Job Vacancy For Deputy Head of Sales at Zola Electric

Zola Electric is the world’s first massively scalable off-grid electric company. It exists to provide affordable and reliable energy to communities that currently lack such power. The company utilizes distributed renewable energy to sell power as a service to customers who suffer from an expensive grid, an unreliable grid, or have no electrical grid access at all. We provide 24/7 clean energy to anyone, anywhere. Our aim is to deliver a complete technical, operational and financial model that makes incredibly high quality renewable electrical services affordable to millions of homes.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Deputy Head of Sales

Location: Lagos

Position

• This role is office based with a significant travel component. The candidate is expected to drive sales through our partnership channels, coach, manage and motivate the team under them and coordinate and implement all day to day decisions necessary for the team to work effectively. The candidate is expected to analyse daily, weekly and monthly results, spot trends and act on them quickly.
• This role is responsible for the overall success of a sales team of over 100 people. Deputy Head of Sales is expected to get great sales results and ensure that each team member is living and working in a set sales territory.
• This role offers a tremendous opportunity to get impressive results within the confines of a fast-growing start-up organization.

Key Responsibilities

• Responsible for sales through direct as well as partner channels and delivering results
• Providing solid leadership to your salesforce to deliver impeccable results
• Lead by example, provide coaching to your team members consistently and regularly
• Evaluate sales process conformity through field evaluations, spot checks and up trainings
• Ensuring periodic tracking of sales trends and ensuring that territories covered are based on the plans
• Ensuring and promoting adherence to internal processes around reporting, sales and leadership
• Liaise with Country Head of Sales to ensure operations in the field proceed smoothly and effectively
• Liaise with partners - within OGE and external entities (like Government, Business Partners etc.) as necessary
• Report to Human Capital department on any location changes outside your zone
• Attend weekly sales meetings and hold personal conferences.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree (BSc/BA/..) in any discipline 
• Professional qualifications in Sales, Customer Service and Quality is desirable
• 4-6 Years of management/leadership experience, 2 year’s experience in Direct Sales will be an additional advantage
• 2 Years of direct supervisory experience
• Fluent in both English and Swahili
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, able to communicate effectively with customers and the staff.
• Proven track record of working hard physically, mentally and emotionally
• Excellent team player, thoughtful, unafraid to express an opinion or tackle poor performance.
• Willingness to work flexibly as business demands, including late nights, weekends, and holidays
• Ability to travel essentially
• Desire to coach and mentor others
• Effective time management skills and a high level of organization is essential

Application Closing Date
Not Specified.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

JOB VACANCY FOR Country Finance Manager at Zola Electric

Zola Electric is the world’s first massively scalable off-grid electric company. It exists to provide affordable and reliable energy to communities that currently lack such power. The company utilizes distributed renewable energy to sell power as a service to customers who suffer from an expensive grid, an unreliable grid, or have no electrical grid access at all. We provide 24/7 clean energy to anyone, anywhere. Our aim is to deliver a complete technical, operational and financial model that makes incredibly high quality renewable electrical services affordable to millions of homes.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Country Finance Manager

Location: Lagos

Position

• To manage the operational financial functions of the country to minimise financial risks and manage the sustainability of operations in the country.

Major Responsibilities

• Participate in strategic meetings to develop and implement Finance strategy for the country, taking into account country interests, relevant regulation, corporate standards and guidelines
• Develop implementation plan of Financial Strategy in collaboration with the team and monitor implementation therein
• Budget Management and Cash Flow Management activities; including periodic cash flow projections, devising and implementation of policies and procedures, payment approval processes, providing guidance to management to optimize expenditure etc.
• Ownership of Country Financial Statements: Overall accountability for postings to the country financial ledgers. Reviewer and approver of periodic expenditure reports, monthly reconciliations and annual financial statements.
• General administration of Financial Management, including management and maintenance of an effective document management system and ensuring that all operating permits are in place
• Inventory and Fixed Asset Management: Periodic verification of stock counts, writing-off of stock losses, management of asset register and ensuring that an active insurance policy secures assets
• Risk Management: Devising and implementing periodic financial and operational risk assessments and internal audits to ensure that risks are properly managed
• Budget Management: Responsible for developing and monitoring annual departmental budgets, assessment of budget variance and authorize expenses
• Stakeholder Management: Actively participate in periodic meetings, provide operational updates to country MD, provide financial advice to country MD/heads of departments and maintaining working relationships with relevant authorities especially Revenue Authority
• People Management: Responsible for leading the recruitment, managing learning & development and managing performance reviews of own team members

Requirements

• Relevant post-graduation qualification CA, CPA, or Bachelor’s Degree in Finance.
• 5+ years financial management experience
• Knowledge of financial management principles
• Knowledge of financial systems
• Understanding of the local business environment
• Knowledge of the relevant financial legislation pertaining to the country
• Strategic planning skills
• Leadership skills
• People management skills
• Risk management skills

Application Closing Date
Not Specified.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Job Vacancy For Field Sales Manager at Zola Electric

Zola Electric is the world’s first massively scalable off-grid electric company. It exists to provide affordable and reliable energy to communities that currently lack such power. The company utilizes distributed renewable energy to sell power as a service to customers who suffer from an expensive grid, an unreliable grid, or have no electrical grid access at all. We provide 24/7 clean energy to anyone, anywhere. Our aim is to deliver a complete technical, operational and financial model that makes incredibly high quality renewable electrical services affordable to millions of homes.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Field Sales Manager

Location: Lagos

The Position

• Zola Electric is seeking an experienced Field Sales Manager who will drive sales in their region working together with the deputy head of sales
• The candidate is expected to drive sales through B2B (Business to Business), our partnership channels, coach, manage & motivate the SSO’s and SLs under them; coordinate and implement all day to day decisions necessary for the team to work effectively
• Zola will provide the Field Sales Manager with initial training in Arusha and support during the initial stages of expansion. The Field Sales Manager is expected to use these new skills, his/her own experience and creativity to build a Sales team in line with Zola culture and values
• This role offers a tremendous opportunity to get impressive results within the confines of a fast-growing start-up organization.

Responsibilities

• Leading a team of sales representatives and coaching them in their respective field
• Training sales team on sales techniques, administration and products.
• Planning, executing, and managing sales strategies
• Generating new leads, developing existing customers and responding to customer enquiries.
• Responsible for sales through partner channels and through B2B
• Responsible for arranging and coordinating sales meetings
• Manage the territory planning and allocation for own team
• Liaise with territory manager to ensure operations in the field proceed smoothly
• Responsible for recruiting and training the right candidates for sale agent role

Requirements

• A proven track record in sales and sales leadership.
• Has a track record of working hard physically, mentally and emotionally
• Fluent in Swahili and English
• Excellent team player, thoughtful and unafraid to express an opinion

Application Closing Date
Not Specified.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Job Vacancy For Office Manager at Zola Electric

Zola Electric is the world’s first massively scalable off-grid electric company. It exists to provide affordable and reliable energy to communities that currently lack such power. The company utilizes distributed renewable energy to sell power as a service to customers who suffer from an expensive grid, an unreliable grid, or have no electrical grid access at all. We provide 24/7 clean energy to anyone, anywhere. Our aim is to deliver a complete technical, operational and financial model that makes incredibly high quality renewable electrical services affordable to millions of homes.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Office Manager

Location: Lagos, Nigeria

Position

• The employee shall serve the employer in the capacity of Office Manager.
• The Office Manager is expected to role model Zola's core values, oversee all office admin related to operations at the OPCO Head office including managing office coordinators, drivers, and other auxiliary support employees, ensuring that the building is safe and with functioning utilities and maintaining a welcoming environment for all employees and visitors.

Responsibilities

• Act as the ‘face’ of the business and are the first port of call for all visitors;
• Manage & Supervise office casual staff including cooks, cleaners, and national drivers.
• Ensure office equipment, utilities, and furniture are well-maintained and in good working order
• Handle ad hoc admin work and any other requests from HQ staff (e.g., travel arrangements and bookings; office errands)
• Ensure the office and supply areas are professional, clean and tidy at all times
• Manage and support the office admin team
• Oversee proper management of the office admin budget
• Maintain national vehicles fleet schedule including vehicle maintenance.
• Liaise with other agencies, organizations, and upgrade company contacts /staff contacts.
• Organising the office layout and maintaining supplies of stationery and equipment.
• Maintaining the condition of the office and arranging for necessary repairs.
• Reviewing and updating health and safety policies and ensuring they are observed.
• Arranging regular testing for electrical equipment and safety devices.
• Ensure all Office licenses are up to date.
• Design filing systems for physical and electronic documents and ensure filling systems are maintained and updated.
• Ensure security & protection of files and records.

Requirements

• Bachelor Degree in any studies, although administrative studies will be more favourable.
• +2 years of experience in administrative/ Office Management
• Excellent organisational and time management skills.
• Problem-solving skills and project management ability.
• Fluent in Swahili and English. ( both verbal & written)

Other information

• Willingness to work a variety of hours as business demands, including weekends and holidays.
• Are you interested in this position and join our team in Lagos, Nigeria, let’s connect and send your resume via our career page. Applications that include a resume/curriculum vitae have preference.

