ASUU Strike: Students in Edo Protest Seeks FG Intervention

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May 5, 2022

Students from the various institutions of higher learning in Edo State on wednesday, protested the continued strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

The protest caused a major chaotic traffic situation in several parts of Benin City, the state capital for several hours as the students urged the federal government to intervene, vowing to continue a daily stay in the city centre until their demands are met.

The students, who mobilised themselves from University of Benin (UNIBEN), Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma (AAU), Federal Polytechnic Auchi, carried placards with various inscriptions and blocked the Oba Ovonramwen Square popularly called Ring Road to express their grievances which resulted in traffic jams around the axis, including Akpakpava, mission road.

Speaking on the issue, National Vice President, Special Duties of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) Idiahi Thomas, faulted Nigeria’s educational sector, saying: “Our leaders have bastardised it, and as it is, Nigerian students are at home and yet the government officials are busy purchasing forms for over N100 million, an amount presidents of other countries cannot earn constitutionally throughout their whole tenure. If the federal government does not want us to remain here, they know obviously what to do. You are taking a course of four to five years, then spend six to seven years. Post Graduate students who are supposed to spend 18 months are spending two to three years and some get frustrated and abandon them.”

A student Union leader from Ekpoma, Abumere Joseph said “We are tired of staying at home, for the past three months we have not attended classes. I was supposed to graduate in April but as it is now, I don’t know when I will graduate. I have been in one level for close to two years, so we are tired.”

On his part, the President, Students Union Government (SUG) of UNIBEN, Foster Amadin said the strike is “suffocating the dreams of Nigerian students while the government is going about their electoral processes and the striking lecturers are going about their individual businesses.”
A civil right leader, Kola Edokpayi said the government does not respect the wishes of the people of Nigeria lamenting that “Our students are at home, yet the Minister of State for Education was able to buy a presidential nomination form of N100 million.”

Cocoa Farmers Reassure Nigeria To Become Highest Producer In West Africa

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Elizabeth Williams

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May 5, 2022

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Cocoa farmers in Nigeria under the aegis of Cocoa Farmers Association of Nigeria (CFAN), have pledge to increase the country’s cocoa production in conjunction with other value chain stakeholders from the present about 340,000 metric tonnes to 500,000 metric tonnes by 2024.

According to CFAN President, Adegoke Adeola, the new project, is to make Nigeria the highest cocoa producer in West Africa by the year 2027.

He stated this while speaking at the flag off of the free distribution of the Cocoa GAP handbook to smallholder cocoa farmers in Akure, the Ondo State capital.

This ambition, according to him is anchored on improved cocoa variety, national cocoa farm irrigation, the improvements of the livelihood of the smallholder cocoa farmers via the collection of $400 Living Income Differential(LID) and the overall improvements of the cocoa sector from research, Inputs, production , value addition , processing to export.

He noted that Ondo state CFAN has been the life wire of CFAN at the national level due to many years of its strong leadership presence established via its constant mass mobilisation of cocoa farmers and other activities carried out at various farm gate level in the State with the support of Harvestfield Industries Limited and other CFAN partners.

He acknowledged the giant stride recorded in the cocoa sector by the various past governments of Ondo State, especially the feet recently recorded by the Governor of the state, Rotimi Akeredolu, for making Ondo State to remain the highest cocoa producing State in Nigeria.

NACCIMA Seeks to Use Certificate of Origin to check Oil Theft

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Elizabeth Williams

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May 5, 2022

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The Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) has advised the federal government to use Certificate of Origin (CoO) to fight the sale of stolen Nigerian crude oil in the international market.

The National President of NACCIMA, John Udeagbala, gave the advice during a quarterly press briefing where he asserted that the issuance of the CoO is the ultimate step Nigeria must take to address the theft of its crude oil in order to increase its public revenues.

He said: “If the oil export in Nigeria should be done in a way it is meant to be done there must be certification with the issuing of Certificate of Origin, which means that this oil is actually Nigerian oil. And no buyer can buy crude oil without this certificate.”

Udeagbala claimed that the right to issue the CoO should be domiciled with the NACCIMA, since it is the chambers of commerce all over the world that certifies export products.

