Energy and Power

800 Companies Jostle for Gas Flare Sites

Published

7 years ago

April 12, 2019

The perennial insurgency activitiesandlately,the echoes of Ebola virus may have subjugate an unusual and mind bugling homicide story of Wasilat Tasiu,the 14-year-old bride who allegedly poisoned her husbandand three othersto death, in Kano; but latest development indicates it is not yet uhuru as the little bridewas recently charged with culpable homicide punishable by death. Reports had it that the development followed the withdrawal of the case that has attracted local and international attention from the juvenile court to a Kano State High Court, over what judicial sources attributed to “lack of jurisdiction by the juvenile court”, and this was contain in the-obtained charge sheet titled, “Application to prefer a charge under Section 185(B) of the Criminal Procedure code Cap.105 Laws of Kano State 1991, signed on behalf of the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice by a Senior State Counsel in the ministry, Lamido A. Soron Dinki, lined seven prosecution witnesses. The charge sheet under Criminal Procedure Code as made available to People’s Daily further read, “That you, Wasila Tasiu, 14 years, of Yansoro village , Gaya Local Government Council, on or about the 5th day of April, 2014, at about 14:30 hours, at Yansoro village, Gaya within the Kano Judicial Division, did commit culpable homicide punishable with death in that you caused the death of four persons. But, wagging questionshowever arehas Right groups and various bodies protecting Child Right silenced on the plight of a minnow bride, allegedly coerced into emergency family line.Some even queried; what level of education accorded the little girl to justify such a huge punishment awaiting the minnow when pronounced guilty at the court meant for learned adult? Without prejudice to matter before the Law court, neither justifying the weight of homicidal act committed by Wasilat, the irony of the matter before concern Nigerians arewhether the babyish looking Wasilat is conversant of the enormity of crime she has committed, the fact that the little girl premised her killings on rights and abuse of privilege on self-protection ground. “When my father told me that I should marry Umar, I told him I don’t love the man but he refused. Before our marriage I told him again, he beat me up and said I must marry him. So after our wedding I started thinking of what to do and the idea of Rat poison came to me. I went to the village market and bought it for N80, returned home and hid it. When our husband’s food was served in the sitting room, I went there and spread the poison over it”. “I did not mean to kill my husband, but rather wanted to show him that I have no feelings for him. I thought after eating it, he will divorce me and I will return to my father’s house,” Wasilat narrated. Expectedly, Wasilat’s travail has generated a lot of dust since the incidence, and questions from lips are; for how long would people hide under primitive tradition and religion doctrines to perpetuate injustice, child molestation and the worse of human right abuse in the twenty-first century to satisfy religion hegemony? It would be recalled, that a Women’s Rights group; Women Empowerment and Legal Aid, WELA, once called on authority for the prosecution of Ahmed Yerima, a former governor of Zamfara and a Senator of the Federal Republic, for marrying a 13-year-old Egyptian girl in 2010.The group had maintained that the marriage violated Section 23 of the Child Rights Act of 2003, which had been domesticated in Abuja, where Mr. Yerima lives. Though, Senator Yerima premised what many described as child abuse on tenets of Islamic religion and what the holy book of Quran said of such marriage to a minnow. But according to WELA, the judicial interpretation of that section goes beyond child marriage. “The section states that “any woman who is married shall be deemed of full age, is deemed to be an adult and can, therefore, be presumed to have criminal liabilities, therefore, be entitled to vote and be voted for in an election, she has the right to own property.“WELA urged theNigerian Senate to delete Section 29 (4) (b) from the 1999 Constitution. Consequently, many Nigerians have accused authorities in Nigerian of hypocrisy and lacks in the will to step on toes, even the Nigerian constitution is not spared as culpable in the Wasilat’s saga. The feeler is, if Mr. Yerima, a Nigerian lawmaker had been prosecuted and punished for the act at the time, having resides in the territory where a law against Child marriage is embedded, the Kano incidence would probably not have happened and protagonists of child-marriage in any part of the country would have been cautioned. Miss Ganiat Abdulwahab, an ardent Muslim, who has spent most of her life time in Northern Nigeria shared her view with People’s Daily; though flabbergasted at the measure adopted by Wasilat in protesting her maltreatment, but was quick to condemn the spate of child marriage as deep-rooted in some part of Northern Nigeria. She contended that those still found culpable of marrying out children at tender age are the Muslims who tend to stick to old way of life. Ganiat expatiate on the portion of the doctrine of Islamic that allows for teenage marriage: “Though, the maturity age as