The Nation Newspaper

Category: Energy

  • ‘WAGPCo, now a success story’

    West African Gas Pipeline Company (WAGPCo), a gas transportation firm, has started recording success after initial challenges. The General Manager, Corporate Affairs Department, Mrs Harriet Wereko-Brobby, spoke with EMEKA UGWUANYI

    What is the journey so far with WAGPCo?

    Honestly speaking, things have developed since the last time we met. Things have developed for us at West African Gas Pipeline Company Limited, and those that have followed our history from the time we started, will realise that we have had challenges with gas supply, pipeline breaches here and there. Now, we can say things have greatly improved for us. We started off with one shipper, N-Gas Limited, a company owned by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Shell and Chevron and now we have registered other shippers on the pipeline.

    Currently we have about five shippers registered with us on the pipeline and recently we signed an agreement with one of them, Axxela Limited.  This is a wonderful progress report. The agreement will ensure that very soon they will also flow gas through the pipeline. So, that is something that has happened. Our operation team has also been able to make some modifications in our stations. Before, we were restricted on the amount of gas we can release, so anytime that pressure is low we were disadvantaged because gas couldn’t flow. So they made some modifications and because of it we can flow any amount of gas that is nominated.  So, that has helped us a lot.

    We have also expanded the Tema station; you know Ghana is our largest off taker and Ghana has discovered oil and gas in the Takoradi area. So, they have also decided to use their gas in the Takoradi area. The initial concept was that Takoradi will be the main offtake point. So, the off taker in Ghana decided to take off gas from Tema. So, they even funded the Tema station. Right now that station has been expanded, it can even take more than we were giving Takoradi. So, right now, we are in a good position.

    What about the legacy debt of $160million owed N-Gas?

    Last time we talked about legacy debt, we mentioned that Volta River Authority (VRA), the off taker owed for gas supplied, now that has improved greatly, about more than 50 per cent of the debt has been paid.  And there is no accumulation of debt anymore. Right now, the off taker is paying for the gas it consumes.  So, for the legacy debt, they have started paying off.  They informed us that they were going to pay off the balance by this month, but it doesn’t look like that will happen this year. We are hoping that they will go ahead and settle the rest of the debt, sometime next year, probably first quarter in 2019. But, in the meantime the off taker is paying for all the gas it is consuming. So, we are making money through the delivery of gas right now, and because of that we have been able to honour our obligations to our stakeholders. Because of our past challenges we have not been paying our shareholders, but this year, we have made quarterly payments that we are supposed to make.

    So, things have improved greatly in our company. Apart from that, Ghana decided that it will move their gas from the west to the east for it to be used in the Tema area, so they are connecting into the West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP) in the west, so that Ghana’s gas from the west can also flow through the pipeline to off takers in the East of Ghana. In brief, this is what we have achieved this year and to be candid, our shareholders and board have been excited at the level of progress we have made so far this year. It all started last year, but a lot of work was accomplished this year.

    We are hoping that when we publish our corporate social responsibility efforts, we will be able to talk of our achievement in other areas. It is important to note that the flow of gas in other sub-region has not affected or has an adverse impact on the need for gas in Nigeria. It is a concern because the sub-region includes Nigeria. So, when you are talking about natural gas for generation of power, we need to think of the countries in the sub-region, which includes Nigeria.

    What is the level of agreement, which WAGPCO signed with Axxela limited?

    It is expedient to mention that Axxela is just a shipper like N-Gas is a shipper, so they have their sources of natural gas supply and they will flow it through the West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP). They have their off takers, different from N-Gas, one of the organisations in Togo, is one of their off takers. Their off taker is taking more now than the CEB is taking now. Axxela is prepared to transport over 15 million standard cubic feet per day (mmscf/d) of natural gas via the West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP) to Lome, Togo while CEB in Togo is prepared to take about five million standard cubic feet per day of natural gas.  That is something positive, we are hoping that after signing the agreement, they will start transporting and shipping the gas very soon. Hopefully this will happen in 2019.

    Do you consider Ghana’s gas a threat to WAGPCo?

