The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Energy

  • Hope for all as BoI, UNDP partner on renewable energy

    Hope for all as BoI, UNDP partner on renewable energy

    Despite its huge energy needs, Nigeria has not made much progress in diversifying sources of power supply through renewable energy. However, the ongoing collaboration between the Bank of Industry (BoI) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to invest in and utilise renewable energy resources may renew the hopes of electricity consumers, particularly the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). Assistant Editor CHIKODI OKEREOCHA reports.

    Succour may soon come the way of industrialists, particularly operators of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). The operators, most of who are weighed down by the rising cost of operation due the perennial unreliable electricity supply from the national grid, may soon heave a sigh of relief, courtesy of the ongoing partnership between the Bank of Industry (BOI) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

    The partnership is on providing alternative source of power supply through renewable energy.

    Specifically, the collaboration is focused on increasing the national capacity to invest in and utilise renewable energy resources to improve access to modern energy services for MSMEs and households. This is in the hope of catalysing, promoting and supporting an expansion of off-the-grid renewable energy services for MSMEs to support private sector-led economic development.

    To achieve this, BoI as implementation agency for the project tagged: “BOI/UNDP Access to Renewable Energy Programme”, has already disbursed about N75.8 million to two alternative power firms. They are GVE Projects Ltd and Arnergy Solar Ltd. The firms would provide solar home systems to off-grid communities in six states, which come under the pilot phase for the take off of the project. The states include Anambra, Delta, Niger, Osun, Kaduna and Gombe.

    The intervention, according to BoI Managing Director, Mr. Rasheed Olaoluwa, would involve the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) and local meter manufacturers. Olaoluwa, who spoke recently in Lagos while presenting cheques to the indigenous alternative power firms, explained that UNDP, which has 50 per cent stake in the project, contributed $1.6 billion. He said the project was divided into the Stand alone, which costs N31.6 million, and the Micro-Grid, which costs N44.2 million, making it a total of N75.8 million.

    The medium term vision is to have 100, 000 homes installed with solar systems in the next five years through a combination of micro-grid and stand-alone solar home systems. The overall objective of the project, The Nation learnt, was to build the capacity of MSMEs to incorporate renewable energy options either as a business in, itself, or as service for business development and encourage financial institutions to increase investment in renewable energy through better understanding and assessing of credit and financing risks of renewable energy investments and services.

    BoI and UNDP also hoped to encourage government to develop and implement renewable energy policies and regulatory frameworks that will facilitate renewable energy options for MSME development in Nigeria. This would ultimately open up the nation’s industrial space for more entrepreneurs most of who have, for long, been hard hit by poor supply of electricity from the national grid.

    Indeed, as Olaoluwa observed, the less than 4,000 Megawatts (MW) electricity supply from the national grid relative to the conservatively estimated 40, 000MW electricity demand for a leading African economy such as Nigeria, with a population of 170 million people, is grossly inadequate. He noted that most of the country’s old central power plants had lost their economies of scale and could no longer deliver competitive, cheap and reliable electricity to more remote customers through the national grid.

    The BoI boss pointed out that renewable energy sources such as hydro (16 per cent), wind (three per cent) and solar (one per cent) are growing in relevance and commercial adoption on a global scale and that the recent Group of Seven (G7) meeting in June had agreed to de-carbonise the global economy by phasing out the use of fossil fuel by the end of this century, over the next 85 years, hence the need to embrace other source of energy.

    In opting for renewable energy, BoI also believes that the absence of reliable power and energy supply is an established challenge for MSME operations in Nigeria. The development financing institution observed that most private sector institutions rely on backup generators with high environmental and economic cost hence, improving MSME and household access to hydro, wind, solar power, biomass and geothermal energy supply to power enterprise operations is critical.

    If BoI succeeds in its latest move to provide succour to MSMEs through renewable energy, it would break Nigeria’s inertia in joining the league of other countries that have made significant progress in diversifying their energy sources. A number of African countries have embraced renewable energy, leaving Nigeria, which ironically has more energy needs given her population and economy size.

    For instance, about five per cent of South Africa’s energy supply is said to come from renewable energy. The Rainbow nation in April named preferred bidders for the fourth round of a series of renewable energy projects that will add about 1,000 MW to its power grid. Similarly, Kenya plans to triple its electricity generation by about 6,000 MW in the next five years, with more than 90 per cent of the planned output coming from renewable sources. Ghana is also said to be exploring renewable energy options including solar, wind, hydro and geothermal.