stipulated by Holy Quran is only when a girl assume maturity stage of menstruation, the question then lied in the hands of the girl’s parents to really determined her true maturity stage.” “But most time, this privilege has been abused by poverty ridden parents who extort money from desperate suitors at tender age of their girl-child.” “The consequence effects of such act are problems associated with terminal diseases due to early and forceful marriage of female children, which is today rampant in the northern part of Nigeria where I grew up.” Ganiat laments. Ganiat therefore call on Islamic leaders to brace up in challenging the trend she described as evil under the pretext of Islamic principles and norm. She drew her point from the counterproductive tendencies associated with the practice. “I will also call on authorities to treat the Wasilat’s case as one among many innocent Nigerian girl-child, who though lacks courage of the poor Wasilat but have become prisoners of their own fate in the hands of indolent parents who trade in the destiny of female child to water their frustrated lives.” She bemoaned. Mrs. Funmilayo Akingboye was a bit religious in her argument; said Wasila’s spiritual identity as well as her psyche should be properly examined to determine her state of mind. Though, she did not rule out the fact that the undue punishment melted out to the girl by her father may have contributed: “We are talking about a girl-child attempt on lives of fourteen human beings altogether. In fact, beyond interrogation of that girl as read in the news, the girl should undergo necessary medical checks to ascertain her mindset at the time she committed the crime, even, her spiritual identity needs to be examined where possible.” “And above all, the father of that girl should be quizzed and be a partaker of whatever punishment accrue to the girl under the law. That measure will teach parents good lesson that traverse any religious believe or sentiment. This is because human lives are involved in this matter, and those killed would not have died if such forceful marriage did not occur in the first place.” She opined. She equally beckons on older men who are lustful after young girls and fresh bloods, to desist from what she described as child abuse. “Most time, the acts of lustfulness after young girls by some of these older men are simply for diabolical end, which unsuspecting and desperate parents might not be sensitive about. But Wasilat’s case is a pure case of child molestation in the hands of older men of fifties. I think there should be a stringent law to correct the menace in the land, otherwise, what Wasilat started is just an eye opener to other neophyte village girls, rather, there would be more ‘Ota pia pia’ in time to come” She opined. Other reactions as culled from social media empathizing with Wasilat are even mind boggling rather than the colossal crime she has committed. Hear them: “Please they should set this girl free joo. I am not in support of evil or murder but I have a strong feeling that this child must have seen pepper from her late husband for her to have poisoned him. Could be that she was a virgin and she felt she has been defiled or probably her late husband was a sex maniac or abusive in one way or another, She just felt her way to freedom was to kill the man.” Jude. “Why are they keeping her in prison? If they must charge her, then they should arrest her father for forcing the girl into marriage at that age.” Anonymous. “I hope Right groups will back her up. She just had to free herself” Henshaw. In fact, this girl's life is almost finished because this event will change her life forever. No thanks to her greedy parents who should be charged alongside with the girl, rubbish.Sunshine Be it as it may, pressing questions demanding answer are; can Wasilat, being a juvenile get punished under the law she understood nothing about?Or can the truism ‘no ignorant before the law’ be applied to hang a14 years old to death on ground that lower court lacks jurisdiction to entertain such case?This unarguably, is what many pundits consider a constitutional default which urgently requires amendment. Moreover, our investigation reveals that Wasilat Tasiu’s lawyers had been served the Charge sheet; but commenting on the development, Chairperson, Kano State chapter, Federation of Women Lawyers, Hajiya Hussaina Aliyu, confirmed the receipt of the legal documents against Wasilat Tasiu, but assured the media that: “Competent hands have been assigned to handle the case”; how far such effort goes in such an homicide case before a competent court of jurisdiction, only time could tell; and where the baby bride is condemned to death, may be the saving grace for the teen bride lies in the Prerogative of Mercy of Mr. President, the first of its kind in the Nigerian History so to speak. However, some school if taught have posited that should a child of 13-15 years of age, who is yet to understand who she is, is forced or talked into marriage on account of breasts condition or menstruating status, some analysts believes slavery is here again, sayingservitude and involuntary in whatever form it appears cannot and should not be encouraged now or in the nearest future; girl-child education should be encouraged not her assault. No to girl-child marriage! No to prostitution! No to Rape!

