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Africa emits less than 1% of global carbon—Osinbajo
Africa emits less than 1% of global carbon—Osinbajo
Carbon
By Chijioke Okoronkwo
Abuja, Sept. 22, 22 Vice President Yemi Osinbajo says African countries account for less than one per cent of cumulative global carbon emissions.
Osinbajo disclosed this in his keynote address at the 60th Anniversary Dinner of the Oil Producers Trade Section (OPTS) of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) on Thursday in Lagos.
The OPTS is a sub group of LCCI, which is the umbrella association of oil and gas companies who have come together to promote their common interests.
Osinbajo, who spoke on the topic: `Nigeria Transitioning to Green Energy,’ said that most hostile impacts of climate change on the continent were triggered by activities of wealthier nations.
The vice president said that most countries including Nigeria agreed that there was need to reduce global emissions to zero in Nigeria’s case by 2060.
“ We are major victims of the effects of climate change, but there are a few important issues that we have flagged to our wealthier brother-countries in the global north.
“The first is that we, in the developing world are faced with two, not one crisis; one is climate change and the other is extreme poverty, the cause and consequence of which is energy poverty.
“Or the fact that lack of access to electricity for millions is a cause of deepening poverty.
“The second is that African countries are the least emitters of carbon today – less than one per cent of cumulative CO2 emissions and even if we triple electricity consumption in African countries (aside from South Africa) solely through the use of natural gas this would add just 0.6 per cent to global emissions.
“So, a lot of the flooding and adverse weather events that we are experiencing here are from emissions caused by the wealthier countries.
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The vice president said thirdly, the defunding of gas projects to force gas rich countries like Nigeria to stop using gas and use renewables instead was faulty.
According to him, the proposals to ban the funding of fossil fuel projects make no distinction between upstream oil and coal exploration and gas power plants for grid balancing.
He said that no economy in the world had been known to use renewables solely to industrialise as solar power simply did not have the base load capacity yet for industry.
“Fourthly, stopping the use of gas means that we cannot use Liquefied Petroleum Gas(LPG) for clean cooking stoves to replace the use of kerosene, firewood and charcoal which are dirtier fuels that are widely used for cooking and other domestic purposes, particularly in the rural areas.
“ The use of firewood means cutting down trees and of course desertification and then the loss of our carbon sinks.
`The fifth is the double standards that wealthier countries have adopted on this issue.
“Today in the wake of the energy crisis, many European nations have made recent announcements to increase or extend their use of coal fired power generation through 2023, and potentially beyond.
“ This is in violation of their climate commitments, and analysis suggests that this will raise power sector emissions of the EU by 4 per cent — a significant amount given the high base denominator of EU emissions.
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Osinbajo said that the sixth and perhaps most crucial point was that Nigeria must take quick and informed actions in its national interest.
He said that the country must take the threat of no investments in fossil fuels including gas seriously.
“For an example, many European and other global North countries are setting aggressive targets for use of electric vehicles and the banning of combustion engine vehicles.
“ Soon there may be only a few countries using combustion engines; it is also evident that while the Russia- Ukrainian war has shown the hypocrisy in not allowing public funding for fossil fuel projects, the wealthier nations are still of the view that this is the correct policy and that even if public funding is to be allowed financing should not go beyond 2035.
“So far our response has been the Energy Transition Plan–a comprehensive, data-driven and evidence-based plan, designed to deal with the twin crises of climate change and energy poverty.
“ We anchored the plan on key objectives, including lifting 100 million people out of poverty in a decade, driving economic growth, bringing modern energy services to the full population and managing the expected long-term job loss in the oil sector due to global decarbonisation,’’ he said.
He said that the plan recognised the role natural gas must play in the short term to facilitate the establishment of base load energy capacity and address the nation’s clean cooking deficit in the form of LPG.
The vice president urged the private sector to step up its participation in the transition to green energy journey.
Earlier in his opening remarks, Dr Micheal-Olawale-Cole, the President, LCCI, said The OPTS was one of the outstanding members of the LCCI.
