News
Eunisell Restates Commitment To Innovation

The Group Managing Director of Eunisell Limited, West Africa’s largest specialty chemical and oil and gas engineering solutions company, Mr. Chika Ikenga, said innovation remains critical in enhancing productivity in the Nigerian business space, especially the energy sector.
Ikenga noted that for over 27 years, the company has been at the forefront of introducing and deploying latest world-class technologies and tools used in providing critical solutions and enhancing efficiency for the energy sector in the region.
In a statement, Ikenga said, “Eunisell has been a key driver of innovations in the West African energy sector, deploying latest global solutions locally for enhancing performances, significantly upscaling outputs and driving business growth for our wide range of customers.
“Eunisell is promoting a new technology called the Sage Rider PMT (paraffin melting tool) that is ingenious and charting a new course in the well intervention space in terms of wax and paraffin cleaning from oil wells. This has proven to reduce operational time and cost by 70%, with 99.8% effectiveness and efficiency.
“The Sage Rider Paraffin Melting Tool can reach an extremely high temperature to renew the well to full bore drift. As a revolutionary solution, the Paraffin Melting Tool eases the cleaning and maintenance of wells susceptible to paraffin build-up to increase production and efficiencies.
“Engineered as a rechargeable battery powered tool, the Paraffin Melting Tool performs on all forms of wireline, including slickline, braided line, and e-line utilizing a cutting system along with heat that can reach greater than 315°C (600°F), and easily removing costly paraffin.”
Further highlighting benefits of the new solution, the Eunisell boss said, “This new approach aids in getting tubing to achieve full drift, reduces maintenance time and frequency, increases tubing production efficiency, allows logging and well servicing operation to perform as designed and extends time for paraffin to build back up.”
In addition, Eunisell has also partnered global industry leaders in deploying cutting-edge water treatment solutions for delivering high quality streams and precision cleaning needed to meet the most rigorous specifications for water, food, beverage and industrial hygiene, including bio-degradable aluminium beverage cans.
Ikenga, who founded the Eunisell Group, including Eunisell Limited and Eunisell Interlinked Plc, also noted that the company’s vision remains being the leading specialty chemicals, engineering solutions and environmental management provider in Africa, offering a full range of technical services to complement wide range of specialty products.
“In line with high ethical standards and regulatory compliances, our ISO 9001:2015 and TRACE International certification for anti-corruption compliances are a significant testament for Eunisell, underlining its resolve to sustaining global best practices in quality management systems, processes and service delivery in a manner that truly promotes green environment and assures overall human and environmental safety,” he concluded.
Meanwhile, the Founder of Eunisell Limited, Chika Ikenga, was at the weekend conferred with Honorary Doctorate Degree (Honoris Causa) by the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State.
The degree, which was presented at the 10th Convocation ceremony of the institution, was in recognition of Ikenga’s monumental achievements as a renowned industrialist, who has ensured the growth of Eunisell specialised chemicals and oil and gas production solutions as an indigenous company as well as boosting the energy industry.
In his address, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Maduebibisi Iwe, said the conferment was in recognition of contributions to humanity and economic development.
“It’s an honour we expect should stimulate the recipients to partner more closely with our university and cause their success stories to rub on the development of agriculture, science and technology in our university,” the VC noted.
He said 90 out of the total 6,606 graduands, including 4,115 from the 2018/2019 session had first class while 243 graduated with doctorate degree and 454 with Master’s degree.
Iwe, who is the sixth vice-chancellor, explained that the university had recorded many breakthroughs and called for significant infusion of funds for the upgrade of its physical environment.
In his acceptance speech, an elated Ikenga pledged to continue his support for education by donating significantly towards boosting the school infrastructure, establishing an endowment fund and partnering the chemistry department for joint researches with Eunisell.
He also called for improved collaboration between the academia and business sector to assure tangible growth and development for the nation and its people.
In 2018, Ikenga introduced the Eunisell Boot, an award that pays a premium of N200,000 per goal to football players with the highest score in the Nigerian topflight every season as a way to revitalise goal scoring by strikers in the NPFL.
Nasarawa United’s Silas Nwankwo and Akwa United’s Charles Atshimene were joint winners of the Eunisell Boot award for the 2020/21 season, with a cash prize of N7.6million for scoring 19 goals.
Over the years, the company has also helped in growing the Nigerian professional football league by sponsoring the Rivers United FC of Port Harcourt.
Ikenga added that having applied the knowledge of chemistry in the larger society, Eunisell will partner the Chemistry Department of MOUAU and facilitate joint research programs to benefit the nation.
The Eunisell founder was honoured alongside President/CEO, Coscharis Group, Dr Cosmas Maduka; the Owaloko of Iloko-Ijesha community, Osun King Akeem Olusayo Ogungbangbe; and Founder, UYK Nigeria, Alhaji Usman Yahaya Kansila.
Earlier in his address, Prof Iwe said 90 out of the total 6,606 graduands including 4115 from the 2018/2019 session had first class while 243 graduated with doctorate degree and 454 with Master’s degree.
