The exploration and development of mineral fields by way of maximising their potential as a source of revenue generation be it solid or liquid extraction are issues of significant that are central to the overall national and security interests of countries that are so endowed with any form of exploitable minerals.

WORKERS in the nation’s Petroleum industry have once again expressed reservation on the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), pending before the National Assembly, warning that, they would not hesitate to cripple the sector should all concerns of labour movement in the country are to accommodated in the bill.

AS many Nigerians come to terms with the reality of government failure to commence its much trumpeted full deregulation of the down stream sector of the nation’s petroleum industry on January 1, 2010, organised labour in the country has given insight why government failed to begin full deregulation this January.

Nigerian insurance companies are making waves in the oil and gas insurance business despite all odds to frustrate the local market from actively participating in the juicy business as the country underwriters led top accounts in 2009 with a sum insured of $68.083billion and premium income of $217.606million.

LOCAL insurance companies are in for a shocker this 2010 as reinsurers appear set for closer scrutiny of risks placed by them in the wake of rising claims and under-pricing of risks as local and foreign reinsures have resolved to do more of facultative reinsurance this New Year.

All efforts set in motion by the Federal Government, National Insurance Commission and Nigerian insurance companies to sufficiently participate in the oil and gas insurance business in this country might just be a frustration of labour if there are no stiff penalties for cheats of the Nigerian local content policy.

MR. Odein Ajumogobia, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources led the Nigerian delegation to the 9th ministerial meeting of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) which took place in Doha, Qatar last month to determine the establishment of a secretariat and election of a secretary general for the organisation. He spoke with Hector Igbikiowubo, […]

By Demola Akinyemi Ilorin — Worried by the indiscriminate mode of students’ dressing on campus, the authorities of  Kwara State Polytechnic has set up a committee to tackle the menace. The management said it has also intensified efforts to explore all necessary potential sources of revenue to boost its Internally Generated Revenue, IGR. The Rector […]

By Aliyu Dangida BIRNIN-KUDU —  A member of the House of Representatives, representing Birnin-Kudu/Buji Federal constituency, Alhaji Muhammad Sabo Nakudu, has donated hospital equipment worth N8 million to Birnin-Kudu general hospital in Jigawa State. Delivering his speech, Alhaji Nakudusaid the gesture was aimed at complimenting the efforts of the present government of Sule Lamido’s giant […]

By AbdulSalam Muhammad KANO — Nigeria national career for 2009 Hajj to Saudi Arabia, Kabo Air Limited has completed the airlift of all the 31,324 pilgrims allotted to it back to the country. Briefing journalists  in Kano, Corporate Affairs Manager of the airline, Alhaji Aminu Hamza, explained that Kabo Air lifted pilgrims from 10 states […]

By Aliyu Dangida & Tina Akannam DUTSE — Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido has presented a budget of N70.9 billion to the state House of Assembly for the 2010 fiscal year. Speaking at the occasion, Lamido explained that the budget, which is 7.6% higher than the 2009 budget, is made up of N29.6 billion, or […]

By Ise-Oluwa Ige ABUJA – A pastor of the Christ Embassy, Mr. Uyiekpen Henry Idugboe has sued the Union Bank of Nigeria, UBN, before an Asaba high court, asking for  N100 million as damages. He is inviting the court to award the damages in his favour over alleged negligence and criminal breach of trust. Specifically, […]

By  Dennis Agbo ABAKALIKI—FIFTEEN persons, who previous suffered Visco Virginal Fistula, VVF, have been cured and discharged from the South East Fistula Centre, built by wife of Ebonyi State Governor, Mrs. Josephine Elechi at the state University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki. The discharged patients, which is the 7th batch of treated VVF patients since the inauguration […]

As the year drew to a close, crude oil reached for the $80 mark, but fell short as the market closed its doors. Putting together a nice rebound from the 2008 price collapse that carried into 1Q2009, 2009 will be hailed as one of the strongest years for crude oil since 1973 on a percentage gain basis.

Tower Resources announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Neptune Petroleum (Uganda) Limited (“Neptune”), has signed a contract with Oil & Gas Exploration Company Cracow Limited (OGEC) for a land rig to drill the Avivi-1 exploration well in Exploration Area 5 (“EA5”), Uganda.