Business
Ethiopian Airlines Meets Envoys Over Passengers’ Detention
Most popular carrier in Ethiopian Airlines Meets Envoys Over Passengers’ DetentionAfrica, the Ethiopian Airlines, has met with the ambassadors of Nigeria, Ghana and six other African countries with a view to finding amicable solutions to the reported delays and detention of some passengers at the Bole International Airport, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The Group Chief Executive Officer of Ethiopian Airlines, Mesfin Tasew, in a statement obtained on Monday, spoke against the backdrop of the recent reports alleging maltreatment of Nigerians by Ethiopian police and immigration officials.
While denying the allegations that Nigerians travelling through the Bole Airport hub are maltreated unjustly and subjected to unfair police and immigration detention, he noted that only passengers who fail to comply with the required international security standards are delayed or sometimes detained for normal police and immigration processes.
The Nigerian Ministry’s of Foreign Affairs had earlier said over 270 Nigerians are serving various prison terms in Ethiopia, adding that most of them were imprisoned for drug-related offences.
The Ministry was reacting to a recent viral video by one Dr. Paul Ezike on social media on the alleged plight of Nigerian inmates in the Kaliti Prison in Ethiopia.
However, the Ethiopian Airlines GCEO, had told journalists in Addis Ababa last week, that efforts were being made by the carrier to address the issue.
This, he said, led to a recent meeting with the ambassadors of some eight African countries in Addis Ababa.
“We had to call about eight ambassadors from West Africa to my office. They were kindly willing to come to Nigeria, Togo, Senegal, Ghana. They expressed their concern.
“So, we are discussing this. It is unfortunate, we don’t want any passenger to be inconvenienced as they pass through Addis Ababa Airport, but some of these things are beyond our control. That is the case. Otherwise we don’t want anyone to be inconvenienced”, Tasew said.
Lamenting the situation further, the Africa largest carrier boss said its findings had shown that some passengers transiting through the Bole Airport hub often were carrying beyond the required amount of dollars or precious metals allowed by the Ethiopian government laws.
He observed that the failure to declare such huge amount to the Customs officials at the point of entry often had led to the arrest and detention of such passengers.
Tasew, however, noted that plans were on by the government of Ethiopia and Nigeria to resolve the matter through diplomatic channels.
“Some passengers are found carrying drugs. If they are found carrying drugs, definitely they are not allowed to continue their flight.
“The security people will take them under custody. If they are found carrying weapons without permission, they do the same thing until they investigate and see that it is an approved weapon and so on.
“So, some passengers, when they are found to be non-compliant, they can go under the custody of police.
“The second problem that we witness is that some people carry a lot of money on paper, a lot of dollars, or valuables like gold in large size or dollars for example in tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, sometimes even millions; over a million dollars are carried in their bags.
“Such passengers might probably not have incurred the wrath of the Ethiopian government if they were not passing perhaps a day in the country during their flight.
”If they are transiting without coming to Addis, the security people don’t touch them. They can carry the money because it’s their money, they are not coming to the country.
“However, for some reason, if they want to pass a day or a night to get their connection and they have to come out to the hotel, the national regulation says that all passengers carrying over $10, 000 or its equivalent or in gold or other normal ornament, have to declare it at the Customs section on arrival.
“You have to tell them that ‘I am carrying $30,000’. They may ask you, ‘where is it’? You can take it out from your bag and show them. You are then asked to sign on a piece of paper they will give you.
“And the next morning when you are going out, as you pass through the X-ray, the Custom officials are there. If they see it and ask you whether you have a permit to carry the money, you then show that paper and nothing will happen. You are free to carry out your money, even if it is $1m. All they are asking you to do is to declare it.
“If you don’t declare, then the government assumes some Ethiopians had met with you in order to take such hard currencies out of the country. So, the government assumes that if you didn’t declare it when you were coming in, then it means it’s not your money; somebody in the city has given you the money, so it is illegal to take out the money.
“The government confiscates the money. This is another problem that we have. So, to protect them from doing this, you may have heard that before the flight arrives, the cabin crew announce to all our esteemed passengers to declare to Customs if they are carrying more than $10,000”, he explained.
By: Conlins Walter
The Bayelsa Electricity Company Ltd, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Environment, on Friday, commenced the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the proposed 60-megawatt (MW) power plant.
The Tide’s source reports that the power plant project, led by the Bayelsa State Government, is in Elebele, on the outskirts of Yenagoa, the state capital.
The source also reports that the State Governor, Douye Diri, had announced plans to establish an independent power project to end the state’s reliance on the national grid and provide an uninterrupted power supply across Bayelsa.
The Director of Operations at the Bayelsa Electricity Company Ltd., Steve Bubagha Jnr., conducted the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, and his team around the project site.
Mr. Bubagha explained that the company planned to install a 60MW “plug and play” gas-fired turbine that would receive gas feed from the Oando gas manifold in Elebele.
He said the land area for the project is approximately 5.8 hectares, with 2.1 hectares currently being used.
“The Independent Power Plant is officially known as the ‘Yenagoa Power Project. This is a ‘Plug and Play’ Gas Turbine.
“What we mean by ‘plug and play’ is that the turbine is already set to be installed upon arrival from the manufacturers.
