Investment Office (NSIO), Justice Bibiye, in a statement Friday, in Abuja, urged the public to disregard social media reports about current status of the programme.
He said that the Federal Government was liaising with state governments and the private sector to provide permanent engagement for the N-Power beneficiaries.
Introduced in 2016 by President Muhammadu Buhari, the N-power Programme, is a graduate and non-graduate job enhancement scheme.
The objective is to enable them acquire the requisite skills, knowledge and experience for entrepreneurship and self sufficiency at the culmination of their tenure on the programme.
The N-Power beneficiaries are then provided with N30, 000 monthly stipend and devices to aid their learning and skills development.
Bibiye said that progress was already being recorded in the programme as many  beneficiaries had already started taking ownership of their lives by setting up small businesses with earnings from the N-power programme.
“Consequently, the Federal Government is already in talks with state governments and the private sector to solicit support for permanent engagement of the N-Power beneficiaries, who by virtue of their exposure to the work environment in the last two years have now garnered the needed experience to effectively operate in the industry,” he said.
The communications manager said that the former Special Adviser to the President on Social Investment, Mrs Maryam Uwais, was in Yenegoa, Bayelsa State, recently to inaugurate the National Home Grown School Feeding Programme.
He said that Uwais also intimated N-power beneficiaries of plans by government to assist them get a sustainable means of income as they prepared to exit the programme.
Bibiye said that Uwais also used the opportunity to encourage state governments to retain volunteers who provided services in schools and other public and private institutions in their states.
“Uwais was joined by  Bayelsa government officials to ramp up on some ongoing social intervention programmes, including Marketnoni, Tradermoni.
“She  also met with the Conditional Cash Transfer officials and beneficiaries in the state saying that the Federal Government through partnerships with some key private sector players is looking out for employment opportunities in the areas of education, ICT, agriculture, security among others for the graduating N-power volunteers,” Bibiye said.

Continue Reading

Business

NPA Assures On Staff Welfare 

Published

on

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
Continue Reading

Business

ANLCA Chieftain Emerges FELCBA’s VP

Published

on

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
Continue Reading

Business

NSC, Police Boost Partnership On Port Enforcement 

Published

on

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
Continue Reading

Trending