GRBusiness
Stakeholders warn, FG could ignite fresh crisis in Ogoni
The Federal Government could ignite a crisis, if its planned resumption of oil exploration in Ogoniland goes ahead without the resolution of key issues.
The warning by stakeholders in the Niger Delta is coming on the heels of last weekend’s meeting between the leadership of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) and the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu. The meeting had sought to find solutions to the crisis in Ogoniland.
Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) was forced to stop exploration and leave Ogoniland in 1993, following an upheaval that caused the death of several Ogoni persons.The President of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), Eric Omare, told The Guardian that the meeting proves the Federal Government cares nothing about the tragic experiences the Ogoni people have gone through, including the murder of Ken Saro- Wiwa and other prominent Ogoni activists.
“Government has not learnt anything. What this means is that it values oil more than the Ogoni people and their lives. They are yet to clean the environment and they are talking about the resumption of oil production. I don’t think they will have an environment conducive to oil exploration in Ogoni,” said Omare.
South-South Zonal Director, Civil Liberty Organisation, Steven Obodoekwe, said since government and the oil companies have not shown commitment to cleaning up the devastated Ogoni environment, their desperation to resume oil production therefore amounts to callousness and “fresh corporate terrorism.”
The ideal thing would have been for the government to ensure the environment is completely restored before contemplating renewed exploration in the area, stressed Obodoekwe.A Shell spokesman, who pleaded anonymity, told The Guardian that though the company’s lease for Oil Mining Leases (OML11) has been renewed, it does not cover the over 30 Ogoni oilfields.
He explained that contrary to the allegation that Shell wants to return to Ogoni through the backdoor, the company which was forced out of Ogoni in 1993 following an uprising does not intend to resume oil production. Shell’s leases for OML 11 was expected to expire by June 2019.
There has been growing tension in Ogoni since the National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS) wrote to Shell last year that it had given preliminary approval to a RoboMichael Limited which had expressed interest in obtaining licensing rights of Ogoni oilfields. It was learnt that Shell had already given its approval to RoboMichael.
The endorsement of RoboMichael Limited by NAPIMS and Supreme Council of Ogoni Traditional Rulers respectively had caused MOSOP and other groups to allege that RoboMichael was Shell’s proxy, an allegation which the oil major has denied.
Amnesty International’s Business and Human Rights Researcher, Mark Dummett, regretted failure by the government and Shell to implement recommendations by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
“Following its groundbreaking survey of 2011, UNEP clearly laid out the path by which the environment of Ogoniland could be made free of the contamination that has devastated it for so long.
The government has created the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) to organise the cleanup, but little has so far been achieved, and there is no transparency over its plans,” Amnesty’s Rights researcher Dummett said.
MOSOP had told Kachikwu it was not opposed to discussions on the resumption of oil production, but that the consent of the people must first be obtained.It stated “unequivocally” that the contentious issue involves three main parties – the Federal Government, the oil industry led by Shell, and the Ogoni people. “Any attempt to deal with any aspect of the issue must necessarily involve the three principal actors, as stakeholders in a joint project of finding a lasting solution to the Ogoni crisis,” it said.
MOSOP, therefore, warned it would “resist the present attempt by the Federal Government and Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria to arbitrarily award the Ogoni fields in Oil Mining Lease (OML) 11 without consultation with the Ogoni community.”
The President of the movement, Legborsi Pyagbara, stressed that besides the environmental damage that attended Shell’s operations, Ogoni people are distressed about their lack of participation in the value chain of the oil industry, including employment; the absence of well-defined Community Benefit Sharing Agreements (CBAs); and a sustainable development process that recognises the rights of the people to Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC), in accordance with global best practices.
Pyagbara described attempts in the last few years to use money to “buy support” from the people as “condemnable” and “reprehensible”. Such move, he said, is “against the spirit of transparency and accountability required in the extractive sector.”
He cautioned: “Societies the world over have met this challenge through deliberate and clear actions, and the Federal Government should urgently look in this direction. For, if the Nigerian government fails to protect the Ogoni people, it certainly cannot protect itself. History is replete with the ruins of societies that were built on the sort of injustices that have pervaded Ogoniland over the years.”
