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Tag: Fed Govt

  • PDP kicks as Fed Govt advises U.S. against visa for Atiku

    Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar will not get a United States visa – if the Federal Government has its way.

    The government yesterday advised the United States against granting visa to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate.

    To the government, issuing a visa to Atiku will amount to the creation of an impression that the US Government will be favouring a candidate over the other in the forthcoming 2019 poll.

    There are indications that Atiku’s visa application is still being processed by the US Embassy.

    The protest of the government came against the backdrop of the fact that Atiku was alleged to have visited the US Embassy in Abuja on Monday for fingerprints as part of steps towards issuance of visa.

    Addressing a news conference yesterday, Information and Culture Minister Lai Mohammed advised the US Government to avoid dragging itself into Nigerian politics.

    He said in the last 12 years, there had been an ongoing Congressional investigation of alleged corruption against some individuals which had made it difficult for Atiku to visit the US.

    He said: “The issue of Atiku Abubakar and the grant of his efforts to secure a visa to visit the US. I must say that we are not at all in any panic. We will be honest in appreciating the fact that it is the prerogative of the US to grant a visa to anybody who applies.

    “However, the impression must not be created that the US Government is interested in one particular candidate over the other.

    “As you all will be aware, for more than 12 years, there has been a congressional bi-partisan investigation of corruption against certain individuals which had made it difficult for the former Vice President to secure a US visa.

    “I am sure you will all recall the Jefferson case and what they called the cold $90,000 in the fridge. This is not the making of this administration, it has been ongoing.

    “Our position is that if the former VP already has a US visa, we have no problem about it. What we warn the US Government against is not to give the impression that it is endorsing one particular candidate over the other. That is what is going to happen if, for instance the former VP is granted a visa.

    “We are not unaware – I think it is also in the public domain – that Atiku has engaged the service of some lobbyists in the US to facilitate the issuance of visa for him.

    “Once again, I say it is his own right to do so, but we want these countries country to be neutral on the 2019 elections and they should please be wary of taking any decision that will give the wrong impression that they are favouring or endorsing any candidate over  the other.”

    Atiku is believed to have gone to the US Embassy in Abuja on Monday for fingerprints as part of steps for the issuance of a visa to him.

    It was learnt that he might get his visa within a week or two depending on whether or not he enjoys any concession.

    A source said: “Atiku is almost completing his visa process. He was at the US Embassy on Monday for fingerprint vitals.

    “I think it is too late in the day for this administration to stop issuance of visa to the former Vice President.”

    Asked to comment on the resurgence of attacks on troops by Boko Haram, the Minister insisted the troops only suffered a setback but Boko Haram remained decimated.

    He said the setback would not retard the progress being recorded against insurgents by troops.

    He added: “I think we need to put issues in context. And I still say that despite the setback that was witnessed last week, our position that we have decimated Boko haram is still valid. You need to know where we were in 2015 and where we are today in terms of security.

    “Many of you were in Abuja pre- 2015 and you knew how even unsafe Abuja was. All of us were in Nigeria pre-2015 and we knew that Boko Haram was active in at least 10 states of the Federation where they chose where and when to act.

    “In 2015 when we came in, 20 out of 27 Local Government Areas in Borno State alone were under the occupation of Boko Haram. I am glad that a few of my colleagues followed us to Bama on the 5th of December 2015 and they saw what the situation was. We were in Maiduguri, Bama, Kauri and Konduga. And I still remember that in the 17-kilometre road between Maiduguri and Bama, there was no single vehicular traffic on the road.

    “Of the 6,000 plus structures in Bama, none was standing, they were all destroyed by Boko Haram. Actually, Boko Haram was not just occupying, they were in government in most parts of Borno State and four local governments in Yobe where they held court, they hoisted their flags, they collected taxes, they deposed Emirs and the Judiciary.

    “Today, not one inch of Nigerian territory is under Boko Haram. They have all been pushed out of Nigerian territory; they now operate from the fringes, from Lake Chad Island (Basin).

    “So, anybody who is well versed in insurgency will appreciate that what happened last week was nothing but a setback and I think it is not to say that the war against insurgency is not going well.

