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Nigeria, US Sign Energy Pact
Nigeria has signed an agreement with the United States of America to improve power generation in the country through the use of renewable energy.
Under the agreement, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency will provide 323,000 dollars in technical assistance to assist the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) develop a renewable energy framework for Independent Power Producers (IPPs) in the country.
Ms Leocadia Zak, the USTDA Director, and Mrs. Ifeyinwa Ikeonu, the head of the NERC Strategy and Project Management Office, signed the agreement on behalf of their respective countries.
The agreement was the outcome of a two-day meeting of the Working Group on Energy and Investment of the U.S.-Nigeria Bi-National Commission (BNC).
The commission was established in April 2010 to assist Nigeria in areas of mutual concern, including energy and investment, agriculture and food security, good governance and transparency as well as the Niger Delta.
The Tide correspondent reports that prior to the signing of the agreement, the working group had adopted a two-page communiqué highlighting the importance of advancing renewable energy opportunities in Nigeria.
Speaking at the event, Zak noted that Nigeria was blessed with natural resources including oil and gas, yet electricity remained scarce even as profits had not been invested in ways to benefit all Nigerians.
“This grant agreement represents a mutual commitment by both the U.S. and Nigeria to continue with their cooperation to facilitate investment and improve the transparency, administration and performance of Nigeria’s power sector.
“Establishing clear and transparent requirements for renewable independent power producers investments in Nigeria will enable an environment for the U.S. private sector to compete for business in the growing market and create green jobs here at home,” she said.
Zak explained that the objective of USTDA’s assistance was to drive investment that would result in mutual economic benefits for both countries.
She added that the project would also unlock a tremendous market for U.S. companies which provided renewable energy technologies, equipment and services.
On her part, Ikeonu said the project would facilitate private investment in renewable energy as Nigeria addressed its rising demand for power.
“The implementation of a regulatory framework conducive to IPPs will enable us to propel investments in Nigeria’s renewable energy sector and help us meet our country’s rapidly growing energy needs,” she said.
The two-day meeting, involving a 47-man U.S. delegation and a 24-man Nigerian team, agreed that USTDA-funded technical assistance would be competed for under the U.S. Federal Business Opportunities.
It also agreed that the NERC would select a U.S. contractor to complete the technical assistance.
To ensure rapid results from the new pact on renewable energy, the meeting further agreed that the U.S. Department of Energy Under-Secretary, Dr. Kristina Johnston, would visit Nigeria in the shortest possible time.
Both countries also scheduled to hold another meeting in the last quarter of 2010 to launch the Niger Delta and Regional Security Cooperation Working Group of the Nigeria-U.S. BNC.
Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.