Environment
Plastic Recycling Plant ’II Create Jobs – MD
The new plastic recycling plant unveiled by Total Energies in conjunction with United Nations Institute for Training and Research(UNITAR) will create over 80 jobs, says Mr. Mike Sangster, Managing Director of Total Energies EP Nigeria.
Speaking during the commissioning of the plant on Wednesday in Port Harcourt, Mr Sangster, said the project came about as a result of finding a sustainable plastic waste management solution for African countries from the Polymers Business Europe branch of TotalEnergies.
He said Nigeria was selected for the pilot plant due to her large population and the volume of plastic waste generated in the country.
The plastic recycling plant he further revealed will save over 750tonnes of CO2 emissions per year, which is equivalent to planting about 4,500 trees annually.
Sangster said the plant will be run through private partnership method such that an entrepreneur will run it and eventually take full ownership after repaying a part of the investment, adding that the repaid funds would be reinvested .
He said TotalEnergies’ mission is to produce and supply more affordable, more reliable and cleaner energy, to meet the challenge of the 21st century and play an active role in the energy transition drive, by becoming a broad energy company.
He reaffirmed the company’s resolve to produce more energy with less emissions and be more sustainable, while assuring that TotalEnergies and partners will continue to support UNITAR and the entrepreneur for the long-term success of the recycling plant.
“This project is one of several others through which we express our commitment to and long-term partnership with Nigeria. Our CSR initiatives typically target sustainable poverty reduction and job creation through capacity building and infrastructure development.
“We decided that the best way to proceed was to partner with the UNITAR as part of our sustainability strategy. So, while TotalEnergies is the sponsor of the project, the plant itself will be handed over to an entrepreneur who will run it and eventually take full ownership after repaying a part of the investment.
“The recovered part of the investment will be placed in a recycling fund that will be re-invested into similar facilities within our local communities. Our objective is to develop a sustainable model where local entrepreneurs will be empowered, trained and supported to run the business, thereby supporting local enterprise while promoting sustainable waste management in line with the United Nations’ SDGs, Goal12, which calls for sustainable consumption and production patterns.
“We all know how common plastics have become– we see them everywhere. However, if not properly managed, plastic has great tendency to end up in our rivers or oceans and constitute threat to the environment, especially in developing countries. Prevention at source is vital and recycling best supports the circular economy model.
“In establishing this plant, our vision is to facilitate waste management in Nigeria through economic empowerment, which is in line with our core values as a Company. The pilot plant is fully equipped with sophisticated modern recycling machines and will recycle over 1000 tonnes of waste Polyethylene and Polypropylene per annum.
“Feedstock will be supplied by a network of collectors, waste generated by corporate organisations like TotalEnergies, and from dealers. The final resin pellets produced from various non-toxic waste sources will be sold to plastic converters in Nigeria. The plant will also serve as a training and information centre.”
Also speaking at the event, the Minister of State for Environment, Mrs Sharon Ikeazor,
challenged the private sector to key into the project and replicate same to tackle marine pollution and plastic wastes on the ocean.
Ikeazor represented by the Director, Pollution Control, Federal Ministry of Environment, Mr Olubumi Olusanya, said the government has “created the enabling environment to promote circular economy such as this, for waste reduction, recycling and converting wastes to wealth, through incentives and policies.”
In his remarks, the Managing Director of NAPIMS, Mr Bala Wunti, assured that the project would give birth to other similar projects, in furtherance of the government’s social investment initiative through the oil and gas sector.
Wunti who spoke through Manager, Efficiency, Mrs Adetutu Olukanmi, said, “Our vision for social interventions is to operate in an ethical and sustainable manner and deal with the environment and social impact occasioned by our activities, hence the approval of various CSR projects by our operators across the country for maximal impact.”
Also, UNITAR Senior Consultant, Dr Lawrence Boms, commended TotalEnergies for having the confidence to partner with them on the project, saying that the project was an evidence of collaboration between the public and private sector.
Consequently, the Nye Nwe Eli of Elelenwo community, Eze Sunny Weli Chukwu has thanked TotalEnergies for sponsoring the and choosing his community as host.
Eze Chukwu assured that there will be no form of disturbance from the host community, saying that all the community wants was developmental programmes and projects that would bring about employment, scholaships, education of their youths.
By: Kevin Nengia
The Federal Government has signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to remove tariffs on selected products.
Rep. Sam Onuigbo a member of the Governing Board of the North-East Development Commission, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Abuja on Tuesday.
Onuigbo said that the agreement signed in Abu Dhabi from Jan. 11 to 15, marked a major breakthrough for Nigeria-UAE economic relations.
NAN reports that Onuigbo, a member of the House of Representatives of Nigeria who represented Ikwuano/Umuahia North and South Federal Constituency, served as Chairman, Committee of Climate Change during the 8th Assembly.
“Under the CEPA signed in January 2026, UAE will eliminate tariffs on 7,315 Nigerian products. This includes immediate duty-free access for 2,805 products (38.3 per cent).
” The rest will phase out over three to five years, covering agricultural and industrial goods.
“Similarly, under the Nigeria/UAE CEPA also signed in January 2026, Nigeria has eliminated tariffs on 6,243 products imported from UAE. That agreement creates these wonderful opportunities between Nigerians and the Emirates,” he said.
Onuigbo said that the agreement was massive as it would facilitate an environment for business owners in Nigeria.
He said the pact would enable verified Nigerian business owners to establish offices in UAE, operate for up to three months and return home with expanded commercial networks.
He commended President Bola Tinubu for the agreement, saying it aimed at repositioning the country while also creating an enabling environment for employment opportunities.
