All Posts in "Day: June 17, 2021"

Nigeria’s Questionable Electricity Export 

 Recently, members of the West African Power Pool (WAPP) converged in Abuja over plan to build 875 kilometre of 330 kilovolts power transmission line from Nigeria to connect four other countries up to Burkina Faso.
The announcement of this project called, the North Core Interconnection Project, sent some shocks to stakeholders in the Nigerian power sector, particularly, the Nigerian electricity consumers who are yet to get any value for what they pay for electricity.
But, according to the Chairman, Executive Board of WAPP and the acting Managing Director of the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, Engr. Sule Abdulaziz, the power meant for this export project is the unutilised electricity across the various Generation Companies (GenCos). He also said new GenCos are coming on board just to export electricity to other West African countries.
What is more of concern is the revelation of the WAPP Secretary General, Siengui Apollinaire Ki, that the 570 million US dollar project is being financed by the World Bank, the AFD, and the African Development Bank (AfDB). Mr Ki precisely said the multilateral donors will be funding the segments for each of the five countries – Nigeria, Niger, Benin, Togo and Burkina Faso.
This is another concessionary loan that the Federal Government Nigeria (FGN) will be taking from the donor assigned to it just to build a line for power export. This is also when the Nigerian power sector is crumbling over market and tariff shortfall in excess of N2 trillion. The World Bank is also giving about $2 billion dollar loan to Nigeria for the power sector while the German government is providing commercial loans for the Siemens Presidential Power Initiative.
These loans are already raising concerns as to their repayment means but yet, the government is considering more loans to build the North Core transmission line up to its border with Niger Republic in Kebbi state.
The World Bank recently announced that Nigeria is now the highest country in the world with citizens not having access to electricity after it overtook Congo DR in a recent survey. Despite this poor scorecard, the Nigerian government is ready for pro bono for other West African countries.
The Minister of Power, Engr. Sale Mamman, during the inaugural Joint Ministerial Council Meeting (JMCM) session of the WAPP workshop, said about two third of the about 600 million population in sub-Saharan Africa do not have access to power, causing widespread poverty and poor infrastructure of which women and children are made vulnerable.
Despite this, the minister supported the project, saying the government will give all its support so the construction can begin in August 2021. He also said 611 communities under the line route will have power delivered to them too.
The ECOWAS commissioner for Energy and Mines, Mr Sediko Douka, at the meeting in Abuja also said the North Core transmission line will be carrying 450 megawatts (MW) of electricity initially and can be expanded to 600MW in the first 10 years.
On the benefits, the WAPP chairman said, “Nigeria has the greatest advantage among these countries because the electricity is going to be exported from Nigerian GenCos. So from that, the revenue is going to be enhanced and a lot of people will be employed in Nigeria.”
Resetting The Power Sector
Nigeria at this moment struggles with power supply with the majority of the 80 to 90 million Nigerians with access to electricity having below eight hour daily supply, says the World Bank. According to grid records, the highest peak electricity on the grid only rose to 5,800MW this year but the average energy distributed has been around 3,500MW to 4,000MW recently.
Even when NERC compelled the DisCos on Service Reflective Tariff (SRT), the hours of supply are not commensurate to what the consumers pay as tariff while the DisCos continue to remit paltry sums of less than 45 percent to GenCos. These market issues must be first solved to ensure the availability of this utility service in Nigeria, FIRST!
No matter the benefit of the energy export initiative, the government ought to find a way to reset the power sector and instil market discipline among the operators so they can deliver improved services to Nigerians first before considering more energy export at this point.
As it is, we believe it is wrong timing to state this mission because Nigeria now needs additional power and the essence of the North Core project of WAPP is for exchange of power. Maybe by the time the project is completed hopefully in 2023, we might be able to export power but certainly not at this material time.
It is also worthy of note that Nigeria currently sells about 300MW of electricity to international customers through the 330kV Ikeja West (Lagos) to Sakete (Benin Republic) transmission line. These customers namely, NIGELEC (Niger), CEB of Benin and CEET of Togo, owe Nigeria millions of dollars, and even at a recent time, sought a write off. Yet, the country is harnessing its energy for them, and adding Burkina Faso.