Represented by LCCI’s Vice President, Mr Gabriel Idohosa, Olawale-Cole said that OPTS had grown into an elite in the industry.
He said that LCCI was happy to lead OPTS’s for the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill and then for the implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act.
The LCCI boss also submitted that fuel subsidy should be removed as it was not sustainable.
The highlight of the event was the handing over of plaques to former chairmen of OPTS by the vice president.
NewsSourceCredit: NAN
The Federal Government says the promise by Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to ‘break the jinx’ in infrastructure financing, if elected president in 2023, is worn.
According to the Federal Government, President Muhammadu Buhari has long done so.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed said this at a media briefing on Thursday in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the minister was reacting to the recent Economic Blueprint unveiled by Atiku, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s presidential candidate in the 2023 elections.
“We state unequivocally, that the worst jinx in infrastructure financing was the PDP administration from 1999 to 2015.
“Indeed, the Buhari administration has long broken that jinx, leveraging on such innovative schemes as the Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF), Sukuk and the Road Infrastructure Tax Credit Scheme (RITCS),” he said
According to the minister, the PIDF is being used to finance the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, 2nd Niger Bridge and the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano road, while Sukuk has delivered a total of 1,881 kilometres of roads between 2017 and 2020.
He said the RITCS was used for the construction and rehabilitation of Lokoja-Obajana-Kabba-Ilorin road, reconstruction of Apapa Wharf road, construction of Apapa-Oworonsoki-Ojota road and the Bonny-Bodo road with bridge).
Mohammed said that the NNPC-funded part of the RITCS was also delivering nine roads in North-Central, three in North-East, two in North-West, two in South-East, three in South-South and two in South-West for a total of 1,804 kilometres of roads.
He said the Buhari administration’s “warm handshake’’ with the private sector had delivered and was delivering an unprecedented number of projects.
The projects according to the minister, included, the 650,000bpd Dangote Refinery, Dangote Fertilizer plant, Lekki Deep Sea Port, BUA Cement, the 5,000bpd Waltersmith Modular Refinery in Imo State and the 2,500bpd Duport Modular Park in Edo.
They also included the 2,000bpd Atlantic Modular Refinery in Bayelsa State; the 12,000bpd Azikel Modular Refinery also in Bayelsa; the five LPG Bottling plants and six LPG depots in 10 northern states and Abuja.
Others are the 48,000 base oil production plant in Rivers and the 10,000 Metric Tonnes Per Day methanol production plant in Bayelsa, just to mention a few.
The minister said the refineries and other projects were the result of a ”warm handshake” between the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board and private sector actors.
On power, the minister said Atiku’s promise to propose legislation to, among others give states the power to generate, transmit and distribute electricity, was also not new.
“It is amazing that His Excellency the former vice president has not heard or read that the Senate has passed the electricity bill 2022 that will allow states to generate and distribute power as well as solve the sector’s challenges,’’ he said.
Mohammed said contrary to Atiku’s position, the Federal Government’s investments in additional generation capacity were not futile and had consideration for the complementary transmission and distribution infrastructure.
He said the Nigeria-Siemens partnership consummated in 2019 to improve “the seemingly-intractable power sector on which the PDP frittered more than 16 billion dollars to procure nothing but darkness would be a game changer.
“The three-phase project will deliver 7,000MW in the first phase, 11,000MW in the second phase and 25,000MW in the third phase.
“This will positively impact job creation, boost investor confidence, accelerate economic growth and reduce cost of doing business.
“For those who may be in doubt, let me say that this project is a game changer.
As you may have read, electricity equipment ordered under the project have started arriving in the country.
“When they are installed, there will be a major improvement in the supply of electricity across the country,’’ he said.
The minister also faulted Atiku on his promise that poverty reduction would be the ‘centerpiece of our economic development agenda’.
He said the Buhari administration’s National Social Investment Programme (NSIP) is unprecedented in impacting the lives of poor Nigerians directly and indirectly and creating jobs, especially for the youths, women and the elderly.
