Business

Still In Projects’ Business: The NEW Example

Published

7 years ago

September 3, 2018

It was our Lord Jesus Christ who declared in Luke 9:62 that : “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God”. This is the guiding principle of Nigeria’s best performing governor , Nyesom Ezenwo Wike.
Despite the electioneering period, Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has continued the funding and delivery of key projects in different parts of the state.
The governor remains committed to the completion of ongoing projects in the interest of the people of the state. In Rivers West and Rivers South-East Senatorial Districts, key projects are ongoing to improve the living condition of the people.
Speaking on projects delivery recently, Governor Wike said that his administration will never abandon any project because the revival of Rivers State is more important than any other consideration.
The governor said that the reason why he is in politics is to move the state forward and transform the lives of the people.
In Rivers West Senatorial District, Government Secondary School Okarki in Ahoada West Local Government Area flagged off for reconstruction by Governor Wike is progressing satisfactorily.
The people of the area are happy with the progress of work. They endorsed Governor Wike for a second term, stating that he needs time to continue with his projects delivery.
Chairman of Ahoada West Local Government Area, Honourable Hope Ikiriko, captures the importance of Governor Wike’s projects in the area.
He said: The governor has done two basic projects in Ahoada West Local Government Area. One in the educational sector and the other in basic infrastructure,which is a road project. Government Secondary School in Okarki is an old school that has been there since the 60s and subsequent administrations just watched the school, go down and decay. The school was no more, in fact we can’t even remember students who go there again, just one structure that was there but he came in and saw that the dreams of our founding fathers were eroded and he took it upon himself to bring the school back to life.
“So what we have there now is a complete high school facility, which has to do with laboratory, classrooms, administration blocks, hostels, dining , ICT and sports facilities. It has brought back the basic dream and vision of any government as it was before, if you go there now the project that started few months ago is nearing completion.
“The other one is the road project at Ojoko. The road was abandoned for so many years. Our governor now has come back, to reconstruct the road. If you go there now,it is a wonderful road. These two projects, I can say, if you carry out the need assessment in the area, you will realise that these are the two major things that the people need. That is why I give credit to our Governor for feeling the pains of the people. He does not just site projects here and there. He sites projects that impact on the people, like the secondary school, it has brought up several great men in Ahoada West Local Government Area.”
Also, Mr. Gift Ade from Okarki community thanked the Rivers State Governor for his investment in the reconstruction of the Government Secondary School, Okarki. He said that the community will repay him by voting massively for him in 2019.
Ade said: “We are voting him to power for him to continue his job. Previously, the place was not functioning. The building was not in good order. They are bringing back the secondary school to life. We pray that God should give him more grace so that he will continue doing our projects. He is trying for us, he even promised to do our road. We thank Governor Wike very much, we welcome him, by 2019,we will endorse him to continue”.
Harry Ogono, a native of Okarki, had this to say: “I was a civil servant before, a retired civil servant. We thank our Governor so much. We don’t know that he can do such a good thing for us, here in Okarki. This project will lift us up and give us a name.”
The intervention of Governor Wike in Asari-Toru LGA is legendary. The General Hospital, Buguma has been reconstructed. The project will be delivered in the coming weeks. The state government is ready to equip the health facility in line with the goal of the administration.
In addition, the Rivers State Governor is expanding the landscape of Asari-Toru Local Government Area through the sand-filling and land reclamation project at Abalama.
Chairman of Asari-Toru Local Government Area Chief Odiari Princewill, praised the Rivers State Governor for the two projects that have impacted the lives of the people.
He said: “His Excellency, Ezenwo Wike, the Governor of Rivers State, I say thank you for giving us something like this. This hospital has been neglected for long. For more than twenty years , nobody was coming here. Now everything has changed. The hospital is now alive”.
On the Abalama sand-filling project, Mr Ofori Brown said: “I am a bonifide member of Abalama, the Alabama of Kalabari land . Right here, where I am standing had been a mangrove, entirely covered with mangrove trees and water, but because Abalama is entirely for Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and because our sons, Alabo George Kelly, Enemi Alabo George and the rest of us worked tirelessly with his Excellency, Mr Project, he promised us a project and today it is a living testimony because where I am standing, there is a beautiful sand-filled project ongoing and the Governor has also in his magnanimity done couple of projects in Asari-Toru Local Government Area, like the General Hospital particularly in Buguma.”
Also on the project in Abalama, Mrs Tamunotonye Iyalla said the people of Asari-Toru Local Government Area will remain grateful to the Rivers State Governor for the Abalama sand-filling project which has improved the economy of the area.
In Khana Local Government Area, the dualisation of the iconic Sakpenwa-Bori road started by the Wike administration is nearing completion and getting ready for commissioning.
It is the same story at the Zonal Hospital, Bori . This project abandoned by the failed Amaechi administration at less than 20 per cent completion is about to be completed. Work has reached 85per cent completion.
The governor has vowed to continue the execution of projects, irrespective of the political reality of the time. From day one till when the governor’s mandate will be revalidated in 2019, work will continue unabated.
Governor Wike came for projects delivery and he is still in this life changing business. No local government area has been excluded from the rollout of projects. This is a united Rivers State, where everyone is given a sense of belonging.
Nwakaudu is Special Assistant to Rivers State Governor on Electronic Media.

