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Tag: US

  • US, Nigeria collaborate on infrastructure financing

    US, Nigeria collaborate on infrastructure financing

    Nigeria and the United States are exploring options to leverage on President Barack Obama’s $14billion investment pledge in Africa for an effective financing structure for infrastructure in Nigeria.

    The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Olusegun Aganga, and the US Commerce Secretary, Penny Pritzker, agreed during a bilateral meeting at the just-concluded US-Africa Summit, that increased investment in infrastructure would further improve the Nigerian business environment, adding that Obama’s focus on power was particularly encouraging.

    While both countries agreed to work on the financial structure for infrastructure within the next few weeks, Pritzer noted that US companies were eager to do business in Nigeria due to the ongoing reforms in critical sectors, adding that they could also leverage on the US export assistance facilities in existence around the country.

    Aganga, who spoke to reporters in Washington DC, during the Summit, said, besides the investment commitments and The Memorandum of Understandings that were signed during the summit, most investors agreed that Nigeria has the most robust, clear and friendly policies on power, which other African countries should try to emulate.

    He said, “This means we already have an enabling environment that will encourage more investors to come and invest in the sector. In fact, what these investors were saying was that many of our sectoral policies, which we have put in place already have encouraged them to come and invest in Nigeria.

  • US drug agency lifts hold on experimental drug

    US drug agency lifts hold on experimental drug

    The United State of  America (USA) health The move could clear the way for its use in patients infected with the deadly virus. The drug is produced by a Canadian drug company, Tekmira Pharmaceuticals Corp.

    The company has a $140 million contract with the U.S. government to develop its drug, TKM-Ebola, which targets the genetic material of Ebola. But last month, the FDA halted a small study of the injection in adults to request additional safety information.

    Tekmira said on Thursday the agency “verbally confirmed” changes to the hold that may allow the company to make the drug available, although it has yet to be proven as safe and effective.

    The  Tekmira Ebola drug is different from ZMapp used in treating two Americans diagnosed with Ebola recently.

    The FDA’s move came  amid an Ebola outbreak in West Africa that health officials warn could sicken more people than all previous outbreaks of the disease combined. More than 1,700 people have been sickened in the current outbreak, which began in March.

    Currently, there are no licensed drugs or vaccines for the deadly disease. Several are in various stages of development, but none has been rigorously tested in humans.

  • Van Gaal to decide on squad after US tour

    Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal said he will make a final judgement on his squad at the conclusion of the United States tour.

    Van Gaal vowed to give every player a chance to prove their worth before adding to the arrivals of Ander Herrera and Luke Shaw ahead of United’s Premier League opener against Swansea City on August 16.

    The Dutchman has stuck to his word, utilising the entire 26-man travelling squad in the four consecutive wins against the Los Angeles Galaxy, Roma, Inter and Real Madrid in the USA.

    Speaking in the lead up to Monday’s International Champions Cup final against rivals Liverpool in Miami, Van Gaal said he was close to making a decision with Marouane Fellaini, Javier Hernandez, Shinji Kagawa and Wilfried Zaha facing uncertain futures at Old Trafford.

    “I shall make judgements. After this tour I shall make judgements because I let all the players play and I know now more than before the tour,” Van Gaal told reporters.

  • Why injured Sturridge heads home from US

    Striker Daniel Sturridge returned to Liverpool due to a hamstring injury which manager Brendan Rodgers described as “nothing major”.

    The Premier League side claimed a 2-0 win over Milan in Charlotte on Saturday as they reached the International Champions Cup final.

    Sturridge sat out the clash due to a hamstring injury, and the England international headed back to the United Kingdom.

    Rodgers said he expected the 24-year-old to be fit for the clash against Borussia Dortmund on August 10.

    “Dan has flown back to the UK,” the Northern Irishman said.

    “He wasn’t going to be ready for the game on Monday – but there’s no concern there, he’ll be ready for Borussia Dortmund at the weekend.

    “It was just best to get him back early, back to the training ground so he could get some treatment there.

    “He had a really, really slight feeling in his hamstring. It’s nothing major.”

  • Group mobilises for protest in US against Jonathan

    Group mobilises for protest in US against Jonathan

    A group yesterday called on Nigerians in Diaspora to prepare for a protest against President Goodluck Jonathan in Washington DC.

    The Executive Director, Gatekeepers Foundation, Blessing Agbomhere, made the call in a statement in Abuja.

    Agbomhere said the protest became necessary due to the inability of the  Jonathan’s administration to secure the lives and property of Nigerians.

    He said the protest was meant to demand immediate rescue of the over 200 girls in Boko Haram’s captivity since April and the recovery of the $20billion oil revenue unaccounted for by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

    The statement, entitled: “President Goodluck’s visit to the US: A call for massive protests”, reads in part: “This is calling on all patriotic Nigerians and Gatekeepers Foundation Volunteers in the United State of America with committed interest in the growth and development of our country to come out enmasse to protest rallies holding in Washington DC to demand that President Goodluck Jonathan Bring Back Our Girls Alive and bring back our US$20billion or resign.

