The Nation Newspaper

Tag: sharing

  • ‘PIB delaying production sharing contracts review’

    The non passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) has been identified as the sole reason delaying the review of the Production Sharing Contracts (PSCs) with oil companies, Managing partner, J.O Adidi and Co., John Adidi, has said.

    The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), in a recent study, revealed that Nigeria had lost no less than $16 billion, over a 10-year period (2008–2017), due to non-review of the 1993 production sharing contracts (PSCs) with oil companies.

    The PSC was introduced in 1993 to address some of the issues faced by the Joint Operating Agreement (JOA) and to provide a suitable agreement structure to encourage foreign investment in offshore acreage. Under the PSCs, the NNPC is the holder of the business while the international oil company (IOC) is the contractor. In 1993 the NNPC entered into PSCs with eight IOCs and Nigeria is believed to have attracted much needed additional foreign investment.

    According to NEITI, between 1998 and 2005, total production from PSC assets was below 100,000,000 barrels per year, while Joint Venture (JV) companies produced over 650,000,000 barrels per year. By 2017, total production by PSC companies was 305,800,000 barrels, which was 44.32 per cent of total production. Total production by JV companies was 212,850,000 barrels, representing 30.84per cent of total production.

    The development, according to NEITI, therefore, calls for an urgent review of the PSCs to stop the huge revenue losses to Nigeria.

    NEITI added that such a review was important for the country because oil production from PSCs has surpassed production from JVs as productions from PSCs contribute the largest share to the nation’s income.

    Adidi, who described it as part of the regulatory issues that have been pending, said provisions in the law had prescribed that if crude oil price rises above a certain level the production sharing contracts is supposed to be revisited

    He told The Nation on telephone that Nigeria was supposed to get more revenue when the oil price goes up, adding that oil price had never gone below $20. He expressed concern that oil price had always gone up in the past years and Nigeria had not taken advantage of that.

    He recalled when the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill (PIGB) came up everybody expressed excitement because it was a compilation of laws that would take care of the PSCs and similar issues, but unfortunately the PIGB up till now is still in the works. “So, the plan was to have a collection of laws for the whole industry through the PIB, but nobody envisaged that the bill by now would not have been approved,” he added.

    According to him, if the PIGB had been approved every issue concerning the PSCs would have been settled. “Unfortunately, we are approaching the 9th Assembly. The 8th Assembly was unable to pass the PIB and they are coming to the end of their tenure by May. There’s no way the bill can be passed in the next two months.

    “We have to be realistic, what the 8th Assembly could not do in three years and 10months they will not be able to achieve in two months.

    “So, what it means is that the 9th Assembly will start all over again because there will be new members, who don’t know what the PIB is even all about, they need to be educated, and they need to follow the process.

    “It’s unfortunate that we don’t tackle some of these issues speedily as a nation and since oil still remains the mainstay of the nation. It’s even a shock that those in authority are not patriotic enough to do this in the national interest. It will continue to affect us, we are the ones losing,” he noted.

    Adidi said the multinational oil companies would not tell Nigeria to review the agreement when they know they will pay more. “It’s our duty as a nation to revisit the contract and bring out issues that needed to be reviewed and approach our partners to review the clauses in the PSCs and the country will benefit,” he said.

    It would be recalled that the PIGB that was passed, but the president disagreed with some provisions in the bill and it has remained unsigned.

    The nineth Assembly, Adidi explained, would have to start from square one, noting that it will be inaugurated sometime in June after the President’s swearing in.

    “I don’t see the nineth Assembly taking position to be able to visit the PIGB until may be around August, at the earliest. Also, as we speak, the budget of 2019 has not been approved. To me, that should be the main thrust of the remaining period of the eighth Assembly. Let them do everything possible to approve the budget. From the fillers we are getting they are not even thinking of approving the budget, their session may even end without approving the 2019 budget. Recall, the 2018 budget was approved in June, ‘so if it’s going to be approved in June that means the tenure of the 8th Assembly would have been over,” he said.

    According to Adidi, this is one major reason foreign investors are scared away. “The level of uncertainty was so high and there are markets where there are certainties, the rules are there and you can project into the future,” he said.

