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MAY DAY: LAGOS HAS ENJOYED FOUR YEARS OF SUSTAINED INDUSTRIAL HARMONY- AMBODE
…Thanks Labour Unions For Cooperation, Support
…Ambode, One OF Nigeria’s Most Labour-Friendly Governors, Says Labour Leaders
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode on Wednesday joined thousands of workers to commemorate the 2019 edition of the May Day celebration, commending labour unions for their understanding and cooperation in the last four years that ensured the State did not witness any industrial action.
Governor Ambode, who spoke at the May Day Rally, held at the Agege Stadium, Lagos with the theme, “Another 100 Years of Jobs, Dignity and Social Justice in Nigeria”, attributed the industrial harmony and peace in the State to the maturity and cooperation of the labour unions, applauded them for adopting alternative dispute resolution mechanisms rather than resort to industrial actions.
Represented by the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mr. Rotimi Ogunleye, the Governor said his administration since inception in May 2015, prioritised workers welfare and worked closely with union leaders to address policy and infrastructural issues, which according to him were the bane of effectiveness and efficiency of workers in the State.
“Having devoted myself to these objectives for the past four years and, having worked with you all, I am glad to say that it has been a pleasure to be your partner on this journey. I am proud of what we have accomplished together, and I am grateful for the cooperation and support that you have given me.
“Indeed, I am pleased that together, we have given the people of Lagos State four productive years of sustained industrial harmony. This is, perhaps, the longest period of such in the modern history of our State and this was made possible by the culture of mutual respect and understanding we nurtured and deployed.
“The culture of openness, mutual respect and frank discussions that marked our relationship with labour and the resulting period of industrial harmony allowed the government to initiate and implement programmes and policies that have resulted in immediate and long-lasting tangible values to the workers, the State government, and the good people of Lagos State,” the Governor said.
The Governor said aside regular trainings and seminars that workers in the State were exposed to, the State Government embarked on a successful campaign of reorientation in the public service to enable workers embrace the Growth Mindset in place of the hitherto limiting Fixed Mindset that pervaded the public service.
He said that conscious efforts was also made by his administration to meet the pension obligations and reduce outstanding payments, while expanding programmes geared towards providing social safety nets to the aged and retired officers of the public service.
“Very importantly, our administration concluded the review of the State’s pension law by signing the amended Lagos State Pension Reform Law in the first quarter of Year 2019. This amendment, among others, increased the government’s pension contribution from 7.5 per cent to 10 per cent. This is a legacy that we are proud to bequeath to the hardworking officers of the Lagos State Public Service,” the Governor said.
Noting that the theme of this year’s celebration was apt and projecting into the future ahead, Governor Ambode said he was confident that the labour union movement in Nigeria was marching forward with optimism and clear focus on the fundamental values and pillars of the labour movement.
“Indeed, the labour movement in Nigeria has come a long way and yet it remains on the right path, focusing on the values that are of utmost importance to the society and the economy.
“This theme is in line with the Federal Government’s focus on job creation, promoting entrepreneurship and creating an enabling environment for businesses to thrive. Jobs are important because they create further wealth and provide the purchasing power that enables the producers of wealth to continue to produce wealth and value.
“Dignity for workers is essential because it rewards those who diligently and laboriously apply themselves to the everyday work of creating value and earning a living with respect and social recognition. Finally, social justice is the only recipe for true peace and harmony in any society,” he said.
Besides, the Governor urged all stakeholders to see the occasion as a time to rededicate to job creation, stable work place, equality of all workers, dignity in labour and social justice, adding that the society must begin to honour, respect, and reward labour and not wealth.
In his remarks, Chairman, Trade Union Congress (TUC), Lagos State Chapter, Comrade Francis Ogunremi commended Governor Ambode for his commitment to workers welfare in the last four years especially in areas of prompt payment of salary, allowances and timely remittance of workers’ pensions, describing him as one of the most labour-friendly Governors.
He also lauded the various initiatives of the Governor in key sectors including massive road projects, solving traffic challenges especially launching of Traffic Information System, repositioning of State Emergency Agency, scaling up security architecture of the State, construction of Safety Arena, Health Insurance Scheme, among others.
Also speaking, Lagos State Chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Sessi Agnes Funmi commended Governor Ambode for his excellent performance, saying the efforts made so far by the Governor remained a challenge for other State Governors to strive harder to achieve.
She, however, warned the Federal Government to completely drop the idea of increasing the Value Added Tax (VAT) as a means of funding the 2019 budget.
At least 23 people were killed in a series of suspected suicide bombings, police in Nigeria’s northeastern city of Maiduguri said on Tuesday.
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More than 100 other people were injured in the blasts that took place on Monday evening in the capital of Nigeria’s restive Borno state.
No group has claimed responsibility for the suspected attacks.
The deadly blasts come after a military post was attacked overnight Sunday to Monday, which authorities blamed on suspected Islamist militants.
This sad incident is coming barely two weeks after Primate Elijah Ayodele, the Leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church specifically warned against attacks in some states. He mentioned these states while calling on security operatives to pay close attention to them.
These were his words:
“Another attack is coming up in these following states where the military must watch carefully and intelligently; Kano, Kaduna, Zamfara, Kebbi, Niger, Borno, Kwara and Kogi state. They want to do a deadly attack, it’s preventable but it depends on how they will handle it. I have told you about the danger coming up.”
