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Spreading The Joy In The State

Published

5 years ago

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Let me begin this catalogue with the words of a quintessential musical Icon Beyonce.
“In our perfect ways. In the way we are beautiful. In the ways we are human.
We are here. Happy New Year. Let’s make it ours.
A year that is just 13 days old is still new. Isn’t it? After all C.S. Lewis said “you are never too old to set another goal or dream a new dream”.
The year 2021 has come to the people of Rivers State as a year of promise and restoration.
It is a thing of great pleasure that the Governor of Rivers State, Chief Ezenwo Nyesom Wike himself has set the first agenda for the year. The people’s Governor did not only set the agenda for infrastructural development for the year which is his usual forte, but he also proclaimed a hallowed message laden with moral restitution, when he said inter alia: “Let us eschew the recriminations, turn a new page on the hatred that has kept us divided, forgive one another and together work towards making our dear state the best place on earth to live, do business and bring up our children”. This message of hope and forgiveness is a soothing balm for the hatred and hopelessness of yesterdays.
In the last edition of CATALOGUE, this column catalogued a long tale of a reporter’s Bloody Dairy at the end of the year that has been described in most despicable manner which reflects a year that is better forgotten. A comedian joked at an event during the yuletide that the year 2020 should not be added to his age. In his words, “it should be deleted, because it counted for nothing.
However, 2020 had fire flies of goodness in its enveloping darkness of gloom and near doom occasioned by COVID -19, protests, strikes, recession and insecurity. It takes a good leadership to bring back hope and prosperity to the people. Governor Wike did not allow the year to go without visible projects.
Worrien Bennie, said leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality”. Governor Wike’s recent road show on the inauguration of projects in the local government areas of the state including the state capital can best be described as spreading joy to all parts of Rivers State.
This spreading of the dividends of democratic deliverables to local government areas outside the state capital, is an eloquent response to arm chair critics who have refused to see any infrastructural development by Wike administration outside Port Harcourt.
This spreading of joy is the main thrust of the New Rivers Vision. It is a demonstration of good faith and integrity, in a leadership that keeps its promise to the people. Napoleon Bonaparte was right when he said that “a leader is a dealer in hope”. The New Rivers Vision is a testament of hope.
The continued inauguration of projects in the state which is a carryover of government activities in the last days of 2020 is a manifestation of hope brought to life.
On Monday the 4th of January 2021 the inauguration of Eteo-Sime-Nonwa-Kira road in Tai Local Government was the curtain raiser for project actualization in 2021.
The Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed cut the tape to signal the completion of the project.
Other projects in the local government areas of the state include; January 5, 2021, inauguration of Saakpenwa – Bori Road, inaugurated by the Governor of Enugu State Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.
The 6th of January was the turn of Eleme – Afam Road which was inaugurated by Senator Ali Ndume.
Abonnema Ring Road in Akuku Toru local government area was unveiled on the 7th of January 2021, while Olumeni and Harley Street which are part of the urban renewal project were officially declared open on the 8th of January.
Last week’s spreading of joy around the state through the inauguration of projects was complete with the unveiling of Bonny-Bille water side jetty in Port Harcourt. Emohua and Ikwerre LGAs also benefited from the inauguration train and we are still counting.
An anonymous writer once wrote what looks like a toast for the New Year, thus “let our New Year’s Resolution be this: We will be there for one another as fellow members of humanity, in the finest sense of the word”.
This is a toast for the New Year in which all our glass cups must cling to, as a people.
The hallowed message by the Governor of Rivers State Nyesom Wike that we must make our state the best place on earth to live, do business and bring up our children is a call on us to live out our humanity in full.
The atmosphere of recriminations and orchestrated political rancor brought about by inter party and intra party bickering is a betrayal of humanity. Rivers people owe this generation and the generation unborn the culture of peace building and peace making in every endeavour, including politics.
When a leader leads by good examples, it behoves on the followers to follow and do the same. Governor Wike has led by example.
Political commentators have continued to remind us that the third tier of government has a place in the constitution to bring development to the door steps of the people at the grass roots.
How well have political leaders at this local government level been able to play their roles in complimenting the efforts of State and Federal Government.
If and when political, actors at this level of Government carry out their responsibilities in infrastructural development, much more joy in terms of democratic dividends will spread to all corners of the state.

 

By: Bon Woke

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Renewable Energy Faces Looming Workforce Crisis

