Connect with us

Business

NCDMB’s Investment Portfolio for Projects Hits $332M

Published

on

NCDMB- Investors king

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has announced that it has invested $332 million to attract project developments valued at $3.7 billion under its commercial ventures partnership program.

Its Executive Secretary, Simbi Wabote, made this known at the virtual bi-yearly Nigerian Oil & Gas Opportunity Fair (NOGOF).

According to him, the partnership of the Board has been quite productive, especially in terms of value addition. For instance, the Board’s partnership with Brass Fertiliser has led to the development of a 10,000MT/day Methanol Plant and 500MMscfd gas processing plant at Odiama in Brass.

The Board is also in partnership with Rungas Group for the manufacturing of 1.2 million composite LPG cylinders yearly in Bayelsa and Lagos states; the same partnership exists between the NCDMB and Butane Energy to deepen LPG utilization in the North through the roll-out of LPG bottling plants and depots in Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Bauchi, Nassarawa, Zamfara, Niger, Plateau, Gombe, Jigawa states and Abuja.

Wabote said some of the Board’s partnerships would be completed and inaugurated within the next two years, notably modular refineries in Edo and Bayelsa states.

“We shall complete and commission composite LPG cylinder manufacturing plants with a combined capacity of 1.2million cylinders per annum. We shall commission three other projects dedicated to gas processing, LPG bottling, and production of base oil. We shall also commission and commence operations from our industrial parks at Odukpani and Emeyal-1 and we shall commercialise at least one R&D project and close skills gaps in under-water welding and any other core skill required in the industry,” he said.

He continued, “We have widened the options for accessing our intervention funds by increasing the size of our intervention funds from $200 million to $350 million, increasing the number of products from 5 to 7, and also increasing the number of managing banks from 1 to 2.

“We have committed a total of USD332 million to attract project developments valued at $3.7billion under our commercial ventures partnership program.

“The Federal Government is also implementing the N2.3trillion Economic Sustainability Plan managed by the Office of the Vice President for public works, housing program, Solar Home Systems, agriculture, healthcare, and social investment.

“There is no gainsaying that the desired level of opportunities cannot be harnessed by Nigerian companies without the domiciliation of critical infrastructure such as roads, power, trunklines, railways. The railways and the train stations, the Second Niger Bridge, the AKK Pipeline, and other infrastructure projects provide unique opportunities for investments and businesses to thrive.

“There are opportunities in areas of manufacturing, logistics, security, facilities management, training, catering services, occupational health services, and many others.”

Some of the other partnerships undertaken by the Board include the 5,000 barrels per day Waltersmith Modular Refinery at Ibigwe, Imo State and NEDO Gas Processing Company in Kwale, Delta State, for the establishment of 80 million standard cubic feet per day (MMscfd) gas processing plant and a 300MMscfd Kwale Gas Gathering hub.

Other investments include the development of 5,000 metric tons LPG Storage and loading terminal facility by Triansel Gas Limited in Koko, Delta State and construction of Energy Park, inclusive of a modular refinery, power plant and 40MMscfd gas processing facility at Egbokor, Edo State by Duport Midstream.

Wabote is convinced that the roll-out of new policies and enactment of laws would open a new vista of opportunities for investors. He said the declaration of a “Decade of Gas” by President Muhammadu Buhari, the impending passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill, the amendment of the NOGICD Act, the ratification of the AfCFTA agreement and the recently approved and gazetted Ministerial Regulations were some of the policy and regulatory-driven opportunities in the coming years.

Similarly, the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mele Kyari, expressed the corporation’s readiness to partner potential investors towards value creation and a fair share of Return on Investment (RoI) in the exploration of frontier basins, development of upstream gas fields and financing of greenfield/brownfield additional production on de-risked assets. He assured of the opportunities that abound in gas and power infrastructure development, like expanding gas pipeline networks, development of gas-based industries as well as the Integrated Power Plants (IPP).

Other areas of opportunities, he noted, include the rehabilitation of refineries; construction of greenfield condensate refineries, as well as in the downstream sector, especially in LPG and CNG plants across the country, pipelines and storage tank construction as well as developing shipping capacity.

