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Airlines Rake in N304Bn from Tickets Sales in 2013

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MMIA, Lagos
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Both the foreign and domestic airlines with flying routes in Nigeria, in 2013, sold tickets worth N304 billion. And while the domestic airlines sold tickets worth N73 billion, on the other hand, the foreign airlines sold tickets worth 231 billion in the same year.

The domestic airlines were able to ferry 5 million passengers across Nigeria in 2013.

Capt. Usman Mukhtar, director general, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) disclosed these while delivering a keynote address at the 20th Annual  League Of Airport And Aviation Correspondents (LAAC) seminar in Lagos.

On the West Coast route, he said, 277,000 passengers were moved. In Intra – African route 437,000 passengers and on the Intercontinental route 1.4 million passengers were airlifted.

“All these were achieved with the domestic airlines operating a total of 63,000 frequencies across the country. On the West Coast there were 4000 frequencies, Intra – Africa 4000, Intercontinental 7300 frequencies.

He said that in recognition of the increase in the volume of passengers, the Directorate of Consumer Protection (DCP) has intensified efforts to process complaints and ensure comfort of air travellers.

According to him, Nigeria has therefore become an attractive destination for foreign airlines and ceaseless application for additional frequencies.

“At present Nigeria has Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) with 78 countries. However, some of these are not being utilised. In order to strengthen and widen our BASA with existing and new countries, Nigerian delegates will be attending an ICAO Air Services Negotiation Conference (ICAN 2014) from 17th – 21st November 2014 at Bali, Indonesia.

“As in the past, the ICAN Conference will provide States with a central meeting place to conduct multiple bilateral (regional or plurilateral) air services negotiations or consultations. It will offer participants excellent networking opportunities.

You can now agree with me that the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority through its robust regulation has been able to drive aviation to a very high pedestal of “development. The traffic will definitely continue to increase.

Earlier, he noted that in terms of policy thrust, especially from the regulatory perspective it is within NCAA’s framework to propound policy guidelines to drive aviation activities in Nigeria. All these policies fall under our instruments of regulation.

Nigeria is a member of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and therefore a substantial part of our regulatory instruments and policies are derivable for ICAO Annexes and documents.

In addition to these, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations (NCARs), other legislations and conventions in line with the standard and recommended practices are used to provide regulation in the industry.

Enforcement and Sanctions are definitive recourse when there is a violation.

With these capacities, the DG said that NCAA has over the years been able to acquaint itself creditably with effective and efficient regulation of the aviation industry. A major testimony is the attainment and retention of FAA IASA Cat 1.

“In the ICAO Audit conducted in a few years back, Nigeria scored very high marks. There is an impending ICAO Audit again and I am sure no one is losing sleep over that as the Authority has proven to be equal to the task.

“The global average of compliance to ICAO Safety Oversight Audit is 60 per cent. All members have subsequently agreed that all African states should strive to attain 60 per cent by the year 2017.Let me just intimate you with the strategic objectives of the imminent ICAO audit.

“This is to achieve excellence in Safety, Air Navigation Capacity and efficiency, Security and Facilitation, Economic Development of Air Transportation and Environmental Protection. However, the date is yet to be communicated to us.

“NCAA has continuously strengthened its regulations by periodical review and training of personnel. This is why our staff can comfortably excel anywhere in the world. We have Certified ICAO Inspectors in our ranks. We have been able to restore confidence in the air transport operations despite occasional mishaps,” he said.

According to the International Airlines Transport Association (IATA), in the last few years Africa has contributed over 7 per cent to the world traffic. In Nigeria, almost all major cities have been interconnected by air link.

NCAA has recently given Operational Permits to Bernin Kebbi, Jigawa (Dutse) and Bauchi International Airports. These airports were able to airlift pilgrims for Hajj this year.

Mukhtar said, “It is instructive to note that due to the upsurge in number of passengers in Nigeria, NCAA has keyed into a new ICAO methodology designed to accommodate the increase in traffic worldwide. This led to the formation of Aviation Safety Block Upgrade (ASBU) Committee in Nigeria.

“The Regulatory Authority has evaluated and granted approval for Airports Security Program (ASP) at majority of the airports. Others are undergoing assessment for approval. This is expedient in the face of global security challenges”.

He also urged aviation stakeholders in the country to continue to partner with the Authority for greater efficiency.

 


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Fortune Global Shipping Aims to Transform Nigeria’s Business Landscape

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Fortune Global Shipping and Logistics Limited is set to transform the business landscape of the logistics industry through services in oil and gas logistics, project cargo and lots more.

Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the company, Dr. Eric Opah, in a statement said the organisation is expanding into more regions across the globe with its latest addition of a corporate office in Benin Republic, while the Abuja and Lekki free trade zones which follow soon will be part of asset acquisition to serve the clients better.

