Major International Business Headlines Brief::: 14 February 2025

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Major International Business Headlines Brief:::  14 February 2025 

 


 


 


 <mailto:info at bulls.co.zw> 

 


 

 


 

ü  Ghana Faces Imminent Power Crises As Karpowership Threatens Shutdown Over
$370m Debt

ü  Madagascar: Over 200 Tana Beles Sugar Factory Workers Protest Demotion,
Reassignment to Manual Labor Amid Restructuring

ü  Rwanda: Stronger Economy, but New Taxes Must Be Handled With Care

ü  South Africa: Pensioners Queue for Hours to Replace Expiring Sassa Cards

ü  Nigeria: Ebonyi Gov Mourns 11 Lost in Enugu Petrol Tanker Explosion

ü  Nigeria: $100m Dangote Land Deal - Rhodes-Vivour Demands Accountability

ü  Angola Records More Than One Hundred New Cases of Cholera

ü  Nigeria: London High Court Probes Shell Over Niger Delta Pollution Claims

ü  Morocco: Moroccan Workers Fight Back Against 'Anti-Worker' Bill

ü  Egypt: How Cairo's 'Garbage City' Became the Envy of the World

ü  Nigeria: Senate Increases, Passes 2025 Budget

ü  Nigeria: NUC Signs MOU to Build AI Ecosystem Across Varsities

ü  Nigeria's Crude Oil Production Rose in January - OPEC

ü  Nigeria: MTN Apologies for Increasing Cost of Data Plan By 200%

ü  Nigerian Agency Shuts Down Nine Filling Stations for Under-Dispensing

 


 <mailto:info at bulls.co.zw> 

 


 

Ghana Faces Imminent Power Crises As Karpowership Threatens Shutdown Over
$370m Debt

The operators of the Karpowership have notified the Government that it will
not be able to continue with the supply of power if the debt owed the
company is not settled immediately.

 

This was made known at a meeting between the Minister of Energy and Green
Transitions, Mr John Abdulai Jinapor, and officials of the Karpowership
barge at the Ministry in Accra on Monday.

 

Karpowership, which currently supplies about 450 megawatts of electricity,
has threatened to shut down its generation plant if the power distribution
company, ECG, fails to settle the debts amounting to over $370 immediately.

 

Karpowership at the meeting with the sector minister acknowledged the
negative impact a shutdown of the power plant will have on the livelihood
and general well-being of Ghanaians but said they are left with no choice
since they cannot continue to be saddled with huge debts.

 

According to them, as at December 2024, Karpowership received $39.6 million
from the Electricity Company of Ghana and $185,288.182.97 million from the
Ministry of Finance. Currently, Karpowership is owed an amount of over $370
million by the Electricity Company of Ghana, a situation that has had a dire
consequence on the operations of the power generation entity.

 

The Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) of Karpowership, Zeynep Harezi Yilmaz, in
a statement to the Minister, urged the government, through the Ministry of
Energy, to compel ECG to clear the accumulated invoices presented to it
immediately.

 

Mr Zeynep appealed to the Minister to compel ECG to adhere to best business
practices and respect the terms of their agreement, and ensure the nation
derives the optimum benefit from the agreement.

 

"Should the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), for that matter the
government fail to respect the terms of the Power Purchasing Agreement (PPA)
and make payment to the Karpowership; we would be left with no choice but to
shut down our plant as we cannot continue to be saddled with huge debts," he
warned.

 

Mr Jinapor in emphasising the importance of Karpowership to the country's
power sector, assured that the government would immediately establish a
payment plan to settle the outstanding debts owed to Karpowership.

 

"We will prioritise making the required payments to ensure the continuous
operation of the power generation company and engage in open and transparent
communication with Karpowership", he stated. The Minister further expressed
the government's commitment to resolving the financial issues to avert the
imminent shutdown.

 

Ghanaian Times.

 

 

 

 

 

Madagascar: Over 200 Tana Beles Sugar Factory Workers Protest Demotion,
Reassignment to Manual Labor Amid Restructuring

Addis Abeba — More than 200 workers at the Tana Beles Sugar Factory are
protesting their reassignment to temporary employment and manual labor
roles. In interviews with Addis Standard, the workers disclosed that this
demotion and reassignment to daily labor followed the introduction of a new
organizational structure a month ago.

