This was the message at the 2022 Christmas concert held at the Catholic Church of the Assumption, Falomo, Ikoyi, Lagos at the weekend. The concert was held to mark a triple celebration of 10 years of Episcopal Enthronement of Archbishop Alfred Martins, 10 years of Anthony Cardinal Okogie as Emeritus Archbishop, and 60+2 Years of the Catholic Church of the Assumption-Falomo parish.

Archbishop of the Metropolitan See of Lagos, Most Rev. Dr. Alfred Martins, in his message at the concert said, “We are here today to celebrate a Christmas concert, the 62nd anniversary of the parish and the 10th anniversary of my predecessor’s retirement and of my assumption of office, so this makes this celebration unique.”

As the country moves into the election year 2023, Archbishop Martins said, “Certainly one thing that we must all do, all Christians and indeed all people of goodwill, is to pray for guidance in choosing the right leaders to lead us at different levels. Our situation in the country is such that without the help of God, we certainly are incapable of doing it by ourselves.”

He insisted that “citizens should deliberately listen keenly and with a critical mind to what politicians have to say and, even seek to know what is behind whatever it is they are saying. We must try and discern it because we need to really be well informed in order to be able to choose the right persons to lead us at this critical time of the country.”

He also called for full participation in the electoral process, getting one’s voter’s card while urging INEC to ensure that the cards are well distributed to ensure that Nigerians carry out their civic duties in this regard.

Looking at the security situation of the country, Archbishop Martins said “we charge President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure the assurances given in regards to the election to be free and fair without interference. We hope that he will ensure that happens by making sure that the security agencies are thoroughly prepared and that they carry out their duties without any fear or favour. 

“Also, the politicians themselves should recognise that if they throw up chaos, it is not going to affect the people alone; it will also affect them and their chances. It will affect the well-being of the nation, and therefore all of us just need to be equitable in our perspective,” the cleric added.

The Catholic Church of the Assumption Parish Priest, Very Rev. Fr. Francis Ike added that “today is all about the spirit of Christmas, a time to listen, sing, reflect, pray and sit back and share pleasantries and relax.”

He pointed out that the concert gathering is not just a carol but much more than a carol, calling for love and peace to reign in the country. He explained that “we should build a country where we see one another as brothers and sisters, where someone from the north can relate freely with someone from the south, and someone from the east can also relate freely with a person from the West.”

The Christmas concert committee chair, Dame Marie Fatayi-Williams stated that “usually, we do a Christmas carol in the church, but this year we have three major celebrations, as the Catholic Church of Assumption Falomo parish, Lagos clocks 62 years.

“We are also privileged to be able to celebrate 10 years of Episcopal Enthronement of Archbishop Alfred Martins, and 10 years of Anthony Cardinal Okogie as Emeritus Archbishop,” she added. 

Dame Fatayi-Williams noted that the Parish could not celebrate its 60th anniversary due to COVID-19 pandemic. According to her, “Jesus Christ is the reason for the season, urging us to leave no one behind but to recognise our interconnectedness in the love of God, love of man and love of creation.”

Going into the New Year, Fatayi-Williams said “we are going into an election year and we should seek for reconciliation, forgiveness and peace. Those are the messages that will be forever preached.”

She explained that “we can restore peace and harmony back by embarking on actions of simple lifestyle changes as a family both at home and in the church to restore harmony to creation. We can all go ‘green’ by giving someone a tree seedling as a gift, and planting more trees to celebrate Christmas and other landmarks.”

She further called for the reuse and recycling of plastic, proper disposal of refuse, energy conservation and avoiding indiscriminate dumping of waste, saying that, “We as a family and parish resolve to sign up to the Laudato Si Action Platform (LSAP) to save the planet -the Earth- our Common Home”

A lot of performances featured at the Christmas concert. These included a glorious performance by Francesca Chiejina, a Nigerian-American classical and opera singer, the host choir, the Sanctuary choir of Ikoyi Baptist church, the Elites Chorale, the Playhouse Voices amongst other parish groups rendering glorious compositions to praise the King of Kings.