Simeon Nwakaudu

Business

Nigeria’s ETF correction deepens as STANBICETF30, VETGRIF30 see 50% decline in a week

Published

1 day ago

February 23, 2026

The Tide

Nigeria directs all oil, gas revenues to federation account in sweeping reform

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has signed an order directing that all oil and gas revenues owed to the government be paid directly into the federation account, in sweeping reforms aimed at boosting public finances, the presidency said on Wednesday.

Under the law, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation keeps 30% of oil and gas profits for frontier exploration in inland basins. The presidency said those funds will now be paid into the federation account and appropriated by the government.

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NNPC also retains 30% of oil and gas sales as operational costs and receives 30% of proceeds from Production Sharing Contracts. Under the new directive, all revenues under these arrangements will flow directly to the federation account, while the company will instead receive appropriated management fees.

Royalty payments, petroleum profit taxes and other statutory revenues previously collected and retained by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) will also be paid directly into the Federation Account. The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) will likewise remit its revenues in full, with its cost of collection to be funded through appropriation.

Tinubu’s office said deductions enabled by the law had sharply reduced net oil inflows and contributed to fiscal strain across federal, state and local governments. The president also ordered a review of the law and established an implementation committee to enforce the changes.

Business

BOI Introduces Business Clinic

Published

1 day ago

February 23, 2026

The Tide

The Bank of Industry (BoI) has introduced a business clinic model designed to diagnose, treat and rehabilitate the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to ensure long-term growth and sustainability.

The Divisional Head, Business Development, BoI, Dr Obaro Osah, made this known at the bank’s Thrive Summit with the theme: “Driving Growth through Innovation and Financial Empowerment” on Tuesday in Lagos.

Osah noted that traditional banking often treated businesses as mere account opening and management relationships.

He said the BoI business clinic model was created to reimagine the essence of a bank as a specialised teaching hospital.

According to him, just as a hospital requires a thorough diagnosis before service treatment/surgery, the bank must analyse the structural health of a small business before injecting capital.

“Financial distress is often just a symptom, the disease lies in operations and adopted philosophy, strategy, or governance,” he said.

Osah noted the many MSMEs, in spite of their potential, suffer from recurring ailments: restricted cash flow, poor operational structure, lack of proper packaging and market access, poor management among others.

He said the bank’s triage and vital signs included screening SMEs by maturity stage, pulse check to assess cash flow and liquidity and market temperature to evaluate competitive landscape.

Osah said after these evaluation, advanced diagnostics, prescriptions, surgical interventions and recovery and rehabilitation would be carried out where necessary.

“Prescription without diagnosis is malpractice and the Thrive Summit ensures we treat the root cause, not just the symptoms,” he said.

The Chief Strategy and Development Officer, BoI, Dr Isa Omagu, noted that MSMEs needed more than finance to succeed.

Omagu said they needed structure, advisory, capacity building, governance, digital readiness, access to market information and the right business infrastructure to operate and scale effectively.

He said as part of the bank’s 2025-2027 Corporate Strategy, the business clinic would expand BoI’s value proposition to broaden its products and services to better reach target segments.

Omagu said by offering structured business advisory and project development support, the clinic would enable the bank deliver deeper, more holistic value to MSMEs beyond financing.

“This vision of a structured, holistic business clinic; one that strengthens MSMEs across all core business functions and makes them more bankable, competitive, digitally enabled, and sustainable, is fully aligned with our strategic initiative to develop and roll out non-financial product offerings.

“Through this initiative, BoI commits to providing business advisory for MSMEs and project lifecycle support for enterprises, and the business clinic serves as the practical platform through which this commitment comes to life,” he said.

Omagu urged MSMEs to apply the guidance received to strengthen structure, governance, and financial management.

He added that they must adopt digital tools and improve internal processes to boost competitiveness while engaging BoI as a long-term partner in building a resilient, scalable business.

Mrs Eniola Akinsete, Divisional Head, Sustainability, BoI, said adopting Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG), principles often led to business prosperity.

Akinsete, however, noted that in spite of the benefits, adoption challenges persisted.

She affirmed BoI’s support on the adoption of ESG Practices by the MSMEs.