    You know, we have challenges, it is not only Ghana; the requirement of gas for Nigeria was also a threat. So, the important thing is to be proactive and try to make the company relevant and that is why we have the western interconnection for example. We have our intelligence on ground, immediately we had the information that Ghana wants to take gas from the west to the east, they were planning to build a pipeline,  so we went to them and tell them that there is one in place and why try to build another one.

  • Marketers to DPR: locating gas plants in fuel stations dangerous

    The Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers (NALPGAM) has frowned at the locating liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) refilling plants in petroleum retail outlets, saying it is dangerous.

    The marketers also urged the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) to stop giving approvals to such ventures.

    The NALPGAM President, Mr. Nosakhare Ogieva-Okunbor, said addition of skid gas plant in fuel stations is dangerous, and urged the DPR to discontinue the approval of selling LPG, also called cooking gas, in petrol filling stations.

    He said both the LPG and the premium motor spirit (petrol) are highly inflammable and needed to be on separate locations as LPG cylinders are highly hazardous.The NALPGAM chief expressed worry over the increasing number of filling stations selling cooking gas, not minding the hazardous implications.

    Ogieva-Okunbor said the proliferation of fuel and gas-filling stations in the same location across the country has raised safety concerns, considering the less than satisfactory compliance with minimum environmental safety requirements for the operations of those facilities.

    According to him, some filling station owners are in the habit of installing ad-on gas machine later in their fuel stations, but which was not in the original building plans at the onset. “As a matter of urgency, the DPR should commence dismantling of such gas plants in filling stations.

    “Most stations have neglected the rules and regulation. They are now locating gas plant in most stations across that states. Today, we see some people installing gas plants close to  eateries’ kitchen within their stations and this is dangerous while they are discharging gas and selling fuel.

    “We, the NALPGAM members cannot open our eyes and watch for something drastic to happen before we raise alarm,” he said.

    Ogieva-Okunbor, however, called on the Federal and state governments to live up to their responsibilities by checkmating the fuel stations. He also said government should commence immediate demolition of such illegal gas plants within such fuel stations. “The earlier the government and officials act fast, the better for Nigerians.

    “I also use this opportunity to thank the governments of Ogun and Ekiti states for stopping such act and sanitise the industry in their respective states. The states do not allow gas plant in filling station, I also urge other states to follow suit in banning gas in fuel stations.

    “Plant operators must be conversant with all safety needs of the LPG plant operations. Gas plant should stand alone without being attached to filing stations,” Ogieva-Okunbor said.

    He advised the DPR to embark on an operational facility audit of unlicensed gas plants within filling stations to ensure strict compliance to statutory guidelines and standards.

    He said most stations are trying to bastardise government’s free hands to promote and deepen cooking gas utilisation. “But we under NALPGAM, will not allow those who neglect the guidelines and principles to spoil the market,” he said.

    He said Nigeria must move quickly in the direction of greater per capita consumption of gas, noting that many continued to depend on kerosene and firewood for their cooking, despite the attendant negative implications.

    Ogieva-Okunbor said cooking gas remained cleaner and cheaper and therefore, should be the preferred option for fuel users and urged government to fast-track its plans to make millions of homes use cooking gas within two years.

    According to him, there is hardly any doubt that the socio-economic benefits of switching from kerosene, firewood and charcoal to cooking gas are innumerable. “For instance, Nigeria has commercial reserves of natural gas. LPG is also known to be cheaper and cleaner than other domestic fuels,” he said.

  • US may hit 12m bpd by mid-2019

    The United States (US) crude oil production may hit 12 million barrel per day (bpd) by mid-2019, Energy Information Agency (EIA) has said.

    The agency in its November 2018 report said the US remained the largest producer of crude oil globally as it produces 11.6million bpd, which is 800,000 bpd  and 700,000 bpd ahead of Russia and Saudi Arabia.

    In the report entitled: Updates on Crude Movements among Oil Producing Countries, said US would maintain its leadership position for some time in the event that the country is able to sustain its crude oil production.

    “That is a threshold increase from the US low reached a decade ago and a 22.2 per cent rise just this year. The feat makes the US the world largest producer of crude. More US oil will likely come.US is expected to break through 12 million bpd by mid-2019, largely thanks to a surge in shale oil production”

    Oil markets, according to the report, were held back somewhat after the US became the world’s top crude producer as its output hit record levels. Crude oil imports rose as uncertainty around tariffs on US imports and sanctions on Iran eased, the report added.

