Category: Sunday Interview

The Minister of State Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, in this interview with selected journalists, including Bolaji Ogundele, gives a fresh insight into Nigeria’s ambitious gas penetration plan, the planned expansion of  the oil and gas sector, moves  to eliminate petroleum subsidy and make gas the fuel of choice in the country, and other sundry matters. Excerpts:

You declared 2020 as a year of gas for Nigeria, what prospects does this have for Nigeria and how do you plan to achieve it?

I believe that as a country we have not really developed our gas resources optimally. Sometimes, Nigeria is described as more of a gas territory with some oil in it, so we have an abundance of gas. Unfortunately our gas penetration is quite low. The LPG (Liquefied petroleum gas) usage, for example, is one of the lowest in Africa, not in the world. Even Niger Republic has a higher gas penetration than Nigeria. Even Benin Republic has a higher gas penetration than Nigeria. What problems for Nigeria does that pose? De-forestation. It then means that our people use firewood, kerosene and stove to cook more than they use gas. Because they have to use firewood, deforestation is quite high in Nigeria.

So what this administration has decided to do is encourage gas usage, gas penetration. So I described the year 2020 as the year of gas because we are really going to drive the process of gas usage in the country. We are expecting that by the end of 2020, we are going to double gas penetration. We are trying to encourage people to move over to gas instead of firewood and stove and kerosene.

We are going to also encourage drivers of vehicles to use CNG that is compressed natural gas. That will help us in the race toward removal of subsidy. What we are saying is that, today, PMS is a big problem and all of us know that subsidy is unsustainable. Whereas, we all know that we cannot remove it now because it will bring untold hardship on the people. So how do we remove subsidy painlessly? We believe one of the ways to do that is to take the people away from PMS. If we get our people to use gas in their vehicles we will find in the long run, they will prefer gas to PMS. Already, there is a pilot project in Benin and it has succeeded very well because drivers on the programme prefer to use gas. Unit for unit, gas is cheaper than even the subsidized PMS. A litre of gas equivalent is about N95, N97. So it is cheaper. In terms of combustion, gas is more effective and of course for the environment it is better. So whichever way you look at it, gas is much better fuel for cars.

Unfortunately we have not really encouraged its usage for cars. So what we are trying to do, as a government, is to try and encourage the usage for cars and that programme will start soon. Between LPG penetration, that is increase in the use of LPG in Nigeria and increase in the usage of CNG for driving, we believe this year will be very revolutionary. That is why we say this year will be the year of gas.

Still on gas, there is one massive gas project in Delta, the Ogidigben Gas Project, worth about $16 billion. Is that project abandoned?

It is not abandoned at all, I can tell you. Before now, the Ogidigben project was affected by security issues. When they started the project there were some security issues around it and the investors got worried. We must understand, as Nigerians and as Niger Deltans, the saying that the dollar is a coward; it doesn’t like to go where it is threatened. So if you have insecurity in the Niger Delta you will have such problems. But we have started discussing the Ogidigben project again.

If you listened to me while I was in Riyadh last year, the Ogidigben project was at the front burner and it is one project we really want to achieve. I believe between us and the communities, with cooperation from the Niger Delta and peace in the area, Nigeria needs a project like that, because we need to drive activities. There is no major thing about creating jobs in the oil industry, the only way to achieve that is to increase activities in the industry. You can only imagine the number of jobs that will be created if the Ogidigben project starts, a $16 billion project. As a government we are very keen on starting it; we are discussing it but what we are asking is cooperation from the communities and peace in the Niger Delta so that we can focus on creating jobs and development of projects.

With the killing of the Iranian general there is the likelihood that oil price may go up. How prepared is Nigeria for the ripple effects of this?

You see, when you say we benefit from crisis elsewhere, it is a very sad thing. We shouldn’t think that way. We don’t want crisis in the world. What we say in the oil industry is that we don’t want prices of oil too high or too low. We want it at a certain level. OPEC always says we don’t want too high price for oil or too low price for oil. We want the price to remain at a certain point. As at now Nigeria is not complaining because, two days before the incident, oil was already $68 per barrel, well over our bench mark of $60 for the 2020 budget. These issues will affect oil price this way or that way, but Nigeria is hoping that the world remains peaceful and that things continue to remain peaceful. Having said that, we know that tensions like this will lead to oil price increase but if you look at it from the backdrop of what is prevailing now; Iraq has always been a crisis territory. Today in OPEC, Iraq is not given any quota as such because they are not a major producer. Because of their crisis they are not able to produce oil. So if you have more crisis in Iraq, I don’t think it will significantly affect what is happening around the world.