Then Archbishop Adewale Martins concluded by saying “This has been a fantastic evening and only Jesus could have made this possible” He then prayed over, blessed and turned on the lights to the imposing Christmas Tree.

The post Christmas: Preach Love, Pray for Divine Guidance on Leadership, Nigerians Urged appeared first on Business News in Nigeria.

Since their wedding two years ago, 19-year-old Aisha, who lives in Farin Shinge in Niger State, has been subjected to abuse at the hands of her husband, Musa. However, her spouse is not the only one who abuses her; her in-laws do as well.

According to the World Health Organization, Aisha is one of the 30% of women worldwide who have suffered violence of any kind. The vast majority of this violence against women is intimate partner abuse.

In Nigeria, one in four women report having ever been abused by an intimate partner. 

Abuse by in-laws

In northern Nigeria, especially among Muslims, most marriages are arranged by families. A marriage is, therefore, not just between two people but also between two families. As a result, women are expected to put up with abuse out of concern for the reputation of both families.

In essence, the man’s family has the power to expel his wife whenever they see fit.

“Yes, I also get beaten up by my mother-in-law. One time, when the food I cooked was overly salty, she kicked and punched me while holding my hair and twisting my hand backwards. When she beats me up, Musa never says anything, Aisha recalled as tears welled up in her eyes.”

 “Normally I wouldn’t respond, but one day I was so furious that I did. My spouse severely beat me speaking back at his other. He also kept calling me names and using foul language. My sister-in-law just sat and watched.

Aisha further lamented that her husband never accepts her account of what transpires between his family and her.

“He mostly listens to his mother and would do as she tells him. That is how my marriage has been.”

Strict cultural and patriarchal norms

Sadly, there are instances where abused women are coerced by their relatives to stay with their abusers. Aisha’s parents always made her make up, go back to her husband and in-laws’ house, and stay married.

Women are under pressure to reconcile with abusive husbands as a result of the stigma attached to divorce and the societal belief that the husband is the only source of security. The only option that these cultural pressures, which come from all directions, give abused women is usually to force themselves to reconcile with abusive husbands.

“Even if I go to my parents, they would tell me that a woman only earns respect when she stays in her husband’s home and not her parents’. Wherever my husband is, I must be. It is where I rightfully belong,” Aisha laments.

Her parents had her get married even though she wanted to finish her schooling. As soon as she finished high school, she was married off.

“I’m even fortunate. Some of my friends never had the opportunity to learn as much as I have. At the age of 14 or 15, they were married.”

For the sake of the children

In some cases, the children’s welfare was a motivating factor in the compulsion to make amends with an abusive husband. Some women are compelled to make amends with their abusers out of a desire to protect their children. Women have given in to coercion in various instances because of this.

Aisha described how she was informed, for instance, that if she left, their daughter would be left without a home and a father figure because only her husband could do that.

“What will you do on your own? What other options exist going forward? Her mother had questioned, “Can you give your daughter a home, or fatherly love?”

Regrettably, some children from these kinds of homes experience the same levels of abuse, neglect, and are used as pawns by their parents. In many situations, the children are used as tools to threaten and harass themothers.

The fallouts of abuse

Aisha revealed that one of her friends often has suicidal thoughts related to physical abuse she endures at the hands of her in-laws.

“She told me that she would kill herself. Her in-laws beat her and no one is there to stop them. So, she thinks it’s better to die than to bear all these,” Aisha revealed.

For women like Aisha and her friend, the stigmatization of accessing the legal system in Nigeria, the long tedious process of court orders, and an utter lack of financial means, leaves abused women in helpless situations.

Overwhelmed by her situation’s hopelessness, Aisha detests her family for their complicity in her plight.

The fallouts of abuse

Aisha revealed that one of her friends was suicidal on occasion as a result of the physical abuse from her in-laws subject.

“She told me she was going to kill herself. Nobody intervened when her in-laws abused her,” Aisha explained.