Continue Reading
Comments

Appointments

President Tinubu Appoints Nigeria’s Renowned Banker, Jim Ovia as Chairman of Nigerian Education Loan Fund

Published

on

President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of the Founder and Chairman of Zenith Bank Plc, Jim Ovia, CFR, as the Chairman of the Board of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).

This was announced in a State House Press Release by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Chief Ajuri Ngelale on April 26, 2024.

According to the statement, ‘‘the President believes Mr. Ovia will bring his immense wealth of experience and professional stature to this role to advance the all-important vision of ensuring that no Nigerian student suffers a capricious end to their pursuit of higher education over a lack of funds and of ensuring that Nigerian youths, irrespective of who they are, have access to higher education and skills that will make them productive members of society and core contributors to the knowledge-based global economy of this century.’’

Jim Ovia, CFR, is the Founder and Chairman of Zenith Bank Plc, one of Africa’s largest banks with over $21.4 billion in assets and shareholders’ funds of over US$2.4 billion as at December 2023.  Zenith Bank is a global brand listed on the London Stock Exchange and the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

In addition to major operations in Nigeria and other West African countries, the Bank has sizeable operations in London and Dubai.

Jim Ovia is the Founder and Chancellor of James Hope University, Lekki, Lagos which was recently approved by the National Universities Commission (NUC) to offer postgraduate degrees in business courses.

James Hope University commenced activities in September 2023.

Through his philanthropy – the Jim Ovia Foundation – he has shown the importance he accords good education.  In support of the Nigerian youth, Jim Ovia Foundation offers scholarships to indigent students through the Mankind United to Support Total Education (MUSTE) initiative.

Most of the beneficiaries of Jim Ovia Foundation scholarship are now accountants, business administrators, lawyers, engineers, doctors etc.

He is the author of “Africa Rise and Shine”, published by ForbesBooks. The book which encapsulates Zenith Bank’s meteoric rise, details the secrets of success in doing business in Africa. He is an alumnus of the Harvard Business School (OPM), University of Louisiana (MBA), and Southern University, Louisiana, (B.Sc. Business Administration). Jim Ovia is a member of the World Economic Forum (WEF) Community of Chairpersons, and a champion of the Forum’s EDISON Alliance.

In recognition of Jim Ovia’s contributions to the economic development of Nigeria, in 2022, the Federal Government of Nigeria honoured him with Commander of the Federal Republic, CFR. Also, in May 2022, Jim Ovia was conferred with the National Productivity Order of Merit (NPOM) Award by the Federal Government of Nigeria.

Earlier, he has been conferred with the national awards of Member of the Order of the Federal Republic, MFR, and Commander of the Order of the Niger, CON, in 2000 and 2011, respectively, as a testament to his visionary leadership and contributions to Nigeria’s financial services sector.

The National Student Loan Programme is a pivotal intervention that seeks to guarantee sustainable higher education and functional skill development for all Nigerian students and youths.

The Nigerian Education Loan Fund, the implementing institution of this innovation, demands excellence and Nigerians of the finest professional ilk to guide and manage.

Continue Reading

Company News

NNPC and ARPHL Collaborate to Expand Port Harcourt Refinery to 310,000bpd

Published

on

NNPC - Investors King

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) has joined forces with the African Refinery Port Harcourt Limited (ARPHL) to expand the Port Harcourt Refinery.

The collaboration entails ARPHL’s subscription of a 15% equity stake in the Port Harcourt Refining Company, a move aimed at augmenting the refinery’s daily production capacity from 210,000 barrels per day (bpd) to 310,000bpd.

The agreement, finalized at a signing ceremony held at the NNPC Towers in Abuja, underscores the commitment of both parties to bolstering Nigeria’s downstream oil and gas sector.

Managing Director of African Refinery Port Harcourt Limited, Omotayo Adebajo, and NNPC’s Executive Vice-President, Downstream, Adedapo Segun, sealed the deal, marking a pivotal moment in the nation’s quest for energy self-sufficiency.

According to statements released by NNPC and ARPHL, the subscription agreement represents a crucial step towards expanding Nigeria’s refining capacity and addressing the nation’s persistent reliance on imported petroleum products.

