All Posts in "Day: February 25, 2024"

NESG,Foundation Partner To Strengthen Nigeria’s Energy Transition

  Mohammed Shosanya
The Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) in partnership with the African Climate Foundation (ACF), recently held a private sector stakeholder engagement to strengthen public-private collaboration to implement Nigeria’s energy transition plan and develop the carbon market, aiming for socio-economic benefits.
Speaking,Mrs Dolapo Kukoyi, Thematic Lead, Climate Change and Green Economy of NESG Sustainability Policy Commission, explained that the objectives of the project was to share information and create policies that will support energy transition and development.
According to her,it would also unlock opportunities in the energy sector and carbon market, increase climate change resilience and economic growth, as well as create private sector jobs and research opportunities.
She also noted the importance of strengthening public-private engagement, whilst supporting interventions that drive socio-economic improvement.
Also speaking,Mr Zira Quaghe of the African Climate Foundation, noted that the private sector was crucial for financing the energy transition.
He said, 80 per cent of the financing plan for energy transition should come from the private sector and the government should drive the policies while ensuring they set targets, pace, for the regulatory and policy framework.’’
 He also said that his organisation was concerned with climate finance and since 2022, they had entered 12 partnerships to boost energy transition and carbon finance.
He reiterated the need for Nigeria to adopt a paradigm for economic transformation as a way of increasing energy access, job creation opportunities and economic diversification.
Dr Segun Adaju, the facilitator of the Energy Policy Commission of NESG, said in his presentation on the Nigerian Energy Transition Plan, that Nigeria launched her energy transition plan in 2022 with the aim to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty and drive economic growth.
 According to him, this economic growth was to bring modern energy access to all Nigerians.
He said that it would help manage job losses in the oil sector due to the reduced global fossil-fuel even as the country will play a leadership role for Africa by promoting a fair, inclusive, and equitable energy transition on the continent by streamlining existing and new government- related energy transition initiatives.
 Adaju added that, some of the challenges that the Nigerian Transition project had revealed as,Inadequate and expensive financing, lack of political will and stakeholder coordination, Low Public Awareness and skills, Misaligned public and private sector interests and Lack of comprehensive policies and enabling environment.’’
 He proposed that the incentives required from the government to the Private Sector should include favourable Monetary and Fiscal Policies, Improved stakeholder coordination and enabling business environment.
Dr Eugene Itua, the facilitator of the Sustainability Policy Commission of the NESG, in his presentation on the Carbon Market Landscape in Nigeria, emphasized the importance of the carbon market for Nigeria’s energy transition and the need for better policies, capacity building, and inclusivity to make it work for everyone.
He noted that the carbon market was valuable saying, it helps access finance and achieve climate goals (Nationally Determined Contributions) for Nigeria.
He noted the low participation of stakeholders in the carbon market noting that only 35 per cent of stakeholders are involved in projects like clean cooking and solar energy in the voluntary carbon market.
He advocated the need for the government to support the projects and encourage participation through clear policies, training, tax breaks, and investment.
Ms Eyono Fatayi-Williams, President of Women in Energy Network, emphasized the importance of building a framework that would benefit the women, saying they are impacted the most.
admin by — February 25, 2024 in Oil&Gas 0
NLNG Calls For Entries To Literary,Science Prizes

Mohammed Shosanya

The Advisory Boards for The Nigeria Prize for Science, The Nigeria Prize for Literature and The Nigeria Prize for Literary Criticism,sponsored by Nigeria LNG (NLNG) Limited, have published the Call for Entries for the 2024 edition of the prizes, flagging off this year’s competitions.

The Science and Literature prizes, which are now in their 20th year, each come with a cash prize of $100, 000 while the Prize for Literary Criticism has prize money of $10,000.

 

The Nigeria Prize for Science recognises outstanding scientific achievements by Nigerians and non-Nigerians and will focus on Innovations and Technologies for Reducing the Effects of Climate Change as the theme for this year.

 

The Nigeria Prize for Literature, on the other hand, will focus on Children’s Literature. The prize, which honours the author of the best book by a Nigerian, rotates among four literary genres, namely Prose Fiction, Poetry, Drama and Children’s Literature.

 

The Literary Criticism Prize, which theme is on Children’s Literature, also aims to promote Nigerian Literature, will receive entries on works in literary criticism of Nigerian Literature, especially critical essays on new writings in Nigerian Literature.

 

The Call for Entries for the Literature prize and Literary Criticism will close on 2nd April 2024 while the window for the science prize will close on 30th April 2024,a statement said.

