Author: Vardiafrica

A 700,000-bpd East African oil refinery proposed by Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, will be built in Kenya, a senior company official said Tuesday, putting a lid on speculation over the location of the mega-project. The massive refinery — similar to Dangote’s sprawling complex in Nigeria — will be based in Lamu, an island off the coast of Kenya, Edwin Devakumar, the vice president in charge of oil and gas at Dangote Industries Limited, told AFP. It will take around 30 months to build the facility in East Africa’s largest economy. Initially, Tanzania was also one of the locations considered…

The Senate has asked the Federal Government to suspend the rehabilitation and reintegration programme for Boko Haram members while urging security agencies to intensify efforts to arrest and prosecute terrorists and other criminal elements responsible for attacks across the country. The resolution was adopted during the plenary on Tuesday following a motion sponsored by Senator Abdulaziz Yar’Adua on the escalating attacks, abductions and killings of serving and retired military personnel, which he described as a growing threat to national security and state authority. The Senate also directed its committees responsible for security matters to strengthen oversight of security agencies and…

Governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress on Tuesday converged on Kebbi State for the Progressive First-Term Governors’ Meeting. The meeting, held behind closed doors at the Government House in Birnin Kebbi, is expected to focus on matters of national importance and issues affecting the ruling APC. First-term governors are state governors who are serving their first four-year tenure in office Among the governors in attendance are those of Kaduna, Plateau, Ekiti, Delta, Zamfara, Kano, Jigawa, Ebonyi, Edo, Ondo, Kogi, Sokoto and Benue states, among others. The governors were received by the host governor, Nasir Idris, alongside…

The International Energy Agency has admitted Nigeria as its newest associate country, it said July 2, calling the move a step toward deepening its African ties and global energy governance. “As Nigeria works to strengthen energy security, support economic growth and expand energy access, deeper cooperation with the IEA will bring important benefits for both sides,” said a statement from the organization’s executive Director, Fatih Birol. Nigeria will be the IEA’s 14th association country and the first OPEC member to partner with the organization. The oil producer’s alliance has often clashed with the Paris-based IEA over its long-term oil outlook,…

.The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), through its Zonal Coordination Division, recently reaffirmed its commitment to deepening local participation and sustainable development in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry with the successful hosting of a one-day Sensitization/Enlightenment Workshop on the Community Content Guideline in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The workshop, held at Landmark Hotel last week, brought together community leaders, youth groups, contractors, technocrats, industry stakeholders and representatives from oil-producing communities across Rivers State to enhance awareness of the Community Content Guideline and the opportunities available under the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act. Delivering the…

As part of its humanitarian intervention to cushion the effects of the prevailing economic hardship on inmates across custodial centres, the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC has donated relief materials to the Nigerian Correctional Service, Rivers State Command. Presenting the relief materials on behalf of the Managing Director of the NDDC, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, the Director of Social Services, Engr. Jeremiah Oritsejolone stated that the intervention was in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the transformational leadership of the NDDC management. Oritsejolone noted that the donation reflected the Commission’s commitment to supporting vulnerable groups and institutions across the…

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) on Thursday in Warri and Sapele, Delta State, launched its Cradle-to-Career Academic Excellence Recognition and Educational Advancement Programme, a flagship of educational intervention under the Board’s Back-to-School Initiative, with 500 outstanding secondary school students from underserved communities of the State honoured and rewarded in the first batch of beneficiaries. The Back-to-School Initiative was conceived as a strategic intervention to improve educational outcomes and expand opportunities by recognising and celebrating secondary students from oil-producing communities who have demonstrated exceptional academic performance in key national examinations and educational transition stages, such as Junior Secondary…

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted cloudiness and thunderstorms from Monday to Wednesday across the country.  ‎NiMet’s weather outlook released in Abuja envisages sunny skies with patches of clouds on Monday over the northern region with chances of thunderstorms accompanied by light rains over parts of Taraba, Bauchi, Gombe, Adamawa, Kebbi and Kaduna States during the morning hours. ‎”By the afternoon and evening hours, thunderstorms with moderate rains are expected over parts of Sokoto, Zamfara, Kebbi, Bauchi, Gombe, Borno, Yobe, Jigawa, Katsina, Kano, Kaduna, Adamawa and Taraba States. ‎”For North-central region, thunderstorms accompanied by light rains are expected over…

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), in partnership with Heritage Energy Operational Services Limited (HEOSL) and AOS Orwell, has successfully concluded a 12-month Human Capacity Development Programme that equipped nine (9) young Nigerians with industry relevant technical skills and practical experience for careers in the oil and gas sector. The closeout ceremony took place at Oak Haven Hotel, Woji Road, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, marking the successful completion of the intensive training program. Representing the Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, the Manager, Human Capacity Development, Mrs. Tarilate Biribena, described the programme as a strategic investment…

President Bola Tinubu has directed the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to launch a comprehensive investigation into major global technology companies and Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) platforms over allegations of anti-competitive practices, unlawful exploitation of Nigerian news content, and other potentially unfair market conduct against media organisations. The directive follows a joint petition submitted to the Presidency by the Nigerian Press Organisation (NPO), an umbrella body comprising the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria (NPAN), the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON), and the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP). The development was disclosed…