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FG commends EKSG on environmental, social impact assessment of projects

Published

2 years ago

December 12, 2022

… urges thorough implementation of ESIA Act on project planning, execution

AJAGBE ADEYEMI TESLIM

Sponsored by: H&H

Federal Government of Nigeria has commended the efforts of Ekiti State Government at mitigating the impact of project activities on the environment and social-economic lives of the people of the State.

The Minister for Environment, Barr Mohammed Abdullahi gave the commendation in Ado- Ekiti during a three-day panel review meeting of Environmental and Social Impact Assessment, (ESIA) reports on Ekiti Cargo Airport, Ado-Akure dualised road and Ekiti State Knowledge Zone projects in the State.

The panel, which comprises of representatives from the Federal Ministry of Environment, Ekiti State Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, benefitting local government chairmen, environmentalists, relevant regulatory bodies, ecology, geography and socio-economic experts, paid a working visit to the project sites.

The Minister, represented by a Deputy Director in the Environmental Assisted Department of the Ministry, Dr Musa Gashua, lauded the State Government for complying with National Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) act of Nigeria and other extant environmental laws and regulations in the executions of developmental projects as one of the steps in addressing probable future and immediate environmental challenges caused by project activities.

He explained that the provisions of EIA Act CAP E12 LFN 2004, mandated proponents of major developmental activities in the country to carry out environmental and social impact assessment of all proposed projects.

Commenting on the ESIA reports on the three projects, Dr Abdullahi stressed the needs for other State Governments to embrace environmental and social impact assessment of projects to expose the environmental problems, social challenges and other negative impacts that come with project activities.

The Minister noted with displeasure that neglect of such assessment reports were responsible for environmental degradation, pollution and some of the severe natural disasters like flooding, erosion, landslides, and others experienced in the country.

He revealed that the panel review meetings between the three tiers of government and other critical stakeholders would enhance public participation and contributions in ensuring that the projects were executed at the highest level of environmental and social sustainability.

“The projects are welcome development, it would open up a lot of businesses but at the same time needs to be planned very well so that the environmental components are factored in to ensure that these projects when completed would not jeopardize the provisions of EIA Act CAP E12 LFN 2004 and other extant laws of the country.

“This EIA report has been mandated to go through the scrutiny of experts and regulators to make sure that the EIA comply with global best practices.

“We have done the assessment, we have been to the project sites, we have seen the presentation; the environmental and technical aspects, we also had question and answer sessions, what is left now is that we would write our recommendations and take it to the decision makers that is the honourable minister who had the power to approve.

“I am satisfied with the report they have met the minimum requirement, they are good to go and it is also a way of encouraging others because government doesn’t want to scrutinize their projects or subject to EIA process but now a lot of them are coming and we are impressed and we also encourage state governments to subject their proposed project to EIA scrutiny.

“Man and project activities have rendered the environment very fragile and polluted, you see what is happening the climate change, look at flooding, look at erosion, these are all defect that come with quest for industrialization. He added.

Dr. Akinyemi Akinyugha, an adviser to the State Government on environment matters, mentioned that the health, safety and wellbeing of the people of Ekiti is paramount to the government; hence the prioritisation of the conduct of ESIA for the projects. He emphasised the State Government’s commitment to the implementation of recommendations for environmental management during and after execution of the projects.

“The State Government is very intentional in executing its development plan in the most environmentally-friendly approach possible. Not only are these projects designed to promote the economic development of the state but also to promote sustainable social inclusion by opening up new frontiers of growth for the state. The State is taking full advantage of its strategic location as a gateway to the North from the South and its proximity to Lagos in developing its potential in agro-business and knowledge economy.” added Dr Akinyugha.

In accordance with ESIA reports, the commendation from the Federal Government has again bring to light the demonstration the Ekiti State Government to implement projects that will benefit the people of the State without distorting or causing environmental imbalance, he added.¶

Some of the environmental issues debated during the review meeting included exploitation of lands, forest degradation, extinction of endangered species, habitat fragmentation, relocation plans, liquefaction, biodiversity impacts, waste management, compensation, ground water impacts, social and economic impacts, operational phase impacts, report structures, mitigation measures and other activities

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Published

1 week ago

December 14, 2024

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Boost for Nigeria’s Oil Production, As NNPC’s Utapate Crude Grade Hits Global Oil Market

Published

1 month ago

November 20, 2024

august24admin

…OML 13 Asset Eyes 80,000 bpd by End of 2025

AJAGBE ADEYEMI TESLIM

SPONSORED BY: H&H

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.

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Published

2 months ago

October 31, 2024

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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.