Oil & Energy

2015: Nigerians Expectations From Power Firms

Published

9 years ago

January 19, 2015

As a new year (2015)
sets in, most Nigerians wish to know what the power firms particularly the Generating Companies (GENCOS) and Distribution Companies (DISCOS) have for them. With the low efficiency that sparked off and sustained crises in 2014 rule the day, or will the private dominated sector show some improvements in 2015?
As our correspondent samples the feelings of consumers, government officials and authorities of some power firms, divergent views were expressed in hope of a promising future ahead.
Authorities of Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHEDC) last week rekindled the hope of its customers in Port Harcourt when it promised them better power supply to power the socio-economic activities of the residents and companies which constitute the firms major customer.
However, Chief Nicholas Njoku, a Port Harcourt-based businessman said, “such promises have always been made but they have not been able to change the situation.
Njoku, who condemned the poor supply of PHEDC last year expressed strong need for the firm to live up to the expectations of the people.
“What can Nigeria in its totality be without good power supply? It is high time we got the point clear that our dream of industrialisation would remain a mirage until adequate power supply is given to the people,” said Njoku.
“Yes, PHEDC has made a good promise, but the company should not forget that such a promise has raised people’s expectations and I advise that PHEDC should match its promise with action,” he stated.
A senior staff in the office of Diobu Business Manager of PHEDC who pleaded anonymity said the company is ready to improve on power supply particularly of the volume of gas supplied to the company improves.
“You should understand that the new power firms that took over the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) were relatively new,” he said appealing that the companies which were more or less studying the industry needed some patience, understanding and high level of co-operation from the public.”
“As the days roll by, there is the natural likelihood that improvement would come and when our customers are happy, the power firms would also feel fulfilled,” he stressed.
But the issue of non-availability of metres was raised by Chidinma Okoroafor, a trader at Mile 1 Market in Port Harcourt.
“My concern is that when I sell my goods to customers, they pay me according to the value of the goods in monetary terms. PHEDC does not apply that principle in their business operations,” she said.
Okoroafor is worried that, “PHEDC chooses the amount of power they supply and also forces you to pay any amount it wishes. What kind of business is that,” she queried and noted that until an acceptable mode of payment which must correspondent with services rendered, is applied the promise of better supply is not enough.
She insisted that electricity meter, which is the universal measurement for power supply must determine supply, condemning the outright fixing of pay by the company.
“What annoys me most is that the government appears unconcerned about the cries of the masses and I begin to wonder who protects the people.”
An official of the Rivers State Ministry of Power who identified himself simply as George expressed strong hope that 2015 would come with better supply.
George said, “if you check round in Rivers State, you will observe that more communities especially in the rural areas now have light. I can tell you that more would have power supply because a good number have their rural electrification projects at various completion stages.”
Also expressing hope of better days ahead, a former staff of PHCN, Ihekoronye Obodo, noted that as PHCN operations transited to the new investors, consumers are yet to change their attitude. “They still think that power supply is in the hands of government but that is wrong because private investors are out to make profit to remain in business.”
Obodo solicited for patience and co-operation and expressed hope that with time, the private firms that are daily upgrading their facilities are prepared to improve supply to their customers.
“They must stop the attitude of power stealing because it is criminal, and let government establish special court to handle the issue of power theft, vandalism of power facilities and irregular payment for services used,” he stressed.
“As far as I am concerned, I have told PHEDC to disconnect me because I am no more interested in its power supply or whatever you call of PHEDC is an embarrassment to me because PHCN which was equally poor in service supply is even better than PHEDC,” said another consumer, Cletus Alaye.
Alaye, who said he returned from Canada two years ago would not see any need for PHEDC’s promises, stressing, what have I to do with promises. May be, the firm will ask people to pay for the promise it made. Let them prove to the people that they know how to do their job and until I see light regularly, I will continue to use my private generator.”
He, however, advised the Federal Government not to rely on the DISCOs and GENCOs but to diversify.
“Nigeria as a growing economy should look at the alternative means of supply to the masses. Solar energy, coal and other areas should be given proper attention,” he said and suggested that since so many rivers are in the country, experts should concert these potentials to provide energy.”
The Minister of Power, Prof Chinedu Nebo, last week disclosed Federal Government’s intention of providing over one million prepaid meters to reduce metering gap nationwide.
The minister, who stated this during a town-hall meeting with stakeholders in Abuja said the intervention was to help electricity distribution companies in which government has 40 per cent equity to reduce the metering gap.
He said the only way to reduce over billing was to provide meters to all consumers in the country.”
“Government still owns 40 per cent of the DISCOs. This is why it is still giving out its own counterpart funding,” Nebo stressed.
On pipeline vandalism, he said plans were underway by the government to digitise the pipelines to forestall vandalism and emphasised the need for a legislation to provide stiffer penalties to punish pipeline vandals.
Several efforts have also been made by the government to upgrade and build new power stations. It is believed that if the incidence of theft for which Nigeria is noted as the highest amongst countries of the world, is checked, meters provided to check the over-billing of power distribution firms to their customers and more dedication to responsible service provision as well as increased improvement on facilities are maintained, 2015 may reduce the so much darkness and provide light for socio-economic advancement of the nation.

