The United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Amina J. Mohammed, will on Thursday, January 9, 2025, begin a two-day official visit to Nigeria.
United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Amina J. Mohammed
While in Nigeria, she will have a series of meetings, including with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, senior Government officials as well as the senior leadership of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Accompanied bySecretary-General’s Special Representative for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), Leonardo Simão, and UN Resident Coordinator in Nigeria, Mohamed Malick Fall, they will be addressing pressing issues of regional stability and development.
Ms. Mohammed will also meet with the UN country team in Nigeria.
On behalf of Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Ms. Mohammed attended the presidential inauguration of John Dramani Mahama, in Accra, Ghana, from where she will travel to Nigeria.
During her visit to Ghana, she met with President Mahama and with the UN country team to take stock of the relationship between the United Nations and Ghana.
Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero announces restructure and shift of focus to addressing barriers to mobilising capital following departure of multiple banks from its Net Zero Banking Alliance
Mark Carney, one of the GFANZ leaders
The Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ) was launched in April 2021 by the UN Special Envoy on Climate Action and Finance, Mark Carney, and the COP26 presidency. It set out to develop the building blocks for a financial system capable of financing the transition to net zero, encompassing sub-alliances including the Net Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA).
At the end of 2024, Michael R. Bloomberg, Mark Carney, and Mary Schapiro – leaders of GFANZ – announced that moving forward into the new year GFANZ will allow any financial institution working to mobilise capital and lower the barriers to financing energy transition to participate. Previously, participation was contingent on alignment with the Paris Agreement.
Two days later, GFANZ Secretariat shared a new year update, outlining its plan to restructure and shift its focus to addressing barriers to mobilising capital. It stated:
“Since its launch at COP26, GFANZ has achieved its initial goal of developing the building blocks of a financial system capable of financing the transition to net zero. To successfully transition the economy, we must accelerate progress in public policy and technology developments, and close three critical gaps: data, action, and investment.”
More than 500 major financial institutions representing over $100 trillion in balance sheets have voluntarily developed independent transition plans using the GFANZ Framework. Moving forward, it will focus on closing the investment gap, according to the statement, helping to unlock the annual $5 trillion opportunity created by modern energy systems and the transition to a low-carbon economy.
To work towards this, GFANZ will transition to an independent Principals Group, led by CEOs and leaders of financial institutions acting to address the barriers to mobilising capital globally.
Further, GFANZ also emphasised its focus on public-private partnerships, aiming to scale private finance alongside governments, multilateral development banks (MDBs), and other development partners. It will continue collaborating with MDBs, including the World Bank Private Sector Investment Lab, to develop tools that scale private-sector investment globally.
The update follows the departure of several major banks from the NZBA, including Citigroup, Bank of America, whose CEOs remain as part of the Principals Group.
GFANZ reiterated its commitment to driving forward, “Overcoming barriers to mobilising capital at the scale and speed required to achieve net zero is urgent and achievable. GFANZ is steadfast in its commitment to supporting financial institutions worldwide in addressing these challenges and seizing the opportunities of this pivotal moment.”
President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday, January 7, 2025, congratulated Malam Mele Kyari, the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), on his 60th birthday on Jan. 8.
GCEO NNPC Ltd, Mr. Mele Kyari
The President commended Kyari’s diligence in transforming NNPCL into a profitable organisation, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, his Spokesman, said in a statement on Tuesday.
The President said the NNPCL, under Kyari’s leadership, recorded notable achievements, including the resuscitation of two refineries, an increase in domestic natural gas consumption and a boost in oil production to 1.8 million barrels per day.
The President applauded Kyari’s dedication to service and professionalism at the NNPC, OPEC and as the first Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL.
He said: “Kyari is a shining example and an embodiment of the ideals of the Renewed Hope Agenda.
“I commend his commitment to creating new opportunities and ensuring the growth and sustainability of Nigeria’s energy sector.”
He prayed to Almighty Allah to continue to grant Kyari sound health, wisdom and strength to serve the nation while mentoring the next generation of energy sector leaders.
Two weeks before the end of his Presidential term, Joe Biden has taken action to protect over 625 million acres of the US’ Ocean from future oil and natural gas leasing
President Joe Biden announces new US climate goals during his final weeks in office. Photo credit: WILL OLIVER/Pool/EPA-EFE/ABACA/IMAGO
US President, Joe Biden, on Monday, January 6, 2025, announced a permanent ban on new offshore oil and gas drilling along the entire eastern US Atlantic coast, the Eastern Gulf of Mexico, the Pacific Coast along California, Oregon, and Washington, and the remaining portion of the Northern Bering Sea Climate Resilience Area in Alaska.
