Business

Accusations Trail Spill At Nigerian Coast

Published

13 years ago

January 4, 2012

Nigerian villagers say oil washing up on the coast comes from a Royal Dutch Shell loading accident last month that caused the biggest spill in Africa’s top producer in more than 13 years.

Shell denies that any of the oil is from its 200,000 barrel per day (bpd) Bonga facility, 120 km offshore and accounting for 10 percent of monthly oil flows, which was shut down by the spill on December 20.

Shell says five ships were used to disperse and contain the spill and that this kept any oil from washing ashore.

But local villagers, as well as environmental and rights groups, dispute this account, saying the oil is still at large, coating parts of the coast, killing fish and sparking protests.

On Saturday, a Reuters team visited two of 13 villages whose residents say they were affected by the spill in the steamy swamps of the Niger Delta. In both, there were stretches of beach coated in a film of black sludge with a rainbow tint.

In one, two children skipped along the beach, dodging the puddles of sticky ooze.

Villagers in Orobiri, Delta State, spent much of the day scooping crude from the water in plastic buckets and jerrycans.

“When this spill occurred, we called on Shell to come and do a clean-up, … but since then, they have not turned up, so we the communities now did a clean-up instead,” said Jacob Ajuju, the paramount chief of Orobiri village, surrounded by rows of assorted buckets and containers full of crude.

As he spoke, dozens of women villagers marched in protest at the spill, their heads adorned with leafy branches to symbolise unhappiness. Others continued to tip the oil from jerrycans into large plastic drums.

“On Christmas day, all the women you see here, were just at the seaside parking this oil into the jerrycans,” said Dennis Igolobuabe, Orobiri community youth president.

Shell says no oil from the spill washed up on the coast.

“We believe the oil on the beach is not from Bonga. We made significant progress every day to disperse the oil that leaked from Bonga,” Shell Nigeria spokesman Precious Okolobo told Reuters in an emailed statement.

“We are confident that any oil of that age, colour and consistency that hits the beach is not ours. We are taking samples … which will be reviewed to provide evidence that this is not Bonga oil on the beach,” he added.

Okolobo suggested the oil may have been from “a third party spill which appeared to be from a vessel, in the middle of an area that we had previously cleaned up”.

Spills by all oil companies operating in the region are common, and it is sometimes hard to tell whose is whose.

On another beach near Agga village, a man on a motorbike paused to look at scores of silvery fish washed up dead.

“Before this spill came, we were already informed by Shell in Warri (the main town in the region) during a meeting that this is what is coming … It’s a calamity,” said Joseph Gbuebo, community secretary for Agga.

“On the 25th of this month, we saw some helicopters flying, dropping some chemicals along the shore, but this has been injurious to our health,” he added.

Shell’s pipelines in Nigeria’s onshore Niger Delta have spilled several times. The company usually blames such leaks on sabotage attacks and rampant oil theft.

BP’s Macondo well in the Gulf of Mexico ruptured in April last year, spewing nearly 5 million barrels of oil into the sea in what was the worst U.S. marine oil spill. The disaster brought intense negative publicity for BP.

But in Nigera, spills are so commonplace they often go unnoticed by the outside world.

Bonga had been due to load around 161,000 bpd on five tankers in January, according to oil loading programmes, and its closure has boosted prices for other Nigerian crude grades.

A U.N. report in August criticised Shell and the Nigerian government for contributing to 50 years of pollution in a Niger Delta region that it said needs the world’s largest oil clean-up, costing an initial $1 billion and taking up to 30 years.

