Business

NCDMB Recommits To Support On Local Capacities

Published

2 years ago

May 17, 2024

The Executive Secretary (ES), Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Eng. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, has reassured oil and gas stakeholders that service companies and other manufacturers that have established capacities in the country will continue to enjoy patronage through the award of contracts from operating companies in the sector.
He made the commitment, Friday, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State when he led officials of the Board and Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) to visit companies that deliver pipe coating and related services.
A statement from the Directorate of Corporate Communications of the Board noted that the team visited Brightwaters Energy Limited, formerly known as Willbros Nigeria Ltd, Solewant Nigeria Limited and Pipe Coaters Nigeria, managed by Tenaris Nigeria Ltd.
The statement added that the Board’s team was taken round the company’s facilities and shown the various equipment of PCNL in readiness for the award of new contracts.
Ogbe said the visits were to assess the companies’ facilities and determine how the Board can galvanise the industry to patronise them.
He underscored the importance of getting first-hand information on in-country capabilities before making key decisions on oil and gas projects, insisting that operating companies must support and patronise local oil and gas service companies in compliance with the provisions of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act.
The NCDMB helmsman emphasised that activities in the Nigerian oil and gas industry must be used to create employment opportunities for the nation’s teeming youths and help to resuscitate the economy in line with the aspirations of President Bola Tinubu.
In his remarks, the Chief Executive Officer of Brightwaters Energy Limited, Mr. Scott Gregory, thanked the Executive Secretary for leading the visit, while highlighting that his firm carried out Nigeria’s first pipe coating in 1962.
Gregory recalled that the facility had 3,000 employees some years back, executing various spheres of oil and gas projects.
He conveyed the management’s aspiration to return the firm to those high-performance levels and sought the Board’s support to win oil and gas projects that would resuscitate the sprawling facility.
“We feel that we can be a positive contributor to Nigeria through the capacities that we have. We want to bring real, true value to the table”, he said.
The BrightWaters CEO admitted that the coating facility had suffered downtime, but assured that the plant would be up and running within 60 days of the award of a new contract.
In his remarks, Chairman of Tenaris Nigeria, Dr. Ernest Nwapa, welcomed the NCDMB’s team to PCNL’s facilities.
He commended the efforts made by the agency to push local content in the industry, attributing it to the good culture that had been established at the Board over the years.
Nwapa, who was the pioneer Executive Secretary of NCDMB, expressed delight that some of the oil and gas projects that had been pending for nearly ten years were now being developed and expressed hope that existing local capacities would be maximised in the execution of those projects.
He pledged the commitment of the company to meet the expectations of clients as well as allow them to participate in the supervision of the work in their factory.
The PCNL facility covers an area of 160,000 m2 in the Onne Free Trade Zone.
Those in the entourage of the NCDMB boss to the facility were, the Director, Projects Certification and Authorisation Division (PCAD), Engr. Abayomi Bamidele; General Manager, PCAD, Engr. Maurice Iwhiwhu; Special Technical Assistant (STA) to the Executive Secretary, Engr. Mofe Megbele; Deputy Manager, Corporate Communications, Mr. Obinna Ezeobi; and other staff members of the Board.
The SPDC team was led by the General Manager, Nigerian Content Development, Mr. Lanre Olawuyi.

Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa

Business

FG Approves 4 New Channel Management Firms For Seaports

Published

2 days ago

October 26, 2026

The Tide

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved four new channel management companies for seaports across the country in a move aimed at improving vessel navigation and port operations.

Speaking at the recently concluded Annual General Meeting of the Nigerian Association of Master Mariners (NAMM), former General Manager, Marine and Operations, Capt. Ebubeogu Ihenacho, disclosed that there would be changes in the ownership of the Lagos Channel Management Company Limited and the Bonny Channel Management Company.

According to Ihenacho, the four channels serving Nigeria’s major port clusters will have different channel management companies as approved by the FEC.

He said a new company had been approved to manage the Lagos port channel, with a change of name, while the Calabar Channel would be managed by the Calabar Channel Management Company.