    “I want to place on record our appreciation to our gallant men and women who daily are sacrificing their lives for us; who daily are paying the supreme price for this country to be peaceful. And what is important is about the steps the government has taken.”

    The Minister said the Federal Government has taken steps to avert a repeat of the setback in Metele.

    He said: “It gladdens my heart  that on Wednesday, President Muhammadu Buhari was in Maiduguri for the occasion of Chief of Army Staff Annual Conference. He seized the opportunity to express Nigerians’ gratitude and appreciation to the entire military and assured them that he will make sure they get equipment. He said that this is a must win war.

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    “Today, as we speak, Mr. President is in Ndjamena as the chairman of the summit of heads of state and government of the Lake Chad Basin. As you are aware, the Multi-National Joint Task Force is made up of Chad, Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon with Benin Republic  and Central Africa Republic.

    “Insurgency is not a local issue; it is a global issue. And I am glad that Mr. President is in Ndjamena trying to rally support for the fight against insurgency. I think this setback does not mean that the war against insurgency is not being won.”

    Pressed to say in one sentence whether Nigeria is winning or losing the war against Boko Haram, Mohammed said: “We are not losing the war; we shall win the war.”

    On alleged clampdown on members of the opposition and some activists, Mohammed said the law should be allowed to take its course if they committed any infringement.

    He added: “I believe that being an activist or being in the opposition does not grant you immunity against arrest or prosecution. And the important thing in the case of Adeyanju and co. is that they have been charged to court. Let the court decide whether or not they have infringed on any law of the Federation.  I read it also. I think they are before a magistrate’s court and they are being charged under the Nigerian laws. I think at that point, nobody can comment on it.

    But I want to say that being in opposition or being an activist anywhere in the world is not immunity against arrest or prosecution.”

    In a swift reaction, the spokesman for the PDP who also doubles as the spokesman for the party’s presidential campaign council, Kola Ologbondiyan, dismissed the comment as a “lazy talk”.

    In a telephone chat with our correspondent yesterday, Ologbondiyan said: “Alhaji Lai Mohammed and the APC cannot dictate to America who to allow into their country. It is not in the place of Lai Mohammed to tell America who to admit and who not to admit into their country.

    “America is a sovereign country and they reserve the right on who to admit into their country. This is part of the government’s misplaced priority. It’s all lazy talk.”

     

     

     

  • Fed Govt inaugurates MDCN council

    The Federal Government has inaugurated the Governing Council for the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria.

    At the event in Abuja,  Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole charged the council’s Chairman, Prof. Abba Hassan, and members to achieve MDCN’s objectives.

    The Minister said: “As you are aware, governing councils are creations of statutes, and their responsibilities are to give policy direction, effective oversight and strategic guidance to the management of the institutions. I, therefore, wish to emphasis that government expects no less from this council.

    “Your council is critical to the achievement of developmental goals of government being implementing entities of the health sector. You are all enjoined to commit to achieving this mandate and to live above board.”

    The minister urged the council to adhere to their  roles.

    He said the Council should determine the standard of knowledge and skill to be attained by those seeking to become members of the medical and dental professions and review those standards from time to time as circumstance might permit.

    The minister explained that the council should review periodically the code of conduct of the two professions.

    Adewole said the aim of the  ministry  was to ensure that the Nigerians had access to affordable and quality health care.

    “I must inform you that our job is to take our nation to a brighter future in spite of challenges that confront us,” Adewole said.

    The ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Abdulaziz M. Abdullahi, called on  the council members to see their appointment as a call to national service and which should be given full sense of responsibility. He also urged the members of the Governing Council to do everything possible to reduce professional rivalry in the sector.

    Responding, Hassan pledged to give their best in improving the health system.

    He said: “Our principal task is to ensure high quality medical and dental training, curtail unethical medical and dental practice and stamp out quackery.”

    Hassan called on patients affected by unethical practice to come forward and complain.

  • Stakeholders urge Fed Govt to focus on beauty industry

    Nigeria’s beauty entrepreneurs have urged the Federal Government to pay  attention to the industry as part of its economic diversification, saying it is worth over N34 billion by 2021.

