All Posts in "Day: November 30, 2022"

Free Trade Zones attracts $30bn investments, provided 150,000 jobs — MD NEPZA 

By Favour Nnabugwu
The Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority, NEPZA has said that the Free Trade Zones, FTZ, has attracted over $30 billion investments and provided 150,000 jobs.
The Managing Director of NEPZA, Prof Adesoji Adesugba revealed this at the 30th anniversary of the Free Trade Zones Scheme in Nigeria, held in Abuja.
According to him, the FTZ harbours over 600 enterprises which he noted, have also provided 400,000 indirect jobs.
He said, “Currently, NEPZA exercises regulatory oversight on 46 Free Trade Zones, out of which forty-four (44) are private-owned and two (2) fully owned and managed by the Authority on behalf of government. Even the two (2) are undergoing a process of Concession to private entities.
“These business enclaves harbour over 600 enterprises providing 150,000 direct employment and an estimated 400,000 indirect employment.
“To date, the Zones have attracted over US$30 billion investments which is expected to exponentially increase in the next few years with our sustained incentives and aggressive investment drive across the world.”
The MD NEPZA further stated that the enacting of the Authority has led to it being a “key driver,” of the nation’s economy.
He said, “There is no gainsaying the fact that the ultimate objective of Nigeria adopting this global business model was to fast track economic growth and industrialization. Suffice to therefore, say that the decision of the Nigerian Government to key into this concept has remained legendary as the model has become a key driver of the nation’s economy. The presence of key global enterprises in the Zones is a testament to this assertion in speedily contributing to the growth of the Nigerian economy.”
Highlighting some the Authority’s achievements, he said, “The Authority has recorded these modest achievements; Commissioning of the five-storey building at Victoria Island, Lagos. Developing 25MW Power infrastructure each at Calabar and Kano Free Trade Zones. High-profile capital projects at Calabar and Kano Free Trade Zones and Special Economic Zones in Funtua, Ilorin and Lagos.”
Patoma Admin by — November 30, 2022 in Industry, Trade & Investment 0
Coscharis Motors, AIICO partner Insurance coverage for customers 

CAPTION
L- Luciana Ojeniyi (Group Head, Digital Partnerships and Wealth Management, Tangerine; Kehinde Adeniyi (Lead, Retail Non-Life Business, AIICO; Piyush Srivastava (Head, Partnership & Alliance, AIICO; Abiona Babarinde (General Manager, Marketing and Corporate Communications, Coscharis); Yewande Adewusi (Group Executive Director, Commercial, Tangerine and Ufuoma Umukuoro (General Manager, Sales, Coscharis)
By Favour Nnabugwu

Coscharis Motors Limited, a leading brand in the Nigerian automobile industry, has partnered with AIICO Insurance Plc to embed insurance into its automobile sales. As a result, existing and prospective customers of Coscharis will continue to enjoy premium automobile after-sales service backed with risk protection from the underwriting company, guaranteeing peace of mind at a minimal cost from the moment they purchase any vehicle of their choice.

Speaking at the launch, Mr. Abiona Babarinde, Coscharis Group’s General Manager, Marketing and Corporate Communication, “We have entered into this value-based collaboration in our quest to continuously offer the best value to our wide range of customers. With this integrated insurance package, we can guarantee our customers immediate insurance coverage at the time of car purchase across all of our showrooms, as well as a quick and stress-free claims process should the need arise.”

According to Mr. Piyush Srivastava, Head, Partnership & Alliance at AIICO, “We appreciate the trust reposed on us by the Coscharis Group, giving us this platform to bring on board our experience, expertise and capacity for underwriting this kind of business. From this partnership, Coscharis Motors’ clients stand to gain significantly. Among other backend processes in place, we have developed procedures to speed up the claims process and they would enjoy a seamless customer experience. In addition, customers are to get priority attention for necessary repairs or replacements.”

According to Gbenga Ilori, AIICO’s Head of Retail Business, “Our approach to business is built on a deep understanding of the markets we operate in. This partnership illustrates our commitment to providing solutions to the identified needs.”

AIICO Insurance Plc., is a household name in insurance and has been in the underwriting business for nearly six decades and currently ranks highest by gross written premium in the industry for two consecutive years (2020 and 2021). It provides life and health insurance, general insurance and investment management services to create and protect wealth for individuals, families and corporate customers.

Established in 1977, Coscharis Motors has been providing the Nigerian people with vehicles from a robustly diversified auto dealership comprising five luxury and two value brands: Land Rover, BMW, Ford, Rolls Royce, Jaguar, etc. These brands are showcased in its ultra-modern showrooms nationwide. In addition, the company has invested significantly in providing after-sales facilities with trained personnel across the country to make service readily accessible.

 

Patoma Admin by — November 30, 2022 in Insurance 0
5000 entrepreneurs from Nigeria, Kenya, S/A graduated from Google’s Hustle Academy

By Favour Nnabugw

 

No fewer than 5000 business owners in Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa graduated from Google Hustle Academy programme.

Celebrating the successful entrepreneurs in Lagos, Google also announced a new speaker series in which successful African entrepreneurs share lessons and advice, furthering its commitment to helping entrepreneurs and small businesses thrive.

The Hustle Academy was a programme launched in February 2022 which provides practical business training. It helps business owners learn the soft skills that complement their hard talents, through peer-to-peer and mentor driven learning.

According to Google, this year’s graduates were chosen from nearly 10 000 applications.

It also explained that the 5000 graduates came from 23 cohorts who attended five day virtual boot camps where they learned how to define their business strategy, increase sales, and how to pitch for investor funding.

Head of Brand and Reputation, SSA. Mrs Mojolaoluwa Aderemi-Makinde, said: “Our graduates are working hard to grow their businesses, and in addition to having an impact in these 5000 SMBs, this kind of practical training also has a ripple effect, helping many more people succeed.

“The “Hustle Academy Brings You…” the new talk-show style video series featuring renowned and respected entrepreneurs from across Africa, sharing practical advice and growth tips to inspire emerging entrepreneurs is meant to complement and expand the Hustle Academy training.

“This speaker series will allow SMBs to get insight from business owners from an array of sectors, focusing on the issues, themes and subjects they face on a regular basis.”
Aderemi-Makinde added that, “Small and medium-sized businesses, SMEs, are the backbone of the global economy, and in Africa, they account for an estimated 80 percent of jobs. In Sub-Saharan Africa alone, there are an estimated 44 million micro, small and medium enterprises, which function as important drivers of economic growth.”

Patoma Admin by — November 30, 2022 in Education 0