World Travel Market 2022 kicks of in ExCel, London

Nigeria shines at African Energy Week in South Africa

*Ministry of Petroleum Resources Steals Show At The Ongoing 2022 edition of African Energy Week (AEW) Conference In Cape Town South Africa 🇿🇦’*

The Ministry of Petroleum Resources under the superintendency of the Honorable Minister of State for Petroleum Resources,  H.E. Chief Timipre Sylva Shines at the African Energy Award Night At the ongoing 2022 edition of African Energy Week (AEW) which officially kicked off yesterday Tuesday, 18th October 2022 in Cape Town, South Africa Under the theme ‘Exploring and Investing in Africa’s Energy Future while Driving an Enabling Environment,’ 

The Ministry of Petroleum Resources clinched the prestigious award of ‘Gas Monetization Development Award of the Year’ premised on the Federal Government ‘Decade of Gas’ Development Initiative in Nigeria. 

The award was received on behalf of the Honorable Minister by his acting chief of staff/Governor of OPEC for Nigeria, and Special Adviser, International Energy Relations -Dr Adedapo Odulaja. He was accompanied on the stage by the Technical Adviser (TA) on Gas Business & Policy Implementation To The Honorable Minister of State, Petroleum Resources - Dr. Justice O. Derefaka alongside the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, (NCDMB) - Engr. Simbi Wabote, NNPC Group Executive Director (GED) Downstream, Adetunji Adeyemi and others (see pictures below) 

Recall last year (29th March, 2021), President Muhammadu Buhari, alongside Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, H.E. Timipre Sylva featured in the “Decade of Gas” conference and high-level networking session in Abuja. 

Nigeria’s ‘Decade of Gas’ initiative succeeds the 2020 ‘Year of Gas’ declaration, which played a forerunner to the decade-long ambition and saw the government unveil a range of projects, including the 614kms-long Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) pipeline at a cost of $2.8 billion to connect the eastern, western, and northern regions of the country, and the construction of $10 billion LNG Train 7. Policy changes, such as gas flare commercialisation and the codification of the Nigerian Gas Transportation Network, are in addition to these projects.  

The event, with the theme, “Towards a Gas-powered Economy by 2030” which also served as the formal launch of the Federal Government’s initiative to declare January 1, 2021 to December 31, 2030 as “the Decade of Gas Development for Nigeria”, a period the government aspires to industrialise the country using gas as an enabler. Following this declaration, the government and operators have demonstrated a new resolve to do things differently.

“To actualise the dream of transforming Nigeria with its massive natural gas resources requires collaboration of government with the necessary stakeholders; the international oil companies, the indigenous oil companies and financial companies … to fully utilise our gas resources to uplift our economy,” said President Buhari at the launch and declaration of the FG’s decade of gas initiative , highlighting the importance of gas industry for significant revenue generation, in addition to over tens of thousands of job opportunities for Nigerians up to 2030. 

Last year at the launch of the decade of gas, The Honorable Minister of State for Petroleum Resources HE Timpire Sylva, said: “It is no longer acceptable that despite the country’s vast natural gas resources the gap between electricity supply and demand is huge. We must deal with the energy poverty in this country, we must find a way to unlock the natural gas potential of this great nation and drag over 120 million people out of energy poverty.” 

Gas is a source of energy, gas is transport in vehicles, petrochemical in feedstock, power in manufacturing and industry, food through fertiliser, and now it is the central plank in the world’s seventh most populous nation and a pillar member of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF), Nigeria, as it transforms its energy landscape to run entirely on natural gas. 

Nigeria is blessed with abundant reserves of both associated and non-associated gas, estimated to be in excess of over 208 trillion (standard) cubic feet (tcf). However, geologists believe that there is a lot more gas to be found in Nigeria, potentially up to 600 tcf, if oil and gas companies deliberately explore for gas, as opposed to finding it accidentally while in search of oil. 

Proving the 600 tcf reserves will move Nigeria to fourth position in the world from currently the ninth largest natural gas reserve-holder in the world. The country is the largest oil and gas producer in Africa and the sixth largest supplier globally of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the world. Nigeria is a member of both the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) and OPEC. 

As the decade of gas initiative looks promising and succinct, many now believe that Nigeria’s largely untapped, natural gas resources could provide the means for the country to fund its way through the global energy transition. And one of the country’s major efforts is the Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano (AKK) 614km-long natural gas pipeline set for completion in 2023. It will feature a diameter of 40in and is expected to transport 3,500 million metric standard cubic feet per day (Mmscfd) of dehydrated wet gas from several gas gathering projects located in southern Nigeria. 

The AKK project will result in the establishment of a connecting pipeline network between the eastern, western and northern regions of Nigeria. It also aims to create a steady and guaranteed gas supply network between the northern and southern parts of Nigeria by utilising the country’s widely available gas resources.

In addition, the development is expected to reduce the large volume of gas flared annually in Nigeria, as well as the subsequent environmental impact. The pipeline is slated to originate from Ajaokuta and pass through Abuja and Kaduna, before ending at a terminal gas station in Kano.

The project will be executed in three phases, with phase one covering the construction of a 200km-long segment between Ajaokuta and Abuja Terminal Gas Station at a cost of $855m. Phase two will comprise a 193km-long section to be built between Abuja and Kaduna at a cost of approximately $835m. Phase three will involve the construction of a 221km-long section between the Kaduna terminal gas station (TGS) and Kano TGS. This section will cost an estimated $1.2bn to complete.

Other infrastructure planned for the development includes various associated valve stations, as well as intermediate and terminal facilities. The natural gas pipeline is expected to require the laying of approximately 51,200 steel line 40in-diameter pipes featuring a total combined weight of 240,768t. Furthermore, the project will utilise 24in-diameter steel line pipes for spur lines, as well as 40in-diameter line break valves and future tie-in valves. 

The AKK project is spearheaded by the government and funded by China’s Belt and Road Initiative, the government hopes it will connect the country’s gas supply to other planned trans-regional and intercontinental pipelines, such as the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline, in order to open up access to Europe. 

Additionally, one of Nigeria’s current biggest gas deal the The Nigeria LNG Train 7 project has a 5-year completion schedule already clearly mapped out. The project will provide direct employment to 12,000 people and indirect employment to over 40,000 Nigerians. Local vendors and contractors would be taken to task to provide the materials required.

Recall also that in the Decade of Gas work plan, about 10 projects has been identified to address the supply side of natural gas and power challenge. Decade of Gas work plan has also looked at the demand side of natural gas in Nigeria both domestic and export, the supply side, the infrastructure side, as well as the commercial or economic framework needed to address all the problems and had equally outlined very specific things needed to be done to address them.

Ending petrol subsidy extremely difficult but FG has no other option - MOMAN

Olumide Adeosun, Chairman, MOMAN

The Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN) says ending subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) is extremely difficult but the Federal Government has no other option in light of current economic realities.

MOMAN also called for massive investment by the government in various sectors such as mass transportation, healthcare and education to successfully wean off Nigerians from petrol subsidy.

Mr Olumide Adeosun, Chairman, MOMAN, made this known during a panel session at the just concluded

Association of Energy Correspondents of Nigeria (NAEC) Strategic International Conference which held on Thursday in Lagos.

He spoke on the topic: " Energy Transition, PIA, Petroleum Pricing and the Way Forward for the Downstream Sector."

