Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Tareq el Mulla says, Egypt is the only country in the region that has an infrastructure to export natural gas via pipelines, as well as Liquefied natural gas (LNG) plants, with a large capacity of gas produced from the Eastern Mediterranean fields.
This came in his speech at the East Mediterranean Gas Forum (EMGF) Energy Transition Conference, which was opened by Cypriot President Níkos Anastasiádis in the Cypriot capital, Nicosia, on Friday October 15.
Mulla hailed the EMGF as an opportunity to boost economic growth and expand ties with Europe in the energy domain.
He stressed the importance of securing funds from major international financial institutions, a matter that will help accelerate the development of natural gas resources and reserves in the Eastern Mediterranean and motivating investors and international companies operating in the region.
Regarding COP27, to be hosted by Egypt’s Sharm El Sheikh in November, the minister reviewed Egypt’s efforts with its partners from international companies in the gas industry to be more environmentally friendly through new projects that use the technology of Carbon capture and storage (CCS) or carbon capture and sequestration and reducing methane emissions with proven technologies.
The gathering was attended by EU Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson, Greek Energy Minister Kostas Skrekas, Jordanian Energy Minister Saleh A. Al-Kharabsheh and the EMGF Secretary-General, Osama Mobarez.
Egypt Only Country in Region With Natural Gas Infrastructure – Petroleum Minister
Booker Prize 2022: Queen Consort To Award Prestigious Prize
The Queen Consort will present the Booker Prize to one of six hopefuls on Monday as the awards foundation holds its first large-scale event since 2019.
The prize could go to the oldest author ever nominated – 88-year-old Alan Garner – or to Claire Keegan, for the shortest novel in Booker Prize history.
Taking place at London’s Roundhouse, singer-songwriter Dua Lipa will give a speech about her love of reading.
Tributes will also be paid to the late two-time Booker winner Hilary Mantel.
Mantel, who won the prize for two of her books from her critically-acclaimed Wolf Hall trilogy, died last month at the age of 70.
All but one of the six shortlisted authors is due to attend the evening ceremony in person. Garner, whose birthday is also on Monday, is expected to appear virtually.
Once Upon A Time – October 17 – 2006 – The United States Population Reaches 300 Million
1854 French and British forces bombard Sevastopol for the first time during the Crimean War
1907 Guglielmo Marconi’s company begins the first commercial transatlantic wireless service between Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, Canada and Clifden, Ireland
1943 Burma railway completed, built by Allied POWs and Asian laborers for use of the Japanese army
1973 OPEC oil ministers use oil as an economic weapon in the Arab-Israeli War, mandating a cut in exports and recommending an embargo against unfriendly states
2017 Islamic State headquarters Raqqa declared under full control of US-led alliance by Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) spokesman Talal Sello after 4 months of fighting
HISTORICAL EVENTS TODAY
TODAY IN FILM & TV
1939 “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington”, directed by Frank Capra and starring James Stewart and Jean Arthur, is released
TODAY IN MUSIC
1963 The Beatles record “I Want to Hold Your Hand” at EMI Studios in London
TODAY IN SPORT
1860 1st British Open Men’s Golf, Prestwick GC: Willie Park Sr. wins inaugural event by 2 strokes from fellow Scot Tom Morris Sr
MORE FACTS…
2006 The United States population reaches 300 million
2020 Chicago declared the ‘rattiest city’ in America for the sixth year in a row by pest control service Orkin
FAMOUS WEDDINGS
1469 Crown prince Fernando of Aragon (17) marries heir Princess Isabella of Castile (18), will unite the two Spanish crowns (not officially one country till 1707-16)
1707 German composer Johann Sebastian Bach marries for the 1st time his cousin Maria Barbara Bach
1749 US revolutionary Samuel Adams (27) weds Elizabeth Checkley
Nigerian Airspace Management Agency Installs Surveillance Equipment To Monitor Low-Flying Aircraft
The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) says it has achieved 80 per cent installation of the Wide Area Multilateration (WAM) surveillance system to monitor and track low flying aircraft.
The acting Managing Director of the agency, Mr Lawrence Pwajok, said this at an interactive session with aviation correspondents in Lagos on Sunday.
Pwajok explained that the surveillance system, estimated to cost 12.9 million dollars (N9.42 billion), would be completed before the end of the year.
Multilateration (MLat) is a proven technology that has been in use for many decades in both navigation and surveillance applications to track aircraft at any location.
NAMA recently installed an equipment known as Wide Area Multi Lateration in Port Harcourt for low flying aircraft in the Gulf of Guinea.
