Sophia Ogezi

Sophia Ogezi

Occupation: Broadcasting, Presentation,programming, Packaging of documentary and more. 

Hobbies: Traveling, Experience on the job:2000 till date and the experience has been rewarding and highly impact full.

Schools attended: Federal Polytechnic Kaduna, (KadPoly). 

Due largely to the presence of commerce, Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital, remains the second most expensive city for travellers, with an average hotel room rate of £117 (N28,241.46). It comes behind Moscow, which remains the most expensive city for business travellers. Lagos is home to the head offices of many international oil corporations and multinational companies, whose expatriate staff fly frequently into the city for official engagements and they usually find their way into the many hotels that dot the city’s landscape.The latest interim Hotel Survey conducted by Hogg Robinson Group (HRG) reveals that, for the 10th year running, Moscow remains the most expensive city for business travellers with an average room rate (ARR) of £263.07 (N63,499.83). The survey shows evidence of early signs of recovery in hotel rates, but not to the levels expected by the market, explaining that, in some cases, it was four or five percentage points below what was expected.Margaret Bowler, director, Global Hotel Relations at HRG, says “the early sign of recovery in hotel prices is encouraging; what is a surprise however is that in certain key cities, the rates are not as high as the market had expected,” pointing out that, in many cities, this is attributed to new supply.On the whole, she adds, “occupancy is increasing faster which, coupled with continued high demand, means we will likely see rates climbing in certain markets in the second half of the year and beyond.”

Monday, 02 September 2013 00:00

Celebrating History And Culture

History has it that the Eyo masquerade is not original to Lagos Island but was brought there sometime around 1750 by two unnamed personalities from Ibefun and Ijebu communities in present day Ogun State. Owing to the fascinating appeal, they succeeded in introducing it as part of interment rites of passage for the departing Oba at that time, Oba Ado, who is believed to have married one of their cousins, Olugbani.

Another version has it that the main deity, Adamu Orisha, originated from Ibefun and the Eyo masquerade came as a result of the need to protect the deity from the activities of hooligans who might seek to destroy or steal it.
Those who hold this view say that the traditional iconic staff of the masquerade known as Opambata was invented as part of the regalia for the purpose of warding off undesirable elements.
Another dimension was added to the supposed origin of the masquerade a. A prominent indigene, Chief Adekunle Alli opined, “Orisa Ogunran and Orisa Elegbaopopo were originally brought to Lagos from Benin by Chief Olorogunagan Asagbemi and Chief Olorogunigbesule during the reign of Oba Ado of Lagos, over 350 years ago.”

The growing online platform for digital music distribution in the country is now being valued at $100 million, about N16.2 billion, according to analysts with Spinlet, with iRoking and iTunes dominating the market. Digital distribution outfits have sprung up in the last six years, making it possible for the spread of local music online and for investors to tap into an estimated $10 billion digital market globally “Investors in digital music distribution are seeing huge potential for profits,” says an analyst. The internet has become an important element of modern economic infrastructure recently, fundamentally changing how people interact, how consumers shop, and how products and services are designed, developed, marketed, and delivered. The internet has also changed how businesses operate and interact with one another. The increase in digital trade, which has had significant impact on the United States and global economies, is offering Nigerian artistes and their music to be heard in different parts of the world.
Thus, bringing about increase in revenue for artistes. In 2012 alone, according to the United States International Trade Commission, digital music contributed $4.1 billion to the US economy. In one of the highest-profile moves so far, Universal Music Group and Samsung Electronics announced in August the creation of The Kleek, a pan-African digital music service, which features music from Universal’s international catalogue and from local artistes

Friday, 30 August 2013 00:00

Nigeria Seeks NEXIM Bank's Support

The Federal Government has asked the Board of the Nigeria Export-Import Bank (NEXIM) to support Nigeria in maintaining its leading position as the powerhouse in regional trade in West Africa. The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, said at the inauguration of the reconstituted board of the bank in Abuja that with Nigeria's economy accounting for about 55 per cent of the regional trade, NEXIM must help build the capacity of private sector entrepreneurs to expand trade in the region and beyond. The minister, who acknowledged NEXIM as a very important part of government's finance structure, said the bank, which was set up to support the country's import and export trade, has so far proven its worth through the performance of its functions and delivering on its mandate. "There are a lot of expectations from the government, which is embarking on a path of transformation of the economy by working with private sector to expand trade in the country and the West African region and beyond. NEXIM is critical to this process, if Nigeria is going to play its role as the power house within the West African sub-region and Africa," the minister said.

