The NAFDAC Head of Investigation and Enforcement, Federal Taskforce, Embugushiki-Musa Godiya, also said the agency would work to ensure that fake cosmetics and other counterfeit products were completely wiped out of the country.
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UNIDO, Shell, TotalEnergies endorse clean energy investments
Stakeholders at the Nigeria Oil and Gas (NOG) Conference and Exhibition have called for an equitable energy mix to enhance transition in consideration of Green Hydrogen investment and Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Technology.
The stakeholders made this known during a panel session tagged “ Candid Conversation: Defining the Journey to Equitable Energy Mix for Nigeria’’ at the on-going NOG Energy Week.
Newsmen reports that the 2023 Energy Week, which is the 22nd edition of the annual event, has as theme: “Powering Nigeria’s Sustainable Energy Future”.
Reporters reports that CCS technology has been considered as an important methodology to reduce Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions and as key to help in tackling global warming.
The global demand for Green Hydrogen, which is a cleaner and alternative low carbon energy, is anticipated to increase by 700 per cent by 2050.
The session however explored cleaner energy options that can be utilised by the manufacturing sector in meeting Nigeria’s energy supply needs and steps to unlock investment opportunities for alternative energy sources.
Speaking, Abimbola Wycliffe, Head of Investment and Technology Promotion Office in Nigeria of the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) said from the UN perspective, energy transition was seen as an opportunity for industrialisation not a task.
Wycliffe said Nigeria could make the energy transition to work by embracing technologies such as CCS and utilisation.
“If the UN has been pushing the narratives of energy sustainability and low carbon emission future, why can’t we then push for top leadership in the sector to toll the light in achieving decarbonisation?
“It cannot be overemphasised that energy transition for a period of 15 to 20 years is inevitable. This is our reality but we can make it work by embracing the technologies such as carbon capture, storage and utilisation.
“If we do not start to talk about hydrogen, there will not be an opportunity to key into the technology when it is scaling in other climes.
“It is very good for Nigeria to embrace the narratives around Hydrogen because the more we scale renewables the more viable green hydrogen will be for us in our energy mix,’’ she said.
She urged the International and Indigenous Oil Companies to adopt or have a discussion with UNIDO, which had some key programmes targeted at accelerating clean tech, addressing energy transmission as well as empowering youths.
She said though there was an energy transition plan, Nigeria needed to articulate a narrative in terms of strategies for attracting and retaining green funding to see maturation towards a new world of low emission, industrialisation and empowerment.
“We gather to discuss oil, gas and economy but how to balance the industry is missing in the conversation.
There is a need to start to align our visions for energy and industrialisation and integration plans on how to advance.
“The incorporation of clean innovation technology is the responsibility of everyone now and has become the focus for UNIDO, especially getting women and youths involved,’’ she said.
She said democratising the knowledge on renewables by removing the barriers to knowledge sharing and technological transfer was one of the things UNIDO had been driving in and across Africa.
She said it also focused on improving global access to components and raw materials because energy transition would be powered by long duration energy storage hence battery solutions were paramount.
“It will be good for a forum like this to discuss how to expand and diversify our manufacturing capacity not only for export but also for internal consumption and domestic utilisation because we have the minerals.
“We have to level the playing ground for renewable energies technology by reforming our domestic policies.
The Electricity Act of 2023 has excited a whole lot of people working in the sustainable energy space.
“We are hoping that the implementation of the act will deliver on our carbon future,’’ she said.
She further underscored the need to shift energy subsidies from fossil fuel to renewables especially now that there were no more subsidies on petroleum products.
Also speaking, Mr Johnbosco Uche, Energy Transition Business Opportunity Manager of Shell Nigeria said it could be difficult to get to absolute zero emission while decarbonising the upstream due to flaring which it had tackled in its new projects.
“Therefore, he said carbon offset in reducing carbon emission became credible especially nature-based solutions which could take about 15 to 20 years and any country that would like to use such a solution in future should start now.
“The same comes into CCS technology as well, for an average carbon capture storage and utilisation project, it takes about five to seven years from conception to execution.
“Therefore, should we in Nigeria wait till we are ready? We have to prepare ahead of time and CCS is one of the technologies we have to deploy to decarbonise.
“It is evolving, and capital intensive,’’ he said.
Uche explained that there was a CCS pilot project running in Nigeria being funded by the World Bank which started through the office of the former Vice President, adding that they had been collaborating with the industry.
He said before the end of 2023, they would be able to turn out a report on the project.
He said the total emission in Nigeria currently stood at 275 metric tonnes Co2, adding that the contribution for oil and gas was less than 20 per cent.
He said the project would cover industries including cement, fertilisers and petrochemical industries as well as refineries.
He thereby urged the government to support the evolving initiatives of the National Climate Change Council in view of energy transition.
Also, Mr Dabo Alabo, General Manager of Crude Oil and Gas Commercial in TotalEnergies EP Nigeria said the company had always been supporting Nigeria’s economic growth and development and issues bothering climate change, efficient energy mix and low emission.
Alabo said, TotalEnergies being a company committed to delivering energy with less emission, was ready to support the country in the journey towards decarbonising the oil and gas industry.
He said it was committed to CCS technology and nature based solutions, adding that TotalEnergies was always focused on finding solutions that matched the content.
“A lot of our research today on CCS is focused on reservoirs, using them to test the technology and continue to develop and innovate,’’ he said.
He said one of the advantages of Decade of Gas was being able to grow our consumption of natural gas domestically from one Pound Cubic Feet (PCF) to two PCF per day.
“TotalEnegies is committed to helping the direction the country will take in ensuring efficient gas supply and achieving carbon neutrality by 2060.
