Business
NNPC Remits N69bn To Federation Account …Raises Refineries’ Crude Supply To 650,000bpd
L-R: Minister of Power, Works and Housing , Babatunde Fashola; Gov. Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, during a courtesy visit by Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria to the Vice President at Presidential Villa in Abuja last week Wednesday.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has paid the sum of N69.544 billion into the Federation Account in March.
This is contained in the corporation’s monthly financial report for March released in Abuja, at the weekend.
It said that amount had brought the total amount paid to the Federation Account for Domestic Crude Oil and Gas and other receipts from April 2015 to March 2016 to N1.118 trillion.
It added that NNPC also recorded N107.826 billion revenue in the month of March against N104.804billion in February.
It said that the revenue rose marginally by 2.88 per cent, adding that the expenses of the corporation dipped by 12.92 per cent to N112.368 billion from N129, 034 billion recorded in previous month.
According to the report, the corporation also made a loss of N18.89 billion in the month under review. It said the loss was an improvement from a deficit of N24.23 billion recorded in February.
A breakdown of the financial performance of its subsidiaries showed that the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), Integrated Data Services Limited (IDSL) and National Engineering and Technical Company Limited posted losses of N9.874 billion, N469 million and N69 million, respectively.
It reported that the Nigerian Gas Company recorded a profit of N5.155 billion.
“Kaduna, Port Harcourt and Warri refining companies recorded losses of N1.824 billion, N1.971 billion and N845 million, respectively, while the PPMC recorded a deficit of N923 million,’’ it added.
The report said that the deficit recorded by NPDC in February and March 2016 were due to production shut–in occasioned by vandalism of Forcados Export Line.
This, it said resulted to the loss of its entire revenue from crude oil sales of about ¦ 20 billion.
The report also put the combined value of output by the three refineries at import parity price in March 2016 at N22.93 billion, while the associated crude plus freight cost was N20.02 billion.
It said that this gave negative margin of N3.95 billion after considering overhead of N6.87 billion.
The report also said that a total of N85.66 billion was collected as sales revenue from white products sold by PPMC in the month of March 2016 compared with N85.23 billion collected in the previous month.
“Total revenues generated from the sales of white products for the period April 2015 to March 2016 stands at N775.90 billion where PMS contributed about 88.85 per cent of the revenues collected with a value of N689.41 billion”.
The NNPC recorded total export proceeds of $170.12million in the month under review with crude oil export accounting for $98.31 million, while gas export accounted for $71.81 million.
On dollar payments to Joint Venture Cash Call, it said total export proceeds of $141.87 million were recorded in March, 2016 consisting of crude oil receipt of $88.36 million.
It added that Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and Escravos Gas to Liquid (EGTL) recorded proceed of $1.52 million and Miscellaneous receipts amounting to $51.99 million.
“The drastic slump in total export receipt is largely due to shut in of about 300,000 barrel of oil per day (bopd) at Forcados Terminal following the force majeure declared by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) on 15th February, 2016.
“Hence, all un-lifted February and March cargoes were deferred until the repair is completed,” the report added.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has increased the amount of crude oil being supplied to the nation’s refineries from 445,000 barrels per day to 650,000bpd.
This, however, was despite the fact that the refineries had yet to start operating at their various optimum capacities. The facilities commenced the production of petroleum products recently but not at full capacity.
The refineries are Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company, Port Harcourt Refining Company and Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company. They are managed and run by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.
The NNPC, in its latest financial and operations report for March 2016, stated that the country’s refineries now get additional 205,000bpd of crude.
Before now, the facilities get a combined volume of 445,000bpd of crude. But in the corporation’s latest report, the government gave them 650,000bpd.
MoniePoint Inc. a digital financial firm in Nigeria, has said it is empowering community pharmacists across the country with innovative payment solutions to improve access to drugs.
The financial firm said it had also provided loans for pharmacists under the aegis of the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) to drive healthcare delivery in the country.
MoniePoint in a release titled, “Inside Nigeria’s community pharmacies: How Moniepoint drives healthcare access with payments and funding”, has reaffirmed its commitment to providing digital payment solutions to improve health outcomes in Nigeria.
The release examined how community pharmacies play a crucial role as vital access points for medical care in Nigeria, especially in areas with limited hospital or clinic access.
