BusinessDay 21 Sep 2017

Thursday 21 September 2017
C002D5556
BUSINESS DAY
31
GARDEN CITY BUSINESS DIGEST
Airports as cash cows:
PH investors hail airport handover, demand
for action on PH International Airport
- Urge army, agitators to save the region’s economy
IGNATIUS CHUKWU
Investors in Port Harcourt
have hailed the resolve of
the federal government
to hand over two key airports
in Nigeria to private
managers. The announcement
was made last week by the vice
president, Yemi Osinbajo.over
airports in Lagos and Abuja.
Reacting, the president of the
Rivers Entrepreneurs and Investors
Forum (REIF), Ibifri Bobmanuel,
who just returned from
a month-long vacation abroad
said it appeared the FG woke up
to the reality that the private sector
is the key. “If they eventually
cristalise the deal, they would
exit payment of humongous staff
salaries. The private sector would
manage the staff and the assets as
a business. Then, they would at
that point know that they must
make profit.”
He went on: “Those airports
are major cash cows everywhere
in the world. We have not been
able to scratch the surface of
the potentials of those airports.
I weep whenever I pass through
those airports because one can
make huge revenue from them,
but because the system is programmed
to fail, you find out
that they always turn out as major
drain pipes in the system.”
Bobmanuel commended the
minister of aviation, Hadi Sirika,
as a man with a vision. “He is selfless.
This singular action shows
how selfless he is. We should all
Port Harcourt by Boat
With
IGNATIUS CHUKWU
Is Port Harcourt truly the melting
pot of Nigeria’s food cultures, the
oldest food taste destination?
Should Nigeria’s food brand
eventually emerge, would it likely be
something out of Port Harcourt pots?
Kenneth George Kalio, a strategy consultant
with a bias for food discovery
and tastes believes Port Harcourt
should lead Nigeria and Africa in foods
and tastes. The strategist with interest
in lifestyle says an upcoming international
food show, ‘FoodieRevolution’,
would decide the contest and would
convince doubters.
On tastes, Kalio believes that Rivers
State offers a strong variety of food
tastes because of variety and integration
of national and international
tastes that converge over the years.
Rivers is a confluence of tastes, uniting
food tastes from Cross River, Akwa
Ibom, and other nearby food cultures.
Here, ‘afang and edikaikom’ soups
may ring bells. These have gradually
shifted from the Akwa Ibom and Cross
River axis to PH, the food headquarters
of the Niger Delta.
Popular foods include ‘bole’ which
he says was learnt from Western Nigeria
(plantain with ground nut) but
PH introduced fish to make it plantain
with fish. It is now an important food
taste sought after by many. “We intend
to promote this brand. Now, the new
craze is plantain with chicken. The
craze is coming from Cross River and
Akwa Ibom axis (AkwaCross taste).
There is native soup that is popular in
this zone, full of sea foods.”
He says food has gone far beyond
something for survival but now a
lifestyle. It is not just for people to eat
but some go as far as cuddling their
food, snapping with it, sharing photos
of what they just ate, etc. It is now a
social matter. Some may even use it
to demonstrate social symbol. It is
now for the cameras. Some record the
cooking process and show off with it.
Is there a revolution in foods? He
says; ‘Food is now a serious product,
L-R: Ibifiri Bobmanuel and Gov Nyesom Wike
encourage him regardless of your
political or other affiliations, we
should support those few that
are selfless.”
REIF said the action has
brought to the fore the sorry state
of the Port Harcourt International
Airport at Omagwa. “What comes
to mind is; why is Pot Harcourt
not being concessions. Looking
at the state of PH Airport, you will
agree with me that they should
crystalise the agreement with
Inter-Bua Nigeria Limited that is
building that particular airport.
From the little I know as the
President of the Investors Forum,
the Ministry has released payment
to the contractor. We know
this because we have engaged
with the Ministry (Minister) and
Inter Bua, as part of our humble
efforts. We did this because it is
always a sorry sight when you
come to a state as strategic as
Rivers State in Nigeria with an
international airport in that sorry
state. It is always working against
the progress of our businesses in
this part of Nigeria. The minister
gave us his word on mobilizing
the contractor. True to his word,
the ministry did. The contractor
confirmed that they had given
him some form of payment. That
is why there is some form of work,
but we are not comfortable with
the amount of work put into the
airport job. We do not expect that
work to last more than one year
from date of payment but we are
running into almost six months
and we can’t see anything tangible
being done.’
The investor promised a
return to both the Ministry and
Inter Bua to ascertain what is
going on so that PH can follow
suit. “PH Airport must be concessioned
just the way the others
are being treated. It opens up PH
and indeed the Niger Delta to the
world. No investor comes into a
place to invest through a shabby
airport made up of tents. It is
enough disincentive but knowing
the minister of aviation as a man
who knows what he does, good
results would surely come out.”
The FG must fall back on concessionng.