NewsSourceCredit: NAN
Kpler, a leading data and analytics company providing real-time transparency into global commodity markets, will attend and participate in the African Energy Week (AEW) conference and exhibition (www.AECWeek.com), the event largest in Africa for energy.
sector that will take place from 18 to 21 October 2022 in Cape Town, as a bronze sponsor.
As one of the world's leading providers of energy market intelligence aimed at facilitating transparent and efficient trade to meet the changing needs of various regions, Kpler's presence and participation at AEW 2022 will be crucial in shaping the dialogue on trends, the challenges and challenges of the African energy market.
solutions, as well as how developments in the global marketplace are altering the African landscape.
While geopolitical factors, such as conflict and policies related to the energy transition, have had a negative impact on energy security, as well as on Africa's ability to develop its vast oil and gas resources to address growing energy poverty , organizations like Kpler have been and continue to be key in helping the African oil industry.
and gas-producing countries and companies understand and react to market trends.
Since its inception in 2014, the France-based company has been instrumental in maximizing oil and gas production and trading across the continent by supplying state-of-the-art market data collection, analysis and visualization tools to some of the major hydrocarbon companies in the world and in Africa.
such as TotalEnergies, Shell, ExxonMobil and Eni. Recently CITAC, a consulting company specializing in the African energy market, selected Kpler to provide data-driven transparency on the flow of gasoline, diesel, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and fuel oil in the African market.
As a result, the movement of raw materials, including crude oil, liquefied natural gas, and refined petroleum products to, from, and through Africa, has been optimal, helping Africa address its energy demand and improve monetization for income generation.
Now, with Africa seeking to boost the development and exploitation of its estimated 125.3 billion barrels of crude oil and 620 trillion cubic feet of gas to lift more than 600 million people out of energy poverty while accelerating growth In economic terms, the intelligence of organizations like Kpler are vital to maximizing activities throughout the continent's oil and gas value chain.
As a Bronze Sponsor, Kpler's participation in high-level panel discussions and meetings at AEW 2022 will be crucial in providing continental and international energy market stakeholders with the latest market trends, while also highlighting and driving new trends.
opportunities in the upstream, midstream and downstream segments of Africa.
“The Chamber is honored to welcome Kpler to AEW 2022 as a bronze sponsor, where the company will shape conversations on critical topics such as energy transition, energy price, energy demand, supply chain interruptions.
supply and economic growth.
As Africa enters a new era of industry growth thanks to recent large-scale discoveries and accelerated adoption of new technologies, Kpler insights will be key to ensuring efficiency, sustainability and productivity,” says NJ Ayuk, CEO of the African Energy Chamber (AEC).
Under the theme "Exploring and Investing in Africa's Energy Future While Driving an Enabling Environment", AEW 2022 will provide Kpler with access to exclusive networking forums to connect with an array of industry stakeholders.
Hydrocarbons remain a necessary part of the global energy mix.
Unlocking Uganda's fossil fuel resources will help meet its development needs, and even reduce emissions.
With the world now virtually unanimous on the need for more sustainable energy solutions, the idea of exactly what these solutions should be is becoming clearer.
African energy players are pointing out that their countries are at a very different stage of their development journey compared to industrialized nations.
For this reason, meeting the needs of its people while reducing emissions will be completely different in Africa.
The conventional wisdom that hydrocarbons are the worst “dirty energy” solution is inaccurate.
In Uganda, where basic energy needs are often met by cutting down trees, improving access to energy from fossil fuels would reduce the carbon footprint.
Africa's role in global carbon emissions is minuscule.
The Director of Environment, Health, Safety and Security at the Uganda Petroleum Authority, Dr. Joseph Kobusheshe, points out that Africa, the second most populous continent and home to around 20 percent of the world's population, is responsible for only 3 percent of global CO2 emissions.
As a country, Uganda suffers from energy poverty.
In the absence of a large industrial sector and universal access to electricity, most of the country's greenhouse gas emissions are caused by deforestation.
In the decade between 2005 and 2015, the country's carbon emissions nearly doubled from 53 to 90 million tonnes, says Dr. Kobusheshe, with forest degradation and deforestation primarily responsible for the increase.
