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Good News For Travellers As FG Opens Lagos-Ibadan Expressway

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Eniola Olayemi

 

Ahead of the Yuletide and to ensure smooth travelling experience for motorists, the Federal Government on Tuesday opened the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway to traffic.

The government also inspected the progress of repair works on the Ikorodu/Sagamu road.

Opening the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, the Federal Controller of Works in Lagos, Mr Adedamola Kuti, said the highway was “special and very dear to the Federal Government’’.

He explained that it was important because the road began from Apapa ports and terminates in the northern part of the country.

Kuti added that it took traffic from the 36 states of the federation, hence, the speedy completion of repairs around the construction zones and opening the highway to traffic.

“A lot of people are coming out of Lagos going home for the celebration and some are also coming in from all the states of the federation into Lagos.

“What we are doing today is to open up all the construction areas and open up the entire highway to traffic for the period of the season, we will resume our work in January,’’ he said.

He said the ministry was going to use the dry season to speed up reconstruction of the highway, adding that all hands were on deck with the contractors working tirelessly to achieve speedy completion.

Kuti said that the section one of the project which spans from Ojota in Lagos State to the Sagamu Interchange was awarded at an initial cost of N70 billion but the sum was reviewed upward to N134 billion after additional works were added to the project.

He said that increase in the volume of work on the site meant an extension of completion time for the project.

“For now we are opening up this road for the use of the motoring public and I want to also seize this opportunity to, on behalf of the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, to appeal to motorists and commuters using this road to drive safely with caution, observe all traffic rules and regulations, including speed.

“On our on part, in the meantime, we are handing over to the Federal Roads Safety (FRSC) so that they take control of traffic on the road,’’ he said.

The Sector Commander of the FRSC, Ogun State, Mr Clement Oladele, said that the FRSC were going to be on 24 hours surveillance of the highway to prevent gridlock and accidents.

He said that in 2017 the Lagos to Ogun end of the highway recorded 1.8 million travellers and about two million travellers had used the highway from January to date.

He said that a special operations unit had been set up by the FRSC for the Yuletide to manage traffic on the highway from Dec. 15 to Jan. 15 in 2019.

He explained that 210 deaths due to road crashes were recorded on the Ogun side of the highway in 2017 but efforts were on to stop road crashes across the federation.

“We are estimating that minimum of 350,000 vehicles will move on this road this season.

“I want to assure the motoring public that FRSC is here, we have commenced 24 hours operations since Dec. 1, just to ensure people travel in safety with minimal discomfort,’’ he said.

NAN reports that after the highway was opened, road users who spoke to journalists expressed joy and thanked the Federal Government for being sensitive to the plight of road users.

They said that the opening would reduce stress caused by gridlock and accidents on the highway.

The controller inspected the 34 kilometers Ikorodu Sagamu Road where construction was going on at various sections.

Kuti said the highway was important because it was linking the Ikorodu Division in Lagos to the Sagamu Division in Ogun and took as well as dispersed huge traffic from the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.

“The project is actually starting from Lagos and terminating in Sagamu and the method the contractor is adopting is to work at the critical sections and then later we link them up,’’ he said.

He said various construction methods were being deployed on the road taking into cognisance the traffic demand of each section.

He added that government was passionate about completing repairs of the highways which serves as alternative route to the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.

 

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Fidelity Bank Renovates Nasarawa PHC Clinic, Donates Water Facility

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Fidelity Bank Renovates Nasarawa PHC Clinic, Donates Water Facility

AJAGBE ADEYEMI TESLIM

SPONSORED BY: H&H

As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives, leading financial institution, Fidelity Bank Plc, has renovated the Primary Healthcare Clinic along the Workers Village in the Tudun Amba Community of Lafia Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.

The bank also provided water facilities to ameliorate issues of water scarcity being experienced in the community in recent times.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, the Divisional Head, Brand and Communication Plc, Fidelity Bank, Meksley Nwagboh, said the dignity of every human person is a shared responsibility. The bank decided to embark on the project as a means of improving the living condition of people in the community and as part of the bank’s social responsibility to its host community.

Expressing gratitude to the leadership of the community for giving the bank the opportunity to execute the project, Nwagboh said, “What we are doing today is not different from what we have been doing in communities, local governments and states across the country over the years. As a socially responsible organisation, we take it upon ourselves to impact our host communities positively through developmental initiatives such as these.

“On behalf of the management and staff of Fidelity Bank, I want to say thank you to everyone who made it possible for us to touch the lives of the people positively in this community and we remain committed to playing our part in helping individuals grow, thrive and prosper”.

On his part, the Honourable Commissioner of Health, Nasarawa State, Gaza Gwamna, while commending Fidelity Bank for the donation of a water facility and the renovation works at the Primary Healthcare Clinic, reiterated the state government’s commitment to continue to support commercial banks to boost the economy of the state.

The Commissioner who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, John Damina, further called on the Nasarawa State Primary Healthcare Development Agency to utilise the upgraded facility with care to encourage the bank and other private investors to continue to support the less-privileged people of the state.

“I want to use this opportunity to call on the management of the NAPHDA to ensure proper utilization of this facility for the good of the host community and beyond. This will go a long way in encouraging other private sector players to extend the same gesture to other communities in the state,” he said.

