The Nation Newspaper

Tag: eyes

  • Babatunde eyes Barca move

    Babatunde eyes Barca move

    • Cherishes World Cup debut, thanks President Jonathan
    • Says playing against Messi, Di Maria best moment of his life

    Nigeria World Cup Star and Super Eagles winger Micheal Babatunde has stated that his target as a player would be to feature for Spanish giants, Barcelona in the nearest future.

    Babatunde who is currently in an Abuja hospital where he is receiving treatment after he sustained fracture  at the ongoing World Cup told SportingLife that his focus at the moment was to see his contract out with his present club, Volyn Lutsk FC of Ukraine before looking forward to a possible move to another European side.

    Two years contract are still left in the Ukranian-based player.

    He however revealed that various clubs from across Europe are scrambling to sign himmbut refused to disclose any offer.

    He disclosed, “At the moment, I’m enjoying my stay in Volyn where I’m like their number one player. My interest now is not really how to make all the money but to build my career gradually. As I talk to you, my agent is receiving many calls every day from many clubs but I want to wait until the right time.

    On his World Cup debut appearance, the 21-year old Babatunde added “yes playing at the world Cup at my age was memorable and give God thanks. I want to also express Super Eagles technical crew for extending call-up to me. I promise to continue to do my best anytime I’m called upon to play for Nigeria.

    “I also want to use this medium to extend my gratitude to President Goodluck Jonathan and Minister of Sports for their tremendous support during the World Cup and since I sustained injury.

    Currently,the Nigerian government is bearing the cost of my treatment in the hospital here in Abuja and I will be ever ready to give my best.

    Babatunde who dazzled for Nigeria against Bosnia-Herzegovina at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil where he was preferred ahead of Chelsea’s Victor Moses also confessed that playing against world best players like Lionel Messi and Di Maria of Argentina was the best moment of his playing career which he would forever cherish for a long time to come.

    “Playing at the World Cup was a dream come true to me because I have always believed that the day I play against the likes of Lionel Messi, Angel Di Maria would the highest point of my football carrier. Everything was okay for because at my age, playing as the youngest player in the Nigerian team was a very big life achievement, which I would like to carry to do well in my future carriers for both my club and the national team. It was so amazing, I prayed for this and God answered me.

    “I would like to say a big thank you to the president, the minister of sports and the leadership of the NFF for standing behind me during my injury at the world cup group match against Argentina.

    “With the type of support I have received so far from the government and Nigerians,I cannot do but promise to give all my best to the Super Eagles whenever I am called up to represent my country.

    I was filled with joy when coach Stepehn Keshi told me that I would start at the match against Bosnia because I never thought I would make to the world cup, not to talk of making the start list of the super eagles. But I know I worked very hard during training and I am still a young boy that has just started in the game. I wanted to use my surprise inclusion to the Super Eagles World Cup squad to prove that it I rightly deserved a place in the team and I thank God that I was able to make that despite the injury I sustained against Argentina.” The super Eagles’ winger noted.

     

  • Chevron eyes 3.1m boepd by 2017

    Chevron eyes 3.1m boepd by 2017

    Chevron Corporation will grow its daily production to 3.1 million barrels of oil-equivalent per day by 2017, reflecting an increase of 20 per cent from that of last year.

    The company is also focusing on building its crude oil and natural gas legacy assets, a plan that needs $39.8 billion of investment in the year.

    Chevron Corporation’s Vice Chairman George Kirkland,  made this known at its Annual Meeting of Stockholders in Midland, Texas, United States, where he provided an overview of the company’s 2013 operational and social performance and future growth.

    He said the oil giant is on track to grow production to 3.1 million barrels of oil-equivalent per day by 2017, up 20 per cent from 2013, with more growth expected through the end of the decade.

    Kirkland said: “To reach this goal, the company has more than 70 projects, each with a Chevron share of more than $250 million, scheduled to start-up by the end of this decade.

    “In Australia, the Gorgon project continues to make steady progress toward first liquefied natural gas (LNG), and is 80 percent complete with start-up expected in mid-2015. Wheatstone is now almost 35 percent complete and remains on schedule for a start-up in 2016 as well as Chevron’s profitable growth plans, which focus on building legacy assets associated with crude oil and natural gas.

    “These plans include investing $39.8 billion in 2014, which represents a $2 billion reduction from 2013 spending.”

    However, the company didn’t say how these plans and investments will affect its operations in Nigeria.