     

    Why BoI’s intervention is timely

    The rethink in favour of diversifying sources of power supply to guarantee improved electricity supply to Nigerians and operators in the industrial sector, especially MSMEs, is coming at an auspicious time. For one, the intervention is coming at a time the excitement and optimism that greeted the unbundling of the sector appears to have given way to frustration.

    The handover of the power assets to private investors has brought agony and frustration to consumers as there has not been any visible improvement in electricity supply almost two years after privatisation. Rather than improve, electricity supply has worsened and tariff gone up as high as 100 per cent in some parts of the country.

    However, BoI’s latest intervention appears to have renewed the hopes of electricity consumers, particularly MSMEs. As Divisional Head, Large Enterprises, BOI, Mr. Joseph Babatunde pointed out, there is a golden opportunity for rural communities to be empowered with affordable off-grid solar home systems that are operated on a Pay-As-You-Go (PAYG) basis rather than wait in vain for the national electricity grid.

    Head of Arnergy Solar limited, one of the partners, Mr. Femi Adeyemo, said the project would run for 25 years and would be effectively done so that Nigerians can benefit from it. His optimism stems from the involvement of several stakeholders in the project including renewable energy service providers, financial institutions, MSMEs, government and policy makers, multilateral donor agencies, investors (including venture capitals and private equity firms), and relevant professional associations.

     

    Govt’s efforts in renewable energy 

    The need to explore renewable energy is not lost on the Federal Government considering the fact that getting gas to fire the power plants has been a Herculean task. Unreliable supply infrastructure and pipeline vandals have continued to compromise its distribution to various plants. “Vandalism is taking a toll on us,” former Minister of Power Prof. Chinedu Nebo, said.

    Prof. Nebo, who spoke to journalists in Lagos, added that: “A situation where our own compatriots vandalise the oil and gas pipelines, especially the gas pipelines that supply gas to the power stations, since 70 per cent of our power generation is from gas-fired turbines and 30 per cent is from hydro is regrettable. We have not been doing coal, we have not been doing renewable; we have not been doing biomass, so we really are hamstrung. So, the government is now working on diversifying to ensure that we have a good and robust fuel mix.”

    He said Nigeria now boasts a draft National Policy on Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency, At the presentation of the draft policy at a stakeholders’ workshop in Abuja, Director of the Electrical Inspectorate Services (EIS) in the Federal Ministry of Power, Abayomi Adebisi, said under the policy, 8,188MW will be achieved with renewable energy by 2020 on a medium term, while the long-term target is on the realisation of 23,134 MW by year 2030.

    Adebisi said renewable energy would contribute 1.3 per cent this year to the national grid with a corresponding increase of 8 per cent and 16 per cent, between 2020 and 2030. “While large and small hydropower would contribute 2,121 MW and 140 MW to the renewable energy generation this year. It is also expected that solar accounts for 117 MW, with biomass electricity at 12.3 per cent,” he said.

    Adebisi added that the policy development was being facilitated by some partners with a grant from GIZ, a German agency. “We sourced for grants from GIZ, then we pooled over 30 documents from people who had once done something on renewable energy. We got a committee of experts to develop the policy, and the draft was approved by the ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREE) in May 2013,” Adebisi explained.

    The power sector regulator, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has also come out with a number of incentives aimed at promoting investments in renewable energy such as a guaranteed market for renewables, simplified licensing process, land access and a feed-in- tariff.

     

  • Quest for renewable energy

    SIR: The world marches towards December United Nations Conference of the Parties (COP21) Paris Climate Summit to know what effort governments are taking on how to cut emissions for the post 2020 period. Ahead of the conference this year, Nigeria inaugurated a nine-man inter-ministerial committee to prepare the framework for its active participation. Nigeria’s commitment should go beyond attending alone but also ensure national implementation of the climate change policies with reference to its obligation under the climate change convention and also the development of national policy on climate change.

