government - NOGSpeed - Energy-Affair

Licenced miners in Rivers State under the aegis of Miners Association of Nigeria, Port Harcourt Branch have called for the intervention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC to eject illegal counterparts and address alleged extortion by officials of the State Government.
The Asociation made the call when its Chairman, His Royal Highness, Hope Daminabo Dan Opusingi led his members on a courtesy visit to the Acting Director, Port Harcourt Zonal Directorate of the EFCC, Asistant Commander of the EFCC, ACE1 Adebayo Adeniyi.
Opusingi lamented the alleged harassment and extortion of registered miners in the state by some unscrupulous state government’s actors, whom he claims often shut down their mining sites and impound their equipment without any legal backing. He further observed that while there are numerous mining companies operating in the state, only few, he said, are licensed and implored the EFCC to swing into action against the illegal mining companies.
“Most of the mining companies are not authorized, they do not even have licence or any kind of authority from the federal government. They are here, operating illegally and causing confusion in the mining sector. The EFCC among other agencies is a member of the Presidential Tax Force on Mining that was set up by the federal government in 2019,” he said.
In his response, Adeniyi, who was represented by ACE 1 Ude Nkechi Rita, thanked the Chairman and members of the association for identifying with the Commission and assured them of a swift response, adding that the EFCC will not only enforce the laws against the illegal mining but will also enlighten members of the association through workshops on the laws governing activities in the sector to enable them guard against extortion and harassment.
“I appreciate your courtesy visit. We have heard all you said and thankfully enough, we now have a committee on illegal mining which is currently handling a lot of matters on illegal mining,” she said.
Head, Illegal Mining Task Force, Superintendent of the EFCC, SE Adamu Alhassan assured of his team’s readiness to sanitize the mining sector and sought the cooperation of the association.

The Nigerian Gas Association (NGA) has called on the Nigerian government to implement a transportation policy mandating the use of gas-powered vehicles for public transportation which can also be extended to government activities.
It is also a policy that can be adopted at state and local government levels.
The formal adoption of such a policy will at the same time promote cleaner energy sources, align with the sustainability goals of the Nigerian Government, help reduce the nation’s reliance on traditional fuels and attract the necessary investment in downstream infrastructure that will create jobs and domesticate technology while facilitating successful implementation.
The NGA commended the government’s incremental adoption of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) for transportation and emphasised the importance of sustaining the momentum.
The Association acknowledged the efforts of the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (PiCNG) in deploying CNG conversion kits and urged the organisation to improve its gains in advancing CNG as a viable alternative energy source.
Mr. Akachukwu Nwokedi, President of the NGA, highlighted the broader implications of this shift toward natural gas-powered transportation for public transportation which can be extended to heavy-duty vehicles and trucks to make the movement of goods and products more affordable with positive benefits to end users.
“The transition to gas is not just an environmental imperative but an economic one. With potential operational cost savings of up to 70 per cent natural gas represents a tremendous opportunity for Nigeria’s economy to become more efficient and eco-friendlier,” he stated, instilling a sense of optimism about the potential positive impact on economic growth.
The NGA also congratulated Greenville LNG on completing its second test drive of LNG-powered trains, marking another pivotal milestone in Nigeria’s transition to more sustainable energy solutions. It reinforces the NGA’s advocacy for natural gas as the preferred energy source for driving economic growth and reducing the nation’s carbon footprint by effectively employing its abundant gas reserves.
Fueling Nigeria’s rail transportation system with natural gas is part of a larger initiative to transform the country’s transportation sector by reducing carbon emissions and promoting energy efficiency. “We are excited to see projects like Greenville LNG contributing to Nigeria’s Gas Initiative. It’s a shining example of how sustainable energy can drive positive change in the economy and the environment,” Mr Nwokedi added.
The NGA continues to champion eco-friendly practices and the transition to gas-powered solutions, encouraging both public and private sectors to embrace natural gas as a cleaner, more sustainable fuel option. This commitment inspires and motivates the audience to join the NGA in their advocacy for natural gas.

The Executive Secretary, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe on Friday, September 6, 2024 met with Dr Alex Otti, Governor of Abia State, at the Government House, Umuahia.
The meeting was on the request of the Abia State government for the participation of the NCDMB in the proposed Abia Innovation and Industrial Park (AIIP), Owaza, Abia State
The AIIP, which covers 1995 hectares of land, is made of industrial, commercial, and residential areas.
The project is expected to cost over USD 1.3 billion with the potential to create thousands of jobs.
The AIIP also hopes to harness the abundant oil and gas reserves within Ukwa for the development of the park and communities within the state and beyond.
The NCDMB participated at the groundbreaking of the AIIP in September 2023 and promised to share its experience with the state government to ensure that its park becomes a success.
The Board had completed the pilot phase of its Nigerian Oil and Gas Parks Scheme (NOGaPS) at Emeyal 1 in Bayelsa State and at Odukpani in Cross River State, and they will come on stream soon.
Other oil and gas parks being developed by the Board are located in Ikwe Community, Onna Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, Oguta in Oguta Local Government Area, Imo State, and Ilaje, in Ilaje Local Government Area, Ondo State.
The Nigerian Oil and Gas Parks Scheme (NOGaPS) was conceived by the Board to develop facilities close to oil fields where manufacturing of oil and gas components as well as research and development can be carried out.
For the parks the Board adopted a shared-services strategy where it provides infrastructure such as power supply and utilities such as road network, water, waste treatment, and so on for businesses that will be located on the site.
This strategy enables manufacturers to focus on their core business of manufacturing rather than adding the role of power generation, road construction, etc to their operations.
This model is intended to reduce the operating cost for the local manufacturers.