News

FG, OPEC Forge Ties To Ensure Global Oil Market Stability

Published

5 years ago

August 2, 2021

The Federal Government has given assurance of its readiness to support every move that will bring about stability in the global oil market.
This was reiterated at a visit by Dr Mohammad Barkindo, the Nigerian born Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) Scribe, to the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, in Abuja.
They both expressed their readiness to work hand-in-hand to ensure stability of the global crude oil market.
Sylva said that Nigeria, as one of the leading oil and gas producing nations in Africa, would continue to abide by the Declaration of Cooperation (DOC) which has gone a long way in stabilising the market for the collective good of the producing and consuming nations.
On his part, Barkindo applauded Nigeria for the key role it has been playing in the global crude oil market, noting that the 50 years partnership between OPEC and Nigeria has impacted the crude oil market positively.
He presented a book entitled “Nigeria and OPEC: 50 years of Partnership,” to mark the golden anniversary of its membership in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting
Can The Biden Administration Meet Its Ambitious Offshore Wind Power Target?
Earlier this year, the Biden administration said it planned to build offshore wind power generation capacity to the tune of 30 GW by 2030, creating more than 44,000 direct jobs and close to 33,000 indirect ones. To date, the United States has wind power capacity of 118 GW. Of this, only 42 MW is offshore wind. And According to IHS Markit, the 30 GW additional capacity target will almost certainly be missed.
Last year, the United States set a record in wind power capacity additions, at 14.2 GW added during the pandemic year. That was a continuation of another strong year in 2019, which also set a record in wind power additions, according to data from the Energy Information Bureau.
However, the reason for this boom in wind power generation capacity was not a simple response to greater demand for wind power. In fact, the reason for the records set in both 2019 and 2020 was the looming phase-out of the production tax credit, which spurred the mass deployment of wind and solar installations.
In December, Congress extended the production tax credit, which provided wind farm operators with a credit of $0.025 per kWh, until the end of this year. There are other incentives available to the wind industry, too. The biggest is the investment tax credit, which covers between 12 and 30 percent of investment costs at the start of the project. As of December, Congress has established a 30-percent investment tax credit for projects that start construction by December 2025.
So, with so much government help for the wind power industry, the 30 GW target in offshore wind should be a no-brainer. Yet, there are other factors at play besides government incentives and it is these factors, according to IHS Markit, that would make hitting the 30 GW target impossible.
For starters, the permitting process for offshore wind projects is lengthy and complicated, IHS Markit’s Andre Utkin wrote in a recent analysis of the topic. Then, there are not enough manufacturing facilities for the turbines, blades, and other equipment that goes into a utility-scale wind farm. The installation process is also tricky: per U.S. legislation, only U.S.-flagged vessels can sail along the country’s coasts. And there are not enough U.S.-flagged wind turbine installation and service vessels, according to IHS’s Utkin.
Then there is the issue of transmission infrastructure. This is insufficient to accommodate an additional 30 GW of wind power capacity, according to the research firm. The transmission infrastructure problem is a global one, by the way. Earlier this year, IHS’s Utkin reported that global offshore wind power capacity was set to expand sixfold by 2030 thanks to technological advances, cost reductions, and government incentives. However, he added, “the industry needs to rapidly develop and invest in new infrastructure to achieve these ambitious plans.”
Finally, there is a regulatory hurdle, albeit not an insurmountable one. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management tends to conduct lengthy investigations of the impacts of wind farm construction on the environment, which will also likely delay projects.
In all fairness, many of these challenges can be dealt with by legislators, a majority—although slim—of whom are clearly in favor of building the country’s offshore wind power capacity. Some, however, are trickier because they do not depend on favorable policies. One example is the cost of building the necessary transmission infrastructure.
The recent $550-billion bipartisan infrastructure deal struck between the Senate and the White House envisages $73 billion in funding for clean energy generation and transmission. Yet copper prices are rising, and the offshore wind takes massive amounts of copper for its infrastructure. The $73 billion might simply be not enough for that and modernizing the U.S. aging grid.
Slav writes for Oilprice.com

News

Odu Urges Collaboration Among Stakeholders To Improve Health Service Delivery In Rivers

Published

2 days ago

April 10, 2026

The Tide

Rivers State Deputy Governor, Prof. Ngozi Odu, has called for renewed commitment, transparency, and collaboration among stakeholders in the health sector in the State.

