The House of Representatives Committee on Gas Resources has applauded the Mallam Mele Kyari-led Management team of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) for its achievements in the areas of gas infrastructure development, gas supply obligations for the domestic market and the NLNG Train 7 Project.
A press release by the Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division of the Corporation, Dr. Kennie Obateru, quoted the Chairman House Committee on Gas Resources, Hon. Nicholas Mutu, as saying during an oversight visit to the NNPC Towers, Abuja, that the committee was pleased with the ongoing drive by the Corporation to promote the use of gas as a cheaper and cleaner form of energy.
“It is a step in the right direction. Indeed, gas resources have come to take the pride of place in our national development agenda, and given the quantum of proven gas reserves in the country, we can rightly declare that Nigeria is more of a gas country,” Hon. Mutu stated.
He said the Committee was satisfied with the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Bill 2020 on gas resources development, particularly Section 52 which provides for the establishment of a Midstream Gas Infrastructure Fund.
“We acknowledge the efforts of the Management of NNPC in developing the gas sector, and we commend them on the existing projects. The Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) gas pipeline that was recently launched by Mr. President is an exhibition of total commitment by the NNPC” he said.
In his welcome address to the visiting legislators, Group Managing Director of the Corporation, Mallam Mele Kyari, expressed gratitude to the Committee for its continued support to the Corporation.
The GMD, who was represented by the Chief Operating Officer, Gas & Power, Engr. Yusuf Usman, said NNPC will continue to engage and seek further support for approvals of budgets appropriated for critical Gas Infrastructure Projects as well as the speedy passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) 2020 which is currently before the National Assembly.
He reiterated NNPC’s commitment to the provision of alternative fuels for Nigerians through the deployment of LPG and CNG skids at filling stations for automobiles.
“This will give Nigerians more opportunity to enjoy cheaper fuels for their vehicles as well as reduce carbon emission footprints in line with the global environmental aspirations,” he said.
Ikeja Electric Plc (IE), on Friday, commenced the distribution of prepaid meters to 106,000 customers under the National Mass Metering Programme (NMMP) approved by the Federal Government.
Mrs Folake Soetan, Acting Chief Executive Officer of IE, made this known at the flagging off of the programme in Ikeja.
Soetan said that the programme was part of the Federal Government’s effort to further bridge the country’s metering gap, and also cushion the effect of the Service Reflective Tariff on electricity consumers in Nigeria.
She said: “In line with this programme, IE is committed to driving the roll out through a series of one-day metering initiative across different locations in its network.
“These metering initiative is designed to ensure a seamless metering process that allows customers to register and be metered on the same day after following due process.
“Ikeja Electric is rolling out over 106,000 prepaid meters to customers across its six Business Units – Ikeja, Abule-Egba, Akowonjo, Oshodi, Ikorodu and Shomolu.”
Soetan said that this was for the first phase of the programme, which would run till the end of 2020.
According to her, beneficiaries of this programme, which will cut across all locations in IE network, will not be required to pay upfront for the installation of meters.
Soetan said rather, the modalities of cost recovery for the meters would be clearly defined and communicated to the beneficiaries.
“The primary objective of the NMMP is to increase the metering rate in the country and close the gap of unmetered customers.
“It is also expected that it will assist in reducing collection losses, while at the same time, increasing financial flows to achieve 100 per cent market remittance obligation of the DisCos.
“Part of the objectives also include: the elimination of arbitrary estimated billing, improving network monitoring capability and provision of data for market administration and investment decision-making,” she said.
Soetan said apart from its jobs creation potential in the meter value chain, the programme would increase local meter manufacturing, assembly and deployment capacity, all in support of the Nigeria’s economic recovery plan.
She reiterated the DisCos’ commitment to bridging the metering gap by metering all its customers to ensure an efficiently managed electricity supply industry that meets the yearnings of Nigerians.
The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) says the bid round process for its 57 marginal oilfields in the country is still ongoing.
Mr Paul Osu, Head, Public Affairs, DPR, said on Friday in Lagos that the bidding process has not been completed.
“The 2020 marginal oilfield bid round process is still ongoing in line with our published timelines on DPR website and bid portal.
