page 23

page 23

Olam stakes N20bn on poultry production

– Emmanuel Ogbonnaya

Olam International, a leading agri-business brand operating across the value chain in 70 countries, has announced that it is investing US$150.0 million (approximately 30.0 billion Naira) to set up two state-of-the-art animal feed mills, poultry breeding farms and a hatchery to produce day-old-chicks in Nigeria.

Olam’s CEO for Africa, Mr Venkataramani Srivathsan, disclosed that: “This is the latest investment by Olam in Nigeria’s domestic food and agricultural production sector after our recent investments in wheat milling assets and the ongoing development of our 10,000-hectare rice farm and mill in Nasarawa State.

“This new venture into animal feed is a win-win for Olam and Nigeria. Domestically produced meat is being hampered by a lack of good quality feed, support for farmers and availability of young stock, but consumption is set to increase. By investing in poultry and fish feed, we can utilize the wheat bran from our wheat milling operations, as well as maximize our sourcing networks to buy corn and soy from local farmers. Our investment in the hatchery will help boost poultry production and, in the long run, help reduce the country’s reliance on imports. This development underlines the continued confidence we share in Nigeria’s ambition for self-sufficiency.”

Of the US$150.0 million in total investments, approximately US$100.0 million (approximately 20.0 billion Naira) has been committed to building and operating the facilities in Kaduna State while US$50.0 million (approximately 10.0 billion Naira) is for a second investment in an integrated poultry and fish feed mill located in Kwara State.

According to the statement released by Ade Adefeko Head Corporate and Government Relations OLAM Nigeria ‘At full capacity, both feed mills are expected to produce in excess of 600,000 tonnes per annum of high-quality poultry and fish feed, with the Kaduna facility supplying mainly to the Northern markets and the Kwara facility to the South-west region. The poultry breeding farm in Kaduna is expected to produce over one million hatching eggs every week for the hatchery.

The company is developing community partnerships by working with the Kaduna State Government to develop a model for supplying eggs and chicken for its school meals programme at below-market prices. It is also working with the neighbouring communities to create a Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability (CRS) agenda covering education, health and sanitation.

Oral B raises brand profile in Nigeria with new dental initiative

Godwin Anyebe

The Oral-Care brand of Procter & Gamble, Oral-B, has raised its brand profile and deepened the emotional connection with its consumers through a special oral health educational program and a strategic Mobile Clinic activation rolled out in Abuja recently. By bringing affordable oral health care closer to the people, Oral B is also consolidating its band positioning in the Nigerian toothpaste market and creating more touch points with its consumers.

With a theme and a strong campaign ring titled “Healthy Mouth, Healthy Body”, Oral B also aims to take oral hygiene in Nigeria to a new level, substantially increase the overall public awareness of oral health and retain overall brand synergy.

According to P&G’s Oral Care Brand Manager for Nigeria and Sub Saharan Africa, Aliza Leferink, the general focus of the 2016 World Oral Health Day is on prevention to help Nigerians achieve significantly healthier lives starting from oral care. She announced that “the Mobile Dental Clinic Program provides free oral care education and dental health checks to patients who lack the means or dental insurance or any realistic way to pay for dental treatment.

“We aim at educating Nigerians to have stronger and healthier teeth through the campaign and mission of Healthier, Stronger Teeth in One Week. Indeed healthy teeth and gums are fundamental to overall health and well-being. And maintaining healthy teeth can be achieved by following a number of simple principles. This comes from forming a great daily care habit, consistency and the right tooth paste use. This theme is particularly apt when we consider that it has been estimated that about 90% of the world’s population will suffer some form of dental disease in their lifetime though many of these can easily be treated or prevented with a good oral care routine”

At the official presentation on the Oral World Health Day, the Federal Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole restated the need for Government and private sector partnership in health care development and overall health care in Nigeria.

According to the Minister, “It is noteworthy that development partners such as P&G and other organisations are not leaving the task to the Federal Ministry of Health alone but are actually championing awareness creation on oral health in the country. In addition to government funding, a veritable source of financing lies in the private sector, whereby manufacturers of oral health and related products are being encouraged to finance oral health activities in line with the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) drive of the Federal Government.

“As you are all aware, health is wealth and prevention is better than cure, I make bold to say that prevention is not only better, it is cheaper than cure. To combat the preventable dental diseases and reduce the burden of avoidable oral conditions, the National Oral Health policy was developed to provide a framework for the improvement of oral healthcare services for the Nigerian populace and the development of our health system in general. Efforts are also being geared towards integrating oral health promotion into programmes such as the Maternal and Child Health and Ward Health Services.”

