Gas Grid: NLNG, Geometric Power lead energy transition push - ITREALMS

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Leading figures and industry experts from Nigeria's oil, gas, and power sectors converged in Lagos on Thursday, July 24, at the 4th Oriental News conference, to advocate for a more strategic and efficient utilization of the nation's extensive gas reserves, reports ITREALMS. 

The consensus among the experts was that Nigeria's gas wealth is an indispensable asset for achieving an affordable and sustainable energy transition.

The conference, themed "Integrating Nigeria's Gas Potentials into Strategic Energy Transition Initiatives," featured insightful discussions on navigating the complexities of energy transformation while leveraging Nigeria's unique resources.

Temitope Ogedengbe, Manager, Energy Transition at Nigeria LNG (NLNG), cautioned against a "copy-paste" approach to energy transition, emphasizing the critical need for Nigeria to develop a strategy that genuinely reflects its local realities. 

"Our transition must leverage our unique strengths and resources to grow our economy," Ogedengbe stated, asserting that the country's energy strategy must prioritize economic growth, energy security, and national development.

Ogedengbe highlighted persistent challenges in gas utilization, lamenting that despite Nigeria's vast natural gas resources, a substantial portion is still flared or reinjected due to the absence of viable commercial arrangements.

 "We’re not taking nearly the amount we should be. We are still flaring and reinjecting because there is no commercial arrangement to optimize this; for many reasons," he explained.

He acknowledged the potential of marginal fields but noted their economic production difficulties, while commending the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission’s (NUPRC) Gas Flaring Commercialisation Programme for attempting to address this issue. 

Ogedengbe further pointed out that a significant volume of Nigeria’s gas is still either exported or flared, with domestic utilization and value addition remaining underdeveloped. 

"We are not investing enough, and we are not examining the right approaches," he added.

Discussing the global LNG market, Ogedengbe confirmed that a market still exists for Nigerian LNG, but noted a shifting demand, particularly in Europe, where buyers increasingly favor lower-carbon LNG options. 

He stressed the importance of using operational levers to reduce carbon emissions, attract premium markets, and unlock funding opportunities through reduced taxes and levies. 

NLNG, he revealed, remains central to Nigeria’s gas future, with plans to expand its capacity to 30 million tonnes per annum. As part of its energy transition strategy, NLNG is integrating technologies and processes to reduce emissions and generate carbon credits, employing offsets to reduce emissions both nationally and internationally. 

Ogedengbe concluded by underscoring the necessity of a multi-pronged, well-coordinated approach to decarbonizing the country’s gas sector for long-term viability and global competitiveness.

Gas Shortage and Infrastructure Deficit Hinder Power Sector

Also speaking at the conference, former Minister of Power, Prof. Bart Nnaji, asserted that a chronic shortage of gas supply and significant infrastructure deficits continue to deter investment and impede the growth of Nigeria's power sector. Nnaji projected that gas-fired plants will dominate the country's power generation for the next two decades.

He attributed Nigeria’s persistent gas shortages to insufficient investment in gas infrastructure, calling for enhanced support from both government and the private sector. 

Chairing the event, Nnaji addressed stakeholders across the oil and gas value chain, including key government officials, highlighting the underdeveloped state of the country’s gas sector due to inadequate investment in extraction, transmission, and transportation.

"The focus should not rest solely on government-led efforts; the private sector must also play a vital role," the former minister emphasized. 

He urged the government to act as a true enabler, providing necessary support for infrastructure and gas harvesting, decrying "It’s baffling that with over 210 trillion cubic feet of gas, we still face local shortages. We’re unable to produce sufficient quantities to support operations across the country." 

He noted improvements in operations this year but acknowledged past under-capacity, while also mentioning the ongoing development of a seventh train for gas production.