 

One worker, who requested anonymity for safety reasons, said he had worked
at the factory for over 13 years. He explained that a month ago, the company
implemented a new structure, resulting in his and several colleagues'
reassignment to manual labor.

 

"Most of us had been working as day laborers for nine years. After we were
made permanent employees, the company told us that it was in danger and that
if we, the lower-level employees, wanted to save the company, we had to step
down and continue working as day laborers," he explained.

 

This employee noted that he previously held a Level 4 position with a
monthly salary of 5,000 birr. Under the new structure, his income is at risk
of significant reduction.

 

"Now, the maximum I could earn per month might only be 2,500 birr," he said.
"I am the breadwinner for my family. I have two children and also support my
siblings and parents."

 

According to this worker, at least 186 employees below Level 7 position were
reassigned to manual labor, while an additional 106 workers were left
without job assignments and are owed six months' salary.

 

Ayene Kassa (name changed for safety reasons), another factory worker, told
Addis Standard that employees above Level 7 position were transferred to the
Omo Kuraz, Metahara, and Wonji sugar factories. Those below Level 7,
however, had their permanent contracts terminated and were reassigned to
manual labor.

 

"A total of 236 workers have been downgraded to manual labor roles despite
serving the factory for up to 11 years as permanent employees," he
explained. "The manual labor roles include jobs like cutting sugarcane."

 

Ayene said he used to work in the property department. "My colleagues, who
worked as drivers and security guards, and I are now paid based on the
amount of work we do each day," he added.

 

Ayene emphasized that his and his colleagues' new pay depends solely on
their daily labor output.

 

"If you are cutting cane, you are paid 36 cents per meter," he explained.
"That too is paid after you cut and pile the sugarcane in the designated
area."

 

Ayene, who previously earned a net monthly salary of 6,698 birr, said that
being demoted will reduce his income, putting his family's well-being at
risk.

 

"Since it's now daily work, even if you work hard, you might only earn 1,000
birr a month," he said. "I have two children and a wife who is a housewife.
This money cannot even support me, let alone a family."

 

Another factory worker, who requested anonymity for safety reasons,
confirmed that a notice was posted at the factory listing the names of
employees below Level 7 and informing them of their contract terminations
and reassignment to manual labor positions.

 

He pointed out that many of those affected are members of the local
community, stating, "The factory acquired their land with the promise of
opportunities, so this sudden action has caused frustration and resentment."

 

The worker added, "Even if the factory intended to lay us off, it should
have provided proper severance benefits rather than simply canceling our
contracts and forcing us into daily labor," he protested.

 

Additionally, he claimed that while some employees were transferred to other
factories, 106 workers have gone unpaid for five months and have not been
assigned any roles.

 

Located in the Jawi district of Awi Zone within the Amhara Regional State,
Tana Beles Sugar Factory was inaugurated in June 2021. Constructed by China
CAMC Engineering Co. Ltd. at a cost of $95 million, the facility boasts a
daily crushing capacity of 12,000 tons of sugarcane, producing up to 12,000
quintals of sugar. With a workforce exceeding 15,000 employees, the factory
had been operating under the supervision of the Ethiopian Sugar Industry
Group until it became autonomous in 2022 by the decision of the Council of
Ministers.

 

Despite its production capabilities, workers report that operations have yet
to commence due to persistent challenges.

 

In November 2024, the factory's public relations department issued a
statement on its social media platform, outlining the difficulties facing
both the factory and its employees. Chief among these issues are
insufficient budget allocations for operations and a two-year failure to
repair a faulty power transformer at the Kunzila substation.

 

"As a result of the financial constraints, the factory was unable to pay
employee salaries, plunging over 15,655 workers and their families into
severe hardship," the statement reads. "Despite the factory management's
efforts to collaborate with various stakeholders to find a solution, no
immediate resolution has been achieved."

 

Addis Standard made repeated attempts to contact Maru Tefera, chairman of
the Tana Beles Sugar Factory Workers' Union, and Alemu Ferede, head of the
factory's human resources department, via telephone. However, these efforts
were unsuccessful as the individuals did not respond to their calls.