The announcement highlights that nearly 40% of Americans live in coastal counties that rely on a healthy ocean to thrive. Additionally, almost 400 municipalities and over 2,300 elected local, state, Tribal, and federal officials across the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf coasts have formally opposed the expansion of offshore drilling in these areas in view of its severe environmental, health, and economic threats.
The Northern Bering Sea Climate Resilience Area was established in 2016 and includes one of the largest marine mammal migrations in the world – beluga and bowhead whales, walruses, and seals travel the funnel of the Bering Strait each year to feed and breed in the Arctic. Oil and gas development would pose severe dangers to coastal communities, and where the health of these waters is critically important to food security and to the culture of more than 70 coastal Tribes, including the Yup’ik, Cup’ik, and Inupiaq people who have relied on these resources for millennia.
This action has been taken under Section 12(a) of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act. The withdrawals have no expiration date and prohibit all future oil and natural gas leasing in the areas withdrawn. Within his presidential term, Biden has conserved over 670 million acres of America’s lands and waters, more than any other president in history. Previously, in January of 2021, he restored protections for part of the Northern Bering Sea, and in March 2023 withdrew 2.8 million acres of the Beaufort Sea from future oil and gas leasing, which completed protections for the entire U.S. Arctic Ocean.
Within the announcement, Biden stated, “My decision reflects what coastal communities, businesses, and beachgoers have known for a long time: that drilling off these coasts could cause irreversible damage to places we hold dear and is unnecessary to meet our nation’s energy needs. It is not worth the risks. As the climate crisis continues to threaten communities across the country and we are transitioning to a clean energy economy, now is the time to protect these coasts for our children and grandchildren.
“We do not need to choose between protecting the environment and growing our economy, or between keeping our ocean healthy, our coastlines resilient, and the food they produce secure and keeping energy prices low. Those are false choices.”
Incoming President Donald Trump has made his plans for the US’ oil and gas industry clear with his repetition of the slogan “Drill, baby, drill” throughout his campaign.
Meanwhile, under the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) Net Zero Emissions by 2050 (NZE) Scenario, presented in World Energy Outlook 2024, demand for oil peaks by 2030 and then declines significantly. This scenario aims to limit global warming to 1.5°C by mid-century, leading to a substantial reduction in the use of fossil fuels, including oil.
The Biochemistry Practitioners Association of Nigeria (BPAoN) has urged farmers to desist from the use of corrosive chemicals as fertiliser to hasten germination of agricultural food commodities.
Farmers
Its President, Mr. Ikotun Olayemi, gave the warning in an interview on Tuesday, January 7, 2025, in Lagos.
Corrosive chemicals are substances that can damage or destroy other substances they come into contact with, and are immediately dangerous to living tissue.
Olayemi emphasised that planting with corrosive chemicals portends danger to human health, including acute poisoning and long-term health consequences as toxins are released into the body’s circulatory system.
“The effect of toxins in the body’s circulatory system bio-transform, contaminate blood vessels and some other sensitive organs which reduces longevity,” he said.
According to Olayemi, the health risks associated with chemicals in food depend on the type of chemical and the quantity of food consumed.
He stressed that natural foods should be harvested in their natural state, as their components contain antioxidant content that helps the activity of body organs.
Olayemi urged the regulatory agencies to sensitise farmers on the dangers of utilising toxic substances for food production to prevent untimely deaths.
The National Tomato Growers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (NATPAN) is seeking the intervention of the Federal Government to reduce post-harvest losses of the produce.
Baskets of tomato
Chairman of NATPAN, Kaduna State chapter, Mr. Rabiu Zuntu, made the call in an interview on Tuesday, January 7, 2025, in Lagos.
Zuntu noted that the government’s intervention would help the sector to cut-down on post-harvest losses.
He said that with the appropriate equipment and facilities tomato farmers would reduce post-harvest losses of the produce.
This, he said, would increase value addition and enhance the growth of the sector.
“Most farmers cannot afford loans for these equipment to aid reduction of post-harvest losses because they are smallholder farmers.
“The government can help tomatoes farmers reduce post-harvest losses by coming to their aid with interventions.
“One of the ways to reduce post-harvest losses in tomato cultivation is to increase the use of plastic crates in the transportation of the produce from the farm to the market; from the north to other parts of the country.
“With the use of plastic crates for the transportation of tomatoes from one part of Nigeria to the other, the rate of post-harvest losses will be reduced,” Zuntu said.
