NNPC Set To Globalize Recruitment May Employ Expatriates

Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, who acts as both the Minister of State for Petroleum and Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), has said that has part of the ongoing restructuring exercise for efficiency and profitability that expatriates would be recruited by the NNPC, This Day Reports.

In an exclusive interview, Kachikwu told THISDAY that the corporation’s restructuring agenda is only 25 percent complete, adding that 75 percent is yet to be completed. 

Although there is always this sentiment that Nigerians should be in charge of NNPC, Kachikwu stated that the oil and gas industry was not where nationals just take charge alone, stressing that “it is an international business that requires international global best practice.”

Kachikwu stressed that there are certain positions in the NNPC that requires the services of expatriates in spite of the yearning desires for Nigerians to be in charge, adding that currently there are no expatriates in the NNPC’s workforce. In as much as the salary structure of the NNPC would not be able to accommodate expatriates in its workforce but added that he would not mind going outside the system to pay them.

NNPC Eleven Months Loses Amounts To N255.28bn

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has recorded a total loss of N255.28bn, from January to November 2015 as against N240.98bn which it recorded from January to October in the same year, The Punch reports.

From the analysis of the corporation’s financial report for October and November 2015 showed a difference of N14.3bn between the two months. The NNPC has also made dollar payments amounting to $607.8m to the Federal Accounts and Allocation Committee from January to November 2015 as seen from her latest financial report.

For the Naira payments to the Federal Government, the corporation said, “The sum of N933.1bn for domestic crude oil and gas and other receipts was paid to the Federation Account from January to November 2015.”

On the performance of refineries, Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company, Port Harcourt Refining Company and Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company the report stated that the total crude processed by the three facilities for the month of November 2015 was zero.

FG Sets Aside N108bn To Clear 2015 Subsidy Payments For Oil Marketers

According to reports by Leadership, the FG has set aside the sum of N108 billion to completely offset subsidy payments for the year 2015 to oil marketers.

While announcing the new pump price of petrol in Abuja recently, Farouk Ahmed, Executive secretary of the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), disclosed that   the money is meant to clear payment for October, November and December 2015.

The total sum of N407 billion was paid by the FG as subsidy claims to oil marketers up to September 2015, Kemi Adeosun said that payments also included outstanding arrears from the 2014 financial year as well as payments for 2015.

It would be recalled that the government recently paid an outstanding N407 billion subsidy claims to oil marketers which covered payments up to September, 2015. Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, said the payments included arrears from the 2014 financial year as well as payments for 2015.

Meanwhile Ahmed said the PPPRA has completed verification of marketer’s documents for the months of October and November, which would be sent to the Debt Management Office (DMO) before finally being handled by the ministry of finance.

The managing director of the Pipelines and Products Marketing Company (PPMC) Esther Nnamdi-Ogbue, has also disclosed that the agency will effect from this month, begin real time tracking of products distribution with a view to check diversion and artificially induced scarcity.

General Electric To Commence Gas Turbines Production In 2018

The CEO of GE Nigeria, Lazarus Angbazo has disclosed that the company would effectively commence the manufacturing of gas turbines, compressors and pumps, as well as other heavy duty equipment by the first quarter of 2018, Daily Trust reports.

During the visit of the US Ambassador to Nigeria, James Entwistle who inspected the plant at the Calabar Free Trade Zone (CFTZ) and informed that that the investment which is one of GE’s largest in Sub-Saharan Africa, over the next five years, was aimed at strengthening GE’s local presence in Nigeria, thereby enabling them to create more direct and indirect jobs and technology transfer in country.

Angbazo is also the president of American Business Council in Nigeria further added that GE would further inject another $250 million to make Nigeria a regional hub for GE products and services, including equipment for oil and gas exploration.

The ground breaking ceremony for the Calabar plant which is a $1 billion investment facility was performed in 2013 by the immediate past vice president, Architect Namadi Sambo.

Power Generation Hits 4,600 Megawatts as Egbin Power Station Bounces Back

According to a report by The Tribune, the Director Affairs, Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Mrs Seun Olagunju, said that the nation’s power generation capacity has increased from 3,657 megawatts to 4,600 megawatts. The development was attributed to the resumption of operation at the Egbin Power Station early this week.

While briefing the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos State, on Friday, she added that the power generation started increasing early this week and stood at 4,600 megawatts as of October 16 which is a recommendable feat for the nation’s power sector.

Mrs Olagunju further added that worker’s crises at the plant made the plant record zero generation lately but that the power station has bounced back to 813 MW after one week of unproductivity.

According to a senior management source at the plant who pledged anonymity, informed the media that the management had embarked on repairs of some 'little damage' at the plant to up the generation to 1, 000 megawatts. Egbin Power Plant, the nation’s biggest power generating outfit, had on October 4 lost 1,100 megawatts.

Employment Creation Opportunities From Solar Energy Investment

The Nigeria Directorate of Employment (NDE), has disclosed that there is a concerted effort by the Directorate to use solar energy to boost employment generation in Nigeria, The Nation reports.

A recent report released by the Renewable Energy Policy Network for the   (REN21) shows that each year is seeing progressively more renewable energy generated than the last. Looking at the economic impact of renewables in 2014, the REN 21 report says that over the course of the year worldwide, 7.7 million jobs were created mostly in Chinese solar power production.

Renewable energy projects in many developing countries have demonstrated that it can contribute to poverty alleviation by providing the energy needed for creating businesses and employment.

The NDE Director General, Mallam Abubakar Mohammed, while speaking recently during a solar energy system training, said that NDE had been involved in environmental scanning to address unemployment over the years.

He said one of the steps taken was the training of youths in renewable energy, specifically solar energy systems, due to the energy crisis confronting Nigeria as a nation.

He said although Nigeria needs adequate supply of energy to drive its economy and power its domestic, economic, technological and social sectors, it has however been difficult to meet the energy needs of the citizenry by successive governments.

The NDE boss also stated that the directorate had produced 950 technicians in 19 states of the federation, adding 50 were resettled in Ilorin, Kwara State out of the 100 unemployed youths who were trained while another 50 were resettled in Akure, Ondo State, out of the 61 persons trained.

Nigeria Still Flares 20% of Associated Gas Produced

Nigeria still produces 1.8 trillion standard cubic feet (tcf) yearly and about 20 % of associated gas produced yearly in the country which is enough to generate 6,000 megawatts (MW) of electricity is still being flared, The Nation reports.

The Managing Director, Energy and Mineral Resources Limited (EMR), Abiola Ajayi, has stressed the need for more investments in the sector to monetize the gas instead of burning it. 

He said International Oil Companies (IOCs) have failed to contribute to the domestic gas obligation, which has adversely affected output of the power plants in the country. Ajayi said for the country to achieve 20,000Mw generation by 2020, gas required for open cycle power plants is at least 4.5 billion standard cubic feet per day (bscf/d), and 3.5 bscf/d for combined cycle plants.

Ajayi also said the power sector, which requires about 70 per cent of gas produced for local consumption could not afford a market driven price, which is the reason for the unwilling disposition of the IOCs to commit to domestic supply.

Ajayi called for the establishment of a gas department within the Ministry of Petroleum Resources to oversee the execution of regulations in accordance with the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR).

He said for gas supply to be sustainable, the government must ensure, among other things, a bankable commercial framework, gas investment drive, and address the issue of pipeline vandalisation as well as pricing based on willing-buyer-willing-seller.