Application Closing Date
Not Specified.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Job Vacancy Territory Service Manager at Zola Electric

Zola Electric is the world’s first massively scalable off-grid electric company. It exists to provide affordable and reliable energy to communities that currently lack such power. The company utilizes distributed renewable energy to sell power as a service to customers who suffer from an expensive grid, an unreliable grid, or have no electrical grid access at all. We provide 24/7 clean energy to anyone, anywhere. Our aim is to deliver a complete technical, operational and financial model that makes incredibly high quality renewable electrical services affordable to millions of homes.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Territory Service Manager

Location: Lagos

The Position

• Working with country Head of Service, the Service Territory Manager is a senior management position responsible for leading a team of managers, staff, and contractors to provide service and ensure excellent customer satisfaction in their territory
• The Territory Service Manager will use his/her own experience and creativity to develop and execute strategies to delight customers and achieve company service targets.

Responsibilities

• Service Territory Management: Strategy, formulate, translate and implement Zola service strategy and business objectives into field operations within your service territory.
• Retail & Field Service: Ensure effective and efficient operations across your service territory through consistent compliance with processes and policies.
• Staff Management: Supervise Service Field Managers planning, create and implement weekly, monthly and quarterly plans to drive service results and meet set targets.
• Performance Management: Track and analyze KPIs to identify critical patterns and recommend appropriate actions to Field Service Managers.
• Staff Oversight: Facilitate individual / group check-ins to drive efficiency and accountability down the organization.
• Performance reviews: Assess performance for Field Service Managers and complete Field Service Manager scorecards monthly.
• Leadership: Demonstrate excellent leadership to your team through leading by example.
• Staff development: Create a platform for your team to shine by enhancing their knowledge and skills through training, support, mentorship and coaching.
• Financial Management: Ensure that all finances for your service territory meet Zola’s budget objectives and comply with finance SOPs & Policies, this includes but not limited to: all field & retail shops Opex, agent commissions, Staff overtimes etc. Create value.
• Inventory Management: Oversee weekly inventory reconciliation for all staff and contractors in your territory. Reinforce control over damages and losses as the final decision maker for inventory accounts within your territory. Participate in designing, improving, and implementing strategies to improve last mile inventory efficiency.
• Building a Vibrant Zola Community: Participate and engage actively in the last mile service delivery activities not limited to customer homes visit and community events within your territory. Cultivate and embed Zola culture within your team through active and passive participation in individual / group meetings and social events.

Requirements
Education:

• Bachelor's Degree in any discipline and/ro relevant qualification is preferred. Master's Degree and beyond is an additional advantage
• Professional qualifications in Customer Service is an additional advantage.

Technical Skills:

• Strong analytical skills, ability to analyze both numeric and verbal data correctly to identify critical connections and patterns to recommend appropriate actions and make tactical decisions.
• Achievement focus, effectiveness, ability to drive actions and results promptly without quality compromises.
• Efficiency, commitment to delivering more results for every coin spent.
• Managerial & Leadership Skills, self management, disciplined, confident, organized, motivated, and time-conscious,
• Work independence: Ability to multi-task and set priorities for self and others
• Staff Management: Ability to manage managers and deliver results
• Planning: Ability to translate complex goals into concrete plans and processes.

Language Skills:

• Fluent in both English and Swahili. (both written and spoken).

Application Closing Date
Not Specified.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Job Vacancy For Office Manager at Zola Electric

Zola Electric is the world’s first massively scalable off-grid electric company. It exists to provide affordable and reliable energy to communities that currently lack such power. The company utilizes distributed renewable energy to sell power as a service to customers who suffer from an expensive grid, an unreliable grid, or have no electrical grid access at all. We provide 24/7 clean energy to anyone, anywhere. Our aim is to deliver a complete technical, operational and financial model that makes incredibly high quality renewable electrical services affordable to millions of homes.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Office Manager

Location: Lagos, Nigeria

Position

• The employee shall serve the employer in the capacity of Office Manager.
• The Office Manager is expected to role model Zola's core values, oversee all office admin related to operations at the OPCO Head office including managing office coordinators, drivers, and other auxiliary support employees, ensuring that the building is safe and with functioning utilities and maintaining a welcoming environment for all employees and visitors.

Responsibilities

• Act as the ‘face’ of the business and are the first port of call for all visitors;
• Manage & Supervise office casual staff including cooks, cleaners, and national drivers.
• Ensure office equipment, utilities, and furniture are well-maintained and in good working order
• Handle ad hoc admin work and any other requests from HQ staff (e.g., travel arrangements and bookings; office errands)
• Ensure the office and supply areas are professional, clean and tidy at all times
• Manage and support the office admin team
• Oversee proper management of the office admin budget
• Maintain national vehicles fleet schedule including vehicle maintenance.
• Liaise with other agencies, organizations, and upgrade company contacts /staff contacts.
• Organising the office layout and maintaining supplies of stationery and equipment.
• Maintaining the condition of the office and arranging for necessary repairs.
• Reviewing and updating health and safety policies and ensuring they are observed.
• Arranging regular testing for electrical equipment and safety devices.
• Ensure all Office licenses are up to date.
• Design filing systems for physical and electronic documents and ensure filling systems are maintained and updated.
• Ensure security & protection of files and records.

Requirements

• Bachelor Degree in any studies, although administrative studies will be more favourable.
• +2 years of experience in administrative/ Office Management
• Excellent organisational and time management skills.
• Problem-solving skills and project management ability.
• Fluent in Swahili and English. ( both verbal & written)

Other information

• Willingness to work a variety of hours as business demands, including weekends and holidays.
• Are you interested in this position and join our team in Lagos, Nigeria, let’s connect and send your resume via our career page. Applications that include a resume/curriculum vitae have preference.

Application Closing Date
Not Specified.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Job Vacancy For Accountant at Zola Electric

Zola Electric is the world’s first massively scalable off-grid electric company. It exists to provide affordable and reliable energy to communities that currently lack such power. The company utilizes distributed renewable energy to sell power as a service to customers who suffer from an expensive grid, an unreliable grid, or have no electrical grid access at all. We provide 24/7 clean energy to anyone, anywhere. Our aim is to deliver a complete technical, operational and financial model that makes incredibly high quality renewable electrical services affordable to millions of homes.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Accountant

Location: Lagos

The Position

• Zola Electric is seeking an experienced Accountant who will be a part of the Corporate Controller’s organization. The role focusses on Tax & Statutory compliance, Accounts Payable, Accounts receivables, Bank reconciliations and Fixed Assets in the organization
• The person works with local stakeholders and suppliers on queries and reports directly to Accounting Manager

Responsibilities

• Timely preparation of accurate due tax schedules for review by the finance manager
• Timely payment of all due taxes, proper filing of tax declaration & local compliance reporting
• Maintenance of up-to-date tax certificate before the expiry of existing tax certificate
• Liaise with external tax consultants
• Assist in payroll processing by verifying correctness & accuracy of the payroll, capturing the payroll entries into the financial system, subsequently paying the payroll.
• Manage the imprest process in the country
• Preparation of staff loans, staff advances and staff sales commission’s schedule. Reconciliation and run report for review by the finance manager
• Assist service managers in maintenance of accurate and up-to-date service/installation agents’ data for buy-in deduction and any other deductions as applicable
• Capture journals into the financial system for approval by the finance manager
• Assist with accounts payable queries and escalate any unresolved queries to the Finance Manager and Corporate Controller
• Monitor the handling of petty cash, collation of supporting documents/receipts and prepare monthly reconciliations
• Assist in the preparation for the annual external audit and internal audits by ensuring that working paper files and the necessary supporting documentation is made available
• Monthly preparation of Balance Sheet reconciliations and follow up.
• Maintain proper records and filing systems to ensure completeness, validity, and accuracy of financial transactions
• Fixed Asset Management - Manage the asset tagging process based on input from the central team that maintains the asset register.
• Participate in a physical inventory (PI) to test what has been recorded in the asset register to confirm the existence of the assets, ensuring that any missing assets are promptly written off.
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Participate in weekly Core Team Meetings and monthly Performance Review Meetings
• Liaises closely with the finance manager to provide the necessary updates on day-to-day activities
• Liaise with the central accounting team on accounting and financial reporting matters.
• Maintain sound working relationships with financial institutions, relevant authorities, especially Revenue Authority
• Support the collaboration across functions to understand and resolve problems on the ground

Requirements
Academic and Professional Skills:

• Bachelor's or Master's Degree in Finance or Accounting
• Minimum 2 years of accounting experience, ideally 3-5 years of professional experience
• Knowledge of basic financial accounting principles
• Knowledge of ERP systems
• Good knowledge of Microsoft Excel
• Communication skills in English

Competencies:

• Analytical and problem-solving skills
• Planning, organizing and time management skills
• Attention to detail
• Deadline driven
• Team player
• Work under pressure
• Self-motivated 

Application Closing Date
Not Specified.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Job Vacancy For Senior Press and Public Affairs Officer at the British High Commission (BHC)

The British Government is an inclusive and diversity-friendly employer.  We value difference, promote equality and challenge discrimination, enhancing our organisational capability. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. We do not discriminate on the basis of disability, race, colour, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, age, veteran status or other category protected by law. We promote family-friendly flexible working opportunities, where operational and security needs allow.