    The call is coming at a time the government is focusing on the non-oil sector to get more revenue.

    Speaking at the Beauty West Africa Conference in Lagos, the stakeholders urged the  government to exploit the beauty sector,  adding that it has the potential for job creation and revenue.

    The way to achieve this, they said, is through the government’s collaboration with professionals to fashion out an agenda that would reposition the sector.

    In a goodwill message, Nigeria British Chamber of Commerce President, Mr. Akin Olawore, said Nigerians spend a lot on beauty products and services, which he described as a good thing.

    According to him, the distribution of beauty products – raw or processed through manufacturing – offers immense sales, marketing, branding and other business and job creation opportunities.

    “Indeed, we must not miss the opportunity to export beauty products to the world, like we did in the agriculture sector where we failed to exchange our cocoa for coffee and chocolate,” Olawore stressed.

    He noted that the challenge of many of the beauty entrepreneurs is their refusal to formalise their operations, even as he called for the inclusion of courses on beauty in the country’s educational curriculum so that it would enable more Nigerians to take advantage of the beauty value-chain right from the schools.

    “We can put together courses that will meet the needs of the beauty industry. If this is done, it will mean a structural diversification of our economy,” the NBCC boss stated.

    Corroborating Olawore in her keynote address, the Lagos State Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Mrs. Olayinka Oladunjoye, who was represented by the ministry’s Director of Administration and Human Resources, Mrs. Moji Subair, hailed the entrepreneurs, saying that they are complementing government’s efforts on entrepreneurship.

    Mrs. Oladunjoye said: “We want the global competitiveness of the Nigerian beauty industry, because it has the potential for massive business and job creation opportunities. I advise all the participants to innovate and adapt to changes as they occur so as to maintain and even improve Nigeria’s high rating in the beauty sector.”

    The commissioner urged the participants to seek partnerships. She implored them to avail themselves of the opportunities provided by the state to enhance their businesses.

    The entrepreneurs had a challenge as well as a word of hope from the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC).

    According to an official of NEPC, Mrs. Francisca Odega, the entrepreneurs have themselves to blame for the industry’s slow growth.

    According to her, “Many businesses are not taking advantage of the support readily available with us. So, my advice is: register your business with the NEPC. We believe in NEPC that all local products are exportable, if we are ready to do what is right. We are ready to support you to be competitive and become a global company.

    “So, I challenge you to grow at home and sell abroad because your product is exportable. Indeed, the government is already planning a Nigerian Diaspora Export in some overseas countries, which will be like the China towns that are found in many countries globally. That is another proof of government’s readiness to boost the export of local products and to make every Nigerian-based overseas to consider themselves as the country’s ambassadors.”

    The first presentation at the conference, delivered by a Ghanaian and Chief Business Strategist, Inspire Africa consult, Ghana, Mrs. Maweuna Trebarh, buttressed the need to reposition the beauty industry for enhanced benefits.

    Corroborating Trebarh, Kemi Lewis, Creative Director, Owner KLS Natural Hair &Beauty Bar, lamented what she described as the “poor showing in intra-African trade”.

    According to her, We must begin to look beyond our shores. To the co-organiser of the event and Chief Executive Officer of London-based Compass Consulting, Mrs. Tokunbo Chiedu,  many operators did not appreciate the benefits of collaboration.

    “People are not appreciative of collaboration. This mentality of ‘I just want to be myself, and do it my own way’ is the problem,” she said.

    Mrs. Chiedu’s co-organiser, Mr. Jamie Hill, justified why the conference was organised.

    Hill, the Chief Executive Officer of BtoB Events, London, said: “People are saying that they want to promote their beauty products here. The truth is, Nigeria is full of beautiful resources, and we want to showcase Nigeria not only to West Africa, but also to the whole world. And thanks to Mrs. Chiedu for putting this together”.

    Some beauty professionals canvassed the need for regulation to ensure that quacks were disallowed from operating.