In terms of revenue, what does Nigeria stand to gain from the Deep Offshore Amendment Act that was done recently?

The Deep Offshore Amendment Act I must tell you that we shouldn’t always look at things in black and white. We cannot tell you that the Deep Offshore Amendment Act is going to give us $62 billion. People like to bandy figures around and that is not how it works in the industry. We are all aware that the fiscals offshore need to change. The oil companies also are in agreement that the fiscals have been there for too long. Initially, the Deep Offshore was considered a frontier territory, a territory that has not been tried yet. So, the federal government, at that time ,just said  we’ll  give you this opportunity, go and try and see if you’ll  find oil offshore. If you find oil, recover your cost, you pay zero royalty and then we share so that after a while we start getting benefit. That is what gave birth to the Production Sharing Contract (PSC).

So, they started and we found a lot of oil offshore. The circumstances over the years have changed. Now the territory is no longer a frontier territory, it’s been tested. It is what is called, in the oil industry, a “proven” territory. So if you are giving someone an acreage offshore, he is not just going to try now, there is likelihood that he will find oil. So you cannot give him those generous terms that you gave to the pioneers.

Unfortunately, there was a clause in the law which says when the oil price gets to $20 per barrel; the oil companies should pay Nigeria additional money. But that happened and Nigeria unfortunately did not take advantage of that clause at that time.

Today, as we speak you will all agree with me that $20 is no longer a windfall. At the time that law was made, $20 was considered to be a windfall if the oil prices get to $20. Today, oil cannot get to $20 if it does, then we are all dead. So the times have changed because if you say oil companies should pay anything above $20 per barrel, you are not being fair to them. That is why we have to be really careful about some of these things.

If you are going to calculate, you have to look at when, at what point, did $20 cease to be a windfall. Ten years ago $20 was no longer considered a windfall, maybe 15 years ago. In 2010, I remember oil price was already over $100 per barrel. $20 was not considered a windfall because our production cost, over the years, has also gone up. Today, we are talking about cost per barrel. It’s higher now. Before now, to produce a barrel of oil in some places was about $7. We have one of the cheapest costs per barrel. Today, our oil cost is more to produce because of security and other issues. For now, if a company produces oil at $30 per barrel and considers $20 windfall, then the company is going to pack and go.

So, these are the issues around the Deep Offshore Act. Definitely what we have just done and we need you to understand, is that honestly, the cost needed to change and those terms have changed. But as to how much the country is going to gain from it, it has to be worked out taking a lot of factors into consideration.

So, when people just wake up and bandy figures like $62 billion, I keep saying that look, $62 billion cannot possibly be sitting somewhere that we have not taken. It is part of the production process, it is a partnership. Nigeria and the IOCs are in partnership. Sometimes we have issues with our partners, and sometimes they have issues with us. We will sit down together and resolve those issues. That is what is going on now. You know when you hear these figures, Nigerians like to run with big figures. So, I will not, at this point, tell you that this is how much we are going to gain from the deep offshore amendment Act.

Are you satisfied with the present pipeline security system? If not, do you have plans to review the contract?

Production losses is a big issue for us. It is very sad that a country will invest so much money to produce crude oil that is stolen enroute. The state of the contract, of course, oil companies have different contractors manning their pipelines. But what we are really trying to do, as a ministry, is sanitize that process because we believe that a lot is going on around us. Because, the cost per barrel, for some companies, have become unsustainable and they are crediting this increase in cost to security cost all the time.

So if a company was producing at $20 per barrel and now they say their production cost has moved to $30 due to security risks, we need to look at it very well. How much are you spending? Can you possibly spend all that money on security? Those are the issues we are trying to rejig and ensure that we have some kind of sanity in the pipeline security system.

But, of course, all the ongoing arrangements with the communities will continue, like engaging the communities because, there is no security in the Niger Delta without involving the communities. I believe there must be co-operation between the communities, security agencies, the IOCs and the federal government. That is the coalition that can solve these problems of insecurity and I want to assure you that we are really determined to ensure that we solve this problem of insecurity during this tenure.

When the president was giving his new year’s message, he categorically said that the oil and gas sector would  be reorganized to run like a business with less of government interference. What did he mean by that?