Women who have experienced abuse, like Aisha and her companion, find themselves in hopeless positions as a result of the shame attached to using the Nigerian legal system, the drawn-out and lengthy procedure of obtaining court orders, and a complete lack of financial resources.

Aisha despises her parents and husband for being complicit in her predicament and is frustrated by the futility of her situation.

She is, unfortunately, not alone in not knowing that the Matrimonial Causes Act specifically specifies the refusal to enter into a forced marriage as a ground for a null marriage.

What is the way forward for abused women?

For women not to be humiliated, ashamed, or blamed for reporting abuse, a holistic strategy must be employed.

Thankfully, community-based non-profit organizations like Youths in Justice Health and Sustainable Social Inclusion (YIJHSSI) in Niger State regularly hold community sensitization programs targeted at healthcare workers and government officials on how to respond to domestic abuse.

However, as stated by Shedrack Muazu, the Team Lead of YIJHSSI, “similar capacity-building activities need to be duplicated at a much bigger scale across Niger State and Nigeria. For abuse victims to receive assistance, social workers must take part in spreading awareness about domestic violence in the community AND engage in lobbying at the policy level for women who are left behind by their spouses.”

Healthcare providers, in the opinion of Joana Mathew, a Kontagora-based medical professional, should do more to assist abuse victims who are courageous enough to seek medical help.

“Women, particularly young brides, need to be sensitized on how to approach institutions like police and courts that can effectively address violence against women,” Mathew added.

The post Keeping It In The Family: The Abusive Husband And In-laws appeared first on Business News in Nigeria.

He died after a brief illness at an Abuja hospital at the age of 70.

Below are a few things you should know about Charles Dokubo

• The deceased was born in Abonnema, Akuku Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State on the 23rd of March 1952.
• He had his primary and Secondary School education in Abonnema.
• Dokubo did his ‘A’ levels at Huddersfield Technical College in West Yorkshire. From 1978-1980, Dokubo was admitted to the University of Teesside at Middlesbrough, where he undertook a course in modern History and politics and was awarded a BA [Hons] at the University of Bradford.
• He completed his Masters Degree in Peace Studies, before continuing his doctoral degree in Nuclear Weapon Proliferation and its control.
• In 1985, he was awarded his doctoral degree in the same University of Bradford.
• He was later appointed a temporary lecturer in the department before proceeding to Nigeria in 1993.

The post PROFILE: What You Should Know About The Late Charles Dokubo appeared first on Business News in Nigeria.

With the erring ways of several unrepentant church leaders who try to resist those amongst them who are truth seekers like ‘Nicodemuses’ and ‘Josephs of Arimatheas’, it is still with a hopeful heart that I write this ‘opinion’ post to the leaders in the church…that the church in Nigeria may recognise its hour of visitation from the Lord.

Salvation smiles upon the land – and a repentant Church must be made to partake in that salvation. The Church must regain its light and therefore illuminate the path of restoration for the country. Without the light of the church, every nation walks on in darkness.

However, I see shepherds who have once again sided with darkness – ‘siding with Saul to make sure David never gets into office’. They plot with Herod to destroy the ‘Child of Salvation’.
I speak in riddles. Let the wise discern.

Let me be plain.
Why will you, being light of the world and nation, take sides with darkness?

Why will you O City built on Zion, a great people, side with the BAT over The Dove?
I am reminded of how Isreal said give us Barrabas [the guilty], and kill Jesus [the innocent].

The land is thirsty for righteousness.
It is hungry for justice.
You have the Dove set before you to uphold, to elevate, so that these virtues can once and forever be the foundation of our nation.
Our Lord Jesus implored us to stand for these two standards.
A bearer of these keys stands at the door, about to open it in order to usher in these virtues upon…

… which a nation is built yet we second-guess if we should back him?
Or do you not understand that righteousness exalts a nation?
Are you, oh Church of Nigeria, not tired of exalting sin (injustice, corruption, etc) in the land and within your midsts?

