Oil & Gas
Nigeria Records N125.5bn Oil Revenue Shortfall in Q1
By Mathew Dadiya, Abuja
Nigeria has started feeling the impact of the COVID-19 on the global oil price as the country recorded a princely N125.52 billion drop in oil revenue in the first quarter of 2020.
The shorfall represented 31% of the prorated amount that is supposed to have been realized by the end of that first quarter.
Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed disclosed this on Thursday while briefing State House Correspondents after the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting at Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The Minister said that the net oil and gas revenue and influx to the federation account in the first quarter of 2020 amounted to N940.
91billion.Mrs Ahmed regretted that the COVID-19 has resulted in the collapse in oil prices saying that it will impact negatively on the nation’s economy and the impact has already started showing on the federation’s revenues and on the foreign exchange earnings.
According to her, 40% of the population in Nigeria, today, are classified as poor – the crisis will only multiply this misery.
Worried by this indication, the Minister pessimitically said that the could could dip into a recession this year due to the ravaging effect of the Covid-19 on the global economy.
The Minister said: ”The economic growth in Nigeria, that is the GDP, could in the worst case scenario, contract by as much as –8.94% in 2020. But in the best case, which is the case we are working on, it could be a contraction of –4.4%, if there is no fiscal stimulus.
”But with the fiscal stimulus plan that we are working on, this contraction can be mitigated and we might end up with a negative –0.59% .
”The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has made an assessment, so it is the NBA assessment that Nigeria will go into a recession measuring at an average of -4.4%. But with the work that the Economic Sustainability Committee is doing bringing stimulus packages, we believe that we can reduce the impact of that recession. And if we applied all that have been proposed and we are able to implement it we may end up with a recession that is -0.4 per cent. In any case, we will go into recession but what we are trying to do is to make sure that it is shallow so that we will quickly come out of it come 2021.
”As a result of that the President set up the Presidential Economic Sustainability Committee in addition to the COVID-19 Response Committee that has been set up, the Presidential Task Force that is chaired by the SGF as well as the Crisis Management Committee that I chair. ”
The minister explained that the FG is committed to supporting the financial viability of states, including the suspension of payments in respect of commitments, debts that have been secured with ISPOs by the states at the federal levels.
”So, we have already implemented suspension of deductions of a number of loans that have been taken by the states from April and also in May, ” she said.
“The Economic Sustainability Committee is responsible for providing overall strategic vision, policy direction and general oversight of the implementation amongst others”, the minister said.
”We also had discussions with the World Bank. The World Bank Country Director was invited into the meeting and he spoke to the meeting in respect of their assessment of the impact of COVID-19 on the economy and also their review of the measures that government has taken.
”As you know, some of these measures include the N500billion that the president has approved to support healthcare facilities and provide relief to tax payers as well as incentives that would be provided to employers to retain and recruit staff during the lockdown period.
”This package also includes the increase in the social register by one million households to 3.5million for cash transfer programmes and palliatives and other social safety net programmes.
”The World Bank maintains that the impact of the COVID-19 on Nigeria will lead to severe amplified human and economic cost, which will move the country into a recession. The World Bank planned a proposed package for immediate fiscal relief for the FG. This will also involve policy-based policy budget support for the FG, focusing on measures to maintain macro financial stability and create fiscal space for proposed stimulus.
”The World Bank package has also got a proposal of $1.5billion for the states and this package will be dedicated to the states. And it will be a programme for results which the states are already used to implementing, ”she said.
Mrs Ahmed also disclosed that the immediate fiscal relief for the states, will include the acceleration of an existing programme to enable disbursement by end of September.
She added that the proposed $1.5billion plan will by end of September, would have been disbursed to the states.
”We are looking at an average of between N150billion to N200billion based on the plan to the 36 states. These are states that have already made some particular commitments and achievements so that they will be able to get immediate disbursements of parts of these funds., ” she explained.
Oil & Gas
FG Inaugurates Committee to Enhance Gas Distribution in Urban Buildings
The Ministry of Petroleum Resources has inaugurated a Technical Working Group to enhance gas reticulation practices in Nigeria’s building industry.
The ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Amb. Nicholas Ella inaugurated the Technical Working Group (TWG) between the National Gas Expansion Programme (NGEP) and the Council of Registered Builders of Nigeria (CORBON) on Wednesday.
Reports= says that reticulation refers to the process of creating a network of pipes or tubes to distribute gas or other utilities to buildings or industrial sites.
The permanent secretary restated the importance of creating energy smart cities, saying that modern urban development relies on efficient gas and utility distribution systems,
“Most modern cities in developed countries have evolved to energy smart cities where energy, specifically gas and other utilities are piped to districts and estates.
“However, one of the key tools in creating energy smart city is the National Building
Code which, in essence, sets the guidelines on Building Pre-design, designs, construction and post-construction stages,” he said.
The permanent secretary reiterated the benefits of reticulated gas systems for households and businesses alike, adding that it ensured metered supply akin to water and electricity,
According to him, it eliminates the need for cumbersome refills, and also enhances safety by burying pipes and incorporating advanced safety equipments.