“We are trying now to engage the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to understand who issues this CoO to them. This is one step that we must follow to increase our revenues. So that when the oil pipeline is broken, those stealing the oil cannot go to anywhere to sell it. I want special attention to be paid to this,” he said.

He stated that government must take decisive action to increase its revenue in the face of rising public debt.

NACCIMA also called for the privatisation of the country’s petrol refineries, insisting that the concept of turn around maintenance of refineries is peculiar to Nigeria and not obtainable in any other country.

Similarly, the Second National Vice President of NACCIMA, Dele K. Oye, collaborated Udeagbala’s claim that turn around maintenance of refineries is nothing but a hoax.

Britain’s Central Bank Raises Rates To 1% Despite Looming Recession Risk

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faith Jegede

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May 5, 2022

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The Bank of England can be seen as people cycle through the City of London financial district, in London, Britain, June 11, 2021. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls

Even as Britain sends a warning of an increased risk of falling into recession, The Bank of England has raised interest rates to their highest since 2009 at 1% on Thursday as a measure to counter inflation now heading above 10%.

The BoE’s nine rate-setters voted 6-3 for the quarter-point rise from 0.75%. But Catherine Mann, Jonathan Haskel and Michael Saunders called for a bigger increase to 1.25% to stamp out the risk of the inflation surge getting embedded in the economy.

Central banks around the world are scrambling to cope with the surge in inflation that they once described as transitory when it began with the reopening of the global economy, before the Russian Ukraine crises sent energy prices spiraling.

Britain’s central bank said it was also worried about the impact of China’s COVID-19 lockdown policies which threaten to hit supply chains again and add to the inflation pressure.

The Banks move represented its fourth consecutive rate hike since December – the fastest increase in borrowing costs in 25 years – and it hardened its message about further increases, despite its worries about a sharp economic slowdown.

The BoE said most policymakers believed “some degree of further tightening in monetary policy may still be appropriate in the coming months”.

British consumer price inflation hit a 30-year high of 7% in March, more than triple the BoE’s 2% target, and the central bank revised up its forecasts for price growth to show it peaking above 10% in the last three months of this year, over a previous expectation of about 8% in April.

The BoE said inflation in Britain would peak later than in other big advanced economies due to Britain’s cap on household energy tariffs, which saw tariffs jump 54% in April and which the BoE thinks will rise a further 40% in October.

Real post-tax household disposable income – a measure of living standards – is forecast to fall 1.75% this year, the biggest calendar-year drop since 2011 and the second-biggest since the BoE’s records began in the 1960s.

The BoE kept its forecast for economic growth this year at 3.75%, but slashed its forecast for 2023 to show a contraction of 0.25% from a previous estimate of 1.25% growth. It cut its growth projection for 2024 to 0.25% from a previous 1.0%.

While growth in the first quarter of this year has been stronger than the BoE predicted, it expects the economy to stagnate in the second quarter, due to an extra public holiday and reduced COVID testing, and a nearly 1% fall in GDP in the final quarter after the next increase in energy prices kicks in.

Those forecasts were based on bets in financial markets that the BoE would increase interest rates to about 2.5% by the middle of next year and the central bank signaled that was probably too much.

It said it expected inflation would fall to 1.3% in three years’ time, the biggest undershoot relative to its 2% target since the 2008-09 global financial crisis, after unemployment rises and the cost-of-living squeeze hits the economy.

Revised Energy Policy: How Master Plan Will Revamp Nigeria’s Energy Sector – Onu

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Elizabeth Williams

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May 5, 2022

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Nigeria’s Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, has said the 2022 Revised National Energy Policy (RNEP) and the National Energy Master Plan (NEMP) will positively impact Nigeria’s energy sector.

Onu, who made this assertion in a statement signed by him at the weekend, pointed out that the revised policy and master plan would enable Nigeria take optimum advantage of available sources of energy in the country.

The statement reads in part: “Nigeria has abundance of crude oil, fossil fuels, and variants of renewable energy (solar, hydro, wind, geothermal and biomass), in commercial quantities, and a good mix of all these will greatly improve energy supply in the country.”

What Is Nigeria’s Revised Energy Policy 2022

Nigeria Energy Policy NEP and NEMP were developed by the energy commission of Nigeria (ECN), a parastatal under the federal ministry of science, technology and innovation.

