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Nigeria, Morocco sign MOUs on Hydrocarbons, Others

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The Federal Government and the Kingdom of Morocco have signed five strategic Memoranda of Understanding that will foster Nigerian-Morocco bilateral collaboration and promote the development of hydrocarbons, agriculture, and commerce in both countries.

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, led the Nigerian delegation to the agreement signing ceremony on Tuesday at Marrakech, Morocco, while the Chief Executive Officer of OCP Africa, Mr Anouar Jamali, signed for the Kingdom of Morocco, according to a statement by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board.

Under the agreement between OCP, NSIA and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Nigeria will import phosphate from the Kingdom of Morocco and use it to produce blended fertiliser for the local market and export.

The statement said Nigeria would also produce ammonia and export to Morocco.

“As part of the project, the Nigerian Government plans to establish an ammonia plant at Akwa Ibom State,” it said.

The Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Mr Simbi Wabote, and the Group Managing Director of NNPC, Mallam Mele Kyari, were part of the delegation and they confirmed that their organisations would take equity in the ammonia plant when the Final Investment Decision would be taken, the statement said.

Sylva said the project would broaden economic opportunities for the two nations and improve the wellbeing of the people.

He added that the project would also positively impact agriculture, stimulate the growth of gas-based industries and lead to massive job creation.

He said the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), had mandated the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and it agencies and other government agencies to give maximum support for the project.

“He mandated me to ensure that at least the first phase of this project is commissioned before the expiration of his second term in office in 2023,” he added.

According to the statement, the MOUs were for the support of the second phase of the Presidential Fertiliser Initiative; Shareholders Agreement for the creation of the joint venture company to develop the multipurpose industrial platform and MOU for equity investment by the NNPC in the joint venture and support of the gas.

Other agreements are term sheet for gas sales and aggregation agreement and MOU for land acquisition and administrative facilitation to the establishment of the multipurpose industrial platform for gas sales and aggregation agreement.

The NCDMB boss described the bilateral agreement as significant to the Nigerian economy as it would accelerate Nigeria’s gas monetisation programme through establishment of the ammonia plant in the country.

The agreement would also improve Nigeria’s per capita fertiliser application through importation of phosphate derivatives from Morocco, he added.

Wabote challenged the relevant parties to focus on accelerating the FID, assuring them that the NCDMB would take equity investment for long-term sustainability of the project.

He canvassed for the setting up of a project management oversight structure to ensure project requirements and timelines are met.

“There is also need to determine manpower needs for construction and operations phase of the project and develop training programmes that will create the workforce pool from Nigeria and Morocco and design collaboration framework between research centres in Nigeria and Morocco to develop technology solutions for maintaining the ISBL and OSBL units of the Ammonia complex,” he said.

Is the CEO/Founder of Investors King Limited. A proven foreign exchange research analyst and a published author on Yahoo Finance, Businessinsider, Nasdaq, Entrepreneur.com, Investorplace, and many more. He has over two decades of experience in global financial markets.

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Economy

Nigerians Struggle as Sachet Water Prices Hit Record Highs Amidst Economic Hardship

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As economic challenges persist in Nigeria, citizens face yet another hurdle of soaring prices of sachet water, a vital source of drinking water for many.

Sachet water, colloquially known as ‘pure water,’ served as a convenient and inexpensive option for hydration, with prices starting at N5 in the early 2000s.

However, over the years, the cost has steadily climbed to as high as N50 per sachet.

This exponential increase has forced many Nigerians to seek alternative sources of water, including boreholes and wells, despite concerns about their safety.

Residents across the country, from Lokoja to Abuja, lament the financial strain caused by the inflated prices.

Marvelous Sanni, a resident of Lokoja, recounts how a bag of sachet water, once priced at N200, now sells for N400 to N500.

Families like hers have been compelled to turn to borehole water, raising questions about sanitation and health risks.

The situation is dire for households like that of Margret Danjuma in Abuja, who can no longer afford the daily consumption of sachet water.

