Business

Firm Unveils Techno Gas Cylinders At World Forum

Published

8 years ago

October 8, 2018

Nigeria’s oil and gas major, Techno Oil Ltd. has unveiled its TechnoGas LPG cylinders at the 31st World LPG Forum rounding off at Houston, Texas in the U.S.
The unveiling of the cylinders formally makes Nigeria to join the big league of nations manufacturing LPG cylinders for export.
No fewer than 1,500 participants drawn from 72 countries and 89 companies exhibited various products with Techno Oil being the only African company that exhibited its cylinder products.
A dispatch by Techno Oil to The Tide source yesterday, quoted Mr Gbite Adeniji, Senior Special Adviser to the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources as expressing his delight that Nigerian companies are steadily making appearances on the world stage.
“I’m pleased to have visited your lovely stand and I’m highly impressed with what I saw of your products,’’ Adeniji said at the Techno Oil exhibition pavilion.
He said: “The cylinders look high quality. I continue to be impressed with your entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to the oil and gas sector.’’
Similarly, the Managing Director of Ultimate Gas Ltd., Alhaji Auwalu Ilu, lauded the management of Techno Oil for flying Nigeria’s flag at the global event.
He said he was impressed with the quality of the cylinders and implored Techno oil to continue to make Nigeria at the world stage.
On his part, the Executive Director Commercial, Nigerian Products Marketing Company, Mr Billy Okoye, expressed his delight with Techno Oil and its remarkable achievement in manufacturing cylinders.
Also speaking, the Deputy Director, Head, Downstream of the Department of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Ijeoma Onyeri, said she lacked words to describe the strides being made by Techno Oil in manufacturing cylinders locally.
She told the company to sustain the quality of its products and to ensure safety in its manufacturing operations.
In a speech at a ceremony to unveil the cylinders, the Executive Vice-Chair of Techno Oil, Mrs Nkechi Obi, flanked by the Managing Director of the company, Mr Tony Onyeama, and other senior management staff, said she was excited that Nigeria could now export cylinders.
She said that it was a fulfilling moment for her to announce to the world that made in Nigeria LPG cylinders could now be exported, rather than for Nigerians to continue to import cylinders and deplete its foreign reserves.
“We’re using this forum to announce to the world that TechnoGas cylinders have hit the market and we’re ready to meet every demand, local and international.
She told the gathering that Nigeria had expended billions of dollars importing LPG cylinders from various countries, especially China, India and other Asian countries.
Obi, whose company recently completed the building of Nigeria’s largest LPG cylinder manufacturing plant, said that TechnoGas cylinders would help the Federal Government to save resources in importing cylinders and their accessories.
“The era of Nigerians depending on sub-standard cylinders imported from India, China and other countries is over for Nigerian and West African households.
She, however, lamented that the world was leaving Nigeria behind in LPG adoption, in spite of Nigeria’s top position in the league of gas-rich nations.
Obi noted that some industrialists had taken the initiative to promote LPG adoption in Nigeria, in a bid to not only to secure the environment and the future but to save scarce resources expanded by Nigeria annually to import kerosene and other cooking fuels.
She restated her concern on the worsening consequences of using solid gases such as firewood and charcoal in Nigerian homes.
According to the LPG adoption advocate, the World LPG Forum has again raised the stakes for the Nigerian government to realise that there is no better time than now for government to pay serious attention to discouraging Nigerians from using solid gases in cooking.
According to her, while the aim of using firewood, charcoal, animal dung etc. is to get food cooked, the Nigerian woman and her household are unknowingly exposed to inhalation of a myriad of harmful gases on daily basis.
“It doesn’t end there, these gases have far-reaching effects on the environment as they contribute to global warming and climate change.’’
The Techno Oil chief argued that global warming and climate change were directly responsible for increased global temperatures, flooding, food insecurity and desertification.
“A paradigm shift is required and there is no better time than now because up to 70 per cent of Nigerian women spend time cooking, using mostly solid fuels, instead of adopting LPG.
“More worrisome is the fact that Nigeria has one of the highest proven reserves of gas and is also one of the highest exporters of LPG in Africa,’’ the industrialist stated.
Obi said there was need for government to join forces with LPG stakeholders to make Nigerians to embrace LPG in their cooking urgently.
She expressed her optimism that the efforts of some companies and interest groups in LPG adoption had started yielding dividends in Nigeria, citing the building of an LPG cylinder manufacturing plant in Lagos by Techno Oil to boost the LPG value chain. (NAN)

Business

Boat Mishap Kills Pastor, Wife And Church Members In Brass Water

Published

4 days ago

May 18, 2026

The Tide

A boat accident in Bayelsa state has killed a serving Pastor, Wife and other church members along Brass waterways

The sad incident happened at Odioama in Brass local government area of Bayelsa State when the Pastor, wife and members of his church were in a programme.

?Tide confirmed that the lifeless body of the Pastor’s wife has been found and deposited in a mortuary while the remains of her husband ,the Pastor is yet to be recovered

as search party are still ongoing.

Although the real cause of the boat Mishap is not yet known as at the time of this report, our Correspondent gathered that the identities of the Pastor, wife and church members were not disclosed to the public.

