Business
Maritime Guru Seeks Global Recognition of Nigeria’s Seafarers
A maritime expert, Capt Konni Duniya, says that the global recognition of seafarers in Nigeria’s Maritime sector are in the hands of the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, and the NIMASA.
Capt Duniya spoke during the 2024 Lecture Series of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN) Oron, titled: ‘Addressing Human and Institutional Capacity Development in Nigeria’s Maritime Sector Through Stakeholders Partnership.’
She called on the Federal Government to organise frequent
training for existing seafarers and develop capacity building programs for incoming ones with the use of emerging trends and technologies.
“Nigeria has been on the IMO STCW white list since 2019; however, Nigerian seaferers are yet to benefit from this achievement due to the inability of Nigeria to sign MOU with the most respected countries like UK, Australia and most of Europe.
Signing MOU with such countries will help strengthen our image as a serious maritime nation and open doors for employment of Nigerian seafarers globally.
‘Nigeria is the only country with unemployed seafarers in the world despite the cabotage law which seems to have been poorly implemented,” she said.
She expressed concern that the country will suffer huge shortage of adequate and competent seafarers in the coming years if the manpower Gap created as a result of war, retirement and disruptions in the sector is not urgently addressed.
Capt Duniya, an alumna of the premier maritime institution, also blame the domination of Nigeria’s Maritime sector by seafarers of foreign countries, issuance of fraudulent Certificate of Competency CoC, lack of database to validate cadet’s education, training and experience.
She also identified non-compliance with STCW Convention of International Maritime Organization as one of the major factors and limitations causing low employment opportunities for Nigerian seafarers.
“There needs to for proper housekeeping in NIMASA to combat issues of seatime and licence forgery through the use of block chain and cloud computing.
There is the need for Nigeria to market her seafarers to the global market alongside the signing of MOU like Ghana, South Africa and other countries are doing.
Nigeria seafarers are left to their fate battling poor wages , welfare and living conditions within Nigerian waters while alternatively accepting lower positions outside Nigerian waters which does not give room for consistent career growth,” she said
Business
Exchange Rates Today Friday, 12 June
Black Market Rates
US Dollar (USD) ₦1,397
Great British Pound (GBP) ₦1,850
Official CBN Exchange Rates
US Dollar (USD) ₦1,363. 83
Great British Pound (GBP) ₦1,821. 25
EURO (EUR) ₦1,572. 90
SWISS FRANC (CHF) ₦1,706. 49
JAPANESE YEN (JPN) ₦8.50
CHINESE YUAN (CNY) ₦201.20
West African CFA (XOF) ₦2.40
West African Unit Account (WAUA) ₦1,857. 45
SAUDI RIYAL (SAR) ₦363. 29
SOUTH AFRICAN RAND (ZAR) ₦82.61
Black Market Rates
US Dollar (USD) Buy ₦1,397 Sell ₦1,405
Great British Pound (GBP) Buy ₦1,850 Sell: ₦1,870
EURO (EUR) Buy ₦1,587 Sell ₦1, 607
Canadian Dollar (CAD) Buy ₦1,030 Sell ₦1,100
South African Rand (ZAR) Buy ₦75 Sell ₦90
UAE Dirham Buy ₦350 Sell ₦370
Chinese Yuan Buy ₦180 Sell ₦200
Ghana Cedi (GHS) Buy ₦95 Sell ₦110
West African CFA Buy ₦2, 380 Sell ₦2, 460
Central African CFA Buy ₦2, 220 Sell 2,300
Australian Dollar Buy ₦800 Sell ₦900
Business
Airtel launches data calculator to counter depletion complaints
Commenting on the significance of the launch, Dinesh Balsingh, Chief Executive Officer, Airtel Nigeria, said that the company remains focused on building a network and customer experience ecosystem anchored on trust, transparency and continuous improvement.
Airtel Nigeria has launched the Airtel Web Data Calculator, a new digital tool designed to help customers estimate and better understand their internet data consumption based on real-life usage patterns.
Available through Airtel’s website, the calculator enables customers to estimate data usage across common digital activities such as video streaming, social media engagement, voice and video calls, and everyday web browsing.
Speaking on the launch, Oladokun Oye, Customer Experience Director, Airtel Nigeria, said that the initiative reflects Airtel’s commitment to customer empowerment and service transparency.
“As Nigerians become increasingly dependent on digital services for work, education, entertainment and communication, it is important that customers have clear visibility into how their data is consumed.
The Airtel Web Data Calculator was developed to help our customers understand their usage patterns better, make informed choices, and enjoy greater confidence in their digital experience,” he said.
Commenting on the significance of the launch, Dinesh Balsingh, Chief Executive Officer, Airtel Nigeria, said the company remains focused on building a network and customer experience ecosystem anchored on trust, transparency and continuous improvement.
“The future of telecommunications will be defined not only by network investments but also by how effectively operators help customers understand and manage their digital lives. The Airtel Web Data Calculator represents a practical innovation that places more information and control directly in the hands of our customers.” He said.
Business
Kingsley Moghalu chairs Bluecode Africa subsidiary in Nigeria
Moghalu served as Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria from 2009 to 2014, heading the Financial System Stability and Operations Directorates at different periods.
Bluecode Africa, the European payments infrastructure operator backed by leading US and European institutional investors, has named Prof Kingsley Chiedu Moghalu as Chairman of the Advisory Board of its Nigerian subsidiary, Bluecode Payments Nigeria Limited as the company formally enters the Nigerian market.
The appointment was jointly announced by Chris Pirkner, Founder of Bluecode, and Odin Krismayr, Managing Director of Bluecode Africa, who described it as a foundational governance decision for the company’s Nigerian and continental operations.
Moghalu served as Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria from 2009 to 2014, heading the Financial System Stability and Operations Directorates at different periods.
He led the team that introduced the unique-identifier Bank Verification Number (BVN), enrolling 50 million banking users, simplifying Know Your Customer (KYC) procedures, and doubled Nigeria’s financial inclusion rate from 33 to 60 per cent.
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