The project was approved by the the Federal Executive Council (FEC) in 2018.
Pwajok said the equipment would help the agency in carrying out monitoring, control and surveillance of both the manned and unmanned aircraft in the Niger Delta region.
He added that the system also made provision for capturing of low-level flying helicopters in the Gulf of Guinea, especially as their activities increased in the Niger-Delta region of Nigeria.
The MD said the agency was in the process of concluding the projects but had to call for a stakeholders sensitisation to get their inputs.
“The surveillance system is for the low flying aircraft and the beauty of this new concept is the capability to capture low flying helicopters that have increased within the Niger Delta area.
“Knowing the strategic nature of this sector and the strategic nature of the economy, we have implemented the surveillance system that will enhance the efficiency of low flying helicopters in that region.
“We have also incorporated what we also call the UTM system (Unman-aircraft Traffic Management System) otherwise known as remotely piloted aircraft systems, which can monitor drones and control them within the entire Niger Delta region,” he said.
According to him, this type of surveillance system is used for logistics supplies, pipeline monitoring or inspections and security surveillance within the region.
“Since they operate within the same airspace, this equipment provides us the credibility for monitoring, surveillance or control of both manned aircraft and unmanned aircraft operating within that area in support of oil exploration activities,” explained Pwajok.
Pwajok added that it was one of the key modern equipment being installed by the agency, that had reached over 80 per cent implementation.
He added that surveillance transmitters and receivers were spread over 29 locations covering the entire Niger Delta, while the system would be centralised in Port Harcourt in three sectors to cover the entire region.
2022 2nd Quarter Record: National Bureau of Statistics Records Over 206m Active Voice Subscribers
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) says 206,449,125 active voice subscribers were recorded in the second quarter (Q2).
This is contained in the NBS Telecoms Data: Active Voice and Internet per State, Porting and Tariff Information report for Q2, released in Abuja on Sunday.
According to NBS, this is an increase compared to 187,611,501 recorded in Q2 2021, representing a 10.4 per cent rise on a year-on-year basis.
On a quarter-on-quarter basis, the report showed that growth stood at 3.45 per cent, an increase from the 199,558,540 subscribers recorded in Q1.
Also, the report revealed a total of 151,332,090 active internet subscribers were recorded in Q2 compared to 140,175,169 reported in Q2 2021.
“This indicates a growth rate of 7.96 per cent on a year-on-year basis. On a quarter-on-quarter basis, growth stood at 3.76 per cent,” said the report.
On state analysis, the report also showed Lagos had the highest number of active voice subscribers in Q2 with 25,002,808, followed by Kano with 12,499,401 and Ogun with 12,288,042.
The report showed that Bayelsa recorded the least with 1,530,739, followed by Ekiti with 1,775,647, and Ebonyi with 1,840,443.
The report showed that Lagos State stood top with active internet subscribers recorded at 18,441,791, followed by Kano with 9,255,299 and Ogun with 9,151,148.
“Also, Bayelsa had the least with 1,126,076, followed by Ebonyi and Ekiti with 1,319,005 and 1,380,154, respectively,” the report stated.
It showed that MTN had the highest share of subscriptions in Q2.
Nigerian Company Turns Electronic Waste Into Solar Lanterns
Quadloop, a Nigerian based company, has found a way to turn electronic waste into solar lanterns and other products which will have a lower impact on the environment.
Dozie Igweilo, founder of Quadloop, told Newsmen he came up with the idea after discovering a market for affordable, locally produced electrical goods, for which components were not available in the country.
“At that point, we noticed that… if we leverage on electronic waste, we are going to cut down the cost of production as well as the cost of sales, and that is what brought us to where we are today,” Igweilo said.
The company aims to source 70% of its materials from electronic waste. Quadloop recycles lithium batteries from dumped old laptops for its solar lanterns.
Those lanterns are then used by small businesses helping them to stay productive if there are power outages, Igweilo said.
One of Quadloop’s clients is Blessing Samuel, who works as a hairdresser and uses its solar lantern at night.
“It’s very good, it has been helpful to me since I got it, it helps me when there’s no light. I use it to do my work and it relieved me of the stress of buying fuel,” she said.
October 16, 2022 – Exchange Rate Today For USD To NGN
Nigerian Naira rate today compared to the Dollar.