    The report said production has just risen in the US as well as in countries such as Russia, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Brazil, a development, which suggests a return of oversupply of crude in the market, which depressed oil prices between 2014 and 2017.

  • NNPC may finalise negotiations on repair of refineries by month end

    The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) may conclude negotiations with private operators on the repairs of its four refineries by the end of the month, its Chief Operating Officer for Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Dividends, Mr Isiaka Abdulrazaq, has said. The refineries are Port Harcourt 1&2, Warri and Kaduna.

    He said the NNPC began negotiations with the operators some months ago, adding that the corporation would finalise the deal by the end of the year.

    Speaking on the achievements  of the national oil company during a media forum in Lagos, he said the  rehabilitation of the refineries was vital to the Federal Government, as it is one of its strategies to end fuel import.

    Isiaka said: “We, at the NNPC, agreed that the best way to stop  the shortage of petroleum products, caused by near collapse of the government’s refineries, was to allow a private sector to come in and finance the repairs of the refineries and get paid for the services. As part of the negotiation, the NNPC has agreed to pay the operators from the proceeds of the refineries.

    ‘’The negotiations are on-going, probably they would be finalised before the end of this year’’.

    He said the NNPC had brought in some firms, which specialise in the production of petroleum products and negotiated with them on how to fix the refineries.

    According to him, the negotiations did not achieve their objectives, as the refineries remain in comatose.

    He said the inability of the NNPC to achieve its desired objectives of returning the refineries to optimal capacity through negotiations with some refining companies informed the decision of the NNPC  to negotiate with private sector operators on the issue.

    Isiaka debunked the claims that NNPC is selling the refineries to private operators, stressing that the issue of sharing the proceeds of the refineries would be not based on the number of shares each stakeholder has.

    “Now, the issue of fixing the refineries is not based on equity holdings.What the NNPC is saying is that  a competent private-driven operator should be hired to repair the refineries and get paid instantly. The NNPC needs to get private sector operators and work with them all the time,” he added.

    On the National Assembly, Isiaka said the Senate, in line with the constitution, performs oversight functions on some matters, especially the legality of spending public funds by the government agencies, and whether an agency has followed due process or not.

    The NNPC, he said, is transparent in its spending. Successive administrations have spent huge funds on the Turnaround Maintenance (TAM), a scheme introduced by the government to fix the refineries.

    The checks conducted by the NNPC on the refineries to gauge their performance, however, revealed that they were operating between 30 and 60 per cent capacity, suggesting that they were far from recording optimal performance.

  • NNPC may finalise negotiations on repair of refineries by month end

    The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) may conclude negotiations with private operators on the repairs of the four refineries by the end of this month, its Chief Operating Officer for Liquefied Natural Gas(LNG) Dividends, Mr Isiaka Abdulrazaq, has said.

    The refineries are Port Harcourt 1&2, Warri and Kaduna.

    He said NNPC began negotiations with the operators some months ago, adding that the corporation would finalise the deal by the end of the year.

    Speaking on the achievements  of the national oil company during a media forum in Lagos, he said the  rehabilitation of the refineries was vital to the Federal Government, as it is one of its strategies to end fuel import.

    Isiaka said: “We, at (NNPC), agreed that the best way to stop  the shortage of petroleum products caused by near collapse of the government’s refineries was to allow a private sector to come in and finance the repairs of the refineries and get paid for the services. As part of the negotiation, NNPC has agreed to pay the operators from the proceeds of the refineries.

    ‘’The negotiations are on-going, probably they would be finalised before the end of this year.

    He said NNPC had brought in some companies, which specialise in the production of petroleum products and negotiated with them on how to fix the refineries.

    According to him, the negotiations did not achieve their objectives, as the refineries remain in comatose.

    He said the inability of the NNPC to achieve its desired objectives of returning the refineries to optimal capacity through negotiations with some refining companies informed the decision of the NNPC  to negotiate with private sector operators on the issue.