He added that Bonny Channel Management Company had also undergone a change of ownership.

On the Warri Channel, Ihenacho said the Federal Government had approved China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) and two other companies to form a consortium to manage the Escravos Channel.

He said: “For Warri, it was approved for China Harbour Engineering Company, CHEC, and two other companies, who would now form a consortium.

That consortium will now form a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) with the Nigerian Ports Authority to manage the Escravos Channel.”

Recall that the management of the NPA had declined to renew the concessions of the Lagos Channel Management Company Limited and the Bonny Channel Management Company, opting instead for six-month extensions of the existing arrangements.

By; Enoch Epelle

Business

RIRS Warns Against Unauthorised Tax Collection

Published

2 days ago

October 26, 2026

The Tide

The Rivers State Internal Revenue Service (RIRS) has warned motorists, transport operators and business owners against paying taxes, levies or charges to Unauthorised persons and organisations, insisting that only the Service and its duly appointed agents are legally empowered to collect taxes on behalf of the state government.

The Service gave the warning in a public notice dated October 21, 2026, signed by its Executive Chairman, Sir Israel O. Egbunefu, FCTI, in which it clarified that the Rivers State Ministry of Transport was not authorised by the state government to collect road tax or any other tax, levy or charge from motorists and transport operators.

RIRS also specifically disowned Explore Strategic Alliance Ltd, located at No. 7 Rumuodaolu Market Road, Port Harcourt, declaring the company had not been appointed or authorised by either the state government or the Service to collect Motor Vehicle Transport (MOT) tickets or any other tax on its behalf.

The revenue agency consequently cautioned members of the public against making payments to the company or any of its staff, stressing that anyone who ignored the warning would do so at their own risk.

It reaffirmed that only the legally authorised agency responsible for tax collection in Rivers State and the appointed agents that would carry out such duties in accordance with the law.

The Service urged taxpayers to demand official identification from anyone claiming to be its tax agent and verify the person’s credentials directly with RIRS before making payments.

It further warned that individuals or groups found impersonating tax consultants, agents or their representatives to collect Unauthorised taxes would be arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the law.

RIRS also called on members of the public to report suspicious persons and activities relating to Unauthorised tax collection to the Service for appropriate action.

The agency advised taxpayers seeking clarification or assistance to visit any of its offices or contact it through its official email address, info@riversbirs.gov.ng.

The Service reiterated its commitment to protecting taxpayers, promoting voluntary compliance and safeguarding the integrity of tax administration in Rivers State.

By: King Onunwor

Business

Bayelsa consumers Groan Over Inflation As Traders Remain Helpless Over Low Patronage

Published

2 days ago

October 26, 2026

The Tide

Consumers and traders at the Swali ultramodern market in Yenagoa, capital of Bayelsa State have continued to groan over high prices of commodities and poor Patronage due to cost-push inflation.

The Tide reports that in the past weeks prices of goods and services in Yenagoa metropolis has experienced increase.

Notable services like transportation have also increased lately due to increase in the pump price of fuel that has recently further exacerbated inflation in the prices of staple foods like rice, beans, garri and others.

Speaking with The Tide on a market survey, a trader, Mrs Tovie Barakabo said a bag of bean which sold between N120,000-N130, 000 now goes for N140,000-N145,000.

Mrs Barakabo also hinted that the only commodities whose price has not gone up was price of millet which sells N60,000, while big bag of garri now sells for N30,000.

The Tide further gathered from other inside Source that 25 litres of Kings cooking oil currently sells N75,000 as against the former price of N57,000.

Other commodities such as delicious vegetable oil now goes for N68,000, Pure vegetable oil currently goes for N66, 000, while spaghetti is now N18,800 per bag.

The market survey also discovered that Sonnia tomato mix sells N75,609, while a big and small basket of fresh tomatoes are sold for N30,000 and N6,500 respectively.

A disappointed custom, Mrs Juliet Domo who fielded questions from The Tide expressed her worries over the inflation, calling on government to take decisive stands against inflation.

By: Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa