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FCTA Ready to Partner With Ireland On Agriculture, Others
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Barrister Ezenwo Nyesom Wike has expressed the willingness of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to partner with the Republic of Ireland in the areas of agriculture, vocational education and ICT.
The FCT Minister stated this when he received the Irish Ambassador to Nigeria, Peter Ryan, in his office in Abuja on Tuesday, November 7, 2023, on a courtesy visit to the FCTA.
The Minister stated that the FCT Administration would like to leverage the very strong ties between Nigeria and the Republic of Ireland to collaborate in those areas to grow the economy of the FCT.
On ICT, Barrister Wike noted that the Renewed Hope agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has the creation of tech jobs for the youths as one of its major objectives and said that the FCT intends to provide opportunities for the youths in the digital economy so as to reduce unemployment.
According to the FCT Minister, “We think that we would be interested in partnering with companies in Ireland where we can build ICT hubs for the interest of the youths, so as to reduce the level of unemployment. Again, education is key for us, particularly vocational and skilled education, where our youths can acquire some skills in particular areas.”
The Minister also noted that agriculture is very important to the economy of the FCT, which has very vast arable land. He said the FCT Administration will be very happy to partner with companies in Ireland to introduce technology-based agriculture in the FCT, leveraging the expertise in Ireland, adding that all partnerships will be for the mutual benefit of both Ireland and the FCT.
Responding, the Irish Ambassador informed the FCT Minister that his country has the same mission and similar outlook as the FCT Administration, and assured that he will be ready to connect the FCT Administration to expert teams in Ireland for further discussions.
He explained that Ireland has a cultural hub in its largest chamber of commerce, known as the Dublin Smart City where collaboration exists between all the different partners in the city in the areas of business.
He said the cultural footprint of Ireland is one of the reasons why the country has become so attractive to overseas investors, and assured the FCT Minister that he will also be ready to connect the FCT and its policy makers to the consortium of experts.
On vocational education, the ambassador stated that the head of its largest vocational education provider will be in Abuja in the second week of December and would be at the FCT Minister’s disposal for talks.
The Ambassador also suggested that opportunities also exist for collaboration to promote indigenous tech startups in Abuja.
He said, “A lot of the startups in Dublin are spinouts of the big technology players like Google and Meta. We work closely with them as indigenous startups to create jobs for young people and as you know, a lot of these people are geography neutral.
“They just want talented young people and they want an environment where they can flourish. We can see the potential for it in Abuja. Maybe there is one or two little steps we could take together to demonstrate practical things”, he added
Also present during the visit were the FCTA Permanent Secretary, Mr Olusade Adesola, Secretary, Economic Planning, Revenue Generation and PPP, Mr. Charles Elechi, Secretary, Legal Services, Barr. Salman Dako, the Senior Special Assistant to the Minister on Legal and Multilateral Matters, Barrister Benedict Dauda as well as senior officials of the Embassy.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has officially dissolved the board of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), which includes the removal of Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) Mele Kyari and Chairman Pius Akinyelure, along with all other board members appointed in November 2023.
In an announcement, the President introduced an 11-member restructured board, appointing Engineer Bashir Bayo Ojulari as the new GCEO and Ahmadu Musa Kida as the Non-Executive Chairman. These changes are effective immediately, as stated by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information & Strategy.
Emphasizing the need for “enhanced operational efficiency, restored investor confidence, and a more commercially viable NNPC,” President Tinubu exercised his authority under Section 59(2) of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021 to implement this significant reorganization.
The newly formed board comprises Adedapo Segun, who continues as Chief Financial Officer (CFO), alongside six non-executive directors representing Nigeria’s geopolitical zones: Bello Rabiu (North West), Yusuf Usman (North East), Babs Omotowa (North Central), Austin Avuru (South-South), David Ige (South West), and Henry Obih (South East). Additionally, Mrs. Lydia Shehu Jafiya, Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Finance, and Aminu Said Ahmed, representing the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, will serve on the board.
The President has charged the new board with conducting a strategic review of NNPC-operated and Joint Venture assets to optimize value. This includes increasing crude oil production to 2 million barrels per day (bpd) by 2027 and 3 million bpd by 2030, boosting gas production to 8 billion cubic feet daily by 2027 and 10 billion by 2030, and expanding NNPC’s refining capacity to 200,000 bpd by 2027 and 500,000 bpd by 2030. The administration also aims to attract $30 billion in oil investments by 2027 and $60 billion by 2030, building on the $17 billion secured in 2024.