The Lord smiles upon the nation. Why do you want to resist His Spirit by choosing darkness once again over light?
Why choose death over life?

The Lord says,

‘Choose light!’
‘Choose life!’

The Eagle has sheltered the Dove against the Bat. Still you pray for the Eagle to perish so that your pockets may be lined with the fat of the land. You support corruption and enable chaos even at the detriment of your own people.
Even our’ brothers from Abraham’ who are foreign to your knowledge in Christ, see hope in the Dove. Yet you, out of whom the Dove came forth for such a time as this – the redemption of the land – opposes the Dove, picking sides with the BAT while some others have gone even farther and deeper into darkness to side with the returning Vulture [from the other camp].

Like Joshua said, ‘choose this day who you will serve.’
Yet I say, ‘choose to serve the Lord.’
Forget about the garlic and the onion of Egypt.
There is a promised land awaiting us.

Turn away from wicked ways. Please the Lord.
Do not take lightly the sword of God’s judgment moving across the land. It is for those within the church and even the leaders outside [in the political space]. The Lord is set against the unrepentant.

Shepherds within the church need to lead the sheep on the right path for they will be held accountable.
Set your heart on the things that are righteous.

You will discern better as a result of the light of righteousness from within your renewed hearts and minds.
With a pure heart, intercede in prayers, backed by a righteous will, that the Dove is anointed in the upcoming primaries.

The Lord favours the Dove.
There are deeper mysteries within all that is happening in the land and with time, our Lord and Master will permit more of the prophets to speak in these things.
To understand the times and seasons we are in as a nation, think of an ‘accelerated’ book of Ezekiel. The Lord stands against corrupt leaders and desires repentance.

Prepare for the return of Awolowo…a man not for the yorubas, igbos, or hausas, but for every Nigerian.

Once again, do not miss your hour of visitation.

The post The Church, The President, and The Elections appeared first on Business News in Nigeria.

This policy, however, has not received much support due to the rising foreign exchange rate, increased operational challenges, and disruptions in the materials supply chains created by COVID-19. As a result, it has become vital to examine the country’s 2017 national climate strategy, its new economic recovery plan, and, in particular, the government’s commitment to handling the country’s mounting climate problems by rapidly expanding solar power.

Explaining the Global Warming Phenomenon

Global warming is the steady heating of the earth’s surface, oceans, and atmosphere. It is the increase in global average temperatures brought on by a variety of human activities. Because it disrupts the earth’s general ecology, global warming or climate change poses a hazard to human life on the planet. This is owing to greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide, which account for 82 percent of the gases in our atmosphere that trap heat, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Examples of greenhouse gases include methane, nitrous oxide, ozone, carbon dioxide, water vapor, and chlorofluorocarbons.

One major cause of global warming is cutting down forests (deforestation). Trees help regulate the climate by absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This beneficial effect is lost when they are cut down and the carbon stored in the trees is released into the atmosphere. Another cause is the increase in livestock farming, resulting in the large amounts of methane (a greenhouse gas) to be released by cows and sheep when they digest their food. As these gases build up in the atmosphere the earth gets hotter leading to a rapid change in global warming.

Source: Global temperature record – updated January 2021

An introduction to Nigeria’s Climate Profile

With nearly 211 million people, Nigeria is Africa’s most populous country. Nigeria is situated in the Atlantic Ocean, between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea to the south, and spans 923,769 square kilometers (356,669 square mile). Niger, Cameroon, and Benin all share land borders with it.

Nigeria has a wide range of weather conditions. The country has a mean annual temperature of 26.9°C, with average monthly temperatures ranging from 24°C (December, January) to 30°C (April). In Nigeria, rainfall occurs throughout the year, with the heaviest rainfall happening from April to October and the minimal rainfall occurring from November to March.

A tropical monsoon climate prevails in the south, a tropical savannah climate dominates in most of the central regions, and a Sahelian hot and semi-arid climate occurs in the north.