“Over 600 companies have applied to be prequalified for the bid rounds which began on June 1. However, the DPR had put measures in place to ensure that the awardees would be credible investors with technical and financial capability.
“The objective of the 2020 marginal field bid round was to deepen the participation of indigenous companies in the upstream segment of the industry and provide opportunities for technical and financial partnerships for investors.”
According to Osu, the last time the country conducted marginal field bid rounds was in 2003 “with 16 of the fields now contributing two per cent to the national oil and gas reserves while bringing development to their host communities in the Niger Delta.”
A marginal field is any field that has reserves booked and reported annually to the DPR and was unproductive for a period of over 10 years.
The Lagos State Government has announced a further relaxation of the curfew imposed on the state.
“The curfew will now be from 10pm till 6am,” a statement from the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso added.
“Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu praises Lagosians for observing the curfew, which is expected to restore normalcy in our communities. He urges all Lagosians to go about their businesses in peace, even as they shun ‘actions that can threaten our unity’.
“The Governor advises purveyors of fake news to stop causing disaffection among Lagosians, who are well known for being peace-loving and friendly,” the statement said..
The United Kingdom High Commission has announced the reopening of its visa application centres in Nigeria.
The UK High Commission disclosed this in a Tweet on its official handle, in a notice titled ‘Update on UK Visa Application Centres in Nigeria.’
“Our TLS contact visa application centres are now open in Nigeria. Following the recent closures, we are working hard to process all outstanding applications.
“We thank you for your continued patience and understanding. Please note Thursday, October 29, is a public holiday in Nigeria and our Visa application centres will be closed,” the notice read in part.
The Commission, however, that its centres would not open on Thursday due to the public holiday in Nigeria for Maolud Nabbiyy.
UK Commission last week shut down its visa application centres in Victoria Island, Abuja and Lagos over the crisis arising from #EndSARS protests in the country.
The General Overseer of Living Faith Ministries aka Winners Chapel International, Bishop David Oyedepo, paid popular Gospel singer, Tope Alabi a surprise visit at her Iju home in Lagos for her 50th birthday celebration on 27th October 2020
The excited singer via her Instagram shared a clip of the bishop at her birthday party in which she expressed shock and awe.
In a video attached to her Instagram post, Alabi was pictured kneeling with her husband, Soji Alabi and children while the bishop prayed for the family .
“Daddy, You gave me your word that you would come to my birthday and I thought I was dreaming. Despite your busy schedule sir, you chose to step into my house; you chose to spend hours with us; you chose to take pictures with many of us and I couldn’t believe when I saw you in my home.
“I feel so overwhelmed even now and I know I will keep feeling as such for many years to come. I do not take your presence for granted and I know new testimonies have begun in my home.
“Your presence is a fulfillment of prophecy that this year is indeed our year of BREAKING LIMITS. I broke more than a billion limits by sitting side by side with you my Daddy in our home on my 50th birthday.
“I appreciate you my father, my Prophet and my Teacher. Your presence yesterday will forever mean so much to me and my family. I can’t stop saying AMEN to these prayers. Thank you Daddy.” She wrote.
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has released guidelines for implementation of the proposed N75 billion Nigeria Youth Investment Fund (NYIF).
CBN, in a statement by its Development Finance Department, stated that the fund was a built-in strategy to effectively respond to the challenge of youth employment in Nigeria.
The Fund, an initiative of the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, is to be managed by NISRAL Microfinance Bank. It stated that the major objective of the plan was to address fragmentation of youths initiatives that prevent assessment of impact. `The Federal Executive Council on July 22, approved N75 billion for the establishment of the NYIF from 2020 to 2023.
“It will provide Nigeria youths with investment inputs required to build successful businesses that can become sustainable employers of labour and contributors to the country’s development. “ The plan targets young people between 18 and 35 years and details the needed actions required to support business establishment, expansion and consequent employment creation for youths in critical economic and social sectors,” it stated.
The apex bank said that the fund was dedicated to investing in the innovative ideas, skills and talents of Nigerian youths.
It added that it would institutionally provide the youths with special window for accessing the funds, finances, business management skills and other inputs critical for sustainable enterprise development. “The ministry is the lead implementation entity and is responsible for budgetary provisions and for funds mobilisation.
