Business
Natural Resources, Key To Africa’s Future
Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Chairperson of the AU Commission has said that the future of Africans would be determined by the manner in which they utilise their natural resources.
Dlamini-Zuma made this known in Addis Ababa at the 8th African Development Forum,
“We want the future of Africa to be a future where the use of our natural resources leads to Africa’s development, and also a future that claims an equal and dignified place in the global community of nations,’’ she said.
She said Africa was colonised because of its natural resources and that the continent’s status in global economy would be defined by its natural resources.
According to Dlamini-Zuma, the outcome of the forum would not only help decision makers to assess the state of affairs, but also help in charting a path to the future of Africa where uses of its natural resources productively and sustainably would be to its benefit and that of its people.
Dlamini-Zuma therefore, charged the forum to address the challenges that Africa faces with respect to the utilisation and management of the continent’s natural resources.
“You must address such issues as the ownership of these resources. Yes, resources are physically located on our continent, in our countries, but do we really own them? What should be the right balance between foreign and national ownership of resources and how do we get there?’’
“How much of our resources should we keep for our own needs for the next 50 or 100 years from now?’’ she asked.
She said with the latest statistics which showed that Africa was among the growing regions, it was unfortunate that the growth was
not generating enough jobs for Africans, especially the youth.
Mr Carlos Lopes, Executive Secretary, UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) said Africa has a long way to go in order to harness the full potential of its resources.
“It is obvious that we are not there yet. We are gearing up to cope with the increasing global demand for natural resources, at a time of global concern about environmental sustainability and climate change. Our policy responses would therefore require that we change,’’ Lopes said.
He said there was need to improve the processes for accessing and extracting mineral resources in a way that tackles poverty
and promotes inter-generational equity.
Lopes said Africa accounts for three-quarters of the world’s platinum supply, and half of its diamonds and chromium, it has up to
one-fifth of gold and uranium supplies and it was increasingly home to oil and gas production with more than 30 countries in
the category.
He also said Africa has 60 per cent of the world uncultivated arable land, it has forest resources covering more than 23 per cent of its land area and that the same could be said about fisheries and aqua-culture endowments which if properly managed, could be more valuable than familiar non-renewable resources.
Speaking, Mr Aly Abou-Sabaa, Vice President, African Development Bank (AfDB) said Africa has the potential to ensure that its wealth
of natural resources served as a robust catalyst for economic growth, poverty reduction and sustainable development.
Abou-Sabaa, however, said that for this to be achieved, the continent must promote responsible investment for broad-based growth, strengthen enhanced transparency in governance and ensure accountability.
It must also build a capable and responsive state for human capacity development and ensure enhanced socio-economic drive in
the continent.
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The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has promised full support to ensuring that ‘world-class’ safety boots manufactured by a firm, Yikodeen Company Limited, were utilised in-country.
The Tide learnt that the firm recently inaugurated its expanded safety footwear manufacturing plant in the Ejigbo area of Lagos State, a 120,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility capable of producing 5,000 pairs of safety boots per day.
In his remarks, Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, represented by the Director of Capacity Building, Engr. Abayomi Bamidele, described the inauguration as a landmark event that aligned with the Board’s core mandate to promote local content across Nigeria’s oil and gas value chain and beyond.
“Enterprises like Yikodeen are at the heart of what we stand for at the NCDMB. The ‘D’ in our name stands for Development, and the ‘M’ means Monitoring, which describes our dedicated effort to ensure Nigerian-made products are not just produced, but utilised”, he said.
Ogbe said the NCDMB will continue to support the company, especially as its products meet global standards, and are already being adopted in the oil and gas industry.
“I’ve the mandate to inform you of our full support to ensure that these world-class safety boots are utilised in-country”, he said.
The Board’s Chief Scribe cited the Federal Government’s ‘Nigeria First’ policy, stressing its implications across all sectors.
“The President, through the Bureau of Public Procurement, has directed that all safety footwear procured with public funds must be made in Nigeria. Yikodeen stands to benefit immensely from this directive if strategically positioned”, Ogbe noted.
He commended the founder’s determination, saying from all indications the firm’s boss started from a relatively young age.
“A shoemaker is now a billionaire shoemaker. I urge Nigerian youths to channel their energy into entrepreneurship. The Yikodeen journey is one that inspires national pride”, the NCDMB’S helmsman added.
In his remarks, the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu represented by the Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, Mrs. Folashade Ambrose-Medebem, lauded the company’s achievement, describing it as symbolic of Lagos’ industrial vision.
“From a modest workshop in 2016, Yikodeen has emerged as the largest footwear manufacturing company in West Africa. This is not just a factory, it is a movement, a demonstration that Lagos can produce, compete, and export globally”, he said.
Sanwo-Olu affirmed that the factory directly aligned with the State’s industrial policy (2025–2030), which seeks to double the manufacturing sector contribution to the state’s Gross Domestic Product from 7.5 per cent to at least 15 per cent by 2030, reduce dependence on imports for basic consumer goods, and foster an ecosystem where local industries can thrive through forward and backward value chain integration.
