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PIA will drive transformation of Nigeria’s energy sector — Osinbajo

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Vice President Yemi Osinbajo
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo
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Vice President Yemi Osinbajo says the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), as well as Nigeria’s gas initiatives, will help transform Nigeria into a gas-based industrialised nation.

The vice president said the PIA would also create a better-managed petroleum industry with more value addition for both investors and Nigerians alike.

Osinbajo’s Spokesman, Laolu Akande, in a statement on Monday in Abuja, said the vice president spoke at  a virtual event to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Sahara (Energy) Group.

President Muhammadu Buhari, on Aug. 16, signed the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) 2021 into law.

Buhari had also approved a steering committee to oversee the process of implementation of PIA.

The gas initiatives of the Federal Government include the drive to encourage investments in gas production and optimize the nation’s enormous gas potential.

“Locally, we launch into the brave new world for the oil and gas industry with the PIA 2021.

“And this happily converges with the launch of the Year 2020 to 2030 as the ‘Decade of Gas Development for Nigeria’; this is a follow-up to the highly successful initiative of the Year 2020 as the Year of Gas.”

The vice president said that in Nov. 2020, the National Gas Expansion Programme was launched, which focused on the distribution of Compressed Natural Gas and Liquefied Petroleum Gas across gas stations operated by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

Osinbajo said that the main goal of the passage of the PIB and the gas initiatives aforementioned was to transform Nigeria into a gas-based industrialised nation through enhanced accelerated gas revolution

He said it was also to help create a better-managed petroleum industry where both the people of Nigeria and investors alike can extract value.

According to the vice president, the next 25 years will be defining for the energy industry.

Osinbajo commended Sahara Group for being a great ambassador for the Nigerian entrepreneurial brand.

“The group has demonstrated bold, innovative, knowledge-driven business models that are designed to seize opportunities in other countries and have done so with remarkable success in many African countries.

“Already the wealthier nations and their institutions have banned all public investments in certain fossil projects, including natural gas.

“Examples include the EU, the UK, Germany and Denmark, as well as specific institutions such as the Swedfund from Sweden, Norway’s Sovereign Wealth Fund, the largest in the world, CDC, the development finance institution from the UK, the European Investment Bank, and the Investment Fund for Developing Countries from Denmark.

“The World Bank and other multilateral development banks are being urged by their shareholders to do the same.

“The AfDB is increasingly unable to support large natural gas projects in the face of shareholder pressure from their European members.

“Barely two weeks ago, the UN Secretary-General made a strong call, that ‘Countries should end all new fossil fuel exploration and production, and shift fossil fuel subsidies into renewable energy.”

The vice president disclosed that the Federal Government was building coalitions with other affected countries to urge a just transition as Nigeria advanced to zero transmission,

“I will urge indigenous energy companies such as your group to join in the urgent advocacy that is required to prevent the disaster that would result from defunding oil and gas projects,” he said.

Osinbajo said that the last two decades had brought significant growth of Nigerian oil companies.

He congratulated the Sahara Team for its 25 years of achievements in the energy industry and wished it more remarkable 25 years ahead.

Osinbajo urged the group and other indigenous energy companies to take advantage of the opportunities offered by the African Continental Free Trade Agreements.

Other speakers at the event included the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mr Felix Tshisekedi, and President of the African Development Bank, Dr Akinwumi Adesina.

The Director-General of Bureau of Public Enterprises, Mr Alex Okoh, and other top government officials attended the event.(NAN)

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TINUBU: SECURITY, JOB CREATION, POVERTY REDUCTION TOP PRIORITIES OF 2024 BUDGET

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Asiwaju Bola Tinubu
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu
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President Bola Tinubu says Nigeria’s national defence and internal security, local job creation, macro-economic stability, investment environment optimization, human capital development, poverty reduction, and social security are some of the top priorities of the 2024 Budget of Renewed Hope.

Addressing a joint session of the National Assembly on the 2024 Federal budget proposal on Wednesday in Abuja, President Tinubu said the nation’s internal security architecture will be overhauled to enhance law enforcement capabilities with a view to safeguarding lives, property, and investments across the country.