Source: World Bank

Impact of Global Warming on Nigeria’s Climate

Temperature rises, unpredictable rainfall, rising sea levels, flooding, drought,  desertification, land degradation, more frequent extreme weather events, impacted freshwater resources, and biodiversity loss are all indications that Nigeria’s climate is changing. Rainfall duration and intensity have increased, resulting in huge runoffs and flooding in several parts of Nigeria.

According to a survey, rainfall variation is projected to increase (Akande et al., 2017; Ebele and Emodi, 2016). In southern areas, rainfall is predicted to increase, and rising sea levels will worsen flooding and coastal land submersion. According to Dioha and Emodi’s investigations, Lake Chad and other lakes in the country are likewise drying up and evaporating (2018).

As a result, global warming may present a severe threat to Nigeria’s food security status. Higher temperatures, reduced rainfall, droughts, and deserts reduce farmland, lower agricultural productivity, and affect crop yields in Nigeria, where agriculture is the chief occupation and source of income for almost 70% of the population (Ogbuabor and Egwuchukwu, 2017).

Malnutrition caused by food shortages, the spread of infectious diseases, increased air pollution, and higher temperatures linked to an increase in cases of meningitis are some of the health implications associated with the threat of food security in Nigeria. 

Considering the significance of the agricultural sector to livelihoods and the economy, crop yield and productivity issues could have a negative impact on the country’s GDP. It is also likely to have a severe influence on Nigeria’s already constrained electrical power supply by affecting hydroelectric and thermal generation.

Communities suffer and face a surge in death rates as climate change becomes more frequent and intense. Experts concluded that if fossil fuels are burned continuously, the pace of loss could accelerate.

The Way Forward?

In light of this, the framework report for Nigeria’s National Adaptation Plan on Climate Change, which was produced in 2020, must be implemented in order to properly prepare for climate disasters caused by global warming. The Nigerian government should also invest more urgently in programs that safeguard homes from floods and fires, as well as programs that assist people to cope with heat stress (especially older individuals and those living in poverty).

Nigeria has to focus more on making its forests and farmlands more drought-resistant, as well as preparing its coasts for flooding. Furthermore, government incentives to academic institutions and manufacturing enterprises should be used to support the development and usage of fuel-efficient cars and other technologies to prevent energy waste.

These mitigation and adaptation strategies will aid in improving air quality and lowering greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere. Like most countries of the world, global warming in Nigeria is a crisis that can only be overcome by a concerted, proactive effort.

Written by Felicia Idajili

The post Global Warming: Why Nigeria Needs to Step Up Action appeared first on Business News in Nigeria.

The award was bestowed on him by the National President of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, Mrs. Mfon Ekong Usoro, during an official visit by executive members of the Institute and its Women in Logistics and Transports (WILAT) branch to Dangote at the Head Office of the Dangote Group in Ikoyi, Lagos, State.

While accepting the award, Dangote, who commended the efforts of the Institute’s top officials to improve the transport sector in Nigeria, also pledged to collaborate with the CILT in the areas of training and capacity building on transport, logistics and supply chain management issues.

He received the CILT award in the company of the Group Executive Director, Special Duties and Group Chief Risk Officer, Dangote Industries Limited, Dr. Nike Fajemirokun; Group Managing Director, Dangote Cement Plc, Mr. Michel Puchercos, and the Managing Director, Greenview Development/Port Operations, Mr. Akin Omole.

Members of the CILT delegation led by Mrs. Usoro included the National President Emeritus, Ibrahim Jibril; International Vice President, Dr. Usman Gidado; Founder WiLAT, Aisha Ali-Ibrahim; Vice President, East CILT, Peter Borlo; CMILT/Chairperson WILAT, Khadijat Ifelola Sheidu-Shabi; Vice President, ENL Consortium, Princess Vicky Haastrup; National Executive Director, Paul Ndibe; Director, CLTL, UNILAG, Prof. Iyiola Oni, and Chairperson, Next Generation, Jafaaru Bello.

