Business
Council Wants New 4th Mainland Bridge For Lekki Port
The Chairman, Port Con
sultative Council (PCC), Chief Kunle Folarin, has suggested the building of the Fourth Mainland bridge for easy evacuation of cargo from the proposed Lekki Deep Seaport.
Folarin made the suggestion in an interview The Tide source in Lagos, as Maritime activities closed on Friday.
He added that adequate transport corridors (rail, road and pipelines) should be put in place to serve the proposed port.
The chairman said that this would save port operators the agony of traffic bottlenecks encountered along the access roads to the Tin-Can Island and Apapa ports.
The PCC chief said that the problem at the Tin Can Island port was due to the fact that the transport corridors to the port had become inadequate to handle traffic.
‘When you now build a port in Lekki, you must be thinking of how you empty the traffic that the port would generate. “Will it join the existing level of traffic? ‘‘ Folarin asked.
The PCC chairman further suggested that there should be 11 lanes of dual carriageway; starting from the proposed port and creating a Fourth Mainland Bridge which would empty the traffic through Lagos metropolis.
The Tide gathered that the Lekki Deep Seaport is a 41-month project, expected to be inaugurated in 2019.
When completed, the port could handle container vessels of up to 10,000 Twenty Foot Equivalent (TEUs) with an annual cargo throughput (imports and exports) capacity of 1.5 million tones.
The project, which is expected to cost 1.6 billion dollars, is being built on a tripartite arrangement.
The partners are: the Federal Government, represented by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) (20 per cent); Lagos State Government (18.5 per cent); and Tolaram Group of Singapore (61.85 per cent).
The port will also be equipped to handle 16.7 million tones of liquid cargo and 40 million tones of dry bulk cargo yearly.
Meanwhile, NPA indicated in its publication- ‘Shipping Position’ that 36 ships laden with petroleum products, food items and other commodities were being expected to arrive at Lagos ports from June 5 to June 21.
It said that 17 of the expected ships would sail in with containers while the remaining 19 ships would arrive with kerosene, diesel, general cargo, fresh fish, bulk fertiliser, steel products and bulk wheat.
The publication stated that eight other ships, laden with petrol, base oil and bulk rice had arrived the ports, waiting to discharge their contents.
Meanwhile, seven ships are in the ports discharging bulk wheat, crude palm oil, diesel, base oil and containers.
During the week under review, Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association (WISTA, Nigeria) said that port concession had in the last nine years improved cargo delivery services in Nigerian ports.
The President of the association, Mrs Jean Chiazor-Anishere, told newsmen that the development was in line with international best practices.
“In terms of infrastructure, our seaport are now of international standard but not ‘uhuru’ yet because the tracks have not been totally reactivated.
“For Lagos seaports, there has been a lot of improvement.
“The Nigeria Customs, in their wisdom, have introduced PAAR (Pre-Arrival Assessment Report) system and this is commendable and should be encouraged,’’ she said.
Chiazor-Anishere, however, urged the Federal Government to assist in decongesting the port access road which she hoped would increase turnaround time of vessels, if such step is done.
In the week under review, the Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone “A“ of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) announced seizure of vehicles, poultry products, used clothes and general goods suspected to have been smuggled, valued at N65 million.
According to the Public Relations Officer of the Unit, Mr Uche Ejesieme, the Idiroko Axis, Monitoring Team of the command on Wednesday May 27, made the interception.
He said that the leader of the team, Deputy Comptroller Yahaya Usman, confirmed that his team had a stiff battle with the smugglers before they (smugglers) were eventually subdued.
“We intercepted vehicles, poultry products, 413 bales of used clothes and other general goods, suspected to have been smuggled through unapproved routes.
“We had mounted surveillance along some of the unapproved routes and I am very optimistic that the anti-smuggling strategies, being carefully articulated, will always yield the desired results’‘, he said.
“The team leader acknowledged the support of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Alhaji Dikko Abdulahi and his management team for remaining a clog in the activities of the smugglers.”
MoniePoint Inc. a digital financial firm in Nigeria, has said it is empowering community pharmacists across the country with innovative payment solutions to improve access to drugs.
The financial firm said it had also provided loans for pharmacists under the aegis of the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) to drive healthcare delivery in the country.
MoniePoint in a release titled, “Inside Nigeria’s community pharmacies: How Moniepoint drives healthcare access with payments and funding”, has reaffirmed its commitment to providing digital payment solutions to improve health outcomes in Nigeria.
