General News

Courier Sector is Law Abiding-Oladapo

Published

17 years ago

January 19, 2009

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Siyanbola Oladapo is secretary general and member of Trustees, Association of Nigeria Courier Operators (Anco). He worked for so many institutions like Thompson Barradell Oil Service Company where he rose to general manager. He also had experience in the banking industry where he spent over a decade. Oladapo, the managing director/ chief executive office Bowill Errands Courier spoke to emeka okafor on issues in the courier sector.

Direction of the Association in 2009
Last year was a good year and 2009 will be a better year. We have been able to surmount most of those teething problems we were facing as an association and as courier operators in 2008 and that’s why 2009 will be ushering in good tidings for the industry. We are more charged and we have grown in number now and people are becoming more aware about the association as a place where they can report any case of misdemeanor against any operator. With the public awareness about the association, it has made it easier for us to control the industry in a very good way and that is why I said 2009 will be a better year when those things we have been able to trash out will materialize so much in 2009.
Teething Problems
One of the teething problems included understanding why people had to register with the association. Secondly, you have Nigeria International Air Couriers Association
(Niaca) who did not understand why there should be another body initially. Now we have better understanding and we work hand in hand. We see the problems of the industry as our problems and we meet regularly to discuss issues. Thirdly, initially people didn’t believe in people regulating them to tell them to do things in a good way. Those were some the challenges we faced and after that we were able to overcome. People now have confidence in the association; more people are now joining the association. The Courier Regulatory Department (CRD) is supporting us so much .Again, other executive bodies have been able to see us as partner they can talk to against when there was no such body .now they know there is a body recognized by the Federal Government and so those were what I considered as the teething problems but now things are better.
Achievements of Anco in 2008
We will not start blowing our trumpet. I think we will leave it for the public to see what we have been able to achieve. For instance the incidence of dumping which you will not hear the way it was before. Again the CRD has been able to take us along in their training programmes and other matters affecting the industry. The department helped us to reach out to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and banks and other people that hitherto we didn’t have the opportunity of meeting. Now with the Courier Consultative Forum (CCF) which is a forum for stakeholders in the courier business, we have been able to express the problems we are facing whether with registrars, companies or anyone and they have come to see us as practitioners and respect better unlike when you go as an individual. Again, we have been able to invite some stakeholders to our meetings. Last year, we were able to meet with National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in our effort to sort out issues concerning trafficking in hard drugs. We have been able to let them see that our members will not do any unprofessional thing and even any of our members have any problem, he can come to us and we have been able to assist our members very well. Again, don’t forget that we now have a functional website that you can access from anywhere to about us and get information. We also have a well organized secretariat with staff that carry out activities on our behalf.
For those of us that have problems with the registrar, that is, those that are into bulk mailing, we have been able to see the registrars to let them know why they should be treated like partners in progress. Now, the incidence of dumping and sharp practices has reduced considerably. The two bodies NIACA and Anco last year met with the postmaster general to discuss industry issues, so we have been working closely with regulators..
Courier as High Growth Sector
The word high growth is relative .But because this is an industry where both the skilled and unskilled have a place to work because information is very vital especially in the age of the internet even with all the scams. We had a better economy in 2008 which gave rise to the movement of information, logistics from one place to the other. We can now clear our goods without much problems and the growth witnessed was because we have been able to organize ourselves better. More so the Courier Regulatory Department (CRD) has not seen the need to hike up the registration fee again that it has allowed more people to come in and contribute to the development of the economy and thereby creating employment opportunities and generating income for the government. Don’t forget that Nigeria is an import-based economy. People are bringing in goods from everywhere into the country so this has heightened the activities in the industry.
Postal Commission
It is good to do things right. You might rush a regulation or just pass any bill or commission and you will later find out there are problems about it. You want to recall that when Lagos State government with the good intention of Raji Rasaki in trying to make things happen passed the coronal law that when somebody dies you won’t talk about it but other stakeholders kicked against it and the governor recalled it being a listening governor. At the national level, the process of legislation has to pass through various levels. Even with the postal bill, we made our input into the draft document when we saw the contents and discovered there were some aspects of it that we felt would be detrimental to our business. If the draft bill had been passed the way it was it would have affected our business which was not the intention of the government. I can assure you, from what we have seen on ground, the legislation will see the light of the day this year and when it does you will see that we are better off.
Local Government Harassment
We have been meeting with authorities concerned about this. Governor Fashola has brought a lot of finesse to administration in Lagos State and has tasked local government chairmen to ensure that in their various jurisdictions that things are done within the ambit of the law and he leads by example. We see things getting better in that respect as we now see where to report. You can even visit the governor’s website and send anything to him and say this is where this is happening. You can be too sure he will listen to you. We also now have his commissioners’ phone numbers, local government chairmen and their phone numbers including those of Fashola’s aides for us to contact them any time and explain our problem. We have tried to invite the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (Algon) chairman here to have a discussion with him but we will keep trying. I think the way Lagos State government is going about it that things will get better this year. The problem with the local governments is that they all want to revenue but they shouldn’t do it the wrong way. What we are asking is for them to give us the list of what courier operators are expected to pay and we will look at it and advise our members accordingly . We are law abiding citizens. Discussions are still ongoing but I know we will get there. I am optimistic that things will get better this year as the forum we are trying to create will bring a better understanding between us and the local governments. This is necessary to avoid delay in the movement of goods and services as our business has to do with speed.
Training of Personnel
Training is very relevant in our system. Like I keep saying, there is no school for courier and the only thing we could do is that every body has to learn more as things move faster. The things you did two years ago may now need new processes. Like a doctor who graduated few years ago and feels he is a medical doctor, he needs to update his knowledge regularly. Every day there are new sicknesses and even old ones are resisting medication, there is need for the medical workers to face these challenges squarely. The same thing applies to courier. We are trying to collaborate with the CRD on training. Training of course is one of the mandatory prerequisites an operator must meet before his license will be renewed. Initially some operators were skeptical about training but after being part of the exercise, they are better informed about the new trends in the industry .so we have been able to achieve much in terms of training especially the new entrants who do not know much about courier.
Bowill Express Courier
The unique thing about the company is in our defined goals . Defined goals in the sense that from day one we had set our targets. We have been adding value from day one. Don’t forget that before most of us came here, we had been successful people in the industry. We went for the best hands in the industry so what we realize is that every body knows what he is expected to do. We all know the rules of the game and know there are some things we must not do no matter the situation. If within one year of operation we are successful, it is because we believe in what we have set out to do. We also beef up any department that needs more hands even as we don’t play with training of personnel.