Nnaji drew a parallel with Nigeria’s historical abandonment of coal mining, reflecting a broader pattern of resource neglect. He reiterated the critical role of gas-fired plants in Nigeria’s power generation, stressing the need for a reliable supply to ensure thermal plants operate effectively. 

He cited Geometric Power Ltd, which he chairs, as one of the companies generating electricity through thermal sources. While acknowledging the role of renewable energy in rural electrification, Nnaji maintained that Nigeria’s baseload power must continue to come from gas or hydro sources, noting the limitations of hydropower that necessitate regional cooperation.

Engr. Chichi Emenike, Acting Managing Director and Gas Asset Manager of Neconde Energy Limited, raised alarm over the detrimental consequences of certain government policies on the ongoing energy transition. 

She stated that unpaid gas supplies, dollarized operations, and policy inconsistencies are actively discouraging investment in the sector.

Emenike revealed that Neconde, for example, has produced and supplied gas to electricity generation companies (GenCos) for nearly two years without payment. 

"This is a serious conundrum, whereas we have sourced funds from somewhere to produce these gas molecules from our facilities. How am I going to pay back?” she questioned.

She further elaborated that Nigeria’s upstream gas production is heavily dollarized, making it costlier and more complex to sustain than crude oil development without a commercially viable framework. 

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"Don’t forget that the gas production industry is highly dollarized, including the requisite inputs. There is no part of the operation, including the technology, that is produced locally. The bulk of it has to be imported in US$," Emenike explained, detailing that drilling a gas well and its associated operations are all dollarized, making it more expensive than a crude oil well.

Addressing systemic issues within the gas-to-power value chain, Engr. Emenike highlighted the substantial cost of transporting over 500 million standard cubic feet (scf) of gas via the NGIC pipeline, estimating it to be over $500 million.

Regarding the financing and investment environment, Emenike called for a pragmatic national energy plan focused on achievable goals rather than lofty ambitions. "Let us start with what is doable; I mean the low-hanging fruit. Let us stop with big numbers. We should tidy up small fields that are struggling to juggle both CAPEX and OPEX," she urged. 

She pressed for urgent clarity on Nigeria’s stance on the energy transition and a realistic approach to funding. "Where do we sit as Nigerians today on this energy transition plan? Where is the money to run the transition?" she queried, warning that gas investors might choose other nations like Mozambique if Nigeria fails to establish a clear strategy.

Emenike further cautioned about the economic risks stemming from policy instability. "Gas economics is such that it must be end-to-end. Even before you draw down the first financing, you have tied that investment to a commercial arrangement," she stated, lamenting that "policy flip-flops and multiplicities of levies and fees" in Nigeria often derail investor's projected returns.

She insisted on regulatory reforms and an end to what she described as "rent-seeking behavior" by government agencies. "We have to deal with the rent-seeking attitude of our regulators to enable investors repatriate their investment financing," she said, criticizing agencies for imposing regulations and then levying fines for non-conformity, even when they create the crisis themselves.

Calling for collaborative efforts, Emenike advocated for infrastructure sharing and coordination within the value chain. "We need to leverage infrastructure to unlock the stranded assets across the country... We need to set the rules of the game," she emphasized, stressing the importance of investor confidence and a market-driven approach. 

"Every investor wants to see a clear line of sight. Market forces should be allowed to play out. The government should not create a monopolistic environment that stifles investment." She strongly advised against government involvement in business, urging them to cease short-term rent-seeking.

Emenike concluded by challenging the Federal Government to adopt an inward-looking, "selfish Nigerian plan" that prioritizes national interests, starting with smaller gas fields. She also urged the government to stop imposing benchmarks on gas for power, allowing market forces to dictate prices, and fostering flexibility and alliances among value chain operators.

5G: NCC, NBC task stakeholders on synergy to optimize potentials - ITREALMS

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Telecommunications services providers and other stakeholders in the country have been charged to exchange ideas that will foster growth and innovation in the industry especially as the nation ushers in the era of proper high speed access to the internet through 5G deployment, reports ITREALMS.