“This is because all of
the infrastructures are major cash
cows. Government has proved to
be a bad business man. It is only
in a communist society where
you see a government trying to
run everything. Even Russia it is
no longer in fashion. In the UK,
you find out that one of the major
airports is run by a Nigerian. Why
is it that back home here, we suffer
at the airports. Some of the
air-conditioners are not working
and the government would be
losing revenue. We think what
the minister has done is to take
the bull by the horn. We all should
support him to see that this policy
is successful to create a model for
all other airport to follow.”
some with branding and an identity.
Technology has been introduced into
the processing, the packaging, and
designs. You can order food online
and a meal is delivered to you”. The
food show is going to be international
because of the expected presence
of chefs and other stakeholders in
the food business resident in Port
Harcourt expected to participate to
represent their countries. “It is going
to be a platform for national and
international residents from as far
as the US, India, Lebanon, China to
showcase their food and taste brands.”
Nigeria may not be there yet as
a food brand power. The Jollof Rice
controversy shows it. Nigeria made
Jollof Rice popular but Senegal and
Ghana are important.
Where is food heading to; to tastes,
nutrition or health concerns? He answers
thus: “Food adventurists still
care much about taste but the elderly
care more about health foods. Nutrition
is intended for children for their
development and growth. The driving
age is 15 to 45 years and they control
60 per cent of Nigeria’s population.
Thus, this is the happening age that
drives the food industry.”
The food festival is the second so
far in the Garden City. There will be a
showcase of top chefs with exquisite
cuisines, local and continental dishes
Violence:
The REIF president whose efforts
have brought together entrepreneurs
in PH and Aba expressed
sadness over recent acts if violence
in the two states. “The first thing
that comes to mind is that businesses
don’t thrive under chaos.
So, the security agencies should
try as much as possible not to
spark off crisis. There should be no
overzealousness. For the agitators,
they should not take laws into their
hands. Use the proper avenues
to channel your grievances, be
law-abiding. The army should
rise above he circumstances and
show to any agitating group in
Nigeria that they are impartial in
their actions. This endears them
to the masses.”
He went on: “If the court
by various food vendors, display of
drinks, exciting competitions, professional
master classes, and sessions
on food ethics from nutritionists, and
food technologists. There will also be
live shows with lots of entertainment,
from October 14, 2017. PH is a city
trying to celebrate the food culture.
Kalio says culture influences food and
affects culinary types. Port Harcourt is
a melting pot of cultures and that has
also helped to melt different food pots
into a cosmopolitan taste. This started
to die, but Kalio and group want to
revive and promote it because there is
a rich presence of many food cultures.
Pleasure Park, newly opened, was
chosen for obvious reasons. “It is to
explore the openness and ambiance
that it offers on a busy avenue. The
first edition held at the Hotel Presidential
but this year, we want external
activities which would go well at the
Pleasure Park.’
Experts wonder about the true
driver of the food and taste industry.
Kalio says; “The private sector
practices food but the public sector
regulates it. Inspection may not be
very competent but there are agencies
(NAFDAC, SON) that have for
years taken strong stance on ensuring
that foods do not violate mandated
levels of content. They look after the
processing and they have always put
orders his arrest, so be it. There
should be no singular attention
to one individual. It sends
wrong signals as if he is being
victimized. Nnamdi Kanu
should learn to live within the
confines. Ireland has been
fighting for a referendum for
long; they have tried violent
methods but now it is done
peacefully and it has gone
higher than where the violent
agitators left it. Let IPOB leaders
understand they must learn
to respect the law. Violence
could deter investors into that
region. This is how we keep
shooting ourselves in the foot.
That is my discomfort in the
way we carry ourselves. We
must imbibe the language of
business. You attract investors
by securing your territory and
investors would naturally gravitate
toward you. You need to
put the right indices on ground;
else, you are chasing shadows.”
He revealed; “The south-east
is the hub of commerce but it
seems not to achieve this lofty
standard because the leaders
there have failed to do the needful.
That is why you have other
parts of the country accelerating
ahead of them. The leaders
should rise and call themselves to
order to attract businesses coming
into Nigeria to come to that
part. I think the south east is the
heartbeat of Africa because if that
particular region is humming,
that would be the springboard
for things to get into Africa and
the world.”
Is Port Harcourt the food taste confluence?
their feet down on alcohol issues.
The private sector cares for market
share and so improves its brands to
meet competition. They are scared of
brand injury. They try to protect their
customers knowing that they would
lose the market if crisis or scandals
occur. Commercialism may be there
but the regulatory agencies ensure
health guarantees. The producers
are aware that consumers will retrace
their steps knowing that crisis can
cause repulses.”
Expectations seem to be high at
the Food Revolution. “If the many
food vendors and practitioners in the
Garden City can see this as an opportunity
to come out and showcase their
fares. They have variety and should
come out for enlightenment. The
aim is to help Nigeria food taste and
brands to go continental just as Italian
food, French foods, Chinese, etc.
We crave to see Nigerian foods such
as foo-foo being prepared and served
at international restaurants by other
nationals. There is the objective of
creating food standards in restaurants
across the city so visitors can notice
what can be called Port Harcourt
standards in preparing and serving
foods and the varieties that are created
in the Garden city. There is need
for huge food turnout to reflect the
relevance of taste in the south-south.