NEP energy policy serves and covers all energy sub-sectors and gives the Federal government appropriate policy direction in the exploitation of its energy resources for national energy security and development in an environmentally sustainable manner.

NEMP policy would enhance performance in the energy sector through proper coordination as the policy would provide an instrument for the coordination of the implementation of government policies.

NEMP is a roadmap for the implementation of NEP that seeks to convert its strategies to actionable programmes, activities and projects with timelines.

FCE Provost Tasks Govt on Minimum Teaching Qualification

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Rhoda Onuzulike

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May 5, 2022

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The Provost of the Federal College of Education (Technical), Akoka, Dr. Wahab Azeez, has called on the federal government to enact a policy on minimum qualification for teaching to attract people to the profession.

Azeez, who recently said this at the 2021/2022 NCE and Professional Diploma in Education (PDE) matriculation ceremony, bemoaned the low enrolment into some departments such as Integrated Science/Mathematics Education and Physics Education, Computer/Chemistry Education, Home Economics Education, among others.

“Specifically, the college of education is experiencing a sharp drop in student enrolment. Nigeria’s certificate in education is gradually going into extinction,” he stressed. “The first degree is made the minimum teaching qualification as many people will like to go for university degrees compared to certificates in education.”

The provost disclosed that the college introduced the Centre for Vocational and Entrepreneurship Development to offer skills to students.

“We have skill acquisition in programmes like barbing, tiling, tailoring, and cooking so that the students can on their own apply such skills to earn a living as far as they are still students here.”

“The students on their own are also practising what they have learnt. We want them to be entrepreneurs so that when they are not able to get a teaching job, they will be in a position to establish a business of their own,” the provost explained.

He congratulated the newly admitted students while imploring them to combine both academic and moral excellence throughout their stay in the college. Five hundred twenty-eight students matriculated in the college.

OPEC, Russia, Others Scramble to Invest in Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline Project

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Elizabeth Williams

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May 5, 2022

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Nigeria’s Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva has disclosed that the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and Russia are some of the international bodies ready to buy into the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline project.

The Minister who made this known to newsmen at the State House, Abuja, after the homage paid to President Muhammadu Buhari, however, noted that the project would not be completed by the current administration.

According to the minister, the project, which is an extension of the West African Gas Pipeline project and already delivering gas from Nigeria up to Ghana, was still at the level of studies and finding funding partners, to take it to Morocco where it would connect the European market.

Providing an update on the project, Sylva said, “the Nigerian, Morocco gas pipeline is a continuation of the West African Gas Pipeline project, which has already gotten to Ghana, it is already operational connecting Nigeria to Benin Republic, to Togo and to Ghana.

Europe Turns To Nigeria, Africa As Alternative Gas Suppliers – Report

By

Elizabeth Williams

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May 5, 2022

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Nigeria and Algeria are the biggest African liquified natural gas suppliers on the continent.

Nigeria topped African exporters in Liquefied Natural Gas, (LNG), in 2021 with 17.9 million metric tons MMt, says a report published by leading information provider IHS Markit.

Algeria, followed closely with 12.3 MMt and Egypt with 6.9 MMt.

Top 10 African Countries Sitting on the Most Natural Gas

Nigeria – 206.53 Trillion Cubic Feet

Algeria – 159.1 Trillion Cubic Feet

Senegal – 120 Trillion Cubic Feet

Mozambique – 100 Trillion Cubic Feet

Egypt – 77.2 Trillion Cubic Feet

Tanzania – 57.54 Trillion Cubic Feet

Libya – 53.1 Trillion Cubic Feet

Since the conflict between Russia and Ukraine broke out in February, Europe has turned towards different African partners to reduce dependence on Russian energy.

Earlier on May 2, the EU Ambassador to Nigeria, Samuela Isopi, together with France, Italy, Portugal and Spain’s ambassador met with the management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC).

The European Union is courting its first African liquified natural gas supplier. EU Ambassador to Nigeria, Samuela Isopi, together with France, Italy, Portugal and Spain’s ambassadors visited Monday the headquarters of the NNPC and met with the company’s management. The visit came as Europe tries to reduce its reliance on Russian gas. After the United States and Qatar, Russia was in 2021, Europe’s third liquified natural gas supplier.

The European envoys to Nigeria therefore sought to strengthen their cooperation in the energy sector with Africa’s top economy.

