The Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, has expressed optimism that Nigerians will experience a better 2023 with the citizens voting massively to elect Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as their President.
Dr. Obasa said this in his New Year message on Sunday, while congratulating Nigerians for witnessing the end of 2022 and the beginning of 2023.
Obasa, in a statement released by Eromosele Ebhomele, his Chief Press Secretary, said with less than two months to the general election, only Tinubu, presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), is better positioned to succeed President Buhari, who will leave office on May 29, 2023.
He described Tinubu as the hope Nigerians currently have for a better country judging from the positive result of the foundation the former governor laid in Lagos State between 1999 and 2007.
The Speaker specifically commended Lagosians for ensuring continuity in the government of the State saying this consistency in electing candidates from the progressives had produced a Lagos that is today the fifth largest economy in Africa.
“The consistency by the electorate in Lagos has produced the right leadership and results with our dear State enjoying some firsts in different sectors of the economy and human existence.
“Lagos has become a reference point for other states and some African countries because of the structures that have been put in place since 1999 to mitigate perceived or projected challenges facing the massively growing city. We have maintained proactiveness as a government.
“We now have a State that has become very attractive to investors and those seeking for better life because of our people-oriented laws, motions and resolutions as well as the synergy among the arms of government.
“For the avoidance of doubt, this is what Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu wants to replicate at the centre, a Nigeria where equity would become the norm.
“Just as I congratulate Nigerians for witnessing 2023, I want to urge us all to enter the year with renewed hope that the country will be greater than previous years and that Tinubu will take over the reigns of leadership.
“Here in Lagos, I want to urge the residents to encourage our party, the APC, by re-electing our dear Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, especially for his positive strides in the governance, growth and development of our State.
“We should also ensure this electoral victory touches every APC senatorial, House of Representatives and House of Assembly candidate in the forthcoming election.
“We will not relent as we continue to build the State of our future,” the Speaker said.
In a major boost for Nigeria’s crude oil production, revenue generation and economic growth efforts, the NNPC Ltd has officially unveiled its latest crude oil grade, the Utapate crude oil blend, before the international crude oil market.
Managing Director, NNPC E & P Limited (NEPL), Mr. Nicholas Foucart speaks at the official unveiling of the Utapate crude oil blend during the Utapate Crude Roadshow held on the sidelines of the 2024 Argus European Crude Conference in London, United Kingdom, on Wednesday.
It would be recalled that in July, 2024, NNPC Ltd and its partner, the Sterling Oil Exploration & Energy Production Company (SEEPCO) Ltd introduced the Utapate crude oil blend, following the lifting of first cargo of 950,000 barrels which headed for Spain. During a ceremony held at the Argus European Crude Conference taking place in London, United Kingdom, on Wednesday, the Managing Director, NNPC E & P Limited (NEPL), Mr. Nicholas Foucart described the introduction of the Utapate crude oil blend into the market as a significant milestone for Nigeria’s crude oil export to the global energy market. “Since we started producing the Utapate Field in May 2024, we have rapidly ramped up production to 40,000 barrels per day (bpd) with minimum downtime. So far, we have exported five cargoes, largely to Spain and the East Coast of the United States; while two more additional cargoes have been secured for November and December 2024, representing a significant boost to Nigeria’s crude oil export to the global market,” Foucart told a packed audience of European crude oil marketers. He added that since its introduction into the global market, the Utapate crude oil blend has enjoyed a positive response from the international crude oil market, due to its highly attractive qualities. Foucart said the Oil Mining Lease (OML) 13, fully operated by NEPL and Natural Oilfield Services Ltd (NOSL), a subsidiary of SEEPCO Ltd, boasts a huge reserves of 330million barrels of crude oil reserves, 45 million barrels of condensate and 3.5 tcf of gas.
“We have a number of ongoing projects to increase our production from the current 40,000bopd to 50,000bopd by January 2025 and 60,000bopd to 65,000bopd by June 2025. Essentially, we are targeting opportunities to increase production to 80,000bopd by the end of 2025,” Foucart added.
