Day: April 7, 2023

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Nigeria’s domestic gas network can transport 6.9bn bcf for power, others – Kyari

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd), says Nigeria’s domestic gas infrastructure network has capacity to transport 6.9 billion Standard Cubic Feet (BCF) of gas to support power generation and gas-based industries.

Malam Mele Kyari, Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO), NNPC Ltd., made this known on Thursday in Abuja at the 2023 edition of the Oloibiri Lecture Series and Energy Forum (OLEF) hosted by the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF).

The forum, which was organised by the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), had its theme as “Effective Gas Resources Utilisation: A Lever for Enhancing Energy Security and Achieving Net-Zero Emission Goals in Nigeria”.

Kyari said Nigeria’s huge investment in gas infrastructure is hinged on its growing natural gas reserves, thus supporting the Nation’s aspiration to create Africa’s biggest industrial hub, powered by low-carbon energy.

He said the NNPC Ltd. was taking advantage of Nigeria’s huge natural gas reserves of over 200 Trillion Cubic Feet (TCF) with a potential to grow to 600 TCF as more investment is expected due to recent resolution of the Production Sharing Contract disputes with partners.

He said this significant reserve would serve as a low-carbon energy alternative that would support growth in power and industrial sectors, address energy poverty, reduce carbon-footprint and create more employment opportunities.

“NNPC is playing a leading role in the realisation of National Gas Expansion Programme, which seeks to deepen natural gas utilisation as an alternative transportation fuel, and an important feedstock for gas-based industries development.

“We are working assiduously to ensure timely delivery of gas pipeline infrastructure projects, including the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano gas pipeline corridor, planned Nigeria-Morocco and Trans-Sahara Gas Pipelines, that will connect West African countries to deliver natural gas to international markets,” he said.

For the gas export market, he said the on-going Nigeria Liquified Natural Gas (NLNG) Train Seven would expand Nigeria’s LNG production capacity from 22 Million Tons Per Annum (MTPA) to about 30 MTPA.

He said it was leveraging the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act to attract more investment in the Nigerian Petroleum sector, to continue to guarantee access to energy while aligning with global energy transition.

“As part of our sustainability strategy, NNPC is deploying carbon-reduction initiatives to gradually decarbonise our operations and improve our compliances with global emission reduction.

“All of these cannot be achieved if we do not have security of our operations. We will continue to further deepen collaboration amongst all the relevant stakeholders; government security agencies, host communities and others to enhance energy security.

“NNPC will deepen relationship with the Industry, Governments, Research Institutions and the Academia to strengthen its Renewable Energy Division to pursue commercially viable new energy ventures in line with Nigeria’s net-zero aspiration by 2060,” he said.

Kyari, while thanking the SPE for their efforts in promoting innovation, knowledge sharing required for our industry, urged them and other industry stakeholders to continue to collaborate with the NNPC Ltd to guarantee energy security.

In an address, Mr Gbenga Komolafe, Commission Chief Executive, Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), said how to provide clean, sustainable and affordable energy to global populace is a critical challenge.

Komolafe, represented by Dr Nuhu Habib, Executive Commissioner, Production and Development, NUPRC, said it was committed to ensure access to enabling environment and regulatory frameworks for progressive investments in gas production and energy transition achievement.

Also speaking, Mr Farouk Ahmed, Authority Chief Executive, Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), called for concerted efforts of all levels of government to ensure energy security was guaranteed.

Ahmed, represented by Dr Mustapha Lamorde, Executive Director of Health, Safety, Environment and Community (HSEC), said the authority drafted 20 oil and gas industry regulations to fully deliver value to Nigeria’s economy.

He said out of the regulations, 12 had been gazetted while five out of the gazetted regulations are gas based.

He, however, expressed assurance that the authority is positioned to ensure enabling environment and investments in gas value chain for business to thrive.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

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Angola focused on boosting ICGLR

Angolan minister of Foreign Affairs Teté Antonio said on Thursday that the country has contributed to the leverage and strengthening of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) to face the challenges of peace, security, stability and development.

The diplomat was speaking during a lecture on “Angola’s foreign policy and its role in promoting peace in the Great Lakes Region”, held on Thursday at the Itamaraty Institute, Brasília, Republic of Brazil.

Addressing diplomats, university professors, men linked to culture and researchers in African affairs, Téte António said that the country has the support of the most varied bilateral and multilateral partners in this task.

He pointed to Political-Diplomatic, Defence and Security, Intelligence, Economic and Regional Development vectors, as well as the functioning of the Executive Secretariat of the ICGLR, as the axes that guide the strategy of the Angolan Presidency.

He recalled that since assuming the presidency of the ICGLR, the President of the Republic, João Lourenço, has carried out a series of initiatives aimed at ensuring the stability of the political and security situation in the Central African Republic, marked by the acceptance of leaders of the armed groups to abandon the rebellion.

The minister also said the 16th Extraordinary Session of the AU Conference of Heads of State and Government on Terrorism and Unconstitutional Regime Changes in Africa, held in Malabo, on 27 and 28 May 2022, at the proposal of Angola, elected the Angolan Head of State Champion of the African Union for Peace and Reconciliation in Africa.