@primateayodele
Unfortunately, some of our military agencies don’t believe spiritual intelligence can save the country from so much danger hence, their neglect of this prophetic warning but now, it has been fulfilled with the miliary losing credibility by the day while Primate Ayodele continues to gain momentum.
Likewise, At least 26 passengers and crew sustained varying degrees of injuries on Monday following an accident involving the Kaduna–Abuja train, according to the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC).
Opeifa explained that the train departed Rigasa in Kaduna at 7:15 a.m. and was approaching Asham station around 9:16 a.m. when a loud bang was heard after the power car and trailing locomotive collided with one of the passenger coaches.
In July 2025, Primate Ayodele asked nigerians to pray not to see train mishap on the Kaduna-Abuja route.
@primateayodele #nigeriantiktok🇳🇬 #fulfillment #train #abuja #primateayodele
“Let’s pray not to see train mishap in Abuja-Kaduna, Kaduna-Abuja route.”
This has also been fulfilled.
The project ends decades search for investors, boosts Nigeria’s blue economy
By Prince Adeyemi Shonibare
Nigeria’s maritime sector is set for a major transformation following a landmark agreement involving the world’s largest container shipping company, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), which has secured a 45-year concession to build, manage and operate a modern container terminal at Snake Island Port in Lagos.
The project, to be developed in partnership with Nigerdock, marks one of the most significant private sector investments in Nigeria’s port infrastructure in recent decades and is expected to strengthen the country’s role as a major maritime gateway in West and Central Africa.
For Nigeria, the agreement brings to close decades of efforts to attract large-scale investors to develop Snake Island Port, a strategically located maritime asset in Lagos.
Long-standing concession history
Snake Island’s maritime facilities date back several decades. In 1992, the Federal Government granted a 99-year concession for the island’s port and industrial facilities to Nigerdock, a major maritime engineering and logistics company.
Nigerdock was later privatised and is currently operated by the Jagal Group owned by Nigerian industrialist Maher Jarmakani.
Over the years, the Island Container Terminal fell into disrepair, requiring major rehabilitation and modernization to meet modern global shipping standards.
The new partnership with MSC is expected to transform the port into a state-of-the-art container handling facility capable of attracting larger vessels and increasing Nigeria’s cargo throughput capacity.
Buhari administration approved the project.
The investment framework for the Snake Island development was approved in May 2023 by the Federal Executive Council under then President Muhammadu Buhari.
The approval authorised total private investment of approximately $974.1 million for the project under a Public-Private Partnership structure, including the 45-year concession period.
At the same time, the Federal Government also approved two other major maritime infrastructure projects:
• Development of the Ondo Multipurpose Port in Ilaje, Ondo State, with $1.48 billion in private investment and a 50-year concession.
• Expansion and development of the Burutu Sea Port in Delta State, involving $1.2 billion in private investment and a 40-year concession.
These projects form part of Nigeria’s broader effort to develop its blue economy and expand maritime trade capacity.
Construction partners
Engineering and construction of the Snake Island container terminal will be handled by:
• ITB Nigeria Limited
• DEME Group
ITB Nigeria Limited is part of the Chagoury Group and owned by the Chagoury family, while DEME Group is a globally recognised Belgian marine engineering and dredging company with extensive experience in port construction.
MSC profile
Founded in 1970 by Italian shipping entrepreneur Gianluigi Aponte and his wife Rafaela Aponte-Diamant, MSC has grown from a single cargo vessel into the largest container shipping company in the world.
Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, the company operates in more than 155 countries and serves over 500 ports worldwide, with a fleet of roughly 900 container ships and over 200,000 employees globally.
The MSC Group also operates major logistics and maritime businesses including inland logistics through Medlog, cruise tourism through MSC Cruises, and port terminal operations across several continents.
According to Forbes, the estimated net worth of MSC founder Gianluigi Aponte is about $43.9 billion as of February 2026, placing him among the world’s richest shipping magnates. The company remains privately owned by the Aponte family, with both founders holding equal ownership stakes.
Management comments
Speaking on the development, MSC Group President Diego Aponte said the company is committed to strengthening its operations in Nigeria and across Africa.
“We are proud to expand our presence in Nigeria through this important infrastructure project. The Snake Island terminal will enhance service delivery and improve port efficiency for our customers and partners in the region,”
Chief Executive Officer of Nigerdock, Maher Jarmakani, described the agreement as a major milestone for the Nigerian maritime sector.
“We are delighted to partner with MSC in developing a world-class container terminal that will enhance Nigeria’s logistics capabilities and support economic growth,” he said.
Economic impact
Industry analysts say the project could significantly strengthen Nigeria’s maritime economy by expanding cargo handling capacity, reducing congestion at Lagos ports and attracting additional international shipping traffic.
The development is also expected to create thousands of direct and indirect jobs across maritime operations, logistics, transport services and port-related commercial activities.
Infrastructure expansion
Beyond the port development, plans are also underway for Nigeria’s first underwater tunnel, linking Ahmadu Bello Way in Victoria Island through Snake Island and connecting the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway with the Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway corridor through Badagry.
The tunnel project is expected to significantly improve freight movement and road connectivity between Lagos ports and national transport networks.
Strategic milestone
With the entry of MSC into the Snake Island development, industry observers say Nigeria is taking a significant step toward modernizing its maritime infrastructure and positioning itself as a regional hub for global shipping and trade.
For a project that has waited for decades for major international investors, the Snake Island concession represents a turning point in Nigeria’s port development strategy and a strong signal of global confidence in the country’s maritime future.
By Prince Adeyemi Shonibare
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