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APM Terminals Awards Scholarships to 50 Apapa Undergraduates
APM Terminals has awarded scholarships to 50 Apapa undergraduates at its third scholarship ceremony, bringing total beneficiaries to 151 nationwide.
The parents of 50 Apapa undergraduates have one less financial worry this semester after APM Terminals Apapa awarded them scholarships at the third edition of its annual programme. The beneficiaries, drawn from public universities and other accredited higher institutions across Nigeria, bring the total number of students supported under the initiative to 151.
For a host community where tuition, accommodation and transport costs have climbed steadily, the intervention lands as both relief and signal. It also positions Nigeria’s largest container terminal operator as one of the more consistent corporate backers of higher education in Lagos, at a time when many firms have trimmed corporate social responsibility budgets.
APM Terminals Nigeria CEO Koen De Backker tied the APM Terminals scholarships directly to the company’s long-term view of its operating environment. “Today’s scholars are tomorrow’s leaders,” he said at the Friday ceremony in Apapa. “While equipment and infrastructure can be acquired, building people requires deliberate investment, commitment, and time.”
He added that the terminal’s performance is not measured by operational numbers alone. “The success of our business is not measured only by operational performance, but also by the positive impact we create in the communities where we operate.”
APM Terminals scholarships expand beyond tuition
Terminal Managing Director Kamal Alhraishat said the programme rests on three CSR pillars: education, healthcare and environmental sustainability. He urged the new cohort to treat the award as a starting point rather than a finish line.
“Be proud of what you have accomplished. You earned your place at your university through hard work and determination,” Alhraishat said. “Believe in yourself, aim higher, and continue striving for excellence. The future belongs to those who are willing to work for it.”
According to Punch, the latest cohort pushes cumulative beneficiaries to 151 since the scheme began. The awards are open to students in public universities and accredited tertiary institutions nationwide, not only those studying in Lagos.
The structure of the scholarship sets it apart from one-off bursary payments. Uzoma Ben-Ude, Head of People Function at APM Terminals Nigeria, said beneficiaries remain on the programme until graduation, provided they maintain required academic standards.
“Our objective is to reduce the financial burden on students and their families so they can focus on their studies and personal development,” she said. “We want these young people to succeed and become positive contributors to society.”
Ben-Ude also pointed to internship placements inside the company, noting that several scholarship recipients have already gained workplace experience through APM Terminals. That pipeline matters for a port operator that depends on a steady supply of trained Nigerian talent.
Community leaders tie award to wider Apapa investment
The reaction from local officials was immediate. Chairman of Apapa-Iganmu Local Council Development Area Jimoh Olawale commended the company for sustaining its host-community investment, recalling a partnership that renovated a health centre reopened in February 2026.
Representatives from Apapa Local Government, the Nigerian Ports Authority, the Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory Agency and the Nigeria Customs Service also praised the scheme, urging beneficiaries to remain disciplined and become ambassadors of their families and the nation.
Students on the programme described effects that go beyond the cash. Oseni Omolara, a 400-level beneficiary from the 2025 cohort, said the support eased the burden on her parents and motivated her toward academic excellence. Her internship at APM Terminals, she said, offered exposure to how a global business operates.
Medical student Olakunle Oluwafemi framed the award as an investment in his future rather than simple financial assistance. The internship component, he said, complements his academic training and strengthens his career prospects.
Parents of the latest beneficiaries joined in thanking the company. For many households in Apapa, the award arrives against a backdrop of rising costs for food, transport and rent in Lagos, where private tertiary education is out of reach for most families.
What the reaction means next
The broader pattern is a port operator using education spending to secure community goodwill in the same neighbourhood where it runs its main Nigerian asset. APM Terminals Apapa has now run the scheme for three editions, and the 151-student cumulative figure gives the company a measurable track record to cite with regulators, the NPA and the customs service.
According to Leadership, the beneficiaries were selected from accredited institutions across the country, keeping the programme national in scope even as its base remains Apapa.
The forward question is whether the scheme scales. Fifty students a year is modest against the number of undergraduates in Lagos, and the graduation-linked structure means the company’s obligations grow with each cohort. APM Terminals has not disclosed the total value of the awards or whether the number of slots will rise.
What is clear is that the APM Terminals scholarships have become a fixture of the company’s community strategy, alongside healthcare and environmental spending. For the 50 students awarded this year, the practical effect starts now: tuition covered, an internship pathway open, and a graduation date that the company has committed to supporting until they reach it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many students have received APM Terminals scholarships so far?
