Business
Firm Organises Free Healthcare Services In Rivers Community
As part of efforts to promote healthy living in its host and neighbouring communities, oil giant, Total E&P has kicked off a one week free health care programme in Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The well attended event which held at the Opobo General Hospital last Wednesday, as part the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) was graced by the Chairman, Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers, His Royal Majesty King Dandeson Douglas-Jaja, who is also the Amayanabo of Opobo Kingdom.
The Deputy Managing Director, Port Harcourt District of Total, Mr. Francois Le-Cocq, in his keynote address at the third day of the week-long mass free medical service for the company’s offshore neighbouring communities of Opobo and Nkoro, revealed that it was the first time the life-saving medical outreach was holding in the local government area.
Le-Cocq, who was represented by Total’s Community Affairs Manager, Offshore, Okechukwu Obara, said: “As a company, Total E&P Nigeria Limited, shares in the universal saying that healthy people make a wealthy nation.
He said:, “We are sustaining the noble efforts of the joint venture to reach out to the critical needs of our people and support both preventive and curative healthcare delivery policies and programmes of government, despite the challenging business environment.
“After two days of this programme, available statistics indicate that 450 patients have so far been attended to. 85 were pediatric cases, 112 ophthalmological, four ante-natal cases, while four patients have already undergone successful surgeries, while others are awaiting further review, preparatory for surgery. The figures will rise as the days go by, which is a testimony that the programme is very popular and it is highly patronised by the people.
The deputy managing director also hailed the joint venture partner, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), for the continuous support, and thanked the Rivers State government for approving the team of medical personnel and volunteering its facility for the programme, while commending other partners for the success of the event.
Le-Cocq further said that in order to have healthy citizenry, other oil companies, multinationals and other critical stakeholders should emulate Total, since a stitch in time saves nine.
In his welcome address, Chairman of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) Community Representative, Alabo Godwin Bupo, disclosed that many development projects by Total were ongoing in the area, while expressing gratitude to the oil giant.
Also speaking, the Programme Facilitator, Dr. Daniel Onyetulem, stated that he had passion for saving lives and medical missions, after he saved an eight-year-old boy, who was diagnosed of Typhoid fever perforation and at the point of death, but with poor parents who could not afford the bill, many years ago at the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria, making him to donate blood to save the life of the patient.
Onyetulem said: “One of the major challenges of people not going to hospitals for treatment is because they could not afford the bills. The Opobo medical mission is coming at the right time, as the patients are leaving happier than they came.
“Unwanted pregnancies, rape cases and substance abuse are rampant in this area and other parts of Rivers State, and they must be quickly addressed, especially by creating awareness through continuous campaigns.”
The medical doctor also lauded the oil giant for the initiative and people of Opobo for the cooperation and warm reception.
The Opobo first class monarch who was represented by the Vice-Chairman of Opobo Council of Traditional Rulers, HRH Alabo Princewill Dappa, in his goodwill message on the occasion, urged the people not to be careless with their health.
King Jaja stated that health should be taken seriously by people, in order to live longer, thereby meaningfully contributing for societal development.
The Opobo king also urged the oil giant to extend the programme to other communities in the area, while lauding Total for the initiative and thanked the volunteers for attending to the people, thereby making the programme to be a blessing to many persons.
One of the beneficiaries, Mrs. Rosemary Wilcox, said: “The free health programme is very encouraging. It is timely and good for many of us who do not have money to go to the hospitals for check-up or treatment of various ailments, but we are being treated free of charge and given free drugs, including surgeries for critical cases.”
Chairman of Opobo/Nkoro local government council, Eugene Joseph Oko-Jaja, in his goodwill message, pleaded with Total to consider for employment opportunities, the teeming qualified youths of the area, who he said were currently jobless and hungry.
Oko-Jaja, who was represented by a top official of the council, Francis Allison, called on Total to make the free health programme an annual event, while assuring that he was ready for synergy with development agencies, to move the LGA forward.
Dennis Naku
The Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, John Enoh said this at the 8th annual induction and conference of the Chartered Institute of Project Managers of Nigeria (CIPMN).
He explained that abandoned projects continue to lock up public funds that could have been used for infrastructure development, industrial growth, job creation and essential social services.
Represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Chris Osa Isokpunwu, he said the impact goes beyond financial losses, as incomplete projects affect communities and limit access to important public services
He cited examples of that remain unopened, schools that cannot accommodate students, roads that fail to connect communities and electricity projects that have not delivered their intended benefits.
The Registrar-General and Chief Executive Officer of CIPMN, Henry Ifeanyi Mbadiwe, also identified poor project management as a major challenge affecting development in Nigeria.
He revealed that the institute had developed a project management curriculum for Nigerian universities, which has received approval from the National Universities Commission (NUC). The programme is expected to enable universities to offer project management as a bachelor’s degree.