    National Assembly Petroleum Upstream Committee Vice Chairman, Senator Gershom Bassey, who also spoke on telephone, agreed that the oil price benchmark had exceeded $20 several times in the past years, but unfortunately nobody has reviewed it. He said the issue was brought on the floor of the House and there was a committee looking into it, adding that some of these things were covered in the upcoming petroleum industry fiscal bill despite the problems and delays in the whole PIB.

  • Aisha Buhari tasks Nigerians on sharing

    The wife of the president, Mrs. Aisha Buhari, has tasked well-to-do Nigerians to imbibe virtue of sharing. Speaking at the 10th anniversary of the Emmanuel Umohinyang Foundation in Lagos, she said sharing and assisting the poor in solving their problems promotes good neighbourliness. Mrs. Buhari who was represented by her brother Usman Halilu, therefore tasked Nigerians who have the resources to embrace the virtue.

    She praised the Emmanuel Umohinyang Foundation for finding it worthy to spare a thought for the poor especially at this time. According to her, this in view of the fact that the world will be a better place if the rich see giving as a call to duty. Mr. Umohinyang whose foundation gave out several items including bags of rice, chairs, musical instruments scholarships, air conditioner among others, said the initiative gives him great joy.

    “You need to see the impact the first lady, Mrs Aisha Buhari is making through her future assured programme across the country. If you visit Yola, you will marvel at the medical facility built by the organization for the less privileged. I like to serve people. I am always happy to give to the poor and I assure you that we shall try to do more next year,” he assured.

     

  • Dino Melaye and culture of sharing

    After a critical examination of Dino Menaye’s interview in The Punch of November 6, titled, ‘selling my cars will not end recession, I have ordered for more’, in which he talked extensively about his goals in politics, the future of our youths, his wealth and weakness for cars, one cannot but come to the sad conclusion that we are probably expecting Melaye and all those below the age of 50 in charge of our affairs to give what they don’t have.  He, like many of his age, is a victim of military internal colonization that derailed our political socialization process which was replaced with a ‘‘culture of sharing’ of spoils of war after victory. The fault is not in them but in their stars.

    It was not a surprise therefore that Melaye in the said interview first celebrated in full measures his successes  measured  only in terms of his collection of luxurious cars which social media listed as including  a Lamborghini, Porsche and a Rolls Royce estimated to cost $450,000 (N89.5) million and, a new 2015 slingshot . Of course he also added a number of Abuja houses he claimed to have built before his inauguration as senator.

    Neither was it a surprise that when he was asked about his goals in politics, he without much reflection said he was “in politics to make sure that the youths of this country get their fair share in power sharing and resources of this country”.  He momentarily forgot we live in the same world where  John Kennedy,  the 35th President of United States once asked the American youths not to ask for what America can do for them but what they can do for their country, and that Kennedy’s forbearers, ( Thomas Jefferson  33, Alexander Hamilton 21 and James Madison 25) jointly put together The federalists and Democratic Republicans, the precursor of today’s Republicans and Democratic parties as modernizing agents before their declaration  of  Independence in 1776.

    Neither did Melaye, 42, obsessed with luxury cars remember that when NEPU was formed in 1950 by eight  young Hausa-speaking radicals, Aminu Kano was only 30 and Sa’adu Zungur 37;  that when AG  was formed on April 25, 1951with its motto  “unity through federation” and freedom for all”, Bode Thomas was 32, Williams 31, Awo 42 and Ajasin 43 and that when  (Jam’iyyar Mutanem Arewa,), Northern People’s Congress(NPC) was inaugurated in September 1951, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa the chief motivator was 39, Ahmadu Bello 41, Dr R A B Dikko 39,  and Yahaya Gusau  36.  Perhaps it will humble Melaye if he understands that some of these youths who put the nation before self had the opportunity of enjoying life to the fullest if they chose to. Thomas, William and Aminu Kano were children of aristocrats of their time. In fact Aminu Kano had to resign from government job in Sokoto to nurse the young party in Kano in order to differentiate it from other parties whose sponsors according to him only wanted power.

    Almost 70 years after Nigerian youths dedicated themselves to building political parties as modernizing agents while others wrote books about ‘Path to Nigeria Greatness’, Melaye when asked why he decided to sacrifice the interest of the party to please Saraki his friend, said “the party to me is just a vehicle for winning elections because no political party in this country is ideologically based”. We don’t need to search far as to why Saraki and Melaye saw nothing immoral in dumping the then sinking PDP after using it as platform to win election for APC just as they saw nothing wrong in trading off the victory of APC for Senate Presidency.

