From Mike Tayese, Yenagoa

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), in partnership with Heritage Energy Operational Services Limited (HEOSL) and Global Oceon Engineers Nigeria Limited, has launched a Human Capacity Development programme to train 48 Nigerians in subsea engineering.

The kick-off ceremony took place over the weekend in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, as part of the Board’s efforts to address critical skills gaps and strengthen indigenous technical expertise in the oil and gas industry.

The programme combines six months of classroom instruction with six months of structured on-the-job training, giving participants specialised knowledge and practical experience in subsea engineering.

In his keynote address, the Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, FNSE, represented by the General Manager, Human Capacity Development, Emelle Alexis, said the programme would equip the trainees with the technical expertise required for complex subsea operations and the safe, efficient and reliable operation of modern oil and gas facilities.

“Today marks the beginning of a transformational journey for 48 young Nigerians in a highly specialised field that demands precision, discipline and accountability. Through intensive classroom instruction and structured on-the-job training, the participants will gain hands-on experience in subsea engineering,” he said.

Ogbe stressed that subsea operations require technical competence, professionalism and an unwavering commitment to safety.

“The competencies you acquire through this programme are critical to the safe, efficient, reliable and environmentally responsible operation of modern oil and gas facilities. Beyond technical proficiency, the training is designed to develop your problem-solving skills, teamwork, professionalism and commitment to safety,” he stated.

The Executive Secretary urged the trainees to make the most of the opportunity and demonstrate the discipline and commitment required to succeed in the industry. He expressed confidence that they would emerge with the skills and professional standards needed to contribute to the sector.

In his remarks, the Manager, Nigerian Content Development at Heritage Energy, Felix Osiwo, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to indigenous skills development. He noted that a skilled Nigerian workforce is essential to delivering current and future energy infrastructure projects and sustaining industry growth.

Earlier in his welcome address, the Managing Director of Global Oceon Engineers Nigeria Limited, George Ebuh, represented by Engr. Ifedolapo Aderibigbe, described the programme as a strategic investment by Heritage Energy, NCDMB and Global Oceon in developing indigenous subsea engineering expertise. He noted that skilled local professionals are vital to the safe and reliable operation of offshore and deepwater infrastructure.

The trainees expressed appreciation for the opportunity to acquire specialised subsea engineering skills, identifying safety training and AutoCAD as important areas of learning. The programme is part of NCDMB’s Top 10 Field Readiness Human Capacity Development initiatives, designed to address critical skills gaps in the oil and gas industry. It supports the Board’s efforts to develop specialised Nigerian expertise for offshore and deepwater operations, facilitate technology transfer and increase local participation in high-value industry activities.

The ceremony was attended by representatives of NCDMB, Heritage Energy Operational Services Limited and Global Oceon Engineers Nigeria Limited, as well as the trainees, facilitators and other industry stakeholders.

By Laide Akinboade, Abuja

The first lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu, at the weekend urged all Nigerian Christians to ensure they are united and cooperate.

Tinubu stated this at the CAN 50th anniversary celebrations in Abuja, where Tinubu and four former Presidents and Head of State, were among prominent Nigerians honoured for their contributions to the Christian community and the country.

Tinubu received the Christian Icon Award, while former Heads of State, Generals Yakubu Gowon and Olusegun Obasanjo, former President Goodluck Jonathan and former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo received the Pillar of Faith Award.

Other awardees included Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume; Senate President Godswill Akpabio; Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu; and governors Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta, Monday Okpebholo of Edo and Seyi Makinde of Oyo states.

Tinubu in her keynote address said fifty years of service to God and humanity in any organisation is no small achievement.

“It is certainly worth celebrating”, she said.

The theme for the celebration is ‘Working Together in Faith’.

She noted that the theme that Christians must remain united in faith and common purpose resonates with the prayer of our Lord Jesus Christ, quoting John 17:21–22.