Business

MoneyPoint Empowers Pharmacists With Payment Solutions

Published

3 days ago

October 9, 2024

The Tide

MoniePoint Inc. a digital financial firm in Nigeria, has said it is empowering community pharmacists across the country with innovative payment solutions to improve access to drugs.
The financial firm said it had also provided loans for pharmacists under the aegis of the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) to drive healthcare delivery in the country.
MoniePoint in a release titled, “Inside Nigeria’s community pharmacies: How Moniepoint drives healthcare access with payments and funding”, has reaffirmed its commitment to providing digital payment solutions to improve health outcomes in Nigeria.
The release examined how community pharmacies play a crucial role as vital access points for medical care in Nigeria, especially in areas with limited hospital or clinic access.
According to the release, the ACPN National Chairman, Ambrose Igwekwam, highlighted the critical role played by community pharmacies in Nigeria’s healthcare system over the years.
Igwekwam, however, expressed concerns over the challenges confronting the nation’s pharmaceutical industry which he said was hindering access to affordable medicines.
The pharmacist listed poor infrastructural systems, power, transportation, regulatory bottlenecks, importation dependency, and limited research opportunities as major challenges facing the pharmaceutical sector.
He also stressed the need for robust collaborative efforts with institutions like Moniepoint to strengthen the sector.
“As Nigeria continues to grow, improving local pharma manufacturing to meet the demands of this growth presents a key opportunity for us all.
“There is also the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement, which is expected to boost our industry, especially when we start producing our drugs locally, which will provide the much needed foreign exchange from exports.
“We are also seeing advancements in digital health and technology which would hopefully deepen the practice of e-prescription in Nigeria”, the ACPN boss said.

Corlins Walter

Business

Embrace AI, CIIN Urges Insurance Operators

Published

3 days ago

October 9, 2024

The Tide

In order to enhance customer service and streamline operations, the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN) has called on stakeholders in the insurance industry to embrace Artificial Intelligence (AI).
The President of the institute, Yetunde Ilori, made this call at the 2024 Office Representatives Committee (ORC) Workshop, organised by the institute, with the theme “AI and the Future of the Insurance Industry”, in Lagos.
Ilori at the event, emphasised the importance of AI adoption, noting that it was not a threat to jobs but rather a tool to improve efficiency across the insurance sector.
“It is not about AI taking over our jobs, but about us using AI to simplify processes and give maximum satisfaction to all the customers we serve whether as underwriters, brokers, loss adjusters, or in educating our members”, she said.
The workshop, which brought players in the insurance sector together, aimed to address how AI could be leveraged to transform business processes and improve customer interactions.
The Chairman of the ORC, Monica Nwachukwu, underscored the role of AI in modernising the industry, adding, “AI can automate customer and claims processes, allowing insurers to provide faster and more efficient services to their customers”.
She explained how AI could help extract data from legacy systems, enhancing decision-making processes.
“By integrating AI with APIs, insurers can feed valuable data into AI solutions to improve operations and customer service”, she added.
In his address, the Managing Partner of A4S and Training Heights, Orlando Odejide, stressed the need for companies to align their strategies with future technologies like AI, especially as they prepare for 2025.
“Any organisation that wants to grow into the future must have its strategic plan in place. If your strategy for 2025 is not ready, it should be done by October”, he advised.
He encouraged participants to think critically about how AI could be integrated into their business models to ensure they remain competitive.
“The idea is for you to use this workshop as a platform to think about your organization and how AI can help streamline your processes and improve growth”, Odejide noted.

Business

NASRDA Reassures On Strengthening Nigeria’s Space Capability

Published

3 days ago

October 9, 2024

The Tide

In order to gain global respect and recognition, the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) has reaffirmed its determination to pursue its goal in ensuring that Nigeria’s space capabilities are recognised on the world stage.
The agency also reaffirmed its commitment to positioning Nigeria as a key player in the global space economy.
In a statement by the Director of Media and Corporate Communications, Dr. Felix Ale, NASRDA revealed that the Director-General of the agency, Matthew Adepoju, emphasised this during recent engagements at the 79th United Nations General Assembly and the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) and Global Alliance Business Association international conference in Michigan, United States.
The statement noted that Adepoju outlined a forward-thinking agenda, stressing the importance of Nigeria’s space programme as a leader in research, exploration, and technological innovation.
“Our goal is to ensure that Nigeria’s space capabilities are recognised on the world stage.
“We must foster collaborations with global space agencies to enhance our satellite capabilities and technological infrastructure”, he stated.
The NASRDA boss said the agency is focusing on enhancing satellite capabilities, expanding international collaborations, and leveraging space science for national development.
He said NASRDA will have no stone unturned in pursuit of excellence, ensuring the agency secures the necessary resources and recognition to propel it forward.
“The relationships we build today will pave the way for tomorrow’s advancements in space science.
“Innovation and progress thrive in an environment built on collaboration and inclusivity”, he stated.
He emphasised that with the support of the government, international partners, and a dedicated team, NASRDA is poised to make significant strides in the evolving global space landscape.
“We are on the brink of a new era for Nigeria’s space agency. Together, we will ensure our nation stands out in the global space economy”, he said.

Corlins Walter