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Lagos-Abidjan Expressway Project Begins 2014 –Jonathan

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President Goodluck Jonathan said last Saturday in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire that the construction of Lagos to Abidjan Expressway would commence next year.

The president made the disclosure at the Nigerian-Cote d’Ivoire Investors Forum on the sideline of his state visit to that country.

He said that the construction of the road was imperative to enhance free movement of goods and persons and reduce the encumbrances currently posed by the local customs and police to business men.

He said that the construction of the road was “dear to the heart of the ECOWAS leaders”.

Jonathan was speaking on the sideline of the 42nd ECOWAS Summit in Yammoussoukro, there was a meeting of the leaders of Nigeria, Togo, Benin, Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana on how to actualise the project.

“We have charged the Ivorian Minister of Infrastructure and the Nigerian Minister of Works to work with the ECOWAS Commission that within two weeks they must come up with a blueprint and preliminary information on the project.

“We will discuss the issue in Addis Ababa in May when we go for AU meeting.

“This is because we want a situation where the desk-work will be completed this year and by next year, we want physical construction.

“We believe that when we have this express road the issue of movement, interference by Customs and Police will be minimised because that will be an ECOWAS road.

“The laws regulating the use of the road will not be the laws regulating that of the roads in Nigeria, Cote d’Ivoire or Ghana.

“It will be an international standard and everything will be done in such a way that movement of goods, services and so on will not be interfered with by local restriction.”

Jonathan said that the projects would not be financed with public funds but by development partners and some viable banks which would re-coup their funds through tariffs and toll fees.

“It is a viable project that banks and business men within and outside the region will key into and which will generate enough money in short time.

Jonathan further explained that the project when completed would integrate the entire region.

“Togo has seven million, Benin Republic, eight million, Cote d’Ivoire, 25 million, Ghana 26 million and Nigeria about 167 million.

“When you add all these together, it gives you about 236 million out of the projected 287 million of ECOWAS.

“So, these five countries, by the time you traverse from Nigeria to Cote d’Ivoire, then you will easily integrate the entire sub-region.

“You will so integrate the system in such a way that you can key other countries along, that is why we decided that we must work with our business men and women to develop an express road from Lagos to Abidjan,” he said.

The president noted that there were lots of investment opportunities in the sub-region which were yet to be harnessed for development.

He identified the major challenges to development as lack of technology and exportation of raw materials without adding values.

“When you export crude oil you export job opportunities because those who refine the crude oil and turn our gas to petrochemical create a lot of jobs.

“Like now, we are supposed to be exporting finished products not crude oil and gas but we are still doing that.

“Cote d’Ivoire is just going to the oil industry, they should not make the mistakes Nigeria made from the beginning they must think about exporting finished products not exporting crude oil.

Jonathan noted that economic growth should not be reduced to paper work but realities that would affect the lives of the citizens.

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Maritime

Shippers’ Council Registers 160 Port Operators

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The Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) says it has registered 160 Port stakeholders into its Regulated Port Service Provider and Users platform since the initiative began in 2023.
Executive Secretary, NSC, Mr Pius Akutah, made the disclosure on the sideline of a sensitisation programme by the commission for port operators in Lagos, with the theme, “Regulated Port Service Provider and Users”.
Represented by the Director, Consumer Affairs, Chief Cajetan Agu, Akutah emphasised the significance of the programme for stakeholders.
He said the sensitisation programme was the second edition after its commencement during the last quarter of 2023.
The Secretary said the 160 registered port operators consist of agencies, terminal operators, shipping companies, individual port users as well as service providers.
“We invited the ports stakeholders for enlightening them on the processes for online registration of Regulated Port Service Provider and Users.
“We have demonstrated to them how to register and how to make payment and we were able to present before them the various categories of the registration.
“The rate of payment is also in the registration. The payment of each group depends on the operation. A shipper pays N30,000, terminal operators and shipping companies pay N300,000, truckers also pay N30,000, while some pay N50,000 and N100,000.
“The Council was able to intimate them on the benefits, because port users benefit more as we help to interface on reducing port charges from time to time”,  Akutah said.
He said  that there was a need to continue to work with port operators to stop delays and eliminate high costs to make the port efficient.
Also speaking, the Deputy Director, Stakeholders, Service, NSC, Mr Celestine Akujobi, said “the sensitisation exercise was important for the council to enable us bring all the port stakeholders together”.
According to him, this is to avoid challenges during the implementation of the council’s responsibilities.
“By the time we introduce sanctions on defaulters, no operators will complain that he or she is not aware of the registration.
“I’m happy with the turnout of this sensitisation. This shows that the operators are well informed of the statutory friction of the council as the port regulator.
“The final implementation will commence as soon as we discover that all the operators have keyed into the portal.
“We are engaging other ports across the country and we’re hopeful that before the last quater of 2024, the council will implement sanctions on defaulting operators”, Akujobi said.
Earlier, Vice Chairman, National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwards (NAGAFF), Dr Ifeanyi Emoh, said  port challenges were enormous, adding that they originated from some of the government agencies.