Iwe, who is the sixth vice-chancellor, explained that the university had recorded many breakthroughs and called for significant infusion of funds for the upgrade of its physical environment.
Meanwhile, President Muhammad Buhari, who was represented by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Mohammed Abubakar at the occasion, challenged universities of agriculture in the country to bridge the gap of food insecurity and address the nation’s dependence on Imported foods.
He urged specialised universities to play their crucial role of catalysing the development of agricultural sector, and helping Federal Government achieve its goal of sustainable green economy.
News
Tinubu Orders Security Chiefs To Restore Peace In Plateau, Benue, Borno

President Bola Tinubu has ordered a security outreach to the hotbeds of recent killings in Plateau, Benue and Borno States, to restore peace to areas wracked by mass killings and bomb attacks.
National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, disclosed this to State House correspondents after a four-hour security briefing with the President at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja on Wednesday.
“We listened and we took instructions from him. We got new directives…to go meet with the political authorities there,” Ribadu told reporters, adding that Tinubu directed them to engage state-level authorities in the worst-hit regions.
Director-General, National Intelligence Agency, Mohammed Mohammed; Chief Defence Intelligence of the Nigerian Army, Gen. Emmanuel Undianeye; Director-General, Department of State Services, Oluwatosin Ajayi and Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, appeared for the briefing.
The Tide’s source reports that in Plateau State, inter-communal violence between predominantly Christian farmers and nomadic herders spiralled into gory slaughter when gunmen stormed Zikke village in Bassa Local Government early on April 14, killing at least 51 people and razing homes in a single night.
In Benue, at least 56 people were killed in Logo and Gbagir after twin assaults blamed on armed herders.
Meanwhile, in Borno State, eight passengers perished and scores were injured when an improvised explosive device ripped through a bus on the Damboa–Maiduguri highway on April 12.
Ribadu explained that after an extensive briefing, intelligence chiefs received fresh instructions to restore peace, security and stability across Nigeria.
“In particular, Tinubu had ordered immediate outreach to the political authorities in Plateau, Benue and Borno States, and the defence team had gone round those States to carry out his directives and report back.
“We gave him an update on what has been the case and what is going on, and even when he was out there, before coming back, he was constantly in touch. He was giving directives. He was following developments, and we, in charge of the security, got the opportunity today to come and brief him properly for hours. And it was exhaustive.
“We listened and we took instructions from him. We got new directives. The fact is, Mr. President is insisting and working so hard to ensure that we have peace, security and stability in our country. We gave him an update on what is going on, and we also assured him that work is ongoing and continues.
“We also carried out his instructions. We went round, the chiefs were all out where we had these incidents of insecurity in Plateau State, Benue State, even Borno, these particular three states, and we gave him feedback, because he directed us to go meet with the political authorities there,” the NSA explained.
Ribadu described Tinubu as “worried and concerned,” and said he directed that all security arms be deployed around the clock.
The government, he added, believes these steps have already produced measurable improvements, even if the situation is not yet 100 per cent safe and secure.
“He’s so worried and concerned, he insisted that enough is enough, and we are working and to ensure that we restore peace and security and all of us are there. The armed forces are there, the Civil Police, intelligence communities, they are there.
“They are working there 24 hours, and we feel that we have done enough to believe that we are on the right course, and we’ll be able to be on top of things,” Ribadu stated.
The NSA emphasised that combating insecurity was not solely a Federal Government responsibility.
He stated, “The issue of insecurity often is not just for the government. It involves the subunits. They are the ones who are directly with the people, especially if some of the challenges are more or less bordering on community problems.
“Not entirely everything is that, but of course it also plays a significant role. You need to work with the communities, the local governments, and the governors, especially the governors.
“The President will continue to direct that. We should be doing that, and that’s what we are able to. We are very happy and very satisfied with the instructions and directives given by Mr. President this evening.”
In Borno State, the NSA noted that while violence had surged in recent months, the insurgents refused to accept defeat.
He warned that most recent casualties there resulted from improvised explosive devices—”cowardly” IED attacks targeting civilians—and from opportunistic raids that follow any lull in fighting.
“We are getting the cooperation of the leadership at the state level, and everybody. It’s not 100 per cent…but we are going there.
“When you are having peace and you are beginning to get used to it, if one bad incident happens, you forget the periods that you enjoyed peacefully,” he added.
He paid tribute to the “many who do not sleep, who walk throughout, who do not go for any break or holiday”—the soldiers, police and intelligence officers whose sacrifices have created the fragile calm Nigerians now experience.
“They will continue to be there,” he said, adding, “Things have changed in this country…we are on the right track and we will not relent. We will not sit down; we will not stop until we are able to achieve results.”
News
FG Laments Low Patronage Of Made-In-Nigeria Products

A Federal Government agency – the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure, has decried the low patronage of Nigerian-made products by Nigerians.
The agency identified some challenges leading to the low patronage of the local products as affordability and public perception, among others.