 Represented by Mr Clement Isong, Chief Executive Officer, MOMAN, Adeosun said it would remain extremely difficult to wean Nigerians off cheap PMS, also known as petrol.

He said: " It is something that must be done as there are no more viable options. 

"We are told that this year the subsidy bill to the Federal Government may be between N5 trillion and N6 trillion. Clearly, Nigeria cannot afford this. 

"To wean Nigeria off this subsidy, a lot of investment must be done to sensitise Nigerians in convincing them and finding alternatives. 

"We need to begin to remove the subsidy and mitigate the pains Nigerians will feel when petroleum prices begin to manifest their true value."

Adeosun said marketers were optimistic that the industry was headed in the right direction with the enactment of the Petroleum Industry Act ( PIA) 2021 which was an excellent piece of legislation.

"We are now at the point of implementation, which is taking a bit longer than hoped but this is not necessarily a bad thing. 

"The President postponed the implementation of free market pricing, which has caused a slowdown with respect to benefits expected from free competitive open market pricing, such as new investments and subsidy removal, " he said.

The MOMAN chairman said the marketers were also very convinced that gas (the decade of gas was declared by the Federal Government in January 2021) was clearly the way forward.

He said however, the increase in gas prices worldwide and the unavailability of the product had made it a little more difficult in the roll out. 

Adeosun said: "The ordinary Nigerian who was meant to transit to gas not just for cooking but also for powering automobiles and power generation is struggling and because PMS pricing is yet to be fully deregulated.

" It creates an aberration and additional challenge for the adoption of gas, as most people are still dependent on cheap PMS for their cars and generators."

According to him, while the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has an important role to play in guiding our future, the best regulator ultimately is the market. 

"The market regulates prices if you are too expensive people would not buy from you. The market regulates quality as well as customer service. The market also rewards the best in class.

"We need to move to an era of transparency and information dissemination. 

"Energy correspondents need to share as much information as possible with the market and public with respect to cost prices, quality, product specifications, customer service and pump prices. 

"That is the best regulation you can ask for," Adeosun said.

Following these remarks, a few panelists present alluded to the point that Nigerians mostly agree with price deregulation. 

They, however noted that the government must cut its costs to reflect present economic realities and adjust just like ordinary Nigerians who are feeling the pinch. 

They said the government could not be seen as spending ostentatiously whilst asking ordinary Nigerians to tighten their belts which drew large agreement from panelists and participants alike.

  

Modular data centres, storage management key to data explosion – Schneider Electric

By Solomon Asowata 

Global energy giant, Schneider Electric, has identified modular data centres, micro data centres and better storage management as key elements to handle future data explosion and achieve sustainability.

Natalya Makarochkina, Senior Vice-President, Secure Power Division, International Operations, Schneider Electric, made this known in a statement posted on the company’s website on Friday.

Makarochkina said the demand for data would continue to increase, adding that Schneider Electric had been committed to a sustainable business for decades.

She said: “Global data production went from estimates of two zettabytes in 2010 to 41 zettabytes in 2019.

“International Data Center (IDC) estimates global data load will rise to a staggering 175 zettabytes by 2025.

“The development of data centre infrastructure management (DCIM) systems has continued apace, allowing the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to take advantage of hardware and infrastructure developments.”

She noted that data explosion was expected to continue to increase with developments such as industrial Internet of Things (IoT), 5G and with increasing general automation and autonomous vehicles as driving factors.

According to her, the data that will be generated, far from the centralised data infrastructure, must be handled, processed and turned into intelligence quickly, where it is needed.

Makarochkina said new data architectures were expected to improve efficiency in how all of that is handled, adding that edge computing is seen as an important approach to manage more data being generated at the edge.

She said for Schneider Electric, this had meant a renewed focus on efficiency in all aspects of design and operation.

“Gains have been made in efficiency in power and cooling, with UPS systems and modular power supplies showing significant gains with each generation, culminating in the likes of the current Galaxy VL line.

“This line’s use of lithium-ion batteries has not only increased efficiency, it has extended operational life and reduced environmental impact in reducing raw materials.

It has facilitated “energised swapping where the addition and/or replacement of power modules can be performed with zero downtime while increasing protection to operators and service personnel,” she said.

Makarochkina, however, explained that efficiency must extend through not just the supply chain, but also throughout lifecycles.

She said vendors, suppliers, and partners must all be engaged to ensure that no part of the ecosystem lags in applying the tools to ensure efficiency.

“This applies as much in the design time of new equipment and applications as it does through working life and decommissioning,” she added. (NAN) 

Ikeja Electric reiterates commitment to metering as 140 graduate from Metering Academy

L-R: Managing Director, Energy Training Centre (ETC), Mrs Ibiene Okeleke; IE Energy Sales Representatives /one of the graduands of IE Metering Academy, Mr Akingbade Adeniyi; Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Ikeja Electric, Mrs Sequinat Akinwunmi and Director-General, National Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN), Mr Bolaji Nagode during the presentation of certificates to IE Metering Academy graduands on Thursday  in Lagos.

Ikeja Electric reiterates commitment to metering as 140 graduate from Metering Academy

Ikeja, Aug.4,2022 (NAN) Ikeja Electric Plc (IE), Nigeria’s leading electricity distribution company, has trained 140 employees to boost metering density and meter management across its network.

Speaking during the presentation of certificates to the graduands, the Chief Executive Officer, Ikeja Electric, Folake Soetan, said Ikeja Electric Metering Academy was launched in 2020 as a result of shortage in human capacity for the installation of meters, resulting in slow pace of metering across its network. 

The CEO who was represented by Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Ikeja Electric, Mrs Sequinat Akinwunmi, said the training was done in collaboration with the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN) and the Energy Training Centre (ETC).

According to her, the young graduands were selected across Ikeja Electric’s six Business Units - Akowonjo, Shomolu, Abule-Egba, Ikeja, Oshodi and Ikorodu.

 Akinwunmi said the essence of the training was to bridge the metering gap in the industry which aligns with the vision of Ikeja Electric, as well as the Federal Government's National Mass Metering Programme (NMMP). 

“The programme will also equip staff to carry out the functions including meter installation, identifying faults and also rectifying the faults. This will in turn improve service delivery, ensure customer satisfaction, and also grow revenue,” she added.

“This programme is very important to us. That is why we have put in a lot of resources and time, and also partnered with NAPTIN and ETC to close up this skill gap in the industry," Akinwunmi further explained. 

While congratulating the graduating students, she tasked them to be worthy ambassadors of Ikeja Electric and adhere to safety standards which is one of the DisCo's core values.

The Managing Director, Energy Training Centre, Mrs Ibiene Okeleke said: “Ikeja Electric had invested heavily in the Metering Academy. 

They partnered with Energy Training Centre (ETC) to ensure the 140 candidates were trained by the Metering Academy, across three batches.

According to her, “The Energy Training Centre had signed a partnership with NAPTIN, which is the sector’s regulated training centre that works with Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).

 So, NAPTIN was acting as the certifying body, and as such, they ensured that the programme followed the curriculum and the right content, and there is quality assurance as well. 

And so NAPTIN did not just play this role in certifying, they ensured that the faculty maintained high standard.”

She commended Ikeja Electric for investing massively in such a laudable programme, while noting that the initiative shows the commitment of the company to get people who have the desire to do things the right way.