The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (EVC/CEO) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta made this call while delivering the keynote address at the 2022 Nigeria DigitalSENSE Forum series on ‘5G: Enthroning Internet Governance for Digital Economy’ held at Welcome Centre Hotels, International Airport Road, Lagos.

'Internet potentials remain largely untapped' - ITREALMS

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​​The immense potential of the Internet for social and economic good remains largely untapped despite 30 years of steady growth, according to a new report from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies.

Launched to coincide with the opening of ITU's World Telecommunication Development Conference in Kigali, Rwanda, the Global Connectivity Report 2022 argues that while easy, affordable access to fast broadband is near-ubiquitous in most rich-world nations, vast swaths of humanity remain excluded from the immense possibilities offered by the online experience, stunting economic development and deepening global inequalities.

While the number of Internet users surged from a just a few million in the early 1990s to almost five billion today, 2.9 billion people – or around one third of humanity – still remain totally offline, and many hundreds of millions more struggle with expensive, poor-quality access that does little to materially improve their lives.

The report advocates for putting 'universal and meaningful connectivity' – defined as the possibility of a safe, satisfying, enriching, productive, and affordable online experience for everyone – at the centre of global development. It also evaluates how close the world is to achieving that universal and meaningful connectivity, using the connectivity targets for 2030 recently released by ITU and the Office of the UN Secretary-General's Envoy on Technology.

The cost of broadband subscriptions and digital devices remains a major barrier to connectivity, the report confirms. While Internet access has become progressively cheaper in richer countries, getting online is still prohibitively expensive in many in low- and lower-middle-income economies.

And although the cost of broadband – especially mobile broadband – has fallen significantly over the past decade, the majority of low- and middle-income economies still fall short of the global affordability target of 2% or less of gross national income per capita set by the Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development.

“Equitable access to digital technologies isn't just a moral responsibility, it's essential for global prosperity and sustainability," said ITU Secretary-General Houlin Zhao. “We need to create the right conditions, including promoting environments conducive to investment, to break cycles of exclusion and bring digital transformation to all."​

While the COVID-related surge in demand for Internet access brought some 800 million additional people online, it also dramatically increased the cost of digital exclusion, with those unable to connect abruptly shut out of employment, schooling, access to health advice, financial services, and much more.

“Universal, meaningful connectivity has become the global imperative for our decade," said Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Director of ITU's Telecommunication Development Bureau, which produced the report. “It's no longer just about linking people – the catalytic role of connectivity will also be absolutely critical to our success in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals."

Africa eCommerce 2018: Harnessing digital potentials deserve CSO collaboration - ITREALMS

Features@ITREALMS: 

The first-ever Africa eComemerce recently ended in Nairobi, capital of Kenya, REMMY NWEKE who was there reports that in harnessing digital potentials of the continent deserves collaboration of the civil societies.

Preamble:

The week-long Africa eCommerce 2018 literally commenced on Sunday, December 9th with arrival of delegates from various parts of the world including Africa, although the main event began on Monday December 10 at the conference room 2 of the United Nations Office in Nairobi, Kenya, thus setting the capital city agog.

Organised by the United Nations body responsible for helping leverage on trades, the Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) , offered an opportunity for the African Civil Society on the Information Society (ACSIS) to showcase itself, activities and participate actively,

With the theme on “Empowering African Economies in the Digital Era,” Africa eCommerce Week is a response to the growing demand for e-commerce dialogues, as the digital and mobile revolution continues to gain space in the digital economy.

Welcoming delegates to the first-ever Africa eCommerce, UNCTAD Secretary-General, Dr. Mukhisa Kituyi, described the event as tremendous opportunity into inclusive development which requires massive effort on the part of all in Africa and beyond, asserting that the world is at critical juncture which is why UNCTAD decided to have a meeting in Africa, for Africa and by Africa, focused on harnessing the potential of digitalization and the mobile revolution.