    Some countries have promised to cut their emission. EU for instance promised to cut theirs by 40% by 2030 and Switzerland has promised 50%. For now, Nigeria has not made any declaration on percentage reduction on its climate emission but awareness on the need to shift from fossil fuel to renewable energy is on to save lives and the nation’s economy. Nigeria cannot ignore the need to reduce harmful effects of climate change and the call for an end to human activities that contribute to it. Shifting from fossil fuel to renewable energy will directly contribute to poverty alleviation by providing the energy needed for businesses and employment. Renewable energy technologies can also make indirect contributions to alleviating poverty by providing energy for cooking, space heating, lighting and contributing to education by providing electricity to schools.

    Nigeria must begin to institutionalise its development of energy efficiency and renewable energy with appropriate goals and objectives to increase the use of renewable energy resources in areas where grid extension is too costly and where opportunities for the use of renewables is needed. Nigerian government does not need subsidies for fossil fuels as it impedes the pace of the transition to renewable energy use. Likewise, market transformation mechanisms similar to that adopted in the developed countries which will encourage more rapid development of its energy efficiency and renewable energy potential should be explored.

    Active participation of Nigeria in the global climate change deliberation to negotiate a better deal for Nigeria and Africa is therefore necessary. The suggestion that oil-producing countries should be compensated for their projected income losses in the event of their energy diversification should be vigorously argued and canvassed. Nigeria can only be sure that its interest is protected in the emergent global reduction strategy if it increases its level of participation in climate awareness.

    It is imperative that full attention be paid to ways through which the Nigerian economy can be diversified and steered away from fossil fuels both in terms of production and consumption. No oil spills, no climate change, no radiation danger, no nuclear waste – renewable energy is simply the energy we can trust. We can achieve a Nigeria with 100 per cent renewable energy.

    • Bakare Wale,

    Ilorin, Kwara State

  • Mobile operators turn to renewable energy

    Persistent power outages  have added to the high cost of doing business in Africa, as most mobile phone service providers and business process outsourcing facilities are forced to use generators to power installations.

    This has led operators including MTN to increase investments in renewable energy technologies in order to avoid reliance on the national grid.

    The power outages are taking place at a time when the region is trying to convince international companies to invest in the telecom sector in order to improve communications, especially in rural areas of the continent.

    Many African governments face the challenge of raising funds to invest in power generation to ensure sufficient electricity to support the growth of the telecom sector.

    According to a recent report by the African Development Bank (AfDB), more than 30 African countries are now experiencing power shortages and regular interruptions in telecom services. Frequent power outages, the report said, means lost sales and damaged equipment.

    Executive Vice Chairman, Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Eugene Juwah said poor power supply is a direct cause of poor services by mobile phone operators.

    “The greatest threat to the growth of telecoms and information technology sectors is the insufficient power supply. Only (the) elimination of this problem will provide the critical success factor in finally eradicating quality of service challenges,” Juwah said.

    Nigeria is Africa’s largest telecom market by investment and subscription, with over 140 million mobile phone subscribers.

    In Zambia, the situation remains almost the same with that of Nigeria. Her Minister of Communications and Transport Yamfwa Mukanga, said lack of power from the national grid remains a challenge to achieving the plan of rolling out effective communication services to rural areas.

    Many of the communication towers built by the Zambian government to provide rural areas with communication services are not used due to lack of power supply from the national grid.

    While experts have blamed African governments for failing to liberalise the energy sector, the way the telecom sector has been liberalised, so as to encourage private investment and competition, Nigeria’s experience may have proved them wrong.

    Former President Good;uck Jonathan embarked on a far reaching power sector reform started by former President Olusegun Obasanjo that culminated in the sale of successor firms of the defunct state-run but largely inefficient power octopus, Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN). The firms which were allegedly sold to the cronies of the former president, also received huge cash backing from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to fix obsolete infrastructure-a development that had been widely denounced as akin to selling one’s disused car and making cash available to the buyer to run the car.

    Power generation to the national grid remains, at its peak, a little less than 3,000 megwatts (Mw) for about 200million population. This is hardly able to take care of the energy needs of a state such as Lagos.

