Nation
‘Nigeria Can Save $10.4bn From Use Of LPG’
The Nigerian LPG (NLPGA) says Nigeria will save about 10.38 billion dollars annually if 50 per cent of its population can use cooking gas by 2018.
Its President, Mr Dayo Adeshina, said in a statement in Lagos that it was regrettable that Nigerians still consumed kerosene in large quantities.
According to the association, cleaner fuels like cooking gas can save over 55 per cent of Nigeria’s primary forest.
He said that the association’s annual conference, slated for December 2 in Lagos, would address ways government could support the use of cooking gas in rural communities.
“Between 500,000 and one million jobs can be created in the LPG value chain in the next two years if the kerosene to LPG switch programme is implemented nationwide”.
Adeshina said that over 400,000 lives would be saved from pollution related health issues through LPG promotion in Nigeria.
“This will ensure reduction in deforestation, carbon emission into the atmosphere and increased tax revenue for government at various levels,’’ he said.
Adeshina said that the Federal government could claim carbon credits if the fuel switching programme could be implemented on a massive scale nationwide.
He said that the power penetration sector could also take advantage of LPG fired generators and turbines.
Adeshina said that the LPG sector in Nigeria was still being challenged by factors such as massive inadequate supply of cooking gas equipment, insufficient number of jetties and few LPG inland storage facilities.
These, he said, had stunted consumption of cooking gas in the country.
Adeshina said the sector was affected by increase in price of LPG due to logistic issues, excessive import duties and VAT on LPG equipment.
“Inadequate road and transport network facilities and cumbersome access to long-term funds for LPG projects also affect the sector.
“There is no major policy that encourages widely promoted green projects (e.g. auto gas, power generation, etc) using LPG in order to stimulate rapid growth of the industry,” he said.
Adeshina advocated for a national policy on LPG and more efforts by government to promote consumption of cooking gas in the country.
He said that the 2015 conference, with the theme, “LPG: The Future is Now’, would be used to draw government and other stakeholders’ attention to the prospect of LPG sector and the need to adequately tap same.
“The availability of energy and power is very crucial to the growth of Nigeria’s economy and features of LPG make it the energy of choice for the present and the future.
“The Nigerian LPG industry has so much potential and the conference will focus on embracing LPG as the answer to energy poverty, environmental degradation and health issues amongst many other issues affecting Nigeria.
The Chairman of Malumfashi Local Government Council of Katsina State, Maharazu Dayi, has been impeached.
Maharazu Dayi was impeached yesterday by 11 out of 12 councillors, barely two days before the local government elections in the State.
The councillors reportedly took action following allegations of misconduct and poor governance against the chairman after a dispute over the distribution of the council’s Paris Club funds.
The development has sent shock waves across the local government area, especially as the impeached chairman is among those who failed to secure the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to contest in the forthcoming election.
The Rumuwoji Ultra Modern Market Traders Association, Mile 1, Port Harcourt, has urged the state government to utilise the available spaces within the area to build phase 3 of the Rumuwoji Market in order to solve the ever increasing needs of traders.
The association, which said this at a media briefing in Port Harcourt, also described as a welcomed development the decision by the state Governor to open the phase 2 of the market for business.
According to the association, “We consider it as an answer to the various cries of the people, because he is a man on a mission who is out to place the interest of Rivers people first. It is a dream come true for the first time for the market to be dully allocated and open for business”
Chairman of the association, Hon Godspower Wobo, who briefed the press shortly after a meeting of the association in Port Harcourt, also urged the public to disregard the activities of some persons whose stock in trade is to cause disaffection in the market.
He said the attention of the association was drawn to the activities of some strange fellows who went about misforming the people about situation in the market, stressing that apart from his association, no other group exists in the market except subdiary unions.
Wobo also tasked the reallocation committee to tread with caution so as to avoid being deceived by any group.
According to him, time has come for the state government to engage in robust discussion with aggrieved shop owners who went to court and those who paid monies to the state coffers and issued with allocation certificates for the overall interest of peace.
He also advised the public to deal directly with his association, stressing that the meeting was to review activities for the last year as well as unveil their new Constitution.
Also speaking, former Chairman of the association, Deacon Kenneth Eze urged the Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara to open the phase 2 of the market, as it is long overdue.
Eze who is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the association also urged the public to do business with only the Rumuwoji Ultra Modern Market Traders Association as it is the only union recognised by the traders.
The President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Akinwunmi Adesina, has debunked reports linking him with the race for Nigeria’s presidency in 2027.
Reacting to the report on his X handle yesterday, following a recent interview with Arise TV, the AfDB boss said his quotes were misrepresented and misinterpreted in several Nigerian media reports.
However, the AfDB president denied the media reports, stating that he never said that he wanted to contest for President.
“A segment of my recent interview on @Arise TV has been both misinterpreted and misrepresented in several Nigerian media outlets. What I said was, “I will be available to serve in any capacity, globally, in Africa, anywhere, including my own country.”
“A listen to the substantive and robust interview, which is available online, will show this to be the case. For clarity and for the record, I did not say that I am running for the office of President of Nigeria,” Adesina said.