Business

Main One Cable Goes Commercial

Published

16 years ago

July 23, 2010

The commercial launch of Main One Cable on Wednesday has opened a new era in Nigeria’s internet access market, with promises of new terabits up-grades that beat analysts’ expectations and have begun to erase doubts that the cable company has its noose ahead in the crucial share of cable market. This comes after over 15 years of snail speed internet connectivity.

“This is an important step towards lower costs of international communication and significant expansion of internet access”, says Funke Opeke, Chief Officer, Main One Cable. As stakeholders gathered at the launch, the firm’s commercial director, Bernard Logan, announced plans for the provision of outstanding 4.92 terabits per second of bandwidth. The outstanding provision will push well above the broadband capacity of existing competitors. The firm had earlier pledged to offer 1.9 terabits of international capacity.

It was gathered that ten operators have already signed up with Main One for capacity. Leading the pack, is GSM provider, MTN Nigeria, Etisalat Nigeria, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) operator, and Starcomms Plc. As at today, 40 gigabits of bandwidth is already available to the Nigerian market. Experts declared that the completion of the project was an important step towards lowering the cost of international communications and improving internet speeds.

Most of them agreed that the emergence of the cable system will have a multiplier effect on the Nigerian economy as it would boost the adoption of new and emerging technologies such as IPTV ( Internet Protocol Television), LTE (Long Term Evolution), VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), among others. According to them, the commencement of commercial services would go a long way in ushering in the much anticipated broadband boom Nigerians have been yearning for.

“We clearly see the cost of international communications coming down, and the cost of internet access coming down”, Funke told the audience, which included the Lagos governor, Babatunde Fashola, and the acting executive vice chairman of the Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC), Bashir Gwandu. “We just talked about getting information to your trading partners for example. So, now, the cost for you to do that should come down, the speed and reliability at which you should do that is much improved”.

Funke was also hopeful that the cost of doing business in Nigeria will come down with the cable on ground.

“For industries looking for technology, looking for partners, looking to source offshore, they have the ability to access any global market off the internet and source for the most competitive. It really opens up tremendous opportunities for the economy”, she further explained.

Commenting on the commission’s contribution towards the actualisation of the project, Bashir Gwandu, the NCC executive stated: “At NCC, when Funke came to us for license, we cut down the price. We normally give out licences for $50 million for international gateway. We brought it down to $25 million. What we are seeing here today is a huge change in terms of reducing the price of internet services. The task before us is to make sure we maximise the use of that cable. We want to see broadband prices going down for Nigerian consumers”.

“This is a dream unfolding for me because when I came back to Nigeria in 2006, some of the things I mentioned are actually happening today. I called on the industry at the time to start thinking of deploying optical fibre, not only to international links but also to national links and local loops. This is just the beginning. We all know what we have been going through with SAT-3; we are now beginning to see a difference. Main One is clearly leading the race. There are two more cables coming on board but the clear leader is Main One. There are also other cables like Glo-1 and WACS coming to the shores of Nigeria. All these are in answer to some of the calls we have made”, he said.

In the same vein, Babatunde Fashola, executive governor of Lagos state, said: “For us, this is the most critical infrastructure that would help us as a government to improve on our service delivery capacity, to help us manage traffic better, to help us police the state better, to help us deepen access to education for our people. It would help us improve health care delivery because we are already taking huge steps towards telemedicine. This was the missing link, welcome Main One.”

Business

IPMAN Raises Concern Over Delay In Chinese Refinery Deal …Predicts Lower Fuel Prices Through Competition

Published

17 hours ago

June 29, 2026

The Tide

The Eastern Zone of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has called on the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to fast-track the conclusion of the proposed Technical Equity Partnership with two Chinese firms.

IPMAN made the appeal amid growing concerns over the delay in finalising the agreement initiated through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on April 30, 2026, between NNPCL and Sanjiang Chemical Company Limited as well as Xinganchen (Fuzhou) Industrial Park Operation and Management Company Limited.

It said the proposed arrangement was designed to revive and expand operations at the Warri and Port Harcourt refineries, noting that successful implementation would strengthen the downstream petroleum sector and restore confidence in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.

The former Unit Chairman and current Zonal Secretary of IPMAN, Eastern Zone (System 2E), Comrade Inimgba Emmanuel Okubowei, made the call in a statement issued by the union after the Good Governance Summit organised by the Working People United (WOPU) in Abuja, and obtained by TheTide in Port Harcourt, at the weekend.

Okubowei expressed concern over the continued hardship faced by Nigerians due to the high cost of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), stressing that households and businesses were increasingly burdened by rising energy costs.

Okubowei stated that fuel prices would naturally decline once the Chinese partners commence full operations at the refineries, explaining that increased refining capacity and a more competitive market environment would positively influence pump prices.

The unionist further noted that the partnership would attract fresh investment, improve domestic refining output, increase petroleum product availability and create a more stable operational environment for industry stakeholders.

He maintained that healthy competition remains one of the most effective mechanisms for achieving fair pricing in the downstream petroleum industry and protecting consumers from avoidable price pressures.

The IPMAN official further argued that the entry of additional technically competent operators into the refining space would discourage monopolistic tendencies, improve operational efficiency and guarantee a more stable supply of petroleum products across the country.