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About 800 companies have expressed interest for management of 176 gas flare sites in the country.

This was revealed to newsmen in Abuja on Thursday by Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr Ibe Kachikwu. adsbygoogle || []).push({});

Kachikwu said that government in a frantic bid to stop gas flaring in the country by the year 2020, had received bids of 226 bidders that paid the stipulated fees out of the 800 companies that expressed interest in managing the sites.

“Over 800 companies have expressed interest to manage about 176 gas flare sites and out of the total companies, about 226 have paid the stipulated fees and their bids had been received,” he said.

“Premised on the foregoing, the policy position of His Excellency, President Muhammad Buhari, is that gas flaring is totally unacceptable.

“In this regard, the Federal Government of Nigeria, initiated a number of actions to reaffirm its commitment to ending the practice of gas flaring in our oil fields.

“Furthermore, in recognition that flared gas could be harnessed to stimulate economic growth, drive investments and provide jobs in oil producing communities and indeed for Nigerians through the utilisation of widely available innovative technologies.

“The Federal Executive Council in June 2016, approved the Nigerian Gas Flare Commercialisation Programme, NGFCP,” he said.

“We must stop gas flare and other hazards associated with gas flaring in Nigeria. We must also ensure that oil and gas production do not become harmful to our citizens,” he added.

“The policy objective is to move to market-led wholesale gas pricing without gas price regulation, except where there are natural monopolies,” Kachikwu noted.

The government was working hard, 10 years ahead of the United Nation’s UN deadline to stop gas flaring in the country by the year 2020.

(NAN)

Energy and Power

NISO Launches New Control Centre Project To Modernise Nigeria’s Power Grid

Published

3 days ago

October 1, 2026

Abdulrahman Obaje

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The Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) has commenced construction of a new ultra-modern National Control Centre in Osogbo, Osun State, in a major infrastructure upgrade aimed at improving the monitoring, security and management of Nigeria’s electricity grid. adsbygoogle || []).push({});

The groundbreaking ceremony, held on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, brought together key stakeholders in the power sector and marked a new phase in efforts to equip Nigeria’s national grid with modern operational infrastructure.

Performing the groundbreaking on behalf of Vice President Kashim Shettima, his Senior Special Assistant on Legal and Compliance Matters, Alhaji Bashir Maidugu, said the project underscored the Federal Government’s commitment to investing in critical infrastructure under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.

Maidugu said reliable electricity infrastructure remained critical to economic and social development, adding that the new centre would help create a more conducive operating environment for businesses and improve conditions for citizens.

The Minister of Power, Chief Joseph Tegbe, said the construction was particularly significant because the existing National Control Centre had been serving the country for about 60 years.

He said the age of the facility, coupled with the growing complexity of Nigeria’s power system, had made the development of a modern control centre necessary.

Tegbe urged stakeholders across the electricity sector to deepen collaboration with NISO, stressing that effective system operation would require sustained institutional and technical support.

The Chairman of the NISO Board of Directors, Dr Adesegun A. Akin-Olugbade, said the project represented an important step in giving practical effect to the institutional reforms introduced by the Electricity Act 2023.

According to him, NISO’s core functions of Market Administration, System Operation and System Planning demand modern technology, robust governance and highly skilled technical personnel.

He said the new facility would provide the infrastructure required for NISO to effectively discharge these responsibilities and respond to the changing demands of the electricity market.

Also speaking, NISO’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Engr. Abdu Bello Mohammed, FNSE, described the project as the beginning of a new era for electricity grid operations in Nigeria.

Mohammed said the increasing complexity of the national grid had made investment in technology, reliable data and professional expertise essential.

“As Nigeria’s electricity grid grows increasingly complex, we require modern technology, reliable data and skilled professionals to operate it effectively,” he said.

He explained that the new National Control Centre would significantly improve grid visibility, enhance real-time monitoring and strengthen system security.

According to him, the facility would also enable NISO operators to detect and respond to system events more quickly and accurately, thereby strengthening the overall coordination of the national grid.

The new centre is being designed as a modern operational hub capable of providing the technological environment required for world-class system operation.

Its development is expected to enhance NISO’s capacity to monitor the national grid in real time and support more efficient planning and management of Nigeria’s electricity system as demand and grid complexity continue to increase.

Energy and Power

KERC Hails Establishment of Special Court to Tackle Electricity Theft

Published

12 months ago

October 9, 2025

Abdulrahman Obaje

Deputy Senate President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Ike Ekweremadu

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From Joseph Amedu, Lokoja

The Chairman of the Kogi State Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC), Engr. Ibrahim Abdwaaris, has praised the establishment of Special Court to tackle electricity theft across the state.

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Abdwaaris stressed the need for collaboration with relevant agencies in combating electricity theft and related offenses in the state.

The KERC Boss gave the commendation while speaking at a town hall meeting organized by the Kogi Electricity Distribution Limited (KEDL) at Edge Drive Hotels in Lokoja on Thursday.

Abdwaaris described the sensitization of customers and stakeholders on the new legal framework established by the Kogi State Government as a welcome development.

The framework according to him, includes, the establishment of an Electricity Theft Task Force and a Special Court to protect investments in the emerging state electricity market.

He urged Kogi Electricity Distribution limited to work closely with the Task Force and the Special Court to ensure the initiative’s effectiveness.