Yes. It is important we begin to run the oil and gas sector as a business. Unfortunately, what is responsible for the breakdown of refineries is also due to the fact that we didn’t run them as a business. We ran them as a government. If a seal starts to leak in Port Harcourt refinery, the approval process to get that seal fixed is a long and tortuous bureaucratic process. So, by the time you go through that whole process and go back to fix that seal, maybe another two have started leaking as well.

You don’t run a refinery like that, you must run it as a business. Unfortunately, we have not run our refineries as a business.

Some states will say bring all the money that we get from oil sale into the federation account and share.

That is not how you run a business. What are you going to invest?

Because, in the oil industry you must invest. You have cash calls. The federal government has to put in some cash as our contribution, the IOCs have to put down some cash before they invest. But some people insist we must share the money. If you run a company like that, you will run it aground. But if you run it as a business, it means this is our business, this is our bread and butter, we cannot allow the oil industry to die. Let us get the profit, let us share the profit and let’s ensure that this money will be reinvested to improve the oil sector. That is what the President meant. We need to be more prudent because if we are not we will kill the cash cow and if the cow is dead, it will no longer give us the milk that we need.

So, we need to ensure that we preserve the oil industry which, for now, is the main stay of the economy. And the only way to do this is to ensure that it is run business like.

Secondly you are talking about creating jobs but Nigeria produces crude, take it out to refine and then import finished products, are we going to see any difference in this loop?

I told you before that in the oil sector, the only way to create jobs is to create activities. Unfortunately for us, activities have been quite low in the oil industry until today.  The last major FID (foreign direct investment) that was taken, was taken like 10 years ago, Egina FPSO. Bonga service was a long time again. What are the new major projects in the oil industry to create jobs? Not many.

It is after a long time that we are taking FID on Train Seven. Train seven alone is going to generate up to 40,000 jobs because with all that investments of course you’ll create a lot of jobs. And if you look at secondary employment, supplies and so on, it will be much more than that figure.

We are moving now to Bonga South West which  is also going to create massive jobs. The rehabilitation of Port Harcourt refinery is going to create a lot of jobs. Zaba Zaba, if we resolve all the legal issues around it, we are also going to create a lot of jobs; the AKK will create a lot of jobs. So, once you are able to create activity in the industry you create a lot of jobs. It is in the industry you create jobs, it is not by magic. And this administration is very determined to create those jobs.

One of the foundations that we have to lay is also to ensure that the physical environment is sanitized and that is the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB). There has been hardly a major investment in the industry for a long time. And why does that happen? It is because a lot of people are not very sure of the fiscal environment, so they don’t want to invest. I don’t want to invest money and then in the middle you pass a new law that says that all my money has gone down the drain. So I want to be sure of the legal framework. If it is not clear nobody will invest.

For the past 20 years, we have been struggling to pass one law as a country, I don’t think any country has struggled that long to pass one law. It’s been like a ping pong and you know the more you haggle about the law, the more uncertainty you are sending to the investment environment. So, the potential investors will say if they can’t pass this law, let me wait, I won’t put my money there.

So, Nigeria has not had any serious investment in the oil sector for a long time. Added to that is the insecurity. So now, your legal framework is not very clear; your country seems to be very insecure according to the stories that we are hearing. How will you come and invest?

So, the problem now is for us to sanitize all these; at least to make sure that the PIB is passed. That way, at least, the legal framework is understood. If we do that people will do their numbers and once they see that it is good they will go and invest.

So, that is what we are going to do this year to ensure that the legal framework work is very clear, so that the investors coming to Nigeria will know what they are coming for. Once we do that we will see that these activities in the industry will begin to create jobs. Plus the new bid rounds, more acreages will be given out. Once we create these activities in the industry, a lot of things will begin to happen. So, we are going to do all these in the industry in addition to what is going to happen in the gas sector. I won’t be surprised if some of you journalists will not be looking out to go and work in the oil industry because there will be a lot of jobs.

There is the allegation that Nigerians don’t really know the actual barrels of oil we produce per day. Is it true and what is the position?

You know all those stories are grandmother’s tales. It is not possible not to know how much crude we are producing. The only thing around is that, yes in a way, what people do not understand is because of the theft. For instance, if I produce so much crude here but I have to transport this crude through pipelines to my tank. So, all the oil I produce here may not arrive at the tank because of theft. So, there are all sorts of discrepancies because, what I produce here is not probably what arrives at the tank. So, people will say the figures are not the same but it really can’t be possible.