    Chairman of the board/ Chief Executive Officer, Chevron Corporation, John Watson, said: “Chevron’s 2013 results demonstrate that we remain well positioned to grow profitably and continue to deliver superior stockholder value. We continue to advance key development projects, which underpin our planned growth strategy and capacity to deliver affordable energy to world markets, a cornerstone of economic prosperity.”

    He stressed the company’s 2013 financial and operational performance, highlighting earnings of $21.4 billion and return on capital employed (ROCE) of 13.5 per cent. Last year, the company marked its 26th consecutive year of annual dividend payment increases, which included last year’s dividend increase of 11.1 per cent. Chevron announced another quarterly dividend increase of seven percent in April, this year. Watson also said Chevron led its peer group in total stockholder return for the five-year period ending December 31, last year.

    Watson reiterated Chevron’s long-standing dedication to safe, reliable operations. Reinforcing the company’s commitment to process safety, he noted that Chevron’s goal remains zero incidents and ensuring that everyone goes home safely, every day. Watson also discussed the partnerships Chevron has formed to address health, education and economic development in the communities where the company operates. Over the past eight years, Chevron has made nearly $1.5 billion in social investments to local communities, he added.

    Last year, Chevron maintained an industry leading earnings per barrel average, which was nearly five dollars per barrel higher than the company’s peer group over the past three years. It has had the highest ROCE in the upstream sector since 2011, with an industry leading 17.2 per cent in 2013.

  • Moses eyes 3SC upset

    Moses eyes 3SC upset

    Ekiti United head coach ,Adewumi Moses, has predicted a tough clash against Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) of Ibadan in a week 9 Nigeria National League (NNL) match at the Lekan Salami Stadium on Saturday.

    The team is expected to arrive in Ibadan tomorrow morning ahead of the clash.

    Moses said his side is poised to pick a point in the game, stressing that his boys are not scare of the Oluyole Warriors.

    “We know what 3SC are capable doing and we’ve prepared for the game. I know it is going to be a tough match but I have the confidence that we can get something out of the game,” Moses said.

    “The game is very important to us and we will approach it will all seriousness. The spirit in the camp is very high and we are working on their psyche to approach the game without fear. 3SC is a big team but in football, anything can happen.”

    The coach, has however, called on the Ekiti fans to storm Ibadan en-mass to cheer their team to victory.

    “Ibadan is not far to Ekiti so we want our fans to come and cheer us. We always cherish their support and we want them in Ibadan.”

    The club’s secretary, Olowolafe Ayodeji and General Manager sir Steve Alabi, have also charged the team to go all out for victory. The team has been promised the sum of N20, 000 winning bonus while the players will get 10, 000 per goal scored.

    “We’ve been very unlucky in our away games because the boys always give their best. We hope to break the jinx against 3SC by getting our first away points.” Ekiti United defeated Gateway United 2-0 last week to zoom to the 5th position on the log with 15 points.

  • Warburg Pincus eyes African investments

    Warburg Pincus LLC, the private-equity firm managing about $37 billion in assets, is considering investments in Africa and the Middle East as capital starts to flow back into emerging markets.

    “We are looking beyond the core euro-zone markets into the rapidly growing emerging markets around Europe for investment opportunities,” Joseph Schull, head of Warburg Pincus in Europe, said in an interview. “Africa is the next big frontier in private equity and we are spending an increasing amount of time investigating opportunities in that region.”

    Investors are seeking out acquisition opportunities in less-developed markets in the Middle East and Africa as economic growth accelerates and financial markets recover from the credit crisis. Money is also returning to emerging markets, with exchange-traded funds attracting $1.4 billion in the first three days of April, as countries take steps to stabilize their economies, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

    Standard Chartered Plc, the London-based bank present in Africa for more than 150 years, said in February it’s investing more money in private-equity deals there than in any other region in which it operates. Robert Diamond’s Atlas Mara Co-Nvest Ltd. this month agreed to buy a stake in state-owned Development Bank of Rwanda, while KKR & Co. is competing with Abraaj Group to buy a stake in Saudi Arabian restaurant business Kudu, two people familiar with the deal said in September.

    Bloomberg reported that New York-based Warburg Pincus made its first investment in the Middle East today, agreeing to acquire a controlling stake in Mercator, a Dubai aviation software-solutions company owned by Emirates’ Dnata unit. Mercator provides services to airlines including United Airlines Inc. (UAL) and British Airways Plc, the two companies said in a joint statement today, without disclosing financial details of the transaction.

    “This is a growth equity investment for Warburg, our first in the Middle East, and there is no debt involved in the transaction,” Schull said. “This business can be a multiple of its current size.”