Ahmadu Musa Kida, the new Chairman, is a Borno-born engineer and former Deputy Managing Director of Total Nigeria. He also has a background in basketball, having served as the ex-president of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF). Bashir Bayo Ojulari, the newly appointed GCEO, hails from Kwara State and was previously the Executive Vice President of Renaissance Africa Energy, where he led a $2.4 billion acquisition of Shell’s Nigerian assets. He brings extensive experience from Elf and Shell, having worked across Europe and the Middle East.
President Tinubu expressed gratitude to the outgoing board for their contributions, particularly their efforts in reviving the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries, which have resumed production after years of dormancy. Analysts view this leadership change as part of Tinubu’s broader reforms in the oil sector, following last year’s removal of fuel subsidies and the promotion of private refinery investments. With the new team established, there are high expectations for enhanced transparency, efficiency, and profitability within Nigeria’s state oil enterprise.
Heineken Lokpobiri, minister of state for petroleum resources, says the federal government plans to commence implementing the drill-or-drop provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
Section 94 of the PIA gives operators a period of three years to begin oil production or relinquish the assets to the federal government.
Speaking during the Cross Industry Group (CIG) meeting held on Tuesday in Florence, Italy, Lokpobiri said it is in the best interest of the country that all inactive wells go to work.
He said the federal government, under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu, has provided every necessary incentive to ensure international oil companies (IOCs) in Nigeria run smoothly and profitably.
“Now, it is imperative for these industry players to match the government’s efforts with increased investment by announcing final investment decisions (FIDs),” he said.
Furthermore, Lokpobiri discussed “the challenges, expectations, and measures to enhance the sector’s contributions towards domestic energy needs and regional expansion across Sub-Saharan Africa”.
He emphasised that while IOCs have highlighted engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractors as a challenge, “EPCs will not come unless they see strong commitments from industry players”.
“The government has done its part to provide the requisite and investment-friendly fiscals, the ball is now in the court of the IOCs and other operators to make strategic investment decisions that will drive increased production and sustainability in the sector,” he said.
“We must also recognise that domestic crude supply is essential to national energy security. The best solution to this challenge lies in increasing production, which will ensure a balance between domestic supply obligations and external commitments.”
The minister further urged industry players to explore collaborative measures, such as shared resources for contiguous assets and the release of underutilised assets to operators ready to invest in production.
The minority caucus in the house of representatives has condemned the killing of 16 Kano-bound hunters in Edo state.
On Thursday, a mob in the Uromi area of Edo killed 16 hunters of northern descent who were travelling from Elele, Rivers state.
The travellers were attacked and lynched after some vigilance group members raised the alarm on suspicion that they were kidnappers.
The Edo state government said 14 suspects arrested in connection with the killing would be transferred to Abuja for further interrogation.
During a visit to some of the families of the victims at Bankure LGA in Kano, Monday Okpebholo, governor of Edo, assured that justice would be served.
In a statement issued on Monday, the minority caucus described the killing of the hunters as “barbaric”.
“We find such brutal killings of innocent Nigerians in any part of the country by lawless mobs very reprehensible, and if allowed to fester without being put in check by responsible organs of the federal government, such actions could threaten the peace and unity of the country,” the statement reads.
The lawmakers asked Nigerians never to resort to jungle attacks on fellow citizens but to always report any concerns to security agencies.
“We are a nation under the rule of laws, and our law enforcement agencies are always available to partner with every Nigerian to assuage their concerns,” the caucus said.
While noting that the incident is “already setting emotions on edge” in parts of the country, the legislators urged President Bola Tinubu to ensure that the security agencies investigate this matter and bring the perpetrators to justice.
“Also, adequate compensation should be paid to the affected families,” the caucus said.
The lawmakers implored Nigerians to remain calm, peaceful, and law-abiding and allow the federal and state governments to investigate the matter and ensure justice is served.
The statement was signed by Kingsley Chinda, minority leader; Ali Isa, minority whip; and Aliyu Madaki, deputy minority leader.