Reliable electricity supply will boost MSMEs – FGN Power boss, Anuwe

Training --- From Left: Mr. Cheidu Ugbo, MD/CEO Niger Delta Power Holding Company, Engr. Idowu Oyebanjo, Chief Technical Officer, FGN Power Company, Mallam Dahiru Moyi, Chief Commercial Officer, FGN Power Company, Sean Manley, Siemens Presidential Power Initiative Project Director, Hon. Minister of State for Power, Goddy Jedy-Agba, Hon. Minister of Finance, Mrs. Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed and Board Chairman, FGN Power Company, Kenny O. Anuwe, MD/CEO, FGN Power Company, Umar Waziri, Chief Financial Officer, FGN Power Company, Mr. Ahmed Bolaji Nagode, DG, National Power Training Institute of Nigeria, Oladayo Orolu, Head Business Development and Government Relations, Siemens Energy and Fabrice Yamgoue Hakoua, Senior Consultant and Trainer, Distribution Networks Planning, Siemens AG at the official kickoff of the first Network Development Studies training under the Presidential Power Initiative (PPI) in Abuja, yesterday.

By Solomon Asowata

Lagos, Jan. 31, 2022 (NAN) The Managing Director, FGN Power Company, Mr Kenny Anuwe, says reliable electricity will boost economic activities and improve Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) across the country.

A statement posted on Monday on the company’s website said Anuwe made the assertion at the inauguration of the first Power System Simulator (PSS) Software training session of the Power Technologies International.

Anuwe said the project was in line with the company’s mandate and the Federal Government’s Next Level agenda to resolve the existing bottlenecks in transmission and distribution networks aimed at increasing electricity access across Nigeria.

He said: “I am humbled to be a part of such a laudable project that will transform our power sector.

“It is important to stress that the benefits of constant and reliable electricity will boost economic activities; improve the lives of micro, small and medium enterprises across and deliver the much-needed power supply across the country.

“I want to assure you that we will do our best to deliver on this project to ensure greater success and sustainability.”

Anuwe commended the efforts of the Federal Government, the Ministry of Power, Ministry of Finance, and other stakeholders in providing reliable electricity to Nigerians. (NAN)

We’ll consult on suspension of subsidy removal – MOMAN

By Solomon Asowata

Lagos, Jan. 31, 2022 (NAN) The Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN) says it is currently seeking consultation with the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and other industry stakeholders on the suspension of the removal of petrol subsidy.

Mr Olumide Adeosun, Chairman, MOMAN, made this known while briefing newsmen on Monday in Lagos.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Hajia Zainab Ahmed, Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, had announced that the government would no longer go ahead with its earlier plans to remove subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit in July 2022.

Adeosun said: ” The members of the association are currently seeking to consult with the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority and other industry stakeholders.

“This is to understand exactly how this decision would impact the other provisions in the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) as well as market operations. “

He noted that the reforms contained in the PIA were a combination of several decades of engagement with internal and external stakeholders, capturing local and international best practices.

According to him, this is to encourage investments in the petroleum downstream sector, optimise costs, ensure transparency, and upgrade industry assets and infrastructure (refineries, depots, pipelines, trucks, and filling stations).

Adeosun said the direction of MOMAN’s consultation would be towards understanding and contributing towards what market philosophy and regulations should be in place during the 18-month period to ensure uninterrupted supply, transparency.

“This will be in line with long-term objectives for the administration and growth of the industry,” he added.

Recall that the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, had said after the decision to suspend removal of petrol subsidy was announced that the government would also seek an amendment to the PIA in light of the new development.(NAN)

NETCO empowers Iruland youths with vocational skills

Some of the Netcopreneur beneficiaries from Iru community, Victoria Island Local Council Development Area, Lagos State, pose with their starter packs during their graduation ceremony at the Oluponna Fish Farming and Resource Foundation (OFFER) Centre, Iwo, in Osun State.

By Solomon Asowata

Iwo (Osun) Jan. 28, 2022 (NAN)The National Engineering and Technical Company (NETCO)  has reiterated its commitment to empowering youths in its host community with vocational skills to enable them to contribute to national development.

Mr Johnson Awoyomi, Managing Director, NETCO made the pledge on Friday at the graduation ceremony of 13 youths from  Iru Community, Iru -Victoria Island Local Council Development Area of Lagos State.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that NETCO is a subsidiary of the

Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Ltd.