We are recruiting to fill the vacant position below:

Job Title: Senior Press and Public Affairs Officer

Ref No: 07/18 ABJ
Location: Abuja
Grade: C4 (L)
Type of Position: Fixed Term
Duration of Post: 24 months
Job Category: Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Policy & Political roles)
Job Subcategory: Communications, Press and Media
Start Date: 1st September, 2018

Main Purpose of Job

• The British High Commission wishes to recruit an experienced and dynamic professional to run and manage the British High Commission’s Press Office
• Working to the Head of Communications, the Senior Press Officer plays a pivotal role in ensuring that the UK government in Nigeria is able to communicate effectively and innovatively across a range of traditional and digital media
• They set the direction of the team, ensuring prompt and effective response to national and international media
• This is an exciting and fast paced role suitable for a communications professional wishing to stretch themselves.

Roles and Responsibilities

• Working with the BHC’s Head of Communications, colleagues across all Government departments operating in Nigeria as well as the press offices of Government Departments in London, to set the direction of UK communications in Nigeria and ensuring the BHC’s communications strategy is consistent with instructions and guidelines set by senior officials in London and Nigeria.
• Team leader for the BHC’s Press and Public Affairs team with direct line management for three locally engaged staff in Abuja.
• Leading the Press and Public Affairs team in the monitoring and analysis of national and international media, so as to provide reliable and informative products to colleagues in the Nigeria Network as well as the Nigeria Team in the Foreign Office in London.
• Managing media engagements for senior staff in Nigeria as well as visiting senior officials and Ministers, ensuring that they are well planned and that staff are prepared for and supported through them.
• Ensuring the UK in Nigeria has an active and effective approach to all aspects of communications including but not limited to public diplomacy events, external digital communications and increasing the audience receiving UK messages.
• Building and maintaining an effective network of contacts across the spectrum of the Nigerian Media to ensure that the BHC has a thorough understanding of the Media’s role in Nigerian society and is well placed to engage constructively when needed.
• Acting as one of the British High Commission’s spokespeople, including drafting, clearing and delivering appropriate media messages to local and international media

Essential Qualifications, Skills and Experience 

• Post graduate Degree in PR/Communications/Media/Marketing or related
• Previous experience in public relations, marketing or media, including developing and implementing media communication plans/media campaigns and managing events.
• Strong networking and relationship management skills
• Attention to detail and comfortable producing accurate statements under pressure
• Strong oral and written communication skills in English
• Effective management of teams
• Highly organised, able to take initiative and to work accurately within deadlines and with limited supervision  in a fast paced environment
• A good working knowledge of ICT software (e.g. MS Word) in general and strong skills in digital media, including Face book, Twitter and other social networking sites

Desirable Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

• Experience working in an international organisation

Required Competencies 

• Seeing the Big Picture, Making Effective Decisions, Leading and Communicating, Delivering at Pace

Starting Monthly Salary

• N812,470

Application Closing Date
8th July, 2018.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Job Vacancy For Trade Services Officer at the British High Commission (BHC)

 The British Government is an inclusive and diversity-friendly employer.  We value difference, promote equality and challenge discrimination, enhancing our organisational capability. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. We do not discriminate on the basis of disability, race, colour, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, age, veteran status or other category protected by law. We promote family-friendly flexible working opportunities, where operational and security needs allow.
Job Category 

We are recruiting to fill the vacant position below:

Job Title: Trade Services Officer

Ref No: 06/18 LOS
Location: Lagos
Grade: A2 (L)
Type of Position: Fixed Term
Duration of Post: 24 months
Start Date: 1st August, 2018.

Main Purpose of Job

• The job holder will work in the British Deputy High Commission Office in Lagos as part of the Department of International Trade’s (DIT) Africa Trade Services Unit (TSU).
• They will report to the TSU West Africa Manager based in Lagos.
• The TSU exists to provide simplified and standardised services to British Companies looking to export to the whole of Africa. The job holder will be responsible for the delivery of Chargeable Services delivered across West Africa.
• Chargeable Services (also known as OMIS – the Overseas Market Introduction Service) include the scope of any services required by British Businesses looking to export to Africa.
• The service can vary from providing market research, introductions to contacts in-market (including visit programmes) and delivering networking receptions and other events.
• The jobholder will be responsible for the delivery of services, as tasked by the TSU West Africa Manager.
• They will be required to deliver within the TSU team, collaborating closely with regional colleagues across DIT West Africa .
• They will work closely with the Africa Public Engagement and Communications (APEC) officer on the delivery of events.
• The job holder will need to work collaboratively with colleagues across other UK departments in Africa, including DFID, The Foreign & Commonwealth Office, the Ministry of Defence and the British Council. They will also need to actively engage external stakeholders in the Private Sector and host Governments.

Roles and responsibilities

• Take full ownership of queries allocated by the TSU Manager, ensuring prompt contact with the company and timely agreement of a workplan.
• Services delivered to a high standard and on time, with open lines of communication maintained with the company at all times.
• Once the service is delivered, the job holder will also be required to follow-up with the company to ensure, (i) they’re happy with the service delivered, (ii) to enquire as to their progress in market (with a view to recording Export Wins), (iii) to maintain the relationship with the company and support them expand further into Africa.
• Provide prompt and fact-checked feedback on trade queries allocated by the TSU West Africa Manager.
• Planning and delivering on requests for market research, warmed-up contacts, introductions to local partners (including support for market visits), delivery of events (in liaison with the APEC Team), and any other chargeable services/support required from British Companies doing business in Africa
• Uploading entries such as significant assists and interactions weekly into the Customer Database Management System (CDMS).
• Providing administrative support for the section.

Essential qualifications, skills and Experience

• Degree in a business related/ social sciences
• 2 + years experience of working in a commercial environment
• Strong client engagement skills 
• Strong IT skills in Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint.

Desirable qualifications, skills and experience 

• Knowledge of French language
• Required competencies 
• Collaborating and Partnering, Achieving Commercial Outcomes, Managing a Quality Service, Delivering at Pace.

Application deadline 
20th June, 2018.

Remuneration
Starting monthly Salary: N438,934.

Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Additional information

• Please complete the application form in full as the information provided is used during screening.
• Please check your application carefully before you submit, as no changes can be made once submitted.
• The British Deputy High Commission will never request any payment or fees to apply for a position.
• Employees recruited locally by the British Deputy High Commission in Lagos are subject to Terms and Conditions of Service according to local employment law in Nigeria.
• All candidates must be legally able to work and reside in the country of the vacancy with the correct visa/work permit status or demonstrate eligibility to obtain the relevant permit.
• The responsibility lies on the successful candidate to;
  • Obtain the relevant permit
  • Pay fees for the permit
  • Make arrangements to relocate
  • Meet the costs to relocation

Job Vacancy For Airport Facilitator at the British High Commission (BHC)

The British Government is an inclusive and diversity-friendly employer.  We value difference, promote equality and challenge discrimination, enhancing our organisational capability. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. We do not discriminate on the basis of disability, race, colour, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, age, veteran status or other category protected by law. We promote family-friendly flexible working opportunities, where operational and security needs allow.

We are recruiting to fill the vacant position below:

Job Title: Airport Facilitator

Ref No: 07/18 LOS
Location: Lagos
Grade: A1 (L)
Type of Position: Permanent
Start Date: 1st August, 2018

Job Description (Roles and Responsibilities) 
Main purpose of job:

• To work in the Freight and Travel Section as Airport Facilitator responsible for meeting on arrival and seeing off officers, family members and visitors to the British Deputy High Commission at the Murtala Muhammed Local and International Airport in Lagos.

Roles and responsibilities

• Working on a rotational 24 hour 3 shift pattern, meeting and seeing off passengers at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
• Meeting and seeing off British diplomatic staff and their family members, Trade Mission delegates, British Government officials and visitors from other government departments/agencies such as British Council, MOD and DFID at the Airport.
• Processing of visas from other Diplomatic Missions in Lagos for UK based staff and their family members and Locally Engaged staff on official assignment.
• Preparing/Circulation of weekly staff movement schedules.
• Preparing/despatching official letters to MFA regarding airport passes for officers, Queen’s Messenger(s) visits and VVIP visits.
• Self-driving of assigned official vehicle to other diplomatic missions, MFA and other government agencies in Lagos for official duties.
• Processing of International Driving Permit and Certificate for Motor Vehicles.
• Absence cover for Line Manager when on leave or excused absence.
• Hotel Reservation for officers and official visitors of BDHC, PAGS.
• Assisting with preparation of freight clearance documentation and handling.
• Filing of documents for the section and performing other general tasks as may be assigned by the Head of Section.

Essential Qualifications, Skills and Experience 

• Must have at least a minimum qualification of Ordinary National Diploma.
• Must possess a valid Nigeria Driving Licence.
• Good Knowledge of Computer.
• Good oral and written communication skills and good inter-personal skills.
• Ability to work late hours.

Desirable qualifications, skills and experience:

• MS Word and Excel. Previous experience working at the airport and or travel industry will be an added advantage.

Required competencies:

• Making Effective Decisions, Collaborating and Partnering, Managing a Quality Service, Delivering at Pace

Starting Monthly Salary

• N315,328

Other Benefits and Conditions of Employment

• 24 hours 3 shift working pattern.

Application Closing Date
18th June, 2018.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Job Vacancy For Graduate Travel and Freight Officer at the British High Commission (BHC)

The British Government is an inclusive and diversity-friendly employer.  We value difference, promote equality and challenge discrimination, enhancing our organisational capability. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. We do not discriminate on the basis of disability, race, colour, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, age, veteran status or other category protected by law. We promote family-friendly flexible working opportunities, where operational and security needs allow.

We are recruiting to fill the vacant position below:

Job Title: Travel and Freight Officer

Ref No: 08/18 LOS
Location: Lagos, Nigeria
Grade: A2 (L)
Start Date: 1 August 2018
Type of Position: Permanent
Type of Post: British Deputy High Commission
Job Category: Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Operations and Corporate Services)
Job Subcategory:  Protocol, Visits and Events

Main Purpose of Job

• To work in the Freight and Travel Section assisting staff and visitors of the Mission with services relating to official travel plans, baggage and freight clearance, protocol duties and arranging hotel accommodation.

Roles and Responsibilities

• Preparation of import and export clearance documentation
• Co-ordinating all flight booking process through various corporate desk and travel agents
• Requisitioning of Long Term Purchase Orders/daily Purchase to Pay process for travels, hotels requests, procurement and Prism housekeeping
• Processing and obtaining Diplomatic re-entry visas and identity cards for UK Based officers
• Registration of diplomatic vehicles with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, obtain vehicle travel documents and maintenance of an up to date vehicle list for the Mission
• Hotel bookings and Logistics arrangement for all visitors, including partners across government (PAG) officers.
• Liaising with clearing agents over clearance of general goods, including personal effects, motor vehicles, furniture/fittings, medical supplies and perishables and supervising their delivery
• Follow-up on clearance approvals with the relevant government ministries, departments and agencies including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• Updating the Post Geographical Expenditure guide, monitor and upload on the intranet
• Line management of 3 x Airport Facilitators
• Any other duties as assigned by the Head of Section
• Line management of 3 x Airport Facilitators in all areas relation to daily airport / administrative duties, staff development, preparation of monthly overtime and vetting of journey sheets

Essential Qualifications, Skills and Experience

• First Degree or equivalent in any of the Social Science disciplines
• Knowledge and previous experience in the shipping and travel industry would be an advantage.
• The successful applicant will be expected to have good oral and written communication skills, a pleasant disposition,
• Computer literate with good Word processing, Outlook and Excel skills,
• Strong client engagement skills and be willing to work as part of a small but very busy team.

Required competencies:

• Changing and Improving, Leading and Communicating, Collaborating and Partnering, Managing a Quality Service

Starting Monthly Salary
N438, 934.

Application Closing Date
18th June, 2018.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Job Vacancy For Business Controller (Head of Finance) at Nigerdock Nigeria Plc

Nigerdock, a member of Jagal Energy, is the leading indigenous Nigerian energy services company with diverse but related capabilities in complex oil and gas project delivery during both the greenfield and brownfield stages of an asset lifecycle.

The range of services offered include full Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC), or stand alone engineering, procurement management, onshore and offshore fabrication, brown field modifications, fabric maintenance, asset maintenance management, ship building and repair, marine services, logistics and the associated base support services.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Business Controller (Head of Finance)

Location: Lagos

Description

• To lead team of 20 people spanning the areas of finance and procurement for Nigerdock FZE (ND)

Core Objectives

• Form a close working relationship with the CEO/Managing Director, Finance Director and Senior Managers providing the strategic guidance required to support current activities and future growth.
• Ensure integrity of numbers and reporting at all times
• Contribute fully to the development of company strategy across all areas of the business, challenging assumptions and decision-making as appropriate and providing financial analysis and guidance on all activities, plans, targets and business drivers
• Act as the lead Finance Business Partner to the commercial, project and operations teams.
• Establish a high level of credibility and manage strong working relationships with external parties including customers, vendors, advisors and external auditors
• Ensure strict and efficient control over the cash management and treasury functions
• Ensure statutory and internal reporting are in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations, and are fully compliant with all Nigerdock and Jagal policies and procedures
• Implement and manage robust controls and documented processes to ensure effective governance and the integrity of financial information
• Deliver timely, high quality and insightful financial analysis and planning reporting – Multi year plans, Quarterly forecasts and budgets
• Continually initiate and drive process improvements within the finance, and procurement
• To participate fully in the general management of the Company
• To actively support a culture that places safety and the environment as top priorities at all levels of the Company
• To provide leadership and direction to the Finance and procurement
• To advise on the introduction, updating and renewal of financial systems and oversee the implementation any duly approved investment in systems
• To actively develop the Company’s ERP systems
• Oversee and lead external and internal audits
• Ensure that:
  • Appropriate financial records are kept
  • All statutory accounts are submitted accurately and on time
  • Management accounts are highly relevant and prepared on time
  • The annual accounts are appropriately audited
• Lead and drive all company-wide forecasts, annual budgets and cash flow forecasts
• Ensure debtors are effectively managed and payments are received on time
• Participate fully in all commercial bids for large, complex multi-year contacts ensuring:
  • Up to date and accurate cost information is available
  • All key project risks are identified and accounted for accordingly
  • Challenge underlying assumptions where appropriate
  • Validate the accuracy of final bid pricing submitted to clients
• Lead financial reporting and management of projects ensuring:
  • Timely and accurate reporting of project results against the original bid and baseline budgets
  • Provide clear insights into variances to budget and communicate to project teams
  • Ensure project financial risks and cost overruns are identified early to enable the implementation of appropriate mitigating actions
  • Project management teams have all required information and clear visibility of project costs to drive operational decisions
  • Validate the accuracy of project forecasts by clearly understanding and challenging all underlying assumptions
• Ensure that company-wide financial risks are identified and mitigation strategies developed
• Ensure optimum staffing levels and organizational structures are in place within the Finance, and procurement functions
• Lead staff development and succession planning for these departments
• Actively recruit, mentor and develop local employees to grow Nigerian staff capability and future leadership potential

Requirements

• University Graduate or equivalent
• Internationally recognized accounting qualification (CA, CPA, ACCA, CMA)
• Minimum 10 years of experience in increasing roles of responsibility and within large and leading organizations
• Experience of large projects and EPIC would be advantageous
• Preferably experience of working in or dealing with business in Africa or other emerging markets
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• High level of integrity and ethical behaviour - sets a good example
• Proven record of leading and developing subordinates
• Strong ability to prioritize, multi-task and delegate
• Culturally aware and adept at operating in a multi-cultural environment
• Highly IT literate with strong experience in ERP systems
• Advance MS Excel financial planning and modelling skills
• Solid team player with high energy and go get attitude to deliver results
• High degree of resilience.

Application Closing Date
Not Specified.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Job Vacancy For Tender Buyer at Nigerdock Nigeria Plc

Nigerdock is West Africa’s leading indigenous upstream oil and gas services company focused on Oil and Gas construction and marine services including offshore fabrication, ship building and repair, industrial training and specialised Oil & Gas and Maritime support. It is strategically located on Snake Island Integrated Free Zone, in Lagos, with immediate access to the open seas.

Nigerdock is a wholly owned subsidiary of Jagal, a Nigerian conglomerate holding that operates leading energy businesses and manages a diverse portfolio of investments.

We are recruiting to fill the vacant position below:

Job Title: Tender Buyer

Location: Lagos

Description

• An opportunity has arisen for an experienced person (5 years or more) to assume the position of Tender Buyer.
• The ideal person will be someone who has graduated with a Degree Social Sciences or Supply Chain Management and is qualified with Supply Chain qualification (Purchasing).