Today, if I look at it I will know how many ships are loaded. Nobody can hide it because I can always know the number of tankers that loaded crude. Internationally, everybody knows; it is an international commodity. You cannot take it and go over there and people will not know, it is impossible. Except for those small quantities that are being stolen by oil thieves. But as far as the main producers are concerned, it is not possible for them to produce more than you know. Because, the process is quite transparent and Shell cannot load crude and the Nigerian government will not know. So consider that as a grandmother’s tale.

Foremost Ondo female traditional ruler, Olobun of Ondo Kingdom, Grace Adesida in this interview with Oseheye Okwuofu, laments alleged suppression and a deliberate attempt by the Osemawe of Ondo, Oba Adesimbo Victor Kiladejo Adenrele and other male forces to obliterate her throne. She spoke on the occasion of the annual Odumoko festival.

It was an occasion to illuminate on the past and present, while the people look forward to better days ahead in the New Year. The people – men, women and children, no doubt love their female monarch, Grace Adesida, and this was evident in the crowd of supporters who thronged the palace in celebration of Odumoko festival, as they danced and sang in their dialect.

Odun Aje, one of the over 50 festivals celebrated in Ondo Kingdom, is literally referred to as festival of the goddess of wealth and fertility. It is another impressive female angle to the Ondo traditions, where the leader of women chiefs presides over the affairs of women folks. The festival is usually held on the eve of Odun Moko, a special festival performed around November by the Udoko community, where women are barred from public glare from dawn to dusk on a specific day.

Excited residents of the town converged on the ancient palace, the oldest in Ondo land, to celebrate the annual event. Odumoko is commemorated to bring commerce, good yield, fertility and progress. Prayers are offered to the goddess of commerce (Aje), seeking fortunes, good health, and prosperity.

This year, the people showed their undiluted love and loyalty for their women traditional leader, as they stood stoutly in defense of the Olobun stool, following report of series of attacks and threats on it.

Adesida is a reagent, waiting to be installed as the substantive Olobun, but that must be after the passage of the Osemawe, the male counterpart, according to the tradition of Ondoland. The installation of a substantive Olobun is a requirement for the crowning of Osemawe, since it is only the Olobun who can perform the required traditional rites and subsequent crowning of the new king. So, the women angle of the Ondo traditions and culture remains unique and sacred.

Surprisingly, the rivalry between the Osemawe and the Olobun raises fundamental questions; among which is whether or not the Ondo tradition recognises the existence of a female traditional ruler (women leader). Interestingly, the event of the Odumoko festival showed that female traditional ruler in Ondo is as old as the people of the town. It is evident in the composition of the hierarchy of Ondo traditional system, with both the male and female lines. The male and female lines have their separate chiefs, and subjects as well as their throne and culture and tradition support this fact.

Speaking after offering prayers at the Aje Shrine, the visibly angry female monarch, described as deliberate, attempts to wipe out the age-long Olobun stool by her male counterpart, the Osemawe of Ondoland. For decades, she explained that she has suffered assaults, discrimination and injustice at the hands of the male monarch who, she said has used gender instrument of power to suppress, even threaten her not to make public appearances any more.

She said the matter became compounded following the refusal of the male counterpart to recognise the Olobun traditional stool in the distribution of the statutory monthly allowance for traditional rulers in the state. This, she said is an aberration, arguing that the Osemawe stool was a creation of the Olobun, because without the Olobun there can be no Osemawe.

“It was due to tradition, and the fact that Pupupu was too old to attend public functions, that the female monarch sent ‘him’ to represent her. And that is why the first male king in Ondo is called Aairo, meaning representative of the king. This is so because back then, you could call the name of a king. So, they called him Aairo. And in Ondo tradition, three years after a king is chosen, he must come to this palace (Olobun ) for rituals and crowning as a king. This is where he will receive his crown as king. Even the current Osemawe, this is where he was crowned as king and the tradition remains till today.

“It was the female oba (Pupupu) that brought the crown to Ondoland and that is why it is the female oba alone that can enthrone the male oba. The grave of the first female oba who brought the crown is what you are seeing outside at the Olobun palace. The stool of the female king is so sacred that the female oba cannot step her foot on the floor except it is swept. And this the only place you can find that in Yorubaland,” the female monarch stated.

Narrating her ordeals at the hands of hoodlums, the Olobun said on many occasions, her palace had been attacked and damaged by some faceless people who complained over the insignia in the palace.

She said, “They even told me to demolish this palace . But, they know they were asking for the impossible – because this palace is the first in the whole of Ondoland. What you see in this palace cannot be seen in any other palace in Ondoland. Here is the true custodian of the culture and tradition of the people.”

