The Nation Newspaper

Tag: April

  • Respite for Imo communities as FG commissions Erosion site

    Communities in Imo State threatened by Gully Erosion, will soon a sigh of relief following the commissioning of the Obowo/Ihitte Uboma Gully Erosion Control Works in Isiala Mbano Council Area of the State by the Federal Government.

    The Project was commissioned by President Muhammadu Buhari.

    He said that it is the 16th  Federal Government ecological intervention projects for the fourth quarter of 2017 that were approved by February last year which was awarded by the Ecological Fund Office Tender’s Board (EFOTB) in April last year.

    The President who was represented by the Minister of Technology,  Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, expressed optimism that the project would recover gullied arable land as well as  check flooding and the menace of gully/soil erosion in the communities.

    He lamented the lingering problem of gully erosion in the Southeast part of the country, adding that the intervention of the Federal Government will usher huge relief to the communities which have been grappling with ecological challenges

    According to him, the approval of the project would further consolidate on the gains of giant stride of his administration and demonstrates the sincerity of the APC led administration in the country.

    He expressed optimism that the successful completion of the project would in no small measure improve the living standard of the people of the communities and its environs, adding that it will reduce the dangers posed to lives and properties as a result of the erosion menace.

    Read Also: IGP reverses self, recalls Imo CP

    The President further underscored his administration’s determination to continue with the implementation of all genuine government policies, agreements and contracts at both National and International levels which are aimed at laying a solid foundation for a prosperous nation.

    Welcoming the President, the Senator representing Imo North, Senator Benjamin Uwajumogu,  described the completion of the project as a dream come true.

    He expressed satisfaction that one of his campaign promises made to the people of the area have been fulfilled.

    The Senator  stated that it was  “unfortunate that the PDP administration in the state in the last 16 years actually failed the Okigwe zone by not being able to cite one single project to the zone”.

    According to him some of the roads projects and other projects in Okigwe and in the South East abandoned by the PDP led administration in the country including the railway among others have been reawarded and completed by the President Buhari led APC administration.

  • OGTAN’s summit for April 16

    OGTAN’s summit for April 16

    The maiden edition of Nigeria’s Education Summit of the Oil and Gas Trainers Association of Nigeria (OGTAN)  will hold on April 16.

    The event with the theme “Sustaining Nigerian Content through quality edument prospects” is geared towards fulfilling one of OGTAN’s key objectives – bridging the gap between Nigeria’s tertiary institutions and the  oil and gas industry.

    The one-day conference will be chaired by Gen. Yakubu Gowon (rtd), a former  Head of State, under whom the Indigenisation Decree was signed in 1969.

    The conference is to explore ways by which the gap between the tertiary institutions and the oil industry can be closed, particulary in research and development, thereby ensuring that graduates are employable.

    OGTAN President Dr. Muyiwa Afe, said the summit will bring together major stakeholders in the education sector and the oil and gas to discuss their experiences  to chart a way forward.

    Key speakers include the Minister of Education, Alhaji Adamu Adamu, Minister of Energy, Ghana, members of the National Assembly,vice chancellors, National Universities Commission (NUC); National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and some  commissioners for education.

    OGTAN said it hoped to cut joint venture spending of scarce cash call by domiciling some training in-country, and drive growth and development.

  • Global oil supply dips by 41000 bpd in April

    Global oil supply fell by 41,000 barrels per day (bpd) in April, the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) said in this month’s oil market report.

    The organisation said world oil supply fell by 0.41 million barrels per day (mbpd) in April to average 95.81 mbpd. However, global oil production was 831,000 barrels daily higher than a year ago and increased by 363,000 barrels per day in the first quarter of the year, it added.

    The report said: “Non-OPEC oil supply in 2016 was revised down by 18,000 barrels per day due to a downward revision of Russian oil supply in fourth quarter of 2016 to average 57.30 million barrels per day – indicating a year-on-year decline of 0.71 million barrels per day.

    “In contrast, oil supply in 2017 was revised up by 0.36 million barrels per day to average 58.25 million barrels per day – representing year-on-year growth of 0.95 million barrels per day, following changes in all quarters, mostly in the US, based on US actual production data from February and new forecasts for crude oil output.

