Business
2017 Oil Confab To Witness 6,000 Delegates, 250 Exhibitors
The Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), says more than 6,000 delegates, 250 exhibitors and over 20 countries would participate in the 2017 Nigeria Oil and Gas (NOG) Conference slated for Abuja.
NNPC Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Mr Ndu Ughamadu, said this in Abuja on Friday during a news conference.
The event, which is majorly sponsored by the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, will begin on February 27 and end on March 2.
Ughamadu said the event would be unique in several respects adding that Nigeria’s Dr Mohammad Barkindo, OPEC Secretary-General, would be in attendance and would elucidate how he was able to shore up oil prices.
“This year’s event will be unique in several respects. We are expecting about 6,000 conference delegates, 250 exhibitors, over 20 countries will be participating and these countries cut across all continents.
“Many oil and gas experts, thousands of media colleagues and hundreds of government representatives from different countries will also be in attendance.
“NNPC is a major sponsor and we have ensured that adequate preparation is on ground for the conference,’’ he said.
He also said that over 48 speakers would deliver papers at the event.
“The Minister of State Petroleum Resources will give a keynote address on `Repositioning the Oil and Gas Sector’ while the Group General Manager will speak on `Commercialising the NNPC’.
“ The climax of the event is the participation by the OPEC Secretary-General. He will be visiting President Muhammadu Buhari, Dr Ibe Kachikwu and other OPEC stakeholders’ resident in Nigeria.
“His visit is also unique because he will inform the World how OPEC members’ have complied with the outcome of the last conference.
“As you can see, prices have been rising since the last OPEC conference and the bulk of the credit goes to OPEC Secretary-General.
“He will speak on the oil and gas market outlook With his effort, the market trend has been moving toward equilibrium with lower stock and that is why prices have soared and that will be a climax of the NOG meeting.’’
The Barkindo’s 10-man delegation would present OPEC Long and Short term views of the market at the conference.
The NOG is a conference and exhibition of annual event for Nigeria’s oil and gas industry stakeholders to convene and hear announcements on policy, discuss business opportunities and form partnerships.
Business
USTR Criticises Nigeria’s Import Ban On Agriculture, Others
The United States Trade Representative (USTR) has criticised Nigeria’s import ban on 25 categories of goods, claiming that the restrictions limit market access for American exporters.
This is the effect of President Donald Trump’s tariffs introduction on goods entering the United States, with Nigeria facing a 14 per cent duty.
The USTR highlighted the impact of Nigeria’s import ban on various sectors, particularly agriculture, pharmaceuticals, beverages, and consumer goods.
The restrictions affect items such as beef, pork, poultry, fruit juices, medicaments, and alcoholic beverages, which the United States sees as significant barriers to trade.
The agency argues that these limitations reduce export opportunities for United States businesses and lead to lost revenue.
“Nigeria’s import ban on 25 different product categories impacts United States exporters, particularly in agriculture, pharmaceuticals, beverages, and consumer goods.
“Restrictions on items like beef, pork, poultry, fruit juices, medicaments, and spirits limit United States market access and reduce export opportunities.
“These policies create significant trade barriers that lead to lost revenue for United States businesses looking to expand in the Nigerian market”, the agency said .
In 2016, Nigeria implemented the ban on these 25 items as part of efforts to control imports and stimulate local production.
Some of the banned items include poultry, pork, refined vegetable oil, sugar, cocoa products, spaghetti, beer, and certain medicines.
On March 26, 2025, the Federal Government also announced plans to halt solar panel imports to encourage local manufacturing as part of its push for clean energy.
Business
Expert Seeks Cooperative-Driven Investments In Agriculture
A leading agribusiness strategist and digital agriculture expert, Ayo Oluwa Okediji, has sought cooperative-driven investments in sustaining growth of poultry industry in Nigeria.
He said the poultry industry was at a defining moment and requires urgent structural reforms to secure its future and ensure long-term sustainability.
Speaking on the theme, “Strengthening Poultry Farming Through Cooperative Synergy and Strategic Investments”, at the recently concluded Oyo Mega Poultry Workshop 2025 in Ibadan, Okediji called on poultry farmers, cooperative leaders, financial institutions and policy makers to rethink the existing structure of the poultry sector.
He stressed the need to transition from fragmented, individually-driven operations to well-structured, cooperative-led enterprises capable of attracting sustainable financing and securing long-term viability.
He said, “Our poultry sector cannot thrive on individual effort alone. We need to organise ourselves into cooperative clusters, build strong governance systems and position ourselves to attract the level of investment needed to sustain this industry beyond this generation.”
Drawing on lessons from successful global cooperative models such as Rabobank in the Netherlands and Landus Cooperative in the United States, Okediji introduced the FarmClusters Poultry Model, a locally adapted solution developed by Agribusiness Dynamics Technology Limited (AgDyna), a subsidiary of AgroInfoTech Africa.
According to him, the model is currently being piloted in Oyo State in partnership with PANOY Agribusiness Limited and local poultry cooperatives.
Business
NACCIMA Proposes Hybrid Oil Palm Seedlings For Farmers
The Rivers State Representative of the Nigeria Chambers of Commerce, Mines, Industries and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Mr. Erasmus Chukwundah, has urged palm oil farmers to consider hybrid seedlings for planting, if they must break even in palm oil business.
Chukwundah said this recently at the Free Oil Palm Business Climate Smart Best Management Practice/Assistance Training organized by Partnership Initiative In Niger Delta (PIND) for Palm Oil Farmers in Elele, Ikwerre Local Government Area.
The Rivers representative said until palm oil farmers begin to consider such hybrid oil palm seedlings, they may not meet up with the daily increasing demand of palm oil in the market.
According to him, the seedlings produce up to 30 bunches at once that ripen same time.
He said PIND decided to partner with Oil Palm Growers Association of Nigeria (OPGAN) to ensure that the message was received by the targeted audience.
According to him, palm oil remained a popular choice of industry operators as it could be converted to many other products such as vegetable cooking oil.
He also noted that products such as motor tyers, marine ropes and others are now gotten from the palm tree.
Chukwundah, who is the immediate past Director-General of Port Harcourt Chamber of Commerce, Mines, Industries, and Agriculture (PHCCIMA), further warned against use of unrecommended fertilisers in growing oil palms.
He noted that such practices could limit its export value or chances as the foreign marketers have a way of detecting such .
He reiterated the need for organic fertilizers, including poultry droppings, to enable them have a natural palm oil.
“People must reduce physical contact with palm oil production. That is why we are campaigning for hydrolic oil mills. The foreign markets are no longer interested in crude method of palm oil production”, he said.
Meanwhile, one of the farmers, Sonny Didia, who appreciated Chukwundah’s commitment towards the concern of farmers, appealed for an urgent need for loan opportunity with low interest rate in order to enable them beat the target.
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