The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, in company with senior officials of Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) on Tuesday undertook a tour of facilities at Brightwaters Energy Limited, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The tour to the company’s facilities at Choba, Port Harcourt, and Emohua in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State was a follow up to the NCDMB boss’s earlier visit to the company and some pipe coating facilities in May 2024. At that visit he pledged the Board’s support for local service companies, giving them opportunities in the oil and gas industry and creating jobs in the economy.

The latest visit was to assess Brightwaters Energy’s upgrade of its technical capabilities, which would position them for upcoming industry projects.

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Speaking ahead at the visit, Engr. Ogbe conveyed the Board’s determination to ensure that capabilities of local oil and gas service companies are known and adequately utilised by operating companies in the industry to boost local content and provide employment, in line with the economic aspirations of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.

He recalled that Brightwaters had performed well in the execution of projects in the exploration and production segment of the industry over the years with a clientele that included SPDC and Chevron Nigeria Limited, among other major oil and gas operators.

He was convinced that the company has the capacity required for key scopes in upcoming industry projects.

He charged operating oil and gas companies to always support qualified service companies, while ensuring that the best quality service is delivered at all times and on schedule.

In opening remarks at the event, the Community and Corporate Affairs Manager of Brightwaters, Solomon Aluge, confirmed that the firm had been engaging the team from SPDC and was equipped to carry out heavy or light fabrication works.

He indicated that Brightwaters has carried out many onshore and offshore pipeline engineering and installation works for various clients.

Elaborating on the scope of operations of his company in the oil and gas sector, he pointed out that Brightwaters is “mobilizing for Chevron and Tulcan pipeline works” at the moment.

Earlier in welcome remarks, the Chief Executive Officer of Brightwaters, Scott Gregory, expressed happiness at the presence of the Executive Secretary, Engr. Ogbe, and the representatives of SPDC at the meeting, assuring all that the company has enormous capabilities for services in the oil and gas industry.

He provided technical details of a number of projects executed by the company offshore and onshore in its many years of operation in Nigeria, noting that some of the upcoming field projects were well within the company’s competencies.

Among key facilities visited in the tour were a blast furnace, where the process of smelting was demonstrated with hot compressed air being blasted into a furnace from below, and a multipurpose offshore construction vessel known as Sea Horizon Derrick Lay Barge, with a heavy-lift capacity of 1,320 tons.

Marine construction activities performed by the vessel, according to the company, include “installation of rigid and flexible pipelines, risers and umbilicals [flexible hoses that connect surface equipment to subsea equipment].”

In his comments after the facility tour, the General Manager Local Content Shell, Lanre Olawuyi conveyed the company’s good impressions with the facilities and capabilities of Brightwaters Energy.

He affirmed that the technical teams would review their reports and take decisions how to engage the company in some of their upcoming projects. He expressed delight that the company had upgraded its facilities since the last visit in May 2024, and expressed hope that facility would attract more patronage from the oil industry so it would bounce back to its former glory.

On the entourage of the Executive Secretary were the Director, Project Certification and Authorisation Division (PCAD), Engr. Abayomi Bamidele, Deputy Manager, Corporate Communications and Zonal Coordination, Dr. Obinna Ezeobi, a technical staff in the Executive Secretary’s office, Ilu Ozekhome.

The Enugu State Electricity Regulatory Commission (EERC) has prohibited the sale of meters and other connection materials to members of the public by service providers within its jurisdiction.

This was contained in a public service announcement on its socials where it cited relevant portions of “the Enugu State Electricity Law 2023 and other extant rules”.

The Management of the EERC reminded stakeholders that the laws stipulate thus, “2. The Service Provider shall be responsible for the provision of connection materials in accordance with its standards and also responsible for the connection from the available supply to the customer’s metering point.”

The announcement reads, “It has come to the attention of the Enugu State Electricity Regulatory Commission that some members of the public in Enugu State are being requested to pay for materials and other accessories needed for the connection of electricity and installation of meters in their premises by the meter installers and service providers.

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“Pursuant to section 35 of the Enugu State Electricity Law 2023 and other extant rules, this is to inform the public of the following provisions under regulations 10 and 11 of the Customer Service Standards and Protection Regulations 2024 of the Commission:

“Section 10:
“1. The materials required to effect connections including meters and accessories from the nearest voltage network for each connection design stipulated under these Regulations shall be the responsibility of the Service Provider.

“2. The size and quality of the connection materials required to effect connection are dependent on the connection design and the distance of the customer’s premises to the nearest available electricity supply point.

“Section 11:
“1. All connections shall be in compliance with the procedures stipulated in these Regulations.

“2. The Service Provider shall be responsible for the provision of connection materials in accordance with its standards and also responsible for the connection from the available supply to the customer’s metering point.

“Sequel to the provisions above, Customers of Mainpower Electricity Distribution Company Limited are hereby notified that they are not required to provide materials (e.g. wires, circuit breakers, ladders) or pay money for meter installation.

“Please do not hesitate to contact the Commission via email at info@eerc.en.gov.ng or call 09122642755 if any Mainpower’s meter installer(s) or agent(s) demand for money or materials to install meter(s) for the Commission’s information and necessary action.”

Amid a slight increase in gas production, Nigeria’s oil output experienced a substantial rise in November 2024.

Gas production saw a 2.9% month-on-month (MoM) increase, reaching 2,292,951 million standard cubic feet (MSCF) from 2,292,471 MSCF in October.

However, on a year-on-year (YoY) basis, the growth was minimal, with a mere 0.02% increase in output for the first 11 months of 2024, compared to the same period in 2023.

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The latest gas report from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) also revealed a 1.6% increase in domestic gas consumption.

A total of 606,658 MSCF was consumed locally, compared to 596,861 MSCF during the same period in 2023. Gas exports, meanwhile, rose by 6.9%, reaching 829,156 MSCF, up from 775,547 MSCF in the corresponding period of 2023.

This growth in exports continues to play a vital role in bolstering Nigeria’s foreign exchange earnings.

Despite these positive figures, sources close to the Ministry of Petroleum Resources (Gas) noted that oil remains the dominant force in Nigeria’s energy sector, with gas taking a secondary role.

On the other hand, the NUPRC’s oil production report revealed a remarkable surge.

Nigeria’s oil output, including condensates, rose by 13.3% year-on-year in November 2024, reaching 1.7 million barrels per day (bpd), up from 1.5 million bpd in November 2023. Month-on-month, oil production also increased by 10%, from 1.5 million bpd in October 2024.

Dr. Muda Yusuf, CEO of the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprises (CPPE), discussed the broader structural dynamics within Nigeria’s economy, highlighting the dominance of the non-oil sector.

In his 2025 Outlook, Dr. Yusuf noted that the non-oil sector contributed 94.43% to Nigeria’s GDP in Q3 2024, while the oil sector accounted for just 5.57%.

“However, the economy is characterized by a paradox of the oil sector contributing an estimated 90% of foreign exchange earnings, while the non-oil sector accounts for about 10%,” Dr. Yusuf said.

“This is a structural shortcoming in our economy which needs to be addressed, as sectors that contribute hugely to GDP have no corresponding contribution to foreign exchange earnings.”

He further emphasized the need to address the challenges faced by the non-oil sector, which include issues related to productivity, infrastructure, funding, and regulatory constraints.

“The policy implication is that more should be done to fix the challenges of productivity and competitiveness of the non-oil sector of the economy,” Dr. Yusuf added