  • Fed Govt, Coderina take robotics coding to schools

    The Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Education (FMoE), has set up a ministerial committee to work with Coderina Education and Technology Foundation on a pilot to introduce robotics, coding and project based learning to all Federal Government schools across the country.

    Already, a number of schools have been selected from across the six geopolitical zones of the country in a bid to ensure that the programme is scaled up along these geopolitical zones.

    Teachers from the selected schools converged on Abuja  for a two-day hands on experiential training.

    The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Arc, Sonny Echono, said: “As we are all aware, ICT has become the driver of competitiveness in the world today. It has redefined efficiency and productivity, and changed the dynamics of the world of work. Coderina is well known in Africa for the advancement of computer science  and STEM  (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) education. There is therefore, no doubt that our partnership will bring great improvements to the education sector and Nigeria as a whole”.

    Coderina’s Relationships and Engagement Director, Mr. Akinniyi Obaide said the teachers have been provided with resources to train students, form teams and bring the teams from Federal Government schools to join others in the annual SAP FIRST LEGO League event.

    “This unprecedented move by the Federal Ministry of Education  underpins a commitment to substantial change within the education sector by the  Education Minister, Adamu Adamu.

    “The vision to reposition the education system, in line with the changing future of work by fostering lifelong learning and promoting skills such as creativity, critical thinking and complex problem-solving are essential for the knowledge economy,” Obaide said.

  • Fed Govt, states, councils share N788.139b as October allocation

    THE Federal, states and local government areas have shared N788.139 billion as revenue allocation that accrued in the month of October.

    But, the gross statutory revenue for the month was N682.161 billion, which was higher than the N569.281 billion received in the previous month by N112.880 billion.

    In a statement yesterday at the end of the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) meeting, Accountant-General of the Federation Ahmed Idris said crude oil export sales increased by 0.82 million barrels, leading to increase in revenue to the federation.

    AGF Idris added: “However, the average unit price dropped further from $75.69 to $73.92.

    “The shut-in and shut down of pipelines at various terminals persisted due to leaks and maintenance.

    “Revenues from oil and gas royalties, petroleum profit tax and value added tax increased significantly while Companies Income Tax, Import and Excise duties increased only marginally.”

    The breakdown of the figures released by the AGF showed that beneficiaries of the statutory allocation for the October disbursements shared N682.161 billion with the Federal Government keeping, N284.396 billion; state governments, N144.249; the 774 local government councils took N111.210 billion.

    However, N58.092 was allocated to the oil mineral producing states under the 13% derivation principles and N84.214 billion was disbursed under the Cost of Collection/Transfers/FIRS refund.

    With regards to the Value Added Tax (VAT) distributions for the month, a total of N105.172 billion was disbursed with the Federal Government receiving N15.145 billion; state governments and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) keeping N50.483 billion and local government councils receiving N35.338 billion. But N4.207 billion was allocated to the Cost of Collection/Transfers/FIRS refund for VAT.

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    The AGF added that N806 million was shared as proceeds of Exchange Gain with the Federal Government receiving N372 million; state governments, N188 million; local government councils N145 million and beneficiaries of the 13% of mineral revenue derivation receiving N101 million.

    He said reports of revenue collection agencies and military pensions were read and adopted, adding that the next FAAC meeting has been fixed for mid-December in Abuja.

    But, FAAC has finally adopted a revenue disclosure template as directed by President Muhammadu Buhari.

    Buhari had given the directive following a bitter face off in June 2018 between the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and other FAAC members, particularly the commissioners of finance over the haphazard disclosure of revenues made to the committee by NNPC.

    As a sign of things to come with the adoption of the revenue template, the revenue into federation account from where the three tiers of government and other beneficiaries draw allocations grew by N112.88 billion.

  • World Bank, Fed Govt spend $9m on community development in Ekiti

    The World Bank, in collaboration with the Federal Government and the Ekiti State government, has spent $9 million on poverty eradication and rural development in the last nine years.

    The General Manager of Ekiti State Community and Social Development Agency (EKSCDA), Mr. Stephen Bamisaye, stated this yesterday at a workshop on partnership building for the maintenance of communities’ micro projects.