He reaffirmed Nigeria’s readiness for business, noting that the country also unveiled its carbon market framework policy to attract climate-focused investments
”Nigeria is a nation of nearly 250 million people and has had, over the years, the challenge of enough energy or power to be able to attain its economic and industrialisation targets.
“And because of that, Nigeria has been engaging in different activities, for instance, the Energy Transition Plan, enactment of the Climate Change Act, and the Electricity Act which the President signed barely eight days after he assumed office in 2023.
“This shows the importance of addressing the energy gap having enough energy. Electricity is a fundamental point to developing industrially which Nigeria deems necessary,” he said.
Onuigbo lauded Nigeria’s participation at the Abu Dhabi summit saying that the summit would strengthen global economic opportunity for people.
He added that the President’s collaboration would address the challenges and devastating effects of climate change as well as boost economic growth in 2026
Environment
HYPREP Completes Phase One Mangrove Restoration In Ogoniland, Warns Against Re-Pollution
The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project, HYPREP, says it has achieved a major environmental milestone in Ogoniland with the full completion of Phase One of its mangrove restoration programme, even as it warned that renewed pollution could erase years of painstaking cleanup.
“We have completed Phase One planting and restoration at 100 per cent. We are now in the monitoring stage, with some sites already observed for up to nine months,” he said.
Beyond mangroves, Aguiyi reported significant progress in soil and groundwater remediation, describing the last quarter as one of HYPREP’s most productive periods since the Ogoni cleanup commenced.
He disclosed that shoreline cleanup has reached about 77 per cent completion, while access to safe drinking water has expanded across Ogoni communities.
“We have restored 100 per cent potable water supply to Ebubu, and reconstruction work has commenced at the Gwara Waterfall,” Aguiyi stated.
On infrastructure, he said key equipment for the long-awaited Ogoni Power Project has been procured and secured at the Wiyaakara substation, signalling movement toward energy support for the restoration effort.
Despite the progress, Aguiyi warned that re-pollution remains the single greatest threat to the success of the Ogoni cleanup.
“Our major concern is waking up one day to find areas cleaned with Ogoni people’s resources re-polluted by activities beyond our control,” he said, stressing that environmental recovery must be protected as much as it is delivered.
He attributed the sharp decline in illegal artisanal refining in Ogoniland over the past two to three years to sustained community engagement and alternative livelihood programmes, which he said have reduced economic dependence on destructive practices.
“We have not recorded incidents of artisanal refining in Ogoniland in the last two to three years, and that is the result of consistent sensitisation and viable livelihood options,” he added.
Aguiyi reaffirmed HYPREP’s willingness to collaborate with companies and partners operating in Ogoniland, noting that initiatives aligned with the project’s environmental and social objectives would be reviewed and adopted where appropriate.
He also said recommendations from recent independent and internal reports are already being implemented, underscoring HYPREP’s commitment to transparency, accountability, environmental recovery, and improved livelihoods for Ogoni communities.
Environment
Over Six Million Benue Residents Exposed To Neglected Tropical Diseases – State Government
The Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr. Paul Ogwuche, disclosed this during a press conference to mark the 2026 World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day, organised in collaboration with Sightsavers and themed “Unite, Act, Eliminate Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs).”
Represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr. Beatrice Tsavmbu, the commissioner announced the successful elimination of blinding trachoma in Gwer East, Gwer West and Ukum Local Government Areas, attributing the feat to years of targeted interventions, strong community participation and sustained implementation of the state’s NTDs Control and Elimination Programme.
“I am proud to announce the elimination of blinding trachoma in three of our most affected areas—Gwer East, Gwer West and Ukum. No longer will these communities face the blindness that trachoma has long inflicted,” she said.
However, Dr. Tsavmbu noted that Benue State remains highly endemic for several NTDs, with all 23 local government areas experiencing overlapping disease burdens. She listed the diseases to include onchocerciasis (river blindness), lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis), schistosomiasis (bilharziasis), soil-transmitted helminth infections (intestinal worms), leprosy, buruli ulcer and snakebite envenoming.
“These conditions collectively put over six million people in Benue State at risk,” she stated.
She revealed that the state had treated an average of more than five million people over the past five years through preventive chemotherapy, morbidity management and disability prevention, supported by Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) initiatives and integrated vector control.
Dr. Tsavmbu also announced a major breakthrough in the fight against river blindness, noting that onchocerciasis endemicity in the state had been reclassified from ongoing transmission to suspected interruption of transmission.
On lymphatic filariasis, she disclosed that 1,064 hydrocele cases had been successfully managed through free surgeries, while 442 lymphoedema patients received free management kits to prevent disease progression. She added that 44 trachoma trichiasis cases were also treated through free surgical interventions.
According to her, Ukum, Logo and Konshisha LGAs have passed Transmission Assessment Survey 1 for lymphatic filariasis, allowing for the cessation of mass drug administration in those areas. In addition, seven other LGAs—Ado, Apa, Kwande, Obi, Ohimini, Oju and Tarka—successfully passed epidemiological monitoring surveys in 2025.
She attributed the progress recorded to strong inter-sectoral collaboration involving agencies such as the Benue Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (BERWASSA), the State Universal Basic Education Board, the Ministry of Education, civil society organisations and security agencies. She also cited the inauguration of the State NTDs Advisory Committee and improvements in supply chain and logistics management systems.
In a related remark, Prof. Edward Omudu of the Department of Biological Sciences, Moses Orshio Adasu University, Makurdi, revealed that the National Universities Commission had recently approved Nigerian universities to offer degree programmes in Water, Sanitation and Health, describing the move as a critical step toward strengthening disease prevention and public health capacity in the country.