Usoro, who presented the award to Dangote, said the delegation came to inform him about the change in baton in the Institute, and to renew the relationship between the CILT and corporate members. She noted the long relationship with the Dangote Group, which presently has 5 Fellows of the Institute; 5 Chartered members, 18 Members, and 47 affiliate Members of the CILT. The team also expressed condolence over the recent demise of the Group Vice President, Alhaji Sani Dangote.

Dangote, who welcomed the CILT team, noted the need for adequate infrastructure, transport and logistics to boost the economy. He noted that the Group can work together with the Institute in the areas of transport and logistics, with training for the customers of the Group.

Immediate past president of the CILT, Mr. Jibril, in a vote of thanks, commended Dangote for the good work being done by the group in creating wealth not only in Nigeria but in Africa. He also hailed the group for building capacity in logistics, transport and supply chain management in Nigeria.

According to him, “I have been with CILT Council for over one and a half decades and through this period I have come to realise the great work the President of the Dangote Group is doing and his supporting staff in the area of  development of capacity and skills acquisition in the logistics, transport and supply chain industry and this has gone a long way in professionalising the industry and has gone a long way in creating wealth and generating employment not only in Nigeria but the African region.

“This is a development that we have been keenly following and we are very much proud of what the Dangote Group is doing as led by the president himself. On that note, we appreciate all that he has done, we appreciate all that the Dangote Group is doing, and at the end of the day we believe that this is what Nigeria should benefit from”, he added

The post Dangote Receives CILT Champion Award, Pledges Collaboration With Institute appeared first on Business News in Nigeria.

The AfDB boss, who was on a tour of Dangote refinery and fertiliser projects over the weekend with the board members of the bank, described Aliko Dangote as an enigma, who should be honoured in Africa and even beyond for his passion, vision, and determination to develop and ensure that Africa, as a continent, is out of the poverty circle; with his aggressive employment generation scheme across most African countries.

According to him: “One of the things I admire the most about Alhaji Dangote is that, he actually believes in Nigeria, and he invests his money in Nigeria. He believes in Africa and invests in Africa. Nobody could invest the type of billions of dollars that is here, unless the person not only has the vision but also the commitment and passion for his country. We are extremely proud of you and of your commitment to the continent.

“Aliko is quite an inspirational and visionary business leader and for anybody to have done what I have seen here, I think that person deserves world class kudos for that… I see a company that I will proudly call Africa’s growth accelerator company. With this project, we see an acceleration of how to reduce imports. We see an acceleration on how to have an outbound on export; a value chain development and how to compete regionally and globally”, the top banker said.

“I am completely blown away with what I saw here today…I can’t believe what I saw…this project will reverse the huge sum the nation spends on foreign exchange…when you look at how much we import, it is about $57 billion worth of different products and we export only about $50.4bn, so we have to balance that with about $7bn and talking to them here, they showed us that they can have a domestic market of about $11bn and that is an incredible market and that will save Nigeria about $9 billion dollars, a year from importing petroleum products, so this is huge for Nigeria and even for Africa as a continent,” Adesina enthused.

On the fertiliser complex, he said, “being a man passionate about agriculture, this is a company that is producing three million metric tonnes of urea, which will make Nigeria totally self-sufficient”, and added that, “Nigeria will become net exporter of fertilisers. It will drive productivity growth in Nigeria, prices will come down and the quality will also improve.”

While thanking the AfDB team for their visit to the Plants, President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote said, “The Refinery will commence operation by the third quarter of 2022. On the mechanical completion, we are almost finished but we have started hydro testing, almost 70% gone, hopefully before the end of Q3 operation will commence.”

Group Executive Director, Strategy, Portfolio Development & Capital Projects, Dangote Industries Limited, Devakumar Edwin said the refinery complex, which includes a refinery, petrochemical plant, a fertiliser plant, and a subsea pipeline project, is the largest single-train refinery in the world.