Ranked as one of the best banks in Nigeria, Fidelity Bank is a full-fledged customer commercial bank with over 8.5 million customers serviced across its 251 business offices in Nigeria and the United Kingdom as well as on digital banking channels.

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

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Exec Sec NCDMB, Felix Ogbe Bags Fellowship of Engineering Society

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Exec Sec NCDMB, Felix Ogbe Bags Fellowship of Engineering Society


AJAGBE ADEYEMI TESLIM

SPONSORED BY: H&H

The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe was on Wednesday inducted into the Fellowship of the Nigerian Society of Engineers.

The investiture was performed by the President/Chair-in-Council of the NSE, Engr. Margaret Aina Oguntala, FNSE at a ceremony in Abuja.


In her remarks at the occasion, the President of NSE congratulated the 63 new inductees and urged them to uphold the values of their new position in their field of engineering.

She highlighted that engineers have been at the forefront of driving progress and development across various sectors of the economy, notably in the oil and gas industry.

She particularly lauded the Executive Secretary of NCDMB for his excellent leadership and expertise through the strategic development of local content and in-country value retention, which is a testament to his brilliance in the field of engineering.

She also applauded the strategic partnership between the NSE, the NCDMB and other stakeholders in the oil and gas industry.


Similarly, the chairman Board of Fellows/College of Fellows, Engr. Kamila Maliki, FNSE, commended the new inductees for their resilience, dedication, and contribution to the field of engineering.

He added that it was not a small feat to be chosen for the investiture due to the rigorous and thorough nature of the selection process.


The Executive Secretary later was joined by the Managing Director of Setraco Nigeria Limited, Engr. Ziad Mouannes and Senator Patrick Ndubueze for the unveiling of the very first edition of the 2024 NSE Quarterly Magazine.


Some senior officials of the Board who accompanied the Executive Secretary to the event included the Director, Monitoring and Evaluation, Mr. Abdulmalik Halilu, Director, Project Certification and Authorization, Engr. Abayomi Bamidele, and the General Manager, Corporate Communications and Zonal Coordination, Mr. Esueme Dan Kikile, Esq.


Before he was appointed the Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Engr. Ogbe had nearly 30 years top -level career in the field of engineering in the employment of Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL), before retiring voluntarily to set up his private firm.


His last position at Chevron Nigeria was Construction Services Group Superintendent, and he oversaw 200 personnel, including Nigerian nationals and expatriates.

Other notable positions he held at the company included Offshore Projects Manager, Construction Manager (Lagos & Escravos -Warri), Construction Engineer (San Ramon) in California, United States of America.

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Nigeria’s Adekeye Emerges Chairperson, APPO Training Directors

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AJAGBE ADEYEMI TESLIM

SPONSORED BY: H&H

Nigeria’s Adekeye Emerges Chairperson, APPO Training Directors 

Nigeria’s Folashade Adekeye has emerged as the Chairperson, Forum of the Directors of Oil & Gas Training & Vocational Education Institutes of the African Petroleum Producers Organization (APPO). Adekeye, who is the Director, NNPC Academy, took over from the former chairperson, Mr. Abdelkader Guenone, the Managing Director of the Algerian Petroleum Institute (API), during the second meeting of the Forum, in Abuja, at the weekend. 

L-R: Secretary General, African Petroleum Producers Organization (APPO), Dr. Omar Farouk Ibrahim; Executive Vice President, Business Services NNPC Ltd (Representative of the GCEO NNPC), Mr. Inuwa Danladi; new Chairperson, Forum of the Directors of Oil & Gas Training & Vocational Education Institutes of APPO and Director NNPC Academy, Mrs. Folashade Adekeye and Managing Director, Algerian Petroleum Institute (API), Mr. Abdelkader Guenone, during the second meeting of the Forum, in Abuja, at the weekend

Adekeye, who heads the NNPC’s oil and gas training arm, brings into the role over 30 years of experience, and is expected to work with her colleagues from APPO Member Countries in order to foster more collaboration towards addressing the challenges of competences, skill gaps, infrastructure, and poor funding in the organization’s training institutions. 

Earlier in his keynote address at the opening ceremony of the meeting, the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Ltd., Mele Kyari, represented by Inuwa Danladi, Executive Vice President (Business Services), emphasized the importance of a standardized educational and training approach to meet the changing demands of the oil and gas industry. 

L-R: Executive Vice President, Business Services NNPC Ltd (Representative of the GCEO NNPC), Mr. Inuwa Danladi exchange pleasantries with the Secretary General, African Petroleum Producers Organization (APPO), Dr. Omar Farouk Ibrahim, during the second meeting of the Forum of the Directors of Oil & Gas Training & Vocational Education Institutes of APPO, in Abuja, at the weekend.

Also in his keynote address, APPO’s Secretary General, Dr. Omar Farouk Ibrahim, charged the Member Countries to work towards further enhancing collaborative efforts to establish Oil & Gas Centres of Excellence across the African continent.

 Dr. Ibrahim, also from Nigeria, said having good knowledge of the Forum’s challenges would enable APPO Member Countries to make recommendations and provide solutions in areas such as Oil & Gas project funding, technology adoption, and the formation of Africa Energy Bank. 

He concluded that such collaboration by all member countries will guarantee Africa’s energy accessibility, affordability and sustainability, which overall, will strengthen her economies and bring prosperity to its citizens. 

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