We own the airports, foreigners should not dictate to us – Newstrends
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We own the airports, foreigners should not dictate to us

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“Nobody can make you feel inferior without your consent.”

Some foreign busybodies have embarked on the attempt to treat Nigeria with the sort of contempt we don’t deserve – unless we allow them. We should firmly resist the attempt.

 The issue at stake is the concessioning of four Nigerian International Airports – Abuja, Kano, Lagos and Portharcourt. Incidentally, they are probably the only four profitable airports in Nigeria today. The rest, whether owned by the federal or a state government, are losing money. Most of the state government owned airports have always been nothing more than great monuments to somebody’s ego kept going by governments at great costs. The FG cannot however touch them. Even the loss generating airports are untouchable. No private investors will touch them. That is the point of this article today. Government has called for bids from the private sector for the exclusive right to manage our “crown jewels” in the aviation sector.

Ordinarily, there would have been no objections from me. I have been a long term supporter of the idea of allowing the private sector to manage such businesses. They invariably do a better job. Examples include the operations of airlines, the GSM revolution and schools. Left to NITEL, Nigerians would still not have up to one million operating lines. There is no dispute here about privatisation being a better option most of the time. However, every rule has an exception which calls for taking a closer look.

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Airports represent one of those exceptions calling for prudent concessioning. With our airports, giving them to the highest bidders might generate more revenue immediately only to give Nigerians more pain in the long term. Even the financial considerations are complex rather than simple. Here are the reasons.

Very few cities in the world are like London which has two international airports – Gatwick and Heathrow. Every other international airport enjoys an unchallenged monopoly within a large area. And, we all know the financial advantages which monopolists enjoy with respect to charges for services. It is invariably a matter of “take it; or leave it”.

You frequently don’t need to be a brilliant manager once given a monopolistic situation to make money. By its very nature, it is almost like having a licence to print as much money as the public will allow you. Consumers have no alternative. Obviously, if we are embarking on such a move our charity should begin at home; not abroad. We should allow Nigerians to have the first opportunities to enjoy our four monopolies. Is this xenophobia? Yes, it is. It is financial xenophobia – to which I readily plead guilty. Foreigners don’t do us any favours. Why should we do them any?

Nigerians should also not allow themselves to be deceived by claims of superior expertise. Already, there are Nigerians managing airports – small and big. I don’t want to disclose names now; because meanings might be read into the message. But, they will present themselves at the right time once there is a national consensus that we should allow fellow Nigerians to manage our airports.

That is not all. Airports are strategic security assets. Right now, we determine who enters our airports. Hand them to foreigners and we no longer enjoy absolute control of the ports. That cannot by any stretch of imagination be in our own interest. The feeling in some quarters that we can allow citizens of “friendly nations” to operate the airports overlooks the fact that national interests can change an ally today to an adversary tomorrow. With our airport under their control, we would have placed our country in mortal danger on account of a short-sighted decision made by us.

The strategic positions of the four airports also should caution us. Kano, Lagos and Portharcourt are located within striking distances of all our oil and gas installations, as well as our industrial centres and military units. Our fellow Nigerians can at least be trusted not to betray us and allow incursions into our country from any airport.

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THE WAY FORWARD

“Ask not what your country can do for you; ask for what you can do for your country.” US President John Kennedy, 1917-1963.

There are several steps we can take to ensure that indigenisation of airport concession is a reality.

First thing we do, let’s advise all the Senior Advocates representing various foreign interests to forget the idea of seizing our airports for their clients. I am aware that the briefs could run into upper eight figures or lower nine. That is a lot of money for anyone – even Jeff Bezos – to forgo. But, there are some ideas whose time is past. Allowing foreigners to manage our airports is one of them.

Second, if they will not give up willingly, then the Nigerian people should force them to stop; not by violence. But, by rising up in the former three regions – East, North and South – and refusing to surrender our airports to non-Nigerians. Fortunately, this is a non-partisan issue. It is not an APC versus PDP matter; a North against South affair, it is not religious or ethnic. It involves all Nigerians irrespective of who they are. So, there should be no difficulty acting as a nation to make this happen.

