City Crime

WFD: RSG Assures Proactive Agric Dev Policy

Published

4 years ago

October 20, 2021

Rivers State Government has unveiled plans to embark on an aggressive agric development in across the 23 local government areas of the state.
The state Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike gave this indication during this year’s World Food Day celebrations.
Against this backdrop, he called on the people of the state and entrepreneurs to invest in agriculture to create wealth, employment, and enhance food security.
Speaking through the Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Fred Kpakol, the governor charged farmers to take advantage of the vast arable land and water the state was endowed with to aggressively involve in agriculture.
The 2021 World Food Day celebration held at the Rumuodomaya Farm in Obio/Akpor, yesterday, had the theme, ‘Safe Food Today For A Healthy Tomorrow.’
The governor said, “We need to put our resources together and use the agricultural products to create wealth, create business and also generate employment.
“I want to let the world know that Rivers State is an ambiguous state with the products you have displayed here today. We also want the world to know that Rivers State is blessed with good and quality food”, Wike said.
In his remarks, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Fred Kpakol commended the governor for investing so much in agriculture with the construction of the Rivers State Cassava Processing Company in Afam, in Oyigbo LCA, and other agro-based projects in the state.
He noted that the cassava plant, when fully operational, would process 45,000metric tons of cassava tubers into 12,500 high-quality cassava flour that would be used by companies and would also provide Jobs for over 3,000 persons.
He said that the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, in partnership with the state government, had recently supplied 10,000 bundles of improved TMS419 cassava cuttings to farmers in the 23 local governments in the state.
“I want to encourage all of you that collected the high yielding cassava stems to cultivate it to provide food and raw material that will feed the Rivers State Cassava Processing Plant,” he said.
Kpakol also disclosed that the state government was constructing a state-of-the-art automated abattoir in Mgbousimini, Obio/Akpor LGA, and explained that the slaughterhouse can kill 400 cattle and 150 goats per day.
“The Mgbousimini abattoir is automated and will meet the demands of the people. It is strategically located by the seashore for easy accessibility to both the riverine and the hinterland; and it will generate revenue to the state, local government, and to individuals.
“Governor Nyesom Wike, just few days ago, approved the construction of a Veterinary Clinic and Laboratory here in Rumuodomaya, where animals and birds will be treated.
“Rivers State Government, in concert with the Benue State Government, has agreed to produce goods and services that they share different comparative advantage. They have identified rice as the goods, and modalities are in motion to produce what will be called ‘Benue/Rivers Rice.
“The state government through the Covid-19 Action Recovery Economic Stimulus, NG Cares is given access to input to poor and vulnerable households in agriculture,” Kpakol disclosed.
Kpakol further said that the state government has approved the rebuilding of the Taraba Jetty, also called Borokiri Jetty.
According to him, the governor has made recommendation of a high-profile company to handle the project.
He stated that the jetty when completed would promote deep sea and other types of fishing as well as creating employment.
Speaking earlier, the Deputy President, Port Harcourt Chambers of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (PHCCIMA), Eze Mike Elechi, had called on the government to encourage those that are into agriculture.
“Our vegetation encourages agriculture, and I wonder why people are talking about a bad economy when there is arable land to cultivate.
“I believe if we can feed ourselves, we won’t also talk about a bad economy,” he said.
He urged farmers to form association and reach out to PHCCIMA and the state Ministry of Agriculture so that they can be recognized and work with.

By: Kevin Nengia

City Crime

RSG Ready For 2030 Digital Transformation

Published

1 month ago

October 27, 2025

The Tide

The Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Department, Mrs. Elizabeth Akani, has said the State Government was set to meet up the 2030 target of the Federal Government towards the actualization of digital economy.

Akani said this at the Rivers State Sensitization Workshops on The Adoption of Nigeria Start-up Act and National Digital Literacy framework (NDLF), in Port Harcourt, weekend.

She noted that the State was ready for both the adoption and domestication of the Act.

According to her, up to 90-95% preparation have been fully covered by the state in readiness to welcoming the digital economy Act.

“Stakeholders talked about adoption and domestication of the Act, it was fruitful. The draft has been sent to the government”, she said.

She also noted that the move was in line with the digital transformation plan of the state and the country at large.

The Convener, Start South, Mr. Uche Aniche, who made case for full ICT Ministry for the state, said such will command the needed growth in the system.

Aniche stated that until they attained the lofty height, all about Tech-knowledge and growth may not fall in place as expected.

Other tech-operators, such as the Code Garden Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Wilfred Wegwu, who welcomed the idea, said it must be done in the nearest future.

Wegwu noted that technology has taken over the world at present, adding that government at all levels needed to key into the system.