According to him, the association is in various partnerships to help smallholder tomato farmers cut-down on their losses through mechanisation.
“As an association, we are in partnership with some existing and new processing facilities to cut down post-harvest losses and the increase of the income of our farmers.
“With these tomatoes processing machines even the glut we usually witness between January and February every year will be considerably reduced.
“The production of local tomato processor is one of the cleanest way of drying tomatoes and adding value as well as increasing the farmers income and the growth of the sector.
“Some non-governmental organisations have also introduced solar dryers for tomato preservation.
“The farmers have shown interest in it, so, we are going to adopt it, despite the high cost of the dryer, some farmers cannot afford it.
“So, as an association we are gathering farmers in clusters to be able to afford the solar dryers and reduce post-harvest losses.
“Hence, the urgent need for government intervention in the sector,” Zuntu said.
A Chinese research team from Guangxi University has successfully decoded the genome of the modern cultivated sugarcane variety Xintaitang No. 22 (XTT22).
Sugarcane
It sheds light on the highly complex allopolyploid genome of sugarcane and its evolutionary mechanisms.
Sugarcane plays a vital role in the production of sugar, alcohol, and bioenergy, offering substantial economic and agricultural value.
XTT22 was once the leading sugarcane variety in terms of planting area in China for 15 consecutive years.
More than 90 per cent of the country’s fourth and fifth-generation sugarcane varieties were developed using it as a parent.
According to Liu Yaoguang, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), the genome of XTT22 decoded in this study is the most complete and highest-quality genome assembly of modern cultivated sugarcane to date.
Another CAS academician, Han Bin noted that since the launch of the Sugarcane Expressed Sequence Tag (SUCEST) project in the 1990s.
It happened in countries such as Brazil, France, China, Australia, and the United States have been jointly working to advance sugarcane genomics.
However, earlier genome drafts of sugarcane faced significant issues, including incomplete chromosomes and highly fragmented sequences.
As a result, obtaining a complete and accurate genome of modern cultivated sugarcane has remained elusive.
“This study is like drawing a detailed ‘map’ of the sugarcane genome.
“In the past, the ‘map’ was so vague that we could only roughly navigate it,’’ said Zhang Jisen, research team leader from Guangxi University.
“Now, however, every ‘street’ and even every ‘room’ on the ‘map’ is marked,’’ Zhang added.
Sugarcane breeding primarily relied on traditional hybridisation methods, where parent plants were selected based on experience to observe the performance of their offspring.
However, this approach proved to be both time-consuming and inefficient.
Leveraging advancements in genomics, scientists can now use the genomic map to precisely pinpoint genes closely associated with sugarcane yield and sugar content, enabling more targeted improvements and optimisation.
“With the widespread application of genomics in sugarcane breeding, the yield, sugar content, and disease resistance of sugarcane are expected to see further improvements,’’ said Zhang.
The research was recently published in the journal Nature Genetics.
Mele Kyari, a geologist and Group CEO of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), has dug his way into the tunnel of history. Within a space of two months, he announced the successful revamp of two refineries. In November 2024, Port Harcourt refinery came on stream. The following month, December, Warri refinery burst back to life.
GCEO, NNPC Ltd, Mr. Mele Kyari
Both are not performing optimally, yet. But the journey has only just begun. Kaduna refinery is projected to begin production later this year. And if all goes well, a substantial percentage of the nation’s local petrol consumption would be sourced in-country. The implication on forex, job creation and economic reflation is enormous, positively.
So what? Some Nigerians have asked this question. I won’t even tag them naysayers. There is a tincture of justification in their rage. But if such Nigerians did not rage against those who in the past brought the refineries – Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna – to ruins, they should not shudder at the celebratory dance of President Bola Tinubu and his laudation of Kyari and his team for achieving both the improbable and the impossible.
After many years of redundancy, after several failed attempts to restream the moribund refineries with billions of dollars wasted in the fitful misadventures, someone has finally belled the cat. Such a person deserves a worthy pat on the back.
Little wonder, President Tinubu was gushing at the news of Warri refinery cracking back to life. Here, I salute the wisdom of Tinubu in keeping Kyari on his job. Against a crude and virulently malicious campaign to get Kyari out of the way, Tinubu ignored the mob and renewed Kyari’s tenure. One of the missteps of the past was a high and volatile turnover of leadership at the nation’s oil and gas behemoth.