Senator Tinubu said, “In addition, Ephesians 4:4–6 reminds us that there is one body and one Spirit, just as we were called in one hope; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; and one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

“I pray that, just as Christ prayed for the saints, all the Christian blocs and denominations will continue to remain united in Jesus’ name”.

In his welcome address the President of CAN, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, warned that internal divisions and failure to speak against injustice could weaken the church’s role in national development.

Okoh traced CAN’s establishment to August 1976, when church leaders came together to create a common platform for Christians to address issues affecting the church and the country.

He described the association’s five-decade journey as evidence of the commitment of successive Christian leaders to unity, despite differences in doctrine and church traditions.

He, however, acknowledged that the organisation had experienced periods of suspicion, prejudice and marginalisation among some of its constituent groups.

Okoh said successive administrations had worked to overcome such divisions and promote equal rights and privileges for the different Christian traditions represented in the association.

He identified the Christian Council of Nigeria (CCN), Christian Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria/Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (CPFN/PFN), Organisation of African Instituted Churches (OAIC), TEKAN/ECWA and other constituent groups as part of CAN’s broad membership.

The CAN president warned against conduct capable of reversing the progress made towards Christian unity, particularly divisive and inflammatory exchanges on social media.

He emphasised that the association belonged to all Christians, urging members to take ownership of its activities rather than leave its growth solely to elected and appointed leaders.

On CAN’s role in national affairs, Okoh said the association had, over the past 50 years, spoken on religious freedom, justice, good governance, corruption, insecurity, humanitarian intervention and national development.

He challenged the church to strengthen its advocacy in the coming decades by ensuring that its positions were courageous, constructive and supported by credible evidence.

He said CAN must continue to defend human dignity, constitutionalism, democratic institutions, religious freedom and the welfare of vulnerable Nigerians.

Among those requiring greater attention, he listed internally displaced persons, out-of-school children, unemployed youths, farmers denied access to their farmlands by insecurity, women facing violence and victims of human trafficking.

“The church must speak!” he declared, calling on Christians to translate their faith into practical compassion, public advocacy and service to humanity.

However, he cautioned that the church must base its interventions on truth, credible evidence and responsible analysis rather than rumours or partisan interests.

On relations between government and religious institutions, Okoh advocated what he called “critical collaboration”, arguing that the church should support policies that advance the common good while challenging injustice and demanding accountability from public officials.

“The appropriate model is critical collaboration, meaning, collaborate where common good requires it, challenge where justice requires challenge, commend where government does well and warn where government fails, while maintaining the church’s independence,” he said.

He further urged CAN to strengthen its capacity for research, advocacy, humanitarian services and engagement with national development issues.

According to him, the church’s agenda for the next 50 years should include environmental protection, climate resilience, ethical technological development and the preservation of human dignity.

Okoh maintained that Nigeria possessed the human resources and resilient communities needed to overcome its challenges, but stressed that progress depended on responsible leadership, accountability and practical action.

He called on political leaders to protect citizens, respect the Constitution, account for public resources and strengthen national institutions.

He also urged Christians to complement prayers for Nigeria and its leaders with active participation in nation-building.

“The message to the church must be equally clear: pray for Nigeria, pray for those in government, speak for Nigeria, serve Nigeria, build Nigeria and heal Nigeria,” he said.

The CAN president expressed confidence in Nigeria’s future, saying the golden jubilee should serve as a springboard for renewed commitment to unity, integrity and national development.

Meanwhile, Makinde used the anniversary to urge Christians to take a more active role in politics, warning that withdrawing from the political process would limit their ability to influence governance and national transformation.

Speaking with journalists at the event, the Oyo State governor challenged the perception that politics was inherently dirty, urging believers to participate in shaping policies and leadership decisions.

He said Christians must not remain on the sidelines while expecting the country to change.

Makinde drew lessons from the biblical accounts of Samuel and David, arguing that the shortcomings of political leaders should not discourage believers from seeking positions where they could contribute to society.