He stated that the 650,000 barrels-per-day refinery would stimulate economic development in Nigeria. According to Edwin, Dangote Petroleum Refinery can meet 100% of the Nigerian requirement of all liquid products (Gasoline, Diesel, Kerosene, and Aviation Jet), and also have surplus of each of these products for export.

He stated that this would create a market for $11 billion per annum of Nigerian crude and foreign exchange savings/earnings $9.9 billion. He noted that “we have impacted on job creation with 3,580 Nigerian personnel on-site, excluding employment by the various contractors and subcontractors at the site.”

The post Dangote’s Petrochemicals, Fertiliser Plant will Accelerate Africa’s Growth, Says AfDB appeared first on Business News in Nigeria.

Besides, the organisation expressed a belief that the success of Dangote Refinery project could incentivise the rise of similar projects across Africa despite the current focus on energy transition.

The Secretary-General, African Petroleum Producers Organisation, Dr. Omar Farouk Ibrahim, said in an interview that Dangote Refinery shall be supplying over 12% of Africa’s products demand when it becomes operational.

Ibrahim stated, “To appreciate the impact that the Dangote refinery is going to have on African economies and especially on the supply of petroleum products, and to some extent the conservation of scarce foreign exchange, a look at some statistics on the continent’s petroleum products demand and supply is in order.

“Currently, Africa’s daily petroleum demand is 4.3 million barrels per day (mbd). Of this volume, 57% is produced locally (on the continent) while 43% is imported. When Dangote is fully onstream, the percentage of Africa’s products import shall drop to 36%. This is even as the total volume of products demand rises to 5.4 mbd. You can therefore see the huge impact that Dangote refinery shall be making to overall products supply in Africa. Dangote shall be supplying over 12% of Africa’s products demand.

“That is huge savings for a continent that has scarce foreign exchange and little to export. We shall save from buying abroad and from shipping and insurance costs. Furthermore, the success of Dangote could incentivise the rise of similar projects, the noise about energy transition notwithstanding,” oil analyst noted. 

Ibrahim also hailed Dangote’s decision to go ahead with the construction of crude oil refinery despite a campaign against fossil fuels, adding that the demand for fossil fuel is going to continue for several decades to come.

“We believe that Dangote made a very wise decision to proceed with the project, despite the campaign against fossil fuels. There will be demand for petroleum products for many decades to come. Indeed, we see petroleum products prices rising steadily in the next few years for at least two decades.

“This is because new refineries are not coming up in Europe and North America, where Africa imports 34% of its supplies, because their governments have embraced energy transition, some willingly, others due to pressure. So, some of the sources of Africa’s imports are going to dry up. At the same time, Africa will not be in a position to fast track the development of non-fossil fuels.

“In fact, even the developed countries will not be able to move as fast as is projected. We see Africa and many regions of the world continuing to rely on fossil fuel energy at a time when deliberate decisions are being made to stop funding fossil fuel projects. The world risks abandoning fossil for renewable, but in the end not getting the renewables, and at the same time losing the fossils due to deliberate neglect”, he explained.

Ibrahim urged African refiners to invest more on technology and develop the right expertise to manage their refineries, which are going to serve the continent as western refiners halt the establishment of more refineries.

He stated, “African refiners have no cause to worry about their investments. All they need to do is to ensure that they have developed the right expertise to manage their refineries, get honest managers and staff to run their business and come together to join APPO’s initiative to establish foundries and other equipment manufacturing plants to service their refineries. Once they have these, the market is there for their products.

“For the next three decades or more, Africa shall continue to use fossil fuel-driven vehicles and with its population projected to double within that period, there will be a huge market for petroleum products. Africa cannot rapidly transit into electric vehicles, as the bulk of the vehicles on our roads today and in the next 20-30 years are going to be non-electric. There is the market, and we should not be discouraged from thinking positively”, the APPO scribe noted.

He disclosed that APPO is working with its Member Countries to construct cross border energy infrastructure like pipelines for crude and products as well as for oil and gas terminals, depots etc.