It could be true that there is unused power on the grid as reports show that about 2,000MW of electricity is said to be unutilised daily across the GenCos in Nigeria and could be exported. However, a country that has not met local demands ought not to spearhead energy export especially to debtor countries.
What Nigeria and its power sector regulator – Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission should do at this material time, is to stop the disservice to Nigerians and rapidly solidify the Eligible Customer policy, to allow consumers opt out of the weak Distribution Companies (DisCos) and get their power directly from GenCos.
This way, the average 2,000MW unutilised power on the national grid daily can be supplied to industrial clusters which could in turn cut down the 40 percent electricity cost for goods production by members of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN).
The World Bank this week announced that rising cost of goods and services have pushed 7 million Nigerians into poverty. One thing that can alleviate this condition is the improvement of power supply business and industrial purposes which could increase the cost of doing business while more firms will spring up to create jobs.
The government can also decentralise the transmission grid into regions and have private investors take a stake in its management. This could provide for a more robust network and ending the prevalent grid system collapse which has occurred for over 130 times in the last 12 years.
The DisCos’ franchise areas should be further reviewed with the aim of creating more DisCos to break the franchise monopoly of the current 11 DisCos. That way, electricity supply services can be improved faster.
But there is even a quick win to this – the Independent Electricity Distribution Network (IEDN) policy of NERC can be activated massively. NERC should licence more IEDN firms and create franchises for them to compete with DisCos on delivering power supply to Nigerians.
Nigeria should also increase the capacity from the hydropower companies as not doing this is a disservice to the citizens. This is because the hydropower plants – Kainji, Jebba and Shiroro, have a combined capacity of nearly 1,500MW which is already the average energy sent out by the grid most times in Nigeria.
Energy from the hydros is said to be cheaper compared to those from the over 20 gas-fired GenCos. This can crash the exorbitant tariff structure in place at present and guarantee more stable supply.
We also believe that there should be a political will to enforce utilisation of the power by the DisCos instead of the brazen load rejection by them. If we are really serious in getting power to Nigerians, the deliberate load rejection should have been seriously sanctioned by the regulator!
The government should pay more attention to urgently making the power sector work especially with the coming of the African Free Continental Trade Area Agreement (AfCTA). If this is not done to encourage local production for consumption self-sufficiency and for export, the targeted off-takers of finished goods and services is Nigeria where all finished goods and services from EU countries, Asia US and other African continents would be dumped on us.
Our Submission
It is on this basis that we are calling on the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN), the Minister of Power, Engr. Sale Mamman, and the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), to urgently expedite action on the practical strategies that will put the power sector on the pathway of progress while considering the suspension of more energy export plans.
We are saying for instance, all the GenCos that have Power Purchase Agreements (PPA), Put Call Option Call Agreement (PCOA), Partial Risks Guarantee (PRG), Take or Pay Obligation and any form of power sales agreements, designed for the Nigerian Electricity Market (NEM), and are already
Contracted, should not be eligible to export already contracted power which Nigeria has worked out tariff for through the Multi Year Tariff Order (MYTO) and the Vesting Contract.
This is because the government has in one form or the other subsidized the cost of producing this electricity through consumers’ and taxpayers’ monies under the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc (NBET), the Nigerian power pool. Hence, such energy cannot be sold to other countries in the name of export.
Any power firm that would need to export power, should build its transmission asset and acquire new turbines, separate from the ones already connected to the Nigerian national grid and should not be covered by a Nigerian PPA.
Kunle Kola OLUBIYO,
President, Nigeria Consumer Protection Network
(Issued on behalf of Nigerian electricity consumers / End Users of Electricity in Nigeria ).
Online Editor by — June 17, 2021 in Opinion 0
 Press Council Bill: Newspaper Owners Faults  Non-Invitation To Public Hearing