The MOSOP President urged the government to set up a better framework of engagement under which the parties involved would have a level-playing field for discussions on the future of oil production in Ogoniland.
According to him, Nigeria will be judged, not by its false claims about developments in Ogoniland, but by how it actually protects the weak, the vulnerable and those whose lives have been imperiled by reckless oil exploration of multinationals.
“Pyagbara disclosed that the Ogoni people, at the behest of MOSOP, have set up a strategic committee representing the various interests in Ogoni, headed by Prof. Ben Naanen, an economic historian and resource governance expert.
“This will develop a template to harmonise existing positions and guide the people in engagements with the Federal Government and the oil industry. Once the people adopt the template, Ogoniland will be ready for engagement and consultation on oil exploration, he said.
Meanwhile, youths in the Niger Delta have been urged to create an enabling business environment to attract investors to the region. SPDC’s General Manager, External Relations and Social Investment, Mr. Igo Weli, disclosed this while delivering a public lecture organised by the Rivers State University’s Centre of Excellence in Marine Engineering and Offshore Technology.
Speaking on the theme, ‘An enabling Business Environment – Implication for Future Careers in Oil and Gas Industry’, Weli noted that unlike in past years, many companies have left the region due to its unfriendly business atmosphere.He stressed the need for proper conflict management to reverse the situation.
.Guardian.ng
Transport
Enugu Air, CNG Buses, Transport Terminals Take off in May
… Govt set to develop tourist sites, reports SANDRA ANI
… Work starts on Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Awgu Games Village in earnest
The Enugu Air, CNG Mass Transit Programme, and the ultramodern transport terminals all built from scratch by the Governor Peter Administration are to be launched for operation before the second anniversary of the government.
The government has also approved the development of the state’s tourism industry, while total transformation of the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium and Awgu Games Village will start in June to get them ready for the National Sports Festival to be hosted by the state in 2026.
These were made known by the Commissioner for Transportation, Dr. Obi Ozor; Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Dame Ugochi Madueke; Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Engr. Gerald Otiji; and Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Barr. Lloyd Ekweremadu after the State Executive Council meeting at the Government House, Enugu, at the weekend.
Briefing Government House Correspondents, Ozor said, “We are starting off with the initial three aircraft and two of the aircraft are already on ground. The third one will be on ground by the end of this month. We are hoping to start the commercial operations before the second year anniversary of this administration.
“You have also seen buses for the mass transit programme across the state. 50 of them are already parked at Okpara Square, and an additional 50 will be joining that fleet in the next few weeks. The 100 of them will be going into commercial operations before the end of this month, which is the second year anniversary.
“Also, the bus terminals, two at Holy Ghost, one each at Gariki, Abakpa and Nsukka, will also be commissioned and go into commercial operations before the 29th of May, this year.”
He added that the government planned to bring in the electric and CNG automotive manufacturing plant into Enugu as well as launch in the next 150 days the Enugu Smart Transport Programme, which would see to the injection of over 2,000 electric vehicles.
Also briefing newsmen, Dame Madueke said funds would be invested in the tourism industry in phases.
“We are going to have it in phases. For the first phase, we are having Awhum Waterfall, Nsude Pyramid where we are going to have the first canopy walkway in the South East. It measures about 600 metres, which will actually be the longest in Nigeria.
“We also have Ngwo Pine Forest where we are having the first zipline in Nigeria. The zipline will measure about 300 metres. In the same Ngwo, we will have a big rotunda and a smaller rotunda. We have the Cross of Hope to be located at Okpatu. The Cross of Hope will be sitting 580 metres above sea level and the cross itself will measure about 50 metres, making it a total of about 630 metres above sea level. The cross will have about 15 floors with a lift.
“At Awhum Waterfalls, we are going to have another canopy walkway and a boardwalk to preserve the ecosystem.
