General
MAN Condemns Sealing of Coca-Cola, Guinness, FrieslandCampina Factories in Lagos
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has condemned the sealing of a few manufacturing companies by the Lagos State government.
In a statement signed by its Director General, Mr Segun Ajayi-Kadir, the group said it was appalled by the action, adding that it was already in talks with relevant agencies in the state over the issue.
Earlier this week, the Lagos State Water Regulatory Commission (LASWARCO) sealed the factories of the Nigerian Bottling Company (producers of Coca-Cola), FrieslandCampina (makers of Peak Milk), and Guinness Nigeria Plc. for violating water abstraction regulations in their operation.
The commission’s Director of Technical Services, Mr Olowu Babatunde, said on Tuesday that the companies were extracting large quantities of groundwater without proper authorisation.
In his statement released on Friday, MAN’s DG said the government’s decision was ill-timed and in bad faith as talks were ongoing about the issue among the affected parties, noting that efforts to reach the authorities after the shutdown were futile.
“The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) is constrained to convey this open message to the Governor of Lagos State, as all attempts at approaching the relevant heads of agencies and ministry have failed. MAN is appalled by the inauspicious act of the Lagos State Water Regulatory Commission (LASWARCO) in sealing factories over their purported refusal to pay the astronomical and unjustifiable water abstraction fees imposed by the Commission,” he stated.
Mr Ajayi-Kadir added, “This action is ill-timed and quite unfortunate, as the Commission and MAN had engaged in meaningful dialogue and reached some agreements over the lingering issue about three months ago.
“This was expected to culminate in an MoU to commence in January 2025.
“Only three weeks ago, another round of discussions took place between LASWARCO and representatives of MAN, including affected member companies, which led to ongoing discussions in the companies as to the most viable option for addressing the alleged outstanding payments from earlier contested fees.
“It is while these discussions were going on and during the Yuletide that the Commission decided to cause this major and unwise shutdown of the companies.”
MAN accused the Lagos state government of being tyrannical in its regulation and imposing exorbitant fees on manufacturers at a time when the industry is facing a downturn, saying the industry spends a lot on water for production as the government fails to supply water.
“It is important to properly situate this inappropriate action within the context of the prevailing inclement operating environment in general and the downturn in the manufacturing sector in particular.
“A situation where industries are burdened with payments in excess of N100 million for generating water for production purposes, in the face of the government’s failure to supply the same, is unfair.
“The exorbitant fees and the untoward means of extracting payment exemplifies the negative impact of the tyranny of regulation on private business,” the statement read further.
Mr Ajayi-Kadir lamented that manufacturers are enduring a harsh economic climate as the volume of unsold inventories keeps rising. He expressed concerns over the possibility of other states taking similar enforcement action as the Lagos state government.
“To date, manufacturers across the country are saddled with more than N1.2 billion of unsold inventory, borrowing at more than 30 per cent and struggling under a debilitating 250 per cent increase in the cost of power.
“Numerous taxes, fees, and levies by the three tiers of government and non-state actors in some cases, numbering between 60 to 120 confront each manufacturer, not to mention the disruption of production activities due to insecurity and high cost of logistics. There are more! So, to add this oppressive water abstraction fee in Lagos state that may potentially be adopted by other States presents an ominous and rancorous future for manufacturers in particular and private businesses in general,” he added.
He pleaded with the Governor of Lagos, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to direct LASWARCO to reopen the sealed facilities while MAN and the agency resume discussions.
“This will pave the way for a logical and passable conclusion of the ongoing conversations on how to permanently resolve the matter of outstanding fees, as well as conclude the impending MoU between the Water Commission and the Organised Private Sector,” he said.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Ministry of Interior has announced the launch of a new online citizenship and business management platform.
In a statement by the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mrs Magdalene Ajani, on Friday in Abuja, it was disclosed that the new digital platform was designed to streamline the application and processing of citizenship and business-related services, ensuring faster turnaround time and improved user experience.
