Category: Security & Law

First Bank of Nigeria Limited (FirstBank) has successfully recertified to the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) version 3.2. The Bank obtained the PCI DSS certification in 2014.

Recently, FirstBank was named the first financial institution in Nigeria and the West-Africa sub-region to issue 10 million cards to customers across the country. This makes FirstBank the second bank in Africa to achieve this feat. With this milestone, the bank has maintained a 95 percent active card ratio and currently processes about 33 percent of card transactions in the entire banking industry.

At least 230 Nigerian peacekeeping troops serving under the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) have been awarded the United Nations, UN peacekeepers medal.

The UNMIL, which announced the awards stated that the peacekeepers were conferred with the UN medals at a ceremony in Morovia in recognition of their contributions to peace and stability in Liberia.

The Special Representative of the Secretary-General, SRSG, Farid Zarif, presided over the ceremony at Camp Abuja in Monrovia, the capital city of Liberia.

The UNIMIL said the UN medals were also presented to Staff Officers, Military Observers, and the Pakistani Medical Contingent, PAKMED.

In his remarks, Mr. Zarif said the peacekeepers contributed towards strengthening and consolidating peace and stability in Liberia.

In his words:

“They have brought pride and honour, not just to their contingents, but also to their nations.

You have also given meaning to the United Nations services throughout the world by helping nations in distress in order to fight back some of the challenges that may have gone beyond their capacity.”

The SRSG urged the peacekeepers to take pride in their contributions to serving the common cause of the United Nations by helping humanity and nations in distress.

He said by so doing, peacekeepers justify the presence and continuation of the work of the United Nations as the most indispensable organization without which humanity would be in difficult distress.

Mr. Zarif further stated:

“Be proud of what you are doing in supporting and maintaining peace around the world and helping other nations.”

The event was graced by top officials of UNMIL and UN Country Team, including the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary General, DSRSG, for Peace Consolidation, Yacoub El Hillo, Force Commander, Salihu Zaway Uba, a major-general and Director of Mission Support DMS, David Penklis.

However, UNIMIL said the Security Council at its 7851st meeting held on December 23, 2016 adopted the Resolution 2333 (2016) that extended its mandate for a final period until March 30, 2018.

A request has also been sent to the Secretary-General to complete the withdrawal of all uniformed and civilian UNMIL components, other than those required to complete the Mission’s liquidation, by April 30, 2018.

Nigeria has become the only country in Africa to have its two airports attain Global Safety Standard certified by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and the only country in West Africa sub-region with internationally certified airports.

This was made known by the Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Captain Muhtar Usman during the ceremony to mark the certification of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. Last September, the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos was certified, thus recognising two major airports in the country as meeting global safety standards.

Continue reading Two Nigerian Airports Attain ICAO Global Safety Standard

Adaku Ufere, has won the ‘Attorney of the Year’ in 2017 edition of the African Legal Awards.

Adaku Ufere was selected from thousands of entries across the African continent. She is the youngest ever, and first Nigerian winner of the Attorney of the Year award. She is a graduate of Law from the University of Nigeria, obtaining a Second Class Honours Upper Division grade from the Nigeria Law School, Abuja, before proceeding to the University of Aberdeen in Scotland for her Master’s Degree in Law, where she specialised in Oil and Gas Law.

Adaku Ufere is an international oil and gas lawyer and is Head of the Energy Practice at the Pan African Law firm, the Centurion Law Group with its Headquarters in Johannesburg, South Africa.

In 2016, she received an award as one of the 40 under 40 Leading Lawyers in Nigeria at the Nigerian Legal Awards 2016, which held at the Civic Centre in Victoria Island, Lagos.

The African Legal Awards recognises exceptional achievements from within Africa’s legal community, and is hosted by Legal Week (organisers of the British Legal Awards), in association with the Corporate Counsel Association of South Africa (CCASA)

Digital Encode Limited has been awarded the 2017 Risk Management Leadership in Nigeria Award by Risk Managers Association of Nigeria (RIMAN).

The Award was presented to Mr. Obadare Peter Adewale, the Co-Founder and the Chief Operating Officer of Digital Encode Limited.

Continue reading Digital Encode Wins 2017 RIMAN Risk Management Leadership in Nigeria Award

The Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) has finally been certified in line with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards and best practices.

In the last 12 months, the Federal Government, desirous of getting the Lagos international airport to operate under an ICAO certification, had taken various measures to prepare it to scale the rigorous ICAO audit, some of which included investment in the upgrade of infrastructure, elimination of touting, ensuring stable power supply and cooling systems, clean toilets and other allied conveniences, and the dismantling of multiple checkpoints for passengers and baggage by Customs, Quarantine, NDLEA and FAAN airport security officials.

ICAO had earlier in the year sent a team of auditors to visit the country, go round the airport prior to granting the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) the approval to audit the Lagos airport in line with its standards as well as the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations (NCARs).

Director General of NCAA, Capt. Muhtar Usman, who presented the audit certificate with number NCAA/ARD/AC/001 to the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mr. Saleh Dunoma, in Lagos yesterday, said the certificate is valid for three years unless cancelled, suspended or revoked. According to Capt. Usman:

“With the certification, FAAN is the certified Aerodrome operator for the provision of required airport services, facilities, systems and equipment at Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, in line with International Standards And Recommended Practices.

The certification is a clear indication that the Lagos airport has met regulatory safety requirements on a continuous basis and that it is providing uniform conditions for safe and efficient operation of aircraft from all other states, as required by Article 15 of the Chicago Convention and the certification is an enabler for the attainment of a regional hub for Lagos and one of the critical safety targets of NCAA.”

He further explained that the certificate entitles the holder (FAAN) to operate the MMIA Lagos airport for the purpose of take-off and landing of aircraft engaged in flight for scheduled and non-scheduled commercial operations.

He, however, pointed out that the certificate has the following limitations – ARFFS: CAT 9, Day/Night Operations. IFR CAT of Operations: CAT 11. 

The NCAA boss advised the FAAN management to see the certification as a fresh challenge with which comes the capacity and striving to ensure sustenance of the certificate.

The NCAA boss concluded by revealing that the certification of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, is in its final stage. The Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Port Harcourt International Airport, Port Harcourt, Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, and Kaduna International Airport, Kaduna, will be certified by July 2018. 

Dana Air has been formally announced as the newest member of the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

The IATA membership is coming just two years after the Nigerian airline passed its International Operations Safety Audit (IOSA) and was admitted into the association’s global safety registry.

The Accountable Manager of Dana Air, Mr. Obi Mbanuzuo in respect to the airline’s latest achievement said:

“Becoming a member of IATA is a significant milestone for us at Dana Air and this only demonstrates our level of professionalism and commitment to operational efficiency in terms of providing our guests with safe, seamless and world-class air transport service in Nigeria.

Apart from the fact that this membership will further strengthen our relationship with other international airlines, we see it as an opportunity to take our amazing products to the global stage through interline and code-share agreements.

You would recall that Dana Air is the first and only Nigerian airline to have undergone an operational audit conducted by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority and its foreign partners – The Flight Safety Group, and we are determined to reinforce our strategic route network within and beyond Nigeria.’’