According to Uganda's first biennial update report 2019 for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Uganda's agriculture, forestry and other land use (AFOLU) sector is responsible for 86% of greenhouse gas emissions.
greenhouse gases (GHG) in the country.
For this reason, Uganda's most effective approach to reducing its carbon emissions is to focus on the use of traditional wood-burning stoves.
The interventions of the Ministry of Water and Environment seek to achieve a 25 percent reduction in GHG emissions by 2030 by replacing conventional stoves with improved stoves.
Interestingly, Dr. Kobusheshe says that further reductions will be achieved by developing the country's oil and gas resources to produce liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).
“The production of LPG from the country's oil and gas resources and its use both in the country and in the region will significantly reduce the reliance on wood fuel, which is responsible for massive deforestation in Uganda,” says Dr. Kobusheshe.
To increase the use of LPG, the Government, through the Ministry of Energy and Mining Development (MEMD), is promoting the collection of LPG to replace firewood and has launched an initiative to distribute one million gas cylinders and accessories LPG in the next five years.
The Minister of Energy and Mining Development, Hon. Ruth Nankabirwa Ssentamu launched the free distribution of LPG cylinders and accessories in July 2022.
The reliance on wood fuel underscores the massive underdevelopment and energy poverty faced by Uganda and many other African nations.
When commercial quantities of oil and gas resources were confirmed in Uganda in 2006, the country seized the opportunity to resolve and get its people and economy out of this trap of underdevelopment.
Uganda plans to commercialize its oil and gas resources in two ways: the development of a 60,000-barrel-per-day refinery at Hoima and a 219,000-barrel-per-day capacity.
Uganda intends to market its oil and gas resources through two channels: the gas resources emanating from the Tilenga and Kingfisher projects.
They produce an estimated total of 1.4 billion barrels of oil.
The East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), as it is known, will also export oil to international markets.
The project has sparked vociferous protests from environmental groups, including one that disrupted TotalEnergies' AGM in Paris earlier this year.
The Government of Uganda, however, insists on its right to commercialize its energy assets for the benefit of its people following the highest environmental standards available.
“EACOP is one of the avenues by which Uganda plans to commercialize its oil and gas resources,” says Clovice Bright Irumba, Director of Exploration, Uganda Petroleum Authority, before asking the question: “Is the world ready for a halt?
fossil fuel exploration and development?
Irumba concludes that the answer is no.
It cites figures from the BP Energy Outlook for 2022, where for net-zero carbon scenarios, the average annual investment in renewable energy is projected at US$500-US$800 billion, while before Covid-19 the average annual investment in renewable energy solar and wind ranged between US$250 and US$300 billion.
"The world is still far from closing that gap by 2050," says Irumba.
Irene Bateebe, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, Uganda, says developing countries must be treated differently and fairly when it comes to energy transition issues.
“We cannot be put on the same scale as developed countries.
It is unrealistic for anyone to expect an African state to move from biomass use to advanced renewable technologies."
“In Uganda, 80 percent of the population uses firewood.
We must be allowed to transit in recognition of where we are today.
For us, it's about fairness regarding access to electricity and other energy sources and fairness,” says Bateebe.
The war in Ukraine has only exacerbated the situation.
Clearly understanding this, global oil and gas companies have expanded development projects across the globe.
The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company announced in May 2022 three new oil discoveries estimated at more than 650 million barrels.
Equinor has announced a new oil discovery in the Barents Sea. The UK's North Sea Transition Authority has identified 33 new oil and gas projects with a target of producing 1.3 billion barrels.
President Biden has issued a large number of oil drilling permits in the United States, but he is still facing an energy crisis.
The global agreement appears that upstream fossil fuel development is vital to meeting the planet's energy needs.
Pipelines are also the accepted means of doing so.
Al Jazeera recently reported that at least 2,381 oil and gas pipelines were operating worldwide in 162 countries.
Of these, the US has the longest pipeline network (91,067 km for oil and 333,366 km for gas), followed by Russia, Canada, and China.