He said the proposed budget prioritizes human capital development, with particular attention given to children, because human capital remains the most critical resource for national development.

“To improve the effectiveness of our budget performance, the government will focus on ensuring value for money, greater transparency, and accountability. In this regard, we will work more closely with development partners and the private sector.

“To address long-standing issues in the education sector, a more sustainable model of funding tertiary education will be implemented, including the Student Loan Scheme scheduled to become operational by January 2024,” the President affirmed.

Speaking on the economy, President Tinubu said a stable macro-economic environment is crucial in his administration’s bid to catalyze private investment and accelerate economic growth; hence, his government shall continue to implement business and investment friendly measures for sustainable growth.

“We expect the economy to grow by a minimum of 3.76 percent, above the forecasted world average. Inflation is expected to moderate to 21.4 percent in 2024. In preparing the 2024 Budget, our primary objective has been to sustain our robust foundation for sustainable economic development. A critical focus of this budget and the medium-term expenditure framework is Nigeria’s commitment to a greener future.

“Emphasizing public-private partnerships, we have strategically made provisions to leverage private capital for big-ticket infrastructure projects in energy, transportation, and other sectors. This marks a critical step towards diversifying our energy mix, enhancing efficiency, and fostering the development of renewable energy sources. By allocating resources to support innovative and environmentally conscious initiatives, we aim to position Nigeria as a regional leader in the global movement towards clean and sustainable energy.

“As we approach the COP28 climate summit, a pivotal moment for global climate action, I have directed relevant government agencies to diligently work towards securing substantial funding commitments that will bolster Nigeria’s energy transition. It is imperative that we seize this opportunity to attract international partnerships and investments that align with our national goals. I call upon our representatives to engage proactively to showcase the strides we have made in the quest to create an enabling environment for sustainable energy projects.

“Together, we will strive for Nigeria to emerge from COP28 with tangible commitments, reinforcing our dedication to a future where energy is not only a catalyst for development but also a driver of environmental stewardship,” he said.

The President said a conservative oil price benchmark of 77.96 U.S. Dollars per barrel and a daily oil production estimate of 1.78 million barrels per day were adopted after a careful review of global oil market trends, and that a Naira to U.S. Dollar exchange rate of 750 naira per U.S. Dollar was adopted for 2024 as well.

Giving a breakdown of the 2024 Appropriation Bill, the President said: “Accordingly, an aggregate expenditure of 27.5 trillion naira is proposed for the Federal Government in 2024, of which the non-debt recurrent expenditure is 9.92 trillion naira while debt service is projected to be 8.25 trillion naira and capital expenditure is 8.7 trillion naira. Nigeria remains committed to meeting its debt obligations. Projected debt service is 45% of the expected total revenue.

“The budget deficit is projected at 9.18 trillion naira in 2024 or 3.88 percent of GDP. This is lower than the 13.78 trillion naira deficit recorded in 2023, which represented 6.11 percent of GDP. The deficit will be financed by new borrowings totaling 7.83 trillion naira, 298.49 billion naira from Privatization Proceeds, and 1.05 trillion naira draw down on multilateral and bilateral loans secured for specific development projects.”

President Tinubu said his administration remains committed to broad-based and shared economic prosperity, adding: “We are reviewing social investment programmes to enhance their implementation and effectiveness. In particular, the National Social Safety Net project will be expanded to provide targeted cash transfers to poor and vulnerable households.”

He also said efforts will be made to further contain financial leakages through the effective implementation of key public financial management reforms.

The President commended the patriotic resolve of the 10th National Assembly to collaborate with the Executive on the mission to renew the hope of Nigerians and deliver on the promises made to Africa’s largest population.

“As you consider the 2024 Budget estimates, we trust that the legislative review process will be conducted with a view to sustaining our desired return to a predictable January-December fiscal year. I have no doubt that you will be guided by the interest of all Nigerians. We must ensure that only projects and programs with equitable benefits are allowed into the 2024 Budget. Additionally, only projects and programs that are in line with the sectoral mandates of MDAs and those which are capable of realizing the vision of our administration should be included in the budget,” the President declared.