On the controversy surrounding the seizure of her monthly statutory stipends for traditional rulers, the Olobun reagent explained that in 2009, the Osemawe was dragged to court, challenging the action; but after about three years of legal battle, they pleaded with her to allow the matter be settled out of court to preserve the sanctity of the culture and tradition of the people.

She said the judge also refused the prayers sought by the Osemawe, seeking an order to remove the female palace in Ondo, because that is the first palace in Ondo.

“We are grateful because the court action succeeded in checking the frequent harassment and assault on the palace. At any rate, we are planning to push the matter further to ensure the issue of the stipends is gazetted by the government.”

The National Coordinator of Female Traditional Rulers in Nigeria, Professor Fatai Ayisa Olasupo of the Department of Local Government Studies, Faculty of Administration, Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife and members of his entourage were also in attendance.

Olasupo, who has been relentlessly championing the cause of female traditional rulers in the country, called on the Executive Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) to investigate the incessant harassment and defrauding of female traditional rulers by some male monarchs in different parts of the country, with a view to bringing an end to this injustice.

He described the current situation as a dangerous threat to traditions and culture of the Nigerian people, adding that those who pledged allegiance to uphold and protect the traditions and cultures of the people are the same people attempting to destroy them due to greed and self centeredness.

“The constitution gives our traditional rulers the traditional role of protecting our culture and tradition. But sadly, we still have most of them denying our traditions and cultures in spite of the fact that the  Ooni of Ife and Alaafin of Oyo, the two foremost traditional rulers in Yorubaland have virtually embraced these female traditional monarchs.

“Yet, we still find some of them denying the existence of female traditional rulers , when in fact in their domain they are there, to the extent that some time ago, they wrote a petition to my Vice Chancellor that I was destroying their culture. We dismissed them as liars because they are denying what was in existence,” Olasupo said.

He added: “I want the federal government to revisit the issue of the traditional rulers with regards to allowing the ICPC to investigate the ongoing fraud against female traditional rulers in the country. We want to know why they are denying them their rights. We have female monarchs all over Nigeria. We have them among the Igbos, the Hausas  and the Yorubas. Female Emirs are there, female Obas are there. Why are they suppressing them and denying them place in the tradition and culture of our people?”

Among the prominent sons and daughters of Ondo who graced the occasion are Chief Akinleye Christopher Olugbenga – a medical practitioner, Dr. Olola Akintimehin Francis, Oba Dada Adetola Adesida,  and the Chairman Olobun Ruling House, Femi Akinnowonu.

Stephanie Coker is a popular TV presenter and actress. The energetic lady has featured in series like Tinsel and Hustle. In this interview with Yetunde Oladeinde, she opens up on her passion, inspiration, as well as her experiences during pregnancy and looking forward to the joy of motherhood.

We’ve been missing you on our screen lately. What have you been up to off-screen?

I have been working on various projects and business ventures but besides that, I have been very busy baking a baby. I have been very busy being pregnant, and I have also been documenting my pregnancy journey. It’s a video series that is going to be up on Youtube for my fans, supporters and anyone that just wants to see first-hand what it’s like to be African and pregnant. It’s going to be coming out very soon. People should look out for it; I am actually excited about the journey. It’s going to be very interesting.

Most people didn’t know you were pregnant until you posted some maternity photos on instagram. What made you decide it was time to reveal the news?

Well, not only was it my birthday the day I posted the maternity photos, but it was also thanksgiving in the United States. So, I just had so much to be grateful for.  God has been so good and I have so much family support and friends spreading and sharing their love and I just thought I would share that amazing day with my people and my family online. And you know also witnessing a miracle of bringing a life into the world. It’s just so hard to describe the joy and the feeling, it’s next to none.

Your fans have always known you as a style icon. How do you manage to still stay stylish while pregnant?

Oh my goodness! What can I say about staying stylish while pregnant? I don’t think style was at the forefront of my mind whenever I was getting dressed when I was pregnant. You know obviously you have this big bump, so it’s pretty hard to get dressed. You just really want to be comfortable, and that was what I was shooting for; to just be comfortable.  I didn’t buy a lot of maternity clothes just because I didn’t feel they were stylish enough. Even though I wasn’t trying to be over stylish, they just weren’t cutting it. So I would just buy clothes that I liked. I would buy a couple of sizes up like a size 12 or 14. And I bought a lot of oversized T-shirts, shirts, and jumpers. I wore a lot of sneakers, sandals. I just really wanted to be comfortable, but when I did go to Paris I wanted to be stylish because you know you can’t be super stylish in Paris. I just made sure I wore kitten-heels and I took a lot of stylish pieces but I made sure they were over-sized so they actually fit. It’s not cool when you wear a small size when you are pregnant; it’s super uncomfortable.