    “In 2017, US growth forecast was revised up again, rising by 0.28 million barrels per day to average 0.82 million barrels per day. Similarly, but to a lesser extent, Canada, Brazil and Kazakhstan were revised up, while the growth forecasts for Mexico, China, Azerbaijan, Indonesia, Oman and Colombia were in decline.’’

    It continued: “OPEC natural gas liquids (NGLs) and non-conventional oil production in 2016 was revised down by 34,000 barrels per day to average 6.05 million barrels per day, and indicates a growth of 0.11 million barrels per day year-on-year, while for 2017, the growth forecast was revised up by 40,000 barrels per day to 0.17 million barrels per day to average 6.22 million barrel per day.

    “In April, OPEC production decreased by 18,000 bpd, according to secondary sources, to average 31.73 mbpd. Non-OPEC oil supply in 2016 is estimated to have averaged 57.30 mbpd, representing a decline of 0.71 mbpd over the previous year, and a downward revision of 0.02 mbpd from the last assessment.

    ‘’Within the quarters, non-OPEC oil supply encountered historical downward revisions in fourth of 2016 by 72,000 bpd, only in Russia. Non-OPEC supply in 2016 saw strong declines in  Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Americas (0.47 mbpd), China (0.31 mbpd), and developing countries (0.10 mbpd.’’

    It added that preliminary March and last month’s data based on weekly figures shew a return to an upward trend with industrial, road transportation fuels, notably distillates and motor gasoline, accounting for the bulk of these increases.

  • Lagos to launch 300 coding centres in April

    The Asset and Resource Management (ARM) Holding Company, has agreed to set up 15 ICT centres for the CodeLagos project of the Lagos State Government taking off next month.

    The 15 centres will be among the 500 that the government would establish this year in primary, secondary schools, tertiary institutions and public libraries to teach pupils and students in the school system as well as young people outside the school system to code.

    Special Adviser to Governor Akinwunmi Ambode on Education, Mr Obafela Bank-Olemoh, said the aim of the project is to equip one million youths with coding (programming) skills by 2019.

    He said the project, which was unveiled last year, aligns with Lagos State’s vision to be a smart city with adequate manpower to take advantage of technological solutions for economic development.

    Bank-Olemoh said ARM-sponsored centres would be among the 300 to be launched in April, while the remaining 200 will be ready by September.  Of the 500, he said 100 centres would be financed by the government.

    Each centre would be equipped with computers, a projector, solar panel, and raspberry pi, a low-cost computer device used to learn programming.

    The SA added that the centres, which will be launched in both public and private schools, would be run by facilitators to be screened and trained by the government, while maintenance would be carried out by small scale ICT firms contracted by the government.

    “Our plan is to set up coding centres in 500 schools. Come April, we will set up the first 300 schools and by September we set up the remaining 200.  Lagos is currently the fifth largest economy in Africa.  Our target is to be the third largest economy by 2020.

    “We are contracting facilitators.  We are going to do screening; at the end, we will contract 1,500 facilitators to train in our afterschool classes between 2.30 and 4pm for five days in a week,” he said.

    While the government may not set up centres in private schools, Bank-Olemoh said their facilitators would be trained free of charge and they would have access to the coding curriculum developed by the state for the project. Bank-Olemoh said the government is working to sign up more partners to establish centres for the project.

    On her part, Managing Director of ARM, Mrs Jumoke Ogundare, said the firm was delighted to be part of the project because of its empowerment potential.

    “It is a privilege to partner with Lagos on this project.  Technology has become an important part of the economy.  We see this initiative as a way to improve the competitiveness of Lagos in the global economy. Everything we are doing is improving the quality of education because we believe it translates to economic development,” he said.

  • GM China sales rose, Ford’s fell in April

    Despite worries that China’s economy is growing at a slower pace and last year’s volatility in China’s stock markets, demand remains strong, especially in the so-called second-tier cities with populations of less than 5 million.

    Automakers are reporting strong sales of SUVs. General Motors’ posted a 7.5 per cent sales increase in April over a year earlier for its China joint ventures, while Ford’s sales fell 11 per cent last month in the world’s largest auto market.

    GM’s largest brand in China, rose 56 per cent from April 2015 to 98,992, led by the Excelle GT sedan and Envision SUV, which will be introduced in the U.S. this summer.

    Cadillac, which is still relatively new in China, posted a 13 per cent sales increase to 7,007, as it launched the new CT6 fullsize sedan in late January.