The proposed EACOP pipeline would cover a stretch of 1,433 km, about 0.1 percent of the world's pipeline network.
Pipelines are an accepted method of transporting the hydrocarbons still needed to meet the world's energy needs.
Stringent environmental and safety standards now protect communities and minimize weather and other mining operations.
Uganda Upstream proposes to minimize environmental impact by drilling up to 15 wells from a single well pad and by equipping buried pipelines with leak detectors and valves to automatically shut down in the event of anomalies.
No flaring or venting of oil or gas will be permitted during normal operations.
In general, projects fall into the "low emission" category.
“The government has put in place a strong political, legal and institutional framework, along with a compliance monitoring and enforcement framework to ensure that oil and gas activities co-exist with the environment and social well-being of communities,” he writes.
Dr Kobusheshe.
Perhaps ironically, the oil and gas industry appears to be part of the solution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Uganda.
While the EACOP project has drawn the ire of environmentalists, the country remains committed to unlocking the same bounty of hydrocarbons that meets the needs of other countries.
Many emerging African energy players perceive this spirit of responsible energy sovereignty.
The sector meets in October at the Africa Oil Week. “Until renewables become more efficient, reliable and affordable to provide the necessary energy security, the world is not yet ready to stop fossil fuel exploration and development,” says Dr. Kobusheshe.
The Federal Government on Tuesday inaugurated the Governing Council of the Midstream and Downstream Gas Infrastructure Fund (MDGIF).
Chief Timipre Sylva, Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, inaugurated the nine-member council, in Abuja, to fix the critical missing link in government’s effort to develop the gas sector
He charged members to work seriously to mobilise funds for the provision of critical infrastructure for the gas industry.
Sylva, according to a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Communications, Horatious Egua, said the inauguration showed President Muhammadu Buhari’s commitment to reposition the energy sector.
“It will drive economic development and prosperity for our people, our nation and value to our partners, in accordance with the Petroleum Industry Act 2021 (PIA),” he added.
In March 2021, President Buhari declared Jan. 1, 2021 to Dec. 31, 2030 as “The Decade of Gas Development for Nigeria”, primarily to set the road map towards a gas-powered economy by 2030.
Sylva said that the Federal Government had put in place several programmes towards achieving the decade of gas initiatives and developing huge gas potentials of Nigeria
He, however, said that the missing link was the absence of the basic gas infrastructure to help realise the objectives.
The minister said a key cause of poor gas production, gas flaring and low domestic gas utilisation was the gas infrastructure deficit in the country.
“It is estimated that more than 20 billion dollars yearly will be required over the next ten years to bridge these gaps,” he said.
According to him, the fund, established under Section 52 of the PIA, resides as a Directorate in the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
As a Directorate within the Authority, the minister said the fund would be expected to benefit from its internal reporting, operational and organisational processes.
He added that in accordance with the PIA, 2021, the council would supervise and make investment decisions for the fund.
Section 52 (3) of the PIA provides for the Governing Council to supervise and make investment decisions for the Fund.
Sylva urged the members of the Council to take urgent steps to bring gas infrastructure closer to the people to enable them benefit from government policy in this regard.
“There is an urgent need to focus on the major strategic plans and key initiatives to enable government set a clear trajectory to achieving the noble objectives of establishing the fund,” he said.
Terms of reference for the Council include identifying critical and relevant stakeholders that can increase domestic utilisation of natural gas, LPG and Auto gas.
They also include developing a roadmap for transforming gas to a value addition product in Nigeria.
The Council has the Minister of State Petroleum Resources as Chairman and the Executive Director MDGIF as chief executive officer.
Other members of the Council include Dr Scholastica Nnaji representing the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN); Mr Victor Omata representing Federal Ministry of Finance; and Farouk Ahmed, Chief Executive, NMDPRA.
NewsSourceCredit: NAN
Sen.Tijani Kaura, Managing Director, Oil and Gas Free Zones Authority(OGFZA), has announced plans to create more oil and gas free zones in the country to boost the nation’s economy and generate employment as well as revenue.