From your photos, you still look incredibly fit even while pregnant. What are your secrets of staying in shape?

I did a lot of prenatal yoga, swimming, exercising.  So, I was taking my brisk walks up until about eight months. I just think that exercising is really important and also watching what you eat even though your cravings are just through the roof. You really just want to eat everything that is not good for you. But I tried to eat a lot of smoothies, sandwiches, and salads. Ultimately, I was just really lucky that the fat didn’t go to my body; it really just went to my belly and a little bit to my face, I would say. But that’s like inevitable. I will encourage people that, whilst pregnant, they should try out things like yoga and swimming because it takes a lot of weight off you. And it’s actually really good for you; it makes you feel good because you don’t have to carry so much weight in the swimming pool. Don’t be a couch potato while pregnant; if possible, try and avoid it.

What’s your beauty/skincare routine like now? Has it changed now that you are pregnant?

I have no beauty skincare routine; being pregnant, you can’t really use chemicals.

So simple soap was my best friend and tea tree oil. I did do a lot of facials. So I did a lot of dermaplanning and light facials but nothing with any chemicals. I did break out a lot due to hormones. Drinking a lot of water was also very good for me.

Now that you are about to be a new mom for the first time, how do you plan to balance this role with your career?

I am just going to take every day as it comes. Just lean on the support that I have from my mum and my family and I am going to employ the help of a nanny. I think it is really important to utilise the help that is available; and if you can afford it and if there are people available to you. I think as parents we should make use of the help that we have. And in terms of my career, I am going to start learning how to prioritise. Ultimately, my family and my child come first but I can’t let my career slide too; you know I have worked so hard for it. I do plan on just making sure that I am on top of the ball. So my husband as well, you know he’s a parent as well and he has to help out in the home, in terms of our baby. That’s how I plan to have a balance. Focusing on my career, but at the same time prioritising my child and depending on my family support system.

Who or what do you consider as the greatest influence in your life?

There are a lot of people that influence me and women in general. Mothers. People who just go for what they want. This sounds clichéd, but Beyonce has always been an inspiration. She is such a hard worker. Although she has a great team obviously, yeah her team is amazing. I would say people like her stay true to themselves and keep their personal life private. They just continue to focus on what’s important to them in their life which is their family and career, so I would just say it’s her and women that I have encountered in my life like my mum, aunts, and other people I have worked with.

What lessons has life taught you?

Life has taught me to just be grateful for everything that I have, the people I have, the support and family that I have, the friends that I have. And also nothing lasts forever, so you have to just enjoy what you are going through at that moment. And just believe that it would get better. You don’t know how strong you are until you literally have to be strong.

What are some of the principles that you hold on to?

Really, I think it is important to be kind. When you do this and open doors for other people, this makes you better too. I really believe you should open the door for the people coming behind you. In the sense that I am a TV host and a TV presenter, this is also very relevant. I think it is important to help other people who want to go down that career path; that’s why I have a presenter academy where I train young people on how to present and how to improve their skills and also try to get jobs for people in their fields. Another principle is having a good attitude. A lot of people think celebrities are rude. I try to stay grounded and humble, I don’t look down on people; I hate people that do that. I think it’s really important to treat everyone with respect, because you never know what tomorrow will be like. So just treat everyone with respect and kindness.

Let’s talk about some people you admire and role models

As I said, I admire strong women; I admire women who are able to keep their homes, and also have an amazing career. I admire people like Jessica Alba. She has a great business, and she is a mother. She inspires me, and also women in Africa generally. Literally, like being pregnant, I just wonder how women who don’t really get maternity leave do it. I already know that African women are strong. The way they fend for their family and hustle to put food on the table. These women in Nigeria inspire me to keep going and I even have probably more resources than them. They don’t make excuses, so why should I? I admire all these women.

Do you think it’s possible for female celebrities to “have it all” – a thriving career and a happy home?