Emoh urged the council to look into regulating other government agencies, so that there could be a window through which they can collect port charges collectively instead of indiscriminately.

By: Chinedu Wosu

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Business

Chivita, Hollandia Reward Outstanding Trade Partners At Annual Conference

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Chivita| Hollandia (CHI Limited) leading fruit juice and value-added dairy manufacturer in Nigeria has rewarded its long standing distributors at the recently held 2024 Distributor Conference. The event with the theme, “Break Boundaries Exceed Expectations” served as a platform to recognise and reward the exceptional contribution of the distributors and wholesalers who play a critical role in Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited) success and business goals for the year.
The Distributor Conference was held in two sessions. While the morning session featured keynote addresses, industry insights and brand immersion experience, the evening session was a cultural display of elegance and funfair that culminated in the award presentation and recognition of the contribution the trade partners made to the company in the 2023 year under review.
A key highlight of the event was the award ceremony which acknowledged outstanding trade partners in various regions across the country. The awards recognized commitment, dedication, and outstanding performance in areas of sales growth, brand promotion, and market expansion.
Eelco Weber, Managing Director, Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited), stated that the company’s success story is incomplete without the strong partnerships it has built with trade partners. “Today, we celebrate not only the achievements, but the collaborative spirit that has made our growth possible” he said.
Bola Arotiowa, Chief Commercial Officer, Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited), in his statement revealed that, the event which was first of its kind will continue to be an annual meeting to enable the company work more closely with its distributors, share insights and action points, help the trade partners familiarize themselves with the company’s goals and objectives for each year, and serve as a driver for mutual success.
“Our distributors are the backbone of Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited). Their relentless efforts in distributing our products, promoting our brands, and expanding our reach across the nation is truly commendable. As the bridge between us and our valued consumers, it is very important to reward their hard work and dedication for being an essential part of the Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited) family. Together, we will continue to deliver great products to our conusmers which in turn will deliver value to them”, Mr. Arotiowa added.
Speaking at the conference, HajiyaBilikisuSaida, Chief Executive Officer of Smabirm Nigeria Limited, who won the Outstanding Distributor of the Year in North 1 region, and got a reward of two million Naira worth of Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited) products expressed delight at the company’s recognition, and stated that the awards served as a way to inspire distributors to do more and put in more effort, which in turn would help both the distributors and the company to grow.
Other outstanding performance distributors of the year rewarded with a two million Naira worth of Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited) stock include, Sunny Chuks Limited for East 1 region, MRS FA & Sons Limited for East 2 region, Hussakas Ventures for North 2 region, Rookee 1388 Ventures for Lagos 1 region, Pik N Pil Ventures for Lagos 2 region, FaithJoe Event Management Limited for West 1 region, and Progress Family Nigeria Enterprise for West 2 region.
The annual Distributors Conference aims to strengthen the bond between Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited) and its trade partners. This collaborative approach fosters mutual growth and ensures the continued success of the brands in the Nigerian market.
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Business

AXA Mansard Backs Female-Owned MSMEs With N1.4m Grant

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A global leader in insurance and asset management, AXA Mansard, has supported three female-owned MSMEs with business grants totaling 1.4 million to boost their operations.
This, the company said, is part of its commitment to women and the Medium, Small, and Medium-scale Enterprise (MSME) sector in the country.
The three businesses were successful at the International Women’s Day Pitch Competition, organised in partnership with SME 100 Africa in Lagos.
According to the Head of Marketing, AXA Mansard, Olusesan Ogunyooye, the competition, which is aimed at supporting female entrepreneurs in Nigeria, “is another way AXA is demonstrating its commitment to the causes of women and stimulating the MSME sector in Nigeria”.
The business pitch competition received numerous entries from women across different sectors, but after a rigorous selection process, shortlisted participants were selected to participate in the competition.
Ogunyooye said “the programme provided a unique opportunity for women from various works and socio-economic classes to showcase their innovative ideas and solutions in sectors such as food, tech, fashion, and fragrance, creating an atmosphere filled with excitement, enthusiasm, and a strong sense of community”.
He stressed the importance of investing in women, saying it is not just the right thing to do, but also aligns with AXA’s purpose of acting for human progress.
He explained that AXA believes the future of women should not be at risk, hence investing in their economic empowerment is a crucial part

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