This is contained in a statement issued by Mr Golda Ukomadu, Assistant General Manager, Corporate Communications, OGFZA,to the News Agency of Nigeriaon Saturday in Abuja.
Ukomadu said the new OGFZA boss spoke during his week-long working visit to oil and gas free zones in Rivers and Akwa Ibom.
Kaura tasked staff of OGFA on the need to be tactical in pursuing its set objectives,saying the goal of the authority was to attract more foreign investments into the country.
He assured that Liberty and Brass Oil and Gas Free Zones (LOGFZA) would take off soon with conducive environment and global best practices that would enhance ease of doing business for operators in the free zone.
According to him, the multiple gas downstream projects in LOGFZA will generate employment for Nigerians, as well as attract Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) into the country.
Kaura commended LOGFZA and the management of free zone enterprises for the level of preliminary work done on construction of access roads into the zone, as well as the jetty and navigation channel to the sea.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Liberty Oil and Gas Free Zone, which was established by a Presidential Declaration in 2020, would position the country as the destination for future downstream investments in the oil and gas industry.
The Liberty Oil and Gas Free Zone, which cuts across six local council areas in Akwa Ibom, is also the largest in West Africa with a landmass measuring 50,215 hectares.
LOGFZ has been granted licenses of free zone enterprises for gas downstream projects like LPG, LNG, Fertiliser, Ports and Jetties.
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NewsSourceCredit: NAN
The international energy and infrastructure conglomerate, Sahara Group, has confirmed its presence and participation as a platinum sponsor at the African Energy Week (AEW) (www.AECWeek.com) 2022 conference and exhibition, Africa's largest event for the energy sector that will take place from October 18 to 21 in Cape Town. Representing one of the global companies driving development across Africa's energy value chain, Sahara Energy's participation as a platinum sponsor is crucial in shaping the dialogue on the challenges, opportunities and outlook of the energy sector.
of the continent and its role in promoting socioeconomic development.
With a strong upstream presence in Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Ghana, Sahara Group's upstream division continues to lead exploration, production and infrastructure development in Africa.
Sahara Group's goal of increasing current energy production from 10,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd) to 100,000 bpd in the next five years is a strong testament to the company's commitment to play a key role in maximizing production and exploitation.
of the continent's oil and gas resources to tackle growing energy poverty and boost industrial growth.
In this regard, Sahara Group is well positioned, as a Platinum Sponsor, to drive AEW 2022 discussions around the challenges and opportunities associated with Africa's upstream oil and gas sector while providing an update on the operations of the company.
Meanwhile, Sahara Group's midstream division is one of Africa's leading oil trading companies.
The company trades an average of 80 million barrels of crude oil and four million metric tons of refined products, owns 76,000 cubic meters of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) ships, as well as holdings.
in some of the main refineries on the continent, including the Societe Ivorienne de Raffinage in Côte d'Ivoire and the Societe Africaine de Raffinage in Senegal.
With Africa's gas market headed for a boom with major discoveries and infrastructure developments in both emerging and established markets such as Nigeria, where Sahara Group already has a strong presence, the company is mobilizing to drive the landscape through partnerships with national oil companies and regulators such as the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation with respect to the production, marketing and transportation of LPG and liquefied natural gas.
In the downstream sector, Sahara Group is one of the most active companies in Africa thanks to its participation in the acquisition, storage and distribution of energy in Ghana, Tanzania, Zambia, Kenya, Senegal and Nigeria, while in the energy sector , the group represents one of the largest energy generation and distribution companies in sub-Saharan Africa, with a portfolio of five generation plants producing 1.8 GW of capacity and powering more than one million homes.
Sahara Group's commitment to providing world-class solutions in the energy, oil and gas markets makes the company an important and trusted partner for Africa as the continent seeks to maximize the development of national resources to diversify the energy mix.
for energy security, affordability and sustainability.
.
“The Chamber is honored to welcome Sahara Group as a platinum sponsor, an energy market champion that continues to challenge barriers to growth in Africa's energy industry.