According to the release, the ACPN National Chairman, Ambrose Igwekwam, highlighted the critical role played by community pharmacies in Nigeria’s healthcare system over the years.
Igwekwam, however, expressed concerns over the challenges confronting the nation’s pharmaceutical industry which he said was hindering access to affordable medicines.
The pharmacist listed poor infrastructural systems, power, transportation, regulatory bottlenecks, importation dependency, and limited research opportunities as major challenges facing the pharmaceutical sector.
He also stressed the need for robust collaborative efforts with institutions like Moniepoint to strengthen the sector.
“As Nigeria continues to grow, improving local pharma manufacturing to meet the demands of this growth presents a key opportunity for us all.
“There is also the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement, which is expected to boost our industry, especially when we start producing our drugs locally, which will provide the much needed foreign exchange from exports.
“We are also seeing advancements in digital health and technology which would hopefully deepen the practice of e-prescription in Nigeria”, the ACPN boss said.
Corlins Walter
In order to enhance customer service and streamline operations, the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN) has called on stakeholders in the insurance industry to embrace Artificial Intelligence (AI).
The President of the institute, Yetunde Ilori, made this call at the 2024 Office Representatives Committee (ORC) Workshop, organised by the institute, with the theme “AI and the Future of the Insurance Industry”, in Lagos.
Ilori at the event, emphasised the importance of AI adoption, noting that it was not a threat to jobs but rather a tool to improve efficiency across the insurance sector.
“It is not about AI taking over our jobs, but about us using AI to simplify processes and give maximum satisfaction to all the customers we serve whether as underwriters, brokers, loss adjusters, or in educating our members”, she said.
The workshop, which brought players in the insurance sector together, aimed to address how AI could be leveraged to transform business processes and improve customer interactions.
The Chairman of the ORC, Monica Nwachukwu, underscored the role of AI in modernising the industry, adding, “AI can automate customer and claims processes, allowing insurers to provide faster and more efficient services to their customers”.
She explained how AI could help extract data from legacy systems, enhancing decision-making processes.
“By integrating AI with APIs, insurers can feed valuable data into AI solutions to improve operations and customer service”, she added.
In his address, the Managing Partner of A4S and Training Heights, Orlando Odejide, stressed the need for companies to align their strategies with future technologies like AI, especially as they prepare for 2025.
“Any organisation that wants to grow into the future must have its strategic plan in place. If your strategy for 2025 is not ready, it should be done by October”, he advised.
He encouraged participants to think critically about how AI could be integrated into their business models to ensure they remain competitive.
“The idea is for you to use this workshop as a platform to think about your organization and how AI can help streamline your processes and improve growth”, Odejide noted.
In order to gain global respect and recognition, the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) has reaffirmed its determination to pursue its goal in ensuring that Nigeria’s space capabilities are recognised on the world stage.
The agency also reaffirmed its commitment to positioning Nigeria as a key player in the global space economy.
In a statement by the Director of Media and Corporate Communications, Dr. Felix Ale, NASRDA revealed that the Director-General of the agency, Matthew Adepoju, emphasised this during recent engagements at the 79th United Nations General Assembly and the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) and Global Alliance Business Association international conference in Michigan, United States.
The statement noted that Adepoju outlined a forward-thinking agenda, stressing the importance of Nigeria’s space programme as a leader in research, exploration, and technological innovation.
“Our goal is to ensure that Nigeria’s space capabilities are recognised on the world stage.
“We must foster collaborations with global space agencies to enhance our satellite capabilities and technological infrastructure”, he stated.
The NASRDA boss said the agency is focusing on enhancing satellite capabilities, expanding international collaborations, and leveraging space science for national development.
He said NASRDA will have no stone unturned in pursuit of excellence, ensuring the agency secures the necessary resources and recognition to propel it forward.
“The relationships we build today will pave the way for tomorrow’s advancements in space science.
“Innovation and progress thrive in an environment built on collaboration and inclusivity”, he stated.
He emphasised that with the support of the government, international partners, and a dedicated team, NASRDA is poised to make significant strides in the evolving global space landscape.
“We are on the brink of a new era for Nigeria’s space agency. Together, we will ensure our nation stands out in the global space economy”, he said.
Corlins Walter