The report that Nigeria earned $2.6bn from the non-oil export sector in the first six months of 2022 and the huge losses incurred by Nigerian refineries are some of the leading stories in Nigerian newspapers on Tuesday.
The Punch reports that the Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Export Promotion Council, Dr. Ezra Yakusak, has said Nigeria’s non-oil export sector performance in the first six months of 2022 was $2.6bn.
He expressed the Federal Government’s commitment to initiation of various programmes and projects to stimulate the non-oil export sector of the economy with a view to developing it.
‘NEPC would not relent on its oars to ensure that every segment of the society is carried along in a bid to develop non-oil export in the country,” he said.
The Chief Executive Officer, represented by the Assistant Director, NEPC National Export Office, Olu Ikulajolu, spoke in Ado Ekiti during a two-day Export hand-holding programme organised by NEPC for youth entrepreneurs in Ekiti State.
He urged youths to increase their participation in the Federal Government’s economic diversification agenda for sustainable and inclusive economic growth.
NEPC, he said, had initiated programmes including One State One Product; opened Export Trade House in Egypt, Nairobi and Togo; SHETRADE Desk for Women in Export; and Youth Export Development programme all geared towards facilitating export.
“It will interest you to note that the non-oil export performance in the first half of 2022 was put at about $2.6bn representing increase of 62.37 per cent compared with N1.60bn recorded during the same period in 2012,” Yakusak said.
The newspaper says that the number of workers at Nigeria’s refineries fell by 218 within a year, while the facilities posted a cumulative comprehensive loss of N69.03bn during the review period, data from their financial statements, just released by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, showed.
The NNPC manages Nigeria’s three refineries, which include: the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company, Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company, and Port Harcourt Refining Company.
An analysis of the various financial statements of the three refineries indicated that while KRPC reduced its workforce by 105 workers, WRPC cut down its staff by 113, but there was no mention of staff reduction at PHRC.
The comprehensive loss at KRPC during the period under review was put at N22.89bn, WRPC was N19.63bn, while PHRC posted a loss of N26.51bn. In the annual report/financial statement of Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company for the year ended December 31, 2021, the firm stated that one major area of challenge had been the low operational funding for the company.
The Guardian reports that Ghana-bound vessel, loaded with about 650 cubic metres of stolen crude oil, was destroyed, yesterday, in the creeks. The vessel was arrested with eight crew members and the captain, while stealing crude oil from Escravos-Abiteye trunk line.
According to a maritime intelligence consultant working for Tompolo’s outfit, Tantita Security Services, Capt. Warren Enisuoh, the vessel had been coming into the Niger Delta and loading illegal oil to Ghana, where it is offloaded at Tema ports.
He said: “For quite a while, we have been monitoring the vessel in Nigeria waters. It is has been frequenting the Niger Delta and carrying illegal crude oil to Ghana, precisely, Tema.
“So an ambush was laid for this particular vessel on October 6. What happened was that they came in to load and they brought the ship from Escravos, went up along the creek, where they didn’t know we were waiting. We allowed them to connect the hoses from the Escravos/Abiteye pipeline and from there they started pumping crude into it. They were taken by surprise.
“The line, where they were stealing crude, is a major pipeline that goes to the Chevron terminal.
“The boat had 12 compartments but at the time they were caught, they’ve managed to load five compartments.” He said the vessel was carrying about 650 cubic metres of crude oil, separated into various compartments.
The oil thieves, according to him, couldn’t finish the illegal operation as a result of the arrival of Tantita Security Services belonging to ex-Niger Delta militant, Government Ekpemupolo (a.k.a Tompolo).
He said the eight persons arrested would be handed over to appropriate authorities for prosecution.
The captain of the vessel, who introduced himself as Capt. Temple Manase, said the vessel was hijacked by some people, who forced them to load the crude into the vessel.
The newspaper says that the President of the Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities (ASUU), Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, yesterday, declared: “From what we have seen today, I think for the first time since our action started, we are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.”
He spoke following a meeting with House of Representatives Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, who assured that the industrial dispute between ASUU and the Federal Government will be over in a couple of days.
The leadership of the striking lecturers is expected to sign an agreement to end the dispute based on recommendations the House has presented to President Muhammadu Buhari.
The Speaker assured that Buhari will, today, make a pronouncement towards final resolution of the issue. Gbajabiamila expressed delight over Buhari’s disposition to ensure an end to the nine-month old strike.
He said: “I have visited the President twice. We spoke with Mr. President. There was one of the sticking points, the issue of no-work-no pay. The President did ask to digest the recommendations and would have one more meeting, which we did on Friday after the budget presentation.
“That meeting was even better than the first one we had with him, and Mr. President has agreed to certain things. But I’m not going to talk about that now.
“He will disclose whatever it is tomorrow (today) on that one remaining issue. But beyond that, the other issues have been taken care of.
“We were able to make sure that what ASUU was asking for, in terms of the Revitalisation Fund, in terms of salary, there has been significant improvement.
“Revitalisation has been provided for in the budget. We made sure of that. The salary structure has been looked at, and there’s been an improvement as well and we made sure of that.”
GIK/APA