 

Addis Standard.

 

 

 

 

Rwanda: Stronger Economy, but New Taxes Must Be Handled With Care

The National Bank of Rwanda (BNR) has maintained its key lending rate at 6.5
per cent, signaling confidence in the economy's stability while keeping
inflation in check.

 

This marks the third consecutive time the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC)
has left the rate unchanged since August last year.

 

By holding the policy rate steady, the central bank aims to prevent consumer
prices from rising too quickly, which could weaken purchasing power.

 

However, Rwanda's fight against inflation began much earlier, about three
years ago, when the Covid-19 pandemic triggered a surge in prices in 2022.

 

To restore stability, the central bank tightened monetary policy,
successfully bringing inflation within the target range of 2 per cent to 8
per cent.

 

While this came at a cost as many households struggled under the weight of
higher living expenses, it was a necessary step to strengthen the economy.

 

As a result, Rwanda's economy has bounced back strongly, approaching
pre-pandemic growth levels.

 

The economy grew by 8.2 per cent in 2023.

 

It expanded by 9.2 per cent on average over the first three quarters of
2024, with particularly strong growth in the first two quarters (9.7 per
cent and 9.8 per cent), before moderating to 8.1 per cent in the third
quarter.

 

Projections for 2024 were initially set at 8.3 per cent, but BNR Governor
John Rwangombwa has hinted that the actual growth rate will likely exceed
expectations.

 

Despite this momentum, inflation remains a concern. It is now expected to
average 6.5 per cent in 2025, up from the earlier forecast of 5.8 per cent,
with risks including geopolitical tensions and extreme weather conditions.

 

Alongside these economic developments, the government has introduced new tax
reforms, sparking debate over their potential impact on household purchasing
power.

 

Many citizens worry that, despite enduring high inflation in 2022 and 2023,
their salaries have remained stagnant, making it harder to absorb additional
tax burdens.

 

While tax reforms are crucial for revenue generation and economic growth,
they must be implemented with caution to avoid placing excessive pressure on
consumers.

 

The government must ensure that these measures do not erode the financial
stability of households, particularly at a time when inflationary risks
still loom.

 

A stronger economy is good news, but growth must be inclusive, ensuring that
ordinary citizens feel the benefits, not just in numbers, but in their
everyday lives.

 

New Times.

 

 

 

 

 

South Africa: Pensioners Queue for Hours to Replace Expiring Sassa Cards

"If I don't change my card there will be no income in my house," says
84-year-old KZN pensioner

 

Hundreds of SASSA recipients have been queuing in long lines in Nquthu,
KwaZulu-Natal, in a rush to replace their Gold Cards which expire at the end
of February.

 

For weeks now, SASSA and Postbank have been appealing to social grant
beneficiaries to replace their SASSA Gold Cards with the new Postbank Black
Cards. But this can only be done at certain service points.

 

Postbank started replacing the Gold Cards with the new Postbank Black Cards
in September 2024. But some beneficiaries had reported difficulties
accessing their grants, sparking concerns over how the transition to the new
cards would affect payments.

 

In a joint statement this month, SASSA and Postbank said: "After this
deadline, Gold Cards will not function to withdraw cash from ATMs and
retailers, and they will also not be allowed for transactions such as
balance enquiries, printing of statements or retail purchases as they will
be blocked."

 

"Our appeal to social grant beneficiaries is that they should not wait for
the last minute, or for when their cards stop working. They must get their
Postbank Black Cards now at their nearby card replacement site as that will
guarantee that they continue receiving their payments," said Themba Matlou,
SASSA acting CEO.

 

Meanwhile, lines snaked through the Cambridge Plaza on Wednesday as
pensioners, disabled people and mothers with babies came to replace their
cards. Some people said they travelled from faraway rural villages.

 

Phayizana Ndlovu, 84, from Qhudeni, 80kms from Nquthu, said she spent R350
on taxi fare. She was accompanied by her daughter and granddaughter because
she is blind and struggles to walk.

 

"I have no choice, because if I don't change my SASSA card there will be no
income in my house. We will die of hunger because my family of 12 depends on
my old age grant," said Ndlovu.