    Bamisaye said the huge fund was facilitated into the 133 communities in the state to provide facilities that would be beneficial to the masses at the grassroots.

    The agency chief noted that the prudent management of funds provided by the World Bank, the Federal and state governments earned it accolades from within and outside the state.

    He said: “The Federal Government sourced for $5 million from the World Bank as grants to communities to carry electrification, civic centre, construct bridges and other communal facilities.

    “But because of the way we managed the money, the Federal Government decided to facilitate another $4 million additional financing loan from World Bank for Ekiti to begin another phase.

    “These projects began in 2009 in Ekiti. This workshop is targeted at making the community leaders and associations take ownership of these projects that have been abandoned, they must not be allowed to decay.”

    Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi urged the towns not only to take ownership of the projects but to also key into the developmental strides of his administration to banish poverty.

    The governor, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr. Biodun Oyebanji, regretted that the projects executed through such partnership were abandoned by immediate past government.

    He said: “The World Bank has spent a lot on these projects; we must protect them and make them sustainable. So, EKCSDA must organise the community associations into groups for them to be responsive to the task of making these facilities functional.

    “The four pillars of our government, which border on knowledge economy, human and infrastructural development, rural and agricultural development and health, are designed to make poverty history in our dear state.”

    The lead consultant handling the project, Prof. Olaniyi Okunlola, said the World Bank will continue to support the implementation of community and social development projects at the grassroots for better sustainability.

     

  • Strike: Fed Govt, ASUU peace talks to continue

    A SCHEDULED meeting between the Federal Government and striking varsity teachers’ body, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), ended in a deadlock last night.

    The meeting which started at about 5pm at the Federal Ministry of Education was called to find a lasting solution to the ongoing strike by the lecturers.

    ASUU members embarked on the strike three weeks ago over the poor funding of Nigerian universities and non-implementation of previous agreements by the government.

    The union’s National President, Biodun Ogunyemi, told reporters after the meeting that negotiation was still ongoing and that the parties would reconvene at a later date.

    “All I can say for now is that negotiation continues and the meeting has been adjourned to a later date,” Ogunyemi said.

    The union leader had earlier given the implementation of the 2017 agreement between both parties and the dissolution of the Wale Babalakin –led Federal Government Negotiation Committee as conditions to make the teachers shelve the strike.

    The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Tertiary Education Services, Aminu Suleiman, expressed concern over the lingering ASUU strike during an oversight visit Education Minister Adamu Adamu.

    According to a statement issued by the spokesperson Federal Ministry of Education, Ben Goong, the minister told his guests that the Federal Government was determined to “confine the strikes in education sector to the dustbin of history, adding however that funding remains the greatest obstacle”.

  • Fed Govt goes tough on arbitrary port charges

    Plans are under way by the President Muhammadu Buhari administration to end arbitrary charges at the nation’s sea ports, The Nation has learnt.

    The Federal Government, it was gathered, has finished its study of the various tariffs across ports in West Africa, and determined to ensure that Nigerian ports are competitive compared to its neighbours.

    Speaking with The Nation at the weekend, a senior official of the Federal Ministry of Finance (FMoF), who craved anonimity, said the government was reviewing the concession agreement to make the ports attractive and competitive by eliminating the legion of arbitrary charges importers and their clearing agents are being made to pay by the private terminal operators.

    The President Muhammadu Buhari administration, the official said, was going tough on arbitrary charges based on the economic diversification agenda of the government.

    “Through the on-going review of the concession agreement, the Federal Government was determined to check the excesses of the private terminal operators by ensuring that things like arbitrary tariff by terminal operators will be checked

    “The review of the concession agreement by the government  will further sanitise the sector and enhance smooth operations and clearance of cargo at the ports.

    “Many illegal payments that contribute to making Nigerian ports  non-competitive in the West African region will soon be eradicated and the review will boost the ease of doing business initiative of the government,” the source said.

    The new operations rate as contained in the review agreement, the FMoF official said, cannot be circumvented by the private terminal operators.

