Nigerian press zooms in on zero gas flare achieved by NNPCL/Total Energies joint venture, others

APA – Lagos (Nigeria)
The report that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited/TotalEnergies joint venture has achieved zero routine gas flare in all its assets is one of the trending stories in Nigerian newspapers on Friday.
The Punch reports that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited/TotalEnergies joint venture has achieved zero routine gas flare in all its assets, the NNPCL announced on Thursday.
It said the achievement was in pursuit of meeting the targets of 20 per cent (unconditional) and 47 per cent (conditional) greenhouse gas emission reduction as contained in the Nationally Determined Contribution under the Paris Accord signed by the President Bola Tinubu administration
This feat was announced on Thursday during an inspection tour of OML 100 in South-eastern Niger Delta, off Port Harcourt, by a joint NNPC Ltd and TotalEnergies team to ascertain the success of the OML flare reduction project launched in December 2023,” NNPCL stated in a statement issued in Abuja by its spokesperson, Olufemi Soneye.
It added, “The NNPC Ltd/TotalEnergies joint venture, which is the concession holder of four leases, had hitherto achieved zero routine flaring across OML 99 (2006), OML 102 (2014), and OML 58 (2016), leaving OML 100 as the only lease with routine flaring going on.
“The significance of this achievement is that the last routine flare volume of about 12MMscf/d (12 million standard cubic feet per day) of gas has now been eliminated giving rise to a greenhouse gas emissions reduction of about 341KtCO2e/yr.”
The national oil company said the achievement was an outcome of a programme introduced by the NNPCL to galvanise action towards achieving the zero routine flare by 2030 across its portfolio of assets.
The newspaper says that economists have linked the nation’s rising inflation to the continued depreciation of the naira and high fuel prices.
They spoke as the country’s inflation hit 29.90 percent for January 2024.
The new data from the National Bureau of Statistics on Thursday showed that Nigeria’s inflation rate climbed to 29.90 percent in January 2024 from 28.92 percent recorded in the previous month
January’s inflation rate of 0.98 percent increase reflects that the inflation rate in the country is yet to slow down, puncturing projections by the Central Bank Governor, Yemi Cardoso, to reduce inflationary pressure this year.
According to its Consumer Price Index and inflation report, major contributors to inflation were food and non-alcoholic beverages (15.49 percent), housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuel (5.00 percent).
Others include clothing and footwear (2.29 percent), transport (1.95 percent), furnishings and household equipment and maintenance (1.50 percent), education (1.18 percent), and health (0.90 percent).
The CPI measures the average change over time in the prices of goods and services consumed by people for day-to-day living.
The development further adds pressure on the Central Bank’s monetary policy committee to sharply raise interest rates at a February 26-27 meeting — its first in seven months.
The Vanguard newspaper reports that President Bola Tinubu and state governors, yesterday, agreed to establish state police in the country as part of measures to check the rising wave of insecurity in the country.
This was one of the six high points of an emergency meeting summoned by the President at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa, Abuja, yesterday, in view of economic hardship in the country and upsurge of insecurity in different parts of the country.
The emergency meeting also had in attendance Vice President Kashim Shettima, and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja, Nyesom Wike.
Specifically, President Tinubu approved the establishment of a committee comprising state governors and representatives of the Federal Government to, among other things, explore modalities for establishing state police.
The President and the state governors also discussed the possibility of improving the numerical strength of forest rangers to train them so that they can keep our forests and borders very safe.
Following a spike in insecurity across the country, there have been calls by some stakeholders and ethnic nationalities groups for establishment of state police as was practiced in the First Republic before it was abolished by the Military.
Currently, many states have vigilante groups and the South-West zone has Amotekun The President also directed security chiefs especially the National Security Adviser, NSA, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu; Director-General of the Department of State Service, DSS, Yusuf Bichi; and the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, to crack down on those hoarding food commodities and bring them to book.
The newspaper says that the Chairman of Ikoyi-Obalende Local Council Development Area (LCDA) in Lagos, Mr Fuad Atanda-Lawal, has approved 100 per cent pay rise for the medical doctors attached to all the primary health centres in the council area.
Atanda-Lawal made the announcement on Thursday after extensive deliberations on the need to ensure that all residents of the council area had access to comprehensive, quality and affordable health care.
He said that the increment would take effect from February 2024.
According to the council boss, the decision follows the need to address the brain drain currently being experienced in the nation’s health sector and the current rise in inflation.
Atanda-Lawal reiterated his belief that Nigeria was blessed with doctors who could compete with their peers globally, if given the necessary incentives.
This, he said, would serve as a catalyst for their sustained commitment to the country.
“This is coming on the heels of the commencement of the construction of a state-of-the-art primary health centre that will cater for a larger number of people in the community.
“I want to reiterate the council’s commitment to supporting the efforts of our esteemed president, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and Mr Governor Babajide Sanwolu in delivering quality and affordable healthcare to all citizens.
“We believe that by investing in our healthcare professionals, we are taking a step towards achieving this goal,” the chairman said.
GIK/APA