I think it is possible, I think we just need to find the right balance. We need to keep some things off social media. I think it’s not everything you need to respond to, even though it’s hard sometimes. I don’t think it’s worth it. Keeping your sanity and home sometimes is more important. I just think that is one of the ways to help keep a happy home. And as for career, I feel like there is an attack on female celebrities who are married; it’s really weird. It’s like once they get divorced, or separated, it’s like their career blows. There are other women who still have a happy home and a thriving career. I do think it’s possible. I just think we all need to find the right balance.

Tell us about the most memorable moment during your pregnancy

Finding out I was pregnant, my baby moon with my husband in Paris; that was also amazing. And then my baby shower; the people that came out to celebrate with me that day were so amazing. I think the best day of being pregnant was seeing my baby’s ultrasound, the feeling; I can’t describe it. Those are my most memorable times during my pregnancy.

If you had to advise Nigerian women, what would you tell them?

I think Nigerian women are amazing, they are strong, they are so hardworking. I would tell them to keep pushing. We have been suppressed as Nigerian women; we are told to be a good wife. They should try more to celebrate each other and not pitch themselves against each other. Not seeing themselves as competition even though that’s what a lot of us have been brought up seeing. This is how we have been conditioned by society. I think we should continue to push our talent to the forefront. We can all be great mothers and great wives. But we should not forget who we are. We should believe in ourselves and our dreams.

What are some of your most memorable moments of 2019?

Hands down, being pregnant. Second, being able to speak in the UN on the status of women in March of this year; that was amazing. Having my presenting course classes being able to hear all these stories from all these young aspiring presenters and being able to spend two days with them. Those moments are the moments I love most about my job; being able to talk to people who want to do what I am doing. It reminds me of where I am coming from and the passion I felt when I wanted to be a presenter. I really cherish those times.

How will you be spending Christmas this year?

I will be spending Christmas with my family and our new addition, our bundle of joy. Hopefully, a lot of food and I will be spending it in the U.K. So I will be very cold (Laughs).

Edwin Brown Jnr. is the CEO of Servo Investments. Apart from being an entrepreneur, he is passionate about things that help to secure and enhance the growth and development of Africa, especially Nigeria. One thing that caught his attention recently is the increase in fuel tank fires and explosion across the country. In this interview with Yetunde Oladeinde, he talks about the sad increase in tank fires, challenges and how he worked on an option called Explocontrol.

What motivated you to go into explosion control?

We partnered with Explocontrol to bring this technology that puts a stop to explosion from all sort of tanks, vessels, skid tanks, truck tanks and vessels tank farm and built-in tanks. When the technology was contracted solely to my company to distribute to Nigeria, the last thing we thought of was to advertise it to any extent. We had all participating parties sign that it doesn’t go out because of the security that comes with it. Some countries outside Africa use this for defence mechanism and they also use it to protect their pipelines. So, this isn’t information that should go out. But considering the fact that it has become more of a solution to the current epidemic, myself and my partners believe that it is time to let the public know we have tried to make an impact. But due to negligence exhibited by the government and private corporations, the solution has become nothing more than a dossier on a desk. We have taken this as far as NNPC, the (Oil Spill Description Agency) OSDRA, storage companies and to private corporation. We have also taken it to Lagos State government and quite a few agencies are aware of what it is about. But being impressed does not stop the fires. They know it is something the public would know about. When we do our presentation they know about our non-disclosures. But they have kept it on their desk and pretty much sitting on it. We are aware of the disasters mostly caused by these tanks carrying products on our roads. We have also heard of butane tanks burning homes and complexes. We’ve read the news of refineries catching fire. We also know that there are different bodies that promised to do something. In Nasarawa, sometime last year, there was a huge fire which motivated me to do something. What my partners and I have decided to do is to pursue a legislation and the government can legislate or pass a bill that all truck tanks, gas cylinder manufacturers, tank farms, petrol stations, other forms of petrol vehicles make use of this technology. Primarily, this would stop a lot of the disaster that is happening on the road. In the last month or so, we have had about four truck incidences, lives have been lost this year alone not to talk of 2018.

Isn’t it easier to get the private sector to buy in, than government? We have also spoken to private sector. We have spoken to companies that are thinking of distributing downstream. They know of this and all they asked us to do was to submit a proposal, something that will catch their interest. I actually sat down with a company and they said ‘let’s discuss downstream, our refineries are not down yet, they are not.’ They are currently assembling their trucks in July this year. Their trucks were going through assembly and the perfect time to put in this technology is now. The technology lasts a lifetime. If you are able to put it in your trucks before your trucks start receiving products, then you spend less on insurance, save the road and your trucks. But since July, I haven’t heard a word from them. And this is a company that doesn’t start operating until April next year. Now, there is one company they said when they start, they would use the technology. But this is one company out of so many companies in the country.