He also stated that the system play major roles in various spheres of life, including relationships and collaboration.

He also revealed that the system now was up to forth Industrial Revolution (4IR), according to global shift ranking.

It will be recalled that the State Government has recently ordered to construct ICT centres across the 23 Local Government Area of the state in order to meet up the yearnings of the technology world.

By: King Onunwor

City Crime

Industry Braces For Glut And Investor Demands

Published

2 months ago

September 29, 2025

The Tide

The oil and gas industry is in for a tough year ahead, as it must balance financial discipline, shareholder returns, and long-term investments in the sustainability of the business—while navigating a hypothetical glut.

The warning comes from Wood Mackenzie, which said in a new report that the industry was faced with conflicting trends over the next year that would make decision-making challenging. Among these is an expectation that the market would tip into an oversupply, pressuring prices, while the demand outlook for oil over the long term brightens up, motivating more investments.

“Oil and gas companies are caught between competing pressures as they plan for 2026. Near-term price downside risks clash with the need to extend hydrocarbon portfolios into the next decade. Meanwhile, shareholder return of capital and balance sheet discipline will constrain reinvestment rates,” Wood Mackenzie’s senior vice president of corporate research, Tom Ellacott, said.

The executive added that investors would also influence decisions, as they continue to prioritize short-term returns over long-term investments. This last part, at least, is not unusual in the current investment environment across industries. It could, however, make life even more difficult for oil and gas companies for a while.

The glut that Wood Mackenzie analysts expect is the same glut that the International Energy Agency has been expecting for a while now. Yet that very same International Energy Agency earlier this month issued a warning on the longer-term security of global oil supply, saying the industry needed to step up investment in new production because natural depletion at mature fields was progressing faster than previously assumed.

Per the report, if the industry has to maintain current levels of oil and gas production, more than 45 million barrels per day of oil and around 2,000 billion cu m of natural gas would be needed in 2050 from new conventional fields. It’s worth noting that this is maintenance of current production levels, assuming demand will not rise, which is a risky assumption.

Even with projects ramping up and new ones approved for development and not yet in production, a large gap still exists “that would need to be filled by new conventional oil and gas projects to maintain production at current levels, although the amounts needed could be reduced if oil and gas demand were to come down,” the IEA said.

However, demand could just as well increase, heightening the degree of uncertainty in the industry and making long-term planning even more challenging—especially for companies with higher debt-to-equity ratios. Wood Mackenzie expects those with gearing of above 35% would prioritise resilience over long-term growth, while those with better debt positions would turn to divestments and asset acquisitions to improve the quality of their portfolio.

Share buybacks will also remain on the oil industry’s table as a favorite tool for making shareholders happy, although, Wood Mac notes, these tend to dry up when oil slips below $50 per barrel. Interestingly, the analytics company does not seem to factor into its analysis a scenario where prices might go up instead of down, especially now that President Trump has signaled he would be willing to step up pressure on Russia to bring a swifter end to the war in Ukraine.

If prices do rise, for whatever reason, including failure of the massive 3-million-bpd glut that the IEA predicted to materialize, then the immediate outlook for the oil and gas industry becomes different—but not too different. Companies have already demonstrated they would not return to their old ways of splurging when times were good and tightening belts when times were bad. They would likely stick to spending caution and shareholder return prioritization, regardless of prices.

By Irina Slav

City Crime

ECN Commences 7MW Solar Power Project In AKTH

Published

3 months ago

September 22, 2025

The Tide

As a landmark intervention designed to guarantee uninterrupted electricity supply, the Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN), has commenced a 7MW solar power project at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH)

The project is the outcome of ECN’s comprehensive energy audit and strategic planning, which exposed the unsustainable cost of diesel and the risks associated with AKTH’s dependence on the national grid.

Working in close collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science, and Technology under the coordinating leadership of Chief Uche Nnaji, the ECN planned and executed this critical project to secure the hospital’s energy future.

The Director – General, ECN, Dr. Mustapha Abullahi, said “the timing of this intervention could not be more crucial” recalling that only days ago, AKTH suffered prolonged power outages that tragically claimed lives in its Intensive Care Unit.

“That painful incident has strengthened our resolve. With this solar installation, we are ensuring that such tragedies are prevented in the future and that critical medical services can operate without fear of disruption”.

Abdullahi stated that the project is a clear demonstration of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in action and reflects ECN’s commitment to making Nigeria’s energy transition people-centered, where hospitals, schools, and other essential institutions thrive on reliable, clean, and sustainable power.

The ECN boss further reaffirmed ECN’s commitment to continued deployment of innovative energy solutions across the nation.

“This is not just about powering institutions; it is about saving lives, restoring confidence, and securing a brighter future for Nigerians”, he stated.