In the statement tagged, “Plans for 2025: Global Business Expansion, Exciting Benefits for Customers Top the List,” Opah said he remains committed to upholding and promoting global standards and will stop at nothing in providing value added services to support clients and help them thrive this year.

He said: “The organisation is expanding into more regions across the globe with its latest addition of a corporate office in Benin Republic, while the Abuja and Lekki free trade zones which follow soon will be part of asset acquisition to serve the clients better.

“Much more, the number one Africa logistics partner has reiterated the commitment to provide innovative and ‘value-centric’ services in oil and gas logistics, project cargo and lots more.

“We remain committed to upholding and promoting global standards and will stop at nothing in providing value added services to support our clients and help them thrive this year.”


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Investing in Innovation Africa Shifts Focus to Growth-stage Startups in Response to US Aid “stop-work” Directive

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Investing in Innovation Africa (i3), a pan-African initiative for startups building the future of healthcare supply chains, has made a pivotal change to its third cohort selection to prioritize the immediate support for between five and seven growth-stage companies building the future of pharmacy care in Africa.

Funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and sponsored by MSD, Cencora, Endless Foundation, HELP Logistics, Sanofi’s Global Health Unit and Chemonics, i3 is dedicated to facilitating the commercialization of promising early- and growth-stage companies.

Selected startups receive introductions to leading potential customers in industry, donor agencies and governments, grant funding, and tailored investment readiness support from leading accelerators Villgro Africa, IMPACT Lab, Startupbootcamp Afritech, and CcHUB.

This comes in response to the United States (US) State Department’s “stop-work” directive for foreign aid issued on January 25, which is anticipated to impact the distribution of essential medicine in Africa’s healthcare supply chains.

The order highlights and intensifies the need for locally-driven, market-creating approaches to health product distribution and service delivery across Africa.

 


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Fidelity Bank to Launch Dedicated SME Hub for Small Businesses and Creative Entrepreneurs

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Fidelity Bank, a leading financial institution, has announced the imminent launch of its dedicated physical facility for Small and Medium-scale Enterprises (SME) and entrepreneurs in the creative sector.

Mrs. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, MD/CEO, Fidelity Bank Plc

Mrs. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, MD/CEO, Fidelity Bank Plc

Known as the Fidelity SME Hub, the multipurpose facility features training halls, meeting rooms, networking spaces, podcast rooms as well as music, photography and content production studios.

“For nearly four decades, Fidelity Bank has been at the forefront of supporting small businesses in achieving their potential and driving the nation’s economy. During this time, we have recognized that SMEs require more than just financial assistance. This realization has led to the implementation of various non-financial initiatives tailored to support this sector.

“The Fidelity SME Hub is our latest non-financial solution for SME growth. The facility is designed to foster innovation, collaboration, and capacity-building -vital elements necessary for strengthening Nigeria’s SME ecosystem and driving economic growth”, commented Dr Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Fidelity Bank Plc in a chat with journalists recently.

Located at the heart of Lagos, the Fidelity SME Hub will provide entrepreneurs with networking and stakeholder engagement initiatives as well as access to industry experts and mentors for hands-on guidance and business advice. A key feature of the facility is the Creativerse, a well-equipped space for entrepreneurs in the creative industry.

The bank has also announced the launch of dedicated courses to be hosted at the SME Hub in areas such as Financial Management & Investment Readiness, Digital Transformation & Technology Adoption, Marketing, Branding, and Business Growth Strategies. Furthermore, a fully-fledged creative academy will be established to cover courses on Music Production, the Business of Music, Website Design & Development, Mobile Videography, Disc Jockey and Photography. To see a comprehensive list of available courses or to apply, please visit https://www.fidelitybank.ng/smehub/.

Explaining further, Onyeali-Ikpe said, “Beyond empowering small businesses, the Fidelity SME Hub will also serve to bolster our non-oil exports drive as we empower SMEs to increase their contribution to Nigeria’s non-oil GDP thus supporting government’s economic diversification drive. Through our investment in Creativerse in particular, we anticipate that content creators will unlock new revenue streams in entertainment, digital media, and arts, an industry already contributing 2.3% to GDP.”

Ranked among the best banks in Nigeria, Fidelity Bank is a full-fledged customer commercial bank serving over 8.5 million customers through its 255 business offices in Nigeria and the United Kingdom, as well as through digital banking channels.

The bank has garnered multiple local and international awards, including the Export Finance Bank of the Year at the 2023 BusinessDay Banks and Other Financial Institutions (BAFI) Awards, Best Payment Solution Provider Nigeria 2023, and Best SME Bank Nigeria 2022 by the Global Banking and Finance Awards. It was also recognized as the Best Bank for SMEs in Nigeria by the Euromoney Awards for Excellence 2023 and the Best Domestic Private Bank in Nigeria by the Euromoney Global Private Banking Awards 2023.


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