Chris Oluoh

Some Transformers Donated by the lawmaker representing Oyigbo in the RSHA Hon. Okechukwu .A. Nwaogu

Oil & Energy

NSCDC’s Anti-Vandal Squad Uncovers Artisanal Refinery In Rivers Community

Published

2 weeks ago

April 15, 2024

The Tide

The Anti-Vandal Squad of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Rivers State Command, has uncovered yet another local refinery situated at Adobi-Akwa settlement in Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The State Commandant, Basil Igwebueze, disclosed this while speaking to journalists shortly after the tour of the Illegal site.
Represented by the Head, Anti-Vandal Squad, CSC Peters Ibiso, Igwebueze said the squad made the discovery following a tipp off, expressing regret that no arrest was made as the boys fled the site upon sighting the squad.
The cammandant’s representative took the newsmen across a tick forest of about 6-7 kilometers from the main town.
The team sighted where the pipeline vandals tapped into the Well Head of yet to be ascertained multinational company, connected their galvanised pipes to several cooking pots, heat up the crude to produce Automotive Gas Oil (AGO).
In his words, “Upon receiving a tip-off, the Anti-Vandal operatives swung into action to uncover this illegal oil bunkering site. They were in this forest for two days having cordoned the area, unfortunately, the perpetrators upon sighting our men took to their heels, but investigation is still ongoing to effect the arrests of such defiant elements”.
The Anti-Vandal Unit Head further narrated the operation techniques of the operators of local illegal refineries from the point of extraction of crude through vandalism of oil pipelines to cooking in various ovens where the content is subjected to high temperature and transmitted through pipes to reservoirs for storage and onward trans- loading to buyers.
While insisting that the command would not relent in the fight against illegal dealings in petroleum products, he urged the public to have more trust in the NSCDC by providing actionable intelligence that would enhance possible arrest of economic saboteurs in the State.
“Our commitment to continuously work in tandem with the prosecutorial mandate of the corps in order to rid the State of economic saboteurs remains unchanged. We value our informants and most especially the intelligence driven tip-off received from time to time.
“It is also our duty to ensure that our source of information are not disclosed so as to protect our informants. It is therefore our delight that the public will continue to have confidence and trust in us as we together protect the nation’s critical national assets and infrastructure from dare devil vandals”, he stated.

By: Lady Godknows Ogbulu

Oil & Energy

Oil Fund Withdrawals Suggest Extended Price Rally

Published

2 weeks ago

April 15, 2024

The Tide

The world’s largest crude oil exchange-traded fund has bled over $2 billion in less than a year. And it i
s not due to investors finding greener pastures elsewhere with other ETFs; it is the siren call of soaring prices that is prompting this mass exodus.
The WisdomTree Brent Crude Oil exchange-traded commodity had assets under management of some $2.5 billion last summer, according to Bloomberg. Now, the publication reports, this is down to $396 million, with withdrawals accelerating over the past few days.
In that, withdrawals seem to be following price trends. Brent earlier this month topped $90 per barrel and, after a short pause earlier this week, is back above that threshold again following the latest Israeli strike on the Gaza Strip amid reports about a possible ceasefire.
While it is true that prices are currently driven higher mainly by geopolitical events, fundamentals are also at play. A growing number of forecasters are updating their predictions for benchmarks this year on expectations of resilient demand and increasingly tighter supply. And investors are following the trend.
Even those who have not sold their ETF holdings in order to invest more directly in the rally are benefitting. That same WisdomTree Brent Crude Oil ETC generated returns of over 13 percent during the first quarter of the year as opposed to an average 8.8% gain in the S&P 500.
The WisdomTree exchange-traded commodity became the world’s largest oil fund at the beginning of last year. The fund saw inflows of over $1 billion, which poured in as the deflation in oil prices that had begun in late 2022 extended into the new year. Now, the trend has reversed and it has reversed strongly.
The WisdomTree Brent Crude Oil ETC is not the only fund seeing outflows. The U.S. Oil Fund, which used to be the world’s biggest oil fund before the WisdomTree inflows last year and is now the world’s biggest oil fund once again, also saw a flurry of investor exits as benchmarks climbed higher.
According to Bloomberg, the fund’s assets under management currently stand at $1.3 billion, down from some $5 billion during the pandemic.
In further evidence that oil makes money, the Middle East is about to become the only region in the world with three trillion-dollar sovereign wealth funds. The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority is worth $993 billion, Bloomberg reported in March, while the Saudi Public Investment Fund and the Kuwait Investment Authority are breathing down its neck.
Meanwhile, investment in transition-related stocks is on the decline, according to data reported by Reuters. The S&P Global Clean Energy Index is down by 10% since the start of the year. In comparison, the S&P 500 Energy Index, which comprises Big Oil names, has gained 16.3%.
The data shows that investors are growing wary of all the promises made by transition advocates as evidence mounts that these were not based on due diligence. Wind and solar stocks suffered a crash last year when this first became clear.
Now, we are witnessing a continued awakening among investors to the challenges and the realistic potential of transition technology and alternative energy sources.
“With conventional energy having its own bull run, I think the alternative funds will struggle for the foreseeable future, and we shall see what the election brings”, the Managing Director of capital markets at Phoenix Capital Group Holdings told Reuters.
The comment summarizes the challenging situation for alternative energy investment and highlights the rebound of interest in oil and gas, much to the chagrin of decision-makers on both sides of the Atlantic.
In both Europe and the U.S., things can get even worse for the transition after the respective elections—in June for European Parliament and in November for U.S. President. It will certainly be an interesting year in energy.
Slav writes for oilprice.