    Warburg Pincus expects to double or triple its initial investment in Mercator in the coming years and is also exploring add-on acquisitions to expand the business, Schull said, without identifying potential targets. Mercator has more than 125 airline clients in 80 countries.

    Warburg Pincus, founded in 1966, owns stakes in more than 120 businesses and last year hired former U.S. Treasury secretary Timothy Geithner as its president. In 2013, it agreed to sell luxury retailer Neiman Marcus Inc. to an investor group for $6 billion, and sold eye-care company Bausch & Lomb Holdings Inc. to Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc. in an $8.7 billion deal. The company has more than $9 billion in emerging-market investments.

  • Ocheme eyes more goals for Giwa

    Ocheme eyes more goals for Giwa

    Giwa FC central attacker, Edoh Ocheme has promised to score more goals in the ongoing 2013/14 Glo Premier League.

    The former Crown FC goal poacher scored the match winner in the side’s 1-0 win against Enugu Rangers in the rescheduled Glo Premier League match day 4 tie on Wednesday at the Rwang Pam Stadium, Jos.

    Ocheme, who made history as having scored the side’s first goal at their debut game in the Nigeria topflight, said the credit for the hard-earned victory against the Coal City side is not his alone but the teammates, coaches and management’s.

    “I feel excited as this is my first Premier League goal for Giwa FC and against no mean opposition as Enugu Rangers. I feel God scored the goal for us, I share the joyous moment with my teammates, coaches and management.

    “I always have this special push any time I’m entering the pitch that I’ll score, same way I felt during the Super Four contest against Abia Warriors which we won on penalties, but today’s (Wednesday) goal appears divinely made.

    “Nigerians should expect more goals from me in the ongoing league season as we’re prepared to inflict more pain on other teams. Rangers are one of the strongest and oldest sides in the land, they’re no pushovers but I believe the better side won,” said the former Ranchers Bees star to supersport.com.

    Ocheme said his side are not done yet with the debut home win against the Flying Antelopes but will add Warri Wolves on the victim list when both sides clash at the weekend in match day 5 at the Warri Township Stadium.

    “We’re not scared of any side, we just won our first home game against Rangers by weekend, we’ll extend same treatment to Warri Wolves. We’ll use the game at Warri Wolves to make a bold statement of our readiness to take the elite league by storm.

    “We won’t be contented with mere participation in the Premier League but contest for one of the continental tickets available in the league,” Ocheme said.

    The Tin City side have pocketed three points from a possible 12 in the four-week old Nigeria topflight, though with lesser number of matches.

     

  • GUINNESS WORLD RECORD FIGHT: Bash Ali eyes Samuel Peter, Klitschko brothers after Camlin

    GUINNESS WORLD RECORD FIGHT: Bash Ali eyes Samuel Peter, Klitschko brothers after Camlin

    Reigning World Boxing Federation Cruiser Weight Champion, Lawrence Bashiru Ali (Bash Ali), OON, says he will move on to the Heavy Weight division after his Guinness World Record unification bout against Rick Camlin of USA in May this year.

    Ali, who revealed this to SportingLife at the National Stadium, Lagos, at the weekend, is pushing to have his name enter the Guinness Book of World Records as the oldest boxer to win a world title.

    Over the past half decade or so, the Heavyweight division has largely been dominated by brothers Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko and Ali is ready to take a shot at the boxers after facing his Nigerian counterpart, Samuel Peter.

    “What I intend to do is that after this Guinness World Record fight, I’m going to relinquish my Cruiser weight title and move on to the heavy weight. My first victory will be Samuel Peters and the fight will be held right in his home state, Akwa Ibom. After that we look for the Klitschko brothers. This is what

    “I have discussed with my promoter and we are all very excited”, he noted.

    Camlin beat Jonathan Corn to win the IBU cruiserweight title in December 2012, boasting a remarkable tally of 36 wins in 43 fights with 12 of them being knockouts.

    Camlin is 11 years younger than Bash Ali (75win, 57KO, 5 loss) but the Nigerian said his old age have not taken the bite off his fists.

    “I was born on February 27 1956. I started professional boxing when I was 22 years old, that was in 1978. By the time I get into the ring I will be 58 plus and I will be old enough to be the father of Rick Camlin. I’m going to beat him like a bad child.”

    According to Benson Bamidele Akingboye President, Obaking International Promotions, the official promoter of the fight, the event is billed to attract so many boxing legends like Mohammed Ali, ‘Iron’

    Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield and world renowned boxing promoter, Don King to Nigeria.