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General News

FG Deploys Technology, Approves $54m Drugs to Tackle Tuberculosis

Published

4 hours ago

March 19, 2026

Ebere Melum-Nwogbo

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Federal government said that it is adopting technology and innovation to speed up eradication of tuberculosis and other infectious diseases.

FG Deploys Technology, Approves $54m Drugs to Tackle Tuberculosis

It also said $54 million had been approved for the procurement of drugs, especially for treatment of tuberculosis and HIV, to prevent stock-outs of life-saving medicines.

Speaking at the 2026 Pre-World Tuberculosis Day briefing in Abuja, organised by Stop TB Partnership Nigeria, Dr. Charles Nzelu, director, Public Health at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, said the present government was making giant strides in addressing challenges in the health sector.

Nzelu said the ministry, under the leadership of Professor Muhammad Pate, had prioritised TB as a major pillar of the health agenda.

As part of the implementation of National Strategic Plan (2021-2026), Nzelu, said the ministry had adopted technology to help achieve the target of stopping tuberculosis from constituting a public health risk in the Nigeria.

He stated, “To bridge the gap, we are leading with innovation. Specifically, this year, the National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Programme (NTBLCP) is spearheading the national rollout of the Pluslife Mini Dock diagnostic platform.

“This near-point-of-care technology is a game-changer, allowing us to bring molecular-grade testing to the most remote communities, ensuring that no Nigerian is left behind due to geography.

“Nigeria is rolling out over a thousand of this diagnostic equipment. But technology is only as strong as the systems that support it.

“We are currently focused on strengthening our electronic reporting systems to ensure real-time data flow from the facility level to the national dashboard.”

Nzelu said transparency allowed the ministry to manage the supply chain effectively and prevent stock-outs of life-saving medicines.

In her remarks, Dr. Queen Ogbuji-Ladipo, board chair, Stop TB Partnership Nigeria, said the country had witnessed remarkable milestones in the fight against tuberculosis.

They included the mobilisation and engagement of high-level TB champions at the national, state, and local levels; strengthened collaboration with government and private-sector actors; increased advocacy for domestic financing; and expanded public awareness of TB prevention and care, Ogbuji-Ladipo said.

She, however, said there were challenges in funding to be addressed with the changing global health financing landscape and dwindling donor support.

According to her, “This reality makes domestic resource mobilization for TB more important than ever before. Sustainable financing from government budgets, private sector contributions, and innovative financing mechanisms will be critical to sustaining TB programs.”

In its presentation, Dr. Temitope Adetiba, TB Programme Lead – Institute of Human Virology (IHVN and Global Fund Project, said under the Global Fund Grant Cycle 7 for TB and HIV response, Nigeria had recorded over 300,000 TB case detection across the country.

In addition, IHVN said more than 3,000 drug-resistant TB cases were identified and linked to care, while over 2.3 million pregnant women were screened for TB and HIV across 2024 and 2025.

It also said Nigeria was increasingly taking TB and HIV services to the people within communities, households, and the private sector.

Dr. Mayowa Joel, executive secretary of Stop TB Partnership Nigeria, said the theme, “Yes We Can End TB”, was action oriented.

Joel said the theme challenged all stakeholders to move beyond discussions and commitments toward practical action.

He said, “This means ensuring that TB diagnostic services, treatment, and care reach everyone who needs them, especially through Primary Health Care, where most people first access health services.”

