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NNPC Blames Pipeline Vandalism On Gas Shortage

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11 years ago

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The Nigerian National Pe
troleum Corporation (NNPC) last Monday blamed the recent drop in gas supply for power generation on pipeline vandalism.
The Group Managing Director (GMD) of NNPC, Mr Andrew Yakubu, who stated this during a news conference in Abuja, said about N800 million had been spent on the ongoing repair of the pipelines.
Yakubu attributed the incident to outright sabotage of some crucial gas pipelines, which he said, had significantly eroded available gas supply to the power plants.
He said that as at last weekend, over 30 per cent (480 MMsf/d) of the installed gas supply capacity was out due mainly to vandalism.
The GMD said that the lost gas was equivalent to the gas requirement to generate about 1,600 MW of electricity.
He listed the pipelines involved to include the Escravos-Warri stretch of the Escravos Lagos Pipeline System (ELPS) which accounted for (190 mmcf/d) and the Trans-Forcados crude pipeline (230 mmcf/d).
“The remaining supply shortfall is due to maintenance issues at Utorogu gas plant (60 mmcf/d).
“The outage on the ELPS has been on for over six months due to willful acts of vandalism at various locations between Escravos and Egwa location,’’ the GMD said.
He said that an explosion rocked the ELPS and investigation revealed that a dynamite had been used on four ruptured points on June 25, 2013.
Yakubu said that engineers from the Nigerian Gas Company (NGC) were mobilised immediately to commence repair works, but as repairs progressed, more points of rupture emerged.
“At the last count, 20 ruptured points have been identified, all due to deliberate dynamite explosion.
“NGC completed repairs in November and on commissioning in December, rapid pressure loss was experienced indicating further rupture in weakened locations.
“We have since effected repair on these new points and re-commenced commissioning activities,’’ he said.
The GMD, however, gave assurance that gas supply would be reinstated in the next three or five weeks at the completion of various repairs, which is expected to bring a major improvement in power supply.
He said that the cumulative effect of the above interruptions was the degradation of power supply to Nigerians.
Yakubu said that the Ministry of Petroleum and NNPC would continue to make efforts to ensure gas supply in the difficult environment.
He also said there would be additional 450 mmcf/d supply from various ongoing projects to bridge the growing demand by the power sector between 2014 and 2016.
“By the end of Q2/Q3 2014, additional 200 mmcf/d of gas is expected from two NPDC projects at Utorogu and Oredo.
“In addition, with the planned completion of the Omoku and Alaoji NIPP power plants, further boost in generation is expected as both plants have gas supply available awaiting completion of the power plants,’’ the GMD assured. .
He said that many other projects were expected to mature progressively among which would be the East-West pipeline expected to be completed in 2016.
According to him this will bring a major boost in gas supply as over 250 mmcf/d of gas stranded in the East will be diverted to meet the growing power demand.

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NPA Assures On Staff Welfare 

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1 week ago

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June 27, 2025

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The Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, has said the management will continue to accompany its port infrastructure  and equipment  modernization drive  with the development of the welfare of its personnel.
Dantsoho made the disclosure recently while responding to the commendation by the Maritime Workers Union (MWUN) and the senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government-Owned Companies (SSASGOC) on the  clearing  of the age-long problem of employee stagnation, when the union paid him a courtesy visit at the Authority’s headquarters in Lagos.
A Statement by NPA’s General Manager Corporate & Strategic Communications, Mr. Ikechukwu Onyemekara, quoted Dantsoho as saying,  “our Port infrastructure and equipment modernization drive will go hand-in-hand with continuous staff welfare improvement”.
The NPA MD disclosed that human capital development constitutes the key strategy for creating and sustaining superior performance under his watch, adding that “talent development constitutes a critical success factor for the actualization of the big hairy audacious goals we have set for ourselves especially in the area of Port competitiveness.
“The only way we can meet and indeed exceed stakeholders’ expectations is to deepen the competencies of our human resources assets and boosting their morale.”
Speaking further, Dantsoho commended the Honourable Minister of Marine & Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, for approving the strategic proposal of the Dantsoho-led Management team that solved the over a decade-long problem of lack of promotion that had fuelled industrial disharmony.
“I must specially appreciate our amiable Minister for graciously approving the multi-pronged stratagem we deployed that cleared all outstanding cases of employee stagnation by conducting examinations in one fell swoop and instituted timelines to forestall a recurrence of such anomaly”, he sad.
Speaking on behalf of the joint maritime labour unions, the President  of Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations & Government-Owned Companies (SSASCGOC), Comrade Bodunde stated, “In addition to clearance of the backlog of stagnated promotions, we also wish to express our appreciation for the increase in productivity bonuses, provision of end-of-year welfare packages for staff, and the revision of the Financial Guide to the Condition of Service, which now addresses our members’ concerns about inflationary pressures.”
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
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ANLCA Chieftain Emerges FELCBA’s VP

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1 week ago

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June 27, 2025

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National Secretary of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Elder Olumide Fakanlu, has been elected Vice President of the Federation of ECOWAS Licensed Customs Brokers Association (FELCBA).
The election took place during the FELCBA Congress, held from Tuesday, June 17th to Thursday, June 19th, 2025, in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Fakanlu’s emergence as Vice President marks a significant achievement for Nigeria within the regional customs brokerage community.
Apart from Fakanlu, Secretary of the Seme Chapter of ANLCA, Austin Nwosu, was also elected, securing the role of Secretary of Relations with Institutions.
The Nigerian delegation played an active role in the congress, with Michael Ebeatu nominated as a member of the electoral officer team, ensuring a fair and transparent election process.
The three-day congress concluded with delegates undertaking a visit to the Sierra Leone Port, offering insights into the host nation’s maritime operations, followed by a recreational trip to the Tokeh Beach.
The newly elected executives are expected to lead FELCBA in its efforts to harmonize customs brokerage practices, promote trade facilitation, and advocate for the interests of licensed customs brokers across the ECOWAS sub-region.
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
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NSC, Police Boost Partnership On Port Enforcement 

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1 week ago

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June 27, 2025

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In a bid to enhance more enforcement in the nation’s Port, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has reaffirmed its commitment to stronger inter-agency collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
The Council said the collaboration is aimed at enhancing stronger enforcement, compliance and improve operational efficiency across Nigeria’s ports.
Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of  NSC, Dr. Pius Akutah, made this known during a visit to the  Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, at the Force Headquarters, Abuja.
The visit, which he said, focused on strengthening institutional synergy, comes in the wake of growing responsibilities for the NSC under the newly created Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.
Akutah emphasized the critical role of security agencies in supporting port operations and ensuring regulatory compliance.
He called for the posting of police officers to assist the Council’s monitoring and enforcement teams at key port locations including Lagos, Warri, Onne, Port Harcourt, and Calabar.
“The posting will complement the activities of our revived task teams and enhance our ability to enforce standards across the maritime logistics chain”, he said.
Earlier, the Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Egbetokun, assured the Council of the Force’s readiness to continue supporting the growth of the maritime sector.
The IGP acknowledged that compliance enforcement is essential to the successful implementation of Nigeria’s Blue Economy objectives.
“The NSC and NPF are expected to deepen collaboration in the months ahead, with a shared focus on building a secure, efficient, and competitive port environment”, to the IGP emphasized.
Chinedu Wosu
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