Published

3 weeks ago

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August 18, 2025

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Despite a discouraging political climate and unprecedented uncertainty in the United States clean energy sector, low costs of wind and solar energy continue to drive growth of the domestic clean energy sector.
However, while market forces continue to support the expansion of renewable energy capacity, the sector faces critical challenges extending beyond the antagonism of the Trump administration.
The continued growth of solar and wind power risks being hampered by several mitigating factors, including (but not limited to) intensifying competition over increasingly scarce suitable land plots, stressed and volatile global supply chains, lengthy and unpredictable development processes, Complex and overlapping permitting processes, and a critical talent gap.
The renewable energy labor shortage has been years in the making, but is no less closer to resolution. The issue spans both white collar and blue collar positions, and threatens to kneecap progress in the booming sector.
Between the years of 2011 and 2030, it is expected that global levels of installed wind and solar capacity will quadruple. Analysis from McKinsey & Company concludes that “this huge surge in new wind and solar installations will be almost impossible to staff with qualified development and construction employees as well as operations and maintenance workers.
“It’s unclear where these employees will come from in the future,” the McKinsey report goes on to say.
He continued that “There are too few people with specialized and relevant expertise and experience, and too many of them are departing for other companies or other industries.”
The solar and wind industries are suffering from a lack of awareness of career paths and opportunities, despite their well-established presence in domestic markets.
Emergent clean energies face an even steeper uphill battle. Geothermal energy, for example, is poised for explosive growth as one of vanishingly few carbon-free energy solutions with broad bipartisan support, but faces a severe talent gap and punishingly low levels of awareness in potential talent pools.
But while the outlook is discouraging, industry insiders argue that it’s too soon to sound the alarms. In fact, a recent report from Utility Drive contends that “solutions to the energy talent gap are hiding in plain sight.”
The article breaks down those solutions into four concrete approaches: building partnerships with educators, formulating Registered Apprenticeship pathways, updating credential requirements to reflect real-world needs, and rethinking stale recruitment strategies.
Targeting strategic alliances with educational institutions is a crucial strategy for creating a skilled workforce, particularly in emerging sectors like geothermal energy.
Businesses can, for example, partner with and sponsor programs at community colleges, creating a pipeline for the next generation of skilled workers. Apprenticeships serve a similar purpose, encouraging hands-on learning outside of the classroom. Such apprenticeships can apply to white collar positions as well as blue collar roles.
“If we can figure out a way to educate the younger generation that you can actually have a career that you can be proud of and help solve a problem the world is facing, but also work in the extractive industry, I think that could go a long way,” said Jeanine Vany, executive vice president of corporate affairs for Canadian geothermal firm Eavor, speaking about the geothermal energy talent gap.
These approaches won’t solve the talent gap overnight – especially as political developments may discourage would-be jobseekers from placing their bets on a career in the renewables sector. But they will go a long way toward mitigating the issue.
“The clean energy transition depends on a workforce that can sustain it,” reports Utility Drive. “To meet the hiring challenges, employers will benefit from looking beyond the next position to fill and working toward a strategic, industry-wide vision for attracting talent.”
By: Haley Zaremba
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Is It End For Lithium’s Reign As Battery King?

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1 month ago

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August 1, 2025

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Lithium-ion batteries power the world around us. Their prevalence in our daily life is growing steadily, to the extent that lithium-ion batteries now power a whopping 70 percent of all rechargeable devices.
From electric vehicles to smartphones to utility-scale energy storage, lithium-ion batteries are increasingly forming the building blocks of innumerable sectors.
But despite its dominance in battery technologies, there are some serious issues with lithium supply chains that make it a less-than-ideal model upon which to base our world.
Not only is extracting lithium often extremely environmentally damaging, it’s deeply intertwined with geopolitical pressure points. China controls a huge portion of global lithium supply chains, rendering markets highly vulnerable to shocks and the political will of Beijing.
China’s control is particularly strong in the case of electric vehicle batteries, thanks to a decade-long strategy to outcompete the globe.
“For over a decade, China has meticulously orchestrated a strategic ascent in the global electric vehicle (EV) batteries market, culminating in a dominance that now presents a formidable challenge to Western manufacturers,” reports EE Times.
The effect functions as “almost a moat” around Chinese battery production, buffering the sector against international competition.
The multiple downsides and risks associated with lithium and lithium-ion battery sourcing is pushing EV companies to research alternative battery models to power the electric cars of the future.
There are a litany of lithium alternatives in research and development phases, including – but not limited to – lead, nickel-cadmium, nickel-metal hydride, sodium nickel chloride, lithium metal polymer, sodium-ion, lithium-sulfur, and solid state batteries.
Solid state batteries seem to be the biggest industry darling. Solid-state batteries use a solid electrolyte as a barrier and conductor between the cathode and anode.
These batteries don’t necessarily do away with lithium, but they can eliminate the need for graphite – another critical mineral under heavy Chinese control. Plus, solid state batteries are purported to be safer, have higher energy density, and recharge faster than lithium-ion batteries.
While solid-state batteries are still in development, they’re already being tested in some applications by car companies. Mercedes and BMW claim that they are already road-testing vehicles powered by solid-state batteries, but it will likely be years before we see them in any commercial context.
Subaru is on the verge of testing solid-state batteries within its vehicles, but is already employing a smaller form of the technology to power robots within its facilities.
However, while solid-state batteries are being hailed as a sort of holy grail for battery tech, some think that the promise – and progress – of solid-state batteries is overblown.
“I think there’s a lot of noise in solid state around commercial readiness that’s maybe an exaggeration of reality”, Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe said during an interview on this week’s Plugged-In Podcast.
Sodium ion batteries are also a promising contender to overtake lithium-ion batteries in the EV sector. Sodium is 1,000 times more abundant than lithium.
“It’s widely available around the world, meaning it’s cheaper to source, and less water-intensive to extract”, stated James Quinn, the CEO of U.K.-based Faradion. “It takes 682 times more water to extract one tonne of lithium versus one tonne of sodium.That is a significant amount.”
Bloomberg projections indicate that sodium-ion could displace 272,000 tons of lithium demand as soon as 2035.
But even this does not signal the death of lithium. Lithium is simply too useful in battery-making. It’s energy-dense and performs well in cold weather, making it “indispensable for high-performance applications” according to EV World.
“The future isn’t lithium or sodium—it’s both, deployed strategically across sectors…the result is a diversified, resilient battery economy.”
By: Haley Zaremba
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Why Oil Prices Could See Significant Upside Shift