Commonsense management will tell you that job insecurity, at any level, is antithetical to sustainable planning for long term goals. Fixing a refinery, especially one that has been rendered comatose for many years (with some bolts and parts gone rusty) is not a one-hour flight. It’s a long-distance haul, requiring patience, precision and meticulous planning.
Had Kyari been shoved aside to fit the script of his “enemies” and political mandarins seeking to give “wise” counsel to Tinubu, these refineries would never have come on stream. In the stereotypical Nigerian way, the new management would have reviewed the contract, reworked the papers and even re-awarded aspects of the contract to another corporate. Herein is the wisdom of Tinubu in retaining Kyari highly commendable.
As more Nigerians push for the refineries to attain 100 percent production efficiency, it is apposite to state what Kyari did differently. How did Kyari succeed where many others in the past failed woefully?
Dateline: October 21, 2021, NAF Conference Centre, Abuja: Kyari was Special Guest of Honour at the All Nigeria Editors’ Conference. He spoke off the cuff on the subject, “Insecurity as it affects the Oil and Gas sector.” He showed a good grasp of the malaise that has afflicted the Nigerian oil and gas industry. He, however, raised a banner of hope that under his watch, “things are now done differently.” He said issues of refineries not working, crude oil theft, among others, are all traceable to the Nigerian elite which include the editors and everyone present at the event.
Kyari said that refineries had become comatose because the leadership elite had been doing things the wrong way over the years by relying on the builders of the refineries to come to Nigeria to fix the refineries. This model, he explained, does not happen anywhere because there are specialists whose business is to fix such refineries. They are not the builders, but their job is to fix them when they break down. He called such companies EPCs (Engineering, Procurement and Construction). He gave an analogy: “You cannot ask Toyota to come down to Nigeria to fix your Toyota car. You give it to a technician. This is the error we have been repeating over the years.”
He credited President Muhammadu Buhari for giving his management the free hand to do the right thing. “This is the first time in history that NNPC and its subsidiaries are allowed to do things the way things should be done. Now, I can confirm to you that we have taken responsibility, and we will fix the refineries. We have started the process, contractors have been mobilised to the Port Harcourt refinery, while the same process for Warri and Kaduna refineries will be concluded by the end of this year,” he told a now excited crowd of over 200 editors, representatives of several government agencies including security agencies and the private sector. He got a standing ovation afterwards.
Fast forward. Three years later at the twilight of 2024, two of the refineries had become operational once again all because Kyari walked a different path. It’s no magic. Just focused, honest leadership. Kyari had been sincere as the helmsman of the NNPC even to his own hurt. The first NNPC honcho to open the ledger for public scrutiny. He did not only audit NNPC accounts, but he also got them published.
And for once in ages, Nigerians got to know the assets, liabilities, strength and weaknesses of the company they own. Kyari has shown that he is a different breed of leader, a transformational leader who has used the same personnel at NNPC, in the same country, against the same headwinds to achieve milestones, some once thought unattainable.
Retaining Kyari, a man he did not appoint, is one of the smartest decisions of President Tinubu. Kyari bestrides two worlds in Nigeria’s oil and gas history. The pre-PIA (Petroleum Industry Act) and the post-PIA, a delicate transition that required experience, emotional intelligence, industry knowledge, and leadership savvy. If the transition was a kind of exam for him, the geologist, earth scientist of crude oil marketer of renown simply aced it. He proved one thing: Nigeria’s challenges can be surmounted by Nigerians.
He deserves all the Presidential plaudits and a green ribbon around his neck as a memorial of national honour.
Sir Ken Ugbechie is Publisher, Political Economist
As world enters a new year, citizens across Nigeria are expressing high hopes and expectations for a better-performing health sector.
Prof. Mohammed Ali Pate, Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare
In separate interviews on Monday, January 6, 2025, in Abuja, some expressed their concern.
From Lagos to Kano, and from Port Harcourt to Maiduguri, they called for transformative reforms to address systemic challenges, improve healthcare access, and ensure equitable services for all.
One recurring demand is for the government to allocate more funding to the health sector.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Nigeria’s health expenditure as a percentage of GDP remains below the recommended standard.
Citizens urged the federal and state governments to prioritise investments in healthcare infrastructure, especially in rural and underserved areas.
Mr Bashir Adamu, a community leader in Kaduna, said that many of the state’s health facilities are dilapidated, lacking essential equipment and medications.
Adamu called for functional hospitals and well-equipped primary healthcare centres in every local government area.
Stakeholders are also advocating for improved access to affordable healthcare services.