“The TWG is tasked with designing a comprehensive policy to implement best practices for gas reticulation using LPG, PNG, and Bio-Gas across Nigeria’s building sector.
“Key responsibilities include reviewing the current National Building Code, examining global gas distribution systems, and proposing quality standards for materials used in gas installations,” he said.
The permanent secretary emphasised the need for rigorous safety protocols and guidelines to ensure the efficient and safe use of gas in construction.
He urged the group to prioritise environmental sustainability in its recommendations, adding that the group is expected to submit its report by Nov. 15.
Earlier, Mr Samson Opaliwah, the Chairman of CORBON. expressed the council’s commitment to collaborate with the group to ensure safe uptake of gas for use in houses and housing estates in Nigeria.
“I assure you of the williness of CORBON to leverage the expertise and resources at her disposal to ensure that steps are put in place for gas infrastructure in buildings and estates.
“The gas infrastructure will be safe, sustainable and world-class.
” Our collective efforts will yield clear, standardised guidelines for safe and effective gas systems in buildings, matched with a skilled workforce to meet growing demands in Nigeria,” he said. (NAN)
Oil & Gas
Utilise Oil, Gas Industry Report as Tool for Public Debate – NEITI
The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) has urged stakeholders to utilise its 2022/2023 oil and gas report for civic engagement, constructive dialogue, and public debate.
Executive Secretary of NEITI, Dr Orji Ogbonnaya Orji, made the call at the report’s public presentation on Thursday in Abuja.
The report was unveiled by Mr Ola Olukoyede, Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), alongside Sen.
George Akume, Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Chairman, NSWG, NEITI and other dignitaries.Orji emphasised the report’s significance in guiding policy, encouraging public debate, and improving governance in natural resource management.
He highlighted the report’s comprehensive data on revenues, governance structures, operations, and compliance within the oil and gas sector.
Speaking at the public presentation of the report, Akume reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to transparency principles.
Olukoyede pledged to investigate the report’s findings and recommendations, noting that NEITI’s previous reports led to the recovery of over N1 billion.
The report is available on NEITI’s website, providing valuable insights into the sector’s performance and challenges.
The presentation was attended by Chairmen of National Assembly Committees, captains of industries, members of diplomatic missions, development partners, civil society organisations and the media. (NAN)
Business Analysis
A Peep Into Dangote’s Refinery, The World’s Engineering Wonder
By Cletus Akwaya
Call it Dangote Republic and you would not be wrong, for that is what it means in real sense.
The ultra-modern Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical complex located at the Lekki Free Trade Zone in Lagos is the World’s Engineering wonder.
A guided tour for top Media executives in the country by the President, Dangote Industries Group himself, Alhaji Aliko Dangote on July 14, provided a rare privilege and opportunity to appreciate the project that has emerged as the World’s largest single train petroleum refinery.
Dangote, the Kano-born business mogul and Africa’s richest man, whose vision for the industrial transformation of Nigeria led to the initiation of this project is certainly a fulfilled person, having accomplished such a gargantuan task in the spelt of just about 10 years.
The refinery, which is built and equipped with the latest technology in the industry. It is a behemoth sitting on a huge land space of 2, 735 hectares, approximately seven times, the size of Victoria Island, the octane section of Lagos, which has become the abode for the very rich in the nation’s commercial nerve – centre over the decades.
The land was provided by the Lagos state government after the payment of $100million dollars by the Dangote Group as cost of the land.
The edifice didn’t come easy as the engineers had to reclaim 65million cubic metres of sand through dredging of the Atlantic coastline to pave way for the construction of the refinery and its accompanying facilities especially the Jetty.
The Dangote refinery is not a stand-alone project as it has a coterie of associated industries and infrastructure making it a self-reliant complex.
For instance, the company has a fully developed port (jetty)for maritime operations for both in-take of crude and discharge of refined products. This perfectly compliments the huge pipeline network that lands into the Atlantic for intake of crude and loading of refined products to ships. Its Jetty, which stretches 9KM into the international waters in the Atlantic Ocean and 12.5 KM from the refinery is perhaps one of the most modern in the world built with sand piles that shield the final landing points from the violent oceanic waves, thus providing for safety and stability of ships, barges and oil tankers.
The complex is accessed by 200KM network of concrete under-lay and well asphalted road network to ease vehicular traffic. The refinery has its dedicated steam and power generation system with standby units to adequately support operations of the various plants in the complex.
It has successfully completed a 435 MW power generating plant for its operations. The power generated from this plant surpasses the entire distribution capacity of Ibadan Electricity Distribution company, which supplies electricity to five states of the Federation including Oyo, Osun, Ondo, Ekiti and Kwara.
The Dangote refinery with a capacity of 650,000 bpd of crude oil is designed to handle the crude from many of the African countries, the Middle East and the US light crude. Its petrochemical plant is designed to produce 77 different high-performance grades of polypropylene, which is the major raw material for numerous industries and other refineries. With a huge refining capacity, Alhaji Dangote said the products from the refinery company would easily meet 100 per cent the needs of Nigeria’s demand for gasoline, diesel, Petrol and Aviation Jet with 56 per cent surplus for export, from which the company projects to earn a princely $25billion per annum from 2025.