    Isiaka debunked the claims that NNPC is selling the refineries to private operators, stressing that the issue of sharing the proceeds of the refineries would be not based on the number of shares each stakeholder is owing.

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    “Now, the issue of fixing the refineries is not based on equity holdings.What NNPC is saying is that a competent private-driven operator should be hired to repair the refineries and get paid instantly. NNPC needs to get a private sector operator and also works with them all the time,” he added.

    On the National Assembly, Isiaka said the Senate, in line with the constitution, performs oversight functions on some matters, especially the legality of spending public funds by government agencies, and whether an agency has followed due process or not.

    NNPC, he said, is transparent in its spending.

    Successive administrations have spent huge funds on the Turnaround Maintenance(TAM), a scheme introduced by the government fix the refineries.

    The checks conducted by the NNPC on the refineries to gauge their performance, however, revealed that they were operating between 30 and 60 per cent capacity, suggesting that they were far from recording optimal performance.

  • Nigeria’s crude production to drop by 43,775 barrels next year

    Nigeria’s crude oil production would drop to 43,775 barrels per day, following the decision by the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to cut Nigeria’s production to 800,000 barrels at its meeting in Vienna, last Friday.

    Other OPEC members  expected to cut their production volumes as follows: Algeria with October production level at about 1.07 mbpd (26,750 barrels); Angola, 1.457mbpd (36.43 barrels); Congo, 324,000bpd (8,100 barrels), Ecuador, 525,000 (13,125 barrels); Equatorial Guinea, 131,000 bpd (3,275 barrels); Gabon 186,000 bpd (4,650 barrels) and Iran, 3.296 mbpd (82,400 barrels).

    Iraq, which produced 4.653 mbpd in October will cut about 116,325 barrels; Kuwait 2,.764mbpd (69,100 barrels); Libya, 1.114 mbpd (27,850 barrels); Saudi Arabia 10.642mbpd (266,050 barrels); United Arab Emirate 3.160 mbpd (81,750 barrels) and Venezuela 1.171 mbpd (29,275 barrels).

    But, a communique at the end of the 175th meeting of the 15-member oil group in Vienna, Austria on Friday said the cut was subject to a review in April 2019.

    In the communique, OPEC said the latest cut, which would help stabilise and strengthen crude oil prices at the international oil market, would be based on members’ October oil production levels.

    Nigeria has consistently been producing below the 2.3 million barrels daily benchmark in the approved budgets, since 2016.

    The latest cut will further reduce the output level by 43,775 barrels, in line with Friday’s resolution.

    OPEC’s secretariat production data of member countries contained in the latest monthly oil market report published on Friday showed Nigeria’s daily oil production has maintained a low profile for years.

    After Niger Delta militants attacked oil facilities in 2015, cutting the country’s oil production by almost 50 per cent, the capacity has crawled slowly from an average of 1.6 million barrels in 2016 to about 1.7 million barrels in 2017 and 2018.

    In September, OPEC’s secretariat secondary sources put Nigeria’s daily production capacity at about 1.768 million barrels, before dropping by about 17,000 barrels to 1.751 million barrels in October.

    But, direct communication sources, according to the group’s monthly report, gave the figure as 1.634 million barrels in September, up by about 138,000 barrels to about 1.772 million barrels in October.

    Based on Friday’s resolution, which said OPEC’s latest output cut by 2.5 per cent would be based on October production levels, Nigeria’s production is expected to drop by a minimum of 43,775 barrels to about 1.71 million barrels per day, effective January 2019.

    Nigeria’s representative in OPEC, Mele Kyari, told PREMIUM TIMES on Saturday there was no reason for Nigerians to worry over the impact of the cut on the country’s oil output projections.

    “The OPEC decision to cut the output of members affects only Nigeria’s regular oil production, and not condensate,” Mr Kyari, who is also the general manager, Crude Oil Marketing Division of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), said.

    Condensates are gas hydrocarbons, often classified as ultra-light oil, extracted in liquid form during the oil drilling process.

    Although the exact volume of condensates Nigeria produces remains unknown, NNPC data seen by the Nation  revealed it could be as high as 500,000 barrels per day.

    The data showed the volume was as high as 511,000 barrels per day in 2011, before dropping to about 398,000 barrels in 2017.