Rising out-of-pocket expenditures continue to burden households, especially the poor.
The stakeholders called for an expansion of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) and the adoption of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) policies.
Mrs Joy Chika Nwankwo, a school teacher in Enugu, said that healthcare should not be a privilege for the rich.
“The government must make health insurance accessible and affordable for everyone, including informal workers,” she said.
With Nigeria bearing one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world, women groups and advocacy organisations call for immediate action to improve maternal and child health outcomes.
Mrs Fatima Usman, a midwife in Maiduguri, said that there was a need to ensure that every pregnant woman had access to quality antenatal care and safe delivery services.
According to Usman, no woman should die giving life.
The exodus of healthcare workers from the country is another issue of concern.
Many Nigerians hope that the government will address this brain drain by improving the welfare and working conditions of health professionals.
“Better salaries, continuous training, and incentives will encourage our doctors and nurses to stay and serve their communities,” said Dr Olu Balogun, a public health physician in Lagos.
The recent Mpox outbreak and the lingering threat of diseases like cholera, Lassa fever, and malaria have heightened the call for a stronger public health response.
Public health experts urged the government to strengthen disease surveillance systems, improve vaccination coverage, and ensure rapid responses to emergencies.
“lNgozi Okafor, a parent in Abuja, urged the government to invest in public health preparedness and ensure every child gets vaccinated.
Citizens are optimistic that the leadership of the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, under Minister Prof. Muhammed Ali Pate, will bring the much-needed transformation.
However, they stressed the need for transparency and accountability in implementing health sector policies and programmes.
According to Adebola Taiwo, a civil society activist, we have capable leaders, but they must ensure that allocated funds are used judiciously to the benefit of the average Nigerian.
The Nigerian Army has uncovered 20 illegal refining sites and apprehended 11 suspected operators of the facilities during ongoing raids in Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, and Rivers states.
An illegal bunkering site in Ikarama, Bayelsa, used by oil thieves to store adulterated diesel, seized by troops of the Nigerian Army 6 Division during ongoing raids in the Niger Delta
Lt.-Col. Danjuma Danjuma, Spokesman for the Nigerian Army 6 Division in Port Harcourt, announced on Monday, January 6, 2025, that troops had also dismantled the illegal refineries.
He said that soldiers also confiscated 31 boats, seven vehicles, and 190,000 litres of various petroleum products, and arrested 11 suspected oil thieves between Dec. 30 and Jan. 5.
“At Oando Wellhead in Benkrukru, within the Okordia general area of Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, troops discovered four oil sewage tanks containing over 70,000 litres of stolen crude oil.
“We also recovered 700 litres of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) packed in sacks, along with a suction machine.”
Danjuma said that troops subsequently advanced to Amalaghakiri community in the Nembe area of Bayelsa, where two additional illegal refining sites were destroyed, and 15,000 litres of unidentified petroleum products were seized.
In Oyeregbene, Southern Ijaw, he said, soldiers dismantled an illegal artisanal refinery and consficated 1,500 litres of stolen products.
“In Omoku, Rivers, troops interrupted oil thieves siphoning petroleum products. The suspects fled before we arrived.
“At the scene, we discovered an illegal connection point on the Oando Pipeline in Ebocha, and seized four boats carrying over 22,000 litres of stolen products.
“In Obiafu oil field and Mbgede in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni, troops dismantled four illegal refineries and confiscated five wooden boats, 108 locally made ovens, and 38,000 litres of petroleum products,” he added.
The army spokesman stated that further operations in Ozaa West, Obuzor and Okoloma communities led to the dismantling of two illegal refineries.
“Other seized items included 32 drum pots, 21 drum receivers, two pumping machines, and 13,000 litres of stolen petroleum products.’’
He added that soldiers on routine patrol along the Pan Ocean Nigeria Ltd. pipeline in Ivada, Ethiope West, intercepted vehicles engaged in illegal activities.
“Two J5 Boxer vehicles were found transporting 15 cellophane bags containing 7,500 litres of stolen products.
“Additionally, 2,500 litres of crude oil were seized at Ikengbensi waterways in Isoko South Local Government Area of Delta.
“Eight drums, holding approximately 2,240 litres of petrol were intercepted at Ibaka, Akwa Ibom, awaiting smuggling to a neighbouring country,” Danjuma said.
He said that the suspects would be taken to court to defend the allegations.
“The General Officer Commanding the division, Maj.-Gen. Jamal Abdussalam, has urged troops to intensify their efforts to eradicate all illegal refining sites across Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers states in 2025.’’