NPAN Rejects Media Exclusion from Press Bill's Public HearingTHISDAYLIVE
The Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria (NPAN), has faulted the non-invitation of print media owners to a public hearing scheduled for today, on the Nigerian Press Council (NPC) Amendment Bill.
A statement by Kabiru A. Yusuf, President of NPAN,wondered why the association was not  invited to participate in the hearing.
“In fact, going by available information, the hearing had initially been scheduled for yesterday, Wednesday, June 16, 2021, along with four other media related bills,”it said.
It  added that contrary to earlier practice when the NPAN was invited to a public hearing on the same bill in the last Senate, it only got to know of this development by sheer happenstance.
 “We therefore call on the leadership of the National Assembly, and the House of Representatives in particular, to redress this anomaly.With the public hearing now delayed by a day, the NPAN will endeavor to show up, even without a formal invitation.We also call on all media workers, and their organisations, to pay attention to the public hearing which may have important consequences on the freedom of the press in particular  and good governance in general,” the statement added
Online Editor by — June 17, 2021 in Media 0
Ardova Takes Over Enyo’s Retail Outlets

Ardova Plc, an indigenous energy company, has acquired a 100 percent equity stake in Enyo Retail and Supply Holding in a share purchase agreement.
Oladeinde Nelson-Cole, Ardova’s company secretary, who disclosed  in a corporate filing on the Nigerian stock exchange group limited,said the company notified its shareholders that the transaction is a share purchase agreement by both parties without stating further details.
“This announcement follows the execution of a share purchase agreement by the parties.The parties are committed to closing the transaction, in accordance with the share purchase agreement, as soon as agreed closing conditions are satisfied, and regulatory approval is received,” Ardova said in a statement.
The company  had said in January that it would retain Enyo branded stations after the deal and operate side by side with the AP brand.
The company said Stanbic IBTC Capital Limited and Banwo & Ighodalo acted as financial and legal advisers respectively to AP, while Rand Merchant Bank and Herbert Smith Freehills Paris LLP acted as financial and legal advisers to Enyo and certain of its shareholders.
Online Editor by — June 17, 2021 in Oil&Gas 0
 Akeredolu Wins Case At Appeal Court

BREAKING: Akeredolu Wins Again At Appeal Court - The Crest
Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State and his Deputy, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, on Wednesday won at the Appeal Court the petitions filed against them by the Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate, Eyitayo Jegede, at the October 10, 2020 gubernatorial election.
The appellate court unanimously dismissed the appeal filed by Jegede for lack of merit, declaring that Akeredolu and his Deputy, Aiyedatiwa of All Progressives Congress(APC) were validity nominated.
In her ruling, the Presiding Judge, Justice Theresa Ngolika Orji-Abadua, ruled that the appeal filed by Jegede is devoid of merit and consequently was dismissed.
The party described the judgement as an affirmation of the people’s decision..”
A statement signed by Alex Kalejaye, publicity secretary of APC, the party Chairman, Engr. Ade Adetimehin said PDP’s petition was sheer “legal distraction.”
But PDP in its reaction it will challenge the Court of Appeal’s decision at the Supreme Court.”
A statement signed by the Publicity Secretary of PDP, Kennedy Ikantu Peretei, noted that “In concluding her lead judgement, Hon. Justice Theresa Orji-Abadua said the Appeal was partially dismissed and partially allowed. To the ordinary man in the street, the judgement was “inconclusive” and we must approach the Supreme Court to help them conclude the judgement.
“The kernel of the Eyitayo Jegede/PDP petition was whether or not a gross violation of the 1999 Constitution (as Amended) should be allowed to stay. Whether or not Mai Mala Buni, as a sitting Governor of Yobe State can double as  National Chairman of All Progressives Congress, to sign the Nomination of Rotimi Akeredolu, SAN for the Governorship election. While the Court of Appeal acknowledged that it was violation of the Constitution, it still went ahead to dismiss the appeal.”
Online Editor by — June 17, 2021 in Politics 0
JAMB Releases 2021 Mock Result

The Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has released the result of the 2021 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) mock exam  which was conducted  penultimate week
 “The result of the mock examination conducted on the June 3 is now on our website. Candidates can check their results by visiting www.jamb.gov.ng (click on quick link then log on to e facility to provide registration number to check the result),” JAMB’s spokesman,Dr.Fabian Benjamin,said in a statement
He said  a total of 160,718 candidates indicated interest to sit for the examination but only 62,780 turned out for the mock exercise whose results are now released.
Online Editor by — June 17, 2021 in Education 0
 FG Commences  Mining Exploration In Kwara

How we changed 100 years of 'colonial' strategy through NIMEP – DG NGSA - The Point
The Federal government  has  commenced a multi-million naira mining exploration drive in seven local government areas of Kwara state to attract local and foreign investors into the sector.
 The Director General of the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA), Dr. Abdulrazaq Garba, who  disclosed  this in Ilorin,said  the development  was aimed at diversifying revenue base of the economy, generate employment opportunities, and increase internally generated revenue drive of both the state and federal governments.
According to him, the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development will  commence airborne geophysical survey to generate mining information and data about potential mineral resources in the Asa, Ilorin West, Moro, Oyun, Irepodun, Offa, and Oke Ero local government areas of the state.
He explained  that the aircrafts deployed for the missions will fly at low altitudes, adding that  residents should  not panic over the low-flying aircrafts.
Online Editor by — June 17, 2021 in News 0
‘How Free Trade Zones Can Add Optimum Value’