Mbadiwe further referenced findings by the Presidential Projects Assessment Committee, which identified 11,886 ongoing federal capital projects in 2011, with an estimated financial commitment of ?7.78 trillion.
He noted that inadequate planning, supervision, accountability and implementation were among the factors contributing to the abandonment of projects across the country.
The minister called for stronger project management structures across ministries, departments and agencies to improve planning, monitoring and evaluation.
He added that the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment had introduced a 90-day implementation reporting cycle to strengthen transparency and monitor the progress of government programmes.
Ikenga said the company remained committed to Nigeria’s power sector and would continue investing in its operations despite the challenging business environment.
He spoke in Lagos at the third edition of the Shell Power Conference, themed “Powering Nigeria’s Progress: Turning Ambition and Action into Sustainable Impact”.
The Transcorp Power chief said the company would sustain electricity generation, invest in its facilities and deliver value to shareholders.
“Transcorp Power is a long-term player, not a short-term player. This year has been challenging, but what is important is getting power to schools, hospitals and businesses to power progress,” he said.
Ikenga said the company’s focus on operational efficiency and investment had strengthened its contribution to Nigeria’s electricity supply.
He disclosed that since acquiring the Ughelli Power Plant in Delta State in 2013, Transcorp Power had quadrupled its available generation capacity.
He also said the company became the first privatised power generation firm to receive a post-privatisation discharge certificate after fulfilling all its privatisation obligations.
The company’s unaudited results for the nine months ended September 30, 2026, showed a profit before tax of N83.1 billion, while its profit-before-tax margin rose to 31.2 per cent from 29.6 per cent recorded in the corresponding period of 2025.
Its total assets rose to 11.7 per cent amounting to N629.5 billion, while shareholders’ funds grew 8.9 per cent to N199.8 billion. Cash and cash equivalents also rose to N10.3 billion, supported by improved collections.
On the company’s contribution to grid stability, Ikenga said Transcorp Power’s black-start capability enabled it to restart operations without relying on electricity from the national grid.
He explained that the capability allowed the company to support power restoration following grid disturbances, helping to restore electricity supply to homes, businesses and industries.
Ikenga noted that Nigeria had an installed electricity generation capacity of about 13,000 megawatts, with an estimated potential of 50 gigawatts, adding that realising the potential would require effective coordination across the entire value chain.
“Everything in the value chain has to work,” he said.
He called for stronger collaboration among federal and state governments, regulators and private-sector operators, alongside increased private investment, to build a sustainable electricity market.
This was contained in a statement issued on Thursday by his Senior Special Assistant on Communications and Press Secretary, Maryann Duke.
The statement said Oyedele pointed to “improved digital systems, including electronic invoicing, as a key driver behind a record of N33tn in government revenue collected between January and October 2026.”
The minister said the performance demonstrated the potential of technology to improve revenue administration, strengthen compliance and increase efficiency across government institutions.
Speaking on the theme, ‘Digital Sovereignty and Ethics: Guarding the Economy for the Next Generation,’ Oyedele warned that Nigeria risked losing substantial economic opportunities if it continued to depend heavily on foreign digital infrastructure.
Citing Nigerian Communications Commission figures, he disclosed that the country recorded more than 157 million active internet subscriptions as of May 2026.
He explained that these connections generated significant volumes of information through financial transactions, healthcare, education and taxation.
However, citing estimates from the Nigeria Data Protection Commission, Oyedele said as much as 90 per cent of the country’s data was hosted abroad.
According to him, the situation has implications for foreign exchange expenditure, employment opportunities, technological skills and Nigeria’s control over information generated by its citizens.
He compared the country’s reliance on foreign digital infrastructure with its historical dependence on imported refined petroleum products, warning against a situation where Nigerian data would be processed abroad and the resulting services sold back to domestic users.
The minister consequently advocated greater investment in local data infrastructure, technical expertise, cybersecurity and predictable regulations to enable Nigerian businesses to capture more value from the digital economy.
He clarified that digital sovereignty should not translate into technological isolation but should strengthen Nigeria’s capacity to participate competitively in international markets.
Addressing graduating students, Oyedele urged young Nigerians to become developers of technological solutions rather than remain primarily consumers of products created elsewhere.
He identified artificial intelligence as both a disruptive force and an opportunity for innovation, advising graduates to acquire relevant digital skills alongside critical thinking, creativity, sound judgement and integrity.
The minister also cautioned against irresponsible online behaviour, explaining that digital footprints increasingly influence employment prospects, commercial relationships and professional credibility.
Oyedele outlined five priorities for graduates, including continuous learning, value creation, integrity, responsible digital citizenship and active participation in national development.
“Your degree is evidence of what you have learned. Your competence will demonstrate what you can do. Your character will reveal who you truly are,” he told the graduating students.
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