 

Professor Saleh Abdu chairs the panel of judges for this year’s Literature and the Literary Criticism competition. Professor Abdu is a Professor of English at the Federal University of Kashere, Gombe State.

He has taught courses mostly in Literature at various levels. He also served in Bayero University Kano and Federal University of Kashere, Gombe State, as Head of Department (HOD), Faculty Sub-Dean, Dean of Faculty, Chair of Senate, Management and Council Committees. He has authored and co-authored several books including his Poet of the People’s Republic: Reading the Poetry of Niyi Osundare (2003).

 

Other panel members include Professor Vicky Sylvester and Dr. Igudia Osarobu. Professor Sylvester is a writer who has been teaching at the Department of English, University of Abuja. Her prolific writing career has produced numerous award-winning novels, poems, and academic works.  Dr. Osarobu is a Doctor of Philosophy at the Department of Library Archival & Information Studies, University of Ibadan, Oyo State.

 

The Advisory Board also announced Dr. Christopher Okemwa as the International Consultant. Dr. Okemwa is a Doctor of Poetry, Drama & Creative Writing, and he is a Literature Lecturer in Kisii University, Kenya.

 

The winners of the Nigeria Prize for Literature and the Nigeria Prize for Literary Criticism, if any, will be announced at an award ceremony in October 2024 to commemorate the anniversary of the first LNG export from the NLNG’s Plant on October 9, 1999.

The Science Prize winner will be revealed in September 2024.

The Nigeria Prize for Literature and The Nigeria Prize for Science are part of NLNG’s contribution towards helping to build a better Nigeria.

admin by — February 25, 2024 in Arts/Entertainment 0
Nigerian Content: Shell Engages More Local Contractors In Key Projects

Mohammed Shosanya

Shell is promoting Nigerian content with the involvement of more indigenous companies executing key contracts in oil and gas operations on land and in deep water.

 

According to the company,indigenous contractors deployed a technology for automated tank cleaning at Bonny Terminal for The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC), while locally manufactured stud bolts, nuts and flanges as well as sand screens are being used for well operations.

 

Last year, Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited (SNEPCo) deployed a team of 33 companies, 87% of whom were Nigerian owned, to successfully deliver the Bonga Turn Around Maintenance in eight days ahead of schedule saving on downtime on Bonga.

 

“Nigerian content is a business enabler for Shell, so, it is in our interest to help build the capacity of Nigerian contractors to handle key contracts,” Shell’s General Manager, Nigerian Content Development, ‘Lanre Olawuyi, said at a panel session on Nigerian content at the just-concluded 8th Sub-Saharan Africa International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (SAIPEC) in Lagos. He was represented by Manager, NCD Capacity and Supplier Development, Kenechukwu Akubue.

 

Shell has taken steps to support the target of increasing overall Nigerian content in the oil and gas industry from 20 percent in 2010 to 70 percent by 2070, through contract awards. In 2022 alone, Shell companies in Nigeria awarded contracts worth over $1.9bln to Nigeria registered companies, of which 61% of were indigenous companies with 51% or more Nigerian ownership.

 

Pursuant to the vision of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) for 50,000 indigenous oil and gas professionals with postgraduate qualifications by 2027, Shell and its partners are implementing the Niger Delta Post Graduate Scholarship, with more than 106 beneficiaries studying for master’s degree programmes at top universities in the United Kingdom.

 

Mr. Olawuyi said: “Shell is grateful for the support of stakeholders, including the NCDMB, our partners and contractors in efforts to promote Nigerian content and we hope to continue the collaboration to further grow this aspect of our business.”

 

In one of the highlights of the 2024 SAIPEC, SNEPCo emerged the winner of the International Oil Company of the Year 2024 award, which the organisers of the conference, Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN) handed out at the awards dinner.

 

In 2005, SNEPCo began production at Bonga, Nigeria’s first oil and gas development in more than 1,000 metres of water, using one of the world’s largest floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessels.

The operations have resulted in remittance of taxes and royalties to the Nigerian Government, payment of fees to statutory bodies such as the Niger Delta Development Commission and development of indigenous contactors and service providers.