     

  • Elumelu calls for an end to energy poverty

    Elumelu calls for an end to energy poverty

    “Providing access to electricity for schools, hospitals, businesses and industries is the single most impactiful intervention that can be made to transform the continent.  It has tremendous implications for job creation, health, food security, education, technological advancement and overall economic development,”

    African businessman and philanthropist Tony Elumelu who is the Chairman of Heirs Holdings and Founder of the Tony Elumelu Foundation joined African economic and political leaders  in Abidjan to call for an end to energy poverty on the continent. The leaders came together in Abidjan under the umbrella of the African Energy Leaders Group (AELG).   The AELG was launched during the 2015 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. The group brings together political and business leaders at the highest level to drive the reforms and investment needed to end energy poverty and to ensure sustainable fuel supplies on the continent.

    Elumelu is a founding partner and Co-chair of the AELG. Providing access for all Africans to reliable, affordable energy services and efficient appliances by 2030 is a key goal of AELG. The AELG objective of ensuring universal access to modern energy is in line with those of the United Nations Sustainable Energy for All (SE4All) initiative run by the UN Secretary General’s Special Representative Kandeh Yumkella, one of the champions of the AELG. Mr. Elumelu pledged to support the work of AELG.

    “I am making a pledge to provide $150,000 over the next three years to support the operations of the AELG secretariat,” he said.  “I want to call on the governments of the member states of the ECOWAS region, and AELG members and partners to also step up with significant multi-year commitments to sustain the organization.”

    In 2013,  Elumelu committed to investing $2.5 billion in the power sector in Africa through President Obama’s Power Africa Initiative.     _UBA Foundation sponsors Empretec training for youth corps members.

  • Experts seek inclusion of renewable energy development in agric

    The Provost, Federal College of Agriculture (FCA), Akure Dr. Samson Adeola Odedina, has  said a robust national plan to encourage renewable energy projects in the agricultural  sector will open up the rural economies and reduce the cost of doing business.

    Odedina said  sustainable energy is needed for agricultural transformation. According to him, energy is needed in all aspects of agricultural and food production, processing, service provision and livelihoods improvement.

    Sustainable energy solutions, he said,  provides the key to improving energy poverty among the rural poor. These include sustainable interventions such as biomass for cooking, drying and heating and food processing.

    To this end, he said the college  is  ready to implement projects through collaboration with partners to provide sustainable energy solutions for the agricultural industry.

    He said the college has a blue print to help accelerate the rollout of renewable energy projects, adding  that  the  school  can  help  farmers  identify areas that may be suitable for energy development.

    For instance, Odedina said the  school has developed a successful  biogas project that can help farmers to run biomass power generation system.

    He explained that the biomass energy project, championed  by the college is produced from cow and poultry wastes and that the system  requires less maintenance and fewer inputs and is cheaper and more sustainable.

    The college promotes biogas digesters for cooking and lighting. He said the college envisages a transformed agricultural industry that meets the needs of the rural and urban poor, small holder farmers and provides transition to modernising agriculture.

    The potential of land-based renewable energy to support profitable farming, while contributing to energy security, he noted, cannot be emphasised.

    Odedina stressed the need to support renewable energy projects to help farmers not connected  to the  national  grid reduce the cost of electricity production and diversify  sources of power generation. He also encouraged the youth to take farming seriously and added that it is important for the youth to take training courses as ones offered at the college  in order to get the required technical skill to excell in the farming business.

    He  said FCA  is  good   because of its provision of quality human resource for the agricultural sector, integrated community development programmes.

    He said the college  efforts is contibuting immensely to improving food security, poverty reduction and environmental conservation.

    Vice-President(Agriculture), Association of Small Business Owners of Nigeria(ASBON),Mr Stephen Oladipupo said the  government  needs  to   boost the private sector and support to tap new energy sources to ease power shortages.

    He  said  tackling  power supply   issue help companies unlock their potential and create the economic opportunities that Nigerians  are eager for.

    He  said  Nigeria  has an opportunity to improve the quality and quantity of agriculture growth by  developing renewable energy.

    He  said the  government  can  harness  the enormous potential of the nation  by investing in agricultural innovation.

    According to him,  improving  renewable energy,  will  support profitable farming and underpins traditional agricultural production.

    Renewable energy,  he   added,   makes  farm businesses more resilient and better able to manage volatility in both the weather and in farm prices.

    According to him, the  nation’s   economic prospects hinge on its ability to meet fast rising demand for energy and securing access to  millions of  people who currently lack it.

