Worried by the comatose state of the nation’s steel sector, the National Assembly on Monday charged the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development to do more to develop the nation’s steel industry and make it more viable for investment.

The power generating companies and coal traders in the country are seeking clarification on the move by Coal India Limited (CIL) involving withdrawal of the price rise in coal as well as on how the gross calorific value (GCV) mechanism would prove to be cost neutral to them.

The Nigeria Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative, NEITI, on Tuesday hailed the plan by the Federal Government to re-introduce the Petroleum Industry Bill to the National Assembly, noting that only the passage of the bill will truly usher the reform and growth expected in the industry.

Mr. Olusola Ladipo-Ajayi is the Chairman of Nigerian Insurers Association and the Managing Director of Lasaco Assurance Plc. In this interview with Rosemary Onuoha, the NIA Chairman reveals that the insurance sector did not benefit from the huge figures being bandied about from fuel importation.

The argument all along is that local insurers have inadequate capacity to play actively in the oil and gas sector. ROSEMARY ONUOHA asks if the trend will continue or will capacity grow in 2012?

The Minister of Power, Prof Bart Nnaji, at a recent interactive session with journalists in Lagos, said the privatisation of the power sector will see the removal of government’s control on management, while also giving an update on developments in the power sector, especially with regard to improving the quality of electricity supply to Nigerians. Excerpts:

The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, NEITI, said it has developed a strategic plan to guide its annual work plans over the next five years.

Fears that the parley on the transition from the project to operations phase of the multi billion naira Gbaran-Ubie Integrated Oil and Gas Project between the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) and stakeholders from the project area would be stalemated has turned out to be a mirage.

The removal of fuel subsidy is a hard sell for the Federal Government. So it was punches and defences as representatives made their points at the Town Hall Meeting on Petroleum Subsidy Removal, organised by the Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria, NPAN, which sought to find out: “Whose Interest Does it (removal) Serve, as captured by Kunle Kalejaiye. Excerpts:

ABUJA – The Minister of Power, Prof. Bart Nnaji, said the Federal Government is ready to support the development of local content in the manufacturing of equipment and components for the growth of the power sector.