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Nigeria To Export First Indigenous LNG Stove In March
Nigeria is set to launch the first ever Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Stove in March.
The project, which is under a Pan African Investment Company,the UNICORN Group, is targeting innovative ideas, start-ups and early stage companies in the technology and technology enabled sectors across the African continent.
Disclosing this, yesterday in Lagos, during an inspection of UNICORN hub by the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, the Chairman of the UNICORN Group, Dr. Akintoye Akindele said the mass production of the stove, which would commence before the end of this year was being manufactured by eight young Nigerians at the Lagos UNICORN hub.
He said the production line would capture both local and export markets.
According to Akindele, the product launch would be an affirmation that the young Nigerian innovators have been able to deploy ingenuity in the process of converting the natural gas into LNG, which hitherto were being exported into cooking gas.
When completed, the UNICORN Group chairman said that the novel product would be made not only affordable to common Nigerians but available and accessible to all.
“We gave them accommodation. Some of them have jobs and left their jobs. They came here and paid, they designed the Stove in this company. We will patent it and will then export it to the world. Our gas is our blessing. We can now benefit from exporting Natural gas.
“We can now go and export LNG. This is what we are incurring in electricity bill, cooking gas is too expensive. Each of them based on this is now shareholders in this business. Their eight names will be put inside the gas burners for life.
“We are trying to use energy for industrialization and for domestic purpose. This we have been able to actualize.”
Also speaking on the innovation, one of the product designers, Bukola Bolajoko affirmed that the innovation, when launched would be environmentally friendly as it would reduce emission of carbon dioxide into the air.
In the same vein, Bolajoko also said that the innovation will help reduce pollution in the Niger Delta and address gas flaring in the country.
In his speech, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed said he was in the platform with his team was not just to see the great job that UNICORN is doing, but also to help tell the world what Unicorn is doing.
The highly elated minister, who described UNICORN as a true representation of Nigerian spirit,said the surest way to build local capacity and tell African story was true education.
He, however, promised that he would support the innovators by linking them with government institutions that would partner with them to make their products and services available to the public.
“As I always say, it is not just enough to do good things. You must be seen to be doing them.
“We will give you visibility. We will tell the world what you are and what you do. And we will also take this to the government. I am sure many government MDAs will be happy to know what is going on here and to leverage on many of them. We will be the link between you and the government.”
“UNICORN is a true representation of the Nigerian spirit, giving hope and helping to build a new Nigeria.
“UNICORN is watering the seeds of innovation. UNICORN is showing that impossible is not Nigerian, impossible is not African.
“Thank you for believing in Nigeria and for putting your money where your mouth is. Bringing children into this whole ecosystem is a winner. Bringing children from different disadvantage communities is a game changer.
“Seeing young Nigerian authors rising to become world beaters is inspiring. This is where dreams come true. This is where ideas are born and they become reality.
“Having the young ones, from primary to secondary to tertiary schools to see the best of Nigeria and the best of Africa is massive. Truly, exposure is the best education.”
The minister also said he was glad to have met many companies that have graduated from the platform:Bookings Africa.com, which is monetising skills.
“Thank you for saving NTA in particular some good money. As you know, NTA is a parastatal under my ministry: ‘Film anatomies that is using 3D technology;RXALL authenticating drugs; MOBABY, YAHSHUD in the real estate industry; The 6 Charge Bar; In-school, the Education Market, taking education to all, irrespective of where they are; Edusko.com , connecting parents with good schools; I & 0 fashion catering for women of all shapes and sizes; Koniku: US-based Nigerian firm building a technology that digitizes the sense of smell and sense of taste.
“I am glad this technology is coming to Nigeria, to be used in the petroleum and health industries. Thank you for bridging the gap between Silicon Valley and Nigeria. Glad to have met all these companies and be told what they do,” he added.
Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for an official State visit at the invitation of the Prime Minister, Dr. Abiy Ahmed.
Upon arrival yesterday, Shettima was received at the airport by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Dr. Gedion Timothewos, and other members of the Ethiopian and Nigerian diplomatic corps.
Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Communication, Stanley Nkwocha, revealed this in a statement he signed yesterday, titled: “VP Shettima arrives in Ethiopia for official state visit.”
During the visit, Vice President Shettima will participate in the official launch of Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Programme, a flagship environmental initiative.
The programme designed to combat deforestation, enhance biodiversity, and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change targets the planting of 20 billion tree seedlings over a four-year period.
In line with strengthening bilateral ties in agriculture and industrial development, the Vice President will also embark on a strategic tour of key industrial zones and integrated agricultural facilities across selected regions of Ethiopia.
News
RSG Tasks Farmers On N4bn Agric Loan ….As RAAMP Takes Sensitization Campaign To Four LGs In Rivers
The Rivers State Government has called on the people of the state especially farmers to access the ?4billion agricultural loans made available by the State and domiciled in the Bank of Industry.
This is as the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) of Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), a World Bank project, took its sensitization campaign to Opobo/Nkoro, Andoni, Port Harcourt City and Obio/Akpor local government areas.
The campaign was aimed at enlightening community dwellers and other stakeholders in the various local government areas on the RAAMP project implementation and programme activities.
The Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Maurice Ogolo, said this at Opobo town, Ngo, Port Harcourt City and Rumuodumanya, headquarters of the four local government areas respectively, during the sensitization campaign.
Ogolo said apart from the ?4billion, the government has also made available fertilizers and other farm inputs to farmers in the various local government areas.
The Permanent Secretary who is the Chairman, State Steering Committee for the project, said RAAMP will construct roads that will connect farms to markets to enable farmers and fishermen sell their farms produce and fishes.
He also said rural roads would be constructed to farms and fishing settlements, and warned against any act that will lead to the cancellation of the projects in the four local government areas.
According to him, the World Bank and Federal Government which are the financiers of the programme will not condone such acts like kidnapping, marching ground and other acts inimical to the successful implementation of the projects in their respective areas.
At PHALGA, Ogolo asserted that the city will benefit in the areas of roads and bridge construction.
He noted that RAAMP was thriving in both the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja; Lagos and other states in the country, stressing that the project should also be given the seriousness it deserves in Rivers State.
Speaking at Opobo town, the headquarters of Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area, the project coordinator, RAAMP, Mr.Joshua Kpakol, said the programme would reduce poverty in the state.
According to him, both fishermen and farmers will maximally benefit from the programme.
At Ngo which is the headquarters of Andoni Local Government Area, Kpakol said roads will be constructed to all remote fishing settlements.
He said Rivers State is lucky to be among the states implementing the project, and stressed the need for the people to embrace it.
Meanwhile, Kpakol said at PHALGA that RAAMP is a project that will transform the lives of farmers, traders and other stakeholders in the area.
He urged the stakeholders to spread the information to their various communities.
However, some of the stakeholders at Opobo town complained about the destruction of their farms by bulls allegedly owed by traditional rulers in the area, as well as incessant stealing of their canoes at waterfronts.
At Ngo, Archbishop Elkanah Hanson, founder of El-Shaddai Church, commended the World Bank and the Federal Government for bringing the projects to Andoni.
He stressed the need for the construction of roads to fishing settlements in the area.
Also, a former Commissioner for Agriculture in the state and Okan Ama of Ekede, HRH King Gad Harry, noted that storage facilities have become necessary for a successful agricultural programme.
Harry also stressed the need for the programme to be made sustainable.
In their separate speeches, the administrators of Andoni and Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Areas, pledged their readiness to support the programme.
At Port Harcourt City, the Administrator, Dr Arthur Kalagbor, represented by the Head of Local Government Administration, Port Harcourt City, Mr Clifford Paul, said the city would support the implementation of the programme in the area.
Also, the administrator of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Dr Clifford Ndu Walter, represented by Mr Michael Elenwo, pledged to support the programme in his local government area.
Among dignitaries at the Obio/Akpor stakeholders engagement is the chairman, Rivers State Traditional Rulers Council and paramount ruler of Apara Kingdom, HRM Eze Chike Wodo, amongst others.
John Bibor
President Bola Tinubu has ordered the commencement of personnel audit and skill gap analysis across all cadres of federal civil servants.
The president gave this directive in Abuja, yesterday, while speaking at the International Civil Service Conference, reaffirming his resolve to achieve efficiency and professional service delivery in the civil service.
“I have authorized the comprehensive personnel audit and skill gap analysis across the federal civil service to deepen capacity. I urge all responsible stakeholders to prioritize timely completion of this critical exercise, to begin implementing targeted reforms, to realize the full benefit of a more agile, competent and responsive civil service,” the president announced.
Tinubu further directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), to prioritise data integrity and sovereignty in national interest.
He called for the capture, protection and strategic publication of public sector data in line with the Nigeria Data Protection Act of 2023.
“We must let our data speak for us. We must publish verified data assets within Nigeria and share them internationally recognized as fruitful. This will allow global benchmarking organisation to track our progress in real time and help us strengthen our position on the world stage. This will preserve privacy and uphold data sovereignty,” Tinubu added.
President Tinubu hailed the federal civil service as the “engine” driving his Renewed Hope Agenda, and the vehicle for delivering sustainable national development.
He submitted that the roles of civil servants remain indispensable in modern governance, declaring that in the face of a fast-evolving digital and economic landscape, the civil service must remain agile, future-ready, and results-driven.
“This maiden conference is a bold step toward redefining governance in an era of rapid transformation. An innovative Civil Service ensures we meet today’s needs and overcome tomorrow’s challenges.
“It captures our collective ambition to reimagine and reposition the civil service. In today’s rapid, evolving world of technology, innovation remains critical in ensuring that the civil service is dynamic, digital” the President said.
Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack in her welcome address told the President that his presence and strong words of commendation at the conference has renewed the morale and mandate of public servants across the country.
Walson-Jack described Tinubu as the backbone of driving transformation in the Nigerian civil service, and noted that the takeaways from past study tours undertaken to understudy the civil service in Singapore, the UK and US under her leadership, is already yielding multiplier effects.
Walson-Jack assured Tinubu that her office, in collaboration with reform-minded stakeholders, will not relent in accelerating the implementation of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan, FCSSIP 25.
She affirmed that digitalisation, performance management, and continuous learning remain key pillars in strengthening accountability, transparency, and service delivery across MDAs.
Walson-Jack reaffirmed that the civil service is determined to exceed expectations by embedding a culture of innovation, ethical leadership, and citizen-centred governance in the heart of public administration.