    “No fewer than six African Presidents are going to be present at the ring side to grace the occasion and from our projection, it is going to be a massive fight night.

    “A win for Bash Ali in this quest will also compliment the centenary celebrations of Nigeria and as a chain of success worthy of mention. Our Africa Cup of Nations triumph last year and the victorious Golden Eaglets at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in UAE, also last year,” he noted.

  • Unilever eyes N300m daily turnover

    Unilever eyes N300m daily turnover

    Unilever Nigeria Plc has set a target of N300 million daily business turnover for its trade partners this year.

    Its Customer Development Director, Kweku Boateng, who spoke at the firm’s customer forum in Lagos, said the target is realisable under its new Ghanaian Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Yaw Nsarkoh.

    He expressed the appreciation of the firm’s management to its distributors for drving its growth last year, adding that a set of new incentives will be extended to them to spur them to do more this year.

    Nsarkoh, who took over from Mabe Thabo, described trade partners as essential part of business model of any business that is serious of serving its consumers.

    He said: “We work with them in our trade ecosystem to create value for consumers so that we can build the preferred brand that we are looking for.

    “Our customer forum is an opportunity to appreciate all the work that is done across Nigeria, sometimes in tough terrains in order to be able to express our brands appropriately and take our products even to the remotest part of Nigeria so that our loyal consumers will be able to get them.”

    He said Unilever has been in Nigeria since 1920s. According to him, the forum is also to build the basis for the future growth of the business by strengthening the relationship with the partners.

    The new CEO said he will conolidate on the solid foundation built by his predecessors to grow the brand.

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Nigeria eyes N250b from cassava production

    The Federal Government’s efforts at cassava production appears to be on course.

    Apparently drawing from the success of the reforms in the cement and sugar sectors, cassava production has taken centre stage, with the Federal Government targeting an estimated N250 billion from cassava production yearly following the inauguration of the multi-million dollar Ethanol Plant in Igbesa, Ogun State, by Allied Atlantic Distillers Limited.

    It is believed to be the first cassava-based plant for the production of Extra Neutral Alcohol (ENA), otherwise known as ethanol, in Africa.

    The plant, a product of the backward integration policy of the government on cassava, is expected to supply raw materials not only to distillers, but also pharmaceutical companies and other related industries.

    Minister of Agriculture Dr. Adewunmi Adesina, hailed the initiative, describing it as “a record breaking event for the world’s largest producer of cassava and a testimony of the success of the Federal Government’s policy on cassava and sugar,”Adesina.

    He added: “Cassava is a commodity in focus with value addition in five points, including the confectionery and pharmaceutical sectors and a massive job creator.”

    On the government’s ultimate goal, he said: “Our goal is to add an additional 17 million metric tonnes (MT) of cassava to our domestic food supply. The Agricultural Transformation Action Plan hopes to create 1.3 million jobs across the cassava value chain. But producing more food is not enough, we must also ensure that there is enhanced food nutrition and health.”

    He lamented that despite being the largest producer of cassava globally, Nigeria has no place in the international market unlike Thailand, which controls 84 per cent of the global cassava market, even as the third largest producer.

    The result, he said, was the rapid growth of the economy of Thailand which unemployment rate is 0.4 per cent compared to Nigeria’s 24 per cent. Cassava exploitation expected to correct the inbalance in the Nigerian child’s nutrition.

    The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reports that 43 per cent of children under five in Nigeria are stunted, a figure considered too high when compared to the 39 per cent for other developing countries; 26 per cent in Ghana; Benin, 25 per cent; 29 per cent in Botswana; Burkina Faso and Cameroon, 29 per cent each and  Kenya, 33 per cent.

    Nigeria will save the much needed foreign exchange from cassava exploitation since manufacturers can get ethanol locally.

    Adesina said Nigeria must accelerates policy measures to improve health and nutrition of vulnerable groups, especially women, infants and children. He emphasised the need to promote its use for assorted products, improve dietary diversity through home production of a diversity of foods.

    Adesina said: “The President has set a clear direction: we must eat what we produce, and produce what we eat. Mr. President eats cassava bread.

    “Our cassava flour policy is directed at replacing some of the wheat flour in bread, to save over N250 billion annually in wheat imports.

    “Our research institutes, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Federal Institute for Industrial Research(FIIRO), have produced cassava bread and we are proud of the achievement”.

    Minister of Commerce, Trade and Investment Dr. Olusegun Aganga, he said the inroad into the development of cassava would reduce the government’s importation of wheat, which costs about N635 billion yearly through a proportionate addition of cassava flour.