“Yikodeen is not only producing shoes, it is producing livelihoods, opportunities, and dignity”, the Lagos Governor added.
Recounting his entrepreneurial journey, founder and CEO of Yikodeen, Mr. Atunde Shamsideen, described the venture as a stubborn dream born in 2015.
“This vision started in a room, with just 20 pairs of shoes. Today, we produce over 2,000 pairs daily to ISO, ASTM, and Nigerian industrial standards”, he said.
He commended the NCDMB for its pivotal role in his company’s growth, noting how the Board helped facilitate years of product testing and eventual adoption by oil and gas companies like Saipem and Daewoo.
“Their enforcement ensured our products got through. Today, those same companies are our biggest customers”, the firm’s CEO added.
He stressed on the potential for job creation if local procurement policies were enforced, claiming that only about two percent of safety boots used in Nigeria were locally manufactured.
“If we enforce local purchase in the oil and gas and public sectors, we can create over 35,000 jobs.Yikodeen’s production ecosystem already engages women in raw material recycling and trains over 1,000 people yearly.
“Buying Made-in-Nigeria goes far beyond commerce. it is about creating value chains, livelihoods, and national dignity”, Shamsideen noted.
Also speaking, Director-General of the Standards Organizationnof Nigeria (SON), Dr. Ifeanyi Okeke, represented by the Director for Lagos Operations, Mrs. Teresa Ojomo, praised Yikodeen’s adherence to national and international safety standards.
“This is not just a facility, it’s a declaration that Nigerian manufacturing can lead globally. The Standards Organization of Nigeria will continue to support companies like Yikodeen who take quality seriously”, he said.
Okeke underscored SON’s partnership with the firm since 2006, culminating in the Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme certification, which assures consumers of quality and safety, citing the company’s certification under critical standards such as NIS ISO 20346:2004 and ISO 20345:2022.
“Standards are not obstacles, they are enablers. They are the bridge between ambition and market access”, he added.
In his remarks, the Olu of Warri, HRM Ogiame Atuwatse(111), represented by the Ogwa-Olusan, Chief Brown Mene, described Yikodeen as a beacon of hope for Nigeria.
The monarch likened the company to a stubborn vision that refused to be beaten by headwinds, proving that Nigeria was on an upward trend, urging the team to remain visionary and expand globally, while also assuring that the name of Yikodeen will blaze bright and proud.
Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa
A group, ‘Concerned Bayelsa Stakeholders Forum (CBSF)’ has intensified calls on the State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, to leave the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The CBSF which comprises members of various political parties, non-partisan citizens and residents of the state also has non-indigenes and people from different religious organizations as members.
Speaking at a world press conference held in Yenagoa, the State capital on Tuesday, the group, through its Convener who doubles as Technical Adviser to the governor on Media/Public Affairs, Snr. Comrade Wisdom Ikuli, passed a confidence vote on Governor Diri, commending his selfless service to the state and the Ijaw nation.
Mr Ikuli averred that there was need for the state to align with the federal government, citing the benefits of having a government at the centre that can attract development to the state, he noted that the PDP at the national level had been long enmeshed in crisis.
“The current leadership of the PDP under whose platform the governor is leading the state has been hijacked by few individuals. This poses threats to the interest of the state.
“Presently, our state is standing alone as the only PDP state in the whole of the South South region. The above may not be too much an issue. The greatest challenge here is the hijack of the PDP by few individuals and the very dangerous traps that they have set for Bayelsa in 2027, particularly those that intend to fly the flag of PDP.
“There are concluded arrangements to hide under the excuse of crisis and countless court cases in PDP at different levels to work to nullify the nomination of all candidates that will emerge under the party platform. So, we can imagine the pains, agony and disarray that the state shall experience if the state remains in PDP.
“The ongoing Coalition is also an embodiment of people who conspired to deny Bayelsa State and indeed the entire Ijaw Nation, a second term at the Presidency in 2015. Thus, the coalition can never be an option.
” It is based on the above that we unanimously appeal to the Governor to defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to show southern solidarity with other southern governors who are with Mr. President”, the group said.
“But as we move forward, one of the greatest priorities in the alliance with the centre should be the actualization of the Agge Seaport that will help to boost the state economy and also bring about unimaginable transformation and prosperity. In the next few days we shall begin a daily rally on the streets of Yenagoa to prevail on His Excellency to do the needful.
“Finally, His Excellency should ignore all opposing voices against his defection. We say this because they are all fighting to protect their individual political interest without prioritizing that of the state and the entire Ijaw nation.
” We wish to reassure His Excellency that vast majority of Bayelsans are with him and together, we shall move forward”, the CBSF added.
The group thanked President Bola Tinubu for appointing Ijaw sons and daughters into key positions, including Senator Heineken Lokpobiri as Minister of State for Petroleum Resources; Chief Samuel Ogbuku as Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC); Chief Ebitimi Amgbare as Managing Director, Niger Delta Basin Development Authority (NDBDA), amongst others.