Responsibilities

• Source competitive pricing for goods, materials, components or services in line with specified cost, quality and tender targets
• Ensure timeous soliciting of pricing and communicate any problems which may pose a risk or impact on the tendering process
• Develop and maintain Procurement and subcontract plans for bids as required
• Monitor market trends, competitor strategies and market suppliers/vendors
• Research and evaluate areas of opportunity and reduce costs where possible
• Deliver briefs, updates and reports as and when required
• Develop creative and innovative procurement benchmarking processes
• Develop ideas and strategies to improve the tender process, add value, and measures that can contribute to eventual business acquisition.
• Negotiate contracts/proposals/quotations, improved prices and terms of business with suppliers and review opportunities to make business savings utilizing negotiation and procurement best practice tools and methods
• Ensure that a professional, consistent approach is taken in relation to all supplier relationships and ensure good communications at all times
• Ensure compliance to company guidelines, purchasing policies and procedures.
• Explore alternate sources for goods, materials and services and consider Nigerian Content Development (NCD) guidelines where applicable
• Undertake continuous research on and evaluate existing and new suppliers for the vendor data base
• Maintain a data base of all relevant pricing and ensure this is updated regularly for use on current and future tenders
• Work collaboratively and negotiate and engage with stakeholders and suppliers regarding new project tendering
• Stay current and up to date on any changes that may affect the supply and demand of needed products and materials and advise stakeholders of any impact pre and post tender
• Attend meetings and update all stakeholders on issues or concerns, in particular when there is a risk which could prevent the company from meeting tender demands.
• Support product/material or service change requests and review and communicate the impact on pre and post tenders
• Mentor and coach if applicable any subordinate to enhance their career and professional development for the betterment of the company

Requirements

• Relevant Commercial and or Business Degree
• 5 years or more proven tender purchasing experience, preferably within an oil and gas/ marine projects background
• Membership to the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS) would be advantageous
• Previous tender software and ERP (Oracle) experience
• Advanced User experience in MS Excel.

Application Closing Date
Not Specified.

Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Job Vacancy For Financial Planning Analyst at Nigerdock Nigeria Plc

Nigerdock, a member of Jagal Energy, is the leading indigenous Nigerian energy services company with diverse but related capabilities in complex oil and gas project delivery during both the greenfield and brownfield stages of an asset lifecycle.

The range of services offered include full Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC), or stand alone engineering, procurement management, onshore and offshore fabrication, brown field modifications, fabric maintenance, asset maintenance management, ship building and repair, marine services, logistics and the associated base support services.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Financial Planning Analyst

Location: Lagos

Description
An opportunity has arisen for an experienced person (3- 5 years) to assume the position of Financial Planning Analyst. The ideal person will be someone who has graduated with a Financial Degree and is qualified with an Accounting qualification (ICAN). Responsibilities include:

• Full end to end responsibility for collecting required inputs and preparing weekly cash flow forecasts, monthly cash flow forecasts, company-wide forecasts ( per year), annual budgets and rolling 5 year plans
• Form a close working relationship with senior management, the financial controller, finance managers and departmental managers across all areas of the company
• Gain a strong understanding of our business and operations
• Ensure all forecasts and budgets are completed on time
• Exceptional attention to detail and utilize sensitivity analysis to identify forecast risk
• Ensure the robustness and integrity of forecasts by thoroughly understanding and challenging all underlying assumptions
• Ensure variances to budgets/forecasts, and the drivers behind those variances are fully analyzed and understood
• Regularly communicate results and variances to senior management, project managers and departmental managers to help drive their operational decisions
• Work closely and regularly with project teams and department managers to ensure forecasts are not prepared in isolation and detached from the reality of our business
• Continually initiate and drive process improvements within the budgeting and forecasting processes.
• Develop adhoc cashflow and ROI models for new CAPEX investments
• Support Commercial/Proposal team in analyzing forecast deal cashflows and profitability. Make recommendations to help improve profitability and mitigate downside risks
• Support internal and external audits

Requirements

• First degree from a recognized university
• Fully qualified Chartered Accountant (ICAN)
• 3 to 5 years of PQE in large industrial organizations including experience preparing forecasts and annual budgets
• Very strong Advance MS Excel modelling skills – ability to develop complex models from scratch
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills – ability to interact with people from diverse functional areas
• Ability to manage highly sensitive and confidential information and data
• High level of integrity and ethical behaviour – sets a good example
• Strong team player

Application Closing Date
Not Specified.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

FBN General Insurance Limited Graduate Trainee Programme 2018

FBN General Insurance Limited is a Limited Liability Company licensed to transact General Insurance businesses in Nigeria.

The Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of FBNInsurance Limited and provides coverage to both individuals and corporate clients. The products offered by the Company help customers enjoy the peace of mind that comes from managing the risks of everyday life. With us, customers can protect what matters to them. One of our primary objectives is to help people, businesses and communities get back on their feet when the unexpected happens. It is therefore our responsibility to make sure that we are there for our customers both today and in the future.

We invite applications from suitably qualified candidates for the:

Title: Graduate Trainee Programme 2018

Location: Nigeria

Our Ideal Candidate
We seek exceptional talents with the following qualities:

• Innovation
• Leadership & Commitment to Service
• Passion & Drive
• Adaptability & Team-spirit
• Integrity

Basic Qualifications and Requirements

• Second Class Lower Degree from a recognized University
• Within the age range of 21- 27 years
• Must have completed NYSC

Other Qualifications:

• Candidates with an M.Sc/MBA in Insurance, Finance and other related courses can apply.

Application Process
Shortlisted candidates will go through the following stages:

First level Screening:

• At this level, all candidates’ self-awareness, communication skills and confidence level will be assessed through various channels. Candidates will also be required to provide evidence of relevant qualifications/credentials for verification.

Computer-Based Test (CBT):

• The CBT is designed to test the verbal, quantitative, spatial reasoning and cognitive ability of pre-selected candidates. General knowledge of global trends, developments and insights within the financial services sector in relation to economic development will be tested.

Assessment Centre:

• Successful candidates from the CBT will be invited for the Assessment Stage of the recruitment process. At this level, candidates are expected to demonstrate key competencies required for a successful career in the industry.

Training School:

• Applicants who make it through the Assessment Centre will be enrolled in our intensive Graduate Training School programme where they will be exposed to the practical, social and technical aspects of working in the industry.

Application Closing Date
5th July. 2018.

Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Koepka tilt at title repeat just one great US Open story

Koepka tilt at title repeat just one great US Open story
source: AFP


GETTY/AFP / Andrew Redington Brooks Koepka of the US plays his shot from the 16th tee during a practice round prior to the 2018 US Open, at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York, on June 13

Dustin Johnson is the man to beat and Tiger Woods is all the rage, but defending champion Brooks Koepka isn't at the 118th US Open just to make up the numbers.

"The only reason I'm here is to win," Koepka said as he prepared to tee off in defense of his title at Shinnecock Hills on Thursday.

"If it wasn’t for that, I wouldn’t have signed up. I feel like I always play well at the US Open. Major championships are where I shine."

Koepka has finished 13th or better in eight of his last nine major starts, including his record-tying triumph at 16-under par at Erin Hills last year.

From that career pinnacle, Koepka was plunged to the nadir as a partially torn tendon in his left wrist saw him miss almost four months -- including the Masters in April.


GETTY/AFP / ROSS KINNAIRD Dustin Johnson of the US plays a shot from a bunker on the 11th hole during a practice round prior to the 2018 US Open, at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York, on June 13


Koepka has bounced back nicely with a runner-up finish at the Fort Worth Invitational last month.

But there's no question Koepka, trying to become the first player since Curtis Strange in 1988-89 to win back-to-back US Open titles, is coming late to a 2018 party that has seen a wealth of players produce good golf.

Woods, the 14-time major champion turned comeback kid, has shown flashes of brilliance, and plenty of inconsistency, in nine official starts since his return in the wake of spinal fusion surgery.

Whether the 42-year-old great can win his first major in a decade is just one of the questions reverberating around Shinnecock Hills.

Phil Mickelson, who turns 48 on Saturday, vies to put the heartbreak of six US Open runner-up finishes behind him and become the sixth player to complete the career Grand Slam.

Johnson, however, is in the driver's seat at Shinnecock, where officials said they were delighted by gentle rain on Wednesday, which would keep the course from becoming too severe come Sunday.

Johnson, 33, regained the world number one ranking with his PGA Tour victory in Memphis last week to stamp himself the favorite to claim a second US Open crown.

- Winning where the fun is -


GETTY/AFP / Warren Little Justin Thomas of the US throws an autographed golf ball to a young fan during a practice round prior to the 2018 US Open, at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York, on June 13

Justin Thomas, who had snatched the top spot from Johnson for three weeks, could regain it. Third-ranked Justin Rose is also among five players with a shot at the top spot this week, a group that also includes Jordan Spieth, Jon Rahm and Rory McIlroy.

"I'm in the great position where becoming world number one, is going to be a by-product of winning this week," Rose said. "So I may as well just continue to focus on the winning. That's where the fun is."

Rose became the first Englishman in 43 years to win the US Open when he triumphed at Merion in 2013.

Americans have won the last four editions. Rose, Rahm, McIlroy, Australian Jason Day and Japan's Hideki Matsuyama are among the overseas players out to buck that trend.