The “Batch B Netcropreneur ” beneficiaries were trained for three months at the Oluponna Fish Farming and Resource Foundation (OFFER) Centre, Iwo, in Osun State.

They were trained on Agribusiness (crop and livestock farming), Information Communication Technology as well as Catering and Craft.

Awoyomi, represented by Mr Ahmad Kigo, Executive Director, Services, NETCO, said the training was one of the many Corporate Social Responsibility services being embarked upon by the company.

He said: “As you all know, we can solve a lot of problems if we adopt skills acquisition method.

“We can curb unemployment, create wealth and tackle insecurity which is the present focus of the Federal Government.

“If our youths are empowered, there will be less security challenges. So, we are doing this not only for Iru community but for the benefit of the entire nation.”

Awoyomi said the skills impacted on the graduands — ICT, agriculture and event management — were in high demand in this era and would be of great benefits to them.

According to him, government alone cannot do everything, hence there is need for citizens to play their own part in nation building.

He, therefore, charged the graduands to take advantage of the opportunity to develop themselves and their community.

Also, Mr Garba Deen Muhammad, Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, NNPC, said NNPC and its subsidiaries would continue to promote CSR programmes that touch the lives of millions of Nigerians.

Muhammad, represented by Mrs Doris Ohia, Manager, Community Impact Investment, NNPC, thanked the OFFER Centre for the quality of vocational training being given to the graduands.

The Rector of the institute,Rev. Fr. Bernard Azeez,  said the graduands were taken through rigorous training on business development that would enable them successfully run small and medium scale enterprises.

Azeez said they had become professionals in their respective fields and should imbibe the knowledge learnt from the training by being worthy ambassadors of OFFER Centre.

 

On his part, the Catholic Archbishop of Ibadan Archdiocese, Most. Rev. Gabriel Abegunrin, represented by Rev. Fr. Felix Akinyode, admonished the beneficiaries to utilise the opportunity in order to give back to the society.

 

Similarly, the Oniru of Iruland, Oba Gbolahan Lawal, represented by Chief Bashir Afolami, lauded the cordial relationship between NETCO and the community.

 

He said the palace would continue to emphasise on building the capacity of the youths through collaboration with organisations and companies operating within the area.

Responding on behalf of the graduands, Mr Sodiq Malik thanked NETCO and OFFER Centre for the opportunity given to them, promising that they would use it for the good of the nation. (NAN)

Power sector roadmap needs recalibration — expert

Mr Kola Balogun, Chairman, Momas Electricity Meter Manufacturing Company An expert on power, Mr Kola Balogun, says Nigeria’s power sector roadmap needs to be recalibrated to overcome the challenges bedeviling the industry.

Balogun, Chairman, Momas Electricity Meter Manufacturing Company (MEMMCOL), said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Lagos.

He said President Muhammadu Buhari had recently expressed dissatisfaction with the sector’s performance almost nine years after it was privatised.

According to him, it is sad to note that Nigeria’s power generation capacity is still below 5,000MW considering the importance of stable electricity supply to socio-economic development of any country.

“I think there is the need for us to review the entire power sector journey. The entire roadmap that set up the privatisation needs to be recalibrated.

“In doing that, we have to take it in phases. There must be a renewed perception, a renewed strategy to ensure that we create a synergy that will make us to have a good reference point.

“The office of the Minister of Power needs to call for a stakeholders meeting to see how to define a new roadmap and strategy that would make the promise of having 24 hour power supply manifested in the country.”

He noted that part of the strategy should be to tackle the challenges in phases instead of attempting to solve them instantly.

“The good reference point should start from metering. Let us choose one state, one local government that we can say that particular location is hundred per cent metered.

“That location will have a direct link to one of the generation companies and there is a transmission line connected to it and it is having 24/7 power.

“That is the new calibration. If we have that as a reference point, then we can be saying that we are moving forward and we have solved one out of one million.

“A situation where we want to solve one million problems at the same time will end up not solving the problem. The decay in infrastructure is so much that we cannot address it at the same time.

“We don’t have the finance to address the entire infrastructural deficit and as such we cannot address all the problems at the same time.

“Even the Siemens intervention that is coming should be channeled toward a segmented section so that we can see the effects immediately,’’ Balogun said.

He also called for the decentralisation of the national power grid to curb the frequency of system collapse.

According to Balogun, the grid system has failed us. Every time we have system collapse because of decayed infrastructure. We need a lot of replacement.

“We need substation enhancement. Distribution substations, injection substations, transmission substations and network expansion of the transmission substations.