“Once we have this infrastructure on the ground, the markets for African refiners shall not be limited to their home countries. Fortuitously, the African Continental Free Trade Agreement, which came into force in 2021, is there to support this initiative”, he added.

The post Dangote Refinery To Reduce Africa’s Petroleum Importation By 36%, Says APPO appeared first on Business News in Nigeria.

Emefiele made this known on Tuesday when he spoke at the unveiling of the FCT mega rice pyramids under the RIFAN-CBN Anchor Borrowers’ Programme.

Emefiele said rice exportation from Thailand to Nigeria as at 2014 stood at 1.3 million metric tons but has not reduced to just 58,000 metric tons at the end of 2021.

Emefiele said the drastic fall in importation was made possible by CBN’s intervention through its Anchor Borrowers’ Programme (ABP) which began in November 2015.

The CBN Governor disclosed that ABP has also revived and boosted the economy in the countryside and has built a sustainable framework for financing smallholder farmers in Nigeria.

He noted that the initiative has created an ecosystem among all the agricultural value chain and these connections can be better utilized through cooperation among all stakeholders.

Emefiele added, “We are delighted that these efforts have yielded fruits in not just increasing the availability of rice, but also in moderating prices, reducing imports and increasing job creation in the country. For example, Thailand alone exported 1.3 million metric tons of rice to Nigeria in 2014.”

The CBN Governor said aside from boosting the country’s national output from about 5.4 million metric tons in 2015 to over 9 million metric tons in 2021, the programme has also significantly improved the productivity per hectare of the smallholder farmer from about 2.4 metric tons per hectare in 2015 to between about 5 metric tons per ha in 2021.”

What you should know

Since the assumption of office in 2015, President Muhammadu Buhari-led’s government has made agriculture its priority as it strives to tackle the economic downturn and dwindling revenue from oil through investment in agriculture. The anchor borrower programme is one of the initiatives put in place to resuscitate a moribund agriculture sector and its value chain while also nudging a largely indifferent and disenchanted populace back to the sector.

The rice pyramid project, which has been described as the largest in the world, is an offshoot of the CBN’s Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP).

According to CBN, since its inauguration in November 2015, the ABP had increased the average yield of rice per hectare from 1.8 metric tonnes to five metric tonnes, while discouraging importation of the commodity.

The post Rice Importation Has Reduced With CBN Intervention – Emefiele appeared first on Business News in Nigeria.

In an interview with Jahbless where he made this known, the Zazoo Zeh crooner said the YBNL boss has been instrumental in his rise to stardom.

According to him, even though renowned show promoter Kogbagidi has been helpful to him, Olamide has been more useful to him.

Portable said contrary to popular opinion that Kogbagidi was his sponsor, Olamide has committed his financial resources more to augment his music career growth, such that he paid for the production fee of their 2021 hit singer, and the music video directorial cost.

The father of two further revealed that while the rapper succinctly tutored him on what music business entails, it was through the latter’s affluence in the music industry that he met other key players,

Portable, therefore, expressed gratitude to Olamide, saying he owed his ascendancy in the music industry to the indigenous lyricist.

Speaking on how he met Kogbagidi, he said he met Kogbagidi through dancer Poco Lee after he saw his freestyle on his friend’s blog and shared it on his page.

Portable also cleared the air on the identity of Kogbagidi, which he sang about in his song.

According to him, there are two Kogbagidi in his life. He said there’s one whom he has known for a long and praised in Zazoo Zeh, and there is another one, who is the renowned promoter.

Portable said the one he praised in his song is very rich and has always been financially supportive to him, adding that the assistance he has rendered to him and the love he has shown him over the year spurred him to sing about him to high heavens at any given opportunity.

The hit single, Zazoo Zeh, was released last year featuring Poco Lee alongside Olamide. The song, which became an instant hit as it enjoyed massive airplay on radio and TV stations, flung Portable into the limelight and cemented his place in the highly competitive Nigerian music industry.

The post Olamide, Not Kogbagidi, Helped My Music Career -Portable appeared first on Business News in Nigeria.