The release examined how community pharmacies play a crucial role as vital access points for medical care in Nigeria, especially in areas with limited hospital or clinic access.
According to the release, the ACPN National Chairman, Ambrose Igwekwam, highlighted the critical role played by community pharmacies in Nigeria’s healthcare system over the years.
Igwekwam, however, expressed concerns over the challenges confronting the nation’s pharmaceutical industry which he said was hindering access to affordable medicines.
The pharmacist listed poor infrastructural systems, power, transportation, regulatory bottlenecks, importation dependency, and limited research opportunities as major challenges facing the pharmaceutical sector.
He also stressed the need for robust collaborative efforts with institutions like Moniepoint to strengthen the sector.
“As Nigeria continues to grow, improving local pharma manufacturing to meet the demands of this growth presents a key opportunity for us all.
“There is also the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement, which is expected to boost our industry, especially when we start producing our drugs locally, which will provide the much needed foreign exchange from exports.
“We are also seeing advancements in digital health and technology which would hopefully deepen the practice of e-prescription in Nigeria”, the ACPN boss said.
Corlins Walter
In order to enhance customer service and streamline operations, the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN) has called on stakeholders in the insurance industry to embrace Artificial Intelligence (AI).
The President of the institute, Yetunde Ilori, made this call at the 2024 Office Representatives Committee (ORC) Workshop, organised by the institute, with the theme “AI and the Future of the Insurance Industry”, in Lagos.
Ilori at the event, emphasised the importance of AI adoption, noting that it was not a threat to jobs but rather a tool to improve efficiency across the insurance sector.
“It is not about AI taking over our jobs, but about us using AI to simplify processes and give maximum satisfaction to all the customers we serve whether as underwriters, brokers, loss adjusters, or in educating our members”, she said.
The workshop, which brought players in the insurance sector together, aimed to address how AI could be leveraged to transform business processes and improve customer interactions.
The Chairman of the ORC, Monica Nwachukwu, underscored the role of AI in modernising the industry, adding, “AI can automate customer and claims processes, allowing insurers to provide faster and more efficient services to their customers”.
She explained how AI could help extract data from legacy systems, enhancing decision-making processes.
“By integrating AI with APIs, insurers can feed valuable data into AI solutions to improve operations and customer service”, she added.
In his address, the Managing Partner of A4S and Training Heights, Orlando Odejide, stressed the need for companies to align their strategies with future technologies like AI, especially as they prepare for 2025.
“Any organisation that wants to grow into the future must have its strategic plan in place. If your strategy for 2025 is not ready, it should be done by October”, he advised.
He encouraged participants to think critically about how AI could be integrated into their business models to ensure they remain competitive.
“The idea is for you to use this workshop as a platform to think about your organization and how AI can help streamline your processes and improve growth”, Odejide noted.
In order to gain global respect and recognition, the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) has reaffirmed its determination to pursue its goal in ensuring that Nigeria’s space capabilities are recognised on the world stage.
The agency also reaffirmed its commitment to positioning Nigeria as a key player in the global space economy.
In a statement by the Director of Media and Corporate Communications, Dr. Felix Ale, NASRDA revealed that the Director-General of the agency, Matthew Adepoju, emphasised this during recent engagements at the 79th United Nations General Assembly and the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) and Global Alliance Business Association international conference in Michigan, United States.
The statement noted that Adepoju outlined a forward-thinking agenda, stressing the importance of Nigeria’s space programme as a leader in research, exploration, and technological innovation.
“Our goal is to ensure that Nigeria’s space capabilities are recognised on the world stage.
“We must foster collaborations with global space agencies to enhance our satellite capabilities and technological infrastructure”, he stated.
The NASRDA boss said the agency is focusing on enhancing satellite capabilities, expanding international collaborations, and leveraging space science for national development.
He said NASRDA will have no stone unturned in pursuit of excellence, ensuring the agency secures the necessary resources and recognition to propel it forward.
“The relationships we build today will pave the way for tomorrow’s advancements in space science.
“Innovation and progress thrive in an environment built on collaboration and inclusivity”, he stated.
He emphasised that with the support of the government, international partners, and a dedicated team, NASRDA is poised to make significant strides in the evolving global space landscape.
“We are on the brink of a new era for Nigeria’s space agency. Together, we will ensure our nation stands out in the global space economy”, he said.
Corlins Walter