    In the proposed review agreement exclusively sighted by The Nation, it is now mandatory for all terminal operators “to use their best efforts to do the following: •develop, market and promote cargo throughput and cargo-related business of the lease property in order to achieve maximum utilisation thereof in a manner that  is consistent with applicable law and prudent industry standards; and • ensure that there is no decline in the standards of the operations; •the lessee shall perform the operations in such a manner as to achieve the performance requirements in the applicable years of the term. •the lessee shall ensure that the operations rates shall be in accordance with applicable laws and competitive within the port and with other competing ports of Nigeria and its neighbours having facilities similar to the lease property.

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    • the lessee shall charge cargo dues and delivery charges for the operations which are not greater than the rates set forth in Section A of Appendix H (the “Operations Rates”) in accordance with the terms and conditions included therein.
    • The lessee shall not make any increases in the operations rates unless agreed to in writing by the parties and any required consents of governmental authorities have been obtained.
    • Value added taxes and other taxes shall be added as required to the accounts rendered to the lessee’s customers.
    • Income from the operations rates shall accrue directly to the lessee without any collection, deduction or set off by the lessor or the regulator.
    • The lessee shall also be allowed to charge for other services rendered but not specified in Appendix H, including but not limited to: terminal handling, inland container depot transfers. storage and for penalties for violation of applicable rules and regulations set down by the lessee.
    • The level of terminal handling charges and inland bonded terminal transfer charges shall not exceed the market rates charged by the shipping agents and the lessor respectively prior to this agreement, and any future-increases shall require the consent of the relevant governmental authorities.

    The Federal Government through the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), the FMoF official said, was coming up with stiffer penalty for any terminal operator that refused to publish it’s operations rates from time to time.

    “Terminal operators shall at all times publish their rates, charges and conditions of the operations as may be  directed by the lessor, the NPA or the regulator, the Nigerian Shippers Council shall make such information immediately available upon request by any person

    “Terminal operators shall afford to all who may request the operations uniform treatment under like conditions and shall not apply discriminatory charges on any person. For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions of this Section shall not prohibit the lessee from granting preferential rates in accordance with the provisions set out in Sub Section (e).

    “lf preferential rates are applied to any customers of the lessee, the lessee shall inform the lessor and if applicable, the regulator in writing of the same. If the lessor can show to the satisfaction of the regulator,  that the preferential rates applied by the lessee are discriminatory, the lessor shall have the right to instruct the lessee to apply such rates to all other similar customers of the lessee using the operations and the lease property.

    “ Other than in circumstances where the lessee charges preferential rates, if the lessee is not able to charge the operations rates and/or other charges referred to in sub-section (b) above to its customers, the lessee shall refer the matter to the regulator for determination of the rates chargeable.

    “ In the event that the lessor or any other governmental authority receives a complaint of discrimination on the part of the lessee, and the regulator, concludes after its investigation of such complaint that there are reasonable grounds for such complaint, then the lessee shall immediately cease and desist from such practices and pay any applicable penalties provided for under applicable law,” he added.

    To complement government efforts  in repositioning the ports for greater efficiency and competitiveness, the FMoF official said there must be synergy between  NPA and the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC).

    The Minister of Transport, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, the official said, must ensure that the NPA, as  the landlord and the Shippers Council, as the Ports Economic Regulator work together for effective enforcement of the provisions of the new concession agreement.

    The FMoF official said the lack of necessary synergy and proper understanding between the two agencies was responsible for the impunity with which the terminal operators are violating the concession agreement.

     

  • Fed Govt committed to PIB passage, says Osinbajo

    The Federal Government has restated its commitment to the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) pending before the National Assembly. It has also assured that at least three modular refineries will begin operation next year.

    Vice President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, who delivered the keynote address at the 18th Biennial International Conference for Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) organised by the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) in Lagos yesterday, said government is committed to passage of PIB in view of its importance to the oil and gas industry.