With the latest 50 beneficiaries, APM Terminals has now supported 151 undergraduates through the programme.
Who is eligible for the APM Terminals Apapa scholarship?
The scheme is open to students enrolled in public universities and other accredited higher institutions across Nigeria, with priority given to the Apapa host community.
Does the scholarship cover students until graduation?
Yes. Beneficiaries remain on the programme until graduation, provided they maintain the required academic standards, according to the Head of People Function, Uzoma Ben-Ude.
Do scholarship beneficiaries get internship opportunities?
Yes. APM Terminals offers internship placements within the company, and several recipients have already gained workplace experience through the programme.
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Health and Fitness
Hair Dye Safety: What Works, What Doesn’t, What’s Unproven
A practical hair dye safety guide: patch tests, bleach timing and scalp care, using celebrity colour changes as a cautionary case study.
The outcome you want is straightforward: a new colour that looks good, holds up, and leaves your scalp where it belongs. The fastest way to lose it is to copy a celebrity’s finished result while skipping the part of the process nobody photographs. That gap is where hair dye safety usually fails.
Jacob Elordi spent a weekend in New York City hiding his. According to Elle, the actor was photographed on two dates with Kendall Jenner, at Paranormal Activity on Broadway on Saturday and outdoors in fall layers on Sunday. He wore a beanie both times and added a hoodie on the second day for extra coverage. Even so, a patch of blond showed at the back of his hat. He has not said why he changed colour, and he has not shown the full look.
That concealment is a useful starting point for a health conversation, because it separates the outcome from the process. Blond is a result. Testing, timing and a professional who knows what your scalp can take is the process. Most hair damage happens when someone chases the first without the second.
Why Hair Dye Safety Matters More Than The Shade
Your scalp is skin. It absorbs, it reacts, and it remembers.
A dye applied to a calm scalp and the same dye applied to skin that is already irritated or freshly relaxed are not the same event. Dermatologists and dye manufacturers have long recommended patch testing before application, and most box kits carry the instruction on the leaflet. Allergic reactions to hair colour are a recognised, documented problem, not a freak accident. This is the strong end of the evidence: contact allergy to dye chemicals exists, it can develop after years of uneventful use, and once it appears it tends to persist.
The weak end is where most online argument lives. Questions about repeated dye exposure and long-term cancer risk have been studied for decades with mixed results. Research is still ongoing. No single study justifies panic, and no single study justifies dismissal either. Anyone who tells you the matter is settled is selling something.
What the celebrity coverage does establish is narrower and more reliable: professionals do not apply colour to an untested scalp, and they do not treat colour as a five-minute decision.
Hair Dye Safety Steps That Actually Hold Up
First, patch test 48 hours ahead. A small amount of dye behind the ear or on the inner forearm, left alone, tells you what your immune system thinks before your whole head finds out. Skip this and you are gambling on a reaction you cannot undo.
Second, be honest about your hair’s history. A relaxer, a recent henna application or a bleach job from six weeks ago changes what the next chemical can safely do. Salons in Lagos, Accra and Nairobi handle this daily, and the good ones ask. If yours does not ask, volunteer it.
Third, treat bleach as the serious step it is. Lifting dark hair to blond means removing pigment, and removing pigment means chemical stress on the shaft. Doing it in one sitting to save time raises the odds of breakage and scalp burns. Two sessions with a gap between them is slower, and safer.
Fourth, know what natural means on a label. Henna and herbal dyes are not automatically gentler. So-called black henna has been repeatedly flagged by dermatologists and regulators because it is often mixed with the same dye chemicals used in conventional colour, and applied to skin rather than hair. A plant on the box is not a safety guarantee.
Fifth, space out chemical services. Colour, relaxer and bleach inside the same fortnight is a schedule for damage. Give the scalp weeks, not days.
The Mistakes That Undo Everything
The biggest one is chasing a specific shade in a single appointment. The second is dyeing over an irritated scalp because an event is coming. The third is assuming a salon visit is protection. A salon reduces risk. It does not remove risk, and no stylist can test your immune system on your behalf.
None of this is exotic. Hair dye safety is mostly bookkeeping: what your scalp has already been through, and when.
It is worth noting that AOL reported Jenner’s platinum bob at the end of October, worn for a Paris, Texas Halloween costume. The same report notes she had gone blonde before, for looks referencing Pamela Anderson and Marilyn Monroe. Even with professional teams, this is a repeated, staged exercise across years, not one dramatic afternoon. AOL also reported that actor Paul Anthony Kelly went bleach blonde for a television role, in his case with highlights styled around the part rather than a full-lift from dark.