 She added, “It was also important for us to reflect on the opportunities to increase the revenue of IE through meter data management, optimization of operations and other initiatives.”

The Director-General, NAPTIN, Mr Bolaji Nagode, explained that the institute was saddled with the responsibility to build human capacity and to coordinate training in the power sector. 

He said the training would also help to shore up the DisCo's revenue collection and improve customer satisfaction, apart from increasing the level of efficiency of the graduands.

Speaking on behalf of the graduating students, Mr Akingbade Adeniyi, Mr Tomilayo Oluborode and Ms Gloria Gomina, thanked Ikeja Electric for facilitating the training. 

According to them, they have been equipped on how to install meters, identify meter bypass and meter management among other things which would improve their job performances going forward.(NAN)

Firm to unveil Nigeria’s first instant messaging app, Lets Talk

Ms Folashade Ayeni, Chief Operating Officer, Lets Talk I.T& Communications Company

A Telecommunications firm, Lets Talk I.T and Telecommunications Company, says it is working on launching Nigeria’s first instant messaging application, ‘Lets Talk’ before the end of the third quarter of 2022.

The Chief Operating Officer of the company, Ms Folashade Ayeni made this known while speaking with newsmen on Sunday in Abuja.

Ayeni said the application was designed by a team of Nigerian software engineers in line with the vision of the National Information Technology Development Agency ( NITDA) for indigenous companies to come into the social media space.

She said: “Lets Talk was created out of a need that Nigerians and Africans have.

” If you look at it, sometime last year in October, October 4 To be precise, WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram crashed. No one was able to use those applications because of one thing or the other.

“Many people lost money, several people were not able to reach families, friends, relatives and do business normally, because a whole lot of people have taken business and relationship to the social media.

“It crashed for about six hours or so and the reality dawned on us that really, whether it was intentional or not on purpose that we could lose everything.

” " So, we thought about owning our social media platform; where Nigerians can have guaranteed communications, with outmost security, which is  Nigerian owned and indigenous to us and for us in Africa."

Ayeni said the company was aiming to collaborate with NITDA, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and other relevant agencies to ensure the success of the application and acceptability by Nigerians.

On the unique features of the app, she said it is end-to-encrypted, allows users to listen and share music, video and audio call, 5,000 member group chat, seven person conference calls and file exchange up to 2GB.

According to her, it also allows for device and cloud caching as well as sharing moments and trends which will give users very pleasant experiences.

She said the application could be downloaded on Google Play and App Store for both android and Apple phones.

Ayeni also explained that the application would be in two parts, Lets Talk Basic which would be a free social media platform while there would be a secondary phase that would be on subscription basis.

“Now, there will be Lets Talk social which is the basic one that everybody knows.
You chat, you speak to people, you do video calls do video conference for free, but there’s a secondary part of it.

“And the secondary part of it is to provide enterprise resource management. So there are people who want to subscribe to that package.

“We are talking about ministries, parastatal agencies, businesses, banks and other sectors that can utilise the platform to improve their businesses and services and that is where value comes in,” she said.

High diesel cost: NARTO seeks review of petrol freight rate

The Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) has called for an upward review of the freight rate for Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) due to the high cost of diesel in the country.

NARTO is also asking for access to foreign exchange at official rates for its members for procurement of spare parts for their vehicles to ensure safety and stability in the distribution of petroleum products across Nigeria.

NARTO’s President, Alhaji Yusuf Othman, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Lagos.

Othman said NARTO members were barely surviving as the price of diesel had continued to increase following the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

He said: “Government has to do something urgently about the situation. It is affecting our operations adversely.

“For instance, you fuel a truck with 1,000 litres of diesel, the cost as of today in the market is about N750,000.

“At the end of the day, when you come to Abuja, you are paid N16 per litre for the 45,000 litres you are bringing in which is N720,000.

“That is even less than the cost of the diesel. You have to pay the loading fees, the driver allowance and other costs.

“What we are paid is by far lesser than our expenditure so, how can you cope?

“You cannot survive and some of our members have already parked their trucks and many others will soon join them.”

Othman said the current transport template payable under the N165 per litre petrol pump price was no longer sustainable despite government’s decision to continue subsidy on PMS.

He said apart from depriving the nation of huge funds that could be deployed to other critical areas, it was also encouraging smuggling of petrol across the border to neighbouring countries.

“We believe it is best to fix the price by ourselves but we cannot do that because the pump price remains N165 officially.

“We know the government is doing its best because this problem is not related only to Nigeria.

“The Pipelines and Products Marketing Company is giving us some diesel as palliative at a discounted rate. The marketers too are giving us but for how long can this continue?

“Businesses cannot be sustained on subsidy or palliatives. Businesses should be allowed to run according to market forces.

“The way forward is for government to allow the Petroleum Industry Act to perform maximally to its full potential which include the removal of subsidy on PMS.

“That is the only option because they cannot continue to sustain it,”Othman said

CBN assures EKEDC of support to improve power sector

By Solomon Asowata

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) visited Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) on Wednesday as part of its monitoring and evaluation tour of the CBN-funded Capex intervention facilities for electricity distribution companies in Nigeria. 

The apex bank team was led by the Director of Development Finance, Yusuf Philip Yila; Director of Strategy Management, Clement Buari; and the Director of Trade and Exchange, Ozoemena Nnaji.

In a statement by the EKEDC spokesperson, Godwin Idemudia, the CBN has embarked on several performance improvement projects to reduce the various challenges plaguing the electricity industry in Nigeria.

 The apex bank intervened by funding the procurement, installation, rehabilitation, and replacement of some electricity distribution infrastructure such as 11kv and 33kv feeders, switchgear, and many more to assist the Discos' capacity in the delivery of adequate and reliable power supply to Nigerians. 

In addition to this, the CBN commenced phase zero of the National Mass Metering Programme (NMMP) in 2020 to address the problem of metering. 

As a result, the CBN monitoring and evaluation team visited the Disco for progress reports on these projects.

In her address, the MD/CEO of Eko Disco, Dr Tinuade Sanda expressed her appreciation to CBN for its effort in improving the power sector. 

She pointed out that CBN-funded Capex projects have aided the Disco in improving its supply to meet the high demand for electricity in its network.

 According to her, the projects have brought about the rehabilitation and replacement of obsolete equipment.

 Concerning metering, Dr. Sanda said, 'the NMMP came at the appropriate time to reduce our losses and cushion the effect of the Service Reflective Tariff.’

Reacting to the progress reports delivered by EKEDC, Mr Phillp Yila commended the Disco for its sheer effort towards the achievement of the Federal Government/CBN intervention schemes.

 He said, 'we are here to ensure that the funds disbursed are adequately utilised, and to listen to the challenges that have emanated in the course of implementing these projects.' 

Yila also emphasised that the National Mass Metering Scheme is very important to the CBN as the tour was also meant to carry out due diligence on the execution of phase zero of the scheme and how the apex bank and the Disco can collaborate better in proceeding to the next phase.

The EKEDC MD/CEO assured CBN that EKEDC is fully committed to the achievement of the projects in which some of which are still ongoing.

 According to her, the rationales for these projects are aligned with Disco's corporate goals and objectives.