    About 40 per cent of well-processed High Quality Cassava Flour (HQCF), he said, would be added to wheat flour to achieve the Nigerian cassava bread initiative. This would reduce the importation of wheat by 40 per cent and save the country a lot deal in foreign exchange, he added.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Shell eyes $15b from more asset sales

    Shell eyes $15b from more asset sales

    Royal Dutch Shell Plc is to increase its asset sales from which it expects proceeds of $15 billion this year through 2015, its Chief Executive Officer, Ben van Beurden, has said.

    The divestments in 2014 and 2015 will help the oil giant achieve its planned target of $130 billion in capital expenditure between 2012 and 2015. Shell has divested from seven of its onshore assets in Nigeria in the last three years.

    In a statement, Van Beurden, who spoke to investors yesterday, gave an update on the company’s priorities, which include improving Shell’s financial results and achieving better capital efficiency, as well as continuing to strengthen operational performance and project delivery. He also set agenda for sharper performance and rigorous capital discipline in the company.

    With a changing operational landscape and the streamlining of it’s portfolio, van Beurden said he wants Shell to be measured on its competitive performance, adding that the company will increase its pace of asset sales.

    “The Company will increase the pace of asset sales, which are expected to be $15 billion for 2014-15 combined in upstream and downstream. We are making hard choices in our worldwide portfolio to improve Shell’s capital efficiency,” van Beurden said.

    On the changing operational landscape, he said: “The landscape the company had expected has changed. Factors such as the worsening security situation in Nigeria in 2013, and delays to non-operated projects in several other countries, have altered the outlook. Oil prices remain high globally, but North America natural gas prices and associated crude markers remain low, and industry refining margins are under pressure. Restructuring and improving profitability in North America upstream resources plays, and oil products worldwide, is a particular focus for the company.”

    Van Beurden, who became the new CEO of Royal Dutch Shell plc on January 1, 2014, said Shell’s strategy overall is sound. The company has a high quality portfolio and key strengths in technology and project delivery. Shell will continue to invest in new projects that deliver more energy to customers, and create value for shareholders. The strategy is designed to deliver through-cycle growth in cash flow, to drive competitive returns and a growing dividend.

    He said: “Our ambitious growth drive in recent years has yielded a step change in Shell’s portfolio and options, with more growth to come, but at the same time we have lost some momentum in operational delivery, and we can sharpen up in a number of areas.

  • Govt eyes three million tonnes of fish yearly

    The Federal Government plans to increase fish production from 780,000 to three million tonnes yearly.

    Speaking in Lagos during the Regional Workshop on Aquaculture organised by the West Africa Agricultural Productivity Programme (WAAPP), the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mrs Ibukun Odusote, said the government was determined to achieve self-sufficiency in fish production next year.

    The government, she said, has identified areas of support, naming them as hatchery management and brood stock bank development. These would lead to increased production of fish fingerlings, table fish, fish processing and marketing, she said.

    Mrs. Odusote said the ministry was able to profile 168 fish farmers producing table fish in 31 states including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    She said the ministry was promoting the production of male tilapia technology and other cultural fishes such as niloticus, gymnarchus species, heterotisni-loticus and heererobrancnus.

    The ministry, she added, is collaborating with the National Institute for Freshwater Fisheries (NIFFR) and the National Instiute for Marine and Oceanographic Research (NIOMR) to produce about 5,000 brood stocks. This is to develop and improve fish stock and better fingerlings for distribution to farmers. The government, she said, would create the right environment for new businesses to prosper to grow the coastal economy.

    According to her, the Agriculture Transformation Agenda sets out specific initiatives that the government will undertake to support fisheries and aquaculture.

    The government, she said, was seeking broad-based cooperation and synergy to optimise the use of scarce capacity and resources.

    She reiterated the government’s desire to work with farmers to achieve the shared goals of a thriving fishing industry, sustainable fish stocks and a healthy marine environment.

    Executive Secretary,Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN) Prof. Baba Yusuf Abubakar described WAAPP as a World Bank-assisted programme for member-countries of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

    Abubakar, represented by the National Project Coordinator, WAAPP Nigeria, Prof. Damian Okey Chikwendu, said the objective of the programme is to improve agricultural productivity in the ECOWAS countries and at the same time encourage integrated development of agricultural research into technology.

    Chikwendu said WAAPP-Nigeria seeks to increase the technical proficiency and productivity of its various services by sponsoring the formation of a value chain innovation platform through stakeholder groups.