Business
Science, Vehicle For Development – NLNG …Concludes 2023 Schools Science Quiz Competition
The Nigeria Liquified Natural Gas, (NLNG) has described science as the most credible vehicle for future development, saying that the functionality of science must be demystified.
The General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development, NLNG, Andy Odeh, made this assertion at the grand finale of this year’s NLNG sponsored science quiz competition for public schools in Rivers State.
According to him, “for us at NLNG, science is far from being a subject in the classroom, it is the most credible vehicle to take us from where we are today to where we wish to be tomorrow.
“Like I said before, we must demystify science to make it accessible to every child in this state. One way of doing this is to create a buzz around it. This time, the buzz is a quiz competition around the subject matter. This way the young and curious can be interested in it, can be familiar with it”.
He noted with delight that this year’s competition with the theme, “NET-ZERO”, open only to Senior Secondary Schools 1 and 2 levels in Rivers State. focused on critical global issues, climate change, expressing the hope that the competition would help raise awareness among young people and inspire them into action as change agents.
Odeh said, “We are delighted that this year’s science quiz competition is focussed on climate change and net-zero emissions. This is a critical issue that we all need to be aware of, and we believe that this competition will help to raise awareness among young people and inspire them to take action and become agents of change”.
Explaining the pervasiveness of science, the NLNG point man at the science quiz competition, stated that there was hardly anything on life that could not be traced back to science, observing that at NLNG, science was more than just a classroom subject.
He said, “Science is so pervasive that there is hardly anyone in the four corners of Rivers State that hasn’t today counted on science to achieve one elementary task on the other.
“The fisherman who wakes up, takes his net, enters his boat, and paddles it to that part of the sea where he hopes to make his big catch has depended heavily on science.
“So is the teacher who woke up this morning, checked his time, his emails and updates on the phone, entered his car and drove to this place. We all depend on science to improve our lives and the way we live it.
“We depend on science to plan our days and do our tasks. Every new day with new discoveries and inventions, science’s hold on us becomes even stronger and tighter”.
Odeh commended the students who participated in the competition, saying, “We are very proud of the students who participated in this competition. They showed great enthusiasm and knowledge, and they are a credit to their schools and to Rivers State.
“We hope that this competition will inspire other young people to learn about science and to pursue careers in science-related fields, adding that NLNG recognises the importance of science in achieving the company’s vision of being a globally competitive LNG company, helping to build a better Nigeria”.
Representing the Rivers State Ministry of Education, Director of Science and Education at the ministry, Dr. Ataisi Ngerebara, said NLNG has given opportunity to children who, before now, had no opportunity to showcase their talents.
She said science was driving development in the world and that there was a need for young scientists and science enthusiasts in Nigeria to be encouraged in innovativeness and creativity.
She stated that the Rivers State Ministry of Education was fully behind the NLNG Science Quiz Competition.
This year’s finalists were, Niger Delta Science School, Oginigba; Comprehensive Secondary, and Enitonna High School, Borikiri; Community Senior Secondary School, Rumuomasi; Model Secondary School, GRA; Community Secondary School, Aleto Eleme; and County Grammar School, Ikwerre/Etche; with Niger Delta Science School clinching the top spot, while Oginigba Comprehensive Secondary and Enitonna High School, Borikiri, took the second and third positions, respectively.
By: Tonye Nria-Dappa
The United States Trade Representative (USTR) has criticised Nigeria’s import ban on 25 categories of goods, claiming that the restrictions limit market access for American exporters.
This is the effect of President Donald Trump’s tariffs introduction on goods entering the United States, with Nigeria facing a 14 per cent duty.
The USTR highlighted the impact of Nigeria’s import ban on various sectors, particularly agriculture, pharmaceuticals, beverages, and consumer goods.
The restrictions affect items such as beef, pork, poultry, fruit juices, medicaments, and alcoholic beverages, which the United States sees as significant barriers to trade.
The agency argues that these limitations reduce export opportunities for United States businesses and lead to lost revenue.