 Sanda further explained how EKEDC is diligently working to ensure that these projects are contributing to the company's growth via the establishment of a market review committee that evaluates the performance of the company monthly as well as a prepaid meter monitoring team that ensures meters installed are not bypassed.

NLNG leads stride to gas-powered economy

An analysis by Solomon Asowata, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

 

A cardinal goal of the federal government is to transform the Nigerian economy into a gas-powered economy by 2030.

Ancillary to that is the hope to align the country with the global push for transition to cleaner sources of energy.

To achieve that lofty goal, the federal government adopted gas as the vehicle for its energy transition journey, declaring January 2021 to December 2030 as the Decade of Gas Initiative.

No doubt, the country is blessed with abundant gas resources; 208.62 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of proven gas reserves valued at over 803.9 trillion dollars, and potential upside of 600TCF of gas.

This has fueled the overarching objective of the federal government to utilise the nation’s abundant gas resources for socio-economic growth and development.

In order to actualise this objective, it is imperative for the government to leverage the achievements of the Nigerian LNG Company Ltd. in the global Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) space.

Indeed, experts believe that NLNG, which marked its 33rd anniversary on May 17, has shown by its developmental strides, that the objective is achievable.

Apart from deepening domestic gas utilisation, the NLNG is said to have contributed significantly to the country financially.

According to information on the company’s website, it has so far contributed 100 billion dollars to the federal government’s coffers, and 6.5 billion dollars in taxes since it started operations.

It also paid 13 billion dollars to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Ltd. for feed-gas purchase, and 16 billion dollars in dividends to the federal government.

Acknowledging these achievements, the Federal Inland Revenue Service in a statement signed by its Executive Chairman, Mr Muhammad Nami, on May 16, recognised the NLNG as the Most Supportive Tax Payer in the country.

Prompted by this accolade, Dr Muda Yusuf, Chief Executive Officer, Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the NLNG model should be adopted by the government in other public-private-partnership arrangements.

“The NLNG model has worked very well. It might not be perfect but of all the public private partnership arrangements that we have had, the NLNG model seems to be the best so far.

“The beauty of it is that there is practically no interference or very minimum interference in the management of the place. 

“So, there is professionalism in the management, in the allocation of resources, in the recruitment and that has resulted in high level of performance,” he said.

Similarly, Mr Nuhu Yakubu, President, Nigeria Liquefied Petroleum Gas Association (NLPGA) and Managing Director, Banner Energy, said the NLNG was a pride to all Nigerians.

“Not only has the NLNG project endured for 33 years but it is a trail blazer for other similar projects that the Federal Government of Nigeria should mirror in the way NLNG is being administered and managed.

“Aside the huge revenue being generated from the NLNG for the Nigerian government, the company has brought human capital development to bear,” Yakubu said.

He said Nigerians working in NLNG were thorough professionals who were capable of competing with their peers globally.

Yakubu said the impact being made by the NLNG to deepen domestic gas utilisation in Nigeria could not be overemphasised.

“NLNG has gradually progressed from a 150,000MT intervention to the domestic LPG market to 250,000MT to N350,000MT and now to 450,000MT, which is maxing out their entire domestic LPG production to the Nigerian market.

“It is unprecedented and it means NLNG is meeting the yearnings of Nigerians. It is gauging the pulse of Nigerians and responding to it and we wish other corporations of that magnitude can do the same thing.

“We will be able to close the energy gap that we have in Nigeria because we have pervasive domestic energy poverty and need lot of interventions to address the issue so that at least every home in Nigeria will have access to gas.

“The NLNG intervention in the domestic market has catalysed growth and development in infrastructure on the supply side.

“From 2007 when the NLNG intervention started, we had only one terminal in Apapa, Lagos owned by the Pipelines Products Marketing Company.

“Today we have many privately owned coastal terminals across the country and there is also a lot of capital flow for infrastructure development because of the confidence brought in by NLNG,” he said.

However, Mr Michael Umudu, National Chairman, the Liquefied Petroleum Gas Retailers (LPGAR), branch of National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), said NLNG needed to do more to ensure supply of LPG in the domestic market.

Umudu said the total amount allocated to the domestic market was insufficient as about 60 per cent of LPG being consumed in Nigeria was imported.

Mr Philip Mshelbila, Chief Executive Officer, NLNG, said the NLNG had for the past 33 years vigorously pursued its vision of being “a globally competitive LNG company, helping to build a better Nigeria.

“Our company has touched lives in significant areas such as economic empowerment, health, education, infrastructure development and sustainable community development.

“Over the years, it harnessed natural gas that would have otherwise been flared, thereby contributing immensely to a cleaner environment. 

“And by delivering 100 per cent of its LPG production into the domestic market, it helps Nigerians transition to cleaner cooking fuels.”

Also, the NLNG said the ongoingTrain 7 project would help the company increase its allocation to the domestic market.

It said the project was expected to ramp up NLNG’s production capacity by 35 per cent from 22mtpa to around 30mtpa.

The company noted that the project would form part of the investment of over 10 billion dollars, including the upstream scope of the LNG value chain, thereby increasing dividends and taxes accruing to the government.

Incorporated as a Limited Liability company on May 17, 1989, the NLNG was set up to harness Nigeria’s vast natural gas resources and produce Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and Natural Gas Liquids (NGLs) for export. 

The establishment of NLNG is backed by the Nigeria LNG (Fiscal Incentives, Guarantees and Assurances) Act. Cap N87, Laws of Federation of Nigeria 2004.

The law, amongst other things, provides for the guarantees and assurances by the federal government to the company and its shareholders.

The NLNG is an incorporated Joint-Venture owned by four shareholders: the federal government, represented by NNPC Ltd. (49 per cent), Shell Gas B.V. (25.6 per cent), Total Gaz Electricite Holdings France (15 per cent) and Eni International N.A. N. V. S.àr.l (10.4 per cent). 

Today, NLNG has a total production capacity of 22 Million Tons Per Annum (mtpa) of LNG and 5mtpa of Natural Gas Liquids (NGLs) from its six-train plant complex. 

The company has 16 long-term Sale and Purchase Agreements (SPAs) with 10 buyers and controls about six per cent of global LNG trade. 

By the strides of NLNG in its 33 years of existence, and the groundswell of goodwill, many Nigerians, and experts, believe that the company has the wherewithal to lead Nigeria’s march towards a gas-powered economy

EKEDC, NERC engage customers to improve service delivery

Dr Tinuade Sanda, Managing Director, EKEDC and other management staff at the stakeholders engagement forum on Thursday in Ojo,Lagos.

By  Solomon Asowata

Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) on Thursday  held a town hall meeting with customers under its Ojo Business District.

The electricity Distribution Company said the meeting was a continuation of the strategic plan by the Company to engage the electricity consumers across its franchise area for improved service delivery based on feedbacks.

 Also on Wednesday, May 11, EKEDC also commenced its participation in a three-day customer engagement forum organised by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) for electricity consumers in Lagos at the Golden Tulip Hotel in Festac.

The company in a statement issued by its spokesperson, Mr Godwin Idemudia, Eko DisCo stated that EKEDC boss, Dr Tinuade Sanda and her Management team visited Ojo, Agbara and Festac districts.

The statement said it was in continuation of her districts and stakeholder engagement to get on the spot feedback and review for possible solution challenges in the areas of power supply, vandalism and other factors mitigating against service delivery to customers.

