Economy
IWD: Women Giving Back to Women Will Bridge expertise Gap – Haastrup

Dr Vicky Haastrup, Vice Chairman, ENL Consortium Ltd., on Tuesday said that women giving back to women through mentorship would ensure there were no gaps in line of expertise in future.
She made the appeal on Tuesday during the Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association (WISTA Nigeria) virtual seminar to mark the 2021 International Women’s Day.
The seminar had its topic as “Women in Leadership: Effective Mentoring in Shipping”.
Ihe International Women’s Day is celebrated every March 8 and the theme for 2021 is: “Women in leadership: Achieving an Equal Future in a COVID-19 World”.
According to Haastrup, if women are not coached and pulled up, they will suffer particularly in the shipping industry highly dominated by men.
“As women, we must rise up to our challenges in the country and the whole world, reposition ourselves, challenge that stumbling blocks that is limiting us from progressing.
“We need to mentor ourselves which comes with great responsibility and wisdom so that we do not leave vacuum in the shipping industry already dominated by men.
“But despite these challenges, women are rising and breaking the glass ceiling, driving each other and this requires creativity, innovation, professionalism and ability to get what they want,” she said.
Haastrup pointed out that a leader should consider mentoring people so as to develop talent pool, create proficient people that could work, help women occupy prominent space in the economy, bridge gaps and retain internal expertise.
She also listed some characteristics of women leaders as being more transformational, not being afraid, function as a role model, provide succor for people, applying soft touch and emphasising team work.
She urged women to learn to brand themselves and share their skills as it would help them to become very fulfilled and enriched in life.
Also, Mrs Rollens Macfoy of the Ocena Deep Services Ltd., said that without mentoring, the women representation in the shipping industry which stood at two per cent would not increase.
She urged women to build careers in the shipping industry which would further move the percentage forward such as; freight forwarding, vessel registry, seafaring, maritime law, ship owners, shipping agent, divers and others.
“Mentorship is an experience that helps one to guide people to a state of equilibrium or professionalism and so if you are made, you need to learn to pick up,” she said.
Earlier, Mrs Eunice Ezeoke, President of WISTA, said that women had come a long way in shipping but there was more to be done hence the need for mentoring.
According to her, since the glass ceiling is giving way, there is need to sustain it through mentoring which means as one is climbing along, one should pull the sister along.
“We need to make our own voices to be heard in the place where decision making are taken so women should push forward,” she said. (NAN)
Economy
Investors Gain N183bn on NGX

The Nigerian Exchange Ltd. (NGX) continued its bullish trend on Wednesday, gaining N183 billion.
Accordingly, the market capitalisation, which opened at N59.532 trillion, gained N184 billion or 0.31 per cent to close at N59.715 trillion.
The All-Share Index also added 0.31 per cent or 303 points, to settle at 98,509.
68, against 98,206. 97 recorded on Tuesday.Consequently, the Year-To-Date (YTD) return increased to 31.
74 per cent.Gains in Aradel Holdings, Zenith Bank, United Bank For Africa(UBA), Oando Plc, Nigerian Breweries among other advanced equities drove the market performance up.
Market breadth closed positive with 34 gainers and 17 losers.
On the gainers’ chart, Africa Prudential, Conoil and RT Briscoe led by 10 per cent each to close at N14.30, N352 and N2.42 per share, respectively.
Golden Guinea Breweries followed by 9.95 per cent to close at N7.18, while NEM Insurance rose by 9.74 per cent to close at N10.70 per share.
On the other hand, Julius Berger led the losers’ chart by 10 per cent to close at N155.25, Secure Electronic Technology Plc trailed by 9.52 per cent to close at 57k per share.
Multiverse lost 7.63 per cent to close at N5.45, Haldane McCall dropped 6.07 per cent to close at N4.95 and Honeywell Flour shed 5.62 per cent to close at N4.70 per share.
Analysis of the market activities showed trade turnover settled lower relative to the previous session, with the value of transactions down by 49.44 per cent.
A total of 320.10 million shares valued at N6.48 billion were exchanged in 7,943 deals, compared with 939.41 million shares valued at N12.81billion traded in 9,098 deals posted in the previous session.
Meanwhile, ETranzact led the activity chart in volume with 70.27 million shares, while Aradel led in value of deals worth N1.22 billion.(NAN)
Economy
Yuan Weakens to 7.1870 Against Dollar

The central parity rate of the Chinese currency renminbi, or the Yuan, weakened 22 pips to 7.1870 against the dollar on Monday.This is according to the China Foreign Exchange Trade System.In China’s spot foreign exchange market, the Yuan is allowed to rise or fall by two per cent from the central parity rate each trading day.
The central parity rate of the Yuan against the dollar is based on a weighted average of prices offered by market makers before the opening of the interbank market each business day. (Xinhua/NAN)Economy
Bring Kaduna Refinery Back into Operation, Youth Group Urges NNPCL

Arewa Youths Initiative for Energy Reforms (AYIFER), has urged Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) to do everything possible to bring Kaduna Refinery back into operation.
National Coordinator of the group, Mr Bashir Al’Amin, stated this in a statement issued on Friday in Abuja.
Al’Amin specifically called on the Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL, Mallam Mele Kyari, to do all within his powers to rejuvenate the refinery and bring it up to global standard.
He said that having delivered the Port Harcourt refinery, coupled with the establishment of Dangote Refinery in Lagos, attention should be shifted to Kaduna refinery for easy spread of petroleum products.
“We are calling on Malam Mele Kyari to expedite action on Kaduna refinery so we can be at par with other regions in the country.
“We equally beg the NNPCL to do professional work in rehabilitating the old refinery and deliver a standard and functional petrochemical refinery and not a blending plant.
“Kyari should resist any temptation that could make him do something that can jeopardise his good image,” he said.
Al’Amin said that since the extinction of groundnut pyramid and textiles in Kano State as well as PAN in Kaduna State and with the Kaduna refinery getting moribund, a lot of youths had lost their jobs.
According to him, all their hopes in the north are tied to the legacy refinery, expressing the hope that God would use Kyari to deliver it well and on time.
He said that the group was solidly behind NNPCL in prayer and would be ready to celebrate the company if its expectations were met. (NAN)