    Chevrolet sales in China fell 29 per cent to 35,431. Sales of the Baojun brand rose 56 per cent to 37,915, while Wuling sales slipped 14 per cent to 98,580, as demand softened for small commercial vans.

    Ford sold a total of 82,324 vehicles through its Changan Ford and Jiangling Motors joint ventures, along with vehicles imported from other markets, compared with 92,406 in April 2015.

    Ford’s SUVs continues to sell well in China, including the Ford Ecosport, Kuga, Edge, Explorer and Everest. Ford introduced the new Kuga and the Edge V6 at the recent Beijing Auto Expo.

    Despite the decline in April sales, sales for the first four months of 2016 of Ford’s joint ventures and imports in China are 6.7 per cent higher than a year ago.

  • Para-powerlifting federation holds championships in April

    The Nigeria Para-Powerlifting Federation has  concluded arrangement to stage an Open National Championships to discover new athletes and enhance the skills of the old ones.

    The federation’s Technical Director told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Lagos that the championships would hold from April 19 to 24 in Benin, Edo State.

    Ekeoma said that no fewer than 23 states and clubs would participate in the championships.

    “We want to take advantage of the upcoming championships to discover and nurture new talents that will take over from the ageing athletes. The championships will also help us  evaluate some of our athletes that will represent the country at the 2016 Paralympics in Brazil. The presence of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) at the event will ensure that participants are drug free,” he said.

    He disclosed that Bilikisu Musa, a former weightlifter who won medals for the country at various international competitions, was sponsoring the event in collaboration with the federation.

    Ekeoma praised the former athlete for supporting Para-powerlifting development at the grassroots.

    Meanwhile, Musa the co-sponsor told NAN on telephone that it was part of her contribution to encourage the physically challenged athletes to be engaged in sports.

  • Govt earns N735b in April, 35% higher than March

    Govt earns N735b in April, 35% higher than March

    Federally-collected revenue in April was estimated at N735.07 billion, showing an increase of 35.8 per cent above the receipts in the preceding month, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Economic Report for April, said.

    The report, released at the weekend, indicated that the figure was lower than the receipts in the corresponding period of 2014 by 8.4 per cent.

    However, at N286.24 billion, oil receipts (gross), which constituted 38.9 per cent of total revenue, was lower than the receipts in the preceding month and the corresponding period of 2014, by 21.5 and 54 per cent.

    The apex bank said the fall in oil receipts relative to the level in the preceding month, was attributed to the decline in revenue from crude oil and gas exports, occasioned by the drop in the prices of crude oil in the international market.

    Non-oil receipts which stood at N448.83 billion or 61.1 per cent of the total, was 154.1 and 150.4 per cent higher than the receipts in the preceding month and the corresponding month of 2014, respectively.

    The development reflected, largely, the rise in receipts the Federal Government independent revenue. “Federal Government estimated retained revenue in April 2015 was N452.38 billion, while total estimated expenditure was N155.52 billion. Thus, the fiscal operations of the Federal Government resulted in an estimated surplus of N296.86 billion,” it said.

    According to the CBN, crude oil export was estimated at 1.46 million barrels per day (mbd) or 43.80 million barrels during the month. The average price of Nigeria’s reference crude, the Bonny Light (370 API), was estimated at US$59.55 per barrel, indicating an increase of 3.7 per cent above the level in the preceding month.

    The end-period headline inflation rate (year-on-year), in April 2015, was 8.7 per cent, compared with 8.5 per cent in the preceding month. Inflation rate on a 12-month moving average basis remained at 8.2 per cent, same as in the preceding month.

    Foreign exchange inflow and outflow through the CBN in April 2015 was $2.88 billion and $2.55 billion, respectively, and resulted in a net inflow of $0.33 billion. Foreign exchange sales by the CBN to the authorised dealers amounted to $2.39 billion, showing a decline of 14.9 per cent below the level in the preceding month.

    Relative to the level in the preceding month, the average naira exchange rate against the dollar appreciated at both the bureau-de-change and interbank segments of the market. Non-oil export receipts declined by 51.3 per cent below the level in the preceding month. The development was attributed, largely, to the significant decline in export earnings from the minerals sector.