Resorting to purchasing water from boreholes, Danjuma reflects the broader struggle faced by many Nigerians in securing clean and affordable drinking water amidst economic turmoil.

Local businesses, too, feel the pinch, with some restaurants discontinuing the provision of water to customers or resorting to unconventional methods like selling water in nylon bags.

The Association of Pure Water Producers attributes the price surge to rising production costs, including the cost of materials and treatment.

Experts and consumer protection agencies express concern over the unjustifiable price hikes, attributing them to greed and cartel-like behavior within the industry.

Calls for government intervention to regulate prices and ensure affordability resonate amid the growing hardship faced by Nigerians nationwide.

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Port Harcourt Refinery Receives Over 450,000 Barrels of Oil – Mele Kyari

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The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPC) has announced a significant milestone in the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt refinery, with over 450,000 barrels of oil already stocked into the facility.

Mele Kyari, the Group Managing Director of NNPC, disclosed this development during a press briefing after appearing before a Senate Ad-hoc Committee investigating the various Turn Around Maintenance projects of the country’s refineries.

Kyari’s revelation underscores the progress made in the rehabilitation efforts of the Port Harcourt refinery, which has been undergoing mechanical works alongside the Warri and Kaduna refineries.

The influx of crude oil into the Port Harcourt facility signals a crucial step towards its operational revival, following years of underperformance and neglect.

Addressing the Senate committee, Kyari reiterated NNPC’s commitment to fulfilling its promises regarding the refinery rehabilitation projects.

He emphasized the importance of regulatory compliance testing before commencing operations, assuring stakeholders that the Port Harcourt refinery is poised to restart operations within the next two weeks.

The news of the refinery receiving a substantial volume of oil injects optimism into the Nigerian energy sector, highlighting the potential for increased domestic refining capacity and reduced dependence on imported petroleum products.

It also aligns with the government’s broader agenda of revitalizing the country’s oil and gas industry to drive economic growth and self-sufficiency.

As the Port Harcourt refinery gears up for a potential restart, attention now turns to the forthcoming regulatory compliance tests and operational readiness assessments.

The successful revival of the refinery holds the promise of not only bolstering Nigeria’s energy security but also stimulating broader economic development and job creation initiatives.

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CBN Governor Transfers N100bn Worth of Fertilisers to Agriculture Ministry for Food Security Enhancement

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The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Olayemi Cardoso, handed over N100 billion worth of fertilisers to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.

The ceremonial handover took place at the ministry’s headquarters in Abuja, where the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, received the substantial contribution.

During the handing over ceremony, Governor Cardoso emphasized the CBN’s commitment to maintaining price stability, identifying the cost of food as a critical component of inflation.

He noted that addressing food inflation is pivotal due to the significant portion of household expenditure allocated to food and non-alcoholic beverages in Nigeria.

Despite the implementation of various measures by the CBN to curb inflation, the inflationary pressures remain largely driven by escalating food prices.

Cardoso acknowledged the challenges posed by transient inflationary pressures but expressed optimism about substantial alleviation by the third quarter of 2024.

The collaboration between the CBN and the Ministry of Agriculture aims to mitigate the surge in food prices by enhancing food productivity and security.

In alignment with its strategic shift, the CBN veered away from direct quasi-fiscal interventions and transitioned towards leveraging conventional monetary policy tools to execute monetary policies.

As part of this strategy, the CBN announced the allocation of 2.15 million bags of fertiliser valued at over N100 billion to support the Ministry of Agriculture in its efforts to enhance food productivity and security.

Minister Kyari praised the CBN for providing fertilisers, emphasizing their significance as the majority cost value in agricultural production inputs.

He highlighted the challenges faced by the agriculture sector due to various factors, including the COVID-19 pandemic, flooding, climate change, and the naira redesign policy.

However, Kyari expressed optimism about mitigating these challenges and reiterated the importance of fertilisers in agricultural production.

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