News

SPDC Pays N6.4trn Taxes To FG …Contributes N4.26trn To Nigeria In Four Years

Published

7 years ago

May 27, 2019

The Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), has said that it paid $17.8billion (about N6.412trillion) in taxes, royalties and levies to the Federal Government between 2014 and 2018, in addition to $2billion (about N375.16billion) contributed by SPDC JV and SNEPCo and its co-venturers to Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) since 2002.
Making these revelations while presenting 2019 Shell in Nigeria Briefing Notes to journalists in Port Harcourt, last Friday, Shell’s General Manager, External Relations, Igo Weli said, “The success of the GMoU initiative has proved what could be achieved when government, international oil companies, communities and NGOs work together for the common good”.
Weli listed some other flagship social investments in Rivers to include the Community Health Insurance Scheme launched in 2010, robust health interventions in 10 other hospitals in the state, the first centre of excellence in Marine Engineering and Offshore Technology at Rivers State University, scholarship schemes at various levels of education, and the LiveWIRE programme which has trained and empowered 460 young men and women across the state between 2013 and 2018.
The Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) has also spent N17billion projects in communities under the Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU) in Rivers State in the last 13 years.
The projects cover health, education, water and power supply improvement, sanitation and infrastructure development in 19 clusters, out of 39 active GMoU clusters where $239million (about N44.36billion) have been expended on projects in Rivers, Delta, Bayelsa and Abia states since 2006.
“In 2018, 100 Ogoni youths from communities near the Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP) participated in training with 80 top performing trainees receiving business start-up funding totaling more than $90,000 (N27.27million)”, Weli said, adding that, “To date, the LiveWIRE programme has trained 7,072 Niger Delta youths in enterprise development and provided business start-up grants to 3,817.
“We are proud of our extensive social investment footprints in Rivers State, which in some cases even stretch beyond the SPDC joint venture”, Weli noted.
The general manager further gave insight into the downside of the company’s operations in certain flashpoints in the state, including the Kalabari and Ogoni areas, where huge revenues, regrettably have been lost over the last couple of years.
Responding to questions on the more than 22 months’ standoff with host communities of Belema/Offoin-Ama in Kula Kingdom over the takeover of Belema Flow Station in Akuku-Toru LGA in Rivers State, Weli regretted that well over $7million (approximately N252billion) has been lost to the stalemate in protests against SPDC’s about 37 years operations in the area where 25,000 barrels per day of crude oil have been shut in at the Belema facility.
But The Tide investigations reveal that with 25,000bpd oil shut in since August 11, 2017 by restive protesters, claiming lack of potable water, good roads, health facilities, scholarships and employment, among others, about $1.170billion revenue on the more than 18million barrels of oil (at estimated $65 per barrel), have been lost to the lockdown.
Disclosing that the Federal Government has since December, last year, renewed SPDC’s operating licence for OPM 25, including Belema and Offoin-Ama communities, for the next 25 years, he said that the company was open to further dialogue with the communities under the Kula Project Implementation and Monitoring Committee (PIMC) with a view to resolving issues in dispute in the area.
“SPDC will only resume operations at the facility when it is safe to do so. Our primary goal is the safe and peaceful resolution of this dispute, and we encourage all parties to return to dialogue to protect the safety and security of all concerned, including those occupying the facility, community members, SPDC staff and contractors”, he said.
On allegations of undercover attempts to resume oil production in Ogoni, Weli made it categorically clear that SPDC has no plan to return to the area under any guise now or in future, stressing that already, the Federal Government had since 2012, granted operatorship licence for OPM 11 covering Ogoni oilfields to Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) subsidiary, National Petroleum Development Company (NPDC).
While clarifying that SPDC’s presence in Ogoni was tied to the TNP which conveys crude oil from other parts of Rivers and Abia states through Eleme, Tai, Gokana and Khana to Bonny Export Terminal, Weli explained that it was for this reason that the company was implementing social investment programmes for the benefit of Ogoni people.
He further explained that SPDC staff and contractors’ presence in the area was mainly in line with efforts to guarantee the integrity of the TNP through routine maintenance and occasional replacement to avoid equipment failure, insisting that SPDC flow stations were vandalized and flowlines excavated by Ogonis during the crisis while surviving wellheads had been decommissioned, just as he restated that the company has not drilled/produced one litre of crude oil from Ogoni since 1993 when it shut down operations in the area.
The Tide investigations show that before cessation of oil production, there were 12 oilfields in Ogoni, where SPDC had drilled 116 wells, out of which 89 were completed, and channeled to five flow stations, which processed 185,000 barrels per day overall production capacity.
Meanwhile, the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) says it remitted about N4.26trillion to the national coffers between 2014 and 2018.
General Manager, External Relations of SPDC, Igo Weli, gave the figures while delivering a paper on “Improving Stakeholders’ Engagement in Rights of Way Acquisition”, organised by International Rights of Way Association (IRWA) Chapter 84 at the weekend in Port Harcourt.
Weli further disclosed that oil revenue accounts for 70 per cent of Nigeria’s budget funding, while 90 per cent of total revenue also comes from oil.
It is against this backdrop that he sued for more constructive engagements to fast-track development in the sector, as he lamented the recent upsurge in hostilities to oil operations.
“In Niger Delta, Nigeria needs more constructive engagements than violence and killings”, Weli remarked.
He stressed that more stakeholders’ engagement would reduce hostilities and strengthen investors’ confidence in the economy, as he warned that the growing belligerence may further worsen the economy in the coming years.
On how to curb hiccups in rights of way acquisition, the Shell general manager drew attention to the need for adequate compensation and land owners’ engagement.
He said, “It takes all parties to create value… There is need for a sustained stakeholders’ engagement which is critical for rights of way acquisition”.