The Session also gave him the mandate to embark on diplomatic “path”, within the scope of mediating the growing tension that was registered in the common border between the “DRC and the Rwanda”.

During his address, the Angolan diplomat made a brief historical incursion of the Republic of Angola, with emphasis on trends in the evolution of foreign policy.

He spoke of the national liberation struggle, the explicit political-ideological preferences in Angola’s independence process and the signing of the Bicesse Agreement, which brought the country a new phase of political-social intervention and international relations.

The minister clarified the moment of 2002, when Angola began to experience a period marked, above all, by the more concrete political transition process, the promotion and reinforcement of national mechanisms for the consolidation of the democratic process, the broadening and deepening of multilateral, regional relations and bilateral, within the ambit of ties of friendship and cooperation.

As for foreign policy, the Minister of Foreign Affairs explained that the Executive chose economic diplomacy as one of its main instruments for defending the interests of the State, aiming, among others, at promoting trade, attracting productive investment, creating better conditions for the operation of foreign investors and attracting the tourist flow. ART

Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)

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Minister calls for commitment to population health

Angolan minister of Health Silvia Lutucuta urged Friday in Luanda the health professionals to actively participate in the identification and resolution of problems that negatively impact the health of the population.

In her message, ahead of World Health Day and the 75th anniversary of the World Health Organisation (WHO) on April 7, the minister said that this involvement entails the implementation of health promotion actions.

She said that the aim is to protecting this good from an individual and collective point of view, taking into account the Sustainable Development Goals.

The minister took the opportunity to pay homage to health agents from all over the world, in particular Angolans, who work daily to promote the health and well-being of the population in favour of equity, prosperity and sustainability, for all without leaving anyone behind.

According to the official, Angola joins the world movement to congratulate the WHO on the results achieved in international health security, health promotion and disease prevention, so that everyone reaches the highest level of health and well-being.

To the minister, the 75th anniversary of the WHO is also an occasion to remember the public health successes in Angola and the world, aimed at improving people’s quality of life in the last seven decades.

Lutucuta also considered it opportune to demonstrate the promotion of multisectoral actions and community participation in order not to leave anyone behind and mitigate the inequality of social asymmetries

Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)

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WHD: Group advocates increased care for older persons

Save Our Heritage Initiative (SOHI), an Abuja based Non Governmental Organisation (NGO), has called for increased medical care for older persons in Nigeria.

Ms May Ikokwu, Chief Executive Officer of the group made the call in commemoration of the World Health Day while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Friday.

Commenting on the theme: “Health for All,” Ikokwu stressed the need to guarantee health equity and equality for older persons, irrespective of their social or work classes.

She said that it was time for practical implementation of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by including older persons.

“Ageing population will have an impact on the ambition of universal health coverage.

“Because without considering the health and social care needs of the ever-increasing numbers of older people, UHC will be impossible to achieve,” she said.

The Culture Advocate said: “Equally, SDG 3, ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages, cannot be met without transforming health and social systems”.

She called for a paradigm shift from a focus only on disease towards the provision of the integrated and person-centred care that should be known to have the greatest impact on functional ability in older age.

According to her, the transformation requires organising services to respond to older people’s diverse levels of physical and mental capacities as well as their needs and preferences.

“Others include extending coverage of services to all older people.

She said this, “particularly those who have been in the informal workforce or who have filled caregiving roles, have very limited access to even basic services.”

Ikokwu reiterated the call for development of sustainable financing mechanisms.

She said it was imperative to protect older people and their families from undue financial burdens.

She said that it would go a long way in providing system incentives for the provision of the services older people needed.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the aim of World Health Day is to create awareness among people about the value of good health.

World Health Day is celebrated across the world on April 7 annually.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

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FG to make PHCs attractive for health workers, rural dwellers – Ehanire

The Federal Government says measures have been put in place to make Primary Health Care Centres in rural areas attractive for health workers.

The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, said this in Abuja on Thursday during the World Health Day, as the World Health Organisation (WHO) turns 75.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of the 2023 World Health Day is ”Health for All –Strengthening PHC to Build Resilient Systems”, while the theme of the World Health Workers Week is “Investing in the Health Work Force”.

Ehanire said that health workers preferred to practice in cities, thereby depleting manpower in healthcare facilities in rural areas.

He added that ”government is trying to make rural PHCs more attractive, as plans have

been put in place to build staff quarters to address accommodation problems.

”The lack of staff quarters has been a problem because health workers don’t have a place to stay when sent to rural areas.

”We will ensure provision of water, electricity or solar energy to have light in the centres for better performance to encourage health worker to stay in the rural areas.

“We are also making provision for ambulances that will make transportation easy for patients and health workers.”

According to him, another incentive from government is to focus on particular caregivers of health workers that are specialised in a particular area.

Ehanire added that the Federal Government had urged state and local governments to establish schools of health technology where rural health workers would be trained.

He explained that the workers could be trained in local languages to enable them to easily communicate with the rural citizens.

According to him, government also encourages the state and local governments to nominate health workers from their communities to be trained for better understanding and improved communication.