While emphasizing the need to tackle electricity theft, the KERC Chairman/CEO cautioned against unwholesome market practices that undermine customer trust and confidence.

He reiterated the Commission’s commitment to protecting customer rights and ensuring fairness, accountability, and balance between investor interests and consumer needs.

He called on stakeholders, including KEDL, customers, community leaders, and government agencies, to join forces in building a transparent, efficient, and sustainable electricity market in Kogi State.

By working together, the KERC Chairman/CEO said, they can eradicate electricity theft, protect investments, and improve electricity services for the benefit of the state’s citizens and economic development.

In his welcome address the Managing Director of Kogi Electricity Distribution Limited KEDL), Engr Olaseni Agunpopo disclosed that Kogi State Government, through the State’s Electricity RegulatoryCommission (KERC), has taken a bold and commendable step with the establishment of a Special Task Force on Energy Theft and Related Offences.

According to him “This initiative underscores the Commission’s unwavering commitment to sanitizing the electricity sector, promoting transparency, and safeguarding the integrity of power distribution across the State.

“By creating this Task Force, the Commission has demonstrated proactive leadership and a deep understanding of the critical role electricity plays in economic growth and social development. The Task Force will serve as a coordinated mechanism to identify, investigate, and prosecute cases of energy theft and related offences. It will also work closely with security agencies, the

“This decisive move not only reflects the Commission’s desire to protect the investments made by KEDL but also reinforces its commitment to ensuring that law-abiding customers are not unfairly penalized by the actions of a few who engage in theft and sabotage. Ultimately, it lays the foundation for a more efficient, reliable, and equitable electricity distribution system that will benefit all residents of Kogi State”

The objectives of this initiative he said would go a long way in protecting honest customers who dutifully pay their bills, promoting fairness, discipline, and accountability in electricity usage, and improving service delivery by channelling saved resources into infrastructure and customer satisfaction.

“However, this fight is not for KEDL or the Regulator alone. It requires the collaboration of all stakeholders — government, communities, traditional leaders, security agencies, and every citizen who values progress and integrity. Together, we must send a clear and unified message: energy theft is a crime, and it will no longer be tolerated” he emphasized

Business and Economy

FG, Afreximbank Assess Nigeria’s Readiness for Africa Energy Bank Commencement

Published

2 years ago

February 13, 2025

Abdulrahman Obaje

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Ahead of the commencement of operations of the Africa Energy Bank (AEB) in Abuja, the Federal Government and the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) teams have assessed the country’s readiness to host the bank.

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A statement issued on Thursday by Nneamaka Okafor, Special Adviser, Media and Communications to Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), stated that the assessment followed the visit of Dr. Benedict Oramah, President, African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank).

According to the statement, the visit/assessment was in furtherance of ongoing engagements towards the commencement of operations by the Africa Energy Bank, a landmark initiative expected to transform the continent’s energy landscape.

“The establishment of the bank is a collaborative move between Afreximbank and the African Petroleum Producers Organisation (APPO), which will see the bank take off with an asset base of five billion dollars.

“It is projected to grow to 120 billion dollars in five years’ time, marking a significant milestone in Africa’s quest for energy security and sustainability.

“Afreximbank, as a key partner, is transferring her full equity investment in the oil and gas sector, underscoring its commitment to driving energy infrastructure development across the continent.”

Okafor quoted Lokpobiri as reiterating during the meeting, Nigeria’s strong support for the AEB and its pivotal role in unlocking Africa’s energy potential.

He called on industry stakeholders to engage proactively and explore the vast opportunities this initiative presents.

“The bank represents a bold step in ensuring that Africa controls and finances its energy future. It is an avenue for stakeholders to invest in a self-sustaining energy sector that will drive industrialisation, job creation and economic prosperity.

“Nigeria, as a leading oil and gas producer, is well-positioned to leverage this transformative initiative. We encourage industry players to seize this opportunity to invest in Africa’s energy future,” the statement quoted Lokpobiri as saying.

Following the discussions, the minister and Afreximbank president proceeded to the AEB Headquarters for an inspection to assess the level of readiness ahead of the commencement of operations.

The visit provided first hand insights into the bank’s operational preparedness and strategic alignment with Africa’s broader energy development goals.

Speaking on the significance of the AEB, The Afreximbank President, Oramah, emphasised the bank’s role in bridging Africa’s energy financing gap.

According to him, the establishment of the AEB is a game-changer for the continent.
He commended Nigeria for taking the bull by the horn in hosting the AEB headquarters and expressed confidence in Nigeria’s oil and gas portfolio, as it would not only benefit the sector, but would guarantee immediate benefit for Nigeria.

The bank was initially scheduled to commence operations January this year. (NAN)