Oil and Gas
Traditional ruler commends Tinubu on resumption of oil production in Ogoni land
Traditional ruler of the Nortem Bori community in Ogoni, King Lenu Tsaro Igbara (Gbene Teekoo IX) on Monday commended President Bola Tinubu’s administration for the intention to resume oil prospects in the land.
The monarch gave the commendation during a courtesy visit to the National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, at the party’s national secretariat, in Abuja on Monday.
The resumption of oil exploration
through the Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC) in Ogoni Kingdom, is coming 30 years after the sealing up of the oil well by the military administration of Gen. Sani Abacha.
Gbene Teekoo IX stated that the oil well is expected to produce 300,000 barrels of crude oil daily which according to him, accounts for about one-quarter of the total production in the country.
Recalling how the oil well in Ogoni land was sealed up, the royal father said: “The oil well allotted to Shell Petroleum in Ogoni land was sealed up by the military administration of Gen. Sani Abacha in 1993 following the killing of Rights activist, Ken Saro Wiwa.
“Over the years, Shell’s licence to prospect oil in Ogoni land expired but on assumption of office, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu embarked on the clean-up of Ogoni. With the success recorded in the clean-up exercise, the Federal Government handed over the well to NNPC and the NNPC has since returned to the site in preparation to commence work.
“By the time this operation begins, about 300,000 barrels of oil (representing 25% of daily production) will be produced from the Ogoni oil well”, the King said
Also, the paramount ruler lauded President Tinubu for the clean-up exercise of hydrocarbon in the land.
According him, the clean-up exercise is “paramount to his people because of the environmental hazard being suffered by the people of Ogoni land over the years.”
He noted that the clean-up exercise is addressing years of the level of environmental degradation the oil prospect has wrecked on the area.
On his part, the APC National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje appreciated the Ogoni King for the visit and for recognising the effort of President Tinubu’s administration in the Niger Delta within a short life span of the administration.
Ganduje said: “The federal government under President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed is very active in the cleaning up of the hydrocarbons that are there in Ogoni land.
“So I am happy today, our brother His Royal Majesty from Ogoni land, has come to this office to appreciate what the federal government is doing to the Ogoni land.
“He (Ogoni monarch) appreciated the cleaning up because of the pollution, which everybody knows, is an environmental hazard.
“Though royal fathers are not partisan, but the same time, royal fathers, since they represent the security, the social and the needs of the people, are also in a position to thank the government if something is done to their people, in that case, they are not exempted from doing what he has done.”
The Nigeria Liquefied Gas on Friday called for energy security to be made a national priority through proactive measure in a manner that the infrastructure and critical assets are protected for the sustainable growth of the oil and gas industry.
Speaking at a panel session titled “Driving Cross-Continental Investments: Scaling Africa’s Energy Frontier” at the 8th Nigeria International Energy Summit (NIES), the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of NLNG, Philip Mshelbila stated that there were growing concerns over gas infrastructure security, stressing that while improvements have been recorded in securing oil assets, that gas infrastructure remains vulnerable, and without adequate protection which will lead to underperformance in the industry.
Mshelbina stated that NLNG was focused on boosting both domestic and regional energy access, adding that the company was making smaller-scale investments to retain more gas for local consumption. He noted that a major step in this direction was NLNG’s decision to domesticate 100% of its Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) supply for the Nigerian market.
Beyond the domestic market, Mshelbila remarked that the Company was also working towards enhancing regional energy security. He revealed that, as part of the Train 7 project, the company was constructing a third jetty to support small-scale vessels in supplying gas across Africa’s coastal markets.
Additionally, he said the company was supporting the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) in connecting Bonny Island to the mainland to facilitate LPG trucking, thereby strengthening domestic gas distribution. This initiative is expected to boost West Africa’s energy distribution network, positioning NLNG as a key player in the region’s energy landscape, he noted.
Mshelbila also emphasised the need for clear and consistent regulatory frameworks to attract long-term investments.
Through proactive methane reduction, low-carbon innovations, and impactful social initiatives, Mshelbila remarked that NLNG’s commitment to local content and sustainability aligned with global energy transition priorities, stating that NLNG was building investor confidence and demonstrating long-term value.
The Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, NEITI, Dr. Orji Ogbonnaya Orji has said, the sum of $200 billion is needed to be injected into Nigeria’s gas infrastructure for its development and maximization of the natural resources as the ninth largest gas producer in the world as number one in Africa.
He pointed this out in the 2021 – 2023 reports on Oil, Gas and Solid Minerals presented to the Public Accounts Committee chaired by Senator Aliyu Wadada Ahmed, saying the required infrastructure for maximization of gas resources in the country are not there.
He said, there was need for the injection of $20 billion yearly into gas infrastructure for a period of ten years for construction of gas pipelines along and across West African sub-region, and beyond which is a huge expenditure”, he said.
Orji said: “In Nigeria, what we need, is to invest in gas infrastructure to evacuate gas as our study shows that we need an initial investment of $20 billion annually for 10 years to be able to generate the kind of gas infrastructure required to provide gas for the whole of Africa and beyond.
A member of Senate Committee on Public Accounts, Senator Abdul Ningi asked, “what NEITI is doing on alleged $8.5billion unremitted into the consolidated revenue fund by Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Federal Inland Revenue Service and Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission in 2023”, the NEITI boss said the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC , is already probing the agencies involved.
Senate panel were further irked by the submission in the NEITI’s report that less than 1% of solid minerals is remitted into Federal Government’s Consolidated Revenue Fund account.
Chairman of Senate Committee on Public Accounts, speaking on remittances of Solid Minerals into the Consolidated Revenue Fund decried the less than 1% contribution of proceeds from the sector on yearly basis.
Other members were unanimous that, NEITI’s report on solid minerals, is not reflective of what is going on in the solid mineral sector.
They wondered why only States like Ogun, Osun, Kogi, Edo, Ebonyi, Rivers, Cross Rivers and FCT, were mentioned in the report excluding Nasarawa , Zamfara , Kebbi , Plateau, Bauchi etc .
Specifically the Chairman of the Committee, Senator Wadada described the less than one 1% contribution of solid minerals to GDP as quite ridiculous and unacceptable.
“This definitely must not continue, there must be complete overhaul of the sector “, he said
Oil and Gas
Niger Tanker Explosion: NUPENG urges government to repair roads, senditise citizens on danger of fuel scooping
The national secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, has urged the Federal Government to repair roads to avert tanker tragedies across the country.
NUPENG made the call in reaction to the recent tragic tanker explosion in Suleja, Niger State.
A statement jointly signed by Williams Akporeha and Olawale Afolabi, respectively, President and General Secretary stated that the union was “deeply saddened by the loss of lives, the destruction of properties, and the injuries sustained by many in this devastating incident.”
The statement, issued to newsmen in Abuja on Sunday, also appealed to the Federal Government to urgently address the poor condition of federal roads.
The statement read in part: “The Union takes this opportunity to urgently appeal to the Federal Government to repair bad roads to prevent such incidents and to intensify efforts in sensitising the public about the dangers of scooping fuel from petroleum truck accidents.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their loved ones during this traumatic and challenging time.”
NUPENG further sppealed to the Federal Government to take urgent steps to repair federal roads which it noted were in bad shape.
It also tasked the Federal Government to mandate its relevant agencies to seize the initiative towards sensitising Nigerians on the danger of scooping fuel from scenes of petrol tanker accidents.
The statement further reads in part:”The Union takes this opportunity to urgently appeal to the Federal government to repazir bad roads to prevent such incidents and to intensify efforts in sensitizing the public about the dangers of scooping fuel from accidental situations of petroleum trucks on highways.
“As a responsible organization, NUPENG collaborates annually with relevant agencies, including the Federal Road Safety Corps, the Police, and State Traffic Management agencies, to train our drivers on road safety. The Union is committed to continuously training and retraining our members on best driving and safety practices.
“We stand in solidarity with the affected families and the entire Dikko community in Niger State. We commend the emergency responders who bravely extinguished the fire and rescued many injured victims.
“We urge all relevant authorities to provide the necessary support and medical care to those injured and to take measures to prevent future tragedies.
“May the souls of the departed rest in peace, and may their families find the strength to bear these irreparable losses.”
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