Sanda and her team later joined the Ojo district management at the town hall meeting to engage with the customers of the district the areas before engaging the customers in the town hall to listen to their issues and challenges with a bid to proffer speedy resolutions. 

The  team addressed the issues raised by customers and promised to get them resolved and subsequently improve DisCo’s customer satisfaction index.

At the NERC customer engagement forum, the NERC Commissioner for Consumer Engagement, Mrs Aisha Mahmud explained that the exercise is part of the nationwide engagement by the Commission to enlighten the public about electricity consumers’ rights and obligations.

She said it was also to create more awareness about NERC to customers across the networks of all the DisCos.

According to her, the forum also provided an avenue for Discos to engage customers and representatives of various CDAs within their coverage network for them to air their complaints and make enquiries as well as having opportunity for on the spot issues resolution.

Mahmud highlighted that in addition to enlightening the customers about their rights and obligations, the Commission has also organised the forum to address issues such as estimated billing (capping order), metering, electricity tariffs, and investment plan by the DisCo. 

"The Regulator has made several efforts to resolve these issues, but they persist, and that is why we are here with Eko DisCo to engage the customers," she said.

Eko DisCo was represented by its Dr Tinuade Sanda; Chief Commercial Officer, Mrs Rekhiat Mommoh; Chief Customer Experience Officer, Mrs Catherine Ezeafulukwe, and other members of the management team. 

Sanda assured the customers that the Company has already embarked on many projects to improve power supply and prompt resolutions to complaints.

She encouraged them to embrace the metering scheme (MAP) to put the issue of estimated billing to rest.

 Sanda further advised customers against patronising unauthorised entities to get meters and report any case of unscrupulous elements to the Company’s whistleblowing channels.  

On his part, Idemudia equally reiterated that customers should desist from illegal activities such as meter bypass, meter tampering, vandalism, and assault of staff, which do not only affect the DisCo but the entire power industry.

 According to him, NERC has approved penalties for these criminal offences and EKEDC will ensure that offenders face the wrath of the law for any of these crimes. 

"Every customer has a responsibility of protecting the industry," he added.(NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Rainoil marks 25th anniversary, pledges commitment to development of downstream sector

By Solomon Asowata

Mr Gabriel Ogbechie, Group Managing Director, Rainoil Ltd., says the company is committed to the development of the petroleum downstream value chain, which is critical to Nigeria’s economic growth.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ogbechie made this known in an interactive session with newsmen on Thursday in Lagos to mark the company’s 25th anniversary.

Ogbechie said Rainoil Ltd. which started operations in May 1997 had grown to become a prominent player in the Nigerian oil and gas industry, providing employment opportunities for about 2,000 Nigerians.

He said: “In the last 25 years, we have been able to achieve great feats in the downstream sector of the Nigerian oil and gas industry.

“From the retail business, where we now have presence in 26 states with over 130 stations, to being the only player in the downstream sector with bulk storage facilities strategically located in three key locations in the country.

“We equally established the company, Rainoil Logistics Services Ltd., which drives the delivery of our energy products to our esteemed customers nationwide.

“We have also recently deepened Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) penetration in the country with the launch of our ultra-modern 8,000MT LPG storage facility in Ijegun, Lagos.”

According to him, Rainoil Ltd. has continued its upward trajectory through strategic planning, innovation and creating a conducive working environment for its employees.

Ogbechie said the company had also ensured that it gave back to the society and its host communities through its various Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives.

This, he said, included construction of a block of classroom at Oghareki Grammar School, Oghara, in Delta, distribution of educational materials to students, health care interventions and sports development among others.

He said going forward, the company would key into the ongoing transition to cleaner sources of energy including the Federal Government’s autogas plan, which was aimed at reducing Nigeria’s dependence on petrol.

Ogbechie, however, advised the government to remove subsidy on petrol, adding that the humungous amount spent on subsidy was draining the nation financially.

He said the money saved from the removal of subsidy could be channeled to funding other critical areas, especially education. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

EKEDC new boss assures customers of improved service delivery

(L-R) Mrs Veronica Ugbo, Business Manager Ijora District, EKEDC, Mr Joseph Esenwa, Chief Finance Officer; EKEDC, Dr Tinuade Sanda, Managing Director, EKEDC and Mr Olumide Jerome, General Manager,Commercial Loss Reduction at the EKEDC’s customer engagement forum on Thursday in Lagos.

By Solomon Asowata

Dr Tinuade Sanda, the Managing Director, Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC), on Thursday assured the company’s customers of improved service delivery during her leadership.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Sanda made the assurance during a town hall meeting with customers from Ijora Badiya, Surulere, Tejuosho, Yaba and Ojuelegba areas of Lagos State.

The newly appointed managing director said her core responsibility was to steer the leadership of the company and the entire EKEDC team to ensure operational and service excellence to customers.

She said: “This is a top priority for me. The past few months have been challenging for us as a company and for you – our esteemed customers.

“We have experienced several grid collapses and vandalism of some of our facilities which have affected the quality of our services to you.”

According to her, the engagement with customers is aimed at listening to their concerns and challenges in order to work together and proffer lasting solutions to the issues.

Sanda said many of the DisCo’s customers were metered under the Phase Zero of the National Mass Metering Programme (NMMP), adding that the next phase was yet to start.

She said customers who could not wait should take advantage of the ongoing Meter Asset Provider (MAP) scheme to procure prepaid meters for their premises to reduce cases of tariff disputes and estimated billing.

Sanda also charged the customers to report people engaging in energy theft and meter bypass within their localities to ensure right billing of customers.

On alleged unprofessional conduct of some EKEDC employees, she advised customers to forward such complaints to the electricity distribution company for them to be properly sanctioned.

A customer, Prince Adeleye Abolade, representing Surulere area, called for improved relationship between the DisCo and customers, especially in rectifying faults within the network.

Abolade noted that customers were willing to pay their electricity bills especially if they were getting quality power supply from EKEDC.(NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Minister’s aide harps on training of oil, gas professionals

Mr Justice Derefaka, Technical Adviser, Gas Business and Policy Implementation to the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources.

By Solomon Asowata

Mr Justice Derefaka, Technical Adviser, Gas Business and Policy Implementation to the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, has stressed the need for training and retraining of oil and gas professionals in the country.

Derefaka said this was the only way for them to cope and remain relevant as the world moves toward the fourth industrial revolution.

He spoke on Wednesday at the 2022 Annual General Meeting lecture series of the Oil and Gas Trainers Association of Nigeria ( OGTAN).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of the lecture was theme: ‘Diversity and Inclusiveness in Human Capital Development.’

“The 2018 graduate skills ranking by the World Economic Forum placed Nigeria at 135 out of 140 countries.

“This ranking highlighted the shortage and/or lack of the requisite skills, experience and knowledge required by the employing industries.

“As a country, as a workforce, we will need to adapt to this rapidly changing world. Infact, Nigeria needs to do catch up. And this is where OGTAN comes in,” he said.

According to him, OGTAN training models need to reflect the demand for lifelong learning to cope with the technological and social changes brought by the fourth industrial revolution.

Derefaka said: “OGTAN need to do more as skills not degrees may be the reality of the future.

“In a future of unprecedented societal shifts, human capacity development/up-skilling is crucial to managing the challenges ahead.

“With more automated, digitised and fluid job markets, today’s higher education systems are quickly becoming incompatible with the future we are looking towards.

“Let us do a quick catch up with training and retraining the workforce by riding on the shoulders of OGTAN.”

He charged oil and gas companies to drive a culture of innovation and technology adoption: create digitally powered, multidisciplinary teams.

Derefaka urged them to invest in human capital and development programmes: promote new, digital thinking – re-skilling or retraining workforce for the transformation journey.

He also emphasised the need for Diversity and Inclusiveness (D&I) in the industry, noting that available statistics showed that companies that value D&I in their operations outperformed their competitors. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

FG, firm to deploy gas-powered mass transit buses in Abuja

Some of the CNG-powered mass transit buses.

 

Buses

By Solomon Asowata

Lagos, April 27, 2022 (NAN) Femadec Group in partnership with the Federal Government, will on May 5 begin the deployment of compressed natural gas-powered mass transit buses in Abuja, the nation’s capital.

Mr Fola Akinnola, the Chief Executive Officer, Femadec Group, confirmed the development in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Lagos.

Akinnola said the move was part of the actualisation of the Federal Government’s autogas policy which was launched in December 2020 by President Muhammadu Buhari.

According to him, the mass transit scheme, which will be operated by Femadec Express, a division of the company, is starting with 20 buses manufactured by Hyundai in South Korea.

He said: “We intend to start on May 5, after the long holidays. Preparations are being put in place, drivers are being trained and also installation of the payment system in the buses is ongoing.

“We are partnering with Abuja Urban Mass Transport to ensure that we have a smooth take off.”

Akinnola explained that Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses were cheaper to operate and also environmental friendly as the world was moving toward cleaner sources of energy.

He said: “Part of our business plan and strategy is to key into the Federal Government’s gas penetration scheme which includes CNG and autogas.

“There is a lot of mass transportation in the country using diesel and petrol. Apart from being environmentally hazardous, diesel has become very expensive.

“We saw this a long time ago and even without being given any contract, we decided to bring in these first 20 buses because we envisaged that this time is going to come where people will likely want to switch to gas.”

Speaking on the company’s expansion plan, he disclosed that the company was planning to acquire a total of 100 CNG buses by the end of the year.

“Our plan this year is to hit 100 buses. Apart from these 20, we are in final conclusion of another 10 from the manufacturers, Hyundai in South Korea.

“They will be delivered in the next one month. Then by August or September,we plan to bring in another 30 while we are targeting a total of 100 buses in our fleet by December.

“We are also looking at September to kickstart the scheme in Lagos and we are engaging the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority.

” By then, the refueling centre would have been in place at our facility in Abijo on the Lekki-Epe Expressway, Lagos.

“We also intend to establish a CNG conversion centre there so that vehicle owners can convert their cars from petrol and diesel to autogas,” Akinnola said.

He noted that the gas penetration policy would create employment opportunities for young Nigerians and boost the nation’s economy.

Akinnola, however, called on the government to create an enabling environment by granting import waivers for those investing in the gas sector as a way of accelerating its development.

Also, Mr Oluwakayode Oyegoke, Head, Gas, Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) said the government would continue to create the enabling environment to drive investment in the sector.

Oyegoke said the NMDPRA, as a business enabler , was available to guide investors to ensure that the gas penetration policy of the government and the National Gas Policy was effectively cascaded down to the masses.

He said: “The Federal Government has realised that keying into gas is one of the rapid and accelerated ways of improving the economy.

“The government in its wisdom has laid down policies to help not only electricity and industries but also transportation system.

“That is why we now have these buses that will be powered by CNG. This will reduce pressure on other white products like Premium Motor Spirit and Automotive Gas Oil.

“It will help diversification by giving options to consumers to improve their businesses.

“Above all, it is environmental friendly and part of the government’s plan to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2060.” (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Easter: IPMAN felicitates Christians

By Solomon Asowata

TheIndependent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has enjoined Christians to remain hopeful in God’s ability to transform Nigeria  as they celebrate Easter.

IPMAN’s President, Mr Chinedu Okoronkwo, made the call in a statement issued on Sunday in Lagos.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Federal Government had declared April 15 and April 18 as public holidays to mark the celebration.

Okoronkwo said Easter was an important period that represents sacrifice, hope and redemption exemplified by the crucifixion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

He said: “On behalf of the National Executive of IPMAN and its Board of Trustees, I want to felicitate with our Christian brothers and sisters as they mark this year’s Easter celebration.

“I urge them to imbibe the virtues of Easter which include sacrifice, hope and trust in God in time of difficulties.

“Jesus Christ demonstrated the ultimate sacrifice by dying for mankind because of the love God has for us.

“As Christians, we too are enjoined to make sacrifices. Sacrifices that will help our homes and nation to become better.

“We are also to trust in God’s ability to bring us redemption in time of difficulties.This means that Christians should not relent in prayers for our beloved country and our leaders.”

Okoronkwo said IPMAN would continue to play a key role in national development by supporting government’s programmes and policies that would enable the country maximise opportunities in the petroleum sector. (NAN)

TotalEnergies splashes N15m on 3 entrepreneurs in startupper challenge

Dr Samba Seye, Managing Director, TotalEnergies Marketing Nigeria Plc in a group photograph with winners of the third edition of the company’s Startupper of the Year Challenge on Wednesday in Lagos.

 

By Solomon Asowata

TotalEnergies Nigeria on Wednesday announced the winners of the third edition of its Startupper of the Year Challenge designed to support young entrepreneurs in Nigeria and the African continent.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Mike Sangster, Country Chair, TotalEnergies Companies in Nigeria, presented the award to the three finalists at a ceremony held in Lagos.

The winners in the three categories were painstakingly selected by a jury made up of experts and successful entrepreneurs from 15 top finalists.

They were assessed based on their innovative character, feasibility and development potential in line with the Sustainable Development Goals, as defined by the United Nations.

The winners were rewarded with N5 million financial support each, presonalised coaching and mentoring, networking opportunities as well as media visibility.

They are: ‘Best Business Creation Project’ category won by Michael Osumune of Smart Inverter Systems, designed to provide solar electricity, wireless internet access and AI-enabled security surveillance for households and businesses with a mobile application.

The ‘Best Startup Under Three Years Old’ was won by Nonso Opurum of Soso Care, a low cost insurtech, which aims to enable millions of uninsured Nigerians access to health insurance using recyclables as premium.

Also, the ‘Best Female Entrepreneur’ was won by Rebecca Adeosun of Organic Cycle, an application developed for users to trade organic wastes, e-training intending black soldier fly farmers and sales of black soldier fly products after production.

The winners from Nigeria would compete with their peers from 32 African countries for the three grand prizes of Grand Winner, Best Business Creation, Grand Winner, Best Startup Under three years old and Grand Winner, Best Female Entrepreneur.

Sangster, represented by Dr Samba Seye, the Managing Director, TotalEnergies Marketing Nigeria Plc, congratulated the winners and finalists on their achievements.

He said the Startupper Challenge was designed to support and reward young entrepreneurs between the ages of 18 and 35 who had created a company in the past two years.

According to him, it reaffirms TotalEnergies’ commitment to supporting the socio-economic development of the countries in which the company operates in Africa.

He said: “This prize is very important to TotalEnergies as it aligns with our culture of diversity and inclusion.

