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NGCC NEWS

ISSUE #10 February 10th, 2023

CONTENTS

1. NGCC Welcomes New Members at “Welcome To Lagos” Reception 2023

2. Catching up with Cormart Nigeria Ltd.

3. A New Way To Train and Upskill

4. Spotlight - The Impactful CEO, Mrs Bola Adeniyi-Taiwo

5. EMO Hannover 2023

6. 2023 NGCC Updates- Membership fee + NGCC Connects

NGCC Welcomes New Members at “Welcome To Lagos” Reception 2023

Last Week, we partnered with The Delegation of German Industry and Commerce in Nigeria to officially welcome the New Year together with our new members and the international business community.

NGCC Board member and Delegate of the Delegation of German Industry and Commerce in Nigeria, Katharina Felgenhauer and NGCC Director General, Marilyn Rapu welcomed guests by the Lagos Continental poolside, to network, reconnect and celebrate the year ahead. The Deputy German Consul General H.E Gerald Wolf acquainted himself with guests, emphasizing the supportive presence of Germany in Nigeria.

The event was well attended and was a great networking opportunity for new members to connect with both established and new companies in an informal relaxed setting.

Thanks to our new members who joined the NGCC Community. We are confident that the more you experience all that the Chamber has to offer, the more you will realize the value of your business decision!

BASF West Africa Managing Director Jean Marc Rica (NGCC Member), Founding partner of Stren & Blan Partners Amala Umeike (NGCC legal consultant),Marilyn Rapu, Executive Secretary Eurocham Laurence Ricca and Rev. Anna Kuster

New Members: Cabota Energy Services Limited and Workmen & Talents Agency Limited

Catching up with Cormart Nigeria Ltd

Emmanuel Chukwurah, Dr. Johannes Flosbach, General Manager, Marilyn Rapu, Glory Sunday, Human Resource

It was great catching up with long standing NGCC members Tropical General Investment (TGI) Group Cormart Nigeria Limited at their office in Illupeju. We were welcomed by Dr. Johannes Flosbach - General Manager, who took us on a tour around their factory, equipment's & latest products, and Ms. Glory Sunday - Human Resource, who gave us positive feedback for the trainees from last years Technical facility operations and maintenance training Program (TFOM)

Registration for Our 2023 Technical Facility Operation and Maintenance (TFOM) training program is still open with limited spaces!

Upskill a Junior technician or long-serving employee in Technical Facility operation and maintenance for smooth production processes in your organisation.

Technical facility maintenance is one of the core measures to ensure the functionality of a company. This is exactly why we are bringing this registration to your attention.

The TFOM course covers the most strategic and different areas of Facility Maintenance and is offered through dual vocational training - classroom-based workshops and experientially in work sites

If you will like to upskill employees in facility management, kindly indicate your interest by filling this form:https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeS_Fi2TWuUK8xx11PkjkW8tAALiOnzp2voIbefz1nU2kM6Jg/viewform

Improving Compliance Management and Mitigating Risk

Last year, The Nigerian-German Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the Global Alliance for Integrity hosted a full day Compliance training for businesses, specifically targeting SME’s. This year We have partnered again with The Alliance for Integrity project of the Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) to host another full day of compliance training for 25 people on Wednesday 15th March 2023. This training will be 'in-person' and will take place in Lagos.

This is an amazing FREE opportunity, especially for the HR practitioners and Corporate Affairs Officers in your company to level up their skills and update their training. 25 SMEs and start-ups will be trained on compliance measures and practices, receiving certificates of participation at the end pf the full day training.

As spaces are limited, kindly note this is on a first come first serve basis. Kindly fill out this form here to register for the training.

Attendees from Last Year’s training

Spotlight: The Impactful CEO, Mrs Bola Adeniyi-Taiwo

We’re excited to announce a new program… our CEO series! A spotlight feature in our monthly newsletter set to highlight our members. Every month we’ll interview a CEO or Founder, and sometimes including a video interview of them sharing their business story.

Want to be featured as a CEO or Founder? Please contact comms@ngcc-ng.com

Our first CEO is Mrs. Bola Adeniyi-Taiwo, former Managing Partner of The Workplace Centre Limited.

• Tell us a bit about what you do.

My name is Bola Adeniyi-Taiwo and I recently transited into the role of Chairperson of one of our subsidiaries, TWPC HR Services Limited, following a 10 year tenure as the Managing Partner of the parent company, The Workplace Centre Limited. I am also a German Instructor at the prestigious Goethe Institute, both in Lagos and in Toronto where I offer German language instruction to students seeking to gain proficiency in German language and culture. My keen passion for the language, developed 40 years ago in schools in England and in Switzerland, culminated thereafter in not only a combined honours degree in Law and German, but subsequently in international certifications that qualify me to teach the language at Goethe and also through online avenues, namely Varsity Tutors, U.S. A and Superprof, Canada. I am now able to focus primarily on German language based projects, having handed the reins of TWPC HR to Biola Omotayo-Benson, my very capable and resourceful deputy, who joined us shortly after inception and has served in the capacity of Partner, Business Services for the last two years.

