Dangote promises constant availability of high-quality fuels

Africa’s richest man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has promised to constantly make available high-quality fuels for Nigeria’s transportation sector. Speaking at the commissioning of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals on Monday, Dangote explained the drive behind the Group’s corporate vision. “Beyond today’s ceremony, our first goal is to ramp up production of the various products to ensure that within this year, we are able to fully satisfy the nation’s demand for quality products. “There will be constant availability of high-quality fuels for our transportation sector, the refinery will also make available to our industries vital raw materials for wide range of manufacturing. “Our Group’s corporate vision is driven by our mission to produce what we consume and to promote self-sufficiency in the basic needs of our people. “We decided on a plant designed with state-of-the-art technology and a scale in a capacity that will be a game-changer in Africa and the global market. “We have built a refinery with a capacity to process 650k barrels per day in a single train – which is the largest in the world. We have selected the best plants, equipment and the latest technologies from across the world. “Overall, we are committed to operating our plant in line with int’l best practice, recognising the importance of protecting the environment, we have adopted stringent environmental, health & safety policies,” he said at the ongoing epoch-making event. Nigerian Anchor reports that five presidents, including: President Gnassingbé Eyadéma of Togo; President Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana, President Macky Sall of Senegal, President Mohamed Bazoum of Nigeria Republic, and President Mahamat Déby of Chad are in Nigeria for the big occasion. President Paul Kagame of Rwanda, who will not be physically present, will, however, present his goodwill message virtually. The petroleum refinery, with a capacity to process 650,000 barrels per day (bpd), is sitting on 2,635 hectares of land located in Dangote Industries Free Zone in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos State, and will provide employment to over 100,000 persons. The coming on stream of the gigantic project is expected to mark Nigeria’s exit from the league of oil rich nations, but which are heavy importers of the petroleum products.

Name Change: Ministry of Aviation now Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace

The Ministry of Aviation will now be known as the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace. This was disclosed on Thursday in a statement on the Ministry’s Twitter handle @fmaviationng. According to the statement, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved the change of nomenclature of the Federal Ministry of Aviation to the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace with immediate effect. “The new nomenclature is in line with the nature of the sector, being under the exclusive management and regulation of the Federal Government,” the statement added.

Mu’azu Sambo inaugurates NIMASA Abuja office, tasks staff on productivity

The Minister of Transportation, Alhaji Mu’azu Sambo, has urged members of staff of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to double their efforts to ensure improved service delivery and economic development. Sambo gave the advice while inaugurating the new NIMASA Abuja Liaison office. He said that establishing a permanent Zonal office for the agency was imperative because of its strategic role in the sector. “Apart from the reduction of cost of governance, the New Abuja Zonal Office will serve as the centre piece of government relations on matters with bilateral and multilateral implications on international trade and cooperation. “It will enable the agency to host foreign diplomats and other key maritime stakeholders in the Federal Capital Territory, thereby helping the agency to speedily achieve its mandate. “All these led to the acquisition of the office and served as further proof of the growth in capacity of NIMASA due to its deepened role in Nigeria’s economic development,” the minister said. While expressing the ministry’s commitment to NIMASA and all other departments under it, Sambo said this project was a pointer to its determination in that regard. He commended President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration for approving the procurement of the office, the NIMASA Chief executive and all who made the project a reality. Sambo thanked everyone who contributed to the realisation of the project, saying more of such projects would subsequently be inaugurated in the country Earlier, the Director-General of NIMASA, Dr Bashir Jamoh, thanked the minister and the Federal Government for ensuring the acquisition of the state-of-the-art edifice. Jamoh said the project signaled the agency’s commitment to providing conducive, favorable and supportive working conditions to boost staff productivity. The Director-General said,” Today’s ceremony is just one more step in living up to what the world has come to expect from us. “If we train our staff internationally, we must provide them with a working environment that matches with those international standards. “This edifice reflects management’s commitment to providing a world-class working environment in addition to the recently reviewed and improved conditions of service for all employees. “With this investment, we have taken things up and made them top-notch by providing support, infrastructure environment, regarding safety and security.’’ He, however, pledged NlMASA’s commitment to ensure a culture of maintenance to extend the lifespan of the building.

I’m not involved in any maritime contract mess- Transport Minister

The Minister of Transportation, Mu’azu Jaji Sambo has debunked reports by some media organizations (not NIGERIAN ANCHOR), that he is involved in a purported maritime contract scandal at the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA). According to a press statement issued Tuesday by the Minister, the allegations are nothing but a smear campaign to tarnish his reputation and downplay his hard work and successes in the Ministry. “My attention has been drawn to false and baseless publications on some online media platforms regarding my alleged involvement in a purported hijack of a maritime contract at the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), a parastatal under my supervision. “These allegations are nothing but a smear campaign orchestrated to tarnish my reputation and undermine my work as the Minister of Transportation,” Sambo said. He went on to say that since he assumed office at the Ministry, he has concentrated on meeting the expectations of stakeholders in the industry, through honesty, transparency, integrity and in accordance with the country’s extant laws. The Minister further berated the media outlets for peddling falsehoods based solely on anonymous sources, fabricated documents, and distorted facts, all of which he says violates the core ethics and principles of journalism. “Let me be clear: Since I assumed Office as Minister in July 2022, my focus has been to meet the high expectations of stakeholders in the transportation sector. I have always acted with honesty, integrity, and transparency, in accordance with the law and public interest. “Surprisingly, the news outlets that carried the false report relied on anonymous sources, fabricated documents, and distorted facts to create a narrative that suits their agenda or that of their sponsors. They not only violated the core ethics of journalism and the principles of fair hearing but have shown contempt for the truth, objective journalism and balanced reportage. “It is even more laughable for anyone to think that just one man will sit back to award contracts of such a humungous amount. The contract awarding process in the Country is quite complex for manipulation. These purveyors of falsehood forget that contract awards under our extant laws and regulations involve rigorous due process, diligence and authorizations by different agencies and levels of government such as the Bureau for Public Procurement (BPP) and the Federal Executive Council (FEC) among others. “I am certain some persons are intimidated by our achievements in the Ministry within a short time, thus their desperation to drag us in the mud. They are out to use me to chase clout. It is expected that with the transition to a new government, these persons and/or groups may want to target me as a basis to curry favour or seek relevance. Who is indeed afraid of Mu’azu Jaji Sambo? “Consequently, the public is urged not to fall for this propaganda. Under my leadership, this Ministry has executed initiatives to improve the Country’s maritime domain as well as the mobility and safety of Nigerians. We have also promoted innovation, sustainability and social inclusion in the transport sector. “Let me emphasize that I will continue to serve this nation with dedication and commitment till I exit Office. And even out of Office, I will remain a loyal and law-abiding Nigerian. I will not be intimidated or distracted by these false accusations, which only seek to divert attention. I am not involved in any (maritime) contract mess. The public should be guided,” he said. He added that “I have requested appropriate security and law enforcement agencies to expeditiously investigate the content of the misleading publications so that the peddlers of fake and malicious news will be made to face the law.”