Matsuyama, like American Rickie Fowler and, for that matter, Rahm, is trying to join the parade of first-time major winners. Nine of the last 10 Grand Slam tournaments have been won by first-timers -- most recently Masters champion Patrick Reed.

All the elements of a great championship are in place, Rose said.

"You need some great players in the mix. You need some great story lines," Rose said. "Let's say Phil Grand Slam, let's say Tiger having a chance to win. And a guy that's a surprise, that's going to be cool.

"Then, basically, just a good test of golf," Rose added. "I think that's what people would like to see in this tournament is that guys are tested to the ends of their ability."

N. Korea's Kim knows denuclearisation must be 'quick': Pompeo

N. Korea's Kim knows denuclearisation must be 'quick': Pompeo
source: AFP

POOL/AFP / Chung Sung-Jun US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is in Seoul for talks with South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha (front) and Japanese counterpart Taro Kono

North Korea's Kim Jong Un understands that denuclearisation must happen "quickly", US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Thursday, warning there will be no sanctions relief for Pyongyang until the process is complete.

Pompeo said Washington remained committed to the "complete, verifiable and irreversible" denuclearisation of North Korea, after the joint statement from the US-North Korea summit in Singapore drew criticism for lack of detail on the key issue.

"We believe that Kim Jong Un understands the urgency... that we must do this quickly," he said of the effort to have North Korea abandon its nuclear weapons.

Washington's top diplomat is in Seoul to brief his South Korean and Japanese counterparts on Tuesday's historic talks -- the first between sitting leaders of the two countries -- after which a triumphant President Donald Trump said the world can "sleep well".

Following the summit, Trump said the US would halt its "provocative" joint military drills with South Korea as long as negotiations are ongoing with the North, an announcement that caught Seoul by surprise.

But the US-South Korea alliance remains "as robust as ever", Seoul's foreign minister Kang Kyung-wha said at a press conference with Pompeo and Japanese foreign minister Taro Kono.

Pompeo is scheduled to fly to Beijing to meet his Chinese counterpart after the meetings in Seoul.

Hungarian court to hand down heavy sentences for migrant truck deaths

Hungarian court to hand down heavy sentences for migrant truck deaths
source: AFP

AFP / Vladimir Simicek Austrian officials carry a coffin with the body of one of the 71 migrants found suffocated in an abandoned truck on an Austrian highway in August 2015

Nearly three years after the gruesome discovery of 71 migrants suffocated in a lorry on an Austrian highway shocked Europe, a Hungarian court is due Thursday to hand down expected heavy sentences for the traffickers.

State prosecutor Gabor Schmidt has asked for life terms for four of the 14 accused, insisting that three should get life without parole under Hungarian law.

The victims -- 59 men, eight women and four children, including a baby -- came from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, joining hundreds of thousands like them trying to get to Germany in 2015 at the height of Europe's worst migrant crisis since World War II.

The deaths sparked international revulsion and led a shocked German Chancellor Angela Merkel to announce she would open the country's doors, eventually allowing in some one million refugees, mostly from Syria.

Having made their way to the Serbian border with Hungary, the group of 71 were packed into the air-tight truck, their cries to stop and open the doors for fresh air ignored.

Realising what had happened, the driver abandoned the refrigerated lorry by the side of a motorway in Austria.

The accused were charged with "aggravated murder with particular cruelty," and went on trial a year ago in the south Hungarian town of Kecskemet.

They said they had not known their human cargo was dying, although evidence was produced to say they did.

- 'Let them die' -


 AFP / Csaba SEGESVARI Hungary built a fence to try and control the flood of hundreds of thousands of migrants coming through the Balkans hoping to get to Germany


The alleged ringleader, Samsoor Lahoo, himself a young Afghan of 31 who had fled his country, told the court in a final statement that he "had not wanted anyone's death".

But police telephone intercepts of calls made with his men on the truck asking what to do came across differently -- he told them not to open the doors.

"Let them die instead. That's an order," Lahoo allegedly says in one of the calls.

"If they die, let him dump them in a forest in Germany," he adds.

Challenged with this evidence, Lahoo told the court they were simply "thoughtless remarks".

- 'Endless greed, frightening indifference' -

For prosecutor Gabor Schmidt, Lahoo showed only "endless greed" and "frightening indifference" to migrants desperate to get to Europe.

When Austrian police opened the back of the lorry, they found the bodies of the migrants piled on top of each other.

Investigations showed they had been dead for two days, suffocating shortly after being picked up in Hungary, then a key transit country on the Balkan migrant trail.

Hungarian officials have said the Budapest-based ring was a professional network with more than 15 vehicles used to transport refugees who were trekking up from Greece along the western Balkans to Europe.

The gang had smuggled more than 1,100 people from Hungary into Austria since February 2015, charging up to 1,500 euros a head, investigators said.

As well as Lahoo, the prosecutor called for life without parole for one of his closest associates and the driver of the truck, two Bulgarians, aged 31 and 27 respectively.

Another Bulgarian, 40, faces a life sentence but with the possibility of parole.

For the other accused, mostly Bulgarians, the prosecutor asked for up to 16 years in jail.

Pakistan student stabbed 23 times fights to see her attacker jailed

Pakistan student stabbed 23 times fights to see her attacker jailed
source: AFP

 AFP / ARIF ALI Khadija Siddiqui was stabbed 23 times in broad daylight on a busy street in Lahore, but her attacker has walked free

A Pakistani law student has emerged as a women's rights crusader after she was stabbed 23 times in a busy street only to see her alleged attacker walk free, igniting outrage across the deeply patriarchal country.

Khadija Siddiqui, 23, survived the frenzied attack in broad daylight outside her sister's school on a busy thoroughfare in the teeming eastern city of Lahore, Pakistan's cultural capital, in May 2016.

Her sister was also injured as she tried to defend her, and the brazen attack only ended when her driver managed to pull the assailant off and rush Siddiqui to hospital, where she was admitted to intensive care with her neck slashed, her arms wounded, and a deep injury to her back.

Siddiqui named her attacker as Shah Hussain, a classmate whom she had rejected romantically. He was convicted and sentenced to seven years in prison in July 2017.

But Hussain, the son of a prominent Lahori lawyer, appealed the decision -- and in a shock judgement released on June 4, the Lahore High Court acquitted him on all charges.

The decision was greeted with an uproar in Pakistan, where hundreds of women are murdered and attacked by men each year, with many struggling to get justice in a sluggish court system that advocates say is often slanted against them.

"I was shocked," Siddiqui, who spent three weeks in hospital after the attack and whose back still pains her, told AFP. "But unfortunately it was true."

Siddiqui's long struggle to put her attacker behind bars had already drawn attention from women's rights campaigners, but when Hussain walked free it unleashed a wave of anger.

"I am heart broken, speechless, shattered after hearing what our judiciary system did to you @khadeeeej751 - But do not give up , keep fighting, and we shall overcome this together," tweeted actress Urwa Hocane.

Hamza Ali Abbasi, another TV personality and activist, commented: "We must all unite & be Khadija's voice & leave no stone unturned to get her justice against this barbarian! #WeAreWithKhadija".


 AFP / ARIF ALI Human rights activists say Siddiqui's case highlights how Pakistan's judicial system is failing women


The hashtag was trending in Pakistan within hours of the acquittal.

The reaction intensified when the court's judgement was released, with critics accusing it of "victim-blaming" after it poked holes in Siddiqui's credibility.

The judgement questioned why she did not name Hussain as her attacker immediately, despite testimony saying she had fallen unconscious; and noted that at one point prior to the assault she had written a letter proposing marriage to him.

The outcry was so great that Pakistan's Supreme Court has now taken up the case and will hold hearings later in the summer, it announced Wednesday.

Hashmi, Hussain's father, has told AFP that his child is innocent. "My son is a brilliant student," he said. "How can he be a criminal?"

- 'Prejudice against women' -

Siddiqui's case highlights how Pakistan's judicial system fails women, says Hina Jilani, a leading lawyer and human rights activist.

The young law student is lucky in that she received high-profile support and it came to the Supreme Court's attention, Jilani says -- but that is rare.

"There is a prejudice against women," she argues.

Pakistan is deeply conservative, and violence against women remained "pervasive and intractable" in 2017, according a yearly report by the country's Human Rights Commission.

It documented thousands of reported violent incidents including rapes, assaults, sexual harassment, acid attacks, murders, and even four examples of "stove burning" -- understood to be when a woman is taken into a kitchen, covered in kerosene and set alight; then the perpetrators claim she was burned by the stove.


 AFP/File / ASIF HASSAN Pakistan's Human Rights Commission says violence against women is "pervasive and intractable" in the deeply conservative country

The real figures, the commission said, are likely to be much higher.

Many cases of violence against women are not reported to authorities. In rural areas such cases often bypass the formal justice system and are dealt with by village "jirgas" or councils, often in a manner that is punitive for women.

But even for those cases which do enter the court system, the conviction rate is "below one percent", says Rabeea Hadi, an activist with the Aurat Foundation, a women's rights watchdog.