    Melaye who as an indigent student rose to become student union leader and later NANS president at ABU all of which influenced his appointment as a special assistant on youths, a position that gave him a breakthrough into national politics did not ascribe his sudden rise politically to hard work but says “I give all honour, glory and adoration to the Almighty God who has supreme control over the universe. I want to believe that God is the ultimate reason for where I am today”. That may well have been true. But telling his story of grass to grace and acknowledging the intervention of those God sent to open ways for him would have made more positive impact on our disillusioned youths.

    And as for the source of is stupendous wealth at such a young age, all he had to say was “”I am a transparent Nigerian”   adding ‘For a man who buys very expensive cars with his name labelled on the number plate, it is enough to tell you that he is clean’; The houses I have in this city (Abuja), I acquired before being sworn in as a senator. Hard work pays and the Holy Book says God shall supply my needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. My source of wealth is heavenly, my purse is divine and it won’t dry up.’

    Again, almost 70 years after our youths made a clear distinction between service to God and service to state which yielded a bountiful harvest, Melaye and his other military ‘new breed’ politicians for whom sharing is the prevailing value, want our youths to accept the way to a secured and prosperous future is through prosperity prophets and Muslim clerics that promise miracles and break-through. They conveniently ignore God’s admonition that we must live by our sweats.

    Beyond fighting corruption, I think government must also now embark on a battle to let our youths appreciate the value of sacrifice and hard work while pointing out to them  the real threat to their future include   the military created ‘new breed’ politicians who after fraudulently confiscating our national assets embarked on asset stripping, derailed the  rural electrification programme, executed the theft of N1.6 trillion fuel subsidy scam and periodically masterminded budget padding.

    Sensitization of our youths has become more pressing because Nigerians are no more shocked that the ‘culture of sharing’ has become the prevailing value among our new generation of leaders. Vice President Osinbajo recently observed that in other societies, the idea of Generals, journalists and politicians sharing billions meant for arms at period soldiers were unable to defend their barracks let alone stop the mindless killing of innocent Nigerians by Boko Haram insurgency, would have forced people to the street in protest. Not even the alleged confession of a former Minister of Defence that he ‘misapplied’ funds earmarked for arms to rig election in Ekiti and Osun states has attracted a whimper from students.

  • Sharing love at Modupe Cole

    Sharing love at Modupe Cole

    It was a bright day and members of the Inner Wheel Club of Matori, clad in blue and yellow, also looked very bright. In line with the objectives of the organisation, they had come to extend the milk of kindness to the inmates of the Modupe Cole Memorial Home located in Akoka, Yaba area of Lagos.

    With a joyful heart, they gave out food items as well as spent time with the inmates sharing love, smiles and a listening hear.

    Care givers were also available to talk about the mission of the home, some of their challenges, as well as how to give the inmates good care and attention. Their focus, basically, is providing care and services for those mentally and physically challenged and over the years many lives have been changed for the better.

    While some of the children attend the school from home, others are in residence. Despite their challenges, these students have excelled in skills and talents and are running with it.

    For Tina Adesola Oladipo, President of the Matori Club. “It is with deep feeling of appreciation, joy and fulfilment to have you all here on this occasion that also doubles as the visit of our amiable district chairman, I.W. M. Yinka Ayanwale, which is happening on the day of our first project of the year. The theme for the year is Unique and United.”

    She continued: “Our project for the year consists of a visit to late Modupe Cole Home for the handicap, which is happening today. Secondly, we also plan a programme called Walk for Life slated for February 2016. The programme is an outreach education project to enlighten the communities on dangers of cholera and how it can be prevented. The third programme comes up in May 2016 and it is an empowerment programme for widows in the communities.”

    Oladipo added that “One other focus for the incoming year is the formation of new clubs and we are already working in this area. Matori Club meetings started way back in July 25th, 1985 with just a few members and has steadily grown over the years. With humility and deep sense of fulfilment, we must highlight here that the first National Rep in Africa is from this club, in the person of IWM Grace Oluremi Omotosho, who has been a sweet mother, indeed.”