The deputy governor particularly urged synergy between the Rivers State Contributory Health Protection Programme (RIVCHPP) and the Primary Health Care Management Board towards improved healthcare delivery in the State.

?Prof. Odu made this call during the 2026 First Quarter Review Meeting of the Task Force on Primary Health Care at the Government House, Port Harcourt, on Wednesday.

?She stressed the importance of honesty and urged all parties to be truthful and open in addressing challenges within the system.

?According to her, transparency remains critical to identifying and resolving underlying issues affecting healthcare delivery, noting that “if we are not truthful, we will not cure the disease, but merely cover it up.”

The deputy governor recounted a personal experience at a Primary Health Center where a patient, despite being duly registered under the RIVCIPP scheme with completed biometric capture, was still asked to make payment for services.

According to her, intervention by relevant authorities later confirmed the patient’s eligibility, exposing a communication gap between the scheme and healthcare providers.

Odu warned that such incidents could discourage community members from enrolling in the scheme, thereby undermining its objectives.

“When this happens, we are disenfranchising our people. The message that goes back to the community is that even when you register, you are still made to pay,” she stressed.

?While commending the leadership and staff of the Primary Health Care Management Board, Ministry of Health, Development Partners as well as other supporting units, for their efforts, ty deputy governor stressed that performance should not lead to complacency.

She urged stakeholders to continuously strive for improvement, raise standards, and leave lasting positive impacts within the system.

News

You Can Now Print Your Exam Slips, JAMB Tells 2026 UTME Candidates

Published

2 days ago

April 10, 2026

The Tide

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced the opening of examination slip printing for candidates registered for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

JAMB made the announcement yesterday, urging candidates to visit its website to download their slips ahead of the examination.

“Examination Slip Printing is now available. The slip contains details of the venue, date and time of your examination and gives you access to the examination hall,” the board said.

Candidates are to visit jamb.gov.ng and click on “2026 Slip Printing” to print their slips.

The development comes after JAMB dismissed a viral press release falsely claiming the examination had been postponed.

The board described the notice as “malicious and fake” and urged candidates to disregard it.

The 2026 UTME is scheduled to hold from Thursday, April 16, to Saturday, April 25, 2026.

The examination follows a mock test conducted on Saturday, March 28, which recorded technical difficulties at some Computer-Based Test centres.

Of the 224,597 candidates who registered for the mock, 152,586 sat for the test across 989 CBT centres nationwide.

JAMB said over 20 centres were delisted for technical inadequacies.

The board also warned candidates against fraudsters on WhatsApp claiming to facilitate score inflation, describing such claims as “false and criminal”, and threatening cancellation of registration or withholding of results for any candidate found involved.

Over two million candidates, according to JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, registered for this year’s UTME.

News

RSU Unveils Five-Year Strategic Dev Plan …Calls For Collective Commitment To Institutional Excellence

Published

2 days ago

April 10, 2026

The Tide

In a decisive step towards redefining its future, the Rivers State University, Port Harcourt, has formally unveiled its Third Five-Year (2026-2030) Strategic Development Plan.

The development plan is a comprehensive roadmap designed to strengthen the university’s position as a leading institution in Nigeria and beyond.

The unveiling took place during a high-level engagement with the Governing Council, Principal Officers and the university congregation, at the Convocation Arena, recently.

Delivering his remarks at the unveiling ceremony, the Pro-Chancellor of the university and Chairman of Council, Hon. Okey Wali, SAN, charged all members of the university community to align their activities with the strategic direction of the institution, emphasizing that the success of the plan depends on collective commitment.