He recalled that Samuel emerged despite the misconduct of Eli’s sons, while David served in King Saul’s palace despite being anointed as Israel’s future king.

“I will use this opportunity to encourage our Christian brothers and sisters all across the country to brace up and participate in the agenda to transform Nigeria, to reset our country,” he said.

The governor identified poverty as Nigeria’s most pressing challenge, insisting that economic hardship, rather than religious differences, should be the priority of national discourse.

“Our problem is actually not religious. Our problem in this country is poverty, grinding poverty,” he said.

He urged leaders and citizens to focus on practical measures to reduce poverty and improve living conditions, stressing that meaningful national transformation would require sustained efforts to address the economic difficulties confronting Nigerians.

By Tony Obiechina, Abuja

New Africa-focused advisory firm aims to connect high-potential opportunities with global capital, institutional investors and strategic partners

Maka Oganiru, an Africa-focused project development and strategic advisory firm, has launched with a mission to help turn high-potential opportunities across the continent into credible, structured and investment-ready projects.

Operating under the philosophy “Africa Focused | Global Outlook,” the firm says it is addressing one of the most persistent challenges in African project development: the distance between identifying an opportunity and building a project that can withstand rigorous commercial, financial and institutional scrutiny.

Significant opportunities continue to emerge across Africa in infrastructure, energy, agriculture, manufacturing, technology, transport, healthcare, real estate, housing, industrial development, logistics, tourism and other strategic sectors, the firm notes. Yet many promising ventures remain at the conceptual stage because they lack the feasibility analysis, commercial architecture, financial modelling, governance structures, risk frameworks and investment documentation needed to advance towards financing and execution.

“Our objective is to help bridge the gap between opportunity and execution,” said Ogwu Henry, Founder and CEO of Maka Oganiru. “Across Africa, there are businesses, infrastructure needs, entrepreneurs, institutions and governments with enormous potential. Our role is to help develop those opportunities, create the necessary structure around them, and prepare them for the right capital and strategic partnerships.”

From opportunity to investment readiness Maka Oganiru works across the project lifecycle, supporting clients from the early identification of an opportunity through structuring, investment readiness and execution planning. Its development framework follows five stages: Discover, Develop, Structure, Bank and Execute. The firm’s services are:

Opportunity identification and development, Project development and strategic roadmapping, Feasibility and viability assessment, Commercial and financial modelling, Bankability and investment readiness, Capital strategy and partnership advisory.

This work can include assessing market demand, structuring ownership and partnerships, determining capital requirements and preparing investment materials for engagement with appropriate sources of capital. Projects for businesses, governments and institutions.

The firm works across the private and public sectors, focusing on opportunities where strategic development, structuring and capital planning can materially improve the prospects for execution.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and growth companies: support can cover expansion strategies, new ventures, financing preparation, market entry and investment readiness.

Mid-sized and larger enterprises: work can extend to major expansion programmes, new business platforms, infrastructure initiatives, strategic partnerships, market development and capital planning.

Governments and public institutions: the firm can support the development and structuring of strategic projects designed to attract private capital, development finance, institutional investment, technical partners and other forms of long-term support.

Connecting African projects with global capital While its mandate is firmly focused on Africa, Maka Oganiru takes a global approach to capital, expertise and strategic partnerships. It seeks to position qualified African projects for engagement with private equity firms, institutional investors, strategic investors, financial institutions, development finance organisations, technology companies and other capital and technical partners.

The firm’s approach recognises that successful capital raising begins well before an investor enters a transaction. Its objective, it says, is not simply to identify capital for an idea, but to help build the underlying project that capital can evaluate: one with a credible commercial proposition, a clearly defined market, an appropriate structure, realistic financial assumptions, identifiable risks, strong governance and a practical path to execution.

The launch comes as African economies continue to pursue investment in the sectors critical to long-term economic growth. The firm believes a sustainable investment pipeline requires projects that are sufficiently developed, structured and prepared to move through investment and implementation processes.