  • Sharing a teacher’s joy

    Sharing a teacher’s joy

    Success indeed has many relatives.  On Monday, when I set my eyes on Mrs Nkemdilim Roseline Obi, I thought she looked familiar.  She was walking to the podium after being named the best teacher in Anambra State by the Maltina Teacher of the Year panel of judges when I caught the side of her face.  She looked like one of my seniors in secondary school.  I was so sure she was the senior that I approached the principal of her school, Federal Government Girls’ College, Onitsha, who happened to have taught at my alma mater, Federal Government Girls’ College, Benin while I was there, to ask if she was indeed the one.  Mrs Enonnuya said no.  But I was not convinced.  I had to find out from her myself.

    So, I moved around the grand ballroom of the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, venue of the event, looking for the delectable Nkem (She looked so young that calling her Mrs Obi makes me feel like I am piling years on her).  I did not find her at first.  I had to go back to my seat and watch closely to note where she sat after she was called again as one of the top 10 finalists.  When I was sure of where she was, I walked up to her table and sat by her.  By the time I saw her close, I knew I had been mistaken about her being my senior.  Nonetheless, I did not come this far to say, ‘sorry, you are not the one’.  I introduced myself, asked where she schooled, and told her of my error.  With nothing more to discuss at that moment, I wished her the best and left.

    As the event progressed, some journalists on my table tipped her for the prize.  I did not want to be so forward but I hoped in my heart she would be.  When she was announced winner, I screamed, jumped, cheered, and went close to the podium to hug my former teacher, now principal of her school.  Anyone would have thought that she was my sister, or friend or colleague or former school mate.  I was so happy.

    Well, the confidence the journalists reposed in her was adequately rewarded when she spoke about winning the award.  We were impressed that without a speech, she spoke so well.

    I was also impressed by her story.  She has taught for 12 years – 10 as a PTA teacher.  Those who are familiar with unity schools know that because the Federal Government “can no longer do it alone”, parents in the 104 colleges now employ teachers to fill gaps in the teaching cadre.  The schools have large populations but the staff strength is not commensurate with the number of pupils.  In some schools, the PTA employs over 50 teachers.  Since their salaries are drawn from the PTA levies paid each term, the take-home package is not fantastic compared to teachers employed by the Federal Civil Service Commission.  Mrs Obi told me the highest she earned as a PTA teacher for 10 years was N24,000.  Yet, she was committed and gave her best.  When she spoke to journalists about her attitude to work, she said she made efforts to make Chemistry and Mathematics real to her pupils.

    “If you teach without your teaching materials, you would not be able to have deep learning in the students. What they would be doing is memorization of facts. But when I teach, I bring in the teaching materials so that they would be able to see what happens in the real life,” she said.

    Coming from a teacher who was not well paid yet served for 10 years, I was humbled.  I went to bed with a prayer that the Almighty should grant me the grace to pay the price of diligence like Nkemdilim so I can one day be recognised like her.

  • Raging battle over revenue sharing formula

    Raging battle over revenue sharing formula

    To pundits, the revenue sharing formula remains a hotly debated issue as opinions are divided that many states of the federation are being shortchanged by the system in the disbursement of the national cake. Ibrahim Apekhade Yusuf with agency reports examine the thorny issue

    It is anybody’s guess why revenue sharing by states of the federation has remained a very hotly debated issue.

    Reason: it’s all about politics of money: who gets what, when and how.

    Crux of the matter

    The battle for equitable revenue sharing formula has remained a recurring decimal as state governments from resource rich-states, especially oil producing states, have continued to raise their voice above the din as to why they should get the huge chunk of the pie considering the fact that they are the major revenue earner for the country.

    Interestingly, some of the states in the Niger Delta region became favoured in the scheme of things as the Federal Government succumbed to the agitation for a better deal.

    But then, this led to more agitations by other regions, especially the north, with cries of marginalisation everywhere.

    The contentious revenue sharing formula

    The contentious revenue sharing formula and derivation principle remain one thorny issue that has remained unresolved.

    Expectedly, the same controversy reared its ugly head recently at the National Conference in Abuja, with splinter groups emerging at different camps.

    Observers say that the deadlock tends to reinforce the widespread notion that the country’s leaders are more interested in sharing the national cake than in baking the cake.