    He highlighted the importance of reforms to land use and agriculture, adding that the sector faces significant risks but it also has enormous potential to become part of the solution. Innovation in the sector, Oladipupo said has the potential to change the lives of millions of people.

  • A Ramadan breakfast packed with energy

    A Ramandan breakfast which packs the body with energy until the fast is broken at sunset isn’t an easy project. To start with, many people eat late heavily when the fast has been broken, with the result that they suffer indigestion and constipation. After sunset, the body’s energy profile goes down and this is not the time to give the body the task of digesting heavy meals. In the morning, food has to be eaten before sunrise when energy from the sun’s rays hasn’t powered the “energies” of the body for serious work. In any case, this is the time the body is struggling to eliminate waste from processes of digestion so, what may one have for breakfast that is light, small in quantity and yet so energy yielding that it can power the body all day, so that, invigorated from sunrise to sunset, those familiar tell tales of a drawn face or weak muscles do not cripple one’s day and business? Every year, I suggest a recipe. This year, the recipe is Golden Mellon with Spirulina and Wheat grass, bedecked with food supplements such as Ginseng, Lecithin and Vitamin E, to mention a few. Golden Melon is in season. Also called Honey dew and Cucumins it is the sweetest of all melons, and parades almost all the nutrients the body requires in adequate proportions. When I have a golden melon breakfast, I am almost certain to skip lunch and have light supper. Green, yellow or golden in colour, the fruit is about the only one in the melon family which continues to ripen after it has been picked. Although it is the sweetest of them all, it has a low glycemic index. This means its sugar releases slowly, a quality which makes it beneficial for even diabetics.

    Golden melon has no saturated fat, is a good source of folic acid and Vitamin C, has no cholesterol. In every 100 grammes it parades about Vitamin A (20 Percent,) Vitamin C (53Percent), Iron (2 Percent,) Calcium (1Percent), it’s mineral content include calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, copper, Zinc and sodium. Its Vitamins are Vitamins A, B-complex, C, E, k. Potassium prevents muscle cramps, Vitamin C, an anti-oxidant, fights diseases, inflammation and bleeding, folic acid is good for pregnant women and it prevents birth defects, including spina bifida. For people who wish to lose weight, the food cheer is that Golden melon has no fats. It is for this reason that it has been recommended for diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular (heart and blood vessel) diseases. Its Vitamin B6 content is a plus for the immune system. I eat Golden melon, diced; you may wish to try the puree or the pure mixed nutrition in a smoothie nutrition power house plant powders such as Spirulina and Wheatgrass.

    This column mention spirulina often. Mrs. Veronica Momoh of Benin knows I have a son who, as a child, hated vegetables and didn’t appear to be growing well for his age. When, after some difficulties, I added spirulina to his diet, he sprang up rapidly.

  • Expert to Buhari: Focus on energy, others

    Expert to Buhari: Focus on energy, others

    President Muhammadu Buhari has been advised to focus on the energy,  oil and gas as well as transport sectors of the economy.

    Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Economic Associates, Dr. Ayo Teriba gave the advice at a breakfast meeting by the Society for Corporate Governance Nigeria (SCGN) in Lagos.

    Describing the three sectors as enablers that would ultimately impact on other sectors, Teriba said no meaningful development can be achieved unless there was a cargo rail system in place.

    He urged the government to liberalise the transport sector so as to allow for partnerships and other investors, just as he emphasised the need for Nigeria to start refining its own crude.

    He said only six of the 46 sectors of the economy were huge, just as he stressed the need for a clear sense of priority in order for change to become a reality.

    Teriba said unless there is an effective and efficient cargo rail system in place, manufacturers will forever find it difficult and agriculture will remain uncompetitive.

    He urged the government to take the same steps it took in deregulating the telecoms sector in 2001,  which eventually brought the sector among the big six from the lowest.

    He also advised the government to remove the fiscal autonomy of the revenue generating agencies,  in order to block leakages and achieve fiscal adequacy.

    He lamented that while the government was broke, its agencies such as the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) were rich.

    “Nigerian government is inadequate in revenue. Some state governments are owing their workers up to six months salary. It is not that the government does not generate money the size of its economy but  it is because the leakages from fiscal process in Nigeria are bigger. The leakages ensure these revenues don’t get to government coffers.