Third, it is probably a wise idea to allow bidders from each of the three regions – East, North and West – to have the right of first refusal. That way, nobody feels cheated by the arrangement. I have deliberately left out Abuja for now. But, once the basic idea of indigenisation of airport concessions is accepted an innovative idea for the concession of Abuja will be presented.

Fourth, the advocacy must be led by the people. In 2022, all politicians will be totally engaged with 2023 elections. Unless the Nigerian people are alert to their responsibilities, we might wake up one day to be told that non-Nigerians have won the rights to manage our airports. By then revocation of concession agreements might be impossible; or, at least costly.

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Those of us old enough to remember should recollect what happened when Lagos state was mindlessly ordered to discontinue its metro line project in 1984 by the Federal Military Government. Millions of dollars were forfeited.

Any way we look at this matter, it is vital that we pre-empt the issue of foreigners taking over.

Finally, it is an established fact that people learn faster by doing things themselves than by observing others perform. We will never close any knowledge or skill or attitude gap by watching others doing things for us. Management of airports calls for accumulation of bodies of knowledge, skills and attitudes which can be learnt, mastered and eventually improved upon. We can only achieve global standards by rolling up our sleeves and doing things ourselves.

There is very little doubt in my mind that young Nigerians, male and female, if challenged can manage our airports up to world standards. They can master the sciences and the arts of airport management. Imagination is not lacking; neither is the desire and will. What has been lacking is the opportunity for them to do great things. Let us give them the chance now with our airports.

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Business

Bitcoin plunges to $80k amid ongoing volatility

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Bitcoin plunges to $80k amid ongoing volatility

Bitcoin’s price plummeted to $80,052 late Sunday night, marking a 7% decline over the past 24 hours as uncertainty surrounding U.S. President Donald Trump’s economic policies continues to ripple through the market.

At the time of writing, Bitcoin is trading at approximately $82,200.

The overall cryptocurrency market experienced a 7% drop, reducing its valuation to $2.77 trillion.

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Solana and XRP both recorded 7% losses, while Ethereum fell 8%, trading near the $2,000 mark. Despite the downturn, Bitcoin’s dominance remains steady at 58.2%.

The market’s decline has triggered significant liquidations, with Coinglass data reporting $616 million in liquidations over the past 24 hours, according to crypto.news price tracker.

 

Bitcoin plunges to $80k amid ongoing volatility

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Railway

NRC targets moving 100 containers daily from Lagos to Kaduna, Kano by rail

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NRC targets moving 100 containers daily from Lagos to Kaduna, Kano by rail

 

 

There are plans to commence movement of containers by rail soon from Lagos port to Kaduna by rail with an initial target of 50 to 100 containers daily.
Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, Dr Kayode Opeifa, disclosed this when he received the management team of the ICNL, led by the Managing Director, Mr Omotayo Dada, at the corporation’s headquarters, Ebute Metta, Lagos, on Tuesday.
Only recently, the corporation re-launched the rail cargo train from Apapa port Lagos to Moniya container terminal deport in Ibadan, Oyo State, following a partnership deal with APMT.
The NRC MD had earlier paid a visit to ICNL headquarters in Kaduna, which paved the way for discussion on the resumption of container movement by rail to Kaduna, according to a statement by the corporation.
Opeifa said the corporation was willing to partner with major movers of large containers from across the country.
He said the corporation would continue to design products for companies willing to use the rail to move its cargoes.
He noted that with the ICNL partnership, the corporation hopes to move additional 50 to 100 containers per day from Lagos to Kano via Apapa, Ijoko, Ilorin, Minna and Kaduna.

L-R: Managing Director, Nigerian Railway Corporation, Dr Kayode Opeifa; Managing Director, Inland Containers Nigeria Ltd, Mr Omotayo Dada, and the Head of Commercial Services, Mrs Odetunde King Abigail, during the courtesy call on the NRC MD…on Tuesday.

Earlier, the Director of Operations and Commercial of the corporation, Mr Akin Osinowo, said the corporation was in talks with many manufacturers, including the Dangote Group of Companies and BUA, among others.
He added that the NRC still continues to service Lafarge, taking cement consignments from Ewekoro to Osogbo and Ilorin.
He however said any company or terminal operator partnering with it is meant to add value to rail movement by using their size and status to prospect new customers in order to boost the railway’s haulage capacity.
He said the ICNL is a long standing customer of the corporation, adding that some of the factors that led to the stoppage of cargo movement especially on the narrow gauge are being addressed.
He said issues such as insecurity, especially between Minna and Kaduna, and the washouts of several portions of the rail tracks, among others, were being aggressively addressed either by the corporation’s team of engineers or by the Federal Government.
The NRC management and that of ICNL expressed commitment to continue their engagement and draw a road map for quick commencement of container freight to as far as to Kaduna and Kano on the western line.