Meanwhile, AOL UK reports that Olivia Jade has been photographed in New York with art dealer PC Valmorbida following her reported split from Elordi. Personal lives move quickly. Scalp recovery does not.
Your First Step Today
Before you book anything, arrange a patch test. If you are using a box dye, test with the product you intend to apply, not a different brand. If you are going to a salon, ask to be tested before the appointment, and if they refuse, take your scalp somewhere else. That single step is the difference between hair dye safety being a phrase in an article and something you have actually done.
The realistic result is a colour you wanted, on a scalp that is not itching, weeping or shedding. You will not get certainty about every long-term question, because nobody can give you that today. What you get is control over the risks that are known and manageable, and a habit of not treating a preliminary headline as a diagnosis.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I really need a patch test before dyeing my hair?
Yes. Patch testing 48 hours ahead is standard guidance from dye manufacturers and dermatologists. It will not predict every reaction, but it is the cheapest way to find out whether your skin tolerates a product before it goes on your whole scalp.
Is hair dye linked to cancer?
The research is mixed and still ongoing. Studies over several decades have not produced a settled answer, and no single study justifies either panic or dismissal. The risks that are well documented and manageable are skin-related: irritation and contact allergy.
Are natural or herbal dyes safer than conventional ones?
Not automatically. Products marketed as black henna, for example, have been repeatedly flagged because they are often mixed with the same dye chemicals found in conventional colour. Read the ingredient list rather than the front of the box.
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About Paul Nwogo
Paul Nwogo is an engineer, published author, and the Head Manager at AfriLatest. He has written numerous books available on Amazon covering a diverse range of topics, including health, personal finance, relationships, work ethics, and scam survival. With his technical background and passion for writing, Paul now oversees the editorial direction of AfriLatest, delivering practical, accurate, and engaging content on trending news, music, and global lifestyle topics.
View all articles by Paul NwogoWorld News
WTO Urges Africa To Build Regional Value Chains
WTO’s Okonjo-Iweala told an Abuja conference Africa must build regional value chains, citing 3% of global exports against 30% of critical minerals.
The final score out of Abuja reads 3 to 30, and it is the reason the World Trade Organisation spent Monday pressing African governments on regional value chains. Africa holds nearly 30 per cent of the world’s critical mineral reserves, including cobalt, lithium, manganese, copper, nickel and graphite. It accounts for only three per cent of global exports. WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala used those two numbers to open a conference titled Africa and the Geoeconomics of African States, Integration, Power and Structural Transformation.
The event was organised by the International Centre for Regional Integration and Trade Research at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, and staged in the capital on Monday. Okonjo-Iweala was represented by Jan Yves Remy, identified in the News Agency of Nigeria account as a WTO adviser on international trade. The room included the WTO chair for Nigeria, a vice chancellor, and a federal government delegation. It did not include a single trade figure that flattered the continent.
What The WTO Means By Regional Value Chains
The director-general’s argument is about where value is booked, not how much raw material moves. “Africa must move beyond exporting raw materials to processing and manufacturing products locally to retain more economic value,” she said, according to the Peoples Gazette. She described the African Continental Free Trade Area as a geoeconomic instrument for expanding production and creating regional value chains.
The baseline is thin. Intra-African exports accounted for about 17 per cent of the continent’s merchandise exports in 2024. That is the number the AfCFTA is supposed to move, and it has barely moved.
Nigeria’s Lithium Factories And The Processing Test
Vice President Kashim Shettima made the parallel case for downstream industry at the same conference. “Resources confer potential. It is the capacity to process, transform, innovate, and negotiate that converts potential into prosperity,” he said, per Premium Times. Shettima, represented by Tope Fasua, the president’s special adviser on economic affairs, cited cocoa and crude oil as commodities the continent ships out without the plants to manufacture from them. He said the federal government is supporting three lithium-processing factories, in Nasarawa, Kaduna and Abuja.
Three plants do not build a value chain. They are a test case: if lithium leaves Nigeria as concentrate and returns as cells, the processing argument failed on its own home ground.
The Obstacles Named Are The Expensive Ones
Okonjo-Iweala listed infrastructure gaps, institutional weaknesses and non-tariff barriers as the major obstacles to implementing the continental agreement. The remedies she proposed — roads, ports, electricity, shipping connections, trade finance, efficient customs and predictable regulation — are capital-intensive and slow. Customs reform is unglamorous and decides whether a truck sits at a border for two days or two weeks.