“We equally have the Akwuke/Atakkwu Waterpark and Ovu Lake Golf and Resort at Akpawfu,” she stated.
She explained that all the tourist sites would have experience centres, food courts and renewable energy, adding that tour buses would soon arrive to ensure ease of movement of tourists.
Ahead of the 23rd edition of the National Sports Festival, Enugu 2026, Barr. Ekweremadu said the State Executive Council had equally directed the commencement of work both at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium and Awgu Games Village not later than June.
“We also briefed the council on the progress made in establishing a Lab for Animation for young people in Enugu State, which His Excellency will be commissioning soon. The lab is ready.
“We are similarly working towards empowering over 2,100 young people across the state, who were trained around December last year. This empowerment will be coming up on the 12th of August, being the International Youth Day’” Ekweremadu concluded.
Energy
NNPC, Dangote Strengthen Strategic Partnership
Bot partners reaffirmed commitment to Healthy Competition Towards National Prosperity, reports SANDRA ANI
As part of ongoing efforts to promote mutually beneficial partnerships and foster healthy competition, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) and Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals (DPRP) have pledged to deepen collaboration aimed at ensuring Nigeria’s energy security and advancing shared prosperity for Nigerians.
This commitment was made during a courtesy visit by the President/Chief Executive of Dangote Group, Mr. Aliko Dangote, and his delegation to the Group CEO of NNPC Ltd., Mr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari, and members of the company’s Senior Management Team at the NNPC Towers, on Thursday.
During the visit, Dangote pledged to collaborate with the new NNPC Management to ensure energy security for Nigeria.
“There is no competition between us, we are not here to compete with NNPC Ltd. NNPC is part and parcel of our business and we are also part of NNPC. This is an era of co-operation between the two organizations.” Dangote added.
While congratulating the GCEO and the Senior Management Team on their “well-deserved appointments,” Dangote acknowledged the enormity of the responsibility ahead, noting that the GCEO is shouldering a monumental task, which he expressed confidence that, with the capable hands at his disposal in NNPC, the task is surmountable.
In his remarks, the GCEO, Mr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari assured Dangote of a mutually beneficial partnership anchored on healthy competition and productive collaboration.
Ojulari highlighted the exceptional caliber of talent he met in NNPC Ltd., describing the workforce as a dedicated, highly skilled and hardworking professionals who are consistently keen on delivering value for Nigeria.
Expressing the company’s readiness to build a legacy of national prosperity through innovation and shared purpose, Ojulari said NNPC will sustain its collaboration with the Dangote Group especially where there is commercial advantage for Nigeria.
Both executives also committed to being the relationship managers for their respective organisations through sustained productive collaboration and healthy competition, thereby envisioning limitless opportunities for both organizations.
Improved efforts at collaboration among financial service providers, telecommunication operators, and tech Startups, with conscious effort geared at consumer awareness, have been proffered as key remedies to the challenge of financial inclusion in the country.
This is the viewpoint of stakeholders that gathered for the second edition of Payment Forum Nigeria (PAFON 2.0) held recently in Lagos.
Delivering a keynote address on the theme, “Bridging the Customer Experience Gap for Financial Inclusion Using AI”, Ebehijie Momoh (Mrs.), the managing director and chief executive officer of AfriGoPay Financial Services Limited, said that with 64% of Nigerian adults being financial included the country has made immense progress in that regards.
She said that between 2012 till date, the country has recorded robust regulatory reforms, especially the launch of the Bank Verification Number (BVN) in 2014 making it easier to identify and track customers across different banks.
“This initiative enhanced the credibility of the financial sector and increased confidence in formal banking systems.
The growth in adoption of smartphones has also helped the financial sector to leapfrog financial inclusion. Nigeria has 142.16 mobile internet subscriptions with an average consumption of ~7.04GB / month as of January 2025. If you juxtapose it to the 15.9% decline in shipments of feature phones to 18.8 million units in Africa as at Q1 2024, you will understand that the uptake in smartphones has helped us a great deal.