    Prior to the crucial meeting in Vienna, which later saw members reach a consensus on the latest cut, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu, told Bloomberg how ”very difficult” it would be for Nigeria to cut its current daily production capacity.

    The minister, however, noted that since it was the consensus by the group to act, to stabilise the market and boost prices, it was important for all members to be seen to be contributing something.

    Nigeria got three exemptions from previous output cuts between January 2017 and July 2018, which allowed OPEC bring production and supply to a balance.

    OPEC’s decision to cut members output followed reviews of various reports, including those of its Secretary-General, the Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee (JMMC), the Joint Technical Committee (JTC), the OPEC Secretariat, and the Economic Commission Board.

  • Stakeholders warn against strike

    The decision by the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) to shut depots is not the solutiion to the problems of the industry, Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN)  Vice Chairman,  Southwest, Mr Debo Adesina and the former country’s President, International Association of Energy Economist,(IAEE) Prof Adeola Akinnisiju, have said.

    According to them, the country has experienced the worst industrial action in the sector and that any issue that would further plung the country into crises may not get the support of the stakeholders.

    Adesina said the operators in the downstream sub-sector had waited for their subsidy arrears and were happy that their needs were being attended to by the Federal Government.

    He said stakeholders, especially major and independent marketers, were indisposed to the DAPPMAN’s decision.

    He said IPMAN and the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria(MOMAN) get fuel from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation’s (NNPC) 20 depots, adding that the issue would not affect them much.

    Debo said: “ Marketers that operate  under the platform of IPMAN and MOMAN are controlling the supply of fuel in the country and as long as they do not participate in any strike, the country would not witness serious industry crises.’’

    He said unity among stakeholders was key to any industrial action, adding that where there is inter and intra crises among the associations, no industrial action would succeed.

    Also, Akinnisiju said the industry is facing many problems, stressing that the industry has serious issues to attend to than a crises that is fostered by a single entity.

    “ At present, the prices of crude oil in the global industry are falling. This is where Nigeria earns 70 per cent of its revenue and, ideally, the government would be interested in seeing how the issue is addressed; rather than closing down the depots,” he said.

    He said the payment of subsidy arrears, which marketers were fighting for, would be addressed soon, adding that the government had taken steps to address the issue.

    He said the issue of closing down the depots cannot solve the problems facing the country, as it would rather compound the situations in the industry.

  • Axxela, WAPCo sign gas pact

    Axxela Limited, sub-Saharan Africa’s gas & power portfolio company, has signed a gas transportation agreement (GTA) with the West African Gas Pipeline Company Limited (WAPCo) to ferry over 15 million standard cubic feet per day (mmscf/d) of natural gas via the West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP) to Lome, Togo.

    During the signing  held in Accra, Ghana, Axxela’s Chief Executive Officer, Bolaji Osunsaya, said: “The partnership between Axxela, WAPCo, and the West African Gas Pipeline Authority (WAGPA) portends major benefits for the West African gas markets. The flow of new molecules beyond the existing foundation contracts will diversify gas supply sources into the WAGP and is a testament to Axxela’s proactive mid-term growth plan propelled by our collective professionalism, strategic partnerships, and drive to achieve excellence across our business enterprise. Undoubtedly, we remain firmly committed to the positioning of gas as a catalyst for socio-economic empowerment across the region’s key markets.”

    WAPCo Managing Director Walter Perez said: “With public and private players increasingly working together to propel the gas advantage, our partnership with Axxela speaks to our overarching strategy for increased regional supply and participation. WAPCo is continuously driven to spur regional gas integration, and we are highly delighted to welcome Axxela on board the WAGP, and look forward to a fruitful and industry-defining collaboration.”

    Axxela is also developing a Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU) in West Africa’s main commercial hub, Lagos, with the capacity to serve Nigeria and the region.

    The concept will see the injection of gas via a regasification terminal at a strategic location along the city’s coastline, with gas supplied via LNG shuttle vessels. The virtual pipeline solution will also enable uninterrupted gas supplies and enhance gas utilisation across key industrial clusters.

  • Shell is Local Content Operator of the year

    The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) has emerged the Local Content Operator of the Year at the Annual Oil Industry Achievement Awards organised by the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN).