Mrs. Bola Adeniyi-Taiwo, Chairperson TWPC HR Services Limited

• What gave you the idea for your company? How did it start?

The Workplace Centre Limited (TWPC) was co-founded in February 2013 by my partner, Dr Mrs Mojisola Olateru-Olagbegi and I, with the vison to develop employability and entrepreneurial skills of the Nigerian youth, thereby impacting lives and helping to reduce the rate of employment in Nigeria. TWPC has evolved over the last 10 years into a Human Resources and ICT consulting services organization, with clients in major service sectors of the economy.

• What’s your favorite thing about your chosen profession?

The passion to impact knowledge, whether in the field of soft skill acquisition or in the field of language acquisition has always been and continues to be my driving force. I would say one of my favourite things is standing in front of a keen audience and impacting valuable knowledge.

• What keys to being productive can you share with us?

The ability to set clear goals and a personal determination to excel are 2 main keys to productivity and success in my opinion. We all have God given abilities to be productive but we have to believe in ourselves and be doggedly focused in pursuing our goals.

• Tell us one long-term goal in your career.

That long term goal has been placed before God and if it is His will, I firmly believe that it will come to fruition in His time and in His own way.

• What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learned through the course of your career?

The world is made up of a huge crowd of people, all struggling to make their mark. One lesson I have learnt is the importance of distinguishing oneself from that crowd by developing unique skills and setting a bar for excellence and distinction in one’s chosen field

• What advice would you give to others aspiring to succeed in your field?

Stand out of the crowd and be authentic and true to yourself.

• What are your favourite things to do outside of work?

I love travelling, playing squash and swimming.

• What advice would you give your younger self?

Be prepared to evolve as you grow and always know and believe that God has a grand plan for your future.

• How did the pandemic affect your business and how did you handle it? what did you learn from it?

The pandemic affected our business in the same way that it did most businesses. I acknowledge, however with gratitude the role played by the ICT arm of our business, led by Dr Mrs. Olateru-Olagbegi in enabling us to leverage technology and pivot within a short time frame, supported by a great team of dedicated and absolutely loyal staff. Through it all, we learnt the importance of creative thinking and innovation.

Look out for our next CEO who will be sharing insights into how shifting our mindset can be the key to changing the world around us.

EMO Hannover 2023

The Nigerian-German Chamber of Commerce have partnered with Nachwuchsstiftung Maschinenbau gGmbH and VDMA-Initiative to support them on EMO Hannover 2023.

EMO Hannover is the world's leading trade fair for production technology. It will take place from September 18 to 23, 2023, in Hannover, Germany. Under the claim "Innovate Manufacturing", it presents the latest technological, strategic and organizational trends in international production. Exhibitors from all countries manufacturing production technology will offer a complete overview of the latest technology offerings. Manufacturing experts from the international industry are addressed. The last event 2019 attracted around 120,000 trade visitors from 150 countries.

The organizers plan to hold roadshows in a few countries, Nigeria included, to create awareness towards attracting participants to the trade fair. We will be hosting a press conference on their behalf in April 2023. If you are interesting in attending, and kindly email comms@ngcc-ng.com for more information

NGCC 2023 Updates

Introducing the NGCC-Connect Platform specifically designed to meet the network needs of the Nigerian-German Chamber of Commerce business community. This BETA launch offers exciting features that allow members to connect, network, and most importantly elevate a company’s profile. www.ngcc-connect.com allows free onboarding of members and member communities.

Making everyday work-life easy, imagine a hub where you have everything you need for effective navigation. NGCC Connect provides you with that, with real-time messaging, and extensive company profiles with networking and event creation features. Earlier this month we sent emails regarding this, kindly check your mail inbox or your Junk mail for your personal login details to gain access to the NGCC Connect platform and start networking with fellow NGCC members and Partners.

Serving you better!

Due to the present economic situation, we will be raising our small membership category fee from N75,000 to N150,000. Our new price will allow us to better serve you and continue to add more value!

If you have any further questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out. Our team is more than happy to help in any way.

Join the NIGERIAN-GERMAN CHAMBER of COMMERCE and be part of a network that's committed to a simple goal: helping businesses succeed. Please call +234 809 790 3656 or email info@ngcc-ng.com