The mishap, Tide gathered occurred on Friday morning when the church members were on a boat transit

The Bayelsa State government and the state police command are yet to issue official statement’s on the sad accident

By: CHINEDU WOSU

Business

Rivers Workers Seek Scrapping Of Contributory Pension Scheme

Published

4 days ago

May 18, 2026

The Tide

The Rivers State Council of Nigeria Civil Service Union has called on the State Government to urgently scrap the contributory pension scheme, describing it as unfavourable to long-serving civil servants in the state.

Chairman of the union, Chukwuka Osuma, said this in an interview with newsmen in Port Harcourt, recently.

Osuma said the current pension structure has continued to worsen post-retirement hardship for workers.

He noted that the contributory pension scheme had failed to provide adequate retirement security for workers who had spent many years in service, especially those approaching retirement age.

According to him, civil servants who had served for more than 20 years were among the worst affected under the scheme, insisting that many retirees could no longer cope with prevailing economic realities.

He also informed that the Union has made moves to showcase their concerns, pleading with Governor Siminalayi Fubara to abolish the pension policy and introduce a more favourable arrangement for affected workers.

“The union was not opposed to pension reforms, the contributory scheme should only apply to newly employed workers or those with fewer years in service”, he said.

Osuma explained that workers who had already spent decades in the civil service ought to remain under a more secure pension structure capable of guaranteeing stability after retirement.

The labour leader further noted that inflation and the rising cost of living had continued to erode the value of retirement savings, thereby increasing the suffering of pensioners across the country.

He also appealed to the state government to consider extending the years of service in the civil service from 35 to 40 years and the retirement age from 60 to 65 years.

Osuma argued that such adjustment had become necessary in view of present-day economic realities and changing conditions in the workplace.

The unionist also reviewed that similar policies had already been adopted in some sectors and jurisdictions, expressing optimism that the State could also implement the reforms for the benefit of workers.

He however, commended Governor Fubara for approving an N85,000 minimum wage for workers in the state, noting that the amount was above the national benchmark of N70,000.

Osuma also acknowledged the government’s efforts in the area of workers’ promotions and bonuses, but insisted that pension reforms and extension of years of service remained critical to the long-term welfare and stability of civil servants in Rivers State.

By: King Onunwor

Business

FG Begins South-West Tour To Promote New Cooperative Bank

Published

1 week ago

May 13, 2026

The Tide

The Federal Government has launched the South-West zonal engagement and ministerial advocacy tour on the Cooperative Bank of Nigeria share capital mobilisation, sensitisation and cooperative sector digitalisation.

Reports say the initiative was launched through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.

According to reports, the advocacy tour, organised by the ministry’s Federal Department of Cooperatives, began on Monday in Lagos.

Speaking at the event, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security and Supervising Minister of Cooperative Affairs, Dr Aliyu Abdullahi, said the initiative was part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

Abdullahi described the exercise as a strategic effort to reposition the cooperative sector as a key driver of inclusive economic growth, financial inclusion, enterprise development, food security and national prosperity.

“Today represents a defining moment in our collective determination to reposition the cooperative sector as a major driver of inclusive economic growth, financial inclusion, enterprise development, food security and national prosperity,” he said.

The minister noted the modern cooperative movement in Nigeria originated in the South-West following the 1934 Strickland Report, which led to the enactment of the Cooperative Societies Ordinance of 1935.

According to him, the decision to commence the sensitisation and share capital mobilisation tour in the region is symbolic, as it marks a return to the roots of cooperative development in the country.

Abdullahi said the advocacy tour was a direct outcome of resolutions reached at the 8th Regular Meeting of the National Council on Cooperative Affairs held in Abuja in March 2026.

He said the council approved the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme, a comprehensive framework designed to strengthen the cooperative sector and align it with the administration’s goal of building a one-trillion-dollar economy.

“The reform programme focuses on seven strategic pillars, including governance reforms, cooperative financing and the establishment of the Cooperative Bank of Nigeria, digitalisation, capacity building, value chain development, inclusion of youths, women and persons with disabilities, and strategic partnerships,” he said.

He said the establishment of the Cooperative Bank of Nigeria and the digitalisation of the cooperative sector were the two major transformational initiatives under the programme.

“The Cooperative Bank of Nigeria is aimed at rebuilding a strong cooperative financial system capable of supporting cooperators, farmers, artisans, traders, SMEs, youths, women and persons with disabilities with accessible and affordable financial services,” he said.

Abdullahi emphasised that the proposed bank would be government-enabled but not government-funded.

“Government is not establishing the bank as an owner, nor will it rely on Treasury Single Account funds.

“The role of government through the FMAFS is to provide policy support, stakeholder coordination, regulatory facilitation and an enabling environment under the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme,” he said.

Also speaking, the Lagos State Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, Mrs Folashade Ambrose-Medebem, reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to cooperative sector transformation.

She described cooperatives as critical tools for promoting inclusive growth, grassroots productivity, food security, financial inclusion and community wealth creation.

Ambrose-Medebem said Lagos State would continue to support reforms and collaborate with stakeholders to ensure the successful implementation of the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme (2025–2030).

“Together, let us build a cooperative ecosystem that is modern, transparent, digitally enabled, financially inclusive and globally competitive.

“Let us build cooperatives that not only mobilise savings, but also mobilise prosperity,” she said.