Oil & Energy

Association To Increase Local Consumption Of Cooking Gas

Published

7 years ago

August 13, 2018

The Nigerian Association of LPG Marketers (NALPGAM) says it plans to increase local consumption of cooking gas from 700,000 metric tonnes yearly to one million metric tonnes by 2020.
President of the association, Mr Nosakhare Ogieva-Okunbor, made this known at a Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) stakeholders’ forum tagged: “Creating Awareness and Safe Handling of LPG’’ in Lagos on Friday.
Ogieva-Okunbor said that if every stakeholder within the LPG value-chain does what is right, the target would increase to about five million metric tonnes by 2025.
He said that if achieved, Nigeria would have attained the League of Nations with high level of LPG consumption.
Ogieva-Okunbor said the association remained a vital link in the LPG distribution value-chain in Nigeria, adding that it was embarking on a nationwide awareness on the benefits and safe use of LPG..
The initiative, according to him, is to encourage voluntary switch from the use of firewood, charcoal, kerosene and other forms of dirty fuel to the use of cooking gas, which was the most efficient and effective cooking source.
Ogieve-Okunbor decried that cooking gas consumption in Nigeria had remained low due to lack of adequate awareness and other infrastructure challenges.
He advised government and other stakeholders to organise and promote campaigns to create awareness about cooking gas and its attendant environmental and health benefits.
Ogieva-Okunbor said that the association was using the occasion to complement the efforts of the Federal Government toward developing a vibrant LPG sector.
He also said that the sector could only witness the desired growth if the citizenry begin to use LPG as an alternative fuel for automobile and cooking.
The association president said: “This is to encourage voluntary switching from the use of firewood, charcoal, kerosene and other cooking sources to the use of cooking gas as the most efficient and effective cooking source.
“Cooking gas consumption in Nigeria has remained low; no, thanks to lack of adequate awareness creation and other infrastructure challenges.
‘‘Since a greater percentage of Nigeria’s population reside in the rural areas, efforts must be made by the government and stakeholders to encourage locals and non-governmental oragnisations (NGOs) to go to the remote areas to promote the product,’’ he said.
Ogieva-Okunbor said the association was embarking on a campaign project to create awareness for the commodity and also teach consumers on how best to handle cooking gas.
According to him, the campaign, will be taken to all states of the federation with a promise of free cooking gas cylinders to Nigerians and also teach them on the safe and proper handling of cooking gas.
Also, Mr Umar Ajiya, the Managing Director, Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC), said that the organisation was not only at the forefront of deepening LPG usage, but also to stabilise domestic price of cooking gas.
Ajiya, represented by Mr Billy Okoye, the Executive Director in charge of Commercials, said that the agency was dialoguing with NLNG and importers to ensure the crash of LPG price in Nigeria.
He said that it would encourage people to desist from the use of dirty fuel, including firewood and charcoal and move to clean energy.

Oil & Energy

TotalEnergies, Conoil Sign Deal To Boost Oil Production

Published

13 hours ago

November 24, 2025

The Tide

TotalEnergies has signed agreements with Conoil Producing Limited under which to acquire from Conoil a 50 per cent interest in Oil Processing Licence (OPL) 257, a deep-water offshore oil block in Nigeria.

The deal entails Conoil also acquiring a 40 per cent participating interest held by TotalEnergies in Oil Minining Lease (OML) 136, both located offshore Nigeria.

Upon completion of this transaction, TotalEnergies’ interest in OPL257 would be increased from 40 per cent to 90 per cent, while Conoil will retain a 10% interest in this block.

Covering an area of around 370 square kilometres, OPL 257 is located 150 kilometers offshore from the coast of Nigeria. “This block is adjacent to PPL 261, where TotalEnergies (24%) and its partners discovered in 2005 the Egina South field, which extends into OPL257.

Senior Vice-President Africa, Exploration & Production at TotalEnergies, Mike Sangster, said “An appraisal well of Egina South is planned to be drilled in 2026 on OPL257 side, and the field is expected to be developed as a tie-back to the Egina FPSO, located approximately 30 km away.

“This transaction, built on our longstanding partnership with Conoil, will enable TotalEnergies to proceed with the appraisal of the Egina South discovery, an attractive tie-back opportunity for Egina FPSO.

“This fits perfectly with our strategy to leverage existing production facilities to profitably develop additional resources and to focus on our operated gas and offshore oil assets in Nigeria”.

Oil & Energy

“COP30: FG, Brazil Partner On Carbon Emissions Reduction

Published

13 hours ago

November 24, 2025

The Tide

The Federal Government and Brazil have deepened collaboration on climate action, focusing on sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, and the reduction of black carbon emissions.

The partnership is anchored in South-South cooperation through the Brazil-Nigeria Strategic Dialogue Mechanism, which facilitates the exchange of ideas, technology, and policy alignment within the global climate framework, particularly the Paris Agreement.