“These are issues that have been there and have compounded the problems of the sector.

“We need to recalibrate our strategy in such a way that we will be isolating it one by one and solving the problem until we get it right.’’ (NAN)

OTL Africa inaugurates new advisory board

Mr Tunji Oyebanji, Chairman, OTL Africa Petroleum Downstream Week Advisory Board

The (OTL) Africa Petroleum Downstream Week has inaugurated its new Advisory Board made up of eminent oil and gas industry professionals.

Dr Emeka Akabogu, President and Founder, OTL Downstream Development in Africa Ltd. inaugurated the new board members in a virtual meeting on Thursday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the board members are: Mr Tunji Oyebanji (Chairman), Mr Ian Brown, Mrs Sheila Abiemo, Mr Mumuni Dagazau, Mr Clement Isong and Mr Reginald Stanley (Patron).

Akabogu said the annual OTL Africa Downstream Week was the continent’s leading business forum for market insights, business development and policy analysis in the African downstream petroleum value-chain.

He said it was organised in collaboration with key partners in government and the industry, adding that the 2022 event would hold from Oct. 24 to Oct. 26 in Lagos.

According to him, the reconstituted advisory board is made up of eminent, long-standing industry professionals with extensive experience and deep industry knowledge.

He said their performance going forward would be crucial toward the continued success of the OTL Africa Petroleum Downstream Week.

Akabogu there was need for the event to become truly African with representation from the North, East, South, West and Central Africa.

He said: “From a sectoral point of view, we want to be able to reach the entire value chain for oil and gas and spread beyond to attract interest from unrelated but similar interests, so we can cross-fertilise ideas and enable more innovation.

“We want to translate our discussions to actions, to see our recommendations as drivers of policy, as ignitors of innovation, as enablers of growth.

“As we aspire to achieve in the aforesaid dimensions, we are nonetheless aware that we are setting these goals at a time when there are evident headwinds in the nature of COVID-19 and constricting markets and general economic challenges in some sectors.

“Nonetheless, it is also a time of new opportunities. We must, therefore, be ready to see, innovate, create and deliver value to the industry.”

Akabogu also commended the outgoing advisory board chairman, Stanley for his commitment and passion to the success of the OTL Africa Petroleum Downstream Week.

Also, Dr Billy Okoye, Group Executive Director, Ventures and Business Development, Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd., urged the board members to bring their wealth of experience to bear in taking the event to greater heights.

Okoye said the OTL Africa Petroleum Downstream Week had created opportunities for all stakeholders in the sector to network and dialogue on ways of moving oil and gas industry forward in the continent.

On his part, Oyebanji, a former Chairman of the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria, said the new advisory board would discharge its responsibilities satisfactorily and called for support toward achieving its mandate.

“I want to thank you for the confidence reposed on the board members. It is a great honour and privilege and with your collaboration, we will be able to take OTL Africa Petroleum Downstream Week to greater heights, ” he said. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

IPMAN warns tanker drivers to stop meddling in association’s affairs

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has warned some petroleum tanker drivers to stop meddling in the association’s affairs, especially with regards to its national leadership.

Alhaji Yakubu Suleiman, Public Relations Officer, IPMAN, made this known in a statement issued on Monday in Lagos.

Yakubu said the current National Executive Committee (NEC) of IPMAN had received information that some tanker drivers were behind ongoing plans to install another leadership for IPMAN on Jan. 18.

He said the move was a flagrant violation of the judgment delivered by the Supreme Court in Abuja on Dec. 14, 2018.

Yakubu said the judgment read by
Justice Musa Muhammad in suit No. SC15/2015, recognised Mr Chinedu Okoronkwo and Alhaji Danladi Pasali, as President and Secretary of IPMAN, respectively.

He said the tenure of the executive would expire on Dec. 14, 2023.

Yakubu added that IPMAN had already zoned the next president of the association to the North west.

“Any attempt to install another set of persons as NEC of IPMAN is null and void because the matter has been settled by the Supreme Court which is the final arbiter of justice in Nigeria.

“The Attorney General of the Federation, Mr Abubakar Malami, and the Inspector General of Police, Mr Usman Baba, have already directed that the judgment must be complied with.

“We are , therefore, calling on the security agencies to investigate this issue and apprehend those behind the move to forestall breakdown of law and order. (NAN)

Gasland donates car to orphanage, rewards loyal customers

Gasland Nig. Ltd., has donated 

a brand new Toyota Hiace 18 seater bus to “The People Foundation Motherless Babies Home” to convey the children to their school.