    “There are abuses on fiscal policies such as import duties; tax wavers; payment of subsidies for products that were never imported.

    “We have large number of revenue collecting agencies in Nigeria enjoying autonomy. They collect, spend, declare surplus  and only remit percentage to the government.

    “The government is broke buy many of its agencies are not. NNPC does not even know how many accounts it has, neither does the finance ministry.

    “Fiscal autonomies should end. We run an economy of pretence. Our CBN was modelled after the Bank of England but the Bank of England does not enjoy financial autonomy,” he said.

     

     

  • How to achieve sustainable energy

    How to achieve sustainable energy

    How the nation can achieve growth through sustainable energy production was the theme of inaugural lecture delivered by Dr Taiwo Oyedemi at the Polytechnic, Ibadan (IBADAN POLY) on Friday.

    The Mechanical Engineering teacher described energy as an essential catalyst for socio-economic and technological growth, noting that a sustained energy generation could make any nation to be sufficient in provision of basic needs, such as food, potable water, healthcare, educational aids and transportation.

    Oyedemi said energy played key role in reducing poverty, improving production and enhancing quality of lives of the people. He said improved standard of living in industrialised countries was found to be directly related to the per capital energy consumption of such nations.

    He said: “Lack of energy contributes to poverty and decline in economic growth. Energy crisis facing Nigeria has largely contributed to the incidence of poverty, which has paralysed industrial and commercial activities. The Council for Renewable Energy of Nigeria has estimated that power outages cost a loss of N126 billion annually. Besides, lack of energy is causing health hazards due to exposure to poisonous substances from generators.”

    Using energy challenge facing Nigeria as case study, Oyedemi said the nation is endowed in resource that could make it abundant in clean energy production. He outlined some important energy conservation techniques to achieve a sustainable energy. According to him, the idea of using modern renewable energy as alternatives to traditional fuel wood was recommended in Nigeria in 1992 by the Presidential Task Force.

    Oyedemi urged the government to invest in renewable energy sources and technologies to achieve sustainable development, noting that clean energy sources reduce damage on environment.

    He said: “Solar, as a source of renewable energy, has the greatest potential to contribute low carbon energy supply through Solar PV and Solar thermal processes. It is estimated that when one per cent of Nigeria’s landmass is covered with a solar technology of five per cent efficiency, about 333,480 Megawatts of electricity may be produced at about 26% capacity factor. This electricity generation capacity according to him will be more than enough to use by the country till 2050.”

    On hydropower, Oyedemi maintained that Nigeria could harness its water resources to produce 15,000 Megawatts as against the 2,000 Megawatts being produced from Kanji, Jebba and Shiroro dams.

    He urged local engineers to use their innovation to contribute effectively to sustainable energy development.

  • Putting more energy behind your job hunting

    Putting more energy behind your job hunting

    My job hunt is stuck in the mud. I know I need to fix it, but I’m feeling overwhelmed and I’ve got no energy left. I’ve tried everything and nothing seems to work.” Does this sound like you or what you feel now?

     

    The simple truth is

    Hunting for a job can be tiring, demoralising and frustrating for people who have internalised their inability to find work as a sign of personal failure. Confidence and self-image suffer. Not to mention the economic embarrassment. As that happens, it becomes increasingly difficult to present the optimistic, energetic “can do” persona that employers seek.

    We all hear the longer you are out of work, the harder it is to get work. One of the reasons for this is that employers are looking for you, Mr/Ms. Jobhunter not to be jaded, tired, and “down.” And, they fear that the longer you are out of work, the more likely it is you won’t have the vim and vigour they seek.

    How can you put more energy to your flagging job hunting campaign?

    There are things you can do to energise your job hunt. Below are my suggestions. This list is hardly exhaustive, but it’s a good start:

     

    Remember getting a job is a job

    Treat it with the same sense of professionalism that you would bring to any employment. Show up on time every day. And, at the end of the day, don’t feel guilty about packing the work up, and transitioning to “personal” or “family” mode. As with any job, it’s important to maintain a healthy work/life balance.

     

    Recognise and confront your self-imposed roadblocks

    Are you frozen in place by fear of possible future failure? Many people have experienced so much rejection that they are afraid to have any more piled on. Such feelings are real, and they need to be acknowledged.

