By Sodiq Adelakun

The Lagos State Government has demonstrated its commitment to providing affordable and quality education to its residents by approving and disbursing a total sum of N849,555,000 in scholarships and bursaries to 10,066 students in its tertiary institutions.

This was announced by the Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Mr. Tolani Sule, on Tuesday at the 2024 Ministerial Briefing held at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, Alausa, Ikeja.

According to Sule, the Babajide Sanwo-Olu-led administration’s commitment to education is evident in its T.H.E.M.E.S plus Agenda, which prioritises effective and affordable education for all residents.

He noted that Lagos state-owned tertiary institutions did not participate in the recent workers’ strikes, demonstrating the government’s dedication to education development.

“Not going on strike when all other tertiary institutions were on strike is a feat that we pride ourselves on.

“This is to further show that our able governor does not pay lip service to the agenda.

“We know it will keep getting better, we are proud of all our institutions.

“Lagos State University is the oldest institution but new institutions are catching up,” he said.

Recall that the ministerial briefing began on April 24.

It will continue until May 29, with ministries giving accounts of their stewardships in the last one year of Gov. Sanwo-Olu’s second term in office.

“The sum of N335,600,000 was approved for 1,591 undergraduates and PhD recipients as 2022/2023 Scholarship Award as well as the 2022/2023 Governor’s Discretionary Awards.

“Also, N513,955,000 was approved for 6,884 in bursary award for undergraduates and law school students.

“A total of N849,555,000.00 was released in 2023 for 8,475, making a total of 10,066 as beneficiaries of the scholarship and bursary,” he said.

Sule mentioned that the state government is focusing on promoting extensive reading among students by rehabilitating and digitising 300 secondary schools and 40 public libraries.

“The reading culture isn’t what it used to be. This is why the administration deemed it necessary to ensure that students have access to these facilities.

“When we digitalised these libraries, we dedicated power generating sets. Monthly, there is N250,000 set aside and given to these secondary schools with digitalised libraries so they would run seamlessly.

“When policies are made, we consider how it will succeed; so, this was well planned out because we have a target,” he said.

In a move to bolster economic strength and achieve the gazetted route of the Lagos- Calabar coastal road project’s corridors, the Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi, has assured that the project will be constructed to join a parallel alignment with the road connecting the Lekki Deep Sea Port and Dangote Refinery.

The Minister hinted that more beachfronts, obstructions and structures along the federal government’s gazetted right-of-way will be demolished.

Umahi, while speaking on the sideline of the project tour around Lagos Free Trade Zone (FTZ) in Lagos, mentioned that a Hi-Tech construction company would construct a flyover along the 47km to connect the Lekki Deep Seaport to Epe and Dangote Refinery.

The Minister noted that properties and obstructions along the gazetted right-of-way of the Lagos-Calabar highway project must be realigned to achieve the goal of the coastal highway project stretching towards Lagos and eight other states in the country.

He said the demolition had commenced after he inspected kilometres 13, 16 and 20 of the coastal road project to ensure that the economically viable route to access the coastal road is without any damage.

Umahi further noted that the federal government reclaimed the right of way of the Lagos-Calabar coastal shorelines to pave the way for the realisation of the project.

He said the demolition was necessary as part of the project plan since the structures were located on the Federal Government’s right-of-way.

He said a lot of structures would be affected by the demolition, adding that compensation would be provided where necessary.

He affirmed that the demolition of obstructions along the federal government’s right-of-way began with the Mami Chula lifestyle beachfront and Landmark Beach Resort after holding several meetings with stakeholders, property owners and traditional institutions in the state.

The minister said the demolition will go on despite claims of Landmark CEO, citing job loss and business deactivation while he stressed that the owner was making a lot of noise despite knowing that his structure was not affected.

The Minister insisted that the coastal project will go on despite the politics being played by Landmark to sway the media that his structure has been destroyed.

The Minister stressed that several structures would be affected by the demolition, adding that compensation would be provided.

Umahi said, “With the utmost fear of God, and the commitment to the Renewed Hope prudency agenda of President Bola Tinubu. It’s in a right-of-way within the coastal corridor, which is the legitimate right-of-way of the federal government.

“Before the flag-off of the Landmark’s demolition, I graciously increased the period by another seven days and yet another four days, and here we are because the project stopped because of a lack of demolition.”

The Minister acknowledged that some people opposed the project but he insisted that it was necessary for economic development.

He assured those affected by the demolition that they would be adequately compensated and added that documentation would start between May 2 and 3.

Umahi also assured that he would be available throughout the week to address the confirmation or payment issues related to the demolition exercise.

Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited) leading fruit juice and value-added dairy manufacturer in Nigeria has rewarded its long standing distributors at the recently held 2024 Distributor Conference. The event with the theme, “Break Boundaries Exceed Expectations” served as a platform to recognise and reward the exceptional contribution of the distributors and wholesalers who play a critical role in Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited) success and business goals for the year.

The  Distributor Conference was held in two sessions. While the morning session featured keynote addresses, industry insights and brand immersion experience, the evening session was a cultural display of elegance and funfair that culminated in the award presentation and recognition of the contribution the trade partners made to the company  in the 2023 year under review.

A key highlight of the event was the award ceremony which acknowledged outstanding trade partners in various regions across the country. The awards recognised commitment, dedication, and outstanding performance in areas of sales growth, brand promotion, and market expansion.

Managing Director, Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited), Eelco Weber stated that the company’s success story is incomplete without the strong partnerships it has built with trade partners.

“Today, we celebrate not only the achievements, but the collaborative spirit that has made our growth possible,” he said.

Chief Commercial Officer, Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited), Bola Arotiowa in his statement revealed that, the event which was first of its kind will continue to be an annual meeting to enable the company work more closely with its distributors, share insights and action points, help the trade partners familiarise themselves with the company’s goals and objectives for each year, and serve as a driver for  mutual success.

“Our distributors are the backbone of Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited). Their relentless efforts in distributing our products, promoting our brands, and expanding our reach across the nation is truly commendable.

“As the bridge between us and our valued consumers, it is very important to reward their hard work and dedication for being an essential part of the Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited) family. Together, we will continue to deliver great products to our consumers which in turn will deliver value to them,”  Mr. Arotiowa added.

Speaking at the conference, Chief Executive Officer of Smabirm Nigeria Limited, HajiyaBilikisuSaida, who won the Outstanding Distributor of the Year in North 1 region, and got a reward of two million Naira worth of Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited)  productsexpressed delight at the company’s recognition, and stated that the awards served as a way to inspire distributors to do more and put in more effort, which in turn would help both the distributors and the company to grow.

Other outstanding performance distributors of the year rewarded with a two million Naira worth of Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited) stock include, Sunny Chuks Limited for East 1 region, MRS FA & Sons Limited for East 2 region, Hussakas Ventures for North 2 region, Rookee 1388 Ventures for Lagos 1 region, Pik N Pil Ventures for Lagos 2 region, FaithJoe Event Management Limited for West 1 region, and Progress Family Nigeria Enterprise for West 2 region.

The annual Distributors Conference aims to strengthen the bond between Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited) and its trade partners. This collaborative approach fosters mutual growth and ensures the continued success of the brands in the Nigerian market.