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Jigawa Completes 45 Rural Electrification Projects

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The Jigawa government says it has completed 45 out of the 63 rural electrification projects embarked upon since inception three years ago and connected them to the national grid.

Alhaji Jinjiri Abdulkadir, the Commissioner for Rural Infrastructure and Community Development, disclosed this on Saturday in Dutse while briefing the Peer Review Team from the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) Secretariat.

The team was in the state in continuation of its peer review and project inspection exercise initiated in 2009 by the 36 state governors to review their developmental projects and other activities.

According to Abdulkadir, the electrification projects in the remaining 18 villages were at various stages of completion.

He said the projects was estimated at more than N1 billion.

He said the government had also provided electricity extension to some urban areas in the state, which, he said, included Birnin-Kudu, Bamania, Hadejia and Dutse.

He also told the team that the government, through its Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency in collaboration with Donor Agencies, had provided water facilities to 560 communities at a cost of more than N657.2 million in the past three years.

Abdulkadir said that as part of its developmental programme, the government had approved more than N800 million in its 2010 budget for rural development.

The sum, he said, would be used for the construction of more feeder roads, development of small scale entrepreneur, rural electrification, water supply and sanitation between 2010 and 2012.

Mr Asishana Okauru, NGF Director General, who led the team to the state, said the exercise was aimed basically at deepening democracy and good governance in the country.

He added that it was also to encourage healthy competition among the governors to ensure equal development across the country.

The team, he said, were expected to identify exceptions and best practices in areas of agriculture, health, education, water, budgeting and other developmental issues that could be benchmarked from states visited.

Okauru said that the identified best practices would be made available to states where they were lacking for replication at the end of the exercise as the report would be submitted to the governors.

The team had earlier visited 27 out of the 36 states in the country.

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CNG Committee Partners UN Agency On Greener Energy

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The Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (PCNGI) has partnered with the United Nations Sustainable Energy for All for the provision of greener and more sustainable energy in Nigeria.
The Programme Director/Chief Executive, PCNGI, Michael Oluwagbemi, who duclosed this at a workshop in Lagos, Friday, reiterated Nigeria’s unwavering commitment to sustainable strategies which he said would propel the nation toward a greener, more sustainable future.
In a Statement, Oluwagbemi said the workshop marked a significant milestone in the commitment of the nation to join the rest of the world in the enhancement of sustainable energy access.
While noting that the workshop was held as a follow-up to an initial meeting  between SEforAll CEO, Ogunbiyi and PCNGi Chairman, Adedeji, held in Abuja, Oluwagbemi said it also showcased the progress and key initiatives contributing to Nigeria’s sustainable development agenda.
“These initiatives, presented with impact and relevance, are pivotal in steering Nigeria towards a more sustainable future, aligning with global goals and impacting the nation’s development landscape”, he said.
“The workshop aimed to identify opportunities for collaboration and outline concrete steps for forging impactful partnerships between SEforALL and FIRS/PCNGi.
“PCNGi’s active participation in the workshop underscores its dedication to fostering collaboration among key stakeholders”, Oluwagbemi said.
According to him, the committee envisions a future where sustainable practices are ingrained in Nigeria’s energy landscape, contributing to economic growth, environmental conservation, and enhanced energy access.
He reaffirmed the commitment to ongoing collaboration for all parties to drive sustainable solutions contributing to Nigeria’s broader development goals.
“As Nigeria’s sustainable development progresses, PCNGI remains a driving force, ensuring that the nation’s green growth goals are met and exceeded”, he stated.
The PCNGI boss revealed that the workshop featured presentations on critical topics including Nigeria Energy Transition Plan, Nigeria E-bus Strategy, Solar Empowerment for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and Nigeria Carbon Market Activation Plan.

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Tinubu Approves Fresh Marginal Field Bid

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In a bid to revive Nigeria’s dormant oil and gas fields, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has given the green light for a new marginal field bid round, aiming to auction dormant oil and gas fields abandoned by international oil companies (IOCs) for over a decade.
Minister of State for Petroleum (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, disclosed this during a visit to Waltersmith Petroman Oil Limited’s modular refinery in Imo State.
Lokpobiri said the decision came on the heels of a strategic meeting between the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), the Oil Producers Trade Section (OPTS), oil firms and miners at the NEITI-Companies Forum.
According to him, the impending bid round follows a previous initiative in 2020, where approximately 57 marginal oilfields were put up for sale, concluding last year.
He, however, noted that challenges such as funding constraints and regulatory complexities hindered many recipients from promptly developing these assets.
Senator Lokpobiri stressed that the forthcoming bidding round, backed by presidential approval, would prioritize marginal fields located near modular refineries adding that this strategic alignment aims to expedite the production process.
Emphasizing the significance of modular refineries in addressing the country’s energy challenges, Senator Lokpobiri highlighted their role while the larger refineries undergo comprehensive rehabilitation.
The move by the Federal Government is anticipated to breathe new life into stagnant oil and gas fields, fostering economic administration’s vitalization in the sector.

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We’ve Robust PMS Supply To Last Beyond Yuletide-Kyari

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The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd. (NNPCL) says it has made a robust plan for the supply of petroleum products sufficient to last beyond the ember months and the new year festivities.
The NNPCL said the supply of petroleum products, especially the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), known as petrol, would last beyond the Yuletide and new year festivities.
The Group Chief Executive Officer, NNPCL, Malam Mele Kyari, said this when he led a delegation on a courtesy visit to the President of the Senate, Sen. Godswill Akpabio, last Wednesday in Abuja.
Kyari, in a statement by Olufemi Soneye, Chief Corporate Communication Officer, NNPCL said by the creation of the National Assembly, NNPCL was saddled with the responsibility of guaranteeing Nigeria’s energy security which was critical to national security.
“We have made a robust plan for the forthcoming end of the year festivities and beyond. We do not see any shortages in the petroleum products supply for the period,” the GCEO added.
While lauding the National Assembly for the critical role it played in the enactment of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, Kyari said this legislative endeavour gave birth to a new commercially oriented National Oil Company, governed by the Company and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) principles.
Kyari stated that with the passage of the PIA 2021, NNPCL’s profitability margins had significantly risen, growing from a loss position of N803 billion in 2018 to a profit position of N674 billion in 2021.
According to him, NNPCL is targeting a profit increase of N2 trillion when the 2022 Audited Financial Statements (AFS) are released, and since July, 2023 the Company has started paying dividends to its shareholders.
He also said the NNPCL was involved in the entire value-chain of the oil and gas business and controlled about 30 per cent of the nation’s petroleum downstream retail market.

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