    “The protest has become necessary as a result of the insincerity of the Jonathan-led government in providing security of lives and property in the country, while deliberately perpetuating and protecting corruption and corrupt government officials.

    “Therefore, we call on Nigerians in Diaspora, especially in the US, to come out with their placards to occupy the streets of Washington DC until President Goodluck is ready to Bring Back Our Girls Alive and Our US$20 Billion or resign.”

  • #BringBackOurGirls US Coalition Position Statement

    We demand action not mere talk: end the killings, stop Boko Haram, rescue our girls

    The Nigerian diaspora in the United States is distressed by the mess that our homeland has become in the last few years.  We are profoundly troubled that more than two months after nearly three hundred high school girls were kidnapped in Chibok, Borno State, the government has demonstrated nothing but gross incompetence, poor military strategy and utter disregard for the families of the girls. They have carried on as if the lives of these young Nigerians do not matter.

    What is the life of a Nigerian worth?  What does government exist for, if not primarily for the welfare and protection of the lives of its citizens?  3.3 million Nigerians have become internally displaced as a result of the Boko Haram insurgence in the last five years making the refugee situation in the country worse than those of Iraq and Afghanistan combined.

    As members of the Nigerian diaspora in the United States, we are disturbed and angry about these conditions in our homeland. Nigeria is now a killing field where scores of innocent citizens are murdered everyday.  An Abuja-based journalist, recently told a US news network, “All you need to ask is how many [people] were killed today and not was there an attack because there [is] always… one.”

    We are distressed that efforts by the Nigerian government to rescue the girls have been cosmetic at best.  The ruling party has invested more quality time in strategizing over elections than in solving the acute crises of insecurity in the country. Rather than taking real and meaningful action the government has attacked citizens exercising their human rights by protesting about the poor security situation in Nigeria.

    In light of all of this, we, a coalition of Nigerians living in the United States hereby make the following demands:

    We demand that the Nigerian government be more transparent about the search and rescue efforts, to date and moving forward, for the Chibok girls.

    We demand that certain politicians from the region where the Chibok community is, who have confessed knowing the movements of these girls and ‘powerful’ Nigerians alleged to be working with Boko Haram be thoroughly questioned.

  • N20.8b U.S-backed power project coming

    N20.8b U.S-backed power project coming

    The United States (U.S) Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. James P. Entwistle, at the weekend in Abuja said work on a new N20.8 billion power project in Nigeria will begin this month.

    The ambassador spoke in Abuja on America’s 238th National Day celebration.

    He said the 450 megawatts (MW) project is part of President Barack Obama’s “Power Africa” programme.

    The project, Entwistle explained, is in support of Nigeria’s infrastructural development.

    He said: “Our U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has a strong presence in and incredible commitment to Nigeria. From agriculture to infrastructure, our development experts are hard at work, partnering your government to produce sustainable, Nigerian-led solutions to the development challenges you face. One particular highlight is President Obama’s ‘Power Africa’ programme, which already is attracting private sector investment that will result in power capacity and generation for Nigeria’s electricity grid.

    “A great example of this is the Azura Energy Project. With USAID backing and support, $130 million in venture capital was raised. The construction is slated to start this month and will add 450 MW of power to Nigeria’s electricity grid when it is completed.

    “This project underlines that development is no longer just a government-to-government activity and that the role of the private sector is key. That’s why I’m delighted that some of the most well known U.S. companies are active here in Nigeria.”

    On the 2015 elections, the ambassador said the U.S was committed to helping Nigeria achieve free, fair and credible elections.

    “We’re also deeply committed to helping you ensure that your elections, particularly the national ones in 2015, are free, fair, peaceful, and credible. We work closely with your Independent National Electoral Commission to ensure that the process is transparent, well monitored, and secure. Safeguarding and strengthening democracy is difficult work.  But the recent Ekiti elections were an excellent example of what happens when all players—the government, citizens, security forces, and political parties—commit  to ensuring respect for the electoral process and for one another.”

    Entsistle added: “As you’ve probably seen, I and the rest of the U.S. Mission team in Nigeria have been speaking out about the importance of non-violent elections, and we will continue to do so. Once again, I urge all parties and candidates to publicly commit themselves now to not condoning, urging or fomenting violence before, during or after the elections next year.

    “I want to close by emphasising how optimistic I am about Nigeria. Since I arrived last November, I’ve been privileged to travel throughout the South, the Middle Belt and the North, and I’m constantly impressed by the resiliency and ingenuity of the Nigerian people. I’ve met farmers, herders, activists, politicians, pastors, imams and students.

    “I’m struck by how much more unites them than separates them. They all want to participate in a strong, active democracy. They all want better roads, better schools and more access to basic services, such as clean water and electricity. They want more economic opportunity for themselves and their families…”

  • ‘US, biggest oil producer  after overtaking Saudi’

    The US has  overtaken Saudi Arabia and Russia to become the world’s biggest producer of oil as extraction of energy from shale rock strengthens the nation’s economy,according to  Bank of America Corporation.