FG appoints new NEPZA board chairman
The Board chairman of Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA),Alhaji Adamu Fanda,has advocated the need to  cede  the operation of Free Trade Zone  to the private sector while still reserving its regulatory powers.
He gave the advice when the Senate Committee on Industry, Trade and Investment visited  some free trade zones  in Lagos.
He said:”The country’s free trade zone can only be successful like those of China and UAE if built on cost benefit analysis. It will be more profitable with the private sector taking full charge while NEPZA supervises”
He  added that the Authority would perform better if placed under the supervision of the Presidency, saying that was the position in all of the countries where the scheme had succeeded.
“The United Arab Emirate adopted this scheme in 1987 while Nigeria embraced it in 1992, leaving UAE to just be ahead of us with just five years. UAE has used FTZ to attain inconceivable development strides but our case is different’’, Fanda said.
The Managing Director of NEPZA,Prof. Adesoji Adesugba,  said the Authority was working assiduously to ensure that the scheme was turned around to deliver the quantum of deliverables commensurate with government investment in the sector.
Meanwhile, the Senate Committee on Industry, Trade and Investment has urged the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) to vigorously push for the amendment of its Act to tie all loose ends in its mandate of regulating the country’s free trade zone scheme without further delay.
Sen. Francis Fadahunsi, Chairman of the committee  the  perennial crisis between NEPZA and the Onne Oil and Gas Export Free Zone Authority (OGEFZA) must be put to rest, adding, that the existing laws that established both agencies gave them distinct functions.
He said:“going by NEPZA Act 63 of 1992, the Authority is bestowed with the sole mandate of regulating the Nigeria’s Free Trade Zone Scheme. NEPZA by this Act is a regulatory body.”
He explained that OGEFZA was also a creation of the Parliament in 1994 with a clear mandate to operate as a zone in the downstream sector in Onne and Okpokri in River State.
“If the agency wanted to enlarge its powers to cover the entire country, the operators should also come up with a bill seeking amendment of the Act. OGEFZA has never been a regulatory body,”Fadahunsi said.
He said the Committee was more concerned with the two agencies performing their duties to grow employment and revenue for the government, adding that the regular squabbles were clear act of economic sabotages that government would no longer condone.
He expressed satisfaction with the huge contributions of zones and their enterprises to the national economy, adding that the new NEPZA management had ignited the return of confidence and passion of the operators of the scheme.
According to him, while the committee will insist on the operators remaining faithful with payment of levies to the relevant agencies of government, it will, however, ensure that the business environment is made less cumbersome to operate in.
Fadahunsi further said that the zones and enterprises should frequently adopt back-up integration where local partnerships were encouraged for speedy transfer of technology and economic growth.
Online Editor by — June 17, 2021 in News 0
Poverty:PDP Says  World Bank Report Reveals APC’s Lies

Poverty: World Bank report exposes Buhari presidency, APC's lies ― PDP | Tribune Online
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),says that the report by World Bank that seven million Nigerians have been pushed into poverty in the last one year, was ironical  to the integrity posturing of President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The PDP, in a statement by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan  said that the report by the World Bank has further vindicated its position that President Buhari runs an uncoordinated and clueless administration that thrives on lies, false performance claims, deceit and perfidious propaganda.
“Nigerans can now clearly see why the APC and President Buhari’s handlers are always in a frenzy to attack our party and other well-meaning Nigerians whenever we point to the poor handling of the economy and on the need for President Buhari to always be factual on pertinent issues of governance in our country.
“Unfortunately, it indeed appears that Mr. President enjoys living in denial while watching millions of Nigerians go down in abject poverty, excruciating hunger and starvation as our country now ranks 98th out of 107 in Global Hunger Index under his watch.
“Otherwise why would Mr. President claim that his administration has lifted over 10.5 million Nigerians out of poverty while official figures even from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) show worsening poverty rate with 142.2% growth in food inflation and over 82.9 million Nigerians being unable to afford their daily meals due to the failure of the administration to take practical steps to grow and protect the food sector?
“Under President Buhari, Nigerians are now subjected to the worst form of poverty and hardship, with collapsed purchasing power, occasioned by a voodoo economy management that have wrecked our productive sectors and pummeled our naira from the about N167 to a US dollar in 2015 to the current over N500 per dollar,” the party said.
PDP said that it is unfortunate that Mr. President will choose to always bandy fictitious figures and false performance claims, when he has, in a space of six years, destroyed the national productivity and reduced the country to a beggarly nation, a laughing stock and object of pity among the comity of nations.
The PDP urged Nigerians to note President Buhari and APC’s similar false performance claims in other critical sectors, including power, transportation, road infrastructure, health, education, agriculture, security, aviation among others, where the Buhari administration has been bandying fictitious figures with no tangible project to point at.
“Our party counsels President Buhari, his handlers as well as their party, the APC, to note that Nigerians have seen through their deceitful clams,” the party said.
Online Editor by — June 17, 2021 in Politics 0
 Gov Sule Invokes  No-Work-No-Pay  Order On Striking Workers 

Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarrawa State  has invoked the principle of no-work-no-pay for  civil servants in the state who  embarked on indefinite strike.
He disclosed  in a statement issued by Secretary to the government of Nasarawa State Barrister Mohammed Aliyu Obandoma .
He explained  that in order  to address issues raised by labour, his administration set up various committees to look into the implementation of promotions, minimum wage, percentage payment of salaries and pension as well as arrears of salaries inherited from the previous administration.
He said:” Despite the lean resources accruing to the State and the effect of COVID-19 pandemic that affected national and global economy, Government fulfilled its obligations by consistent payment of 100% salaries and pension to the State Civil Servants, payments of two  trenches of the 2016 arrears and full implementation of new minimum wage among others. Government is dismayed by the action of the Organized Labour to embark on the indefinite strike action, especially the picketing of offices thereby depriving workers from gaining access to their offices. This is inspite of concerted efforts by Government to remedy the situation through amicable resolutions.
“Government is not opposed to the strike action embarked by the Organized Labour, it however, enjoined them to operate within the confine of the law”
In order to engagement  dialogue with the organized labour,  government has constituted an 11-man committtee to find lasting solution to the crisis.
He has directed security agencies to deploy personnel to man all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in order to maintain law and order in the state.
Online Editor by — June 17, 2021 in Labour/Human Resources 0
 Baba Ijesha  Arraigned Over Alleged Sexual Assault

Actor `Baba Ijesha' arraigned for alleged sexual assault
Popular Yoruba actor, Omiyinka Olanrewaju otherwise known as Baba Ijesha has been  arraigned  before a Lagos Magistrate Court sitting in Yaba over alleged sexual assault and abuse of a minor.
He was arraigned on charges bordering on alleged indecent treatment of a child, defilement of a Child, sexual assault by penetration, attempted sexual assault by penetration and sexual assault-which contravenes sections 135, 137, 261, 202, 262 and 263 of the Lagos State Criminal Law 2015.
He  pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against him by the police.
The prosecutor , S.A Adebesin told  the  court  that an information had been filed before the High Court on the matter by the state prosecution.
Following the submission, the counsel to the defendant, Kayode Olabiran made a fresh application for bail of Mr Olanrewaju.
Counsel to the defendant, Olabiran urged the Magistrate to grant the defendant bail on compassionate ground, and base on health ground.
“We are applying for bail on a compassionate ground and in the interest of justice,” he said.
Mobolaji Owoebute-Okedeji, a counsel from the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP) opposed the bail.
“The matter has already been filed at the High Court,”  he said, giving reason for his opposition.
Magistrate Nwaka said he cannot grant the defendant bail because there are indications that the case will commence at the High court.
This is a situation of lack of jurisdiction, because once a case is filed at an upper court, the lower court, being the magistrate in this case, ceases to have jurisdiction over same matter.
“I have carefully considered the application of the counsel to the defendant seeking bail for the defendant and the opposition by the counsel from the DPP. Since there are indications that the matter is before the high court and the defendant will appear before the court, no bail can be given.
” The defendant must be accorded full medical attention by the authorities pending his arraignment at the high court,” the magistrate said.
Nwaka thereafter adjourned the matter till July 13 for mention.
Online Editor by — June 17, 2021 in Law/Human Rights 0