In cases of domestic violence and sexual abuse, it is "almost zero", adds Anbreen Ajaib, the executive director of another women's rights group, Bedari.

Siddiqui says women, including herself, are often pressured to drop their cases, and can face blackmail and harassment.

But she is determined to see hers through, and says the attention it has received has prompted many women to contact her to say they, too, are encouraged to stand up for themselves.

"I have been told by the prosecutors... that I'm probably the first woman who is fighting so hard to get justice," she told AFP, sounding calm and confident.

"It has proved that if women fight, they can turn things around, so they should never give up... they should not tolerate injustice, violence and blackmail."

In Gaza, unpaid government salaries dampen Eid joy

In Gaza, unpaid government salaries dampen Eid joy
source: AFP
AFP / MOHAMMED ABED Hani and Noor al-Laham's financial woes have forced them to move to a homemade shack on the coast near Gaza City

Hani al-Laham sits down to a family dinner after a long day of fasting, but he has little to celebrate as the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan approaches.

Despite Laham having a monthly salary of 1,700 shekels ($475), tied to a job in the security services, the Palestinian government has repeatedly failed to pay him.

He is one of nearly 60,000 Palestinians in Gaza on the payroll of the internationally-recognised administration based in the West Bank.

More than a decade ago the Palestinian Authority (PA) ordered its employees in the enclave to stay at home, over a dispute with Gaza rulers Hamas, promising to continue paying their salaries.

But now the money has been cut back.

"This is a disaster, Gaza is collapsing," said Laham, whose financial woes have seen the family evicted from their rented home in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip.

They have now moved to a homemade shack on the coast near Gaza City, but even that meagre existence is threatened.

The local municipality is trying to demolish their temporary home, claiming it was built without the necessary permits.

"If they give me back my salary, I will rent an apartment. I am tired of this life," the 55-year-old told AFP.

Last week Laham finally received a small sum of money, ahead of the Eid al-Fitr Muslim festival marking the end of Ramadan, but it doesn't cover the family's basic needs.

"Where should we go? Burn ourselves?" his wife Noor, 33, asked.

- West Bank protest -

The family's situation -- and that of thousands of other Gazans -- is one of the idiosyncrasies of the bitter intra-Palestinian conflict.

The Islamist Hamas movement seized control of Gaza in 2007, after a near civil war with the PA which is led by president Mahmud Abbas.

Hamas argued it had won 2006 parliamentary elections and been deprived of the right to rule after the international community refused to accept the result.

The Gaza takeover was deemed a coup by Abbas, who eventually told his employees not to go to work until Hamas ceded power.


AFP / MOHAMMED ABED Hani al-Laham is an employee of the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority, which has repeatedly failed to pay his salary


The salaries of staff including judges, doctors and ministry workers continued to be paid while they waited for bickering politicians to allow them to return to jobs.

But years later they are stuck, with Israel imposing a blockade on Gaza that has crippled the economy and no realistic employment opportunities under Hamas.

Recently, facing financial shortfalls and seeking to isolate Hamas, Abbas sought to make cuts to the Gaza salaries.

Last year they were reduced by 30 percent, while in March the PA paid nothing at all -- without explanation.

The following month Abbas promised the salaries would be paid within a few days, but nothing happened.

Finally 50 percent of one month's salary was paid on June 5, ahead of Eid which will likely be celebrated Friday.

The Ramallah government has said the lack of payment is a "technical" issue, but it has long had budgetary problems.

Critics also argue that by cutting salaries the PA is seeking to sow discord among Gaza's two million residents, and make life difficult for Hamas.

Hundreds of Palestinians in the West Bank took to the streets of Ramallah on Sunday and Wednesday to demand that salaries be paid in Gaza, a rare show of opposition in the city where Abbas's government is based.

The latter protest had been banned by the Palestinian administration and security forces dispersed demonstrators with tear gas and sound grenades.

The United Nations warned last month that Gaza could be on the brink of war, after at least 129 Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire in border protests.

Hamas, which has strongly backed the demonstrations, has fought three wars with Israel since 2008.

- A 'humiliating life' -

The salary cuts have also affected Gazans' health.

Sabara Abu Ali, 67, has kidney failure but can no longer afford the necessary care after her income was stopped.

"I get dialysis three times a week," at Gaza City's Shifa Hospital, she said. "I don't even have the 30 shekels I need for transport each day."


AFP / MOHAMMED ABED Noor and her children inside the family's shack near the beach in Gaza City

"How could you desert us Abu Mazen?" she asked, using Abbas's Arabic nickname.

Yasser, an employee of the health ministry, said even if he were to receive his full salary, his debts are such that once the bank takes its loan repayment and electricity and telephone bills are paid he would have only 75 shekels left.

"I have debts to the supermarket, the greengrocer, the pharmacy, university fees for my daughter and school fees for my youngest," he said.

Yasser said his financial situation led his wife to desert him, taking the children and returning to her family home.

"Suicide is better than this humiliating life," he said.

Hungarian court to hand down heavy sentences for migrant truck deaths

Hungarian court to hand down heavy sentences for migrant truck deaths
source: AFP


AFP / Vladimir Simicek Austrian officials carry a coffin with the body of one of the 71 migrants found suffocated in an abandoned truck on an Austrian highway in August 2015

Nearly three years after the gruesome discovery of 71 migrants suffocated in a lorry on an Austrian highway shocked Europe, a Hungarian court is due Thursday to hand down expected heavy sentences for the traffickers.

State prosecutor Gabor Schmidt has asked for life terms for four of the 14 accused, insisting that three should get life without parole under Hungarian law.

The victims -- 59 men, eight women and four children, including a baby -- came from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, joining hundreds of thousands like them trying to get to Germany in 2015 at the height of Europe's worst migrant crisis since World War II.

The deaths sparked international revulsion and led a shocked German Chancellor Angela Merkel to announce she would open the country's doors, eventually allowing in some one million refugees, mostly from Syria.

Having made their way to the Serbian border with Hungary, the group of 71 were packed into the air-tight truck, their cries to stop and open the doors for fresh air ignored.

Realising what had happened, the driver abandoned the refrigerated lorry by the side of a motorway in Austria.

The accused were charged with "aggravated murder with particular cruelty," and went on trial a year ago in the south Hungarian town of Kecskemet.

They said they had not known their human cargo was dying, although evidence was produced to say they did.

- 'Let them die' -


 AFP / Csaba SEGESVARI Hungary built a fence to try and control the flood of hundreds of thousands of migrants coming through the Balkans hoping to get to Germany


The alleged ringleader, Samsoor Lahoo, himself a young Afghan of 31 who had fled his country, told the court in a final statement that he "had not wanted anyone's death".

But police telephone intercepts of calls made with his men on the truck asking what to do came across differently -- he told them not to open the doors.

"Let them die instead. That's an order," Lahoo allegedly says in one of the calls.

"If they die, let him dump them in a forest in Germany," he adds.

Challenged with this evidence, Lahoo told the court they were simply "thoughtless remarks".

- 'Endless greed, frightening indifference' -

For prosecutor Gabor Schmidt, Lahoo showed only "endless greed" and "frightening indifference" to migrants desperate to get to Europe.

When Austrian police opened the back of the lorry, they found the bodies of the migrants piled on top of each other.

Investigations showed they had been dead for two days, suffocating shortly after being picked up in Hungary, then a key transit country on the Balkan migrant trail.

Hungarian officials have said the Budapest-based ring was a professional network with more than 15 vehicles used to transport refugees who were trekking up from Greece along the western Balkans to Europe.

The gang had smuggled more than 1,100 people from Hungary into Austria since February 2015, charging up to 1,500 euros a head, investigators said.

As well as Lahoo, the prosecutor called for life without parole for one of his closest associates and the driver of the truck, two Bulgarians, aged 31 and 27 respectively.

Another Bulgarian, 40, faces a life sentence but with the possibility of parole.

For the other accused, mostly Bulgarians, the prosecutor asked for up to 16 years in jail.

China's transgenders 'step forward' from the shadows

China's transgenders 'step forward' from the shadows
source: AFP

AFP / Johannes EISELE Long pressured to deny their identities, transgender people in China are quietly asserting themselves

Lan spent years trapped between two identities: the male gender assigned to her at birth and the woman she was inside -- a living "torture" in a China not yet ready to fully embrace transgenders.

The Shanghai native, who asked that her full name be withheld, misled friends and family with a macho facade but eventually, depressed by her identity crisis, underwent gender-reassignment surgery in 2015.

"I was always between those two voices," said Lan, 31, looking prim in a blue blouse and shoulder-length auburn hair.

"I was lonely, helpless and in despair. Now I'm living my dream."

Long pressured to deny their identities, Chinese transgenders are quietly asserting themselves, with advocacy groups forming and doctors reporting increasing gender-reassignment surgeries.