“It comes at an opportune moment, given that the international community, regional organizations, and individual countries are exploring ways to advance development gains from the digital economy and thereby help achieve the ambition of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,” he said.

Kituyi also noted that the landmark African Continental Free Trade Agreement, signed earlier in March this year, is expected to have a positive impact on intra-African trade. Pointing out that as trade increasingly moves online, there is a growing need to discuss the implications of e-commerce for African economies.

Already, in 2017, Africa had 21 million online shoppers – showing the enormous potential of the African e-commerce marketplace.

Adoption, a task for African leaders: 

Equally, Kituyi said that time is running out for African Union (AU) to do catch-up on electronic commerce (eCommerce), tasking African leaders to adopt eCommerce for the interest of the continent.
Opening his remarks at the business and civil society session at the Africa eCommerce Week in Nairobi, Kituyi said this has become imperative for a sense of urgency, decrying that Africa was being left out of the discourse on e-commerce that had already taken place elsewhere.

He also said, “That’s why this meeting is important,” just as Rapid eTrade Readiness Assessments were unique products that had been much in demand by African governments.

“Faced with current global trade challenges, many countries are moving forward with e-commerce strategies, but it is important that governments include all stakeholders,” he said.

UNCTAD’s Rapid eTrade Readiness Assessments focus on practical steps that national governments, with the support of donor agencies, development banks and international organizations, can take to boost online trade.

The assessments, he said, showed that vast reforms are needed to seize the development opportunities offered by e-commerce. But they also help African countries to identify opportunities, barriers and relevant policy measures required to improve their readiness to engage in and benefit from e-commerce.

The Africa eCommerce Week, which commenced on Monday would last till Friday, December 15, 2018 by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

Head of Sub-Saharan Africa at GSMA, Akinwale Goodluck, offered some insights into what GSMA is doing to improve connectivity for seamless eCommerce connectivity, especially in Africa. He lamented the unprecedented multiple taxation on telecommunications infrastructure and called on AU and member states to desist from actions capable of setting the development of the continent backwards, through uncivilized policies and regulations especially with political tendencies.

Erring tech giants must be sanctioned - ACSIS:

For ACSIS President, Dr. Cisse Kane in his remarks during the opening of business and civil society forum session penultimate Monday at the week-long Africa eCommerce Week in Nairobi, Kenya, Dr. Kane lamented that despite violation by some technology giants lately, without any reactions from any African leaders or governments.

Dr Cisse Kane, ACSIS Pesident

He called on African leaders to leverage technology by ensuring that erring industry giants on the continent are sanctioned as obtainable in other parts of the world.

Technology laws as it pertain to consumers, for instance, is not much difference when it comes to Africa, so he does not get it when African consumers are exploited by international technology companies like Facebook, and Google, without any representation from the continent’s leaders, underscoring the fact that those largely affected by this lack of concern are the youth and women.

Sanctions realized from these international technology firms will help in supporting youth innovation in Africa via investment on startups.

… Collaboration is key among CSOs:

At the two-hour session on Masterclass on consumers protection and role of civil society, where Vice President , ACSIS who doubles as | Lead Strategist, DigitalSENSE Africa Media stood in for ACSIS president at the panel in room3, with the likes of Economic Affairs Officer, UNCTAD, Martine Julsaint Kidane; Head, Competition and Consumer Policies Branch, UNCTAD, Teresa Moreira; Secretary-General, Consumer Unity & Trust Society (CUTS International), Pradeep S. Mehta and CEO, Suku Technologies Ltd (eDuBoost), Tsonam Akpeloo on the panel, despite the short notice.

Nweke went a step further in his presentation queried the inability of African leaders to sanction any international technology companies as if there were no data infractions on the continent just as he reminded participants that ACSIS in stepping out from the norm, this year organized a mobile app competition with top finalists from 10 countries in Africa, and top three will be presented to participants on Friday, 14, December 2018, thereby extended invitation to all to grace the occasion at Room 2.