Meanwhile, the CBSF has also charged Governor Diri to prioritize the actualization of the Agge Deep Seaport project, saying it will boost the economy of the state and bring about transformation and prosperity, noting, however, that plans have reached advanced stages for the CBSF to hit the streets of Yenagoa with rallies with a view to prevailing on the governor to defect to the APC.
By Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa
The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemical Company have inaugurated a Joint Technical Committee (JrefineryTC) aimed at advancing local content implementation during the operational phase of the 650,000 barrels per day plant.
A statement from the Directorate of Corporate Communications of the Board noted that the inauguration ceremony took place at the Dangote Free Trade Zone, Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos State.
The statement also said the inauguration marks a pivotal moment in fostering strategic collaboration between the both institutions, and was a significant move to reinforce local content development in the oil and gas sector.
Presided over by the Executive Secretary of the NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, and the Group Vice President, Oil and Gas, Dangote Group, Chief Edwin Devakumar, the event featured the formal sign-off of the Committee’s Terms of Reference (ToR), a guided tour of the refinery, other critical facilities, and the official commencement of the JTC’s responsibilities.
According to the Board, the visit also featured the presentation of the certificate of the Nigerian Content Downstream Operator of the Year Award won by the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemical Company at the inaugural ‘Champions of Nigerian Content Awards’ held recently in May.
The NCDMB’s boss made the presentation to the President of the Dangote Group, Alhalji Aliko Dangote, who expressed delight at the recognition, noting that he would display the certificate proudly at his office.
Ogbe congratulated the Dangote Group on the successful development and commissioning of the largest single train refinery in the world, as well as petrochemical and fertiliser plants, describing the projects as a historic milestone not for Nigeria alone, but for the entire continent.
He emphasized that the Dangote Refinery stands as a testament to the success of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act of 2010 and the transformative potential of Nigerian-led industrial projects.
“At an optimal daily production capacity of 650,000 barrels, this refinery will significantly enhance Nigeria’s energy security and contribute to the supply of refined petroleum products across West Africa.
“Nigerians, have to own the plant, we have to make sure that the plant works well. We have to secure it, we have to maintain it. The NCDMB would continue to collaborate with Dangote Petroleum Refinery”, Engr Ogbe said.
Highlighting the need to ensure more value retention in the sector, as mandated by the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act (NOGICD) 2010, the Board’s helmsman demanded compliance with Sections 32 and 33 of the NOGICD Act, with particular reference to local manpower utilization and requirements for NCDMB’s approval prior to the engagement of expatriates.
“The NOGICD Act stipulates that no expatriate can be employed in any organization in the oil and gas industry without the prior approval of the NCDMB. We will work with you, We’ve to protect jobs for Nigerians. It’s critical to job creation, skills development, and national capacity building in line with the ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’ of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu”, he said.
He commended the firm for training and employing Nigerian engineers, saying the collaboration will ensure that qualified Nigerians were given opportunities across all operational roles, while also urging the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals to support the Board’s initiative which aims at developing oil and gas industrial parks across the country to foster local content and manufacturing in the sector.
He noted that the Nigerian Oil and Gas Parks Scheme (NOGaPS) seeks to create an enabling environment for Small and Medium Enterprises in the sector.
“NOGaPS was conceived by the Board to develop facilities close to oil fields where manufacturing of oil and gas components, as well as research and development, can be carried out.
“We would like Dangote to support one of our major activities, which is the oil and gas industrial parks scheme. The parks are aimed at creating an enabling environment for SMEs in the industry to do fabrications and create more jobs for Nigerians”, the NCDMB’S boss stated.
In his welcome address, the Dangote Group Vice President, Devakumar, highlighted that the refinery project and NCDMB have been working together, promoting local content development during the construction stages of the project.
“We can’t say we have achieved everything, because there is opportunity to do more. We’re grateful to the NCDMB for all their support and advice. As entrepreneurs, we’re trying to optimise costs. It’s a Nigerian company, it’s also an entrepreneur-driven company. As a Nigerian company, the focus will be on Nigerian content. As an entrepreneur-driven company, it will be cost-focused”, he noted.
Devakumar underscored the long-standing commitment of the Dangote Group to national development and capacity building, saying that the Group’s vision is to grow Nigeria’s industrial landscape.
High points of the visit, according to the Corporate Communications Directorate of the NCDMB, was the inauguration of the Committee members.
The statement from the NCDMB further added that the committee is to ensure the implementation of local content in the refinery’s operations, while its core objectives include promoting the use of Nigerian skilled manpower, services, and locally sourced materials in compliance with Section 3 of the NOGICD Act.
The Tide learnt that the committee will also support Dangote Refinery in aligning its operational procedures with the Act’s requirements.
In his acceptance remarks, Director of Corporate Services at NCDMB and Chairman of the Committee, Mr. Abdulmalik Halilu, expressed gratitude to the leadership of both organizations, reiterating the Committee’s dedication to upholding the highest standards of local content enforcement and fostering measurable outcomes that will benefit the nation’s economy.
Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa
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