“We have laudable projects expected to come out in 2026 and 2027 targeted at producing up to 500 million scoff gas into the supply,’’ he said.
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Invoke executive order for state, LG police, Afenifere tells Tinubu
The pan-Yoruba socio-cultural and political organisation, Afenifere, on Saturday, urged President Bola Tinubu to invoke an Executive Order for the establishment of state and local government Police.
Afenifere, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Jare Ajayi,in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, also called for the erection of close-circuit television sets and deployment of modern technology for security purposes in strategic locations to end insecurity.
Ajayi said, “There are indications that Tinubu is desirous of putting an end to this deleterious menace. Towards the end of January this year, he approved the procurement of digital tracking tools to enhance the apprehension of bandits, terrorists and armed robbers.
“On Monday, April 22, this year, he used the occasion of addressing participants at the African Counter-Terrorism Summit which opened on that day in Abuja to assure everyone of his government’s readiness to ensure greater security. Unfortunately, recent happenings have not shown that the President’s desire in this respect is being worked upon.
“President Tinubu should get state and local government police off the ground immediately through the invocation of an Executive Order while the process of amending the Constitution continues.
“Close circuit television sets, deployment of modern technology for security purposes including drones must be effected immediately.”
He explained that the statement was motivated by the recent reports of banditry and kidnapping in Ogun, Edo, Ekiti, Oyo, Kogi, Zamfara and Niger States, respectively which made a research organization declare Nigeria as one of the top nations where kidnap ranks highest globally.
Ajayi noted that Fulani herders and farmers’ clashes kept occurring in Osun, Ondo and Oyo State; Otu, Igbeti and Alaga in the Oke-Ogun area of Oyo State were the latest victims.
The Afenifere spokesperson also said, “In order to end insecurity, enhance people’s welfare and ensure the sustenance of Nigeria as one of the top investment destinations in Africa as desired by the government, there is the urgent need by the Federal Government and security agencies to be more innovative and decisive.”
He lamented that banditry, including armed robbery, kidnapping was still occurring on South-West roads such as Lagos-Ibadan, Ibadan-Ijebu-Ode; Akure-Ilesa-Ibadan; Ore-Ijebu Ode-Lagos, Ikirun-Osogbo-Ilesa; Lokoja-Abuja, Owo-Benin and Ibadan-Iseyin-Saki.
“Latest reports have it that on Monday, May 13 instant, eight cocoa farmers were kidnapped at Marindoti Cocoa Farmers’ settlement in Ovia South-West Local Government Area of Edo State. Three students of Millicent Secondary School in the same area on their way to write their Senior Secondary School Examination, were also kidnapped at the same time.
“A sum of N31 million was reportedly paid to ransom three people who were kidnapped at Longe village on Ibadan-Ijebu-Ode Road last week Sunday. On Thursday, May 16, one Seliat Adeniji (nee Raji) was kidnapped in her Ebedi home in Iseyin, Oyo State. Her guard was killed in the process.
“Hon Bello Hassan representing Zurmi/Shinkafi Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives last Tuesday claimed that terrorists have sacked about 50 communities and abducted over 500 people in his area of Zamfara State as bandits overran Zurmi, the second most populous town in the state killing palace officers as well as policemen.”
To put a serious check on all these, the Afenifere spokesman said that there was an urgent need to dig deep into the roots of the menace and to be decisive in applying the necessary measures.
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NAFDAC shuts cosmetic shops in Lagos, seizes counterfeit products
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has shut three shops and raided others during a clampdown on the sale of unregistered “Dr. Teal’s” brand of cosmetics in Lagos State.
The agency disclosed this in a post on its X handle on Saturday, stating that the action came after a complaint from the trademark holder.
The statement read, “NAFDAC has shut down three cosmetics shops and raided others, targeting the sale of unregistered ‘Dr. Teal’s’ brand cosmetics. This action follows a complaint from the trademark holder regarding potential counterfeit products.
“Two suspected shops along Excellent Line at the Trade Fair Complex were targeted, resulting in sealed shops and invitation letters issued to attendants.”
It added that another development unfolded at Okas Global Link Limited where NAFDAC confiscated over 200 cartons of various Dr. Teal’s products and other unregistered cosmetics, suspecting them to be the source of distribution.
A shop identified as Cubana Stores at Phil Hallmark Plaza was also reported to have been sealed for stocking and selling the moisturising body and bath products of the alleged unregistered Dr. Teal’s brand.
NAFDAC added that according to its regulations, shop owners found guilty of selling unregistered products face penalties of up to ₦5m fine.
It said shop owners were also being questioned as part of ongoing investigations.
In the statement, the agency emphasised the health risks associated with fake cosmetics, stating the potential dangers of using products containing harmful substances.
News
Traders, soldiers clash at Banex Plaza in Abuja
The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has deployed intelligence officers to Banex – an electronics and telecommunications gadgets market, in Abuja following a conflict that ensued between soldiers and some traders on Saturday.
A viral video seen by our correspondent on X on Saturday showed a multitude of civilians overpowering some soldiers during a free-for-all fight at Banex.
The Defence Headquarters, and the spokesperson for the Nigerian Army, Onyema Nwachukwu could not be reached for comments as of press time.
Meanwhile, a trader who simply identified himself as Abdul, told our correspondent on Saturday that the conflict ensued over the sale of a mobile phone.
“There’s a problem at Banex now. Some soldiers came to complain about a phone, and during an argument with the traders, a fight ensued,” Abdul simply revealed.
When contacted over the development, the spokesperson for the FCT Police Command, SP Josephine Adeh said the Commissioner of Police, Benett Igweh has deployed officers of the FCT Intelligence Response Team to the scene of the incident.
“The CP has deployed the Intelligence Response Team to the scene,” Adeh confirmed.
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