“Nigeria’s import ban on 25 different product categories impacts United States exporters, particularly in agriculture, pharmaceuticals, beverages, and consumer goods.
“Restrictions on items like beef, pork, poultry, fruit juices, medicaments, and spirits limit United States market access and reduce export opportunities.
“These policies create significant trade barriers that lead to lost revenue for United States businesses looking to expand in the Nigerian market”, the agency said .
In 2016, Nigeria implemented the ban on these 25 items as part of efforts to control imports and stimulate local production.
Some of the banned items include poultry, pork, refined vegetable oil, sugar, cocoa products, spaghetti, beer, and certain medicines.
On March 26, 2025, the Federal Government also announced plans to halt solar panel imports to encourage local manufacturing as part of its push for clean energy.
A leading agribusiness strategist and digital agriculture expert, Ayo Oluwa Okediji, has sought cooperative-driven investments in sustaining growth of poultry industry in Nigeria.
He said the poultry industry was at a defining moment and requires urgent structural reforms to secure its future and ensure long-term sustainability.
Speaking on the theme, “Strengthening Poultry Farming Through Cooperative Synergy and Strategic Investments”, at the recently concluded Oyo Mega Poultry Workshop 2025 in Ibadan, Okediji called on poultry farmers, cooperative leaders, financial institutions and policy makers to rethink the existing structure of the poultry sector.
He stressed the need to transition from fragmented, individually-driven operations to well-structured, cooperative-led enterprises capable of attracting sustainable financing and securing long-term viability.
He said, “Our poultry sector cannot thrive on individual effort alone. We need to organise ourselves into cooperative clusters, build strong governance systems and position ourselves to attract the level of investment needed to sustain this industry beyond this generation.”
Drawing on lessons from successful global cooperative models such as Rabobank in the Netherlands and Landus Cooperative in the United States, Okediji introduced the FarmClusters Poultry Model, a locally adapted solution developed by Agribusiness Dynamics Technology Limited (AgDyna), a subsidiary of AgroInfoTech Africa.
According to him, the model is currently being piloted in Oyo State in partnership with PANOY Agribusiness Limited and local poultry cooperatives.
The Rivers State Representative of the Nigeria Chambers of Commerce, Mines, Industries and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Mr. Erasmus Chukwundah, has urged palm oil farmers to consider hybrid seedlings for planting, if they must break even in palm oil business.
Chukwundah said this recently at the Free Oil Palm Business Climate Smart Best Management Practice/Assistance Training organized by Partnership Initiative In Niger Delta (PIND) for Palm Oil Farmers in Elele, Ikwerre Local Government Area.
The Rivers representative said until palm oil farmers begin to consider such hybrid oil palm seedlings, they may not meet up with the daily increasing demand of palm oil in the market.
According to him, the seedlings produce up to 30 bunches at once that ripen same time.
He said PIND decided to partner with Oil Palm Growers Association of Nigeria (OPGAN) to ensure that the message was received by the targeted audience.
According to him, palm oil remained a popular choice of industry operators as it could be converted to many other products such as vegetable cooking oil.
He also noted that products such as motor tyers, marine ropes and others are now gotten from the palm tree.
Chukwundah, who is the immediate past Director-General of Port Harcourt Chamber of Commerce, Mines, Industries, and Agriculture (PHCCIMA), further warned against use of unrecommended fertilisers in growing oil palms.
He noted that such practices could limit its export value or chances as the foreign marketers have a way of detecting such .
He reiterated the need for organic fertilizers, including poultry droppings, to enable them have a natural palm oil.
“People must reduce physical contact with palm oil production. That is why we are campaigning for hydrolic oil mills. The foreign markets are no longer interested in crude method of palm oil production”, he said.
Meanwhile, one of the farmers, Sonny Didia, who appreciated Chukwundah’s commitment towards the concern of farmers, appealed for an urgent need for loan opportunity with low interest rate in order to enable them beat the target.
King Onunwor