He also advocated for more collaboration among civil societies on the continent and imploring those yet to join ACSIS to leverage the website for more information even as he was available for interactions.

Nweke, we began his presentation with the genesis of ACSIS birth in Geneva and delivered in Tunisia during the two-phased World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), applauding the Senegalese government among others for their support, moreso on the app competition for sponsorship of participants.

Largely, the “Master Class on Consumer Protection” provided the opportunity for civil society organizations to discuss with UNCTAD experts the main consumer protection challenges emerging in Africa’s digital economy landscape.

There was also session on Civil Society Hive Talks for Africa, where burning issues of consumer protection were raised at Room 14 on Thursday with UNCTAD encouraging more participation of civil society groups, while VP Nweke’s intervention was mainly on the emerging CSO leveraging ACSIS to grow, with the believe we are stronger together.

E-commerce in Africa and women empowerment:

This session saw the Regional Coordinator for ACSIS in North Africa, Aicha Jerdi sharing more with respective to ACSIS support for women and revealed that she has the mandate of ACSIS President to organize the second phase of the mobile application competition, exclusively for women in 2019 and used the opportunity to seek support from other parties and donors.

Whilst in attendance, ACSIS Vice President, Remmy Nweke, urged participants and parents particularly to ensure that they give equal footing to their children despite of any gender, pointing out that though there a cultural inhibitions on acceptance and propelling of women empowerment, he stressed that when family do their bit in encouraging women, even young boys will have respect for their sisters amongst women in general, insisting that charity begins at home.

Remmy Nweke, Vice President, ACSIS

This session spoke to the fact that women have unequal access to economic opportunities, thus as digital technologies dramatically reshape economies; gender divide has been grown wider. Hence, digital technologies have become a powerful force for social and economic development, delivering substantial benefits for both individuals and society.

Conclusion:

The Africa eCommerce 2018 was a rich event worthy of participation by ACSIS, despite its internal shortcomings, above all, more better structured panels for the CSOs must be put in place in addition to closing ranks among the CSOs across the connect.

In continuation of this agenda, it may be vital to sustain this event, at least for the next year before tinkering of moving it away from Kenya or even to other parts of the continent and considering that its not primarily an African originated event, AU may liaise with the likes of ACSIS for an African alternative.

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Cisco new MD sub-Sahara, Cathy Smith says Africa has potentials

ITRealms:

The newly promoted Managing Director (MD) of Cisco for the Sub-Saharan Africa, Mrs Cathy Smith has said that Africa has the potentials to lead in the fourth industrial revolution, reports ITRealms.

Speaking after her appointment was proclaimed; ITRealms gathered she said that as long as Africa is ready to lead in this era, Cisco will facilitate the technology innovations across the continent.

“Africa has so much potential to be a leader in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. We are already proving our worth with the technology innovations that are coming out across the region,” she said.

Smith also outlined some three elements that are needed to consider as a region, including that the development of digital skills is paramount; All industries are being digitally disrupted which presents an opportunity for a growing digital economy and Public-private partnerships are powerful levers for change.

In this era of digitisation, she noted that “no one leader knows it all so learn to collaborate with your colleagues and with your industry peers.”

Mrs. Smith who has over 25 years of experience in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) industry noted things have changed drastically since she first joined as a programmer.

“In my early days, we used to work with heavy hardware that we would need to manually have to carry to a customer, which is why so many females shied away from the sector for so long,” she said.

Pointing out that “Nowadays, everything is automated and software driven, so we don’t have to carry heavy loads anymore,” thus engineering has included Internet of Things (IoT), security, collaboration, and networking among others.

ITRealms recalls that Cathy Smith joined Cisco in April 2015 as the head of Cisco’s business operations across South Africa, charged with the development and execution of Cisco’s go-to-market sales and digital transformation strategies for the region, prior to her latest promotion.