Nelson Chukwudi & Kevin Nengia

News

Odu Urges Collaboration Among Stakeholders To Improve Health Service Delivery In Rivers

Published

2 days ago

April 10, 2026

The Tide

Rivers State Deputy Governor, Prof. Ngozi Odu, has called for renewed commitment, transparency, and collaboration among stakeholders in the health sector in the State.

The deputy governor particularly urged synergy between the Rivers State Contributory Health Protection Programme (RIVCHPP) and the Primary Health Care Management Board towards improved healthcare delivery in the State.

?Prof. Odu made this call during the 2026 First Quarter Review Meeting of the Task Force on Primary Health Care at the Government House, Port Harcourt, on Wednesday.

?She stressed the importance of honesty and urged all parties to be truthful and open in addressing challenges within the system.

?According to her, transparency remains critical to identifying and resolving underlying issues affecting healthcare delivery, noting that “if we are not truthful, we will not cure the disease, but merely cover it up.”

The deputy governor recounted a personal experience at a Primary Health Center where a patient, despite being duly registered under the RIVCIPP scheme with completed biometric capture, was still asked to make payment for services.

According to her, intervention by relevant authorities later confirmed the patient’s eligibility, exposing a communication gap between the scheme and healthcare providers.

Odu warned that such incidents could discourage community members from enrolling in the scheme, thereby undermining its objectives.

“When this happens, we are disenfranchising our people. The message that goes back to the community is that even when you register, you are still made to pay,” she stressed.

?While commending the leadership and staff of the Primary Health Care Management Board, Ministry of Health, Development Partners as well as other supporting units, for their efforts, ty deputy governor stressed that performance should not lead to complacency.

She urged stakeholders to continuously strive for improvement, raise standards, and leave lasting positive impacts within the system.

News

You Can Now Print Your Exam Slips, JAMB Tells 2026 UTME Candidates

Published

2 days ago

April 10, 2026

The Tide

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced the opening of examination slip printing for candidates registered for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

JAMB made the announcement yesterday, urging candidates to visit its website to download their slips ahead of the examination.

“Examination Slip Printing is now available. The slip contains details of the venue, date and time of your examination and gives you access to the examination hall,” the board said.

Candidates are to visit jamb.gov.ng and click on “2026 Slip Printing” to print their slips.

The development comes after JAMB dismissed a viral press release falsely claiming the examination had been postponed.

The board described the notice as “malicious and fake” and urged candidates to disregard it.

The 2026 UTME is scheduled to hold from Thursday, April 16, to Saturday, April 25, 2026.

The examination follows a mock test conducted on Saturday, March 28, which recorded technical difficulties at some Computer-Based Test centres.

Of the 224,597 candidates who registered for the mock, 152,586 sat for the test across 989 CBT centres nationwide.

JAMB said over 20 centres were delisted for technical inadequacies.

The board also warned candidates against fraudsters on WhatsApp claiming to facilitate score inflation, describing such claims as “false and criminal”, and threatening cancellation of registration or withholding of results for any candidate found involved.

Over two million candidates, according to JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, registered for this year’s UTME.

News

RSU Unveils Five-Year Strategic Dev Plan …Calls For Collective Commitment To Institutional Excellence

Published

2 days ago

April 10, 2026

The Tide

In a decisive step towards redefining its future, the Rivers State University, Port Harcourt, has formally unveiled its Third Five-Year (2026-2030) Strategic Development Plan.