Oral B has been positioned as the National Oral Health Ambassador since 2014.

Stanford SEED, Pan-Atlantic University, others partner TAMS summit

Godwin Anyebe

SB Telecoms & Devices, organisers of the Time Management Summit, have partnered with Stanford Institute for Innovation in Developing Countries (Stanford SEED) and Pan-Atlantic University (PAU) to deliver TAMS Summit, its forthcoming high-level time management conference. Stanford SEED is a Stanford Graduate School of Business-led initiative intent on ending the cycle of poverty in developing economies.

Others partnering institutions are the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria (CIPM), ConSat, TVC, Radio Continental and Inspiration FM.

The theme of the summit is “From African Time” to “To On Time: A paradigm Shift.” At the TAMS Summit scheduled to hold 19th May 2016 at the MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos, leaders of thought from Stanford SEED, Pan-Atlantic University, CIPM and other reputable institutions as well as the public and private sectors of the economy will converge to proffer a solution to our curious national devotion to the African Time syndrome.

Speaking on the partnership support, Mr. Afolabi Abiodun, Chief Executive Officer, SB Telecoms & Devices, expressed delight at the best-in-class institutional support garnered by the TAMS Summit. He stated that participation and support from Stanford SEED, Pan-Atlantic University and CIPM will deepen discourse at the summit.

“As an organisation renowned for its efficiency through its TAMS software, we are very excited that these institutions are supporting this initiative of national importance. By partnering with us, they are encouraging us to do more and their involvement will certainly deepen the conversation and also shape the expected positive outcomes. We are also grateful to ConSat, TVC, Radio Continental and Inspiration FM for advocacy support which will ensure that millions of Nigerians are informed about the virtues of time consciousness and management,” he said.

The Founder and Chief Executive Officer, HealthPlus Nigeria Limited, Mrs. Bukky George, will be the Chairperson of the Summit while Dr. Chris Ogbechie, Chairman, Diamond Bank Plc. will be the keynote speaker and is expected to deliver an address on the theme of the summit.

The TAMS summit is inspired by the success and acceptance of the company’s Time Attendance Management System (TAMS) software. TAMS is a robust cloud-based time and attendance management application that allows organisations to centrally monitor the attendance of their employees across multi-locations from any part of the world.

Fidelity Bank upgrades app to improve customer experience

Emmanuel Ogbonnaya

Committed to providing cutting-edge, round-the-clock banking services to its teeming customers, Fidelity Bank Plc, one of Nigeria’s highly diversified financial services providers has announced the upgrade of its mobile-based banking application – Fidelity Online Banking app.

In a statement from the bank, the much improved software application puts the financial institution in a pole position to drive efficient service delivery and customer acquisition by essentially placing innovative financial services in the hands of Nigerians residing in unserved and underserved communities.

This move, is indicative of the bank’s unwavering commitment towards meeting the financial inclusion mandates of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

With an increasing customer base, Fidelity Bank says it is channelling significant human and financial resources towards building an innovative, secure digital banking platform with a huge emphasis on superior user- experience. Specifically, it noted that the upgrade will enable subscribers of the Online Banking application carry out more banking transactions well beyond mundane financial services such as funds transfers and bills payment, in a secured environment anytime, anywhere.

Divisional Head, Electronic Banking, Adédèjì Olówè, explained that the new Fidelity Online app is not just an upgrade of the old but a new application with enhanced features that can be used with a range of mobile devices such as Apple, Samsung, Blackberry and other Android products. He disclosed that the app offers customers a simple, seamless and secure banking, adding that customers can bank, how and when they want to. “With Fidelity Online App, our bank is always open 24/7”.

The upgrade, Olówè insisted is significant considering the growing number of Nigerians moving from the banking halls to mobile phones or tabs to do their day-to-day banking transactions, adding that online financial services offer a stepping stone to financial inclusion. “We are meeting these demands with the Online Banking app in both form and function, with an important focus on the quality service delivered to customers”. He pointed out that the key feature of the app is the ease associated with registration. “Registration is a self-service process, not to mention the fact that customers can activate soft-token and set their transaction limit securely from the comfort of their homes or offices”.

Other features of the Fidelity Online App include: the ability to validate beneficiaries of cash transfers before a transfer is made; use of same username and password on both mobile and web; the increased number of billers that can be paid directly from Fidelity Online platform such as, utility bills, toll firms, Churches, Cable and internet subscriptions, amongst others.