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1 month ago

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July 28, 2025

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The 9th OPEC International Seminar was held in Vienna recently, wherein participants discussed energy security, investment, climate change, and energy poverty, with a particular emphasis on balancing these competing priorities.
According to commodity analysts at Standard Chartered, the summit, titled “Charting Pathways Together: The Future of Global Energy”, featured significantly greater engagement from international oil companies and consuming country governments, with discussions converging on a more inclusive shared agenda rather than non-intersecting approaches seen in previous years.
However, StanChart reported there was a clear mismatch between what energy producers vs. market analysts think about spare production capacity.
Unlike Wall Street analysts, who frequently talk about spare capacity of 5-6 million barrels per day (mb/d), speakers from several sectors of the industry noted that spare capacity is both limited and very geographically concentrated.
StanChart believes this erroneous assumption about spare capacity has been a big drag on oil prices, and the implications for the whole forward curve of oil prices could be potentially profound once traders realize that roughly two-thirds of the capacity they thought was available on demand does not actually exist.
This makes the analysts bullish about the general shape of their forecast 2026 price trajectory (Figure 32), i.e., a set of significant upward shifts as opposed to the flat trajectory seen in the market curve and in analyst consensus.
In other words, oil prices could have as much as $15/barrel upside from current levels.
StanChart is not the only oil bull here. Goldman Sachs recently hiked its oil price forecast for H2 2025, saying the market is increasingly shifting its focus from recession fears to potential supply disruptions, low spare capacity, lower oil inventories, especially among OECD countries and production constraints by Russia.
GS has increased its Brent forecast by $5/bbl to $66/bbl, and by $6 for WTI crude to $63/bbl, slightly lower than current levels of $68.34/bbl and 66.24/bbl for Brent and WTI crude, respectively.
However, the Wall Street bank has maintained its 2026 price forecast at $56/bbl for Brent and $52 for WTI, due to “an offset between a boost from higher long-dated prices and a hit from a wider 1.7M bbl/day surplus.’’ Previously, GS had forecast a 1.5M bbl/day surplus for the coming year.
Further, Goldman sees a stronger oil price rebound beyond 2026 due to reduced spare capacity.
EU natural gas inventories have climbed at faster-than-average clip in recent times. According to Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE) data, Europe’s gas inventories stood at 73.10 billion cubic metres (bcm) on 13 July, good for a 2.31 bcm w/w increase.
Still, the injection rate is not enough to completely fill the continent’s gas stores, with the current clip on track to take inventories to about 97.9 bcm, or 84.3% of storage capacity, at the end of the injection season.
Europe’s gas demand remains fairly lacklustre despite extremely high temperatures across much of the continent in recent weeks.
According to estimates by StanChart, EU gas demand for the first 14 days of July averaged 583 million cubic meters/day, nearly 3% lower from a year ago but a 10% improvement from the June lows.
However, StanChart is bullish on natural gas prices, saying the market is likely underestimating the likelihood of more Russian gas being taken off the markets.
Back in April, U.S. senators Lindsey Graham (Republican) and Richard Blumenthal (Democrat), introduced “Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025”, with the legislation enjoying broad bipartisan support (85 co-sponsors in the Senate out of 100 senators).
In a joint statement on 14 July, the two senators noted that President Trump’s decision to implement 100% secondary tariffs on countries that buy Russian oil and gas if a peace agreement is not reached within 50 days but pledged that they will continue to work on “bipartisan Russia sanctions legislation that would implement up to 500 percent tariffs on countries that buy Russian oil and gas”.
StanChart has predicted that the Trump administration is unlikely to take actions that risk driving oil prices higher. However, Russian gas remains in the crosshairs, with U.S. LNG likely to see a surge in demand if Russian gas exports are curtailed.
StanChart estimates that the EU’s net imports of Russian pipeline gas averaged 79.8 million cubic metres per day (mcm/d) in the first 14 days of July, with all non-transit flows into the EU coming into Bulgaria through the Turkstream pipeline, with Hungary and Slovakia also receiving Turkstream gas.
There was also a flow of about 65 mcm/d of Russian LNG in the first half of July, with Russia providing 18.6% of the EU’s net imports. StanChart has predicted that we could see a strong rally in natural gas prices if Washington slaps Moscow with fresh gas sanctions.
By: Alex Kimani
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