The company has facility to load 2,900 trucks with its various products in a day by land and millions of litres of products through the waters depending on where the orders come from. The $25million projected revenue in 2025 could translate to a huge relieve for the nation in dire need of foreign earnings to shore-up the value of the nation’s currency.
The associated industry, the Dangote Fertilizers Limited also situated in the complex utilises the raw materials from petrochemicals to produce different varieties of fertilzers especially Urea, NPK and Amonia grades of fertilizers. Apart from the local market, Dangote is already exporting its fertilizers to other countries including Mexico, a testament to its high quality that meets world standards.
This feta, the President of Dangote industries explained was possible because of the high quality, the company has opted to pursue. In between the refinery and the fertilizers complex lies a 50,000 housing estate, which provided accommodation for the construction workers at the time of construction especially during the COVID-19 lockdowns of 2020, when workers remained encamped on the project site to continue with the work.
What stands out the Dangote Refinery is perhaps not in its sheer size and capacity but in the fact that it is perhaps the only of such projects whose Engineering, Procurement and construction(EPC) was done directly by the company without engaging the world renowned refinery constriction companies like Technip Bechtel (USA)Technip (France)Aker Solutions (Norway)Chiyoda Corporation (Japan)SNC-Lavalin Group (Canada)J. Ray McDermott (USA)JGC Corporation (Japan)Hyundai Heavy Industries (South Korea)Foster Wheeler (USA) and Daelim Industrial Company (South Korea)
“The design of the refinery was handled by dozens of Engineers and technical experts assembled in India and Houston, Texas, USA to execute engineering designs of the refinery,” said Edwin Kumar, the Executive vice President, Oil and Gas for the Dangote Group who midwifed the birth of the refinery complex.
“We didn’t give out contracts to anybody, we bought every single bolt and equipment ourselves and had it shipped into the country,” Dangote explained to his guests.
Part of the equipment imported into the country was the procurement of over 3,000 cranes to handle the evacuation of huge consignments of machinery from the wharf and for subsequent installation at the construction site. The cranes have become an unusual assemblage of such equipment to be found in one place on the African continent.
If there was any doubt that Alhaji Aliko Dangote is Africa’s richest man, the successful completion of the refinery and petrochemical complex at the cost of about $20billion has further confirmed his status as Africa’s leading businessman and entrepreneur.
However, Dangote does not really accept that he is the richest man on the continent,
“When you are rich, you accumulate cash, but when you wealthy, you create wealth” he told the top Media executives on tour of the huge project, explaining that he would rather prefer to be referred to as a “Wealthy man.”
And consistent with his business philosophy, Dangote hinted of plans to list the refinery on the Nation’s stock exchange by the first quarter of 2025. His vision is to avail the public of 20 per cent of the shares so as to ensure participation by Nigerians and even international portfolio investors.
The refinery company and the entire of Dangote Group at the moment provides direct employment to about 20,000 Nigerians and much indirect jobs to Nigerians, making it the highest employer of labour outside the government.
Most interestingly, the highly technical operations of Dangote refinery is operated by over 70 per cent of local manpower who work in the refinery control, centre, the numerous production and quality control laboratories among others. Some of the staff who explained their tasks to the visiting media executives said they were graduates of Engineering and allied disciplines recruited mostly from Nigerian universities and trained in various institutions abroad for periods ranging from sixth months – one year to master refinery operations. Through this strategy, Dangote has ensured transfer of technology to thousands of Nigerian youths.
“We don’t know where they come from as long as they are Nigerians and if they decide to leave and join international oil companies for better job opportunities, we have no problem with that,” Dangote responded to a question on the strategy to retain the technical manpower for stability of the refinery’s operations.
The Dangote Refinery is a Republic of some kind, at least an economic or industrial Republic.
But the man who presides over this ‘industrial empire’, Alhaji Dangote says his only ambition is to boot the nation’s economy and ensure netter life for Nigerians.
“When you import any product into Nigeria, you are importing poverty and exporting our jobs to those countries from where you are importing” Dangote said adding “this is why I want economic nationalism in Nigeria.”
Dangote’s vision even goes beyond Nigeria as he has cement factories and other business concerns in about 13 African countries including Ghana, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda, etc. This signifies his continent-wide dream to transform Africa’s economies.
There has been attempts by some international oil companies to frustrate the successful take-off of the refinery, through over pricing and in some instances outright denial of crude supplies for processing. This made Dangote to commence importation of crude from the US. However, the cheering news that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) has finally approved a supply arrangement has raised hopes that full operations will commence and that the long-awaited Dangote oil products will reach consumers around the country from August.
At last, the Dangote Group may have achieved its objective to serve as the elixir to Nigeria’s industrialisation effort. This is perhaps the greatest legacy of Africa’s richest man to his country of birth.