    Represented by the Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Dr Ibe Kachikwu, the VP said: “No discussion about the future of the oil and gas can be divorced from the PIB, which represents the most ambitious and comprehensive reform in decades of the oil and gas industry in Nigeria. While there have been varied reactions to Mr. President’s recent decision to return the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill (PIGB) to the National Assembly for slight amendments, permit me to state unequivocally that this administration remains fully committed to the passage of the PIGB and we are working closely with the National Assembly to ensure its timely passage. The reforms proposed in the PIGB reflect our collective desire to entrench transparency and sustainability of oil and gas operations in Nigeria to enable the country finally to realise the full potential of her hydrocarbon resources.

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    “Resolving the security challenge in the Niger Delta remains on the front burner for this administration as we seek to create a peaceful business climate. This will attract investors and bring massive development to the oil producing communities.  While the government is fully sensitive to the genuine agitations of the host communities for greater participation in, and control of oil and gas resources, the law and order element to the problem has to be tackled headlong to allow for a peaceful business environment.”

    The Vice President launched three important regulatory documents that have been long awaited by the industry and are aimed at further entrenching health, safety and environment (HSE) best practices in oil and gas industry operations. These regulatory documents are a culmination of the collaborative efforts of the Department of Petroleum Resources, Industry operators and other stakeholders.

    Kachikwu said 10 out of 40 modular refineries licensed have shown signs of progression.

    The minister said he had visited some of those areas and three have begun construction processes and may come on stream later next year or by end of next year.

    He said: “Environmental sustainability is a key component of the Seven Big Wins initiative of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration for the oil and gas industry. With the continuous inflow of statistics from the DPR highlighting the gory state of affairs on gas flaring and the failure of previous efforts to end the menace, this ministry had to come up with new initiatives to truly incentivise the flare-out policy by creating the new National Gas Policy.

     

  • Fed Govt invests over N13.5b in Kaduna social investment programme

    Ahead of next year’s general elections, the Federal Government has said President Muhammadu Buhari is leading the revolutionary of executing the largest social investment programme in Nigeria’s history.

    A statement by the Federal Ministry of Finance said the minister, Mrs Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed, noted that since the inception of the Federal Government’s National Social Investment Programme (NSIP), Kaduna State had benefited over N13.5 billion from it.

    A statement by the Special Adviser to the Minister on Media and Communications, Mr Paul Ella Abechi, said the minister acknowledged that “there is still more grounds to be covered”.

    It said the minister but emphasised that the Federal Government was committed to the programme.

    The statement said Mrs Ahmed spoke at the weekend at the Federal College of Education, Zaria, Kaduna State, during the disbursement of empowerment funds to women of Zone 1 in the state.

    She said: “the Federal Government, through the NSIP, since inception, began implementing a number of programmes targeted at improving the lives of Nigerians, especially the poor and vulnerable members of our society. Kaduna State, fortunately, is a beneficiary of all the interventions that make up the NSIP, with investment exceeding N13.5 billion.

    “There are over 18,000 N-Power volunteers in Kaduna State in addition to 585 N-Power build trainees. For these beneficiaries, we have expended over N4 billion.”

    The NSIP is also addressing the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme, which the government said “has so far reached over 1 million pupils in about 4,000 schools and has created a sustainable means of livelihood for the over 12,000 women engaged as cooks under the programme. On this programme in Kaduna State alone, we have spent, on your behalf, over N8 billion”.

    Another component of the NSIP, the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP), the minister said, “has given about N1 billion to almost 20,000 beneficiaries”.

    She added: “The poorest of the poor have begun benefitting from the National Cash Transfer Programme. In Kaduna State, 10,482 persons have benefitted from a total of N314 million.”

    Mrs Ahmed, who reiterated the need for support from state governments, lauded the efforts of the state government, especially with regards to KADSWEF, which the minister pleaded “is a superb support to our efforts. I have also been informed that the state government has announced the expansion of the fund to N400 million in 2019, N800 million in 2020 and N1 billion subsequently.”

    She added: “This is a lot of investment that, if made and properly utilised by the women beneficiaries, will ensure that a lot of grounds will be covered in our strides towards empowerment of women downtrodden, and small and medium entrepreneurs. To those who are yet to benefit, take solace in the fact that KADSWEF has been announced to be an ongoing and incremental programme. Next year may be your turn.”