“Sometime last week, I received the 15 top finalists during a courtesy call to my office. During that interactive meeting, I noticed that out of the 15, seven are females.

“We are happy with this development which clearly underlines the fact that our women are not waiting for anyone to empower them, they are demonstrating that they have all it takes to excel, in an environment of equal opportunities.

“Nigeria, like all other countries on the continent, is faced with challenges of poverty, youth unemployment, and the lack of infrastructure critical to economic development.

“It s also faced with the challenges associated with climate change and how to provide food for its teeming population, in a sustainable manner.

“I believe that today in our midst, we have entrepreneurs whose ideas can address some of the economic challenges Nigeria and other countries in Africa face.”

Sangster said while this was the vision of TotalEnergies, the company cannot do it alone and urged other corporate bodies and well-meaning Nigerians should join in supporting young entrepreneurs.

Responding, the winners while thanking TotalEnergies for initiating the programme, promised to make Nigeria proud at the grand finale of the competition taking place in France. (NAN)

Group seeks collaboration among African countries to achieve sustainable development

Dr Brian Reuben, Founder, Africa Economic Summit

By Solomon Asowata

A United Kingdom-based organisation, the Africa Economic Summit Group, has called for more collaboration among African countries in order to foster development and achieve sustainable economic goals.

The group made the call on Tuesday in a communique issued after the recently concluded Africa Economic Summit which held in Lagos on March 30.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the communique which contained 17 recommendations was read by Dr Brian Reuben, Founder, Africa Economic Summit.

The communique said: “African countries should work together to able to achieve sustainable economic goals.

“Competition does not have to be against one another as everyone should focus on innovative ways of moving the continent forward.

“African nations should expunge self centeredness, learn to position Africa to create employment for the teeming youth and take cue from Ghana’s “knowledge bank” job creation concept.

“Local products should be sold in local currencies in Africa. African policy makers need to be patriotic because it will go a long way to enhance trade consistency, imbue confidence within the region.”

According to the communique, there is a need to digitalise regulatory agencies in the continent for ease of doing business.

“Government of countries in Africa should revisit some restrictions they have in place at their borders as the African Continental Free Trade Area(AfCFTA) will not thrive under such draconian policies, “it said.

On the lack of access to electricity in the continent, the communique urged African states to collaborate to solve the energy crisis while also commiting to a transition to cleaner energy.

It said: “Nigeria needs power notwithstanding the seeming constraints, as its catalyst to economic development.

“Governments in Africa need to commit to deploy gas to solve power problems.

“Africa must rise to take its God-given pride of place especially in economy. Africa must not position itself for second fiddle, as it has the human and natural resources it requires to lead.

“Government must reduce wastage. Africa can become the wealth custody to the rest of the world.

“Africa must prepare the people and provide an enabling business environment. It must see the private sector as a means of entrepreneurial development.”

NAN reports that through the summit, the Africa Economic Summit Group, hopes to facilitate new investment and encourage business development in the continent.

It also provides a platform to share best practices, guarantee peer-to-peer networking, offer new industry insight, showcase excellence and promote thought leadership. (NAN)

Endless opportunities in power sector, says MOMAS boss

Mr Kola Balogun, Chairman, Momas Electrical Meters Manufacturing Company Ltd. (MEMMCOL), Metering School, Mrs Helen Maiyegun, Chairperson, Keystone Bank Women Economic Empowerment Committee and Mr Ademola Olorunfemi, Chairman, Academic Board, Momas Metering School, in a group photograph with the students who graduated from the school on Friday in Mowe, Ogun.

By Solomon Asowata

 Mr Kola Balogun, Chairman, Momas Electrical Meters Manufacturing Company Ltd. (MEMMCOL), Metering School says opportunities in the power sector are endless for young Nigerians.

Such opportunities, according to him, can help in curbing unemployment in the country.

Balogun spoke on Friday during the graduation of 29 young Nigerians trained at the school in Mowe, Ogun.

They were trained on meter manufacturing, installation and maintenance as well as energy auditing.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 12 of the graduands who are female were sponsored by Keystone Bank under its Keystone Bank Women Economic Empowerment Committee (KWEEC).

Balogun said: ” The opportunities in the power sector are limitless. Meter installation is just one aspect and you know we have a huge metering gap in the country.

“We have a responsibility to address the unemployment situation in the country today and one of the ways we are doing that is to subsidise our training and partner with other organisations to give opportunities to Nigerians.

” We commend Keystone Bank for sponsoring some of the graduands and we are appealing to other corporate organisations as well as state and local governments to also key into this initiative to positively engage our women and youths.”

He said stakeholders in the power sector were working on developing a framework for meter auditors and inspectors to handle tariff dispute between customers and electricity Distribution Companies.

Balogun advised the graduands to adhere to the ethics of the industry by not conniving with customers to engage in meter bypass and energy theft which were inimical to the growth of the power sector.

Also, Mrs Helen Maiyegun, Chairperson, KWEEC, said the committee was set up in line with the directive of the Central Bank of Nigeria for commercial banks to support empowerment of women in Nigeria.

 

Maiyegun said the beneficiaries were selected from Lagos, Kwara and Nasarawa States.

She said that the training was aimed at giving them opportunities to thrive in the power sector.

 

The chairperson noted that the  metering gap in the country presented a huge opportunity for them, especially as the phase one of the National Mass Metering Programme would soon begin.

 

Maiyegun said: “The training for us (Keystone Bank) is critical because there are limitless opportunities here.

 

“We have been training women on skills acquisition such as catering, bead making, fashion design among others but this time we decided to think outside the box and see how we can bring more women into the energy sector.

 

“When you empower a woman, you are empowering the nation and we will continue to monitor the graduands to ensure they meet their goals and aspirations.”

 

She charged them to be good ambassadors of Keystone Bank and Momas Metering School and utilise the training to better their lives.

Maiyegun urged them to contribute to national development.

 

On his part, Mr Ademola Olorunfemi, Chairman, Academic Board, Momas Metering School, said the two-week intensive training had equipped the graduands to add value to Nigeria and its economy.

 

Olorunfemi commended Keystone Bank for providing this unique opportunities for the female graduands and solicited for the sustenance of the programme.

 

Speaking on behalf of the graduands, Mrs Marian Marcus-Johnson, thanked Keystone Bank and Momas for facilitating the training.

She promised to positively utilise the knowledge imparted on them by the school. (NAN)

Court declares restricting movement of Pearl Garden Estate homeowners by property developer as unlawful

By Solomon Asowata

A Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja has declared that the restriction of movement of homeowners within the Pearl Garden Estate situated at Sangotedo Village in Eti-Osa Local Government Area of the state by  CMB Building Maintenance and Investment Company Limited as unlawful.

Justice Mufutau Olokoba made the declaration while delivering judgment in a suit filed by some of the homeowners against CMB(property and the estate management agents) and  the Oyetubo Jokotade Estate Resource Limited (previous landowners).

According to a Certified True Copy of  the judgement obtained by newsmen in Lagos on Wednesday, the judgment was delivered by the judge on Dec. 1, 2021.

The N100 million suit was filed by the claimants on Feb. 9, 2015 following their dispute with the property developer.

It was filed by Messrs Francis Adesuyi, Felix Obiakor, Martin Ajayi-Obe and Peter Afenotan in representative capacity on behalf of themselves and all interested homeowners within the Pearl Garden Estate.

