Energy
Sustainability, energy transition fundamental to our business – Seplat Energy
Sustainability and energy transition are at the heart of Seplat Energy’s business, and the two remain the cardinal pillars of the company’s strategy.
The Director, New Energy at Seplat Energy, Mr. Effiong Okon said this whilst delivering a keynote titled ‘The Transition Towards Energy Sustainability: Strategies and Tools for Developing Countries’ at the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Nigeria Annual International Conference & Exhibition (NAICE) 2023 held in Lagos.
Okon, who represented the CEO, Seplat Energy, Mr. Roger Brown, also stressed that government had critical roles to play in the development of the energy industry.
‘We are a Nigerian success story, proving to international investors we can succeed and inspiring others to follow our lead. Sustainability and energy transition are the heart of our business, the two main pillars of our strategy. We believe universal access to energy will transform Africa and we are working towards that goal in its largest economy,” he said.
According to Okon, the development of Africa’s energy system offers major opportunities to stimulate the creation of decent jobs that require wide-ranging skills.
“The scale of the African energy opportunity is huge and it is right across the value chain, because the entire value chain must work from end to end to deliver energy to customers. But you can see potential problems if governments don’t create environments that allow success to flourish,” the Seplat Energy director said.
He urged governments to provide the right regulatory and pricing frameworks for energy investments to be attractive, ensure security and reliability of the essential infrastructure, and also ensure governance is strong at all levels, so that international partners have the confidence to invest or partner in other ways.
He added: “So, government should choose private sector partners wisely, based upon their competence to do the job properly and to budget. Thus, governments across Africa must look at the entire value chain and focus on enabling success in each of those areas and making sure they all come together so the system works from end to end.
“The scale of universal access to energy across Africa will take a huge amount of investment and much of this investment will be directed towards the private sector. So, this is the end game for Africa’s governments and companies in the energy sector. We need to deliver universal access to energy both for powering homes and for cooking.
“By doing so we will achieve strong multiplier effects that will drive social and economic development and an improvement in living standards across the continent. This will make a huge difference to Africa. As we do this we need to be mindful of climate change and the need to transition to lower-carbon fuels like natural gas and renewables, and we have to achieve this transition without creating an environmental mess for our children to clear up.”
Energy
Synergy, commitment crucial to clean energy transition, sustainability in Africa — CEO, Egbin Power
As carbon emissions reduction and energy security remain a crucial focus in the global sustainability agenda, shared commitment, synergy and decisive actions are the cornerstone of accelerating the transition to cleaner energy and achieving a sustainable environment.
Having analysed the percentage of global greenhouse emissions attributed to sectors including electricity/heat production, agriculture/forestry and land use, transportation, industry and others, the Chief Executive Officer, Egbin Power, Mokhtar Bounour, charged for synergy and renewed commitment among stakeholders.
He made this known at the maiden edition of Asharami Square, a Sahara Group initiative aimed at amplifying the discourse on sustainability through impactful media advocacy.
While highlighting Egbin Power’s unwavering commitment to reducing carbon emissions and promoting sustainable energy sources, Bounour further stressed the need for deepened engagement and advocacy to further prioritise sustainability.
Bounour outlined Egbin Power’s comprehensive approach to sustainability, which includes an array of pragmatic initiatives such as obsolescence management, asset upgrades, energy efficiency improvement, sustainability and environmental impact management, and fugitive emissions minimization.
These programs are strategically designed to effectively address carbon emissions and promote cleaner energy initiatives.
According to him, Egbin Power drives sustainability through afforestation, adoption and enforcement of ANSI Lighting Design Standards for the Egbin built environment, a gradual switch from Internal Combustion Engines (ICEs) to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and the integration of Electric Vehicles (EVs) into the company’s operations, among other interventions.
“These actions demonstrate Egbin Power’s commitment to thinking globally and acting locally, ensuring that deliberate and impactful steps are taken to promote sustainability and environmental consciousness actively.
“As a responsible organisation Egbin Power is steadfast in its commitment to promoting sustainability.
“Our roadmap and initiatives are designed to align with global sustainable development goals and to ensure that we contribute to a cleaner and more sustainable energy landscape in Africa.
“Our pragmatic initiatives which include obsolescence management, asset upgrades and overhauls, energy efficiency improvement, sustainability and environmental impact management, and fugitive emissions minimization as part of programs designed to address carbon emissions.
“We are committed to treating the environment with the utmost care, knowing well that every activity we engage in – either as an individual or collectively as an organisation has an impact on the ecosystem,” Bounour explained.
By Esther Agbo
NNPC Retail Limited has swiftly responded to allegations circulating on social media regarding coercive practices at one of its filling stations.
A video clip surfaced on social media, X (formerly Twitter) precisely, purportedly showing customers being pressured to purchase lubricants or engine oil in order to obtain Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol. The attendant in the video claimed that this directive originated from NNPC Retail Management.
In a statement issued, NNPC Retail categorically refuted the allegations, asserting that such practices are entirely false and do not align with the company’s Customer Service Charter. According to NNPC Retail, customers visiting any of their filling stations are under no obligation to purchase additional products as a condition for buying petrol.
Managing Director of NNPC Retail Ltd, Mr. Huub Stokman, emphasised the company’s commitment to transparent and quality service delivery.
He stated, “We are dedicated to providing clear, transparent and quality service to all our customers, guaranteeing that their needs are met without any recourse to unnecessary and unscrupulous conditionalities.”
In response to the incident, NNPC Retail Limited has initiated an investigation to ascertain the facts surrounding the video. The company has assured the public that appropriate disciplinary measures will be taken against any individuals found responsible for misconduct.
“The public is hereby advised to disregard the information in its entirety and report any such occurrences to the appropriate authority.
“In the meantime, NNPC Retail Limited has launched an investigation into the unfortunate incident and assures that appropriate disciplinary action will be taken against the culprit (s).”
In line with the Electricity Act 2023, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, issued an order transferring regulatory oversight of the electricity market in Imo to the Imo State Electricity Regulatory Commission.
This was contained in a recent order signed by NERC Chairman Sanusi Garba.
The order shall take effect on July 1, 2024.
The implication is that Imo State will be responsible for the complete regulation of its electricity market.
The order stated: “Section 230 (3) of the Act mandates the commission to develop a transition plan and timeline for the transfer of regulatory oversight of the intrastate electricity market from NERC to ISERC upon receipt of formal notification from the State
“EEDC shall complete the incorporation of EEDC SubCo within 60 days from the effective date of this Order and, EEDC SubCo shall apply for and obtain a licence for the intrastate supply and distribution of electricity from ISERC.
“EEDC shall identify the actual geographic boundaries of Imo State and carve out its network in Imo State as a standalone network with the installation of boundary meters at all border points where the network crosses from Imo State into another state.”
With the development, Imo becomes the fourth state to get electricity regulatory authority after Enugu, Ondo and Ekiti states.
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