Through Sahara Group's various energy operations, Africa's overall energy sector is headed for strong growth and this is what discussions at AEW 2022 will focus on,” said NJ Ayuk, CEO of AEC.
As a platinum sponsor of AEW 2022, Sahara Group will participate in high-level meetings and panel discussions on energy investment, access and security, while also promoting the company's future growth plans as well as its role in making the energy poverty will be history across the continent by 2030.
The Federal Government has advised households in Ebonyi to switch from using “dirty” fuels, such as kerosene and firewoods, to the Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG).
Mr Dayo Adeshina, the Programme Manager of the National LPG Expansion Implementation Plan, gave the advice on Thursday in Abakaliki during a two-day sensitisation and awareness campaign in the state.
Adeshina said that Ebonyi was one of the 12 pilot states selected for the programme.
According to him, the Federal Government plans to capture over 30 million households in the switch from dirty fuels to LPG.
“This sensitisation is important so that citizens of these pilot states can effectively assimilate the message.
“We are targeting the state governments, LPG industry stakeholders and the people,” he said.
Adeshina said that the Federal Government realised that for the switch to be effective, certain interventions must be provided to actualise desired goals.
“People who cut trees for firewood and use kerosene should have cylinders and stoves, if they should switch to LPG.
“The Federal Government has pledged to inject between five to ten million cylinders within one year and this is very encouraging.
“We are also considering factors which cause increase in the price of the product and decide to domestic the process by encouraging local production.
“There should be reduction in export from some corresponding producers as the Nigerian Liquified Natural Gas Ltd. has applied to domesticate production.
“There are ongoing discussions with several independent producers as the focus in the past was exportation but is presently domestication,” Adeshina said.
In a remark , Gov. David Umahi thanked the Office of the Vice President, which coordinates the programme, for selecting Ebonyi as one of the 12 pilot states.
Umahi, represented by his Deputy, Dr Kelechi Igwe, expressed the hope that the programme would help check the rate of mortality traceable to the use of dirty fuels.
“Household pollution has been blamed for chronic heart diseases, such as stroke, ischaemic heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer, amongst others.
“The LPG, apart from providing clean cooking fuel for households, preventing avoidable deaths, among others, is a panacea for boosting the nation’s economy, which is in urgent need for diversification,” the governor said.
He expressed the state government’s readiness to identify with the campaign because of its health and economic benefits and saving the ecosystem from further depletion.
“I have noted with keen interest, the expected outcome of the LPG expansion programme which would ensure massive job and expanding our Gross Domestic Product through skills transfer,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that participants were tutored on ways of achieving the desired switch to LPG in the state.
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NewsSourceCredit: NAN
International energy and infrastructure conglomerate, Sahara Energy, has confirmed its presence and participation as a platinum sponsor at the African Energy Week (AEW) (AECWeek.com) 2022 conference and exhibition, Africa's largest event for the energy sector to take place from 18 – 21 October in Cape Town. Representing one of the global companies driving development across Africa's energy value chain, Sahara Energy's participation as a platinum sponsor is crucial in shaping the dialogue on the challenges, opportunities and outlook of the energy sector.
of the continent and its role in promoting socioeconomic development.
With a strong upstream presence in Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Ghana, Sahara Energy continues to lead exploration, production and infrastructure development in Africa.
Sahara Energy's goal of increasing current energy production from 10,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd) to 100,000 bpd in the next five years is a strong testament to the company's commitment to play a key role in maximizing production and exploitation of the continent's oil and gas resources to address growing energy poverty and fuel industrial growth.
In this regard, Sahara Energy is well positioned, as a Platinum Sponsor, to drive AEW 2022 discussions around the challenges and opportunities associated with Africa's upstream oil and gas sector while providing an update on the operations of the company.
Meanwhile, in the midstream sector, Sahara Energy is one of Africa's leading oil trading companies.
The company trades an average of 80 million barrels of crude oil and four million metric tons of refined products, owns 76,000 cubic meters of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) vessels as well as stakes in some of the continent's main refineries, including the Societe Ivorienne de Raffinage in Côte d'Ivoire and the Societe Africaine de Raffinage in Senegal.