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Auto

Suzuki By CFAO slashes prices of Grand Vitara GL, GLX SUVs, EECO van in promotional campaign

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Suzuki By CFAO slashes prices of Grand Vitara GL, GLX SUVs, EECO van in promotional campaign

Suzuki by CFAO has commenced a nationwide promotional campaign, slashing prices of three outstanding models in a move to give Nigerians an opportunity to own durable, fuel-efficient and stylish Suzuki vehicles at affordable rate.
The fast-growing automobile dealership in Nigeria says in a statement that the limited-time offer also comes with added benefits designed to maximise customer value and return on investment.
The three models, Suzuki Grand Vitara GL, Grand Vitara GLX, and the Suzuki Eeco van, come with exclusive incentives such as one-year free service and free registration, apart from the price slash.
General Manager of Suzuki by CFAO, Madam Aissatou Diouf, says, “The Suzuki brand under CFAO remains committed to delivering affordability, innovation, and reliability to its customers.
“We encourage potential buyers to take advantage of this offer before it ends. Customer feedback continues to reinforce Suzuki’s reputation for quality, fuel efficiency, and overall satisfaction.”
The auto firm says the promotional offer allows customers to drive home the Suzuki Grand Vitara GL for ₦46 million, instead of ₦48 million, while the Grand Vitara GLX is currently available at ₦53 million, down from 55 million, and the Suzuki EECO van for ₦19.5 million, down from ₦23 million.

Grand Vitara GLX
This is a feature-packed SUV with a robust design, sophisticated styling, and cutting-edge technology.
It comes equipped with 1.5L, 2WD automatic transmission (FS), panoramic sunroof, power door mirrors, 16-inch alloy wheels, 9-inch touchscreen audio system, 360-degree camera, outstanding fuel efficiency of just 4-5 litres per 100km.

Grand Vitara GL
This variant features a 1.5L engine, 2WD automatic transmission (FS), power door mirrors, alloy wheels, and fabric seats while maintaining the same remarkable fuel efficiency as the GLX.

Suzuki Eeco van


This is for businesses and entrepreneurs seeking affordability and efficiency.
It is a versatile and reliable vehicle, perfect for a practical and affordable transportation solution.
It is powered by a 1.2-litre, 4-cylinder petrol engine and delivers 54 kW (73hp) of power and 101 Nm of torque;
5-speed manual transmission.
Its other features are exceptional fuel economy of just 4-5 litre per 100km; low maintenance costs and practical features such as manual air conditioning, park assist, and fabric seats.
Basic safety features, including seatbelts, a driver-side airbag, and an audio system with AM/FM radio and USB connectivity are available.

Exterior features
Compact design: The Eeco Panel van has a compact design, making it easy to maneuver in tight spaces.
Sliding doors: The van features sliding doors on both sides, providing easy access to the cargo area.
Rear door: The rear door is designed for easy loading and unloading of cargo.

Interior features
Spacious cargo area: The Eeco Panel van has a spacious cargo area, perfect for carrying goods, equipment, or tools.
Vinyl flooring: The cargo area features vinyl flooring, making it easy to clean and maintain.
Tie-down points: The van has tie-down points to secure cargo and prevent shifting during transport.

Safety
Driver airbag: The Eeco comes equipped with a driver airbag for added safety.
Seatbelts: The van features seatbelts for the driver and passengers.
Anti-lock braking system (ABS): The Eeco has ABS to prevent wheel lock-up during hard braking.

Comfort/convenience features
Manual air conditioning: The van which can accommodate 5 to 7 passengers features manual air conditioning for added comfort.
Power steering; The van features power steering for easy maneuverability.
The auto firm notes that this is a golden opportunity to own a Suzuki vehicle at an unbeatable price and urged interested people to visit any Suzuki by CFAO dealership nationwide to take advantage of this limited-time offer before it runs out.

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