Some 97% of SNEPCo workforce is Nigerian and overall, Bonga has helped to create a new generation of Nigerian deep-water professionals,the company said in a statement on Sunday.

admin by — February 25, 2024 in Oil&Gas 0
FG Plans To Disrupt Hunger Protest-NLC

  Mohammed Shosanya
The Nigeria Labour Congress has accused the Federal Government of perfecting plans to disrupt the  February 27 and 28 hunger protest in the country.
The Nigeria Labour Congress had fixed February 27 and 28 to mobilise its members across the country to protest what they feel is unbearable economic hardship on the people, especially with regards to the policies of government since it officially  removed subsidy on fuel.
The Department of State Services DSS also warned the Labour group against staging a protest, citing the possibility of it being hijacked by non state actors to disrupt public peace.
The NLC had reacted to the warning from the DSS said it was offering unsolicited advise.
President of NLC, Joe Ajaero on Sunday, raised the allegations in a statement to the media, saying we would want to inform  Nigerians that the State  has perfected plans to attack our peaceful rallies across the country.
He alleged that one of the groups being primed to attack our peaceful rallies is  by a nebulous name, Nigeria Civil Society Forum (NCSF).
According to the NLC leadership, NCSF is one of the emergency groups put together, funded, promoted and remote-controlled by government to cause violence against our members for electing to peacefully  protest against the hunger in the land.
He said the Nigerian State should know that the solution to our horrible economic situation and hunger is not by suppressing peaceful dissent or inflicting violence on peacefully protesting citizens as the government did in Minna and other cities where its agents tear-gassed and beat up women before locking them up for raising their voice against hunger.
Ajaero said the solution does not lie in the deployment of State -sponsored terror, stressing that the pangs of hunger cannot be cowed by  bullets or tear gas.
He stated:”In light of this, we at the Nigeria Labour Congress and civil society allies are moving ahead with our  protest rallies against economic hardship and insecurity in line with the decision of the National Executive Council.
“As citizens, we have a fundamental right to peaceful protest and history bears us witness that our protests  are always peaceful except in instances of State-engineered violence.
“In light of this, we advise the State  to put on its thinking cap and find solutions to the pains it continues to cause the people instead of  further dehumanising them.
“If it is irrevocably set on the path of violence against us and other peace-loving  Nigerians, it will be making a costly mistake because if we are attacked there will be a total shut down via withdrawal of services by workers. Let no one be deceived, we and other deprived Nigerians cannot easily be intimidated.
“Lest those in power now who may have forgotten be reminded, we faced a more resourceful and  resilient adversary  in order to have democracy. All we are saying now is that; let there be food for the people, _let the people live in safety, let the people live a life of dignity devoid of suffocating  IMF/World Bank economic policies.
“Once again we advise those waiting in the wings to unleash violence on us that this is not about the NLC but about Nigerians who are saying “enough is enough”, about a people who have resolved not to be further pushed into the pit of misery and hopelessness, while a few live in obscene luxury at our collective  expense.
“We are by this statement calling the attention of the international human rights body and the governments of the African Union and the United Nations that the right of the people to  peacefully  protest and demand for freedom from economic slavery and hardship is being threatened by the Nigerian  State.
“We however remain resolute, determined and prepared to express our pain and  grief in a peaceful manner as Nigerians come 27th and 28th of February 2024”.
admin by — February 25, 2024 in Labour/Human Resources 0
Enugu: Police Arrest Fake Philanthropist, Recover Bags Of Rice

Mohammed Shosanya
The Police Command in Enugu State has arrested a fake philanthropist and recovered fraudulently obtained bags of rice within Enugu metropolis.
The Command’s Spokesman, DSP Daniel Ndukwe, said in a statement on Sunday that the swift response of police operatives serving in the Ogui Police Division led to arrest of one Joseph Nnamani, 45.
He noted that if not for police intervention, Nnamani would have successfully defrauded a businessman of 18 bags of rice valued at about N400,000 under the guise of buying and using the rice for charity at a church on Feb. 14, 2024, Valentine’s Day.
“On Valentine’s Day, Nnamani went to the premises of a church (name withheld) in Ogui, Enugu, from where he called the businessman (names withheld) on the phone, requesting 18 pieces of 25kg bags of rice with the pretense of wanting to use the same for charity to the church.
“The businessman accordingly supplied the rice and unsuspectingly followed Nnamani to the bank to receive his payment through bank transfer.
“But in the course of effecting the payment, Nnamani secretly left the bank, went back to the church, and made away with the bags of rice to an unknown destination.
“The suspect, however, could not run or hide for so long, as police operatives, upon receiving the report, embarked on an intelligence-driven investigation, which led to his arrest on Feb. 20, 2024, at Enene, Enugu,” he said.
He noted that upon his arrest, eight out of the 18 25kg bags of rice were recovered from him, after he had re-bagged and sold the other bags at Oye Emene Market, Enugu.
Ndukwe said the suspect and his cohorts would definitely have a date with the court of law once investigations are concluded on the matter.
“The citizenry, particularly businessmen and women, are hereby advised to always be security conscious and wary of whom and how they transact businesses in such circumstances, to avoid falling prey to fraudulent suspects like Nnamani.
“Additionally, while the investigation lasts, person(s) who may have suffered a similar act of fraud by the suspect, are encouraged to report to the mentioned police division to volunteer relevant information,” he added.
admin by — February 25, 2024 in Crime/Metro 0
Mainstream Foundation Flaunts Scorecard 7years After Creation