The Gap Between Signing A Deal And Trading Under It
Prof. Ngozi Egbuna, the WTO chair for Nigeria and director of the hosting centre, put the implementation problem in plain terms. Signing agreements and establishing a continental market, she said, does not automatically produce economic benefits. The real test of the AfCFTA is whether African businesses can trade across borders, create jobs and retain economic value. She urged scholars to push research into negotiations and public policy rather than leaving it in journals.
Prof. Pat Utomi supplied the sharpest contrast of the day: Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo sit on critical minerals while recording some of the world’s highest poverty levels. Endowment, in other words, is not a scoreboard.
Bond Anyaehie, vice chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, argued that trade liberalisation on its own does not build collective economic power, and called for infrastructure development, industrialisation and competitive local enterprises. Okonjo-Iweala’s final ask was intellectual: universities and the African Trade Group of WTO Chairs should strengthen research, training and policy engagement.
A note on scope. No game results, roster moves, injury reports or league records appear in the reporting cited here. Every figure above is a trade statistic, and it is treated as one.
The Standings Implications Of Regional Value Chains
The conference produced no binding commitments, no timetable and no financing pledge. What it produced was a public accounting. A continent holding roughly 30 per cent of the minerals that batteries, turbines and defence supply chains depend on, and capturing three per cent of global exports, is not short of geology. It is short of processing capacity, power, ports and customs systems that function.
That is the standings picture the WTO wants changed. The push on regional value chains is a demand that the 17 per cent intra-African export share rise, and that the margin on cobalt, lithium and cocoa be earned on the continent instead of abroad. Until the lithium plants in Nasarawa, Kaduna and Abuja run at scale, the score stays 3 to 30.
Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly did the WTO ask African countries to do?
Strengthen regional value chains, industrialisation and infrastructure so the continent increases its share of global trade. Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said Africa must move beyond exporting raw materials to processing and manufacturing locally to retain more economic value.
How large is Africa’s share of global exports?
About three per cent, according to Okonjo-Iweala’s remarks in Abuja, despite the continent holding nearly 30 per cent of the world’s critical mineral reserves including cobalt, lithium, manganese, copper, nickel and graphite.
What share of African trade stays inside Africa?
Intra-African exports accounted for roughly 17 per cent of the continent’s merchandise exports in 2024, a figure the African Continental Free Trade Area is intended to raise.
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About Clare Dominic
Clare Dominic is the Editor at AfriLatest. With a background in journalism and a passion for storytelling, she oversees the editorial process to ensure content is accurate, engaging, and relevant. Clare works closely with contributors to maintain the highest standards of journalistic integrity across all news, sports, and lifestyle coverage.
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NAJA Names Weststar Chairman Auto Legend For 2026
NAJA names Weststar chairman Benson Uwatse a Nigeria Auto Legend for 2026. What the December award confirms, what it leaves open, and why distributors dominate.
The Nigeria Auto Journalists Association has selected Chief Benson Uwatse, chairman of Weststar Associates Limited, as the recipient of its Nigeria Auto Legend Award. The honour is due to be presented at the 19th Nigeria Auto Industry Awards, scheduled for Thursday, December 3, 2026, at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos. When NAJA names Weststar chairman a legend that evening, he will be the third industry figure to hold the title.
That much is confirmed by three separate Nigerian publications. The rest — what the award measures, why this recipient, and what it says about the country’s vehicle market — requires separating the announcement from the analysis built on top of it.
What NAJA Has Confirmed, And What It Has Left Open
ThisDay, Independent and New Telegraph all reported the selection, and their accounts share near-identical phrasing: the same description of Weststar’s remit, the same reference to three decades with Mercedes-Benz, the same list of past winners. That pattern is consistent with a circulated announcement rather than three independent investigations.
None of the three reports links to a standalone NAJA statement. None quotes Uwatse. The selection process, the composition of any judging panel and the criteria that separate a legend award from an ordinary industry prize are not disclosed.
Confirmed: the award has two previous recipients. Chief Michael Ade.Ojo, founder of Elizade Nigeria Limited and chairman of Toyota Nigeria Limited, took it first in 2017. Dr Cosmas Maduka, president and chief executive of Coscharis Group, followed. Uwatse is the third — meaning NAJA names Weststar chairman to a list that has so far honoured only distributors of foreign brands.
Why NAJA Names Weststar Chairman For Its Legend Award
The citation rests on longevity and brand stewardship rather than on any published metric. Weststar began operations in February 2008, assuming responsibility for Mercedes-Benz sales and after-sales work in Nigeria. Its remit spans passenger cars, commercial vehicles, trucks and buses, alongside dealer support, marketing, technical training, genuine spare parts supply, warranties and after-sales service.