The minister said government was planning to make use of digital technology to make communication easier for medical personnel and patients to enhance better outcome.

“We hope that all our measures will encourage the state and local governments to prioritise employment and payment of rural health workers, especially the PHC workers.

“This is because PHCs are under the payroll of state and local governments.”

He said that the Federal Government, in a bid to reverse poor health indices and provide Universal Health Coverage, initiated the revitalisation of about 10,000 PHCs nationwide, adding that more than 4,000 PHCs have so far been worked to ensure quality services.

Steps taken have improved PHC services in the country and reduced challenges women face in childbirth and addressed home emergencies.

According to him, immunisation has recorded significant improvement from 33 per cent in 2016 to 57 per cent in 2021 in spite of COVID-19 pandemic distractions.

He said that the 2022/23 Supplemental Immunisation Activities (SIAs) were integrated into other PHC services under the motto: “One Country, One Team, One Plan, One Budget.”

Dr Walter Mulombo, WHO Country Representative to Nigeria, said that WHO Nigeria in collaboration with the government had been achieving notable strides in keeping the people safe and serving vulnerable population.

Mulombo listed areas of achievement to include combatting infectious disease, HIV treatment, reducing maternal mortality, increase in life expectancy, and supporting disease eradication.

He said that “in 1948, countries around the world came together and founded?WHO to

promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable so everyone, everywhere can attain the highest level of health and well-being.”

He said that currently, the organisation was supporting Nigeria to interrupt circulating vaccine derived polio virus type 2) cVDPV2 outbreak.

He added that in 2022, there was 84 per cent reduction in cVDPV2 registered compared with

2021.

“In recent times, WHO supported Nigeria in the fight against the global COVID-19 pandemic. As at April 3, 2023, 71.1 per cent of eligible population have been vaccinated with at least one dose.

Mulombo said that the organisation had been supporting government across all levels to build the capacity of health workers to improve health resources and services provided in the country.

He said WHO had continued to support the protracted humanitarian crisis in the northeast region of Nigeria since 2016.

“As we look forward to building a stronger WHO that delivers results and is enabled and empowered to play its leading role in global health, let me assure that WHO will continue to support Nigeria to promote health, provide health, protect health, power health and

perform for health,’’ Mulombo said.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

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Gas utilisation to diversify Nigeria’s energy mix – Perm Sec

The Federal Government says the utilisation of gas can help to diversify Nigeria’s energy mix and reduce the country’s dependence on oil.

It said in line with this President Muhammadu Buhari in 2021 declared 2021 to 2030 as “Nigeria’s Decade of Gas“, a period the government aspired to accelerate domestic and export gas production and utilisation.

Amb. Gabriel Aduda, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, made this known on Thursday in Abuja at the 2023 Oloibiri Lecture Series and Energy Forum (OLEF) organised by the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE).

The event was hosted by the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF).

Aduda spoke on the role of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources on “Effective Gas Resources Utilisation: A Lever For Enhancing Energy Security and Achieving Net-Zero Emission Goals in Nigeria”.

He said the ministry was playing a crucial role in the effective utilisation of gas resources in Nigeria, by developing policies and regulations to encourage the use of gas, promote gas infrastructure investments and competitive gas market.

This, he said, included creating enabling environment and partnerships with the private sector to build pipelines, storage facilities and other infrastructure necessary for the transportation and storage of gas.

He said the infrastructure was essential for ensuring availability of gas, especially in expanding domestic utilisation and reducing the cost of gas by increasing competition and efficiency.

“We are already achieving very amiable results in the domestic intake of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) also known as cooking gas and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) in several small and medium scale industries across the country.

“Another important role is supporting the development of a competitive and efficient gas market by promoting the use of market-based pricing mechanisms and encouraging the participation of multiple players in the market.

“A competitive market can help to ensure that gas is priced efficiently, which in turn can help to encourage its use.

“Finally, the ministry is further playing a crucial role with the passage of the PIA 2021 in developing policies and regulations that encourage the use of gas in its various forms,” he said.

He said globally there were efforts towards the creation of an international market for fossil energy that could minimise gas flaring, methane and CO2 emissions across the value chain to the fullest extent practicable.

“Nigeria became the first African country to regulate methane emissions from its oil and gas sector in 2022.

“Achieving the Global Methane Pledge (GMP) goal of cutting anthropogenic methane emissions by 30 percent by 2030 will drive significant energy security, food security, health and several other development gains.

“The enactment of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021 has led to the creation of regulatory frameworks with clear-cut mandates for the growth and development of the oil and gas sector.

“If properly implemented, it would represent the gold standard of natural resource management, with clear and separate roles for the subsectors of the industry.

“It also creates the Midstream Gas Infrastructure Fund (MGIF) for the purpose of supporting investments in the development of gas infrastructure, which includes pipelines, storage facilities, and processing plants, to facilitate the transportation and storage of gas.

Gas is a cleaner-burning fossil fuel than oil or coal and can play a significant role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

It is also essential to promote public awareness and education on the benefits of gas as a cleaner and more affordable source of energy.

“This will require targeted outreach and engagement with communities, as well as the development of programmes that provide affordable access to clean energy for households and small businesses.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria