Onafowokan: Building Local Capacity Will Make Nigeria Manufacturing Hub

Gilbert Ekugbe

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Coleman Technical Industries Limited, Mr. George Onafowokan, has urged the federal government to replicate the success achieved in the petroleum industry to achieve rapid industrial growth.

Speaking with pressmen, he called for a deliberate and strategic approach to encourage the growth of local factories and the manufacturing of goods instead of mere assembly, saying that by fostering a supportive environment and building local capacity, Nigeria can establish itself as a manufacturing hub, creating more opportunities for businesses and economic growth.

However, speaking on the company’s journey to success, Onafowokan shared that Coleman Wires and Cables started as a small-scale business in 1996 before registering as a company in 1975. 

He stated that through strategic growth and a vision to become the preferred choice for wires and cables in Nigeria, Coleman gradually expanded its operations. 

He noted that recognizing the demand for locally made cables, the company diversified its product range and became the first in Nigeria and West Africa to produce high-voltage cables. “Today, Coleman’s products are unmatched in quality and are not produced by any other company in Nigeria, West Africa, and many parts of sub-Saharan Africa,” he boasted.

Looking ahead, he pointed out that Coleman’s future appears promising, maintaining that the company has several ongoing projects, including the expansion and completion of its Shagamu plant, the establishment of copper and aluminum factories, and a power project to increase capacity. 

“Coleman also has plans to supply markets in West and Central Africa, with further expansion into East Africa. The company’s robust export plan aims to boost business figures significantly, contributing to Nigeria’s economic growth,” he said.

Polo Limited Unveils the Masters of Art Collection in Honour of Vincent Van Gogh

Ugo Aliogo

Polo Limited, and Providus Bank have celebrated the artistry of Montblanc’s first Masters of Art collection of writing instruments in honour of Vincent van Gogh.

The unveiling was held at the Providus Bank pent house where its interior was transformed to mirror Saint-Remy-de-Provence, a town in Southern France where the 19th century Master of Art, Vincent van Gogh lived most of his life as an artist.

“The statement guests were guided through wheat fields reminiscent of the scenery that became associated with much of Vincent van Gogh’s work, “it said in a statement.

“The evening unfolded with a captivating showcase of Montblanc’s homage to Vincent van Gogh writing instruments, providing discerning clients with an immersive journey through the brand’s legacy of precision and craftsmanship. Limited-edition pieces, each a masterpiece in its own right, were displayed, allowing clients explore the artistry behind these coveted collector’s items,” the statement noted.

The Managing Director, Polo Limited, Mr. John Obayuwana, said: “It was a real pleasure meeting some of the avid pen collectors while celebrating the exceptional artistry of Montblanc’s craftsmanship.”

Dana Air Honored for Supporting SMEs

Chinedu Eze

Dana Air has been honored for supporting Small and Medium Enterprises in Nigeria at the Business Day SME100 awards and conference held recently in Lagos. 

The SME100 Conference and Awards formerly known as Top Fastest Growing SMEs Awards is an initiative of BusinessDay Media Limited and since the first edition in 2018, the award is specially designed to recognize and celebrate the impact and achievements of SME companies in Nigeria.

Similarly, Dana Air also bagged the award as Corporate Enabler of Sports at the Arena Awards held recently at Radisson blu Hotel Lagos. 

The Arena is a collection of awards recognizing innovation, creativity and resilience amongst institutions, brands and individuals pushing the frontiers of sports tourism in Nigeria. 

Speaking on the award, the Chief Operating Officer of the airline Ememobong Ettete said, ”Dana Air understands the need to not just exist in isolation but to impact the community in which we operate greatly and positively” 

Dana Air has over time shown great commitment to growth and development of sports in Nigeria and Africa at large supporting various grassroot sports initiatives and clubs in the Nigerian local league.  

NAHCO Chairman’s Cup, Domestic Team Lifts Trophy 

Domestic football team comprising GAT (General Aviation Terminal) and MMA2 (Murtala Muhammed Domestic Terminal) stations on Friday became the second team to lift the coveted NAHCO Chairman’s cup when it defeated hard – fighting Main Ramp team.

Speaking shortly before handing over awards to winners, the Chairman commended the teams for the good soccer display stating that he envisages NAHCO FC playing in the Nigerian professional league in the future.

Fademi commended the team that lost for putting their best and the winning team for playing extremely well.

Group CEO, Mr. Indranil Gupta, said since all the participating belonged to NAHCO, it is NAHCO as a company that has won. He urged that the bonds that hold the company should continue.

He later gave out awards to the match officials; the bronze medalists, Cargo Ramp FC; the silver medalists, Main Ramp FC; and the Champions, Domestic FC.

ATCON Charts New Roadmap for 30^th Anniversary

Emma Okonji

In celebrating its 30^th anniversary, the Association of Telecoms Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) has released a new set of vision that will further shape the Nigerian telecoms industry.

Speaking at a dinner in Lagos at the weekend, organised by ATCON to kick off the anniversary activities lined up for the first quarter of 2024, the President of ATCON, Mr. Tony Izuagbe Emoekpere, said ATCON would partner with government agencies and industry stakeholders to re-institute international conferences that will bring foreign players to showcase and invest in Nigeria; re-visit the corporate governance system among organisations and further drive collocation of towers, broadband penetration and Right of Way (RoW) issues. He said highlight of the anniversary activities would be a documentary of industry players and the showcasing of individuals, state governments and federal institutions during an award night designed to celebrate individuals, organisations and government agencies that have contributed to the growth of the telecoms industry.    

Emoekpere stressed on communication, which according to him, is a fundamental human right, insisting that anything that affects the ability to communicate, impedes on human right. According to him, ATCON is providing critical service to the telecoms industry and communication is key in achieving any feat in this regard.

In his welcome address at the dinner, Emoekpere said having reached the threshold of 30 years in providing critical services in the telecoms industry, ATCON is proud to highlight the remarkable achievements that have shaped the telecoms landscape in Nigeria.

Past presidents of ATCON that were present at the dinner, were pleased with the landmark achieved in the past 30 years, through collaboration.

Former ATCON president, Titi Omo-Ettu, gave a vivid narration of how ATCON started 30 years ago and how it has made an indelible mark after 30 years. He commended all, past presidents and all members for their contributions towards the success of ATCON.   

Another former ATCON president, Olusola Teniola, spoke about how the industry has emerged from the analogue era to the digital era and how ATCON has enabled the current digital economy.

Executive Secretary of ATCON, Ajibola Olude thanked the past presidents for their contributions to the growth of ATCON in the last 30 years.

QorePay Launches Payment Gateway to Enhance Digital Transactions

Emma Okonji

A new fintech company, CorePay, has launched its payment gateway in Nigeria that will further enhance digital transactions among businesses, while deepening Nigeria’s financial inclusion drive.

Speaking during the launch in Lagos recently, the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of QorePay, Mr. Josh Owoseni, said the payment gateway would address all payment challenges by providing simple and easy-to-use solutions for all business segments in the country.

Giving details about the payment solution, Owoseni said: “QorePay is a Fintech company, with focus on easy and secured payment solutions. The payment gateway comes with a user-friendly dashboard, which has a lot of key performance indicators (KPIs) metrics that help businesses to understand how well they are performing and how they can do better in their businesses. Our payment gateway is built on Blockchain technology with Artificial Intelligence (AI) model that helps businesses to see their payment transactions in real time. The platform enhances digital payment transactions with ease to payment links and printing of invoices, and it supports bulk invoices.”   

According to him, the internet penetration in Nigeria has provided a fertile ground for Fintechs to grow and for every Nigerians to be financially included. He said the company saw a lot of challenges in the payment space in Nigeria, which it seeks to address. 

“Sometimes payments processing in Nigeria can be cumbersome, it can be time-consuming, and it’s not affordable. QorePay is launched to address these issues by providing seamless, secure, simple, affordable payment solution for all. 

“We also want to unlock the potential of the Nigerian markets. We see the growth of mobile phones and internet penetration, these actually provide a field for Fintech to be able to explore and to be able to create solutions for all Nigerians to be financially included,” Owoseni said.

Also speaking, the co-founder and Chief Financial Officer of QorePay, Mr. Tolani Ogunsola, said one of the company’s core strategies was to go out to small businesses across Nigeria with a view to bringing them into the payment system. According to Ogunsola, the target is to onboard over 50,000 small businesses and provide them with the solutions that can help them grow their businesses by leveraging technology. 

“QorePay is also targeting job creation for Nigerians it is building a team of local expertise in Fintechs, which it could later send out as it expands the business to other countries in Africa,” Ogunsola said.