The Nation Newspaper

Tag: increased

  • Fed Govt frets over increased gas flaring

    Fed Govt frets over increased gas flaring

    The Ministry of State for Petroleum, Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu yesterday expressed fears that the establishment of modular refineries may increase the rate of gas flaring in the country.

    Kachiukwu, who was represented by his Senior Technical Adviser on Investment, Dr. Tim Okon, stated this during the presentation of the report on: New Nigeria Oil &Gas Framework and Policy  in Abuja,

    Kachikwu however said that the government will control the operations of the refineries.

    “Modular refineries will worsen our flare. We have to use economics of scale. If we have many refineries they will accentuate problems; so  we will have to control them,” he said.

    He said the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNP) will next year call for expression of interest for marginal fields, which will be opened for companies’ participation, saying that prior to the exercise, the marginal field policy would have come into force.

    The NNPC, said the minister, will ensure that the Niger Delta gets micro businesses to engage in as the government is keen about providing a business friendly environment.

    Kachikwu said there will be a critical legislation to make gas independent of government subsidy, which has caused significant loss of revenue from the product.

    He said the government wants to make sure that gas can economically stand on its own, adding that in the new scheme of things, government’s intervention in the petroleum sector will focus on developing entrepreneurs to discourage “sharing money that distorts political discourse and value system.”

    Kachikwu said besides oil, Nigeria is a country with deliverable resources, with an educated and aggressive populace.

    Commenting on the economic state of the nation and taking into cognizance of its potentials, he said: “I imagine what Nigeria could become if we do the right thing.”

    He noted that the essence of the seven big wins is to bring out the latent opportunities in the oil and gas system to take a collaborative responsibility to assist those who really want to become players in the field.

    The minister said the sector had been locked down by interest groups for too long positively or negatively, however time has come to open up the areas that are there.

    He pointed out that  it is now the responsibility of the ministry to assist those that have creative ideas about the industry  to “creates employment and development.”

    He recalled that he announced the concept of project 100 in Houston, which is to identify 100 Nigerians with skills, capacities and enthusiasm for the relevant assistance from government.

  • Centre seeks increased funding

    National Productivity Centre Director-General Kashim Akor has called for increased funding of the centre to make  it actualise its mandate of promoting socio-economic growth and development through productivity improvement.

    He spoke while addressing members of the House of Representatives Committee on Labour, Employment and Productivity, who were on an oversight visit to the centre.

    Akor said the budgetary allocation was inadequate in view of the mandate, programmes and activities designed by the centre to stimulate and promote productivity growth in the economy, as well as engender competitiveness.

    He said the centre’s greatest challenge was low funding from the budgetary allocation over the years, which manifests in the lack of a corporate head office and accumulated debts to landlords, inability to enhance the centre’s human resources capacity through training and retraining,

  • Expert seeks increased FDI in oil palm estates

    Expert seeks increased FDI in oil palm estates

    The Provost, Federal College of Agriculture, Akure,Dr Samson Odedina, has called for increased foreign direct investment in oil palm plantations and estates as such ventures improve local economic opportunity and reduce poverty.

    He said not only does such projects boost the local economies where they operate,but that they drive inclusive economic growth, improve food security and create job opportunities for skilled natives.

    Since workers hired by such companies are offered good incomes, he said this would have   a multiplier effect on the communities by way of improved quality of living.

    He stressed that investment in cash crops agriculture could help lift many out of poverty.

    While location of such agri venture are beneficial,the Provost said promoters should set aside fund to address the need of the local communities.

    He said there should be measures to protect the local communities while steps should be taken to prevent land degradation.

    While yearning for sustainable agricultural development,he said agrobusiness organisations should consider development projects in communities, including empowerment through poverty allieviation programmes,capacity building as wellas environmental protection.

    Interventions,he stressed should impact on livelihoods and enable people earn decent incomes from their agricultural activities.

  • Job creation: ILO seeks increased public funding

    The Director General of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), Mr. Guy Ryder, has said the world urgently requires massive injection of public funding to be able to create massive jobs needed to reduce the global joblessness.

    According to him, about four million jobs could be generated in advanced economies and European Union alone with more public cash injections.

    “There are simply not enough public funds going to employment creation. Even in Organisation for Economic and Co-operation Development (OECD) countries with advanced labour market institutions, only 0.6 per cent of GDP went to promoting active labour market policies in 2011. Almost four million jobs could be created in advanced economies and the EU alone if this figure was doubled,” he said.

    Ryder explained that many youths are neither in employment nor in education, saying this means that countries are not able to create the employment opportunities they need despite having the best educated generation in human history. He also said that fiscal consolidation and weak private consumption have had a negative impact on produc-tion growth, while growing income inequalities, insufficient investment in quality education and training has also affected labour markets.

    “The challenges we face are not just about recovering from the crisis. There are also more long-term, structural challenges ahead, such as the growing urbanisation process, the rapid changes in technology and the threats to the environment. These also have a strong impact on the world of work and deserve our attention,” he said.

  • Pillars get increased match bonuses

    Pillars get increased match bonuses

    SportingLife can report that the management of Kano Pillars has increased its players’ match bonuses.

    The club’s media officer, Idris Malikawa told SportingLife that the management increased their away bonuses from N40,000 to N50,000 while the home bonuses is from N20,000 to N25, 000.

    Malikawa said the management took the decision to appreciate players’ recent fine outing in the ongoing Glo Premier League and to motivate them to do more.

    SportingLife understands that the players received N50, 000 for their 3-2 away win over Gombe United in a Week 12 match in Gombe while the management also paid them the same amount for their 2-0 win over Nasarawa United in Kaduna.

