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Belema Sweet Export Terminal Gets License
The Federal Government, on Tuesday in Abuja, presented a licence for the establishment of Belema Sweet Export Terminal, the first of its kind in the world.
With the grant of the licence, Nigeria has successfully acquired its first Hybrid Crude Export Terminal, with eight million barrels storage capacity.
The licence was presented on behalf of the Federal Government by the Nigerian Mainstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
Presenting the licence to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), of Belema Oil Producing Limited, Mr Tein Jack-Rich, the CEO of NMDPRA, Farouk Ahmed, reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to the ease of doing business in Nigeria.
Ahmed noted that with the presentation of the licence to Belema Sweet Export Terminal, the indigenous oil company becomes the second to acquire such a license, the first being the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Exploration and Production Limited.
The NMDPRA boss explained that except in accordance with the appropriate licence by the Authority, no company or entity had the right to engage in any exploration activity in the country, except the two companies.
He stressed that no entity had the right to operate, establish a terminal or other facilities for export or importation of crude oil or petroleum products.
”In line with this, the authority has processed and hereby approved terminal establishment licenses to these two organisations.
”One is the NNPC Exploration and Production Limited, with 2,179,704 barrels of crude oil terminal at Off Shore Akwa Ibom State within the waters of the exclusive zone.
”The second is the Belema Sweet Export Terminal in Kula, Rivers State, with 2million barrels of crude oil terminal,” Farouk said.
According to him, the terminals are expected to operate within the provisions of the conditions of the licences as contained in the document.
He therefore, called on investors to invest in the sector as the government was determined to ensure a business friendly environment for them.
Speaking after the ceremony, Jack-Rich said the event marked a great milestone for the country, and attestation to the great success story of President Bola Tinubu, in less than two weeks of assuming office.
”With the establishment of Belema Sweet Crude Export Terminal, Nigeria now ranks number one in the world to establish a crude oil Export Terminal that is climate conscious, where traditional energy and renewable energy integration is operated through virtual power plant model.
”This is in line with energy efficiency/sustainability to protect our ecosystem,” Jack-Rich said.
”This will also create over 100,000 jobs for families in the Niger Delta and Nigeria at large.
Also speaking, Mr Modibbo Ahmed, who received the licence on behalf of the NNPC, said that Nigeria should expect the crude oil terminal in the next one to three months.
Belema Sweet Export Terminal Project is designed to be the first hybrid crude oil export terminal in the world.
It is a land-based terminal with good proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, via the San Bartholomeo River, for ease of offtake.
The terminal is divided into two sections; the crude oil processing terminal section and the oil export loading terminal section.
The first phase of the project will comprise of a 2,000,000 million barrels storage capacity.
The export loading terminal would be able to receive any crude oil carrier size such as Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC), Suezmax, Aframax, among others.
Another key feature of the Belema Sweet Export Terminal include:400,000 Barrel of Liquid per day central processing facility (CPF).
A Kano State High Court, on Tuesday, reserved ruling in the case of alleged bribery and misappropriation filed against the former governor of Kano State, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, and seven others.
The Kano State Government instituted an eight-count charge bordering on bribery, misappropriation and diversion of public funds running into billions of Naira against Ganduje and seven others, including his wife, Hafsat Umar.
Others charged with Ganduje are Abubakar Bawuro, Umar Abdullahi Umar, Jibrilla Muhammad, Lamash Properties Limited, Safari Textiles Limited and Lasage General Enterprises Limited.
When the case came up for hearing of all pending applications, counsel to Ganduje and his wife, Offiong Offiong SAN, applied for an extension of time and urged the court to grant the application.
“We also filed our preliminary objection challenging the jurisdiction of the court, dated Nov. 18, 2024, along with a 28-paragraph affidavit and a written address in support.
“We also filed a reply on point of law dated April 4, 2025,” he said.
However, counsel to the state, Mr Ayodeji Adedipe, SAN, filed a reply to the notice of preliminary objection dated Oct. 22, 2024, addressing all the respondents.
“The application is attached with a seven-paragraph counter affidavit and a written address dated Dec. 13, 2024, attached along with several documents as exhibits,” Adedipe said.
He prayed the court to dismiss the respondents’ applications for lacking merit.
Counsel to the 3rd and 7th defendants, Mr Adekunle Taiye-Falola, filed a motion on notice on a preliminary objection dated Oct. 18, 2024, supported by a 14-paragraph affidavit and a written address.
“In reply to the complainant’s counter affidavit, we filed our further and better affidavit dated Dec. 12, 2024, and a reply on point of law. We urge the court to grant the application as prayed,” Taiye-Falola said.
Counsel to the 5th defendant, Mr Sunusi Musa, SAN, also filed a motion on notice on a preliminary objection dated Oct. 18, 2024, which was supported by an affidavit, an exhibit and a written address.
