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Nigerian Breweries Okays N2.40 Dividends

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Nigeria Breweries Plc is to pay its shareholders a second and final dividends for the year business which was concluded on December 31, 2010.

Nigerian Breweries, in a talk with the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), said was  the second and final dividend for the last year business. The company had during the year of business, paid an interim dividend of N1.50 for every N0.50 share held by it’s shareholders.

The company stated that it had recommended a dividend of N1.25 per share as a final dividend, Inline with this proposed payment, which sums upto N2.40  total dividend for the shareholders for last year.

The stated further company that the date for the closure of registeration of members is March 17, 2011 while payment date is due for May 19, 2011.

Furthermore, the continuous heavy selling that generalised the activities at the capital market for most of the last week came out in heavy losses as market major indicators ended last week in the red. Monday the down-ward movement of indicators resumed.

The main activity measuring indicators, NSE-30 while three out of the four sectoral  indicators recorded losses.

All-share index (ASI) had a further decline of 164.34 basis points from it’s opening position for the week that sticked at 26,181.18 came-out lower at 26,016.84, with 164.34 points counted as a loss.

Blue chip companies in the market, went down from 1,148.12, it’s opening position at the starting of the week to end Monday at 1,138.79, diminishing by 9.33 points which was measured by the NSE 30 index of it’s activities.

The Banking sub-sector, loss 4.30 points, from 428.50, and close at 424.20, while investors exchanged a total of 444.746 million shares worth N2.4 billion in 6,327 deals.

The sub-sector was driven mainly by activities in share of Intercontinental Bank Plc, Zenith Bank Plc, First Bank of Nigeria Plc and FinBank Plc, accounted for 141 million shares.

Some activities boosted like; Continental Reinsurance Plc, AIICO Insurance Company plc and Intercontinental WAPIC nsurance.

The market capitalisation of the 201 first-tier quoted companies decreased to N8.315 trillion from N8.368 trillion recorded as at the close of trading on Friday last week.

NSE Insurance index depreciated by 0.29 points to close at 184.85, down from 185.13. Last week, while NSE Food/Beverages indicator depreciated by the day at 871.84, down from 831.34. NSE Oil/Cas close yesterday flat at 346.89 as at Friday.

Finally, 54 stocks recorded share price change, with positive side 16 and 38 on the negative side, with rest unchanged.

Four banks were listed. Skye Bank, Wema Bank, First Bank and Diamond Bank, on the positive price change table. Other gainer’s chart were: CAP Plc, International Breweries Plc, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Champion Breweries Plc and Fidson Healthcare Plc, among others.

Loser’s chart Monday featured 14 banking stocks of the 38. FCMB, Zenith Bank, Union Bank, Guaranty Bank Plc, among others. Other market heavyweight, depreciated and pushed down the  market, such like, Dangote Sugar Plc, Dangote Flour Plc, Lafarage WAPCO Cement Plc, JAPAUL Oil and Maritime Services Plc and the rest market heavyweight.

Major stocks on the trading floor of Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) Monday and the quality traded; JAPAUL Oil $ Maritime Services Plc, 77.066 million share worth N146.226 million exchanged in 53 trades.

In bank sector, Intercontinental Bank Plc had 71.948 million of it’s shares exchanged in 356 deals for a value of N161.094 million. Fidson Healthcare had 41.857 million of it’s share traded valued at N99.220 million Zenith Bank, First Inland Bank, First Bank and Wema Bank had 26.978 million shares, 23.229 million, 19.703 million and 16.078 million shares exchanged.

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Two Federal Agencies Enter Pack On Expansion, Sustainable Electricity In Niger Delta

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The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) to expand access to reliable and sustainable electricity across the Niger Delta region.
The agreement, signed at the headquarters of the REA in Abuja, was targeted at strengthening institutional collaboration and accelerating development in underserved communities in the region.
A statement by the Director, Corporate Affairs of the NDDC, Seledi Thompson-Wakama, said the pact underscores renewed efforts by the two federal interventionist agencies to deepen cooperation and fast-track infrastructure delivery.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, the Managing Director of the NDDC, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, described the MoU as a strategic step towards realising the Commission’s vision to “light up the Niger Delta” in line with national priorities on distributed energy expansion.
Ogbuku said the agreement represents a shared institutional responsibility to deliver reliable energy solutions that will enhance livelihoods, stimulate local economies and create broader opportunities across the nine Niger Delta states.
According to him, electricity remains a critical enabler of national development, supporting job creation, healthcare delivery, education and inclusive economic growth.
He noted that the collaboration would help unlock the economic potential of rural communities while advancing broader national development objectives.
The NDDC boss added that the Commission has consistently adopted partnership-driven approaches in executing projects in the region and is prepared to support the implementation of the MoU by leveraging its community presence and infrastructure development capacity.
He reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to working closely with the REA to ensure the timely and effective execution of the agreement.
The NDDC delegation at the event included the Executive Director, Projects, Dr Victor Antai; Executive Director, Corporate Services, Otunba Ifedayo Abegunde; Director, Legal Services, Mr Victor Arenyeka; Director, Finance and Supply, Mrs Kunemofa Asu; and Director, Liaison Office, Abuja, Mrs Mary Nwaeke.
In his remarks, the Managing Director of the REA, Dr Abba Abubakar Aliyu, described the MoU as a natural collaboration between two agencies with complementary mandates, reflecting a shared commitment to expanding access to sustainable electricity in rural communities.
Aliyu said the Niger Delta remains central to Nigeria’s economic fortunes and must be supported by infrastructure capable of driving productivity, enterprise and improved living standards, adding that the partnership signals readiness to deliver stable power to communities that have long awaited reliable electricity supply.
By: King Onunwor
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Why The AI Boom May Extend The Reign Of Natural Gas 