Earlier, the Executive Director, Corporate Finance, Sustainability and Investments, BoI, Mr Rotimi Akinde, said the summit represented a shared commitment to building a stronger, more resilient business ecosystem in Nigeria.

Akinde stated that the business clinic created a platform for practical knowledge sharing where entrepreneurs and small business owners could gain actionable insights to overcome challenges and seize opportunities.

He said discussions would focus on critical areas that drive sustainable growth, including branding and marketing, financials and activities, human rights, human resources, raising capital for equity and technology.

Business

Dangote signs $400 mln equipment deal with China’s XCMG to speed up refinery expansion

Published

1 day ago

February 23, 2026

The Tide

Nigeria’s Dangote Group has signed a $400 million equipment deal with China’s Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group to speed up the expansion of its oil refinery toward a planned 1.4 million barrels per day, the company said on Tuesday.

The additional equipment is expected to support major projects under construction across refining, petrochemicals, agriculture and infrastructure.

Dangote said the XCMG agreement would allow it to acquire a wide range of new heavy-duty machinery to complement existing assets deployed for the refinery build?out, which the company expects to complete within three years.

As part of the expansion, polypropylene capacity will rise to 2.4 million tons per year from 900,000 tons. Urea production in Nigeria will triple to 9 million tons per year, alongside an existing 3 million-ton plant in Ethiopia, positioning the conglomerate as the world’s largest urea producer, the company said.

The output of linear alkyl benzene – a key raw material for detergents – will increase to 400,000 tons annually, making Dangote the biggest supplier in Africa. Additional base-oil capacity is also planned in the programme.

Dangote Group described the equipment deal as a strategic investment aligned with its ambition to become a $100 billion enterprise by 2030.

“The additional equipment we are acquiring under this partnership will significantly enhance execution across our projects,” it said in a statement.

Owned by Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote, the $20 billion refinery began operations in 2024 after years of delays. Once fully operational, it is expected to reduce Nigeria’s heavy dependence on imported refined fuel and reshape fuel supply across West and Central Africa.

Reporting by Isaac Anyaogu; Editing by Anil D’Silva

The Nigeria-Slovenia Chamber of Commerce on Thursday urged the Nigerian business community to explore business opportunities in Slovenia to widen their horizons.

The Tide source reports that the chamber made the call at its 2025 Last Quarter Business Forum held in Lagos State.

The forum is the chamber’s routine session aimed at informing businesses about the latest opportunities of mutual benefit between both countries, encouraging people to explore them to improve their livelihoods.

Speaking at the event, which was attended by businessmen and trade regulatory agencies, the Director-General of the Nigeria-Slovenia Chamber of Commerce, Mr Uche Udungwor, described the relationship between the two countries as a bilateral economy.

Udungwor said the body, established to build, promote and facilitate trade and investment activities between Nigeria and Slovenia, had positively impacted both nations.

He said the mandates of the chamber include: “To provide a forum representative of Nigeria and Slovenia’s interests for the development and improvement of commerce and industry between the two countries.

“Also, to create, promote and sustain broad exchanges and interactions in commercial, industrial and economic fields between the countries.

“To promote cooperation on technical and scientific innovations between institutions of the countries through the exchange of regular information on trade and investment opportunities.

“To advise members on opportunities, challenges, legislation or otherwise arising from the pursuit of trade between Nigeria and Slovenia, and to encourage the exchange of ideas and views on trade matters within the context of trade promotion between both countries.”

According to him, Slovenia’s major imports include organic chemicals, agro products such as cocoa beans, iron and steel/metal scraps, wood, and mineral fuels/petroleum products.

He said the trade balance between Slovenia and Nigeria is “not quite encouraging”, citing United Nations COMTRADE data indicating that Slovenia’s imports from Nigeria in 2022 amounted to $5.7 million.

Udungwor described the Republic of Slovenia, located in Central Europe with about 2.1 million inhabitants, as a promising business frontier for Nigerians.

He noted that the country features Alpine mountains, thick forests and a short Adriatic coastline.

“Slovenia, which borders Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Croatia to the south and southeast, and Hungary to the northeast, has a 2024 GDP of 72.49 billion dollars, a sound economy and a low-risk business environment.

“Slovenia has been a member of the European Union since 2004 and of the Schengen Group since 2007. It is also a member of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

“Slovenia today is a stable, vibrant democracy that offers a stimulating business environment and represents a bridge between the Balkan, Central European and Western European countries.

“The Nigeria-Slovenia Chamber of Commerce is at your service to provide up-to-date information and advice about Slovenia’s economy, business opportunities, companies, products and services for the mutual benefit of all,” he said.

A participant, Mr Muyiwa Ajose, said his partnership with the chamber had bolstered his agro exports to Slovenia.