Uwatse’s own association with the brand runs back more than three decades. Before chairing Weststar, he served as managing director of MB Automobile Services Limited, one of the authorised Mercedes-Benz dealers in the country. The association has said his record reflects the kind of sustained industry commitment the award exists to mark.
Beyond that, the public record is thin. The reports give no age, no education, no earlier career, no ownership stake in Weststar and no figure for vehicles sold or revenue earned under his chairmanship. Any profile that supplies those details is filling gaps, not reporting.
The Roll Call Describes A Distribution Economy, Not A Manufacturing One
Read the three names together and a structural fact appears that none of the individual reports states outright. All three honourees built their businesses on distributing foreign brands. Ade.Ojo’s Elizade grew around Toyota. Maduka’s Coscharis Motors secured franchises for BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and Ford. Uwatse’s Weststar holds Mercedes-Benz.
None of the citations rests on a vehicle designed or manufactured in Nigeria. NAJA’s legend list works, in effect, as a map of imported brand power in the domestic market — a record of who controls access to foreign badges rather than who builds cars locally. That is a fact about the industry’s shape. It is not a verdict on the recipients’ commercial skill, which the award is explicitly designed to honour.
New Telegraph reported that the sector continues to contend with changing market conditions, rising vehicle acquisition costs, evolving distribution models and the need to strengthen local automotive development. The award coverage does not say how any of the three honourees has addressed that last item.
The Missing Context Of Who Can Actually Buy
Weststar operates in the premium and luxury segment, a narrow slice of Nigerian demand. The macro picture around it is stark. An International Monetary Fund 2026 Article IV assessment, cited by New Telegraph, estimated that 63 per cent of Nigerians were living below the national poverty line, with about 27 million people facing food insecurity in autumn 2025.
Those figures describe the country in which a luxury vehicle distributor operates. They are background, not an indictment of the award. But they explain why an industry prize for brand-building carries weight inside the trade and little visibility outside it: the business being celebrated serves a small fraction of the population.
No market share, unit sales, employment or tax contribution figures are attached to the Uwatse citation. The award, as reported, rewards tenure and representation. It does not attempt to quantify either.
A Legacy Measured In Franchises, Not Factories
The December ceremony will be the first real test of what the honour means in practice. Two things bear watching: whether the association publishes the criteria behind the legend award, and whether a fourth recipient eventually comes from vehicle assembly rather than vehicle distribution.
For now, the confirmed record is narrow and clear. NAJA names Weststar chairman Benson Uwatse a Nigeria Auto Legend on December 3, 2026, in Lagos, alongside Michael Ade.Ojo and Cosmas Maduka. His three decades with Mercedes-Benz are documented in the trade press and not in dispute. The numbers that would let an outsider weigh that career against the industry’s wider needs are missing. Until they are published, the award stands as a professional community’s judgment on one of its own — significant inside the market, unverified outside it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who did NAJA name as the 2026 Nigeria Auto Legend?
The Nigeria Auto Journalists Association selected Chief Benson Uwatse, chairman of Weststar Associates Limited, the authorised general distributor of Mercedes-Benz in Nigeria. The award is scheduled to be presented at the 19th Nigeria Auto Industry Awards on Thursday, December 3, 2026, at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Who were the previous winners of the Nigeria Auto Legend Award?
Chief Michael Ade.Ojo, founder of Elizade Nigeria Limited and chairman of Toyota Nigeria Limited, was the first recipient in 2017. Dr Cosmas Maduka, president and chief executive of Coscharis Group, was the second. Uwatse is the third recipient.
What does Weststar Associates do in Nigeria?
Weststar commenced operations in February 2008, taking responsibility for Mercedes-Benz sales and after-sales activities in Nigeria. Its remit covers passenger cars, commercial vehicles, trucks and buses, plus dealer support, marketing, technical training, genuine spare parts supply, warranties and after-sales service.
Has Uwatse or NAJA issued a direct public statement?
None of the three published reports reviewed links to a standalone NAJA statement or quotes Uwatse directly. The reports carry near-identical language, which is consistent with a circulated announcement. The selection criteria and judging process have not been disclosed.
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About Rosabella Eboh
Rosabella Eboh is an author at AfriLatest. With a passion for writing and a flair for creativity, she contributes original content and unique perspectives to the platform. Rosabella focuses on human-interest stories, cultural trends, and in-depth feature reporting.
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