He said the Utapate crude oil terminal is sustainable, affordable and fully compliant with the rigorous environmental regulations and sustainability principles especially those aimed at reducing carbon emissions and other ecological effects. Also speaking, the Managing Director of NNPC Trading Ltd (NTL), Mr. Lawal Sade said the pricing structure of the Utapate crude oil blend is similar to that of Amenam crude as it is a light sweet crude which is highly sought after by refiners across the world due to its low sulphur content, efficient yield of high-value products, API gravity and other similarities. He said in bringing the new crude oil blend to the global market, NNPC Ltd wanted to optimise value for both its producers and counterparties across the globe.
He added to ensure predictability and sustainability of supply, the NNPC Trading intends to run a term contract on the Utapate crude oil blend cargoes, principally targeting off-takers from the European and the US East Coast refineries. Produced from the Utapate field in OML 13 in Akwa Ibom State in Nigeria, the Utapate crude oil blend is similar to the Nembe crude oil grade. It has a low sulphur content of 0.0655% and low carbon footprint due to flare gas elimination, fitting perfectly into the required specification of major buyers in Europe.
The NNPC E&P Ltd and NOSL partnership is also committed to operating in a manner that is safe, environmentally responsible, and beneficial to the local communities.
The Utapate field development plan, executed between 2013-2019 and approved in October, included converting wells and facilities from swamp/marine to land-based operations.
The plan involved a multi-rig drilling campaign for 40 wells and the development of significant infrastructure such as production facilities, storage tank, a subsea pipeline and an offshore loading platform to facilitate crude oil evacuation and loading.
The entry of the Utapate crude oil blend into the market is coming barely a year after the NNPC Ltd announced the launch of Nembe crude oil, produced by the NNPC/Aiteo operated Oil Mining Lease (OML) 29 Joint Venture (JV). This remarkable achievement signals the commitment of the NNPC Ltd to increasing Nigeria’s crude oil production and growing its reserves through the development of new assets.
NNPC Ltd Launches Free Cancer Screening Campaign, Targets 3,000 Nigerians The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd (NNPC Ltd) through NNPC Foundation, its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) arm, is set to launch a free cancer screening campaign to address Nigeria’s rising cancer cases. The campaign tagged “Cancer Awareness and ZSX Screening” will provide, not just free cancer screening to indigent Nigerians, but also health education, workshops, and consultations with healthcare professionals aimed at empowering individuals to recognize early symptoms, adopt preventive health measures, and better understand the importance of regular screenings. The campaign which will be organised in collaboration with local health authorities and expert healthcare providers is targeted at reaching about 3,000 individuals across the six geo-political zones with screening centres in Kaduna, Rivers, Ondo, Benue, Imo, and Gombe. The initiative will focus on breast, cervical, and prostate cancer, offering critical early detection support for at-risk populations. Shedding more light on the objectives of the campaign, the Managing Director of NNPC Foundation, Mrs. Emmanuella Arukwe, said: “The fight against cancer requires a collective effort and a commitment to ensuring accessible healthcare. This campaign is about more than just screening; it’s about saving lives, building awareness, and creating pathways to preventive care for Nigerians who need it most. “In a country of over 200 million people, too many still lack access to the early detection tools that could make a life-saving difference. NNPC Foundation is dedicated to addressing this critical gap by bringing cancer screenings directly to communities. Early detection is crucial to improving survival rates, and this campaign is a vital step towards that goal.” Cancer remains one of the most formidable health challenges in Nigeria, with over 79,000 cancer-related deaths annually, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The most common cancers affecting Nigerian men include prostate and liver cancer, while women are predominantly impacted by breast and cervical cancers. The campaign seeks to counter the trend of late-stage diagnoses, which occur frequently due to limited access to screening facilities, cultural stigmas, and insufficient awareness. This initiative follows the success of a screening drive in February 2024, where over 200 Abuja residents received free breast, cervical, and prostate cancer screenings. These free cancer screening campaigns reflect NNPC Ltd.’s broader mission to promote health equity and enhance the well-being of Nigerians across the country through its Foundation.