“We are only working on other components, so the turbine should be running in less than two years, or at most, in two years”, Bubagha explained.
Following the site visit, the environment minister, represented by Adimchinobi Okereke, emphasised that the purpose of the visit was to ensure the EIA process adhered to standard guidelines before granting final approval to the project.
He lauded the state government for initiating the project, noting that once completed, it would benefit Bayelsa and contribute to solving Nigeria’s power supply challenges.
Azibola Inegite, a professor and Dean of the Faculty of Science at Niger Delta University, and the EIA consultant for the project, assured that international best practices would be followed in conducting the EIA.
He emphasised that the EIA was essential for the successful execution of impactful land and environment-related projects.
On his part, the technical adviser on Print Media/Public Affairs to Governor Diri, Wisdom Ikuli, commended the Governor for his vision in executing the project.
He stated that the 60MW power plant would help reduce the state’s frequent power outages and boost business growth, thereby accelerating industrialisation.
A key part of the minister’s visit was the “Stakeholders Engagement Scoping Workshop for Environmental Impact Assessment of Proposed Gas Powered Plant and Gas Delivery Pipeline in Bayelsa State”.
The workshop brought together stakeholders from Elebele, whoch include the host community, and Kpansia, an impacted community in Yenagoa Local Government Area.
A firm, Fortune Global Shipping and Logistics Limited, said it has concluded plans to unveil an excellent and cost-effective logistics solution for oil and gas logistics, project cargo, customs clearance, consolidation, and construction, among others, in Lagos State.
Announcing this in a statement on Friday, the company said the initiative would be unveiled during the 2025 Sub-Saharan Africa International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference.
It stated that the event is billed to take place in Lagos this week.
SAIPEC is an annual global event which focuses on harnessing a sustainable African energy industry through partnerships.
Fortune Global explained that the exhibition promises to engage with other key industry stakeholders, decision-makers, and experts across Sub-Saharan Africa’s energy supply and value chain.
“We invite you to experience more and find out about Fortune Global’s latest innovations in oil and gas logistics. Connect with Fortune Global Shipping and Logistics Limited at the Exhibition Booth N21, Eko Convention Centre, in Lagos”, the statement stated.
Nigeria remains the largest economy in Africa going by Gross Domestic Product (GDP), in spite of the challenges faced by yhe country’s private sector.
World Bank’s Country Director for Nigeria, Dr. Ndiame Diop, who confirmed this at the Country Private Sector Diagnostic (CPSD) and Stakeholder Engagement in Abuja, Friday, said while Nigeria receives far less Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) than its potential warrants, especially in comparison to countries like Indonesia and South Africa, it continues to hold its position as Africa’s biggest economy.
He said the CPSD report, set to be released in the coming weeks, will reveal the impact of private sector constraints on economic growth.
Diop noted that if targeted actions were taken to remove these obstacles, Nigeria’s economic potential would be significantly enhanced.
He explained that the current macroeconomic reforms have created a favourable environment for such changes.
He cited the country’s recent economic stabilization measures, particularly exchange rate market adjustments and improved access to foreign exchange, as critical steps that have already enhanced investment conditions.
The Country Director outlined four key sectors where strategic reforms could unlock massive investment and job creation.
He stayed that in the Information Communication Technology (ICT) sector, investment opportunities worth up to $4 billion could be realized, potentially creating more than 200,000 jobs.
In agribusiness, reforms could unlock $6 billion in investment and generate over 275,000 jobs.
The solar photovoltaic (PV) industry holds the potential for $8.5 billion in investment and more than 129,000 jobs, while the pharmaceutical sector could attract $1.6 billion and create more than 30,000 to 40,000 jobs.
For the ICT sector, he identified the high, unpredictable, and inconsistent right-of-way fees, levies, and informal charges, comprising 30 to 70 per cent of broadband rollout costs, as a major barrier.
According to him, addressing these regulatory inconsistencies would be a game-changer for broadband expansion.
He acknowledged that the National Economic Council has recognized this issue and that progress is being made through a World Bank-supported initiative.
He also noted challenges such as vandalism, limited financing for rural broadband expansion, and the need for competitive access to wholesale fiber.
Dr. Diop further noted that efforts are underway in collaboration with government agencies to resolve these issues, and the World Bank, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), and private investors are prepared to support broadband infrastructure development.
On solar power, Diop described Nigeria’s energy sector as difficult but noted that renewable energy access, particularly solar PV, has been a bright spot.
He explained that private sector investment in renewable energy has historically been hindered by high costs and unviable tariffs.
However, blended finance mechanisms supported by the World Bank and IFC have helped bridge this gap, making off-grid solutions more viable.
He noted the DES project, which aims to connect 17.5 million households and businesses to solar power, as evidence of growing private sector interest.
While the solar industry is expanding, he stressed that reforms to improve Nigeria’s grid electricity supply remain crucial for industrialization.
On her part, the Regional Director for Central Africa and Anglophone West Africa at the IFC, Dr. Dahlia Khalifa, stressed the importance of consistency in regulatory policies, particularly in customs duties and revenue agency fees.
She noted that unpredictability discourages private sector investment, as businesses rely on stable regulatory environments for strategic planning.
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