According to a statement by the NNPC spokesperson, the group managing director assured the European delegation that the company would continue to deepen its relationship with EU companies in Nigeria. He added the company would work particularly towards increasing gas supply to the global market.

On the domestic front, NNPC through its subsidiary, Nigerian Gas Company (NGC), currently supplies gas for power generation, either as source of fuel or as feedstock to cement and fertilizer plants, glass, food and beverages, manufacturing industries and so on. More local industries are now aware of the advantages and benefits of using gas, hence the demand for gas is increasing. The Nigerian gas market is a profit oriented market awaiting potential investors.

Following the Russia-Ukraine crises that led to energy shortages in the West Nigeria as well as other potential Gas Producers in Africa are taking advantage of the opportunity and supply gap.

LASG, Stakeholders Strategise on Keeping Students in Schools

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Rhoda Onuzulike

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May 5, 2022

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In a bid to tackle the challenge of school dropouts, the Lagos state government recently gathered stakeholders across the education sector to review its action steps.
One of the actions being reviewed was the state’s Comprehensive Schools Programme, launched in February to teach skills acquisition in learning and empower students with various entrepreneurial courses.

According to the Commissioner for Education, Folasade Adefisayo, the programme was a collaboration between the Lagos State government, organised private sector and non-governmental agencies with the aim to keep prospective dropouts in and improve their prospects, bringing together top-quality vocational training with regular academic curricula.
While discussing with stakeholders, including administrators, principals, and teachers of public secondary schools, how the programme has fared so far, Adefisayo lamented the alarming figure of out-of-school children in the state.

She acknowledged stakeholders’ inputs. However, maintained that much is still to be done to achieve the programme’s overall aim.
In enhancing the programme too, the Commissioner announced the involvement of the Office of Education Quality Assurance (OEQA) to help in the maintenance and improvement of programme standards.

Justifying the programme, Adefisayo recalled her encounter with a yam seller who happened to be one of her best Chemistry students’ years back when she was a school administrator in Osun.
She said such a programme would have guided the yam seller to a career path, adding that the girl’s situation was a fallout of students not being taught what they wanted to do.
“The Comprehensive Schools Programme would help them become self-reliant by teaching skills they are good at and passionate about,” she stressed.

Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Education, Abayomi Abolaji, revealed further that plans are in top gear to expand the programme to 50 schools by September 2022, noting that the selection of schools was a function of available infrastructure.
The pilot phase of the programme was launched in 12 secondary schools across the six education districts in Lagos.
He said, “In terms of the classrooms, we will renovate them to such a state as to become conducive for proper learning by replacing furniture, installing smart TVs and other gadgets for the VTech sessions.”

The programme would ultimately cover every public secondary school in the state because all our schools are affected by the dropout problem. We want to retain those who would learn different vocations within the structured environment of the schools. We are saying to them, ‘Pay attention, do well, make us proud’ as we continue tracking them and seeing them get to wherever they can in life, Adefisayo added.

Stakeholders at the meeting too, recommended that the programme be extended to private secondary schools. They also made a case for physically challenged students regarding the provision of facilities and proposed registration of patients for students’ exclusive products.
Over 500 students are currently enrolled in the Lagos State Comprehensive Schools Programme.
The programme covers agriculture, tech and digital skills; beauty and events; building and construction, media and entertainment.

Germany Oil Embargo On Russia To Tip Country Into Recession

By

Elizabeth Williams

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May 5, 2022

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Germany has said it was prepared to back an immediate EU embargo on Russian oil, in a major shift by Germany that analysts say would tip its economy into recession.

The EU has propose another round of sanctions over the invasion of Ukraine this week- and the oil embargo is possibly on the menu.

Russia supplies 40% of EU gas and 26% of its oil imports and Germany is its biggest energy customer.

However, Economy Minister Robert Habeck said earlier Monday his country was ready.

“Germany is not against an oil ban on Russia. Of course, it is a heavy load to bear, but we would be ready to do that.”

Also on Monday, the EU warned that complying in full with Moscow’s demand that countries effectively pay for gas in roubles, or face losing their supply… would breach existing EU sanctions.

“The (European Union) member states and the companies should not have any illusions that they can rely on the good faith of Gazprom and the Russian regime in this matter.”