The Executive Secretary, Amazon Interstates Consortium, Marcello Brito, made the disclosure during an interview with newsmen, in Abuja, on the sidelines of the 2025 COP30 United Nations Climate Change Conference, held in Belem, Brazil.

Brito emphasized that both nations are committed to global efforts aimed at curbing black carbon emissions, a critical component of climate mitigation strategies.

“Nigeria and Brazil are collaborating on climate change remedies primarily through the Green Imperative Project (GIP) for sustainable agriculture, and by working together on renewable energy transition and climate finance mobilisation,” Brito said.

“These efforts are part of a broader strategic partnership aimed at fostering sustainable development and inclusive growth between the two Global South nations,” Brito added.

TheTide gathered that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu announced an ambitious plan to mobilize up to $3 billion annually in climate finance, through its National Carbon Market Framework and Climate Change Fund, positioning itself as a leader in nature-positive investment across the Global South.

Represented by the Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, Tinubu made the announcement during a high-level thematic session of the conference titled ‘Climate and Nature: Forests and Oceans’

Tinubu stressed that Nigeria’s climate strategy is rooted in restoring balance between nature, development, and economic resilience.

Hosted in the heart of the Amazon, on November 10—21, the 30th COP30 conference brought together the international community to discuss key climate issues, focusing on implementing the Paris Agreement, reviewing nationally determined contributions (NDCs), and advancing goals for energy transition, climate finance, forest conservation, and adaptation.

Oil & Energy

DisCo Debts, Major Barrier To New Grid Projects In Nigeria ……. Stakeholders

Published

13 hours ago

November 24, 2025

The Tide

Energy industry leaders and lenders have raised concerns that the high-risk legacy debts of Distribution Companies (DisCos) and unclear regulatory frameworks are significant barriers to the financing and development of new grid-connected power projects in Nigeria.

The consensus among financiers and power sector executives is that addressing legacy DisCo debt, improving contractual transparency, and streamlining regulatory frameworks are critical to unlocking private investment in Nigeria’s power infrastructure.

Speaking in the context of new grid-connected power plants, during panel sessions at the just concluded Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) Power Conference, Senior Vice President at Stanbic IBTC Infrastructure Fund, Jumoke Ayo-Famisa, explained the cautious approach lenders take when evaluating embedded or grid-scale power projects.

Ayo-Famisa who emphasized the critical importance of clarity around off-takers and contract structures said “If someone approaches us today with an embedded power project, the first question is always: Who is the off-taker? Who are you signing the contract with?” . “In Lagos State, for example, there is Eko Electricity and Excel Distribution Company Limited. Knowing this is important,” she said.

She highlighted the nuances in contract types, whether the developer is responsible just for generation or for the full chain, including distribution and collection.

“Collection is very important because you would be wondering, ‘is the cash going to be commingled with whatever is happening at the major DISCO level, is it ring-fenced, what is the cash flow waterfall,” she stated.

Ayo-Famisa pointed out that the major stumbling block remains the “high leverage in the books of the legacy DisCos.” Incoming project financiers want to be confident that their cash flows won’t be exposed to the financial risks of these indebted entities. This makes clarity on contractual relationships and cash flow mechanisms a top priority.

Noting that tariff clarity also remains a challenge, Ayo-Famisa said “Some states have come out to clearly say that there is no subsidy; some are saying they are exploring solutions for the lower income segments. So, the clarity would be on who is responsible for the tariff, is this sponsored?, Can they change tariffs?, In terms of if their cost rises, they can pass it on, or they have to wait for the regulator.

“Unlike, what you find in the willing seller-willing buyer, where they negotiate and agree on their prices. Now they are going into grid, there is Band A, Band B, if my power goes into, say, Ikeja Electric, or I have a contract with them, “am I commingled with whatever is happening across their multiple bands?”

Also speaking, Group Managing Director and CEO of West Power & Gas Limited, Wola Joseph Condotti, stressed the dual-edged nature of decentralization in the power sector.

“Of course, decentralization brings us closer to the people as the jurisdiction is now clear. You also know that your tariff would be reflective of the type of people living in that environment. You cannot take the Lagos tariff to Zamfara, and this is what has been happening before now in the power sector. So, decentralization brings about a more customized solution to issues you find on the ground.

“Some of the issues I see are those that bother on capacity. It was a centrally run system that had 11 DISCOs. Of the 11 DISCOs, I think there are 3 or 4 of us today that are surviving or alive, if I may put it that way. If you go to electricity generation companies, they are doing much better,” she said.

Condotti highlighted regulatory overlaps as another complication, especially when power generation or distribution crosses state lines.

She said, “Investors would definitely have a problem. Say if you have a plant in Ogun State supplying power to another state, say Lagos State; you are automatically regulated by NERC. But the truth is that the state regulator of Ogun State and Lagos State wants you to comply with certain regulatory standards.”

With the growing demand for reliable electricity and an urgent need for infrastructure expansion, the ability to navigate these complex financial and regulatory landscapes would determine the pace at which new grid-connected power projects can be developed.