    The recommendation that pitched the country’s geopolitical zones against each other was the increase of derivation percentage, payable to mineral producing states and the stabilisation, rehabilitation and reconstruction fund, proposed for areas affected by terrorism and insurgency.

    To tackle the ensuing crisis situation, the Conference’s Chairman, Justice Idris Kutigi, summoned a meeting of the chairmen of the 20 standing committees and their deputies.

    Yet, the delegates failed to conclude voting on the recommendations of the Devolution of Power Committee, led by former Gov. Victor Attah of Akwa Ibom and former Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Coomasie; following sharp disagreements between delegates from the northern and southern parts of the country.

    To resolve the stalemate, a committee was set up and the committee recommended the increase of the derivation percentage from 13 per cent to 18 per cent.

    The committee also proposed that 50 per cent of the proceeds from the 18-per-cent derivation must go directly to communities where the mineral resources are extracted.

    The committee, headed by Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, also recommended the establishment of a National Intervention Fund, which shall be five per cent of the annual revenue of the Federal Government, for the stabilisation, rehabilitation and reconstruction of areas affected by terrorism and insurgency.

    The fund would be used for the North-East, in the first instance, and other parts of the country eventually.

    Three out of the 37 members of the elders’ committee did not endorse the report.

    Delegates from South-South, South-East and South-West geopolitical zones kicked against the intervention fund, insisting that “if there must be a fund of that nature; it must be set up for the entire country and not for a section of the country or the North alone.”

    Coomasie, a member of the Elders’ Committee, said that the committee failed to reach a consensus on the issue.

    “I am one of the delegates from the North involved in the discussion on derivation, and I want to say that we had discussions which ended in a stalemate,” he added.

    However, Chief Olu Falae, a member of the committee, said that the committee reached a consensus, while Chief Raymond Dokpesi, another member of the committee concurred, saying that the recommendations were agreed upon on principle.

    He said that the bone of contention was whether the committee should include the North-West and North-Central geopolitical zones in the areas affected by the insurgency.

    “All the Southern leaders, North-Central leaders made sacrifices, but there are some people who never wanted this conference to succeed and these people were the ones shouting today,” Dokpesi said.

    The impasse was not resolved on Monday, Feb. 14, when the delegates resumed plenary, compelling the conference to recommend that “government should set up a technical committee to determine appropriate percentages on the three issues and advise government accordingly.”

    There were, however, mixed reactions about the inability of the national conference to resolve the issue of revenue sharing via consensus.

    Senator Anietie Okon, a delegate from Akwa Ibom, said: “We are merely postponing what will come to pass. There is no question about the fact that we are in fiscal federalism and the basic principles of fiscal federalism are that there will be resource ownership and that attribution will be to those states which own the resources.

    “We have a reverse arrangement of federalism here; states own the resources but the Federal Government collects revenue on their behalf and begins to allocate funds.

    “We have a situation where a lot of states don’t contribute anything to the Federation Account. Now, what we are trying to do is to engineer a situation where revenue contribution to the national treasury will be widespread.”

    On his part, Chief Sola Ebiseni, a delegate from Ondo State, faulted the decision of the conference to refer decision on the matter to the government, saying that it shirked its responsibility.

    “As far as I am concerned, there was no decision taken today. What we did today was simply to abdicate our responsibility by throwing the issue back at Mr President, who sent us here to assist in proffering solutions to some of our national challenges.

    “What we fully failed to appreciate about what a national conference is that it is an extra-constitutional assembly of the people convened to critically examine all the issues that were pushed to us in a federation like ours, where we have to constantly review the terms of our national engagement as a country.

    “We now come to the tail end of considering a critical issue and then, we say we couldn’t take a decision and push it back to the President. That is a crafty way of maintaining the status quo and refusing to talk about it,” Ebiseni added.

    Analysts say that the derivation principle has always been a thorny issue in the country, describing the recent development at the National Conference as a mere replication of what happened at the 1995 Constitutional Conference.

    The current 13 per cent derivation for oil producing communities was agreed upon at the 1995 Constitution Conference, after a heated debate and threats from the mineral producing areas.

    All the same, concerned citizens advise state governments to exploit other sources of revenue, instead of depending solely on monthly allocations from the Federation Account for their survival.

    They insist that the current bickering at the National Conference would have been minimised if the states have been able to boost their internal revenue generation sources.

    Commenting on the impasse at the National Conference, Mr Issa Aremu, the Vice-President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), urged the delegates to refrain from taking hard-line positions on the country’s revenue sharing formula.

    Aremu, who is also a delegate, said that the impasse could have been avoided if the delegates allowed patriotism to replace parochial sentiments, while allowing national solidarity and cooperation for development to supersede unhealthy competition.

    “Delegates must look beyond the divisive revenue sharing formula to arrive at all-inclusive revenue growing/production formulae.

    “The truth of the matter is that we must grow this economy before revenue can be shared.

    “Oil and gas, which constitute the base of the derivation principle, is weak due to oil theft and relatively low exploration.

    “The challenge for delegates, including myself, therefore, lies in not just sharing what is not enough, but in growing what will be enough to build prosperity for our people.

    “We must complement distributive approach with production component to fiscal federalism,” he noted.

    Diversification as an option

    Apparently piqued by the rigmarole over the appropriate revenue sharing formula, Chief Elias Mbam, the Chairman of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), emphasised the need for all the states to reduce their dependence on monthly allocations from the Federation Account.

    Mbam, who spoke at a zonal workshop organised by RMAFC on “Economic Diversification and Enhanced Revenue Generation for the South-South Zone” in Asaba in 2012, also underscored the need for Nigeria to reduce its over-dependence on oil revenue.

    He stressed that the goals of development programmes such as the Vision 20-2020 and the Transformation Agenda of the Federal Government could only be attained via the adoption of effective economic diversification strategies which could provide steady, sustainable sources of revenue.

    He, nonetheless, urged the three tiers of government and the private sector to make pragmatic efforts to exploit the vast natural resources which abound in all parts of the country.

    He also noted that tangible emphasis should be placed on the development of the agriculture, manufacturing, solid minerals and tourism sectors, stressing that the sectors held the key to Nigeria’s economic prosperity.

    Besides, Mbam stressed that challenges facing the country such as poverty, unemployment and insecurity, could be effectively tackled via the diversification of the economy to expand access to extra resources for the development of basic infrastructure and provision of vital social services.

    Experts therefore urge the federal, state and local governments to adopt sound economic proposals, particularly those that would enable them to diversify their revenue sources and depend less on monthly allocations from the Federation Account.

    Recipe for a vibrant revenue portfolio

    At a public forum in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state capital, recently, Dr. Casimir Anyawu, a Commissioner at the Revenue Mobilisation and Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) noted that “The nation’s hope to become an economic super power come 2020 will continue to be a pipe dream if infrastructural inadequacies are not urgently addressed.  A Marshall Plan must immediately be designed for power, water, roads, railway etc. The problem of the “Generator Cartel” must be squarely addressed.  A ban on further importation of gen sets must be explored, if in the national interest. Leakages and wastages in current tax revenue collections must be plugged.”

    The RMAFC, he stressed, “must pay closer attention to the operations of the FIRS and the Department of the Customs.  The law requires that this be done. Revisit the policy on the Ban on some Used Products and make the initiative work in the national interest towards increasing the revenue base. The policy on revenue generated by MDAs is woeful.  It needs total re-examination.  The current model is prone to sharp and corrupt practices.

    “RMAFC must come to the rescue of LGAs from the stranglehold of State Governments.  Rural Nigeria cannot develop to the extent that allocations meant for that purpose are high jacked by State Governments. We must return to basics.  There is urgent need for a Marshall Plan for Agriculture, Solid Minerals, Manufacturing and Tourism.

    “Nigeria must learn from the Asian Tigers.  The key to their success is massive investment in Education, Science and Technology.  We must get our priorities right. Inconsistency in policy formulation and lack of continuity of programmes have resulted in undue waste of our national wealth.  Policy summersaults should be kept to a minimum.”

  • Knowledge-sharing today

    Today at 9pm, FUTA will host a Technology Knowledge Sharing Programme (TKSP). The event tagged: “Geology and mineral deposits in the Nigerian flank of the Chad Basin: Implication for hydrocarbon potential for sustainable development”, is an initiative of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), the event will feature experts delivering papers on related key issues.