    Sometimes inaction can be psychological defence mechanism. It’s important, however, to understand that inaction is a certain road to the status quo. Try to move forward every day – even if you only do one or two small “baby step” things that can help to build up your self-confidence.

     

    Break out of your isolation

    Figure out who are the members of your support system – your family, friends, other job hunters you meet at networking groups, members of your church or synagogue and so on. Talk to them regularly. Tell them what you’ve been up to, what seems to be working, and what seems to be frustrating you.

    Make them part of your team. Ask for their feedback and advice. Help them to help you by creating a context of “us” instead of “me.” And of course: seek a good job hunting coach who can understand and relate to you, and provide both guidance and the occasional “kick in the pants” when it’s called for.

     

    Balance your job hunting activities

    You can’t be everywhere, all the time. Strive to create a balance over the course of a week or two in a cycle. If you think of your search for work as a job hunt, then imagine each tool or tactic as one arrow in your quiver. You need a variety of arrows including: informational interviewing; attending professional meetings and seminars; social networking utilising LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter; writing your blog, and so on.

    However, important online activity has become, remember that social networks are but the means to the end of building personal relationships. Nurture your relationships both in the real and virtual worlds.

     

    Stay focused and use

    your time wisely

    People who work out of their homes often say that one of the biggest challenges they face is managing their time. It’s easy to be distracted by kids, pets, housework, TV, internet, computer games, and so much else! Organise your day and week in advance. Create an hourly schedule and stick to it by setting alarms on your computer calendar or wherever they will best be seen and heard.

     

    Practise, practise, and practise some more

    Rehearse your elevator speech out loud and prepare answers to interview questions that you can anticipate. For example, don’t allow yourself to be flummoxed by opening queries like, ”Tell me about yourself.” Did you know Larry Bird, one of the greatest basketball players of all time, shot 1,000 baskets every day! He was great because he understood the need for constant repetition and skill building.

     

    Maintain your mental and physical health

    Eat healthy. Exercise at least three times each week. If it’s been a while since you exercised with any regularity, start slow and gradually build yourself back up. Get those endorphins flowing and you will look better, have more energy, and feel better about yourself.

     

  • Seven Energy begins gas supply to fertiliser firm

    An indigenous oil and gas company, Seven Energy International Limited, has commenced supply of natural gas to Notore Chemical Industries Plc, a fertiliser and agro-allied company in Nigeria.

    The commercial delivery of gas to Notore in Onne, Rivers State, is being executed through Accugas, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Seven Energy. The company said 25 million cubic feet per day (mmcf/d) of gas is supplied as part of the feedstock to Notore’s fertiliser plant. By this supply arrangement, Seven Energy is helping Notore fertiliser plant to improve its operational efficiency and enhance the plant’s output, it said. Natural gas is a major component in the production of fertiliser.

    The Chief Executive Officer, Seven Energy, Phillip Ihenacho, said: “We are happy to announce the formal commencement of gas deliveries to Notore Chemical Industries Plc through our subsidiary, Accugas, a clear demonstration of our commitment to drive the industrialisation of Nigeria through the development of the country’s  huge natural gas resources. Through the supply of our processed gas, we are providing a new source of feedstock to meet the company’s increasing requirements, whilst directly enabling the production of fertiliser that Nigeria’s burgeoning agriculture sector desperately needs to grow.”

    The Managing Director, Accugas Stephen Tierney, said: “This milestone represents another significant step for Accugas in our effort to increase domestic supply and utilisation of gas for the good of the Nigerian people and its economy. By providing a clean, dependable, quality source of gas supply to the Notore plant, and doing so via an integrated end to end solution, we are demonstrating our clear commitment and execution performance toward enhancing domestic gas consumption for broader industrialisation.”

    Seven Energy has continued to champion the Nigerian gas and industrial revolution through the exploration and production of natural gas, and its commercialisation through processing and distribution infrastructure, where it has invested over $1 billion in the southeast region of the Niger Delta in the last five years, it added. This enables Seven Energy to reach the end-user and to support Nigeria’s evolving power sector and meet the growing energy needs of the industrial sector.In 2014 President Goodluck Jonathan commissioned the Uquo Gas Processing facility owned by Seven Energy. The facility currently supplies gas to five industrial customers.