“The fund aims to financially empower youths to generate at least 500,000 jobs between 2020 and 2023,’’the apex bank said. It added that part of the objectives of the fund was to improve access to finance for youths and youth-owned enterprises for national development.
“It will also generate much-needed employment opportunities to curb youths restiveness, boost their managerial capacity and develop their potential to become the future large corporate organisations,’’ it added.
The Federal Government, on Thursday, announced a two-day total closure of the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos State for a concrete work on some sections. The Federal Controller of Works in the state, Mr Olukayode Popoola, said in Lagos that the closure would begin from midnight of October 30 and end at midnight of November 1.
“We are planning to cast two number expansion joints, and we shall close the Third Mainland Bridge from midnight of October 30 until midnight of November 1,’’ he said. The controller said that there was the need to shut both bounds of the bridge – from Adeniji Adele to Adekunle – in addition to the closed bound of the bridge, to complete the work.
According to him, the closure is to ensure that there is no vibration on the bridge during casting in-place of the newly-installed expansion joints.
“This is to allow for setting of the special concrete, which allows the concrete to achieve its required compressive strength,’’ Popoola said.
He said that the Federal Government decided to close the bridge on a weekend to minimise the impact on vehicular traffic.
According to him, adequate traffic managers will be deployed to control all the alternative routes. “We regret any inconveniences this two-day closure will cause,’’ Popoola said. The Third Mainland Bridge is going through series of repair. It was partially shut on July 24 for the repair. The repair is expected to last for six months. It is divided into two phases of three months on each carriageway, starting with the Oworonsoki bound carriageway.
The first total closure of a section of the bridge from Adekunle to Adeniji Adele was done from October 9 to 11 midnight, to complete the first stage of casting works.
The 11.8km bridge is the longest of the three bridges connecting Lagos Island to the Mainland. The bridge starts from Oworonshoki, which is linked to the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway and the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, and ends at the Adeniji Adele Interchange on Lagos Island. Constructed in 1990, the bridge was adjudged as the longest in Africa until 1996 when the October 6 Bridge in Cairo was completed.
The National Association of Online Security Reporters, NAOSRE, on Thursday in Lagos, elected Mr. Oyewale Femi as its new President.
Femi, an experienced journalist who is the publisher–Editor-in-Chief of Sahara Weekly and Sahara TV, is to preside over the association’s affairs in the next two years.
In his acceptance speech, the new President thanked the electoral body, NAOSREC, for conducting a hitch free election. He also thanked the former executives led by Mrs Favour Benson, Board of Trustees and members for the unprecedented confidence reposed in him through their votes, promising “Not to disappoint.”
In reference to the poignant #EndSARS protests that upturned and unbalanced the country’s security bearings, Oyewale called for redoubled media efforts in the promotion of peace and harmony in Nigeria. “Understandably, NAOSRE members must prepare to undertake the stressful yet inexorable push to enthrone balanced security reportage for a better and secured Nigeria.”
Continuing, he admonished members “To always stand on the path of truth and avoid illogical assertions capable of twisting the wheels of secured nation. “I, therefore, call on members for more dedication. Let us strive to make NAOSRE the association to beat as well as set the pace for security reportage in Nigeria,” he requested.
Earlier in her remarks, the association’s former President, Favour Benson, thanked members for their cooperation during her tenure.
She however sued for unity and commitment to attain NAOSRE’s objectives. Ugbechie Francis, an Information Technology expert who observed the election described it as free, fair and credible.
“From what I see today, NAOSRE’s credibility is not in doubt. Members are full of enthusiasm to take frontline roles in security reportage not only in Nigeria but across the Continent,” he stated.
Those who emerged as elected executive members are Mrs. Love Ikuku Oyedokun, Vice President, Dayo Bamgbala, Secretary, Mrs. Azuh Lilian, Financial Secretary, Gbenga Shaba, Registrar. Others are Adetogun Olakunle, Treasurer, Edwin Usoboh, Provost and Abiona Adenike, Welfare.
The newly elected executives include Abayomi Obatinuadeyo, Online Director and Idumonza Isidahomhen, Public Relations Officer.
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Funke Egbemode
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