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Artificial intelligence is often viewed as a catalyst for electrification and subsequently decarbonization. Yet one of its most immediate effects may be the opposite of what many assume. The rapid buildout of AI infrastructure is increasing demand for reliable power, and that reality could strengthen the role of natural gas and other dispatchable energy sources for many years.
Investors focused on semiconductors and software valuations may be overlooking a key constraint. AI runs on electricity, and those electricity systems operate within physical and economic limits.
The energy sector has spent much of the past decade grappling with slow load growth. That is now changing, in a way that is reminiscent of the sharp rise in oil demand—and subsequently price—in the early 2000s.
Training large language models and operating advanced AI systems requires enormous computing resources. Hyperscale data centers are expanding rapidly, with developers requesting gigawatt-scale interconnections from utilities. In several regions, electricity demand forecasts have been revised upward after years of flat expectations.
This shift is significant because AI workloads create continuous, high-density demand rather than intermittent usage. Data centers cannot simply power down when the electricity supply becomes constrained. Reliability becomes paramount.
Wind and solar capacity continues to expand, but intermittent generation alone cannot meet the firm capacity needs of AI infrastructure without significant storage or backup generation.
Battery storage is improving, yet long-duration storage remains costly at scale. Nuclear projects face long development timelines and complex permitting hurdles. Transmission expansion also lags demand growth in many regions.
These constraints make dispatchable power sources critical. Natural gas plants can ramp quickly, operate continuously, and be deployed faster than many alternatives. As a result, gas-fired generation is increasingly viewed as a practical solution for supporting AI-driven load growth.
This does not undermine the role of renewables. In many markets, new renewable capacity is paired with gas generation to maintain grid stability. The key point is that AI-driven electrification is likely to increase fossil fuel usage in the near term.
Construction timelines favor gas-fired generation when demand rises quickly. Existing pipeline infrastructure reduces barriers to expansion. And for operators of data centers, reliability often outweighs ideological preferences. Downtime is simply too expensive.
Utilities are also revisiting resource plans as load forecasts rise. That shift may drive increased investment in transmission, grid modernization, and flexible generation assets.
The Decarbonization Story Is Complex
A common narrative holds that AI accelerates the transition away from fossil fuels because it increases electrification. The reality is more nuanced.
If electricity demand outpaces the buildout of low-carbon capacity, fossil generation may still increase in absolute terms even as renewables gain market share. Total emissions could rise, but the carbon intensity of the energy system may trend lower as cleaner sources make up a larger share of supply.
Ultimately, energy systems evolve based on engineering and economics, not just policy goals or market narratives.
Rising power demand could benefit utilities investing in transmission and generation capacity. Natural gas producers and midstream companies may see structural demand support from increased power-sector consumption. Equipment suppliers tied to grid reliability and gas turbines could also gain from the shift.
Longer term, advances in nuclear, storage, or efficiency may change the trajectory. For now, the immediate response to surging electricity demand is likely to rely on technologies that can be deployed quickly and reliably.
Artificial intelligence may reshape the economy in profound ways. One of the least appreciated consequences is that it may extend the relevance of natural gas as the world builds the energy backbone required to power the next generation of computing.
By: Robert Rapier
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Ogun To Join Oil-Producing States  ……..As NNPCL Kicks Off Commercial Oil Production At Eba

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Ogun State is set to join the comity of oil producing states in the country following the discovery and subsequent approval of commercial oil exploration activities in the Eba oil well, in Ogun Waterside Local Government Area of the state.
A technical team from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has visited the area as preparations are in advanced stage for commencement of commercial drilling operations in the state.
The inspection followed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s approval for commercial exploration, forming part of the federal government’s efforts to deploy the required technical capacity and infrastructure for production.
Officials of NNPCL carried out the exercise alongside representatives of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and national security agencies to evaluate the site and confirm its readiness for drilling activities.
The delegation was led by Project Coordinator for Enserv, Hussein Aliyu, who headed the NNPCL Enserv technical team.
Other members included Wasiu Adeniyi, Onwugba Kelechi, Engr. Rabiu M. Audu, Ojonoka Braimah, Ahmad Usman, Akinbosola Oluwaseyi, Salisu Nuhu, James Amezhinim, Yusuf Abdul-Azeez, Amararu Isukul and Livinus J. Kigbu.
Speaking, Governor Dapo Abiodun, described the development as a landmark achievement for Ogun State, saying “the commencement of drilling at Eba would stimulate economic growth, create employment opportunities and attract increased federal presence to the state’s coastal communities.
Abiodun also expressed appreciation to President Tinubu for his support toward the development of frontier oil basins and the equitable spread of the nation’s energy resources.
Recall that geological reports had earlier confirmed the presence of hydrocarbons within the Ogun Waterside axis, leading to preliminary surveys and technical engagements by NNPCL.
The Ogun State Government also carried out an independent verification of the oil well’s coordinates, affirming the discovery is located within the state’s boundaries.
To secure the project, naval security personnel have been deployed to the site for over 18 months, with the support of the Ogun State Government, to protect the facility and its environs.
The Eba oil well is regarded as part of Nigeria’s strategic move to expand oil production beyond the Niger Delta region.
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