The proposed increment of 100,000bpd in the Port Harcourt Refinery’s capacity is poised to significantly reduce Nigeria’s dependence on imported fuel, fostering economic resilience and energy security.

Speaking on the collaboration, NNPC’s Executive Vice-President highlighted the strategic significance of co-locating the proposed additional refining capacity with the existing facilities at the Port Harcourt Refinery complex.

The move not only optimizes existing infrastructure but also underscores NNPC’s commitment to modernizing and revitalizing Nigeria’s refining sector.

In a similar vein, Tola Ayo-Adeyemi, Group Executive Director, Legal and Regulatory Compliance at African Refinery Group, emphasized the transformative impact of the collaboration on Nigeria’s energy landscape.

He highlighted the ARPHL refinery project’s position as the largest private refinery in Nigeria’s South-South and South-East geopolitical regions, underscoring its pivotal role in driving regional development and economic growth.

The groundbreaking ceremony for the ARPHL refinery project, scheduled for later this year, symbolizes a significant milestone in Nigeria’s journey towards energy independence.

With construction slated to commence in 2025 and commercial operations targeted for 2027, the project represents a beacon of hope for Nigeria’s refining sector, promising to deliver over 30 million liters of various petroleum products daily upon completion.

Continue Reading

Company News

Tech Giants Microsoft and Alphabet Beat Expectations, Driven by AI and Cloud Revenue

Published

on

microsoft - Investorsking

Industry titans Microsoft Corp. and Google parent company Alphabet Inc. have surpassed Wall Street’s expectations, buoyed by robust growth in artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing revenue streams.

The stellar quarterly results underscore the pivotal role of advanced technologies in shaping the future of these tech behemoths.

Both Microsoft and Alphabet showcased impressive performances in their latest earnings reports, sending their shares soaring in after-hours trading.

Microsoft’s stock surged by 6.3%, while Alphabet witnessed an astonishing 17% increase, reflecting investor confidence in the companies’ strategic investments and innovative initiatives.

The driving force behind this remarkable success story is the accelerating demand for AI-powered solutions and cloud services. As businesses increasingly embrace digital transformation, the adoption of AI technologies and cloud infrastructure has become paramount, fueling substantial revenue growth for both Microsoft and Alphabet.

At the forefront of this AI revolution, Microsoft and Alphabet have been fervently expanding their AI capabilities and integrating them into a wide array of products and services.

From advanced AI models to cloud-based AI solutions, both companies have been relentless in their pursuit of technological innovation, positioning themselves as leaders in the rapidly evolving AI landscape.

Silicon Valley has heralded 2024 as the year of generative AI, a groundbreaking technology capable of creating text, images, and videos from simple prompts.

Microsoft and Alphabet have capitalized on this trend, leveraging generative AI to drive business growth and enhance their cloud computing offerings.

The surge in cloud computing demand has been a particularly welcome development for Google, which has long trailed behind rivals such as Amazon and Microsoft in this competitive market.

After achieving profitability in its cloud operation last year, Google’s first-quarter profit of $900 million far exceeded analysts’ projections, signaling a significant turnaround for the tech giant.

Microsoft’s Azure cloud computing platform also experienced robust growth, with sales climbing by 31% in the quarter, surpassing analysts’ expectations.

The integration of AI technology into Azure subscriptions has proven to be a key driver of growth, as businesses increasingly recognize the value of AI-driven insights and automation.

Furthermore, both Microsoft and Alphabet have seen promising uptake of AI-powered tools across various industries. From AI assistants for office productivity to AI-driven coding platforms, these companies are empowering businesses with cutting-edge AI solutions that enhance productivity, efficiency, and innovation.

Despite the stellar performance of Microsoft and Alphabet, the broader tech landscape remains dynamic and competitive.

While both companies have demonstrated resilience and adaptability in navigating market challenges, they must continue to innovate and evolve to maintain their competitive edge in an increasingly digital world.

As the AI and cloud computing revolution continues to unfold, Microsoft and Alphabet are well-positioned to lead the charge, driving innovation, shaping industries, and delivering value to customers around the globe. With their unwavering commitment to technological excellence, these tech giants are poised for continued success in the dynamic landscape of the digital age.

Continue Reading
Advertisement




Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

Trending