1 USD = 435.18 NGN
1 Dollars = 435.18 Nigerian Naira
The USDNGN rate as of 16 Oct 2022 at 8:58 PM
Exploring Oeno Island, Pitcairn Islands
Oeno Island, or known as Holiday Island as well, is a coral atoll in the South Pacific Ocean, part of the British overseas territory of the Pitcairn Islands.
Located 143 km (89 mi) northwest of Pitcairn Island, it is around 5 km (3 mi) in diameter, the central lagoon included, with total area of 20 square km (8 square mi).
As Oeno Island may only be visited with the prior permission of the Commissioner for Pitcairn Islands in New Zealand, the islanders feel free to leave their possessions on the island, knowing they will not be taken or vandalized.
As the island is small and flat with great beaches and is surrounded by a circular reef, mostly serves as a paradise and holiday destination (so to speak) of the Pitcairners, with palm trees, lovely beaches, and a sheltered lagoon.
The Oeno Island first was seen in June 1819 by Captain James Henderson of the British East India Company, but the island gets its name of the American whaler ship on 26 January 1824, which was led by Captain George Worth.
The island is a very important area for the Murphy’s petrels, which is species of seabird and a member of the gadfly petrels.
Due to this reason, the island has been identified as an Important Bird Area.
Kaduna State’s New N2b Mall To Maximise Retail Marketing
Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has inaugurated a multi-billion naira Galaxy Mall to mark the state’s annual economic summit, KADINVEST 7:0.
The shopping mall, which has Shoprite as the anchor tenant and is the biggest in the state, was built by a Chinese firm at the cost of N2bn.
El-Rufai, while speaking at 11,000m² Galaxy Mall, said it would boost the economic activities in the state, create jobs as well as improve social life.
The mall has spaces for cinema halls, restaurants and a variety of shops and spaces for commercial activities.
“This new Galaxy Mall will maximise retail marketing in Kaduna state. There will be cinemas, restaurants and shops, with Shoprite as the anchor tenant. Shoprite is expected to open before Christmas to give residents something to celebrate at Christmas,” the governor added.
Earlier in her remarks, Managing Director, Kaduna Market Development and Management Company, Tamar Nandul, said the mall was built under a public-private partnership arrangement, adding that the development partners, Amsalco Group, contributed N800m to the project.
She said, “Our development partner, Amsalco contributed N800m, while the Kaduna State Government contributed N1.5bn to the development of the project. Shoprite will serve as the anchor tenant, while there are open-plan 8,445 shops, 53 other shops and cinema halls with 341 sitting capacity.
“There are spaces for entertainment, sports, fashion and others. The Galaxy Mall will improve the internally-generated revenue, create employment opportunities for the residents and improve the socio-economic development of Kaduna City.”
Once Upon A Time – October 16 – 1812 – Henry Martyn Approaches Muslims With The Gospel
1812 Henry Martyn Approached Muslims with the Gospel
1813 Battle of Leipzig, largest battle in Europe prior to WWI, Napoleon’s forces defeated by Prussia, Austria and Russia
1900 Great Britain and Germany sign the Anglo-German Treaty, agreeing to maintain territorial integrity of China and support ‘open door’ policy called for by US Secretary of State
1934 Mao Zedong and 25,000 troops begin their 6,000 mile Long March from the south of China to the north and west
1962 Cuban Missile Crisis begins as JFK is shown photos confirming the presence of Soviet missiles in Cuba
1978 Polish Cardinal Karol Wojtyla elected Pope John Paul II
1998 Former Chilean dictator General Augusto Pinochet is arrested in London on a Spanish warrant requesting his extradition on murder charges
Historical Events Today
Today in Film & TV
1923 Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio founded
Today in Music
1912 Arnold Schoenberg’s “Pierrot Lunaire,” premieres at the Berlin Choralion-Saal sung by Albertine Zehme
Today in Sport
1968 Americans Tommie Smith (gold 19.83 WR) and John Carlos (bronze) famously give the Black Power Salute on the 200m medal podium during the Mexico City Olympics to protest racism and injustice against African-Americans
2017 Findings published of neutron star collision that occurred two months prior on August 17, the first cosmic event seen in gravitational waves and light. Confirms heavy elements such as gold the result of such collisions
1384 Jadwiga is crowned King of Poland, despite being a woman
Famous Weddings
1923 General Francisco Franco (30) marries María del Carmen Polo y Martínez-Valdés (23) at Church of San Juan el Real in Oviedo
1965 American singer Leslie Uggams (32) weds her childhood friend and later manager Grahame Pratt in NYC
1979 MLB outfielder Tim Raines (20) weds his high school sweetheart Virginia Hilton