He, therefore, appealed to the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL, Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari, and the management of the company to accelerate all outstanding processes required for the successful execution of the Technical Equity Partnership.

Okubowei also called on the NNPCL leadership to publicly explain the reasons behind the prolonged delay and provide Nigerians with a definite timeline for the commencement of the project.

He emphasised that transparency, accountability and timely communication would strengthen public confidence in the initiative, adding that prompt execution of the agreement would enhance Nigeria’s energy security, create employment opportunities, stimulate economic growth and provide lasting relief to millions of Nigerians through more affordable petroleum products.

King Onunwor

Business

Gas Economy: Decade of Gas, Pi-CNG/ EV Deepen Media Engagement

Published

20 hours ago

June 29, 2026

The Tide

Poised to achieving an in-depth understanding of the Nigeria’s gas economy by it’s populace, the Decade of Gas Secretariat, in collaboration with the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas and Electric Vehicles (Pi-CNG & EV), has deepened media capacity engagement across the country.

The media session, third in its series, and held at the Hotel President, Port Harcourt, recently, brought together 30 journalists from the television, radio, print, and digital media platforms to deepen their understanding of Nigeria’s gas development agenda and further enhance their reportage on the role of gas in driving economic growth, energy security, industrialization, job creation, and improved living standards.

Speaking during the session, the representative, Decade of Gas Secretariat,Taofeek Balogun , noted that the port Harcourt engagement followed two earlier sessions held in Lagos and Abuja, a move that began in 2025.

According to him, Nigeria’s gas sector continues to record significant progress, with year-to-date gas production reaching 7.85 billion standard cubic feet per day (bcfd).

Domestic gas utilization has surpassed the 2 bcfd mark, while gas exports have risen to their highest level in five years, reflecting growing demand across power generation, industries, transportation, exports, and household consumption.

Balogun emphasised the successful completion of the Obiafu-Obrikom-Oben (OB3) River Niger Crossing by NGIC/NNPCL, describing it as a critical infrastructure milestone that would improve gas transportation across the country, support industrial growth, attract investment, strengthen energy security, and contribute to economic development.

As part of efforts to expand domestic gas utilization, he reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to increasing access to clean cooking solutions. The government’s target is to distribute cooking gas cylinders to five million households by 2030.

Following the successful rollout of the programme across the six geopolitical zones by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo, implementation would now move to the state level, beginning with Bayelsa State in July 2026.

Under the initiative, Balogun said, 27,000 households in Bayelsa are expected to receive cooking gas cylinders within the year as part of the 1(one) million homes per year target.

Also speaking, the Chief Operating Officer of Pi-CNG & EV, Tosin Coker, highlighted ongoing efforts to expand the adoption of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and electric mobility solutions as cleaner and more affordable transportation alternatives for Nigerians.

He disclosed that the Federal Government is promoting the adoption of CNG across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) through the conversion of existing vehicle fleets and the procurement of CNG-powered vehicles as part of broader efforts to reduce transportation costs and improve energy efficiency.

Coker said “more than 100,000 vehicles have now been converted to CNG nationwide under the initiative, reflecting growing acceptance of alternative fuel solutions and supporting the country’s transition towards cleaner and more sustainable transportation”.

Participants commended the initiative for strengthening media capacity and improving public understanding of developments within Nigeria’s energy sector.

The Decade of Gas Secretariat and Pi-CNG & EV further reaffirmed their commitment to sustained stakeholder engagement and public awareness as Nigeria continues its journey towards a gas-powered economy.

Business

Group Seeks Media Partnership To Enhance Business Growth

Published

20 hours ago

June 29, 2026

The Tide

The Chief Executive Officer of Kefa Communication, Mr. Obihele Victor Amos, has called for stronger collaboration between business organisations and media institutions to enhance business growth, economic expansion and wider public engagement across communities.

Amos made the call during a press briefing in Port Harcourt at the weekend.

He emphasised that strategic media partnership remains critical to improving visibility for businesses and attracting investment opportunities.

According to him, the media occupies a central position in shaping public perception and creating awareness that can support enterprise development and economic sustainability.

He also noted that, many emerging businesses continue to face growth limitations due to insufficient publicity and inadequate access to effective communication channels.

“Stronger engagement with the media would help bridge information gaps and create better connections between businesses and potential customers”, he said.

The CEO further stated that responsible and developmental journalism could play a significant role in promoting innovation and encouraging healthy competition within the business environment.

He stressed that beyond informing the public, the media serves as a platform for influencing policies and encouraging stakeholder participation in economic development.

Amos further disclosed the group is committed to building relationships with media organisations through continuous engagement and collaborative initiatives.

He said such partnerships would create opportunities for entrepreneurs and support efforts aimed at expanding market access.

The business leader also urged media practitioners to sustain professionalism and continue highlighting stories that promote enterprise and national development.

He expressed confidence that improved synergy between the media and the business community would contribute to employment generation and economic resilience.

Some participants at the briefing described the initiative as a welcome development capable of strengthening public understanding of business opportunities.

There were also calls for sustained cooperation among stakeholders to drive inclusive business growth and long-term development.

King Onunwor