Business
Winners emerge in NCDMB National Essay Competition, as Board harps on in-country value addition
Modupe Asudo
Winners of the 7th Nigerian Content Annual National Undergraduate Essay Competition, 2023, were unveiled on Wednesday at the Lady Daima Memorial Event Center, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State at a well-attended ceremony. It was the Grand Finale of the competition, with the top 10 finalists awarded prizes.
Overall best was Miss Iruoma Favour Lazarus, a 200-level student of the Faculty of Law, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. She received a cheque for one million naira (N1,000,000.00) and an HP laptop. The second prize went to Miss Lucy Agbalu, a 100-level student of Microbiology at the University of Calabar, who had a cheque for seven hundred thousand naira and an HP laptop, while the third prize was won by Akinduyite O. Samuel, who received five hundred thousand naira and a similar laptop.
In an address to the “Award and Prize-giving Ceremony,” the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Engr. Simbi Kesiye Wabote, said the Board seeks to “inculcate local content consciousness among students of our higher institutions,” thereby creating champions of such an endeavour.
He described local content as “an existential necessity for every nation, particularly for developing nations like Nigeria.” That much was evident from the resilience of Nigeria’s oil and gas industry in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020/2021.
The NCDMB boss noted that the topic of the essay competition, which was “Nigerian Content and the Lessons from COVID-19,” was well-conceived “considering how the COVID-19 pandemic devastated our world.” He said at the height of the pandemic, “the movement of persons and goods was disrupted for several months, forcing every nation to rely on their local resources for survival.”
According to him, “The Nigerian oil and gas industry survived that period because of the huge local human and infrastructural capacities we had developed since the enactment of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act in 2010.” Efficient implementation of the Act, he pointed out, “ensured that Nigeria’s oil production continued without interruption, even when all the expatriates had left the country.”
Engr. Wabote, who was represented by the Manager, Corporate Corporations, Barr. Esueme Dan Kikile, called on policy-makers at different levels of government and in the private sector to take deliberate steps “to develop resilient and sufficient human and infrastructural capacities in key sectors of our national fabric, which can withstand any external shocks in future.”
While commending winners of the essay contest and the consultants, Mahogany Century Concepts Limited, he said the Board has sustained the competition for seven years because of the huge importance it attaches to it, and that the intention is to challenge students in tertiary institutions to sharpen their writing skills and engage youths in productive activities.
The annual essay competition is one of several initiatives of the NCDMB designed to benefit the youth segment of the Nigerian population. Others include the ‘Integrated Institutional Strengthening and Upgrade,” under which the Board has undertaken and completed massive renovation of technical workshops and installation of world-class facilities in institutions like Government Technical College, Amoli in Enugu State, Government Technical College, Abak in Akwa Ibom State, Government Technical College, Port Harcourt, and the University of Ibadan Vocational School.
The Chairman of the occasion, Professor Allen A. Agih, in his opening speech, commended the NCDMB for its remarkable contributions to capacity building in the country. He corroborated the point made by the Executive Secretary on how the resiliency of the oil and gas industry withstood the pandemic, stating, “Nigerians did not run to foreign countries when COVID-19 struck.” He was represented by Mr. Fibainonine G. Paulley.
Chief Executive Officer of Mahogany, Mr. Eyinimi Omorozi, thanked the Executive Secretary and Management of the NCDMB for the sponsorship of the essay competition and contribution to national development.
First prize winner of the 7th Nigerian Content Annual National Undergraduate Essay Competition, 2023, Miss Iruoma Favour Lazarus and the second prize winner, Miss Lucy Agbalu, at the grand finale held on Wednesday at the Lady Daima Memorial Event Center, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
The national oil company of the Republic of Congo, the Société Nationale des Pétroles du Congo (SNPC) and Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals (DPRP) are discussing a strategic partnership aimed at strengthening the Republic of the Congo’s supply of refined petroleum products.
The parties also have on the agenda, advancing regional energy cooperation and industrial integration across Africa, Biztellers can report.
SNPC Managing Director, Maixent Raoul Ominga, who led a delegation from his country on a visit to the DPRP, described the facility as a strategic asset for Africa and expressed the national oil company’s interest in developing a long-term partnership with Dangote.
“We have visited this remarkable refinery, which represents a major industrial achievement for Africa. The Republic of the Congo has refining capacity and we are keen to explore strategic cooperation that will help strengthen the supply of refined petroleum products while creating value for both organisations,” Ominga said.
ALSO READ: PETROAN Calls for Dialogue over Fuel Prices
Discussions between both organisations, he said, focused on opportunities for collaboration in refining, petroleum products supply, energy security, industrial development, and knowledge sharing.
He praised the Dangote Group for demonstrating that Africa can successfully finance, build and operate world class industrial infrastructure, describing the refinery as an important milestone in the continent’s industrial transformation.
Ominga also commended the Group’s investments in the Republic of the Congo, particularly in the cement sector, noting that they have strengthened local industrial capacity, expanded production and improved access to construction materials.
On his part, President and Chief Executive of Dangote Industries Limited (DIL), Aliko Dangote, reaffirmed the Group’s commitment to Africa’s industrialisation through value addition, regional partnerships and investment across the continent.
“We are for Africa, not just Nigeria. Tell us what you need, and we will see how we can work together,” Dangote said.
He noted that the refinery has established a new benchmark for fuel quality in Africa by producing petroleum products that meet the highest international specifications, while improving access to cleaner fuels and reducing the continent’s dependence on imported refined products.
In the same vein, the Vice President, Oil and Gas, DIL, Devakumar Edwin, outlined the Group’s long term expansion strategy, which will increase its total refining capacity to 2.1 million barrels per day, comprising 1.4 million barrels per day in Nigeria and a planned 700,000 barrels per day refining complex in Kenya to serve East African markets.