Chuks Egbune/GEE

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Double digit growth far below Nigeria online potentials

ITRealms:

The Country Manager for PayU Nigeria, Ms Juliet Nwanguma, has asserted that potentials in the Nigeria’s online payment market are above double digital growth, reports ITRealms.

According to her, in a country of over 180 million people, consisting of 61 million active bank customers and where e-payment transactions are worth N56 trillion in a year, the potentials for online payments in Nigeria is huge and waiting to be tapped.

She also revealed to ITRealms that the mission of PayU is to leverage on Nigeria’s 97 million active internet users to popularise and increase online payments in Nigeria.

“At PayU, we believe that with the deployment of appropriate strategies and products which are designed to encourage more businesses to adopt online payment, the market in Nigeria can record triple digit growth in both volume and value of online payments. This is the driving philosophy of PayU’s operations in Nigeria” she said.

ITRealms recalls that since last year when PayU entered the Nigerian market, it claims to have used the globally tested products such as tokenisation, recurring payments for subscription services and single click payments for faster checkout.

Nonye Dom/GEE

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Juwah showcases Nigeria’s broadband potentials @ Mobile World’14

ITRealms

The Executive Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Eugene Juwah, took advantage of the just concluded Mobile World Congress (MWC 2014) in Barcelona, Spain to showcase the broadband potentials in Nigeria, reports ITRealms.

Addressing the crème de la crème of the global telecom stakeholders at the session on Ministerial Programme in Barcelona, ITRealms gathered that Dr. Juwah x-rayed the potentials of Nigeria’s broadband programme.

ITRealms recalls that the Ministerial Programme session of the MWC in Barcelona, is seen as a rare privileged event where decisions makers, ministers, investors, service providers, global mobile providers among other top industry players share insights.

At this year’s programme, a session was dedicated to Nigeria and Dr. Juwah seized the opportunity to make a profound presentation to the world about what to expect in Nigeria, which is at the threshold of unleashing a broadband revolution that will impact the Nigerian nation and the African continent.

He told the audience that Nigeria is fast-tracking her knowledge economy and contributions of broadband to GDP growth will increase considerably.

“We have successfully completed the auction of the 2.3GHz Spectrum and we have outlined a number of programmes under the broadband infrastructure framework while licensing of infrastructure providers, tagged Infracos is about to begin,” he said

Equally, Dr. Juwah said that his commission has a mouthwatering offer for investors in the Nigerian broadband infrastructure deployment programme using the Open Access Broadband strategy with the planned licensing of InfraCos that will provide a national broadband network on a non-discriminatory, open access and price regulated basis to all service providers.

NCC, he maintained is creating enabling environment and incentives for the private sector to roll out broadband networks which will be a one-off incentive for last mile to be achieved.

“We will replicate the success we made in voice in broadband plan as we proceed on the journey. We are also going to license more retail services and encourage the operators where possible to extend fibre to homes and businesses on their own. Government is committed to providing incentives to winners of infrastructure licenses,” he said.

The InfraCo, according to him, would enjoy government support, hence would be getting funding from government to rollout nationwide broadband infrastructure.

“We are ready to provide subsidy to simplify entry. However, such a subsidy will come on the basis of milestones achieved to ensure that we are realistic in the venture,” he said.

Juwah recollected that the historical revolution of the voice communications in Nigeria, the nation will witness a boom the broadband segment of the business as NCC propelled in the voice segment. Stressing that for Nigeria to be part of the 21^st century knowledge economy, there is need to leverage on the potentials of broadband.

“We have done quite well in the voice segment, but taking a look at the data segment, our internet penetration rate currently is 32.9 per cent, our broadband penetration rate is 6.1 per cent, taking it to a higher speed broadband, this 6.1 per cent will disappear,” he explained.

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