    U.S. production of crude oil, along with liquids separated from natural gas, surpassed all other countries this year with daily output exceeding 11 million barrels in the first quarter, the bank said in a report  yesterday.

    It  became the world’s largest natural gas producer in 2010. The International Energy Agency said in June that the U.S. was the biggest producer of oil and natural gas liquids.

    “America is now the world’s leading producer of oil and gas,” Francisco Blanch, the bank’s head of commodities research in New York, said in the report. “The American shale revolution has had a transformational effect on the U.S. and global economies in recent years. Low energy prices are a key edge of the U.S. economy.”

    Oil extraction is soaring at shale formations in Texas and North Dakota as companies split apart rocks using high-pressure liquid, a process known as hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. The surge in supply combined with restrictions on exporting crude is curbing the price of West Texas Intermediate, America’s oil benchmark. The U.S., the world’s largest oil consumer, still imported an average of 7.5 million barrels a day of crude in April, according to the Department of Energy’s statistical arm.

    U.S. oil output will surge to 13.1 million barrels a day in 2019 and plateau thereafter, according to the IEA, a Paris-based adviser to 29 energy-consuming nations. The nation will lose its top-producer ranking at the start of the 2030s, the agency said in its World Energy Outlook in November.

    Production growth outside the U.S. has been lower than the bank anticipated, keeping global oil prices high, Blanch said. Partly as a result of the output boom, WTI futures on the New York Mercantile Exchange remain at a discount of about $7 a barrel to their European counterpart, the Brent contract on ICE Futures Europe’s London-based exchange.

    Rising U.S. oil supplies come as an Islamist insurgency threatens output in Iraq, the second-largest producer in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries after Saudi Arabia. Territorial gains in northern Iraq by a group calling itself the Islamic State has spurred concerns that oil flows from the south could be disrupted. Exports from Libya have been disrupted by protests, while Nigeria’s production is crimped by oil theft and sabotage.

  • General Motors CEO to face US Congress

    General Motors chief executive Mary Barra is set to appear once more in front of US lawmakers.

    Ms Barra appeared in Washington  11 weeks ago, but questions have lingered over the car giant’s botched recall procedures.

    She is expected to face intense questioning from lawmakers over GM’s handling of the safety scandal.

    The firm’s failure to recall car models with faulty ignition switches has been linked to at least 13 deaths.

    In prepared testimony, Ms Barra said the firm accepted a “brutally tough and deeply troubling” report into why the carmaker failed to issue a recall or safety notice earlier, after the problems had been reported nearly ten years ago.

    She promised that changes had been made at the firm, and that those responsible for failing to report the problem had been disciplined or fired.

    The report – which was carried out by former US Attorney Anton Valukas – exonerated Ms Barra and other top executives, saying that lower level employees failed to alert them to the safety issue.

    Many lawmakers have expressed scepticism that Ms Barra, who was head of product development for a period before rising to leadership, remained unaware of the problem with the switches.

    The hearing comes days after GM announced another recall of three million cars.

    Safety actions have cost GM a total of $2bilion (£1.2bllion) this year.

    That includes the $35million the car maker was fined by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for its failures to report the safety defect. That was the maximum amount allowed under US law.

  • Anti-terrorism: US okays 22 terminals

    Anti-terrorism: US okays 22 terminals

    The United States (US) has given 22 Nigerian terminals with anti-terrorism measures a clean bill of health.

    Vessels from those ports have a right of entry into the US.

    The US, however, imposed Conditions of Entry (COE) on vessels originating from other terminals which are yet to comply with the International Ships and Ports Facility Security (ISPS) Code.

    Most of the terminals concessioned to private operators in 2006 were cleared by the US Coast Guard and exempted from the COE.

    The cleared terminals include APM Terminals Apapa, Port and Cargo Handling Services (PTM), Apapa Bulk Terminal Limited, Greenview Development Nigeria Limited, Tin Can Island Container Terminal (TICT), ENL Consortium and West Africa Container Terminal (WACT).

    Most of the terminals that are yet to upgrade their security measures are oil jetties and terminals.

    In a statement, the US Embassy said the affected vessels need to meet certain security measures before entering its ports.

    It said: “The US Coast Guard has worked cooperatively with the Government of Nigeria to identify and address port security deficiencies observed during assessments of numerous facilities during the past six years.

    “Based on these assessments, it has determined that Nigerian ports have not fully implemented the provisions of the International Ship and Port Security (ISPS) Code, the primary international security standard, and do not have effective anti-terrorism measures in place.

    “Twenty-two Nigerian port facilities have demonstrated effective anti-terrorism measures and will not be subject to additional security precautions.

    “The COE are not trade sanctions and do not ban Nigerian ships from entering US ports. It does require ships, however, to take certain additional security-related measures while at non-exempt Nigerian port facilities, which will be verified by US Coast Guard port security personnel prior to entering US ports.”