The company, which began operations as SIFAX Nigeria Limited in 1988, started as a freight forwarding agency in Lagos, Nigeria. Services rendered at its inception included freight forwarding, haulage and warehousing operations, as well as adjunct import and export support services.
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Oliver Omajuwa, General Manager, SIFAX Off Dock Nigeria Limited, was among foremost marketing professionals in Nigeria that were recently conferred with the fellowship of the National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria.
A total of 77 members from various sectors were awarded the prestigious honour.
At the event, which was held at Radisson Blu, Ikeja, Tony Agenmonmen, President/Chairman of Council, National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria said the new set of awardees comprises distinguished men and women who have distinguished themselves in the area of marketing in their various organizations.
Omajuwa, who joined the institute in 2011, is a graduate of Business Administration from Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma and also holds a Master of Business Administration with specialization in Marketing from Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH). He is also an alumnus of Pan African University (Lagos Business School).
His professional experience spans roles like Sales Analyst (Classic Beverages – producers of La Casera range of beverages) and Chief Marketing Officer- Air Separation Nig. Ltd – manufacturers of medical and industrial oxygen gas with the parent company in Buffalo, U.S.A. He also worked as the Admin/Marketing Manager, Duraclean Gases before he joined SIFAX Group in October 3, 2006 as Marketing/Corporate Affairs Officer.
He rose through the ranks in SIFAX Group and was promoted General Manager, SIFAX Off Dock Nigeria Limited in April 2015 where he is the head of the subsidiary and a member of the management team.
Asides his membership of NIMN, he is also a member of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Fellow of International Logistics & Administration (ILA) and member of Nigerian Institute of Shipping (NIS) and has attended high profile sales/marketing, management, leadership and public relations courses/seminars, workshops and lectures both in Nigeria and abroad.
SIFAX Financial Subsidiary – Sky Capital and Financial Allied International Limited was launched in 2019 the subsidiary oversees the operations of the banks which SIFAX Group acquired in The Gambia and Sierra Leone.
The Taiwo Afolabi Annual Maritime Conference (TAAM Conference) was launched.
In order to position itself as a first-choice terminal for importers, exporters and shippers in Nigeria and West Africa as a whole, Ports & Cargo Handling Services Limited, the flagship company of SIFAX Group, has acquired some new equipment worth over twenty million dollars.
The new equipment acquired are 5 shore cranes, 9 Reach Stackers, 10 terminal tractors, 5 Nissan pickup vehicles, 4 trailer backs and other machineries.
At the commissioning of the new equipment in Lagos, Mr. Adekunle Oyinloye, Group Managing Director, SIFAX Group hinted that the acquisition was part of the company’s strategic investment to deliver quality service to its clientele and to further attract more patronage.
“With our new internal restucturing project code named Quantuam Leap, SIFAX Group is respositioning itself to become the first choice terminal not just in Nigeria but in West Africa. We have also set a target that will increase our revenue with over 300% in five years. One of the ways, we can achieve our set targets is to first begin with investment in equipment which will complement our excellent personnel asset. These new equipment are the best and latest in town, they will catapult us into the next level growth we are working towards”, he noted.
While welcoming the guests, Mr. John Jenkins, Managing Director, Ports & Cargo Handling Services Limited, said there was a need to acquire the latest equipment in order to meet the architecture requirements of modern ship calling the terminal.
He noted further the company was already engaging several shipping lines in order to boost the company’s clientele base.
In her remarks, Aisha Ali Ibrahim, Assistant General Manager, Operations, who represented Hadiza Bala-Usman, Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority, expressed delight at the new acquisition, adding that it was a thing of joy that an indigenous company, Ports & Cargo Handling Services Limited, is competing favourably with foreign multinationals in the maritime sector in terms of investment, manpower and quality of service delivery
Andrew Lynch, Managing Director, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), Nigeria, one of the world’s foremost shipping lines also congratulated Ports & Cargo on the acquisition of these equipment. Lynch explained that the partnership between Ports & Cargo and MSC will be better forged with the acquisition of these equipment. He said: “Ports & Cargo and MSC have both forged an alliance which has been one of the best partnerships in the maritime sector. We are excited that these new equipment will enhance the discharge of more cargo volumes at the terminal”.