    PETAN is  an association of indigenous technical oilfield service firms in the upstream and downstream sectors.

    This is the third time that Shell Companies in Nigeria have won the  award, having clinched it in 2013 and 2015.

    Shell’s General Manager, Contracting and Procurement, Antony Ellis, also bagged the PETAN Chairman Outstanding Achievement Recognition Award for promoting Nigerian oil service firms. Both awards were given after an evaluation of the contributions of the international and national oil firms, to local content development.

    “The awards are in recognition of Shell’s sustained effort in shaping direction of local content implementation in Nigeria through support for local asset ownership, growth of indigenous companies and human capacity development at all levels,”  PETAN Chairman, Mazi Bank-Anthony Okoroafor, said at the awards  dinner held in Port Harcourt.

    Nigeria Content Development and Monitoring Board Executive Secretary Simbi Wabote presented the  award to SPDC’s General Manager External Relations, Igo Weli, who represented the oil giant’s Managing Director, Osagie Okunbor.

    In his response, Weli said: “We are motivated by these gestures to continue to pursue in-country value addition in the oil and gas sector in alignment with the government’s aspiration in local capacity development.”

    The awards are the latest in the recognition of Shell’s pioneering role in content development. In 2016, PETAN honoured SPDC with the Distinguished Achievement Award (Corporate); Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo) Managing Director Bayo Ojulari received PETAN’s Professional Award in the same year for his contributions to the development of local content in the oil and gas sector.

  • WAPCo spends N400m on youth enterprise scheme

    West African Gas Pipeline Company (WAGPCo) has invested over N400 million in community youth enterprises scheme (CYES) in its host communities to boost capacity development.

    WAGPCo’s General Manager, Corporate Affairs Mrs Harriet Wereko-Brobby, disclosed at the handing over of start-up tools to beneficiaries in Lagos.

    The programme was tagged, ‘Community Youth Enterprises Scheme (CYES).’

    Wereko-Brobby said the CYES initiative was introduced five years ago to support and empower brilliant young needy Nigerians to obtain tertiary education and vocational technical training.

    According to her, the programme was considered as an opportunity to impact many people within our host communities, which consists of a scholarship programme for students during their stay in any tertiary institutions.

    “Under the CYES scheme, WAGPCo has also trained 80 young Nigerians on vocational technical training and empowered them with tools to start up their business.

    “We have make-up tools boxes, gas cookers and gas cylinders, industrial tailoring sewing machines and iron, electrical tool box and welding machines to those students who have successfully graduated from the two-years training technical school,” she said.

    Mrs Wereko-Brobby said they decided to equip the graduates to enable them set up their own businesses. She said the scheme provides youths, who had completed basic education, but could not pursue further studies due to financial constraints, the opportunity to learn a trade of their choice in recognised vocational and technological institutions.

    “The beneficiaries have been trained in vocations such as welding and fabrication, fashion and design, catering and hotel management, woodwork and carpentry.

    “WAGPCo has spent over N225 million on scholarship scheme over the last six year. While over N167 million has also been spent on CYES programme, which does not include the cost of the start-up tools we gave to them today,’’ Wereko-Brobby said.

    She appealed to the beneficiaries to use the tools judiciously.

    The Olota of Ota land, Oba Abudul-Kabir Lanlede, lauded WAGPCo for its support to its host communities.

    The monarch urged the company to ensure the effective monitoring and mentorship of the beneficiaries and students under tertiary education scholarship.

    He urged the student to make use of the best opportunity given to them, adding: “You should be able to feed yourselves and your family with the economic empowerment given to you. This kind of opportunity comes rarely in one’s life time, so you should make use of it judiciously.”

    One of the instructors, Mrs Alice Okoka, lauded WAGPCo’s contributions to the students’ empowerment, adding that the students were qualified to start their businesses.

    According to her, the 80 students were given N10,000 monthly during the two-year internship.

    “The company also rented apartment for some of them who live far from the training school. Today, I am bold to tell you that the students are equal to the task,” she said.

    Ota Arobieye, Okomi, Egushi, Ijoko, Itoki, Owode, Igberen, and Ojigbo youths benefited from the programme.