The development plan is a comprehensive roadmap designed to strengthen the university’s position as a leading institution in Nigeria and beyond.

The unveiling took place during a high-level engagement with the Governing Council, Principal Officers and the university congregation, at the Convocation Arena, recently.

Delivering his remarks at the unveiling ceremony, the Pro-Chancellor of the university and Chairman of Council, Hon. Okey Wali, SAN, charged all members of the university community to align their activities with the strategic direction of the institution, emphasizing that the success of the plan depends on collective commitment.

He noted that the plan is not merely a document, but a working framework that requires discipline, accountability and unity of purpose.

According to the Pro-Chancellor, only through coordinated efforts from all stakeholders can the university fully realize its vision.

“I hereby invite the Visitor to the University, donor agencies, friends and well-wishers, and all stakeholders to support and fund the implementation of this strategic plan. We are confident that this plan will take RSU to greater heights in the comity of higher institutions,” he said.

The Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof. Isaac Zeb-Obipi, described the Strategic Development Plan as a document that would enhance the university’s corporate strengths, mitigate current weaknesses, leverage its corporate opportunities and address perceived existential threats.

“This Five-Year Strategic Plan sets out RSU’s goals, strategic objectives, expected outcomes and impact, including intervention strategies,” he said.

On his part, the Chairman of the Strategic Development Planning Committee, Prof. Emeritus Joseph A. Ajienka, noted that the 2026-2030 Strategic Development Plan represents a bold reaffirmation of the university’s founding ideals of excellence, creativity, innovation and inclusivity, aimed at positioning the institution to respond effectively to contemporary challenges in higher education.

Prof. Ajienka, who is also a member of the Governing Council, disclosed that the plan was developed through an extensive and inclusive consultative process, which he said reflects contributions from Faculties, Departments, Satellite Campuses and Administrative Units.

At its core, the plan seeks to advance the university’s vision of becoming a “unique and uncommon” institution that is structurally and philosophically oriented towards solving practical societal problems and ranking among the top ten universities in Nigeria.

The strategic framework identifies six key challenges confronting the university, including funding constraints, infrastructure deficits, limited research collaboration, and service delivery inefficiencies.

A statement by the university’s Acting Director, Corporate Affairs, Victor G. Banigo, further stated that the university has articulated four broad strategic goals supported by eight targeted objectives.

A central priority of the plan, according to him, is the strengthening of governance and administrative systems, alongside deliberate efforts to expand the university’s funding base. Others include enhanced alumni engagement, strategic partnerships and innovative fundraising initiatives aimed at ensuring long-term financial sustainability.

“Equally significant is the commitment to upgrading physical infrastructure across all campuses. Plans are underway to modernize lecture halls and laboratories, expand student accommodation, improve campus security and deploy advanced ICT systems to support teaching, learning and research.

“Recognizing that human capital is the backbone of institutional success, the university has placed strong emphasis on staff development, recruitment and productivity enhancement. Through targeted training programmes, mentorship initiatives and performance management systems, the plan aims to foster a highly skilled and motivated workforce.

“In addition, the university is poised to deepen its focus on research, innovation and entrepreneurship. By reviewing academic curricula, strengthening industry partnerships and establishing innovation incubation centers, Rivers State University seeks to translate research outputs into practical solutions that address societal needs and drive economic growth,” he said.

The PRO disclosed that the implementation of the strategic plan is projected at ?110 billion, reflecting the scale of transformation envisioned.

“While the university is committed to funding a significant portion internally, additional resources will be mobilized through government support, donor agencies, alumni contributions, and public-private partnerships.

“This multi-channel funding strategy aligns with the university’s broader goal of building a resilient and self-sustaining financial model capable of supporting long-term development,” he explained.

To ensure effective implementation, he said, “the plan incorporates a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation framework, complete with performance and impact indicators. A mid-term review is scheduled within the first two years to assess progress and make necessary adjustments.

“Furthermore, the establishment of a dedicated Strategic Planning Office will provide oversight, coordination and accountability in executing the plan across all units of the university.”

According to the statement, “As the university embarks on this transformative journey, the message from leadership is clear: the Strategic Development Plan is a collective mandate.

“For staff, students, alumni and stakeholders, it represents an opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the growth and advancement of the institution. For the university, it is a pathway to consolidating its legacy while embracing innovation and global relevance.

“With a clear vision, defined priorities and a united community, Rivers State University stands poised to translate this strategic blueprint into measurable progress, advancing knowledge, empowering people and shaping the future of higher education in Nigeria.”