Mohammed Shosanya
For Mainstream Foundation, the humanitarian arm of Mainstream Energy Solutions Limited (MESL), seven years of its creation represents a period of stocktaking of its value addition in its key intervention areas of health, education, environment and community empowerment.
The Foundation has remained true to the intent and philosophy of its drivers and was clear from inception on how it will distinctively impact positively on lives without consideration for profit.
Funded by 1% of MESL’s gross revenue, the Foundation has continued to make a profound impact through its interventions that have elevated human value in MESL’s host communities.
This is why on their 7th anniversary,the Foundation can proudly highlight its achievements which further emphasize an uncommon vision to conquer the humanitarian space through consistent value addition.
To provide context to its achievements so far, since its inception in 2016, Mainstream Foundation has executed intervention projects in 71 schools across its catchment area.
Besides,schools that have experienced neglect and a poor maintenance culture of subsequent governments have enjoyed comprehensive overhauls with the construction of a total of 317 classrooms which have also been furnished with over 10,603 desks and chairs.
In a practical demonstration of its commitment to the well-being of people groups and focusing on health, the Foundation has also constructed and equipped 10 community health centres and 13 clinics in the 7 years of its existence.
Furthermore,the Foundation has successfully carried out 26 medical outreaches in which it examined 15,773 patients by qualified doctors in various fields of specialization.
 It also executed 409 vesicovaginal fistula surgeries, 976 cataract surgeries and 214 general surgeries after which it collaborated with the Raise Foundation in life-changing surgeries.
Mainstream Foundation in 7 years has also distributed 2012 eyeglasses and free medication to residents of beneficiary communities. 300 boreholes have been delivered thereby providing potable water to over 800 communities.
Pursuant to its drive for robust community empowerment,Mainstream Foundation, established 7 rice, 3 garri and 1 groundnut processing mill thereby adding economic value and convenience to the subsistent farmers who benefit from the use of these investments.
 The Foundation also procured,installed and energized 88 power transformers enabling electricity supply to various households and SMEs.
In the area of capacity building, the Foundation has trained 40 individuals in catering through its collaboration with R & B Kitchen-a catering business situated in Abuja. 60 individuals received training in fisheries and poultry at the Federal College of Education in Kontagora, while 63 candidates were sponsored to the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria, NAPTIN.
The Foundation has also facilitated the training of 100 beneficiaries at the Skills Upgrade and Vocational Centre in Kaduna, where starter packs and grants were donated to graduates.
With respect to the environment, Mainstream Foundation has constructed 12 major culverts and 7 bridges enhancing interconnectivity between neighbouring communities and impacting positively on trade.
The Foundation has also planted over 20,000 economic trees in various communities, thus contributing its quota towards combatting deforestation, climate change and the economic empowerment of the communities.
Beneficiaries of the Foundation’s gesture have continued to show their appreciation over the immense changes that their communities have enjoyed over the years.
As expressed by one of the beneficiaries of portable water in Fanga village of Niger state, “I thought they were just empty promises when they talked about drilling us a borehole. But they came back and actually did it.”
Another beneficiary,one Yakubu Mohammed also wrote: “We, the youths association surely testify of such development. It is not mere political propaganda, they (Mainstream) are real. We are surprised with wonders. All our requests are being fulfilled that we are even shy to request for more.
“We also thought it was our constitutional right, but we lived with the Federal Government NEPA or PHCN for over 30 years now, but none like these. We conclude and say it is a privilege from God to the community”
 Federal Ministries,National Hospital,State  and local governments,as well as private concerns in the  country have benefitted immensely from the Foundation’s humanitarianism since its birth.
They poured out their hearts in an appreciation letters obtained by Premium News,wherein they  also commended the Foundation for living up to its set objectives and appreciably intervening in areas that have given improved meaning to life.
Having facilitated the aforementioned interventions in its various focal areas to the tune of over 7.1 billion naira, the Foundation is not resting on its oars in positively impacting lives and building a strong heritage of service and value.
Their mantra, “we will do more” is a strong indication of the many more interventions ahead of them and unquenchable appetite to serve humanity.
admin by — February 25, 2024 in Brands&Marketing 0