For Norman Herzberg, Sales Manager, Africa, for Liebherr Group, his company is delighted to be the partner in the supply of some of these equipment. He noted that the newly-acquired mobile shore cranes LHM 500 are the latest technologies with wider reach into the vessels and can discharge faster effectively and efficiently.
SIFAX Group has concluded arrangements with the relevant Lagos state government agencies to dispose the five containers of bad fish at one of its terminals in Lagos. These agencies include Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) and Lagos State Waste Management Agency (LAWMA), among others.
This follows the on-site inspection of our bonded terminal facilities by the Lagos State emergency taskforce team last weekend.
According to Mr. Adekunle Oyinloye, Group Managing Director, SIFAX Group, mindful of applicable regulations of a bonded terminal, the company was already seeking the necessary government approvals for evacuation and safe disposal before the taskforce visit.
He said: “As a responsible corporate citizen, SIFAX Group will not deliberately endanger the lives of its neighbours, who we have had an excellent relationship with over the last 18 years that our terminal had been in that community.
“When the company discovered that the content of the containers had gone bad, we immediately contacted the shipping line, consignee and the Nigerian Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for possible collaboration in addressing this situation.
“As of this moment, NAFDAC is still conducting its investigation on the matter and being a bonded terminal, SIFAX Group couldn’t unilaterally dispose the fish without approvals.
“While we were waiting for NAFDAC to round off its investigation, we have to retain the services of a reputable fumigation consultant to constantly disinfect the affected containers in order to protect our neighbours from air pollution and other health hazards.”
Oyinloye further noted that the intervention of the taskforce team was a welcome development capable of speeding up the disposal process that has been clogged by bureaucracy.
He said the company was fully cooperating with the taskforce team for the safe evacuation and other post-disposal assessments and checks in order to guarantee a clean and pollution-free environment, adding that a robust community engagement plan has also been mapped out to assure its neighbours of the company’s commitment to their well-being and good health.
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SIFAX Group, a group of companies with investment in Maritime, Aviation, Oil & Gas, Haulage & Logistics, Financial Services and Hospitality, has assured Nigerian farmers willing to export their agricultural produce of its readiness to support them.
This pledge was made by the SIFAX Group management team at the just concluded Meet The Farmers Conference which was held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
According to Mariam Afolabi, Executive Director, Compliance, SIFAX Group who represented Barr. (Dr.) Taiwo Afolabi, Group Executive Vice Chairman, who was the Guest Speaker at the conference, the company has the capacity – experience, equipment and workforce, to help them export their goods either through the sea or air.
“SIFAX Group is your go-to-company and one-stop export services company. We pride ourselves one of the few companies in Nigeria with complementary logistics supply chain services for exporters to various parts of the world”
She noted that there are not many organizations in the country that offer a bouquet of services across the logistics value chain. From port terminal management, shipping, clearing and forwarding, warehousing, haulage, off dock services, stevedoring, aviation ground handling, passenger handling, cargo/mail handling, ramp handling, among others, SIFAX Group is positioned strategically to function as a one-stop multimodal company that delivers complimentary services to the delight of clients.
“What that means is that whatever the logistics needs of our clients, whether basic or complex, right from the point of origin to point of delivery, we have developed the capacity to attend to such demands.
“This has given us a lot of leverage with our clients as we take the stress off them. They just sign into our comprehensive package, instead of engaging different agencies and companies to handle different services. This has entrenched our company in the logistics industry as a leading player.” he said.
On his part, Mr. Adekunle Oyinloye, GMD, SIFAX Group, who was one of the panelists at the conference, explained that SIFAX Group has invested in the right mix of human and equipment so that it could meet the expectations of its clients. “At both the seaport and airport, we have positioned the company as the first choice for all exporters in Nigeria. We have a long list of clients we service and also have exported produce to almost all countries in the world. At the airport, SAHCO Plc has the best warehouse in West Africa and also has strong partnerships with world major international airlines. At the seaport, shipping lines from across the world such as MSC, MOL and others call our terminal which has four berths and located at Tin Can Island”, he said.
Meet The Farmers Conference is an international agriculture conference and exhibition where farmers, airlines, potential investors, logistics companies and senior government officials, among others meet to foster partnerships and development of Africa’s agricultural potential.