He also disclosed plans by the Group to invest an additional US$46 billion between 2026 and 2028 across its refining, cement and fertiliser businesses as part of its drive to accelerate industrialisation across Africa.
The engagement underscores the shared commitment of SNPC and the DPRP to deepen African energy cooperation, strengthen regional value chains and promote greater self sufficiency in refined petroleum products as the continent advances towards enhanced energy security and increased intra African trade.
Also present at the meeting were Group Executive Director, Commercial, Oil and Gas, DIL, Fatima Aliko Dangote; Adviser to the President of the Republic of the Congo, Peggy Ndongo and advisers to the SNPC Managing Director, Aymar Ebiou and Norbert Mabiala.
As part of efforts to protect Nigeria’s oil revenues and energy infrastructure, the Nigerian Navy recently recovered approximately 22,870 litres of suspected illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) in Rivers State.
It was gathered that the value of the seized petroleum product is put at about N39 Million.
The seizure, carried out under Operation Delta Sentinel, is part of an ongoing security intervention designed to disrupt illicit petroleum supply chains which the Navy says continue to undermine government earnings and legitimate operators in the oil and gas sector.
According to the Navy, personnel of Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) SOROH acted on intelligence reports and intercepted a wooden boat transporting 36 sacks of suspected illegally refined diesel in the Orashi Forest area of Okolomade Community, Abua/Odual Local Government Area of Rivers State.
In a media statement, Director of Information, Nigerian Navy, Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, revealed that further aerial surveillance and ground searches uncovered an additional 45 sacks of the product concealed under vegetation and inside ponds, bringing the total recovery to 81 sacks containing about 22,870 litres of AGO.
Navy Captain Forunsho stated that the operation highlights the growing use of intelligence and surveillance technology by security agencies to tackle crude oil theft and illegal refining activities, which industry stakeholders say contribute significantly to production losses, environmental degradation and reduced government revenue.
According to him, disrupting the logistics networks supporting illegal refining operations is critical to improving transparency in the petroleum value chain and safeguarding investments in Nigeria’s oil-producing region.
“The recovered products and the wooden boat used for transportation were handled in line with established anti-crude oil theft procedures.
Meanwhile, the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, reaffirmed the commitment of the service to sustain intelligence-driven operations aimed at dismantling criminal networks involved in oil theft and protecting the nation’s strategic economic assets.
Business
Tanzania, Dangote Group Explore Multi-Billion-Dollar Investments in Infrastructure, Energy, Fertiliser
President Samia Suluhu Hassan of Tanzania has held high level talks with President and Chief Executive of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, on a major expansion of the Group’s investments in Tanzania.
Biztellers reports that the discussions focused on transport infrastructure, fertiliser production, power generation, ports and regional trade.
The meeting, held at the State House in Dar es Salaam, reaffirmed the long-standing partnership between Tanzania and the Dangote Group while opening discussions on a new phase of investments aligned with the country’s industrialisation and economic transformation agenda.
Speaking after the meeting, Dangote said Tanzania remains one of Africa’s most attractive investment destinations, noting that the Group had identified several strategic sectors capable of delivering significant economic value.
“We have identified areas that can deliver significant value for Tanzania, and we are ready to work together to develop them for our mutual benefit,” he said.
The discussions covered a broad range of projects, including port development, the construction of a 40-kilometre concrete access road to support port operations, development of a special trade zone, a proposed 2,000-megawatt coal fired power plant, a urea fertiliser plant and transport infrastructure linking Mtwara with Mbamba Bay in southern Tanzania.
Dangote also explained the commercial and technical considerations behind the Group’s decision to locate its planned East African refinery in Lamu, Kenya, while extending an invitation to the Government of Tanzania to participate in the investment.
President Samia welcomed the Dangote Group’s continued confidence in Tanzania and directed relevant ministries and government agencies to commence detailed technical discussions on the proposed investments in line with the country’s legal, policy and development priorities.
She also appointed the Minister of Planning and Investment to coordinate the strategic partnership with Dangote Industries Limited, with both sides expected to begin formal negotiations in the coming days.
A Tanzanian government delegation led by the Minister is expected to visit Nigeria to advance discussions and develop implementation frameworks for the proposed projects.
According to a statement from the Directorate of Presidential Communications, the Government remains committed to strengthening partnerships with the private sector as part of efforts to mobilise productive investment, accelerate industrialisation, promote technology transfer, and create sustainable employment opportunities.
ALSO READ: FG Working with Petrol Marketers, Regulators on Appropriate Fuel Pricing – Oyedele
Dangote Industries already operates one of Tanzania’s largest industrial investments through its US$500 million cement plant in Mtwara, which has an annual production capacity of three million tonnes and supplies both the domestic market and neighbouring countries.
The latest engagement deepens the partnership between Tanzania and the Dangote Group and reinforces the company’s position as one of Africa’s leading private sector investors driving regional industrialisation, infrastructure development, and economic integration.
NNPC Posts N462b PAT for May
DPRP, Congo National Oil Consider Strategic Partnership
PETROAN Calls for Dialogue over Fuel Prices
Marketers Threaten Shutdown over Fuel Pricing Intervention by FG
Navy Intensifies War Against Crimes in Nigeria’s Oil Sector
Tanzania, Dangote Group Explore Multi-Billion-Dollar Investments in Infrastructure, Energy, Fertiliser
Trump’s Family Unveils New Cryptocurrency Platform
Senate Denies Receiving Petitions Against Tinubu’s Ambassadorial Nominees
Dangote Cement Lights Up Benue Host Communities With CSR Initiatives
Reps Recommend 3-year Jail Term For Aviation minister
Tems Sets New Record On Billboard Hot 100 Chart