 

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Tinubu Retains Kyari As NNPCL GCEO, Appoints Akinyelure As Board Chairman

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Kyari (left) and President Tinubu
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President Bola has appointed Pius Akinyelure as the Non-Executive Board Chairman of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and also retained Mele Kyari as the organisation’s Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO).

A Monday statement by Tinubu’s spokesman Ajuri Ngelale said the duo is part of the new board and management of the NNPCL.

Their appointment, which is in compliance with Section 59 (2) of the Petroleum Industry Act, 2021, takes effect from December 1, 2023, he said.

Apart from Kyari and Akinyelure, other members and board of the management include: Alhaji Umar Isa Ajiya — Chief Financial Officer; Mr. Ledum Mitee — Non-Executive Director; Mr. Musa Tumsa — Non-Executive Director; Mr. Ghali Muhammad — Non-Executive Director; Prof. Mustapha Aliyu — Non-Executive Director; Mr. David Ogbodo — Non-Executive Director and Ms. Eunice Thomas — Non-Executive Director.

Tinubu also approved the appointment of two permanent secretaries for the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.

While Mr. Okokon Ekanem Udo was nominated as the former’s permanent secretary, Amb. Gabriel Aduda is for the latter.

“President Tinubu anticipates the fullest measure of compliance with the performance-driven and results-oriented mandate of his Renewed Hope administration in the implementation of energy policy that will monetize all available oil and gas resources of today while paving the way for the total exploitation of new and cleaner energy sources of tomorrow by this distinguished team,” Ajuri said.

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FEC Approves N27.5tn As 2024 Budget

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FEC Meeting at the Presidential Villa Abuja
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***Reviews Medium-Term Expenditure Framework,

The Federal Executive Council (FEC), on Monday, approved a 2024 budget of N27.5 trillion.

This followed the review of the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework earlier passed by the National Assembly which benchmarked the exchange rate at N700 to $1 and crude oil price at $73.96 cent per barrel.

Briefing State House Correspondents shortly after the FEC meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Abubakar Bagudu, said it revised the MTEF and the Fiscal Policy to use an exchange rate of N750 to $1 and also a benchmark crude oil reference price of $77.96 per barrel.

According to Bagudu, the FEC also approved an Appropriation Bill for 2024 with an aggregate expenditure of N27.5 trillion, an increase of over N1.5 trillion from the previous estimate.

He also noted that using the old reference prices, the forecast revenue is now N18.2 trillion which is higher than the 2023 revenue, including that provided in the two supplementary budgets, in which the deficit is lower than that of 2023.

Meanwhile, the FEC was briefed by the Fiscal Policy and Tax Reform Committee on its workings for roughly 90 days.

Addressing journalists, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, said the committee had proposed the removal of VAT on diesel and is looking to increase the ratio of tax revenue to GDP to 18 percent, which is the average for Africa.

He also gave an update on the $100 million financing from the African Development Bank (AfDB) and $15 million from the Canada African Development Bank Climate Fund (CACF) inherited from the previous administration.

According to him, it is a concessional borrowing of around 4.2 percent per annum by Abia state through the federal government.

He said the funds are for waste management and rehabilitation of roads in Abia State.

Furthermore, Edun said the African Development Bank approved $1 billion concessional financing for Nigeria with a moratorium of eight years, at about 4.2 percent per annum, in recognition of the economic measures that have been taken and the swift movement towards macro stability.

He said the loan to be paid in 25 years at 4.2 percent per annum, has a moratorium of eight years

He said the AfDB, a concessional financing organisation, is to provide $1 billion in general budget support.

“The Federal Executive Council has also approved a total limit of N2 trillion to be available for use by the Ministry of Finance in order to go in and out of the market and essentially to, where possible, bring down the rate of interest on the current outstanding,” Edun explained.

“The view is that there will be an opportunity to save about 50 billion naira or more in debt servicing over time by giving back expensive debt refinancing it with cheaper funding.”

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