As part of on-going efforts to beef up capacity and manpower requirements preparatory to the imminent take-off of Aeronautical Information Service (AIS) automation in November, the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) is set to train 96 members of its staff. According to the Managing Director, Engineer Nnamdi Udoh, the affected staff are to be trained in Basic Aeronautical Information Course at the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology ( NCAT), Zaria adding that for effective deployment of logistics, the group shall run the course concurrently in four batches. Addressing participants at NAMA headquarters in Lagos, Udoh congratulated them for the privilege just as he enjoined them to justify the agency's huge investment in their training by taking their studies seriously. The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) has set November 15, 2013 as deadline for the implementation of AIS automation worldwide and the project in Nigeria has reached advanced stage of completion.

The Federal Government (FG) has warned the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) against leaving pilgrims stranded at hajj camps during this year's exercise. Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo gave the warning at the State House in Abuja yesterday at a meeting to review the 2012 hajj report recently presented by the National Amirul Hajj, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Mohammad Saad Abubakar. Charging the commission on timely and efficient airlift of pilgrims, Sambo decried a situation where pilgrims are kept at hajj reception centres for days without being airlifted to Saudi Arabi. The vice president also asked the commission to ensure that designated airlines abide by the agreements signed.

Despite the difficulty in securing the Nigerian visa, the uncompetitive airfare, security threats and several travel warnings by most embassies to their citizens against travelling to Nigeria, the country still received more visitors in the last three years than Ghana.

Analysts, who attributed the influx to better business environment, among others things, noted that with more stability in governance, more international airlines and investors would signify interest in doing business in the country, adding that Nigerians also have started appreciating the need to travel by air as the fastest and safest means.

“Nigeria is one of the biggest markets in Africa, especially with its population. The whole Africa does not have the kind of market Nigeria has and with the number of people travelling, foreign airlines capitalise on it to apply for landing rights and domestic airlines to apply for air operator’s certificates. Also, on the domestic side, passenger traffic rises when the fare is low, with the coming of more airlines after the Dana crash, the fares dropped, while traffic is increasing,” Muhammed Tukur, secretary general of Airline Operators of Nigeria told BusinessDay.

THE Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) has challenged stakeholders in the maritime sector to work out modalities on how to successfully tackle high cost of doing business at Nigerian ports.
Addressing representatives of freight forwarders and executive members of trade associations in Lagos, Executive Secretary/ Chief Executive Officer of NSC, Hassan Bello, said the numbers of complaints from port users is on the increase, adding that there is a general consensus that port cost is still on the high side despite concession exercise.
 “Studies carried out also support the fact that cost has continued to escalate while patronage of neigbouring ports by Nigerian shippers continue to increase thus denying the Federal Government much needed revenue from the port industry.
 “These are challenges that must be addressed with determination and commitment on the part of all stakeholders in the industry. This interactive session seeks to re-awaken us all to the fact that the industry is dynamic,” said Bello
   Chairman, Seaport Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria (STOAN), Vicky Haastrup, had recently advised the Federal Government to beam its

SHORTLY after the crash of Dana Air, coupled with the crisis of confidence that befell the sector with the temporary seizure of operations by First Nation, the epileptic nature of Chanchangi Airlines and a few others, many sang a dirge for the airline industry.
 During the period, few airlines like Arik, Aero, IRS and Landover held sway, leading to shortage of seats.  Frustration set in for travellers as choices were limited and airfares skyrocketed. It was a period demand far outweighed supply. In a capitalist economy, it was difficult to blame anyone for choosing to pay almost half of what it would take to fly to London for a trip to Abuja, Kano, Port-Harcourt or Kaduna.

 It was equally a period, less than a year ago when the airlines battled to provide quality services with few number of aircraft at their disposal. To say they suffered was an understatement. Although, they smiled to the bank, but the huge burden of customer satisfaction with no fault of theirs painted them in a very bad light.
  But all these are becoming a thing of the past with the influx of start up airlines that have been given their all important Air Operator Certificate (AOC), while some others are at the verge of formalising processes that would make them be handed their AOCs.

Wednesday, 21 August 2013 00:00

Port Concession: Dock Workers Flay Process

Dockworkers in the nation’s seaports have flayed the handover of the nation’s ports to  the terminal operators,  expressing concern over  the way and manner the concession programme was implemented by the Federal Government.
The Federal Government had during the administration of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo handed over the nation’s seaports situated at Warri, Koko, Port Harcourt, Calabar, Onne, Lagos, and Sapele to concessionaires.
The exercise which was midwifed by the Bureau for Public Enterprises (BPE) has recorded some gains, just as some stakeholders have continued to draw the attention of the authority to the ills that trailed the programme which was completed in 2006.
The former  President General of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), Comrade Uzoijie Ukaumunna told maritime reporters in Lagos that the recent spate of detection of illegal arms importation particularly through the nation’s seaports was because private operators are now in control of most of the terminals and jetties across the country.
He  stated that his MWUN had warned against the idea of allowing absolute private control of the ports, but was ignored by government.

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