F E AT U RE IAL Nigeria packers in action ISMAIL LAWAL, CHAIRMAN AT IAL NIGERIA LIMITED 62 FF290 pp60-71 Regional Focus.indd 62 F Storing crates at IAL Nigerias warehouse ew places in Africa offer richer opportunities than Nigeria. The continents most populous country 181 million and rising is also one of the worlds biggest democracies, albeit an imperfect one. It has a broad-based economy with oil, gas, minerals and agriculture all playing a major part. And while it has problems with its image that of endemic corruption Nigeria remains a place where the world is keen to do business. Nigerias size can take some understanding. There are 36 states and one capital territory; four international airports and two immense seaport complexes to the west, one with its headquarters at Apapa, Lagos; to the east, one based at Port Harcourt. Lots of inward and outbound movement, then a jostling, thriving country where trustworthiness is valued above all else. For IAL Nigeria Limited, belonging to FIDI isnt just about reputation and benchmarking, but making contacts, and the window it gives the company on the wider world. Weve been a member for some years and derived great advantages and benefits, says IAL chairman Ismail Lawal. It helps us network with colleagues and other Affiliates. FIDI is all about people, especially at our annual meetings, though were in contact with each other throughout the year. Network opportunities offer so much to us. IALs main business areas are international logistics and supply chain management, although it is involved in the domestic market, too. This covers all sorts of services: freight forwarding; relocations and removals; project logistics for oil and gas; and the power and telecoms sectors. Then theres warehousing and storage, exhibition logistics, and road haulage. And, last but not least, handling dangerous goods radioactive material and explosives. Weve maintained steady growth over the years, despite a downturn in the economy, says Lawal. Much of this he attributes to IALs drive for accreditation standards such as FAIM. Its proven our commitment to quality in all our business processes, and a zero tolerance approach to bribery and corruption, he says. Meanwhile, timeless virtues such as punctuality, Lagos WWW. F I D I . OR G 13/03/2019 12:06