Peter Anosike
The President of Mandilas International Trade Centre, Chief Anthony Okeke has explained why their market famously known as the Fashion Hub organizes periodic health week.
According to him, the periodic health week is one of the social responsibilities of his administration.
He said that since health is wealth, the traders in the market must be in good health before they would do their businesses.
He said that during the health week, they test the traders for malaria, sugar level and high blood pressure.
He disclosed that those who have illnesses are given first aid drugs and would be recommended to hospitals with all expenses paid by the market group.
His words: “During the health week, we give free drugs and carry out several tests. The beauty of the health week is that it is not only for the traders, but the customers too. Whoever walks into the market during the health week benefits from the exercise. This is because if a customer has an issue of health, it affects us too. Apart from the health week, we have also dug boreholes and our market is always clean and conducive for doing business.”
He described the market as the most organized in Lagos State.
He attributed this to the reason that most of the leaders in the market are graduates trained in business management, saying that they are able to bring their intelligence and training to bear in the market.
He said that as far as 2007, they were given award as the best organized market in Lagos State, adding that till date the standard has not changed.
He claimed that it was the organizational nature of the market that they were made Kenyan Airways ambassadors.
“In Mandilas International Trade Centre, we deal in fashion and accessories. We also deal in hand bags, casuals, jeans, skirts, corporate wears, wrist watches, textile materials, belts, traveling bags and the rest. Every item on sale in the market is imported. We maintain a very high standard. This is the only place you can get quality fashion at affordable rate because we deal directly with the manufacturers,” he said.
Air Force to partner Ibeto Group on batteries, lubricants
David Onwuchekwa, Nnewi
Ibeto Group of Companies battery and lubricant business will soon receive additional boost following a visit of the Nigerian Air Force authorities at Nnewi, Anambra State factory of the group.
The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall Sadique Abubakar in Nnewi made a promise that the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) would partner with local manufacturing companies in the area of research and development to enhance its operations and encourage the companies.
In his address at the factory complex of the group, Air Marshall Abubakar said that the decision of the Air Force to work with indigenous manufacturing companies was in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s mission, vision and decision to encourage indigenous manufacturing companies.
With senior Air Force officers from Imo and Enugu states, Air Marshall Abubakar said as the country was facing challenges, all hands must be on deck to help proffer solutions to solve the problems together to boost the economy.
He said the Air Force had seen a committed partner in Ibeto Group of Companies in the provision of materials for operation of its aircraft, which he said was one of the most important items in the aspects of its work, adding that the Air Force and Ibeto Group would raise a technical team that would work together on research and development of logistics and materials for its activities to ensure smooth operations in fighting insurgency in Nigeria.
“We will go into research and development with Ibeto Group to tap from each other on the area of needs. From what I have seen, there are so much we can tap to assist each other. I have noted what the company has presented in air craft batteries and lubricants and we will go into research and analysis and come up with a decision to see how you can help us.
“The Research and Development department of the Air Force will work with you. What we have seen you are producing in Nigeria means we do not have any reason to go out to buy those things,” he said.
In his address, the Group Executive Director, Operations and Investment, Chief Eze Echesi, thanked the Air Force boss for his commitment in encouraging indigenous manufacturing companies.
He said: “You are no doubt the first among the over 20 Chief of Air Staff to give emphasis on the use of locally manufactured equipment for the operation of Air Force work.
“We urge you to continue on the use of our products and encourage others to convince other armed forces in the country to work with locally manufactured products.
“Union Autoparts Manufacturing Company and Ibeto Petrochemical Limited can serve the Nigerian Air Force with its range of batteries and lubricants, and we assure you that we have the best of them to serve you.
“We have produced Union Deep Cycle Batteries and we are involved in the process of improving on that with Valve Regulated Acid Batteries by 2020.”
