Business
Avoid Pipelines Right Of Way-Commissioner
The Rivers State Commissioner for Environment, Barr. Kingsley Chinda has warned citizens and residents of host communities in the state against building on pipelines’ right of way because of the dangers it portends to lives and property.
The commissioner who was represented by the permanent secretary of the ministry, Mr. Godwins Rufus handed down the warning at the Shell Petroleum and Development Company Limited (SPDC) Gas Pipeline road, Rumukrushi during last Saturday’s sanitation exercise in the state.
He noted that building on pipelines right of way was a serious environmental hazard, and government did not accept it as normal because of the grave environmental dangers it portends for the residents of the area. He stressed that such encroachment was like seating on a keg of gun powder which could explode at any moment.
Mr. Rufus contended that such incident had occurred in other parts of the country. He therefore maintained that Shell had a duty to safeguard life and property in the neigbourhood because if there is a leakage and gas explosion, the whole area is in danger and there would be a disaster. According to him, the state government is already encumbered with projects implementation and providing infrastructure for the people. So people should disengage from such encroachment to avoid disaster.
He disclosed that government had set up a committee through the ministry of environment and the honourable commissioner is facilitating the entire assignment on it. He reiterated that the commissioner had a passion that while developing our natural resources, we should also take into account the safety of lives and property of our people which transcends every other consideration.
The perm sec. stressed that Shell had a corporate social responsibility to the host community to ensure that there are clear warning signs on their facilities. He observed that there are no such clear signs at the Rumukrushi gas pipeline road and people could just walk into a booby trap of dangerous facilities. He noted that gas explosions are more dangerous than petroleum explosion. He therefore urged the company to be more cautious.
The commissioner’s representative also berated Shell for their non-challant attitude to the heap of refuse along its location at Eneka and urged them to be more committed to environmental health condition as a social responsibility to the society.
At the Trans Amadi slaughter where the permanent secretary ordered the demolition of shanties built near the river, he warned them to desist from building such illegal structures and to stop dumping refuse into the river. He also enjoined meat sellers at the market to be health conscious and keep their environment clean to avoid contamination of the meat they sell to the public.
Responding, the Shell representative, Mr. Sekobe Aforo assured the state government that the company has taken proactive measures to address the various issues raised on the Rumukrushi gas pipeline road. He said the people had been advised severally not to build on the right of way, but they refused. He however, noted that the structures are shanties because they have been warned that the company could easily remove them some day without notice.
He also stated that the company was doing everything possible to ensure the safety of lives and property as well as their facilities in the community.
Jacob Obinna
The Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, John Enoh said this at the 8th annual induction and conference of the Chartered Institute of Project Managers of Nigeria (CIPMN).
He explained that abandoned projects continue to lock up public funds that could have been used for infrastructure development, industrial growth, job creation and essential social services.
Represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Chris Osa Isokpunwu, he said the impact goes beyond financial losses, as incomplete projects affect communities and limit access to important public services
He cited examples of that remain unopened, schools that cannot accommodate students, roads that fail to connect communities and electricity projects that have not delivered their intended benefits.
The Registrar-General and Chief Executive Officer of CIPMN, Henry Ifeanyi Mbadiwe, also identified poor project management as a major challenge affecting development in Nigeria.
He revealed that the institute had developed a project management curriculum for Nigerian universities, which has received approval from the National Universities Commission (NUC). The programme is expected to enable universities to offer project management as a bachelor’s degree.
Mbadiwe further referenced findings by the Presidential Projects Assessment Committee, which identified 11,886 ongoing federal capital projects in 2011, with an estimated financial commitment of ?7.78 trillion.
He noted that inadequate planning, supervision, accountability and implementation were among the factors contributing to the abandonment of projects across the country.
The minister called for stronger project management structures across ministries, departments and agencies to improve planning, monitoring and evaluation.
He added that the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment had introduced a 90-day implementation reporting cycle to strengthen transparency and monitor the progress of government programmes.
Ikenga said the company remained committed to Nigeria’s power sector and would continue investing in its operations despite the challenging business environment.
He spoke in Lagos at the third edition of the Shell Power Conference, themed “Powering Nigeria’s Progress: Turning Ambition and Action into Sustainable Impact”.
The Transcorp Power chief said the company would sustain electricity generation, invest in its facilities and deliver value to shareholders.
“Transcorp Power is a long-term player, not a short-term player. This year has been challenging, but what is important is getting power to schools, hospitals and businesses to power progress,” he said.
Ikenga said the company’s focus on operational efficiency and investment had strengthened its contribution to Nigeria’s electricity supply.
He disclosed that since acquiring the Ughelli Power Plant in Delta State in 2013, Transcorp Power had quadrupled its available generation capacity.
He also said the company became the first privatised power generation firm to receive a post-privatisation discharge certificate after fulfilling all its privatisation obligations.
The company’s unaudited results for the nine months ended September 30, 2026, showed a profit before tax of N83.1 billion, while its profit-before-tax margin rose to 31.2 per cent from 29.6 per cent recorded in the corresponding period of 2025.
Its total assets rose to 11.7 per cent amounting to N629.5 billion, while shareholders’ funds grew 8.9 per cent to N199.8 billion. Cash and cash equivalents also rose to N10.3 billion, supported by improved collections.
On the company’s contribution to grid stability, Ikenga said Transcorp Power’s black-start capability enabled it to restart operations without relying on electricity from the national grid.
He explained that the capability allowed the company to support power restoration following grid disturbances, helping to restore electricity supply to homes, businesses and industries.
Ikenga noted that Nigeria had an installed electricity generation capacity of about 13,000 megawatts, with an estimated potential of 50 gigawatts, adding that realising the potential would require effective coordination across the entire value chain.
“Everything in the value chain has to work,” he said.
He called for stronger collaboration among federal and state governments, regulators and private-sector operators, alongside increased private investment, to build a sustainable electricity market.
This was contained in a statement issued on Thursday by his Senior Special Assistant on Communications and Press Secretary, Maryann Duke.
The statement said Oyedele pointed to “improved digital systems, including electronic invoicing, as a key driver behind a record of N33tn in government revenue collected between January and October 2026.”
The minister said the performance demonstrated the potential of technology to improve revenue administration, strengthen compliance and increase efficiency across government institutions.
Speaking on the theme, ‘Digital Sovereignty and Ethics: Guarding the Economy for the Next Generation,’ Oyedele warned that Nigeria risked losing substantial economic opportunities if it continued to depend heavily on foreign digital infrastructure.
Citing Nigerian Communications Commission figures, he disclosed that the country recorded more than 157 million active internet subscriptions as of May 2026.
He explained that these connections generated significant volumes of information through financial transactions, healthcare, education and taxation.
However, citing estimates from the Nigeria Data Protection Commission, Oyedele said as much as 90 per cent of the country’s data was hosted abroad.
According to him, the situation has implications for foreign exchange expenditure, employment opportunities, technological skills and Nigeria’s control over information generated by its citizens.
He compared the country’s reliance on foreign digital infrastructure with its historical dependence on imported refined petroleum products, warning against a situation where Nigerian data would be processed abroad and the resulting services sold back to domestic users.
The minister consequently advocated greater investment in local data infrastructure, technical expertise, cybersecurity and predictable regulations to enable Nigerian businesses to capture more value from the digital economy.
He clarified that digital sovereignty should not translate into technological isolation but should strengthen Nigeria’s capacity to participate competitively in international markets.
Addressing graduating students, Oyedele urged young Nigerians to become developers of technological solutions rather than remain primarily consumers of products created elsewhere.
He identified artificial intelligence as both a disruptive force and an opportunity for innovation, advising graduates to acquire relevant digital skills alongside critical thinking, creativity, sound judgement and integrity.
The minister also cautioned against irresponsible online behaviour, explaining that digital footprints increasingly influence employment prospects, commercial relationships and professional credibility.
Oyedele outlined five priorities for graduates, including continuous learning, value creation, integrity, responsible digital citizenship and active participation in national development.
“Your degree is evidence of what you have learned. Your competence will demonstrate what you can do. Your character will reveal who you truly are,” he told the graduating students.
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