There is a manhole in every tank and every tank is divided into three different sections. So they go into the manhole and go the different sections, preventing it from oxidation, oil spillages and so on and so forth. It takes a day or two to do the installations.

How did you get into this?

Sometime last year, there was an explosion and when it happened I spoke with my partner in Iran and I asked him if they had a technology for this. They have a lot of technology and they bring in structural materials. So, a few days after he reached out and said his Spanish partners have something and he put us in contact with them. Then they called us for a demo in Spain and after that they gave us the sole right to bring it to Nigeria. So, we drafted an MOU which we signed. We then got an agent in Nigeria to pursue it for us, because, at that point, I was still working in my office in London. I hadn’t moved back to Nigeria and we partnered with a Nigerian company and they started pushing it for us.

He tried his best. We sought out this technology and the lucky part is that we found something that could be of benefit. We are the generation that would grow up in this country. We don’t want to grow up in a country that is half burnt. It is only right to look at the problem and try to fix it. I also look at a number of things like the debris in the water, which is a completely different thing. But we have somewhat overlooked it. They have gadgets to sort this out, clear the waterbeds and make it safer. But we are not doing anything about it and it is sad. So, you can see that we have fire problems, water problems and they are not trying to fix any.

What is the lifespan of the technology?

A truck should burn or catch fire if for some reason the technology cannot contain the fire. Here, you can take out the technology and put in another tank because it doesn’t expire. It doesn’t corrupt the product inside the tank. It doesn’t corrode, it doesn’t rust. The Chinese try to replicate this technology and lives were lost.

Is it also available for domestic use?

Yes, we have butane tanks and we can also put in the tanks for people that cook with gas. For cars, they actually come in little pellet forms and you can put two or three in your car. If you car is lit up, it isn’t going to explode. You can also use it to build houses. There is also a method where you put it in your walls and the fire would be contained.

Is this something that is affordable?

Yes, those we presented it to did ask the same question. I would say that it cost less than half the price to buy a new tank or maintaining the tank. I am not going to go into the figures. It sure costs less to replace a tank that burns. But if you put this into your tank, it is secure for life. If anything happens, then it is purely a mechanical thing. If your truck has a problem or you didn’t properly fix your tank farms, it is cheaper to use this product than to replace damaged goods. If 33 thousand litres is in the tank and if one tank carrying a full product explodes, you know how much a litre goes for and if we do the mathematics you have an idea of what one tank has lost. You can now add that to the number of lives that are lost and the fact that there are usually no forms of compensation for victims.

What do you want the government to do about the sector?

We want government to pass a law; to enforce a law stating that all oil companies with tanks in commercial areas should have the technology in them for the safety and the protection of products. Safety is the most important thing. If your negligence leads you to the path of loss, that doesn’t concern us. If you decide not to protect your tanker and the products spill, we are more concerned about the safety of Nigerian citizens on the road. With the product in the tank, even if there is a dent or hole, you can wield the tank with fire and the product would still be inside as long as that technology is there. It is like a bullet proof, if I could call it that

What are you passionate about?  Was this what you always wanted to do?

I actually went abroad to study law. Along the line, I changed and decided to study political science. I think this actually goes in line with political science in a way. What is going on has a lot to do with policy and it is important for us to be involved. The fact that I am taking it to government has opened my eyes to a number of things. I want to fight for the people and I think I am still fighting for the people in a way.

How long does it take to produce the technology?

We manufacture abroad and then we ship it in and if they want we can set up the plant here. We have the raw materials ready, we have the machines ready. This space we are in can take about twenty machines and they would work round the clock. They would actually produce as much as possible and there’s nothing like we can’t meet their demands. We would over meet their demands and have a warehouse full of mesh, working twenty-four hours and have products that can fill a thousand trucks.

How long does it take to fix it on the truck?

It takes a day or two. It also depends on the state of the tanker, if they have taken it for serving. Even if there is a little in it, it goes inside as you fit it. Even if they put this into a bad tanker, it would still protect the product. If they are able to take away the bad tankers from the road, with no form of security for their products or people on the road, then they should be able to put the technology in the tanker. Here, you know your tanker is bad but sure that your product is safe. Either way, they have nothing to lose. As I said, if you put it in the tanker and something goes wrong, we can take it out for you and put it in a new tanker. It’s best to put the device when it is empty.