He noted that the plan is not merely a document, but a working framework that requires discipline, accountability and unity of purpose.

According to the Pro-Chancellor, only through coordinated efforts from all stakeholders can the university fully realize its vision.

“I hereby invite the Visitor to the University, donor agencies, friends and well-wishers, and all stakeholders to support and fund the implementation of this strategic plan. We are confident that this plan will take RSU to greater heights in the comity of higher institutions,” he said.

The Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof. Isaac Zeb-Obipi, described the Strategic Development Plan as a document that would enhance the university’s corporate strengths, mitigate current weaknesses, leverage its corporate opportunities and address perceived existential threats.

“This Five-Year Strategic Plan sets out RSU’s goals, strategic objectives, expected outcomes and impact, including intervention strategies,” he said.

On his part, the Chairman of the Strategic Development Planning Committee, Prof. Emeritus Joseph A. Ajienka, noted that the 2026-2030 Strategic Development Plan represents a bold reaffirmation of the university’s founding ideals of excellence, creativity, innovation and inclusivity, aimed at positioning the institution to respond effectively to contemporary challenges in higher education.

Prof. Ajienka, who is also a member of the Governing Council, disclosed that the plan was developed through an extensive and inclusive consultative process, which he said reflects contributions from Faculties, Departments, Satellite Campuses and Administrative Units.

At its core, the plan seeks to advance the university’s vision of becoming a “unique and uncommon” institution that is structurally and philosophically oriented towards solving practical societal problems and ranking among the top ten universities in Nigeria.

The strategic framework identifies six key challenges confronting the university, including funding constraints, infrastructure deficits, limited research collaboration, and service delivery inefficiencies.

A statement by the university’s Acting Director, Corporate Affairs, Victor G. Banigo, further stated that the university has articulated four broad strategic goals supported by eight targeted objectives.

A central priority of the plan, according to him, is the strengthening of governance and administrative systems, alongside deliberate efforts to expand the university’s funding base. Others include enhanced alumni engagement, strategic partnerships and innovative fundraising initiatives aimed at ensuring long-term financial sustainability.

“Equally significant is the commitment to upgrading physical infrastructure across all campuses. Plans are underway to modernize lecture halls and laboratories, expand student accommodation, improve campus security and deploy advanced ICT systems to support teaching, learning and research.

“Recognizing that human capital is the backbone of institutional success, the university has placed strong emphasis on staff development, recruitment and productivity enhancement. Through targeted training programmes, mentorship initiatives and performance management systems, the plan aims to foster a highly skilled and motivated workforce.

“In addition, the university is poised to deepen its focus on research, innovation and entrepreneurship. By reviewing academic curricula, strengthening industry partnerships and establishing innovation incubation centers, Rivers State University seeks to translate research outputs into practical solutions that address societal needs and drive economic growth,” he said.

The PRO disclosed that the implementation of the strategic plan is projected at ?110 billion, reflecting the scale of transformation envisioned.

“While the university is committed to funding a significant portion internally, additional resources will be mobilized through government support, donor agencies, alumni contributions, and public-private partnerships.

“This multi-channel funding strategy aligns with the university’s broader goal of building a resilient and self-sustaining financial model capable of supporting long-term development,” he explained.

To ensure effective implementation, he said, “the plan incorporates a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation framework, complete with performance and impact indicators. A mid-term review is scheduled within the first two years to assess progress and make necessary adjustments.

“Furthermore, the establishment of a dedicated Strategic Planning Office will provide oversight, coordination and accountability in executing the plan across all units of the university.”

According to the statement, “As the university embarks on this transformative journey, the message from leadership is clear: the Strategic Development Plan is a collective mandate.

“For staff, students, alumni and stakeholders, it represents an opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the growth and advancement of the institution. For the university, it is a pathway to consolidating its legacy while embracing innovation and global relevance.

“With a clear vision, defined priorities and a united community, Rivers State University stands poised to translate this strategic blueprint into measurable progress, advancing knowledge, empowering people and shaping the future of higher education in Nigeria.”