The company which is one of 

the major indigenous players in the Nigerian LPG sector, operating in the entire LPG value chain, also rewarded its loyal customers for the years ended 2020/2021.

Mrs Omowumni Adebayo, Chief Executive Officer, Gasland Nig. Ltd. while speaking at the ceremony held in Ibadan commended the firms dedicated  customers across Lagos, Oyo, Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Abuja. 

Adebayo said despite the upsurge in price of cooking gas that was prevalent in the greater part of 2021, they still maintained faith with their patronage of the company. 

She emphasised the need for 

safe handling of LPG, its appliances and accessories as well as immediate steps to take in preventing fire outbreak both at homes and in the gas retail shops.

Adebayo also sensitise them on methods and techniques to employ to combat and contain minor fire outbreaks. 

At the ceremony, awards were presented to Overall Gasland Best Customer of the year 2020/2021 in each state where the company’s gas plants are located.

Also awarded were the  Second Runner-Up Overall Outstanding Customer of the year 2020/2021 in each of the states and the Most Consistent Customer Award of the year2020/2021.

It will be recalled that the Nigerian Association of LPG Marketers (NALPGAM) at her 34th Annual General Meeting held on 25th August 2021 at the prestigious Ikeja Marriott Hotels had presented the company with an award in recognition of the company’s giant strides in the deepening of LPG utilisation in Nigeria.

Gasland Nig. Ltd had earlier pioneered free safety training workshop for women in LPG retailer-ship.

The company in the quest to boost LPG usage among households had introduced its Loyalty Card where registered customers and card holders are entitled to five per cent discount on every refill made in any of its 20 ultra modern gas plants nationwide as well as an additional five per cent off on all purchases made at the company’s marts by owners of Gasland cylinders on presentation of the card.

At the height of the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, the company donated items worth several millions of Naira to the Oyo State government as part of the corporate social responsibility to support the government to help the people cushion the effect of the lockdown in the state. (NAN)

Sahara Group celebrated as Adesina emerges private sector icon

Mr Kola Adesina

Sahara Group, a leading energy and infrastructure conglomerate received another recognition for its pivotal role in socio-economic development in Nigerian and Africa as one of its directors, Mr Kola Adesina, was named the ‘Private Sector Icon of the Year’ by Vanguard Newspapers.

Adesina, who was honoured by Vanguard Media Limited, a foremost Nigerian and African new publication, is the Group Managing Director of Sahara Power Group, the largest privately owned vertically integrated power company in sub-Saharan Africa.

He was described as “a consummate entrepreneur with experience that traverses academia, insurance, finance, energy, trade and diplomacy”.

Speaking on the award, Adesina said: "It's a great recognition for Sahara and our proud African heritage that continues to drive our success story for 25 years now and counting.  

This represents a call to higher service and better energy solutions across the globe and I dare say that Sahara Group is equal to the task."

Vanguard’s profile of Adesina noted that he “led and steered the strategy that facilitated the acquisition of the Group’s power assets; Ikeja Electric, the largest privately-owned power distribution business in SSA, Egbin Power Plc – the largest thermal plant in Sub Sahara Africa, SSA (with 1,320MW installed capacity with ongoing expansion plans to increase the capacity over two-fold, providing a quarter of the total generating capacity in Nigeria) and First Independent Power Limited.”

“At Sahara Group, he has overseen many initiatives, including nation-wide strategic management of the supply chain of fuel to the Emergency Power Plant of the defunct National Electricity Power Authority (now Power Holding Company Nigeria Limited), led the majestic oil delegation on the acquisition of the Sierra Leone Refinery, managed the crude oil contract of the Group in Cote D’Ivoire and served as the Director of Infrastructure, responsible for the acquisition of strategic assets in Africa."

Sahara Group celebrated its 25th anniversary last year, having commenced operations in 1996 with an initial focus on oil trading. The energy conglomerate has grown remarkably over the years and now has over 4,000 employees and operations in over 42 countries.

 

Sahara provides electricity to Nigerian households and businesses through its Egbin Power Plant and Ikeja Electric Plc. It continues to lead the charge towards energy transition, environmental sustainability, energy security, and access to clean energy in Africa.

 

It continues to deploy innovative energy solutions that reinforces its position as a foremost conglomerate with a proud African heritage and vast operations in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. (NAN)