Mrs. Momoh who spoke through Mr. Munachi Duru, the head of Innovation and Strategic Partnership at AfriGoPay, said the adoption of artificial intelligence banking gave birth to solutions like smile identity, a leading KYC verification provider launches facial recognition capabilities in Nigeria as neobanks and commercial banks are deploying AI-based KYC verification tools, enabling cheaper and efficient customer acquisition and servicing.
In her goodwill message, Mrs. Uche Uzoebo, MD/CEO, Shared Agent Network Expansion Facilities Limited (SANEF) Limited said that with progress made in accelerating financial inclusion to unbanked and underbanked communities in Nigeria, SANEF has leveraged Artificial Intelligence (AI) as the next step to advancement in financial services in the country.
She noted that as technology evolves rapidly within the financial ecosystem, Financial Inclusion must continue to be at the center of the nation’s progress.
According to her, agent banking has been a game-changer in expanding financial inclusion across Nigeria. “By deploying agents in underserved areas, we have brought financial services and banking products such as account opening, cash in, cash out, bill payment, transfers and other services closer to the unbanked and underserved.”
Speaking during a panel session, Mr. Ibirogba Oluwagunwa, chairman, Lagos State Chapter of the Association of Mobile Money & Bank Agents in Nigeria (AMMBAN), spoke of lack of collaboration and slow institutional drive towards AI as key barriers hindering digital inclusion.
He harped on the need for information sharing among fintech operators, and improved free flow of information to consumers. “The human barrier angle needs to be addressed. Fintechs need to be pushed to move forward, AI cannot operate itself.”
In his contribution, Mr. Chika Nwosu, managing director of PalmPay, reiterated the need to reach the consumers with simple format communication and education style.
He said operators should create awareness and design consumer-centric approach in developing any products. This will not only draw the consumers towards the product, but also generate trust and ease the use of such products.
Focusing on the use of AI to ensure reach, inclusion and security, Azure Application and AI Specialist at Microsoft UK, Olusoji Solomon Adeyemo, spoke on the need for AI and Blockchain in the bid to extend services to rural communities and the unbanked.
According to him, “AI, Blockchain and CBDs are shaping the future of payment, and there is a serious need for education. We need to align with global trends in new tech adoption.”
While noting that AI can ensure reach, Adeyomo said blockchain will also create digital identity that is exclusive and will promote digital financial inclusion.
In her position, Oluwabunmi Ogunyemi, the customer support lead at Moniepoint MFB, proffered physical and digital meet with customers, even in rural areas, as a viable means of inclusivity.
Also speaking, Olusegun Afolabi, the co-founder of Face Technologies UK Ltd., called for improved collaborations among stakeholders in the financial sector.
According to him, the fintech companies must also embrace effective identification solutions, focusing on biometrics and card technologies to ensure topnotch security for users.
Earlier in his opening remarks, Mr. Peter Oluka, co-Convener of the Forum, noted that the financial inclusion journey in the country has come to a crucial juncture where over 30 million adults are still financially excluded, many of whom reside in rural areas or belong to vulnerable demographics.
He noted that despite 12% growth in access to formal financial services between 2020 and 2023, as recorded by the EFInA Access to Financial Services Survey 2023, challenges still exist that hinders the unlocking of the potentials of digital payments to drive inclusive growth in Nigeria.
He further posited: “As digital infrastructure grows and fintech innovation accelerates, we must channel these advancements toward building a more inclusive, secure, and trusted financial ecosystem. This is not just about transactions — it’s about empowerment, opportunity, and economic participation for all.
Nodding in agreement, Mr. Chike Onwuegbuchi, co-Convener, PAFON, reiterated the need for all stakeholders in the financial payment industry, including regulators, to participate in forums as PAFON, to map out, growth strategies with consumers and other strata of the ecosystem.
He promised to invite security stakeholders, such as the EFCC and others in subsequent editions of the event. This will help give insight into security concerns in deployment of products and services in rural and unbanked communities.
Payments Forum Nigeria (PAFON) is a platform dedicated to shaping the future of digital payments and financial services in our country.
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