Surgeon Zhao Yede performed 20-30 operations annually two decades ago. He now does around 200 per year, crediting a burgeoning online trans community with bringing people forward.


 AFP / Johannes EISELE A few transgender people in China have become minor celebrities, and the lack of strident religiosity in the country minimises overt persecution


"What's clear is (patients) are getting younger. We used to see people at 26, 27, or 30. Now we see more and more 20-year-olds," he told AFP.

Transgenderism's place in China has long been something of a paradox.

Ancient depictions of cross-dressing abound, and men typically played female roles onstage. Today, a few transgenders have become minor celebrities, and the lack of strident religiosity in Chinese culture minimises overt persecution.

- Down and out -

But Chinese transgenders say they remain deeply misunderstood, subject to abuse from relatives and routine discrimination.

China's trans population is unknown, but estimates say up to 0.6 percent of Americans identify as trans. That percentage in China would equal more than eight million people.


 AFP / Johannes EISELE Chinese transgenders say they remain deeply misunderstood, subject to abuse from relatives and routine discrimination

A survey by the non-profit Beijing LGBT Center last year found nearly 62 percent of Chinese transgenders suffer depression, nearly half contemplated suicide and 13 percent attempted it.

A 2017 UNDP report said that among China's LGBTs "trans people face the highest levels of discrimination, especially within the family, schools and workplaces".

Chinese society prizes male heirs and continuing the family line, and transgenders, particularly vulnerable youths, often suffer physical and emotional abuse at home, said Zhuo Huichen, a transgender woman.

Authorities typically dismiss such abuse as family squabbling, taking no action, said Zhuo, who co-founded the Guangzhou-based Trans Center in 2016, one of China's first trans-led NGOs.

"Some cases we see are horrible. Parents may even want to kill their children," said Zhuo, 25.

Even Zhuo, wearing make-up and with her long hair flowing from a cat-eared cap that says "beautiful" on it, hasn't told her parents she is transitioning to female.

The centre is seeing increasing numbers of transgenders seeking help, and steady reports of suicides.

"Many are minors. It's a serious problem," she said.

AFP / Johannes EISELE Trans people can change their gender on Chinese government IDs but face major obstacles revising diplomas and academic records, often resulting in denial of jobs or further schooling


Post-surgery, Chinese trans can change their gender on government IDs but face major obstacles revising diplomas and academic records, often resulting in denial of jobs or further schooling.

Trans unemployment is three times the average, the Beijing LGBT Centre's survey said. Marginalised, some may drift into sex work.

A transgender man known as "Mr. C", who was assigned female at birth but has transitioned, was fired by a health-care company in southwestern China in 2015 over his gender identity.

But Mr. C, who withholds his real name to shield his parents, won a lawsuit last year accusing the employer of violating his rights, a ruling hailed by trans people.

"I think legal protections will get better. But we have a long way to go," he told AFP.

The rising trans profile comes at a fraught time, however, with the ruling Communist Party increasingly accused of quashing rights and anything deemed contrary to "party morals," and some trans fear a backlash.

LGBT events are often shut down, and even hip hop music and tattoos were banned from television earlier this year as unwholesome.

- Glimmers of hope -

But trans activists see glimmers of hope, and Zhuo vows "we will keep pushing".

Last year, government guidelines began referring to "gender-reassignment" instead of "sex-change" surgery -- which transgenders dislike -- and no longer call transgenderism a "disease".

Shanghai Pride, the city's low-key LGBT festival now in its 10th year, held its first major trans forum on June 2.


AFP / Johannes EISELE As of last year, Chinese government guidelines no longer call transgenderism a "disease"

Many apprehensive attendees wore stickers of a camera with a red line through it to discourage photos.

But the event, complete with an impromptu "fashion show", went ahead unimpeded by authorities.

"I never thought I'd see that happen," said Lan.

She has been more fortunate than most.

Initially shocked by her coming-out, Lan's father has been supportive, accompanying her to Thailand for her $18,000 surgery and painful five-week recovery.

A trained accountant, she still worries that having "male" on past records threatens future job prospects.

But in a happy surprise, Lan and her male former best friend recently fell in love. They plan to wed and have a child through a surrogate mother.

Lan's future in-laws don't know her past, a secret the couple intends to keep.

"We (trans) are stepping forward, especially the younger generation. But we have to take it slow," she said.

Britain mourns victims of Grenfell fire tragedy

Britain mourns victims of Grenfell fire tragedy
source: AFP

 AFP / Tolga Akmen London's Grenfell Tower, where 71 people were killed in a fire a year ago, was illuminated in green

Green scarves, white roses: the community surrounding Grenfell Tower, the west London building ravaged by fire, united around shared symbols on Thursday as they held poignant commemorations for the tragedy that killed 71 people a year ago.

Clutching flowers and placards bearing images of their lost loved ones, dozens of tearful survivors of Britain's deadliest domestic fire since World War II joined still-grieving relatives on an emotional walk through the area.

The procession -- accompanied by a portable speaker playing a melancholic track on repeat -- ended in the shadow of the burnt-out block just before 12:54 am, the time the London Fire Brigade received the first call about a fire in the tower.

One by one, relatives announced the names of the deceased accompanied by a flurry from a bongo drum, before pinning their pictures at the "wall of truth" —- a section of the fencing around the tower featuring messages and candles.

After a short trumpet blast and as light rain began to fall, the crowd assembled at the sombre site then marked an eerie silence of 72 seconds -- in memory of each of the people who perished, along with a stillborn baby.


AFP / Tolga Akmen Relatives of the victims pinned their pictures at the "wall of truth", a section of the fencing around the tower featuring messages and candles


"I saw everything from the start of that night and I couldn't sleep for three weeks," recalled Farhiya Abdi, 42, a mother-of-two who was among the first to arrive at Grenfell from her nearby home as the fire spread.

"When I closed my eyes I would hear the screaming for help, see the children's faces at the window again. I saw people jump to their death," she said earlier in the evening, at a remembrance event on a closed-off nearby street.

Organisers unveiled banners and t-shirts emblazoned with slogans demanding justice, one of several such events taking place.

Nearly everybody wore a green scarf -- the adopted colour of the tragedy -- while the tower was illuminated in green, as was Prime Minister Theresa May's Downing Street office.

-'Time hasn't done anything' -


AFP / Tolga Akmen The crowd cheered wildly when a passing London Underground train sounded its horn, before the driver emerged from his cabin to unfurl a green flag

May told parliament on Wednesday that the "unimaginable tragedy remains at the forefront of our minds".

In an interview with Grenfell Speaks, a social media news channel, she admitted that the immediate official response to the fire "wasn't good enough... from the beginning".

"I don't know why it took so long," she said.

The local community is still traumatised by the tragedy.

"I thought time would've healed us but time hasn't done anything," said Chris Imafidon, 50, who knew six different families bereaved by the blaze through a local education charity he works for.


 AFP / Daniel LEAL-OLIVAS Organisers unveiled banners and t-shirts emblazoned with slogans demanding justice, one of several such events taking place


"This is reviving the memories of that night, because we're all out on the street again -- I see the same faces," he added, surveying the other locals who had turned out in remembrance.

Among the attendees were former tower residents Marcio and Andreia Gomes, whose son was stillborn hours after the fire, and local firefighters who responded that night.

On a row of tables in the street, more than 100 community members shared a meal of Mediterranean food -- dubbed an iftar for Muslim residents breaking their fasts during Ramadan.

The crowd cheered wildly when a London Underground train passing on tracks above stopped and sounded its horn, before the driver emerged from his cabin to unfurl a green flag.


AFP/File / Thomas SAINT-CRICQ The fire's spread through the tower has been blamed on cladding installed during a refurbishment

The commemorations will continue on Thursday with church services, special prayers at a local mosque, wreath-laying and the unveiling of a community mosaic.

A silent walk will also be held -- similar to the ones that take place on the 14th of every month -- while banners in memory of the victims have been unfurled over the top four floors of the tower.

- Neglected -

The fire started through a faulty fridge in the kitchen of a fourth-floor flat in the 24-storey tower.

Relatives of those who died have recently provided heart-rending testimony about their loved ones' final moments at the beginning of a public inquiry into the fire, reminding Britons of the shocking scale of the tragedy.


AFP / DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS Messages of condolence can be seen near Grenfell tower


Stephanie Seddon, 24, a health outreach worker who has been on the ground since last June, said "lots of people are showing signs and symptoms of PTSD", referring to post-traumatic stress disorder.

"We're here to support the community," she added.

Despite the support, residents argue the wealthy borough's authorities have neglected the less affluent northern section home to Grenfell and surrounding public housing.

They also blame the fire's spread on cladding installed during a recent refurbishment, while the fire service has come under the spotlight over its advice for residents to stay put.

A survey released Wednesday by ITV found 98 percent of relatives and survivors worried the policy remains, while 87 percent have no faith in the government.

But at the remembrance events, the overriding sentiment was solidarity.

"We're trying to see how we can heal together," said Imafidon. "It's difficult."