With Africa's gas market headed for a boom with major discoveries and infrastructure developments in both emerging and established markets such as Nigeria, where Sahara Energy already has a strong presence, the company is mobilizing to drive the landscape through partnerships with national oil companies and regulators such as the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation with respect to the production, marketing and transportation of LPG and liquefied natural gas.
In the downstream sector, Sahara Energy is one of the most active companies in Africa through its participation in the acquisition, storage and distribution of energy in Ghana, Tanzania, Zambia, Kenya, Senegal and Nigeria, while in the electricity sector, The company represents one of the largest power generation and distribution companies in sub-Saharan Africa, with a portfolio of five generation plants producing 1.8 GW of capacity and powering more than one million homes.
Sahara Energy's commitment to providing world-class solutions in the energy, oil and gas markets makes the company an important and trusted partner for Africa as the continent seeks to maximize the development of national resources to diversify the energy mix.
for energy security, affordability and sustainability.
.
“We are delighted to host Sahara Energy at the Africa Energy Week in Cape Town. This is an energy market champion that continues to challenge barriers to growth in Africa's energy industry.
Sahara Energy is already creating hundreds of jobs and revitalizing entire communities in Africa."
stated NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the ACS.
“Through Sahara Energy's various energy operations, Africa's overall energy sector is headed for strong growth and this is what AEW 2022 discussions will focus on,” Ayuk concluded.
As a platinum sponsor of AEW 2022, Sahara Energy will participate in high-level meetings and panels.
discussions on energy investment, access and security, while promoting the company's future growth plans, as well as its role in making energy poverty history across the continent by 2030.
The Group Managing Director of Access Bank Plc., Mr Roosevelt Ogbonna, has enjoined corporate entities to embrace technology, to stay afloat in the increasingly competitive market place.
Delivering a keynote address at the unveiling of an app, known as “Cydene Express’’ in Lagos on Wednesday, Ogbonna said that corporate entities failing to keep pace with technology and innovations would go into extinction sooner than later.
Ogbonna said that technology had caused disruptions in markets across the globe, a development he said, had resulted to untimely deaths for many corporate entities.
“Globally, disruptions have become the order of the day and technology is at the heart of that disruption, therefore, any entity that fails to shape up will naturally ship out.
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He lauded Mr Skalid Obi, the software developer, who built the “Cydene Express’’ app for inventing a software that would help thousands of Nigerian homes to ensure efficient use of household utilities.
“Mr Obi and his team at Cydene Energy Services have thrown up a challenge to other Nigerian youths to bring change through the creation of innovative technologies and ideas.
The Access Bank chief described the new app as a value-added platform that would give easy access to utilities and services in Nigeria.
Also speaking, the Executive Vice-Chairman of Techno Oil Ltd., Mrs Nkechi Obi, praised the software developer for his tenacity and commitment to bridging the gap in delivering utility services to households.
She, however, told the Federal Government and corporate entities to find ways to encourage young Nigerians to embrace innovations and technologies that would contribute to nation growth.
Earlier, Skalid, who is also the Chief Executive Officer of Cydene Energy Services, said that the company developed “Cydene Express’’, to boost the adoption of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) among Nigerian households.
He said that the company was prompted to develop the app, to bridge the gap in accessing and paying for household utilities from the comfort of homes.
“At Cydene Energy, we have built a socially inclusive app that can accommodate Nigerians.
With this app, Nigerians can now securely purchase utilities while maintaining comfort and maximizing productivity.
“We realised the need to own the management system in other to understand the logistics of delivering services from merchants to consumers.
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He said that with the introduction of the app, the Federal Government’s effort to boost LPG adoption as cooking fuel via the National LPG Expansion Plan would receive a boost.
A Director of Cydene Energy Services, Mr Sam Ochonma, said that the app was also handy in making payments for other utilities such as airtime, cable television and electricity bills.
He explained that users could send money to friends and families to pay for utilities, using the app.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that up to 10,000 Nigerian households have embraced the app for efficient use of household utilities.
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NewsSourceCredit: NAN