 

While this reporter was speaking to Ndlovu, SASSA official Siphesihle Mbatha
came out to address the people queueing. She told them the office had a
backlog of thousands of applications received since January. She urged them
to rather go to the nearest post office or retail store as their online
systems were "quicker".

 

GroundUp.

 

 

 

 

 

Nigeria: Ebonyi Gov Mourns 11 Lost in Enugu Petrol Tanker Explosion

Abakaliki — Ebonyi State Government has visited the family of the 11 victims
who lost their lives in the Enugu petrol tanker explosion to commiserate
with them.

 

Governor Francis Nwifuru, who was represented by his wife, Mrs Uzoamaka, and
other delegates from the state government said that the state government was
pained by the ugly incident that claimed the lives of victims who hail from
Abofia village in Ebonyi local government area of the state.

 

Mrs Nwifuru extended heartfelt condolences to Mr Jeremiah Nwaji's family.

 

The death of 11 victims returning from Anambra State for the burial of their
late father, Chief Augustine Nwaji happened as a petrol tanker explosion
occurred at Ugwu Onyeama along the Anambra - Enugu Expressway claiming the
lives of 11 persons in the family including the father, mother, 6 children,
younger brothers, apprentice, and housemaid.

 

Mrs Nwifuru expressed profound grief over the heartbreaking incident,
describing it as an irreplaceable loss not only to the family but also to
the entire Ebonyi State.

 

The First Lady also used the opportunity to pray for the souls of the
departed, urging the family to find solace in God.

 

Vanguard.

 

 

 

 

 

Nigeria: $100m Dangote Land Deal - Rhodes-Vivour Demands Accountability

Former Lagos State gubernatorial candidate on the platform of the Labour
Party, LP, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, has called for transparency and
accountability regarding a controversial $100 million land acquisition deal
between Dangote Industries and the Lagos State government, in Ibeju Lekki,
which has led to the displacement of indigenous communities.

 

In a strongly worded statement, Rhodes-Vivour condemned the recent judicial
decision that appears to validate the displacement. "I'm deeply saddened by
this judicial decision because the land grabbing and stealing of lands
belonging to indigenous Lagosians without compensation will continue
unabated," he stated. "It is both criminal and unacceptable."

 

The former gubernatorial candidate highlighted how the development pattern
in Lagos consistently favors elite interests at the expense of local
communities. "The criminal establishment continues to create development for
the elites by displacing indigenous Lagosians without any care, plan or
compensation," Rhodes-Vivour emphasized.

 

Following the recent judicial decision from the Lagos High Court on the
matter, Gbadebo while expressing his disappointment noted that "the elitist
and discriminatory policy widens inequality, dehumanizes our people and
consigns entire communities to poverty."

 

He noted that there needs to be a fundamental change in how development
projects are implemented in Lagos.

 

Vanguard.

 

 

 

Angola Records More Than One Hundred New Cases of Cholera

Luanda — In the last 24 hours, Angola registered 141 new cases of cholera,
specifically in the provinces of Luanda, Bengo, Icolo and Bengo, Cuanza-Sul
and Malanje.

 

According to the newsletter from the Ministry of Health, in the last 24
hours three deaths were also recorded in Luanda, two in the municipality of
Kilamba-Kiaxi and one in Sambizanga.

 

The document states that out of the 141 cases reported, 92 are from Luanda,
30 from Bengo, 13 from Icolo and Bengo, four from Cuanza-Sul and two from
Malanje.

 

During the period under analysis, 120 people received medical discharge and
266 patients with the disease were hospitalized.

 

Since the beginning of the outbreak, in the first week of January 2025, a
total of 3,543 cases have been reported, 1,753 in Luanda, 1,297 in Bengo,
446 in Icolo and Bengo, 20 in Cuanza-Sul, seven in Malanje, six in Huambo,
the same number in Huíla, five in Zaire, two in Cuanza-Norte and one in
Cunene, with ages between two and one hundred years.

 

During this period, 117 deaths have occurred, of which 55 in Luanda, 45 in
Bengo, 15 in Icolo and Bengo and two in Cuanza-Sul.

 

The most affected age group is two to five years old, with 544 cases and 17
deaths recorded, followed by 10 to 14 years old, with 458 cases and eight
deaths.