    Also, world crude oil output last April was estimated at an average of 94.10 million barrels per day (mbd), while demand was at 92.50 million barrels per day (mbd), compared with 93.99 and 91.91 mbd supplied and demanded, respectively, in the preceding month.

     

  • Elections force shift of NIMAREX 2015 to April

    The Nigeria Maritime Expo (NIMAREX) 2015 initially slated for next month has been shifted to April because of the coming elections.

    Organisers of the yearly event said the Expo would hold between April 27 and 29.

    Secretary of the Planning Committee Osuala Nwagbara said the postponement of the elections made it imperative to shift the expo.

    He said the expo would be heralded by a cocktail party on April 26 for indigenous and foreign dignitaries.

    The theme is: Nigeria: Regenerating economic growth through the maritime sector, stressing that the resources in the industry is enormous, but yet to be tapped.

    Nwagbara said this year’s edition is being organised to make the public and private sector know that the country can survive without the oil and gas industry. He maintained that the falling price of crude oil at the international market is a call to action for all.

    “For Nigeria to be a shipping nation and to meet with the requirement of the Cabotage Act as regards vessel ownership, it requires a functioning iron and steel industry which will be a focal point of the 2015 NIMAREX”, he said.

    The scribe added that it also considers other events that are ongoing internationally before choosing a new date, stressing that other countries of the world have their eyes on the Nigeria Maritime Expo 2015.

    Nwagbara noted that a viable maritime nation like Nigeria requires that ships should be built in the country, even as he argued that, there are laws existing to support building of ships.

    Citing relevant sections of the Cabotage Act, he said Section 5 of the Act makes it imperative for every vessel that must lift crude oil or petrol products within the Nigerian territorial waters must be owned by Nigerians.an engage over a million Nigerians if proper looked into.

    “China in 2010 employed 3.5 million people in the iron and steel sector and that number of persons is more that the population of Bayelsa and Nasarawa states put together.”

    “Now assuming Nigeria employs one half of what China employed in 2010, it means at least 1.5 million people will gain employment from a particular sector.

    “We are bringing the entire world together through NIMAREX 2015 as far as maritime and other

    He said the Cabotage Act requires that every vessel that operates within the Nigerian waters must be built in the country, crewed by indigenes of the country, registered in the country and must be owned by Nigerians.

    He pointed out that Nigeria is endowed with a huge potential in the iron and steel industry that c

    related industry are concerned, because we are inviting ship building companies to come over and locate ship building industry in Nigeria which means that ship building firms abroad would have to partner with Nigerians and establish ship building yards in the country”

    “We expect a partnership between entrepreneurs in the ship building industry and government to revitalise the iron and steel industry, so that materials for ship building will be sourced from the steel sector, thus form a viable iron and steel sector,” he said.

     

  • Patoranking’s album debuts April

    Patoranking’s album debuts April

    Rave-of-the-moment dance hall sensation, Patoranking, is in the United States of America to shoot two videos, as part of the preparations for the release of his much-anticipated debut album.

    Although, he is yet to disclose the title of the album, the ‘Alubarika’ crooner, is shooting the video of his latest single, ‘Daniala Wine’, a track produced by UC Prof and slick Mo, as well as  a yet-to-be-decided track.

    According to a source from the musician’s camp,  “This trip will see him shoot the video of ‘Daniela Wind’ and another track that the team will decide on while in America, as we speak, arrangement for his first album is in the concluding stage.”

    Apart from top stars already featured in the songs of the Raggae artiste such as Tiwa Savage and Timaya, Patoranking will also have 2Face, Iyanya and other heavy weights as guest artistes in the forthcoming album.

    Patoranking, we gathered, will also officially launch his clothing line, ‘Wayase’, as he launches his album.

  • College resumes April

    The newly admitted students of the ACE will resume for academic activities on April 7.

    According to the approved College Calendar for the 2012/2013 academic session the college will hold teaching practice orientation for regular NCE and Degree students and orientation for fresh students.

    The orientation for freshmen will hold between April 8 and 12, while NCE III and Degree III and IV students will resume in their various schools of their postings for teaching practice on the 14th.

    Registration and lectures for freshmen, NCE II and Degree II will commence on the 15th while the College will hold matriculation for fresh students on May 22 and 23. The Harmattan semester will come to an end in July with the commencement of the end of semester examinations.