Dr. Mya Ngom, representative of Country Director of World Health Organisation (WHO), said Nigeria had made tremendous progress in responding to the epidemic.

According to Ngom, “In 2024, Nigeria reported 405,324 TB cases having increased from 106,533 cases in 2018, while 335,003 TB cases were reported in the three quarters of 2025.”

He said, “Expectantly, eighty percent (80 percent) of the estimated 510,000 incident TB cases will be detected and notified when the entire 2025 TB notification report is received. While this progress is encouraging, the fight against TB is far from over.

“The number of undetected TB cases averaging 175,000 cases constitutes a pool of reservoir that fuels on-going transmission of TB in the community as one undetected infectious TB case can infest between 12-15 persons per year.

“The emergence of Multi-Drug-Resistant TB (MDR-TB) and the high number of HIV further complicates the burden of TB in the country.”

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General News

Luno Launches First Crypto Prediction Market in Nigeria

Published

4 hours ago

March 19, 2026

Chike Onwuegbuchi

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Luno, an Africa-founded global exchange, has launched a structured Crypto Prediction Market, ushering in a new chapter for Nigeria’s cryptocurrency market.

This platform enables users to forecast short-term price fluctuations of key cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin , Ethereum , Solana, Dogecoin, Ripple, and earn USDC payments when when their predictions are accurate.

This launch reflects shifting investment trends in Africa’s largest cryptocurrency market. Previously focused on long-term holding or spot trading, retail traders are now looking for tools that allow them to act on market information in a structured, short-term framework.

“We are seeing a clear shift in how Nigerians want to engage with crypto assets,” said Ayotunde Alabi, CEO of Luno Nigeria.

“Many already follow price movements closely and form strong market views; we want to lead with education as well as provide a safe and secure platform to help them apply that knowledge. This feature is designed to be a natural extension for those who enjoy forecasting.”

To mitigate risks, the platform integrates educational resources, dedicated prediction wallets, mandatory risk acknowledgements, and mechanisms preventing users from taking both sides of a market.

Unlike conventional derivatives or open-ended speculation, binary prediction markets are strictly outcome-based. Participants wager on whether an asset will close above or below a specific price target.

While this opens opportunities, it also carries high risk, as incorrect predictions result in total loss of the committed capital.

The launch could influence broader trends in African fintech. By introducing regulated, outcome-based products, exchanges can cater to a more informed investor base while promoting financial literacy.

For Nigeria, this could mark a turning point moving the market from passive participation to data-driven trading, providing a framework for responsible engagement in increasingly complex digital asset markets.

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General News

LG Gives Muslim Faithfuls a Ramadan to Remember

Published

4 hours ago

March 19, 2026

Chike Onwuegbuchi

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LG Electronics (LG) has reaffirmed its commitment to community, compassion, and shared prosperity as it joins Muslim faithful across Nigeria in celebrating the holy month of Ramadan.

Through its annual “Share The Life’s Good” campaign, the brand continues to create meaningful impact by organizing Iftar outreaches in mosques and community centres across key cities. The initiative provides meals to fasting Muslims, fostering a spirit of togetherness and reinforcing the values of giving and unity that define the season.

Ramadan, a period of spiritual reflection, devotion, and generosity, offers an opportunity for individuals and communities to reconnect and support one another. LG’s intervention aligns with these values, ensuring families can experience comfort and nourishment during the fasting period.

Speaking on the initiative, Managing Director, LG Electronics, Mr. Hyoung Sub Ji, described Ramadan as a time that strengthens human connection and shared purpose.

“Ramadan is a sacred period marked by prayer, fasting, and reflection. It brings people closer and reinforces the importance of kindness and community. Through our Share The Life’s Good initiative, we are proud to support families and deepen our connection with consumers during this special time,” he said.

Furthermore, Public Relations & CSR Manager, LG Electronics, Moses Osime added that LG’s presence spans beyond community outreach to in-store engagements and curated experiences, including special Iftar gatherings for customers and partners, all designed to celebrate the essence of the season.

As part of its Ramadan activities, LG also rewarded customers through its ongoing double-digit campaign, offering washing machines, shopping vouchers, and gift items to consumers who purchased LG products during the period. This initiative not only incentivizes patronage but also extends the spirit of giving to customers.

According to Osime, the company leveraged multiple platforms throughout Ramadan to engage Muslim faithful, providing support that ranges from practical solutions for meal preparation to inspirational content that resonates with the season.

With long fasting hours requiring proper nourishment, LG highlighted the role of its home appliances in making meal preparation easier and more efficient.

The brand also collaborated with influencers and culinary experts to develop nutritious recipes, showcasing how LG microwave ovens and kitchen solutions can help families prepare balanced Sahur and Iftar meals with ease.

“Ramadan gives us the privilege to celebrate community, and LG is proud to be part of that story,” he added.

Through these initiatives, LG continues to strengthen its relationship with Nigerian consumers, delivering not just innovative products but also meaningful experiences that enrich lives and uphold the true spirit of Ramadan.

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