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Stakeholders Rally For Africa’s Energy Dev

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Stakeholders at the just-concluded African Refiners & Distribution Association (ARDA) conference have canvassed for concerted investment in African Downstream, clean fuels, energy poverty eradication.
Critical stakeholders in the African energy have resolved to mobilise for greater investment in the continent’s energy sector.
Arising from the 2023 edition of the African Refiners & Distribution Association (ARDA) conference, which ended yesterday in Cape Town, South Africa, the participants called for increased investments to accelerate Africa’s deployment of downstream infrastructure, including pipelines, storage facilities and refineries, to enable the continent to address energy poverty and achieve energy independence and sustainability.
To this end, the African Finance Corporation (AFC) revealed that it has deployed about $800 million towards supporting Africa’s refinery sector with an additional $210 million in its near-term pipeline.
Cumulatively, the AFC and the African Export Import Bank (Afreximbank) are investing about $16 billion in oil and gas projects across Africa.
The Global Head, Client Relations, Afreximbank, Rene Awembeng, said the company’s oil and gas portfolio exceeds $15 billion with a healthy pipeline across the entire continent.
He noted that the continent is in a critical situation where demand for energy continues to rise on the backdrop of surging population.
At the conference, stakeholders also called for retention of funds within the continent to finance the over $190 billion yearly energy investment need of the continent.
About $15 billion of the funds is being invested by Afreximbank, while AFC already invested over $800 million with additional over $200 million expected to be finalised.
With the continent relying mainly on importation of petroleum products at a time when foreign exchange demand is hovering at $100 billion yearly and required energy investment annually stands at $190 billion, Awembeng said large infrastructure development, including, refineries that would meet demand on the continent must be prioritised and supported.
He added that the creation of Africa Energy Bank remained sacrosanct to fund fossil fuel and Africa energy transition agenda.
Expressing regret that Africa remained an importer of all refined products, he said: “Africa has not invested in its refineries or refining capacity. We’ve not invested in our storage facilities. We’ve not invested in our pipelines sufficiently to meet the demand.
“So, with the COVID crisis, and now the Ukraine crisis, we are now in a very difficult position.
“A lot of the international banks and some of the banks that were financing oil and gas transactions have retreated from Africa for a number of reasons, leaving the burden on African financial institutions and some of the development financiers like the African Export Import Bank to look into the problem.
“The challenge now is that we have significant capacity to meet the demand of $190 billion every year to finance oil and gas requirements in Africa.
“Do we have capacity on the continent to support the $15 billion of rehabilitation of refining capacity required in North Africa, West Africa and East Africa? I don’t think we are.
“So, we are going into a crisis where if you look at also what is happening with food security in terms of fertilisers and grain, we have to import plus the high costs of importation of refined products. We are in a very challenging situation as a continent to be able to finance oil and gas”, Awembeng said.
In an opening statement, ARDA President, Marième Ndoye Decraene, emphasised the role improved collaboration between African downstream players and ARDA members plays in facilitating the full exploitation of Africa’s hydrocarbon resources to achieve a just and inclusive energy transition.
According to Decraene, with energy demand set to grow across the continent by 45 percent through 2050, “Our objective is to ensure Africa’s growing demand is met with cleaner fossil fuels.
“We must combine our efforts to develop a strong and effective platform to ensure the energy mix and environment are prioritised.
“We need to create a strong regulatory framework, ensure the transfer of technology, innovation and skills to maximise the downstream industry.
“Financing remains a problem and we need to make sure there is available funding and that projects are bankable while accelerating renewables penetration.
“Our aim is to make use of platforms such as ARDA Week to strengthen our current energy capabilities and come up with solutions on how Africa can address global factors hindering the industry”.
ARDA’s Executive Secretary, Anibor Kragha, said Africa’s downstream players can play to ensure the continent balances achieving energy security and environmental sustainability.
“Energy security is the short term need we have. We are not the biggest polluter in the world, hence we are focusing on uninterrupted, secure and affordable supply of energy, and not what other global parties and markets are focusing on, which is decarbonisation.
“Storage and distribution needs should be a focus. However, reducing emissions from the fuels industry should also be prioritised. By 2030, we need cleaner transport, clean cooking and power solutions”, Kragha said

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Infrastructure Deficit, Insecurity, Limit Maritime Contribution To GDP – Expert

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A Maritime stake holder, and Chairman of Sifax Group, Taiwo Afolabi, has attributed maritime industry’s minimal contribution to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to infrastructure deficit, insecurity on the nation’s waterways, low level of technology adoption, and deployment in the sector.
Afolabi made this known at the 5th Taiwo Afolabi Annual Maritime (TAAM) conference organised by the Maritime Forum of the faculty of law, University of Lagos.
Afolabi noted that other hindrances are foreign exchange bottleneck and inconsistent policies.
“These have limited the ability of the sector to contribute significantly to the country’s Gross Domestic Product GDP.
“If well harnessed, the maritime industry has the potential to become a major revenue earner for the country, particularly with the declining oil revenue.
“The lessons of the last few years as a nation should not be lost on us. The non-oil sector is increasingly becoming the mainstay of the country’s economy. We have funded our national budget in the last few years majorly without proceeds from oil but from other sectors.
“The days of our over reliance on oil is behind us now and it’s about time we focused on transitioning from an oil-dependent economy to non-oil reliance.
“The maritime sector, I can say without any fear of contradiction, will play a crucial role in this economic transitioning if more attention is committed to the industry.
“Judging by the potentials of the industry, we are of the opinion and belief that Nigeria’s maritime industry can rank among the best in the world.
“It will only take careful planning, progressive policies, generous funding, enabling environment, friendly economic policies, manpower development and massive infrastructural development”, he noted.

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Loans Repayment Default: DMO Exonerates Nigeria

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The Debt Management Office (DMO) has refuted the claim by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) that Nigeria has defaulted in repaying its Chinese loans.
SERAP had in an earlier statement hailed the judgement that ordered the present regime led by President Muhammadu Buhari to account for how it spent $460 million obtained from China to fund the Abuja Closed-Circuit Television project which later was not implemented.
The NGO also quoted a report in its statement saying “Nigeria has failed to repay loans for which penalties stand at N41.31bn”.
But DMO in its refuttal said the statement is ‘false’ as Nigeria has not defaulted in its loan repayment.
It said, “Nigeria is fully committed to housing its debt obligations and has not defaulted on any of its debt service obligations”, DMO said on Monday.
SERAP had sued the Federal Government following a 2019 disclosure by the Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed that “Nigeria was servicing the loan”, adding that she had “no explanations on the status of the project”.
She reportedly said, “We are servicing the loan. I have no information on the status of the CCTV project”.
Giving his judgement, Justice Nwite agreed with SERAP that “there is a reasonable cause of action against the government. Accounting for the spending of the $460 million Chinese loan is in the interest of the public. It will be inimical for the court to refuse SERAP’s application for judicial review of the government’s action”.
The presiding justice also said the Minister of Finance is in charge of the finance of the country and “cannot by any stretch of imagination be oblivious of the amount of money paid to the contractors for the Abuja CCTV contract and the money meant for the construction of the headquarters of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB)”, SERAP said.

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CBN Names Four Firms To Print Cheques

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Nigeria’s apex banking institution, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), has named four local firms for the printing of cheques, excluding the Nigeria Security Printing and Minting Company (NPSMC) PLC.
The list of the approved firms for the printing of cheques was contained in a circular issued by CBN.
The circular, which was signed by the Director of Banking Services, Sam Okojere, said the approved firms include Superflux International Limited, Tripple Gee and Company, Yaliam Press Limited, and Marvelous Mike Press.
“The re-accreditation of Cheques Printers and Cheque Personalisers is in line with the relevant qualification criteria”, CBN stated.
The circular also revealed that seven banks were approved as personalisers of cheques: they are Zenith Bank Plc, Ecobank Plc, First Bank Ltd, Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc, Keystone Bank Ltd, Providus Bank Ltd and Wema Bank Plc.
It further disclosed that all accredited printers and personalisers had been duly notified and certificates issued.
The Nigeria Security Printing and Minting Company Plc is the sole printer of N200, N500, and N1000 new notes.
Nigeria Security Printing and Minting Company Plc and Euphoria Group Limited were accredited and approved on Thursday, 04 December 2014, in a letter REF: BPS/DIR/GEN/CIR/02/033.

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