“We also filed our affidavit and reply on point of law and urged the court to grant the application with substantial costs against the complainant,” he said.
Counsel to the 6th respondent, Mr Ashafa Yusuf , also filed a notice of preliminary objection dated Sept. 9, 2024, supported by a nine-paragraph affidavit and a written address.
“My Lord, we filed a further and better affidavit dated Feb. 17, supported by an 11-paragraph affidavit. We also filed a reply on point of law and urged the court to grant the application,” he said.
Also, Faruk Asekone, counsel to the 8th defendant, filed a notice of preliminary objection dated Oct. 18, 2024, supported by a five-paragraph affidavit and a written address.
“In reply to the complainant’s counter-affidavit, we filed our further and better affidavit and reply on point of law dated Feb. 13, 2025, and urge the court to grant the application,” Asdkome said.
The judge, Justice Amina Adamu-Aliyu, granted the application for an extension of time.
Adamu-Aliyu adjourned the matter for ruling on the notices of preliminary objection to a date that would be communicated to the parties at a later date. (NAN)
A former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, has slammed the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government, describing it as the most “corrupt and worst” government in Nigerian history.
El-Rufai, who spoke in an interview with some journalists in Katsina Monday night, said Tinubu’s government is also the most intolerant government since the return of democratic rule in 1999.
He claimed that the Federal Government of President Tinubu is the most lying government that depends on false propaganda, especially on security challenges bedevilling the country.
The erstwhile Kaduna governor, who was in Katsina to condole with Governor Dikko Umaru Radda over the demise of his mother, also refuted the claim by the Federal Government that security has improved in the country.
He added that the insecurity in the country is due to the Federal Government’s failure to proffer deeper solutions to address what he termed the prevailing security challenges from their roots.
He stressed that many local government areas in Katsina, Zamfara and Sokoto States were under the control of bandits, adding that bandits and terrorists’ leaders like Dogo Gide, Mallam Abba and Bello Turji have not been killed.
El-rufia said: “I have said it before, this is the worst Federal Government in Nigerian history and all the indices have shown it. This is the most corrupt and most intolerant government in Nigeria.
“This is the most lying government that depends on false propaganda. They lied that security has improved in Nigeria. They read out numbers of bandits killed except the ones we know are the leading bandits.
“In Kaduna, Dogo Gide is still around, Mallam Abba, the Boko Haram terrorist is still alive. Bello Turji is still around but everyday, they announce names of people that are bandits’ leaders that they have killed and security has improved.
“How many local governments are under the occupation of bandits in Katsina State? How many are occupied by bandits in Zamfara State and some parts of Sokoto State? And because you are in government you think that nothing would happen?”
The former FCT Minister, however, described his new political party, the Social Democratic Party (SDP), as a party with a long history and credibility that will wrest power from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027.
A prominent loyalist of former Nigerian Vice President and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) 2023 presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has sharply criticised Bauchi State Governor Bala Muhammed for comments deemed “reckless” and “disrespectful” towards the elder statesman.
Dr. Aslam Aliyu, known as Gimbiyar Kauran Namoda from Zamfara state and one of the mast respected politicians in Nigeria, issued a statement on Tuesday condemning Governor Muhammed’s remarks, which she described as unbecoming of a party leader.
One of Nigeria’s respected female political voices suggested that Atiku is not a politician to be betrayed.
“Atiku Abubakar is not a politician to be undermined by mere political officeholders whose relevance remains confined to their states,” Aliyu said.
Dr Aliyu highlighting the former vice president’s enduring influence since 1999.
She pointed to his service under President Olusegun Obasanjo, his pivotal role in shaping the PDP, and his consistent presence in Nigeria’s political landscape over two decades.
Aliyu accused Muhammed of exposing his “political inexperience” by attempting to diminish Atiku’s stature within the party.
“For a governor who owes his platform to the PDP’s legacy to belittle one of its founding pillars is not just ungrateful—it is dangerous,” she warned.
She stated that when discussing the leaders of the People’s Democratic Party today, after Atiku Abubakar, the next in line is Senator Aminu Tambuwal.
“He demonstrated a spirit of sportsmanship by stepping down for Atiku in 2023 for the sake of northern development.”
She added that if Kaura wishes to resolve the PDP crisis, where was he when Wike and Fubara were at loggerheads over leadership for more than two years? No action was taken until the Governor was suspended and the state was declared a state of emergency .
“If he wants to end the crisis in the PDP, he should first resolve the one in his own state, Bauchi, and also reinstate the Rivers State Governor, Fubara, who is currently suspended.”
The statement urged Muhammed to exercise humility and cautioned that divisive rhetoric threatens the PDP’s unity.
“The PDP stands today because of the loyalty, sacrifice, and vision of men like Atiku Abubakar,” Aliyu declared, calling for mutual respect to safeguard the party’s future.