By: Irina Slav

Oil & Energy

CNG Initiative: FG Targets 25,000 Jobs, $2.5bn Investment

Published

2 weeks ago

April 15, 2024

The Tide

The Programme Director and Chief Executive, Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiatives, Michael Oluwagbemi, has announced the Federal Government’s plan to target over 25,000 jobs and $2.5 billion worth of investment by 2027.
Oluwagbemi made this known during the Presidential CNG stakeholders’ engagement workshop held at BOVAS Auto-Gas Filling Stations, Ajibode Bus-Stop, in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, at the weekend.
He stated that the initiative, which was part of palliative measures to ease the burden of the removal of fuel subsidy, would attract enormous investment and job creation as well as impact positively on the lives of Nigerians.
Meanwhile, he called on Nigerians to embrace the new initiatives by the Federal Government as part of palliatives to cushion the effect of the removal of fuel subsidy in the country.
“On October 1, 2023, when the President gave his speech, he announced that the Presidential CNG initiatives are going to be rolled out as part of palliatives on the removal of fuel subsidy.
“One of our major concerns is to make sure that the transition for the transportation sector is a cheaper, safer, and more reliable source of energy.
“In the coming weeks, we are going to be announcing the conversion incentives programme which will enable Nigerians currently using PMS and Diesel fuel vehicles to be able to convert their vehicles at designated places across the country at a discounted price based on certain pre-qualification under the palliative programme of the Federal Government”, he said.
On the value chain of the initiative, Oluwagbemi explained that the Federal Ministry of Finance is acquiring tricycles and buses that would be assembled and manufactured in Nigeria, with more than five automobile firms being activated.
“The value chain of the programme starts with every one of us. From the point of converting your vehicle, you have created the demand for natural gas.
“If your vehicle is converted by technicians and refuelled by autogas workshops across the country, then you are creating jobs for civil engineers and technicians. You’re creating jobs for the upstream in terms of upstream activities associated with oil and gas.
“And in line with the programme, the Federal Ministry of Finance is acquiring a number of tricycles and buses that will be assembled and manufactured in Nigeria. More than five of our automobile firms have been activated. So, you can see that in terms of job creation, the opportunities for Nigerians are enormous.
“The President has said we need to convert one million vehicles by 2027. We need 1,000 conversion shops and we need over 3,000 filing stations just like this. You can imagine the level of investment required for this.
“In order to sustain one million vehicle conversions by 2027, we need 25,000 technicians. So, the job creation potential is an opportunity for job creation in addition to our gross domestic product, $2.5 billion worth of investment to be mobilised in the next four years and of course more than $25 billion added to our GDP”, he said.
Oluwagbemi further called on Nigerians to embrace the new initiatives by the Federal Government as part of palliatives to cushion the effect of the removal of fuel subsidy in the country.
The representative of BOVAS Filling Station, a private investor in the Presidential CNG Initiatives, Temitope Samson, said, “We have worked with the regulators, we are also working with the Presidential Initiatives on CNG to make sure that standard safety is adhered to. We have also worked with the Standard Organisation of Nigeria to ensure that we have a standard accepted internationally.
“Our role is to ensure that there is availability of CNG across the nation, and to also ensure we have enough kits and tanks that are converted for people to use as many as possible, and to ensure safety and to train others so that anywhere they get to, they have very safe conversion”.
Recall that last year, President Bola Tinubu approved the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas initiative(PCNG-i)
This initiative aims to not only introduce more than 11,500 new CNG-enabled vehicles and provide 55,000 CNG conversion kits for existing vehicles that depend on Premium Motor Spirit but also promote local manufacturing, assembly, and job creation.