Oil
Chevron and Partners Sponsor Road Safety Programme for Schools
By Joseph BAMIDELE
LAGOS – Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL), operator of the NNPC/Chevron Joint Venture and its partners in the Arrive Alive Road Safety Initiative (AARSI) which includes the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) have launched a road safety campaign to raise awareness on Child School Zone safety in Lagos State.
The campaign is to educate students of primary and secondary schools as well as their teachers on safe road practices, road signs and language with particular emphasis on the use of the Zebra-crossing lines. This is to mitigate the occurrences of accidents and fatalities due to motor vehicle collision with children. In line with the campaign, road and traffic signboards will be mounted at child traffic zones in pilot schools in Lekki area and other parts of the Lagos metropolis.
In collaboration with the Ministry of Education, 110 students from 10 schools were trained for the campaign. They are the first batch and will act as the pilot for the program. They are expected to become ambassadors for road safety by passing on their new knowledge to other students.
In his remarks at the launching of the event, Mr. Deji Haastrup, General Manager, Policy, Government and Public Affairs, Chevron Nigeria Limited, said the company places high premium on safety which is why CNL partners with government agencies and corporate bodies to raise awareness on road safety.
“When it comes to safety, collaborative partnership is important. We have to use diverse competencies to take ownership of safety, especially road safety for you, your loved ones and even the public at large,” Mr. Haastrup stated. He was represented at the event by Mr. Esimaje Brikinn.
Present at the event were the FRSC Sector Commander, Commander Chidi Nkwonta and Mrs. ‘Lara Erogbogbo, Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Education. Both officials commended Chevron and the partners for the road safety initiative. Commander Nkwonta, who described the students that were trained for the campaign as ‘road safety champions’, charged them to extend road safety messages to their peers, parents, guardians and relatives. Commander Nwonta was represented by Corps Commander Funmilayo Akinlade.
Mrs. Erogbogbo believes the campaign will help reduce road mishaps as the students who are participating in the pilot programme will be good ambassadors. “You can imagine the ripple effect when they (students) share their newly acquired knowledge in road safety with their fellow students, siblings and parents at home. There will certainly be significant reduction in knock-downs and accidents on our roads,” the Permanent Secretary, who was represented by Mrs. Bisi Joseph added.
Speaking on behalf of participating schools, Mr. Onabule, Head Teacher of Kuramo Secondary School urged all participating schools and students to take back to their schools the “new knowledge they have acquired and share it with other students”.
Other dignitaries at the launch included Commander I.A. Ibrahim, FRSC Unit, Lekki, and Mr. Ike Okonkwo, Arrive Alive Coordinator. Apart from the 110 students trained for the campaign, 200 others invited from many schools in Lagos benefitted from the safety presentations and talks made at the launching of the event.
In line with its commitment to protecting people and the environment, Chevron has over the years partnered with FRSC and AARSI – a Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) to sponsor programmes aimed at raising awareness on road safety and eliminating deaths and injuries from roads in Nigeria. The programmes cover national truck safety and child safety campaigns and distribution of Wake Up’ safety devices, retro reflective tapes to truck drivers and safety helmets to motorcyclists popularly known as okada riders.
In a strategic move to revitalize Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, the Federal Government has unveiled two key fiscal incentives aimed at attracting investment and enhancing energy security.
The announcement was made by Mr. Wale Edun, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy on Wednesday.
The first initiative, the Value Added Tax (VAT) Modification Order 2024, introduces critical exemptions for essential energy products and infrastructure, including Diesel, Feed Gas, Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), Electric Vehicles, Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) infrastructure, and Clean Cooking Equipment.
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These exemptions are designed to reduce living costs for Nigerians, promote energy security, and accelerate the transition to cleaner energy alternatives.
The second initiative, the Notice of Tax Incentives for Deep Offshore Oil & Gas Production, offers new tax relief options for deep offshore exploration projects.
This measure aims to position Nigeria’s deep offshore basin as a premier destination for international oil and gas investments, boosting the country’s appeal to foreign investors.
These reforms are part of a broader set of policy initiatives, known as Policy Directives 40-42, endorsed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The directives reflect the administration’s commitment to fostering sustainable development in the energy sector and enhancing Nigeria’s competitive edge in the global oil and gas market.
By Yemie Adeoye
NIGERIA’s President Bola Tinubu has announced that the protracted ExxonMobil-Seplat upstream oil divestment will be formally approved by the Minister of petroleum within a matter of days, just as he announced his government’s intention to expand the Compress natural Gas, CNG buses initiative.
The President who stated this during his Independence day nationwide broadcast stated that the move is in line with his administration’s commitment to free enterprise, free entry and free exit in investments which is the hallmark of his administration investment policy.
“Fellow compatriots, our administration is committed to free enterprise, free entry, and free exit in investments while maintaining the sanctity and efficacy of our regulatory processes. This principle guides the divestment transactions in our upstream petroleum sector, where we are committed to changing the fortune positively. As such, the ExxonMobil Seplat divestment will receive ministerial approval in a matter of days, having been concluded by the regulator, NUPRC, in line with the Petroleum Industry Act, PIA. This was done in the same manner as other qualified divestments approved in the sector.”
The President also seized the opportunity to plead with Nigerians to be patient with his administration’s reform policies. “As your President, I assure you that we are committed to finding sustainable solutions to alleviate the suffering of our citizens. Once again, I plead for your patience as the reforms we are implementing show positive signs, and we are beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel”.
“Our energy transition programme is on course. We are expanding the adoption of the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas for mass transit with private sector players. The Federal Government is ready to assist the thirty-six States and FCT in acquiring CNG buses for cheaper public transportation.
Fellow Nigerians, while we are working to stabilise the economy and secure the country, we also seek to foster national unity and build social harmony and cohesion. Our economy can only thrive when there is peace”. he enthused.
As part of the administration’s push to improve Ease of Doing Business (EoDB), Nigeria’s Vice President Kashim Shettima has expressed support for ExxonMobil’s plan to invest $10 billion in the country’s deep-water oil sector.
Speaking on Wednesday, September 25, 2024, during a meeting with ExxonMobil executives at the 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, Shettima called the investment “a clear testament to the administration’s economic reforms and investor-friendly policies.”
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This announcement follows news that international maritime company DP World intends to develop a multibillion-dollar port project in Nigeria.
Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, shared the development in a statement on Wednesday. He quoted Shettima as saying: “ExxonMobil’s potential investment aligns with the vision of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration for a more investment-friendly Nigeria.
We are committed to fostering an environment that supports such transformative projects.”Shettima also discussed the administration’s broader efforts to improve the ease of doing business, highlighting the “Renewed Hope Agenda,” which aims to simplify bureaucratic processes, enhance transparency, and offer fiscal incentives to attract global investors.
“Our administration has taken bold steps to unify the exchange rate, remove fuel subsidies, and implement tax reforms. These measures, though challenging in the short term, are intended to create a stable and predictable business environment in the long term,” he added.
On the oil and gas sector, Shettima mentioned that the government is revising the fiscal framework for deep-water operations to attract investment while ensuring fair returns for the Nigerian people.
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