    The Sai Masu Gida was banished to Kaduna by the League Management Company (LMC) following the harassment on match officials by their fans during a league game against Heartland FC in Kano.

    Pillars defeated Nasarawa United 2-0 in a Week 13 league game at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna on Saturday.

    Adamu Hassan and Rabiu Ali’s 25th and 67th minutes goals gave the coach Okey Emordi-tutored side the three points at stake in the match.

    “The management is really impressed with the team’s performance. The increased match bonuses are necessary to motivate the players. They have shown more determination and commitment in their game. They collected N50,000 for the win against Gombe while they received N50,000 for the victory over Nasarawa United too. Although, the Nasarawa United match is our home match but we paid them away bonus because the game was played in Kaduna. Their home bonus is now N25,000. What is required from the team now is maximum concentration and focus,” Malikawa told SportingLife.

    The club’s spokesman also thanked the people of Kaduna State for the support shown to them during their game at the weekend.

    “Kaduna is like home. We received massive support from the home fans, Kaduna State government and the state’s FA. We want to thank everybody for the support.”

    Meanwhile, the management has sympathised with the family of the late Shehu Gusau who died last Friday.

    “It is very difficult to accept that Shehu Gusau has left us. We want to commiserate with Nigeria football family and his immediate family over his death. We pray that God Almighty Allah will grant him Aljana Fridaus. We pray that God will grant his family the fortitude to bear the loss. We will surely miss him.”

  • Delta supports resource control, increased derivation

    Deltans yesterday canvassed varied positions during the public session of the 1999 constitutional review.

    Constituents in Bomadi/Patani demanded for increment of the revenue allocation to 20%.

    They voted against immunity from criminal proceedings against Presidents, Governors and their deputies.

    But they endorsed the immunity of Presidents, Governors and their deputies from civil cases.

    They also backed 50% control of resources by states while other proceeds are paid to the Federation.

    Aniocha/Oshimili constituents supported the amendment of Sections 135 and 180(2) to create a single tenure of six years for the offices of the president and governors and endorsed independent candidacy.

    Bomadi/Patani constituents also endorsed the single tenure idea, but did not set a time limit.

    Both federal constituencies rejected the amendment of section 214(1) to enable the establishment of state police, insisting that state governors should not have control over commissioners of police in the respective states.

    These decisions were, among others, taken in Asaba and Warri respectively at the peoples’ public session on the review of the 1999 Constitution organised by House of Representatives for the constituency.

    They voted for the amendment of Section 8 to remove ambiguities in the process of state creation.

    While constituents of Aniocha/Oshimili federal constituency endorsed the creation of twelve more states across the country, Bomadi/Patani federal constituents rejected the idea of parity among the geo-political zones, advocating that creation of states should be based on merit.

    The Aniocha/Oshimili people supported the creation of three more states in the South-East, one state in the North-West while the South-South, South-West, North-East and North-Central should have additional two states each.

    While Aniocha/Oshimili people supported the insertion of a provision for the office of the president to be rotated between the northern and southern parts of Nigeria, Bomadi/Patani people rejected the insertion of such provision in the Constitution.

    Both federal constituencies supported the insertion of a provision for the rotation to be extended to the six geo-political zones.

    Both federal constituencies threw their weight behind the rotation of the governorship seat between the three senatorial districts of a state.

  • Williams’ sisters advocate increased empowerment for women

    Williams’ sisters advocate increased empowerment for women

    Visiting tennis champions, Venus and Serena Williams, yesterday advocated adequate empowerment of women in Africa. They said the presence of women in eminent positions around the world is a demonstration of the significance role which the female gender can play in the scheme of things.

    The duo, who spoke at a news conference in Lagos, said women have more to offer if they were adequately empowered and motivated to be the best they can be.

    They stated that women empowerment and equal opportunity for the girl-child were dear to their heart, which was why they supported the Breaking The Mould (BTM) initiative, a women’s empowerment programme aimed at advancing the cause of women in Africa.

    They added that they were excited to be in Lagos, which was their first visit to Africa while noting that the tour of Lagos would afford then the opportunity to meet and impact the lives of women and young girls through the BTM initiative.

    Venus, the older of the sisters, said for her, coming to Nigeria in particular was an exciting experience. ‘‘It is exciting to be in Africa. It’s been great to be part of the Breaking The Mould initiative. We look forward to meeting Nigerian women and learn from each other as women have so much to offer’’, she said.

    She said further that they were amazed by the rousing welcome they received from Nigerians, even as she promised that they would thrill the nation when both of them engage each other in an exhibition match tomorrow.

    ‘’We have played so many finals in different places and look forward to playing another final in Nigeria. I don’t know who is going to win between the two of us, but it’s going to be a good match. We feel the excitement all around us and it makes us feel so special, loved and encouraged to do better and win more matches.’’

    Serena explained that the visit was a great opportunity to inspire and motivate women and young persons. ‘‘It is an honour as this is our first visit to Africa and Nigeria in particular. We are more excited because we are here as a family and most importantly, we are here to do something different; to mentor the young women and young kids, and in general to understand ways of breaking the mould’’, she said.

    ‘‘We are here to let them know that, if you have a dream, you can achieve it, and that it is okay to break the mould. We are really honoured and proud to be part of such a great idea. We look forward to playing each other in the presence of our lovely Nigerian fans, who have been following our coming to Nigeria on twitter through their messages.’’

    Accompanied by their mother, Oracene Price, the Williams’ sisters described Africa as a great continent that has produced many great mould breakers, even as they declared that their African descent was never a disadvantage in any way.