According to the statement, the platform is aimed at managing citizenship applications, processing business permits, and administering regulations related to businesses, and foreign workers.
The permanent secretary explained further that the initiative was part of the ministry’s ongoing reforms aimed at promoting transparency, enhancing operational efficiency thereby significantly improving service delivery to the public.
Members of the public, corporate entities, and other stakeholders are hereby expected to access the platform through the following official channels: Ministry of Interior’s website: https://interior.gov.ng and for direct portal access: https://candb.interior.gov.ng, [email protected] for support or inquiries.
“The ministry remains committed to establishing a more efficient, transparent, and secure framework for citizenship administration, while continuously enhancing service delivery through digital transformation,” the statement concluded.
By Bon Peters
A leading petrochemicals and fertilizer production company in Rivers State, Indorama Eleme Petrochemicals Limited, has reaffirmed its determination to always prioritise environmental preservation, corporate social responsibility (CSR) and other policies geared towards profitability.
The Managing Director of Indorama Nigeria and Executive Director at Indorama Africa, Mr Manish Mundra, gave this reassurance at a media parley to introduce the new Head of Corporate Communications of the organisation, Mr Bibiye Justice.
Mr Justice is taking over from Mr Jossy Nkwocha, who retires from the company from the end of May 2025 after 18 years in charge of the image-making of the company.
Mr Mundra, represented by the Chief Technical Officer of Indorama Nigeria, Mr Deepu Sivadas, praised Mr Nkwocha for demonstrating a high level of professionalism in his partnership with journalists, saying the synergy has positioned Indorama in the right perspective in terms of reportage of the company’s operations.
In his remarks, Mr Nkwocha commended the management of Indorama for giving him the opportunity to serve in the company and thanked journalists for their support.
“I have enjoyed tremendous support of journalists in the state in the past 18 years, and for this reason, I haven’t experienced any media crises.
“I want to thank you all for your cooperation and to announce that I’m about stepping down, by the end of this month, I shall be retiring and Mr Justice Bibiye will be stepping in my shoes.
“Bibiye is one of us, a thorough bred corporate communications personality, having served at NTA and AIT. I, therefore, urge you to avail him the same level of support,” he said.
On his part, Mr Justice commended newsmen for supporting his predecessor and contributing to the growth of the company.
“Indorama is critical national asset contributing significantly to the economy. The company is continuously creating jobs and assisting the government tackle food shortage through high quality fertilizers production for export and local demands,” he said.
The chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Rivers State, Mr Paul Bazia, while speaking, lauded the organisation for its achievements and pledged to sustain the cooperation.
Indorama, an 8,000 metric tons daily capacity fertilizer production company, is the largest single-train urea facility in the Sub-Saharan Africa with a legacy of excellence in fertilizer production.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Lagos State Command of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has called for calm over a viral video showing some young persons from Katsina State seen around Ibeju Lekki area of Lagos State.
In a statement on Friday, the spokesperson for the Lagos State Police Command, Mr Benjamin Hundeyin, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), said residents of the metropolis have nothing to worry about because the persons seen in the visual were recruited to work at the Dangote Refinery.
According to him, the contractor responsible for their recruitment and the refinery’s Chief Security Officer (CSO) both confirmed the arrangement.
He stated that the labourers have been cleared to reside and work within the $20 billion oil facility after all necessary checks were conducted them.
“Upon receipt of the information on May 14, 2025, officers from the Command immediately deployed to the location to ascertain the facts.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that the young men in question, 89 in number, had arrived from Katsina State and were recruited to work as labourers at the Dangote Refinery in Lekki.
“The contractor working with the refinery appeared before the police and confirmed that he had personally sourced and brought the labourers from Katsina for legitimate employment purposes.
“The individuals were thoroughly searched, and no incriminating items were found in their possession.
“Furthermore, each person properly identified themselves and presented their National Identification Numbers (NINs), which were duly verified,” Mr Hundeyin stated, assuring that, “The command remains committed to maintaining law and order across Lagos State and will continue to respond promptly to all matters relating to public safety.”
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