Chief Echesi enumerated challenges of the company apart from power, which he said was affecting every other manufacturing business in the country
He mentioned dumping of batteries and lubricants from countries outside Nigeria, lack of commitment about pronouncements by the Federal Government and upward review of tariffs from 20 to 40 per cent of raw materials for manufacturing batteries and lubricants as among the challenges.
NACCIMA commends Innoson
•As company commissions new bus plant
David Onwuchekwa, Nnewi
A newly installed automated bus manufacturing plant has been commissioned at Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing company, Nnewi, Anambra State.
Chairman, Chief Executive Officer of the Innoson Group, Chief Innocent Chukwuma said on the occasion that the new plant would increase the company’s production capacity, productivity and lead to more efficient use of materials. He assured that the new plant would as well bring about better product quality, improved safety and profitability.
He declared that a major attendant benefit of the automated plant would include reduction of production cost.
This, according to him, had successfully reduced the cost of brand new 15-16 seater (Hummer) buses from N16 million to N9 million.
He said the company intended to duplicate the success of that production line to other production lines, including the SUVs, MPVs, Sedans, among others.
He told the audience that he would not stop until an average Nigerian could comfortably buy a brand new vehicle.
“I am highly elated to stand here today to announce that Innoson vehicles have entered another phase. We have entered another phase of progress, another phase of technology from manual production to automated production. More importantly, we have entered the phase where we are demonstrating our commitment to truly make brand new vehicles affordable to Nigerians and Africans, generally, “ the Innoson boss said.
He called on all stakeholders from the government down to the private sector to continue to patronize made in Nigeria vehicles for the benefit of the nation’s economy.
While commissioning the new plant, President of Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Hajia Saratu Iye, described Chief Chukwuma as very innovative manufacturer who had always added value to the nation’s economy.
She said such people were very much needed in Nigeria.
“I used to know him (Innoson) before, the way he was assemblying motorcycles and today he is producing vehicles. These are the type of people we need, people who can think far, people who are innovative. He has grown from motorcycles to vehicles and I pray in no distant time he will be talking about aircraft,” she said.
She noted that fairly used vehicles which she said easily failed could not be equated to new vehicles that could serve the users for a very long time.
Hajia Iye noted that Innoson’s vehicles were produced according to “our climate environment and type of roads mind.”
She said that the products could stand the test of time, adding that Innoson has been making Nigeria proud.
Border closure: Nnewi traders lament
• Say it’s taking huge tolls on them
David Onwuchekwa, Nnewi
Chairman of Agboedo New Motor Spare Parts Dealers Association, Nkwo Nnewi, Anambra State, Dennis Ikegwuonu has cried out to the Federal Government to review its border closure policy which he said was taking huge tolls on the traders.
Ikegwuonu spoke at the association’s office undergoing renovation at the market.
He said that many of the traders were in hardship and dull business due to the border closure.
He noted that inasmuch as the traders would not detect to the Federal Government on what to do, that it had become obvious that some traders would pack up if the border closure continued.
“Some of our big customers who used to come from Cameron and other African countries are no longer coming. They used to come and buy lorry loads of goods and send to their countries. But now the reverse is the case and we are sending this save-our-soul message to the authorities concerned to listen to our groaning,” he said.
Ikegwuonu noted that his administration that took over leadership in April, 2019 at the market had been able to make significant positive changes for the interest of the traders.
He explained that his administration is currently renovating the association’s office to have permanent befitting offices for the chairman and secretary and conducive environment for market administration.
He told Sunday Sun that the union under his watch had earlier this year installed two sound-proof giant generators in the market to enable the traders to do away with the over 3,000 low capacity generators that had been causing air pollution at the market.
He appealed to the Anambra State government to fulfill its promises of giving the traders borehole, fire fighting equipment and street light that remained unfulfilled.
He noted that those facilities had become necessary to help upgrade the market to international standard like other major markets in Anambra State.
“We appeal to the government to fulfill their promises to the traders so that our market will be among the international markets in Nigeria. Nnewi is known for motor parts, among other things, in the whole of Africa,” he maintained.