In the judgment, the judge declared that the interference and Infringement on the claimants rights by barricade and restriction of movement of claimants and lawful residents in and out of the estate by the defendants and their 

and their agents was unlawful.

He held that the purported estate charge of N35,000.00 bonus been imposed by the second defendant on the claimants was declared null and void.

The judge, however declined to grant the prayers of the claimants to order the defendants to pay them the sum of N100 million as damages and that the defendants should bear the cost of the action.

Remove petrol subsidy, expert urges FG

By Solomon Asowata

An oil and gas expert, Mr James Gooder, has advised the Federal Government to remove subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), petrol, in order to discourage smuggling of the product across Nigeria’s borders.

Gooder, Vice President, Crude and African Markets, Argus Media, United Kingdom, gave the advice while speaking at a virtual media workshop organised by the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN) on Thursday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Federal Executive Council had approved N3 trillion for subsidy on PMS in 2022.

He said the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine had led to a surge in crude oil prices at the international market with Brent Crude currently trading at over 120 dollars per barrel.

According to him, while the landing cost of PMS, also known as petrol is currently above N400 per litre, the government is spending huge amounts subsidising the product to retail at N165 per litre.

He said: “Capped retail prices for PMS may be popular, or even expected,

among those that can afford to own a car.

“But current delivered prices for PMS are around three times as high as the pump price. Is this sustainable? Is financing this the best use of Nigerian taxpayers’ money?

“There is an unfortunate but clear incentive to smuggle subsidised

fuel out of Nigeria to neighbouring countries where retail prices are higher.”

Gooder said Nigeria and her West African neighbours lacked sufficient  regional refining capacity and imported majority of their PMS from Europe.

“In a global market, product flows are directed by price. Nigeria is competing with other destinations for products.

“But even if Nigeria had sufficient refining capacity with the coming on stream of the 650,000BPD Dangote Refinery and others, it  would still be in a competitive market and exposed to import parity prices,” he said.

Gooder said the government should engage the media and the citizens on the need to allow market forces to determine the price of petrol in the country.

He said in the longer term, government could improve public transport and attract investment for infrastructure – whether refining or storage and distribution.

Gooder, however, noted that the crude oil market was volatile and unpredictable, stressing that the measures were only aimed at mitigating its impact on the ordinary citizens.

He explained that the increase in prices of diesel and aviation fuel was higher than the increase in petrol prices globally because the supply of diesel and aviation fuel (middle distillates) was mainly from Russian refineries, which were currently under sanctions.

Gooder said petrol was from Northwestern Europe refineries, which was readily available.

He advised the Nigerian government to ensure that the right pricing benchmark was used to import PMS from Europe.

“In Europe, the Argus Eurobob daily price is the primary PMS benchmark

– ‘the Brent of gasoline.’

“80-90 per cent of Nigeria’s gasoline imports are priced on Argus Eurobob along the supply chain.

“Argus publishes prices in all other source regions for comparison, as

well as delivered to Nigeria.

“The price used for delivery into Nigeria is still often 95 RON – leading to price distortions.

“This may benefit international traders, but it never benefits importers, consumers or taxpayers because it is inflated,” said Gooder.

Mr Clement Isong, Executive Secretary, MOMAN, said the distribution margin for marketers was very small despite their huge investment in the oil and gas industry.

He said: “The backbone of distribution is based on diesel, from transport (vessels and trucks) to energy costs (depots and stations). This affects not just petrol distribution but also the distribution of aviation fuel.

“Total distribution margin under the current PMS pricing template accounts for 11.5 per cent of the PMS pump price despite significant increase in costs.

“Operators are struggling along the supply chain to get petrol out of the nuzzles into the cars, which is difficult to sustain.” (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

NBC promotes sustainable manufacturing, powers plants by solar

(L-R) Mr Matthieu Seguin, Managing Director, Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC)Ltd., Mrs Oluwatoyin Agbenle, Controller of Environment in Lagos State, Federal Ministry of Environment, Mrs Omotunde Adeola, Deputy Director, Pollution Control and Environment Health Department and Mr Ike Ekeleme, Plant Manager, NBC Ikeja Plant, during a tour of the facility on Wednesday.

By Solomon Asowata

 The Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC) Ltd. says all its manufacturing plants will be powered in part by solar energy by December as its contribution to sustainable manufacturing.

Mr Matthieu Seguin, Managing Director, NBC, said this during a media tour of the company’s plant at Agidingbi, Ikeja on Wednesday.

Seguin said: “NBC is part of the Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company group (CCHBC), which has an uncompromising commitment to minimise our environmental footprint whilst enriching the communities where we operate

“In line with this, CCHBC has instigated a set of sustainability commitments ahead of 2025 that address six major areas.

“They include the reduction of emissions, water use and stewardship, working towards a world without waste, ingredients sourcing, nutrition, people and communities.

“Advancing towards these commitments, NBC has mainstreamed sustainability into every aspect of our operations.”

He said NBC was committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2040 and had so far reduced 3,600 tons from its annual carbon footprint.

Seguin said the NBC plants in Challawa, Maiduguri, Abuja and Asijere were being powered in part by solar energy and were delivering up to 3,640-Kilowatt peak (KWp)power output to the facilities.

He said Ikeja, Benin, Owerri and Port Harcourt plants would be powered by solar energy by Dec. 2022, noting that the company was targeting to increase its solar generation capacity to 15,947KWp.

“Beyond the direct impact on reduced emissions, another indirect positive outcome of this project is that over 167,000 trees have been saved.

“The evolution and the implementation has supported the creation of 300 jobs with an additional 480 jobs forecast to be created in support of the system this year,” Seguin said.

He said NBC was also optimising its operations through heavy investments in Combined Heat and Power Plants (CHP) plants.

“With the technology of the CHP, after electricity is generated using gas to power the gas generators in the plant, the resultant exhaust gas and

heat is redirected from going into the atmosphere to generate steam.

“The heat from the steam is used as a secondary energy source to further power some aspects of our manufacturing operations.

“Today, we have six CHP plants in five of our eight manufacturing plants including Port-Harcourt, Ikeja, Benin, Owerri and Asejire Plants, all resulting in a significant reduction of our carbon footprints across the country.

“Overall, the six CHP plants generate 25.5MW of power delivering 125,267MWh of electrical energy including 68,267MWh as steam energy, as a bye product, which without the CHP would have been produced with fossil fuel.

“Collectively, the business invests over N1.7 billion in running the six CHPs annually,” Seguin said.

He added that the company had also embarked on fleet conversion/replacement to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG trucks) and already had 10 CNG trucks in its fleet.

Seguin said the constraint was the availability of CNG, and that government should encourage the setting up of more CNG filling stations across the country.

He said NBC had also started transitioning its diesel-powered forklifts to models powered by electricity; contributing further to our CO2 emissions savings as a business.

“So far 109 forklifts have transitioned, with a plan for all 200 forklifts used in the business to be transitioned by the end of this year, 2022,” Seguin said.

On her part, Mrs Oluwatoyin Agbenle, Controller of Environment in Lagos State, Federal Ministry of Environment, lauded NBC for taking the bold step to promote sustainable manufacturing.

She said the ministry would continue to encourage manufacturers to optimise use of natural resources and raw materials to reduce environmental impact in their operations. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)