Speaking during a stakeholders meeting organised by the agency in Akure, Ondo State capital, yesterday, the Deputy Director of Engineering at NASENI, Mr Joseph Alasoluyi, said Nigerians preferred buying foreign goods compared to local goods.
Alasoluyi, however disclosed that the agency had trained over 50 participants in the production of hand-made products, in a bid to ensure Nigeria-made products are patronised.
He explained that NASENI was set up to promote science, technology, and engineering as a foundation for Nigeria’s development and currently operates 12 institutes nationwide to achieve its objectives.
According to him, the aim of President Bola Tinubu, who is also the overall chairman of NASENI, was to ensure high production and patronage of “our local products thereby creating employment opportunities for many.”
He said, “The idea of this programme is to interface to ensure we produce products using our indigenous technology. This is what NASENI is out for, to ensure that homegrown technologies are encouraged.
“We are out there to ensure we integrate efforts to ensure that local technology is used to develop products within the resources we have.
“ The NASENI’s ‘3 Cs’ – Creation, Collaboration, and Commercialisation – that define NASENI’s strategic mandate: Creating innovations through research, Collaborating with partners to develop and refine products, and Commercialising these solutions to benefit the economy.
“Our achievements include the development of solar irrigation systems, CNG conversion centres, building machines capable of producing up to 1,000 blocks per hour, 10-inch tablets, locally made laptops, and electric tricycles (Keke Napep) set for market launch.”
In his remarks, the Deputy Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Prof. Samuel Oluyamo, blamed the Federal Government for not properly funding research in the varsities, also noting that many research outputs were left halfway due to lack of funding and weak linkages between research institutions and industry.
Oluyamo also queried the Federal Government’s commitment to funding research and development, saying many academic innovations remained on the shelve due to a lack of support for commercialisation and poor infrastructure.
“Until we upscale research into mass production, technological growth will remain elusive. The government is not funding research in the universities enough. Thank God for TETfund that is trying in this regime. The major interest in beefing up research in universities and research institutions is really not there,” he said.
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Nigeria Seeks Return To JP Morgan Bond Index
The Director-General of the Debt Management Office, Patience Oniha, has said that Nigeria is in advanced discussions with JP Morgan to re-enter the Government Bond Index and renew investors’ confidence.
Oniha disclosed this on Wednesday at a Nigerian Investors’ Forum on the sidelines of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund Spring Meetings in Washington, D.C.
The DMO boss explained that Nigeria has enjoyed favourable credit assessment among rating agencies in recent times on the back of the sweeping reforms initiated by the Central Bank of Nigeria.
Fitch Ratings recently upgraded the Long-Term Issuer Default Ratings of seven Nigerian banks and two bank holding companies to ‘B’ from ‘B-‘, noting that the outlooks are Stable.
The affected issuers are Access Bank Plc, Zenith Bank Plc, United Bank for Africa Plc, Guaranty Trust Bank Limited, Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc, First HoldCo Plc, First Bank of Nigeria Ltd, Fidelity Bank Plc and Bank of Industry Limited.
The upgrades of the Long-Term IDRs of the banks followed the recent sovereign upgrade and reflect Fitch’s view that Nigeria’s sovereign credit profile has become less of a constraint on the issuers’ standalone creditworthiness, the rating agency said.
Fitch also upgraded Nigeria’s Long-Term IDRs to ‘B’ from ‘B-‘ on 11 April, a decision that reflected increased confidence in the government’s broad commitment to policy reforms implemented since its move to orthodox economic policies in June 2023, including exchange rate liberalisation, monetary policy tightening and steps to end deficit monetisation and remove fuel subsidies.
“These have improved policy coherence and credibility and reduced economic distortions and near-term risks to macroeconomic stability, enhancing resilience in the context of persistent domestic challenges and heightened external risks,” Fitch said.
Nigeria was removed from the JP Morgan index in 2015 ostensibly due to its deviation from orthodox monetary policies and influence of capital control in its management of foreign exchange.
Principally due to reduction in oil revenues at the time, Nigeria introduced currency restrictions to defend the naira after it failed to halt a dangerous slide with burning of dollar reserves. The bank had earlier warned Nigeria to restore liquidity to its currency market in a way that allowed foreign investors tracking the index to conduct transactions with minimal hurdles.
“Foreign investors who track the GBI-EM series continue to face challenges and uncertainty while transacting in the naira due to the lack of a fully functional two-way FX market and limited transparency,” the bank said in a 2015 note.
Nigeria was listed in JP Morgan’s emerging government bond index in October 2012, after the Central Bank removed a requirement that foreign investors hold government bonds for a minimum of one year before exiting.
The JP Morgan Government Bond Index reflects investor confidence and opens doors to billions of investment flows, making Nigeria’s proposed re-entry a positive signal to the market and investors.
Oniha explained that talks with JP Morgan were ongoing and had gained momentum in recent times due to the stability created by the FX market reforms.
“With all the reforms that have taken place, particularly around FX, we have started engaging JP Morgan again to get back into the index. We think we are eligible now,” the DMO DG said.
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