 

As part of preventing and combating the disease, Angola has been
implementing a vaccination campaign against cholera since the 3rd of
February.

 

The aforementioned campaign intended to vaccinate 930,572 people, but with
new cases of the disease in other locations, the target number of people to
be vaccinated increased to 1,079,476 people.

 

To date, 925,573 people have been vaccinated in the provinces of Luanda
(626,079), Icolo and Bengo (228,058) and Bengo (71,436).

 

Cholera is an infection of the small intestine, caused by vibrio cholerae
bacteria, whose main symptom is watery diarrhoea and vomiting and muscle
cramps.

 

AB/MCN/MRA/jmc

 

ANGOP.

 

 

 

 

Nigeria: London High Court Probes Shell Over Niger Delta Pollution Claims

The High Court in London commenced a hearing to address allegations that the
oil company Shell has polluted vast areas of the Niger Delta in Nigeria,
particularly in regions traditionally claimed by the Ogoni people.

 

Shell and its Nigerian subsidiary SPDC claim that the spills in the region
were caused by sabotage or illegal refining.

 

The villagers, supported by Amnesty International Nigeria, say that decades
of spills have damaged farms and waterways.

 

"The pollution created by the oil giant has caused immense damage to the
local environment, depriving thousands of people of access to clean drinking
water," said the NGO Amnesty International.

 

"Sabotage and its consequences are insignificant compared to the destruction
caused by the company's oil exploitation," Isa Sanusi, director of Amnesty
International Nigeria, told RFI's Environment desk.

 

"While we are trying to focus the debate on environmental damage, talking
about sabotage is just a way to avoid taking responsibility," Sanusi added.

 

To display this content from X (Twitter), you must enable advertisement
tracking and audience measurement.

 

Accept Manage my choices A Shell spokesperson said: "The litigation does
little to address the real problem in the Niger Delta: oil spills due to
theft, illegal refining and sabotage, which cause the most environmental
damage."

 

Shell's lawyers said in papers submitted to the court that SPDC recognises
it is obliged to compensate those harmed by oil spills even if SPDC is not
at fault

 

They added that they would not offer compensation where spills had been
caused by the malicious acts of third parties.

 

Niger Delta communities file damage claim against Shell in London court

 

Ten years ago, residents from the Bille and Ogale communities in Nigeria
claimed their livelihoods had been destroyed and homes damaged by hundreds
of oil spills caused by Shell, according to Amnesty's report.

 

The pollution caused widespread devastation to the local environment,
killing fish and plant life, leaving thousands of people without access to
clean drinking water.

 

According to the UN, at least 7,000 oil spill incidents have occurred in the
region since 1958.

 

In 2011, a study by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) also
highlighted the presence of benzene--a carcinogen--at nearly 900 times the
WHO's recommended levels in contaminated water in Ogoni, in the west of the
country.

 

"Shell repeatedly delayed the case arguing it had no legal responsibility
for any of the pollution. The delay has had a devastating effect on people's
lives," said Sanusi.

 

Godwin Bebe Okpabi, leader of the Ogale community in the Niger Delta, told
Reuters news agency that he was appealing to Shell's conscience to remediate
the damage.

 

"As we speak, people are dying in Ogale, my community," he said. "It is sad
that Shell will now want to take us through this very expensive, very
troublesome trial, claiming one technicality or the other."

 

The month-long trial will determine issues of Nigerian law and whether SPDC
can be held liable for oil spills caused by third-party interference, ahead
of a further trial in 2026.

 

The case, parts of which began nearly a decade ago, has already been to the
Britain's Supreme Court, which ruled in 2021 that the case should be heard
in the English courts.

 

(with newswires)

 

Read or Listen to this story on the RFI website.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Morocco: Moroccan Workers Fight Back Against 'Anti-Worker' Bill

Morocco launched a nationwide strike to protest passage of "strike law",
reaching a participation rate of over 80%

 

On February 5 and 6, workers in Morocco went on a general strike to protest
the passage of the strike law, the high cost of living in light of soaring
prices, and unprecedented tension between trade unions and the government.

 

The general strike was called for by five central unions: the Democratic
Confederation of Labour, the Moroccan Union of Labour, the National Union of
Labour in Morocco, the Federation of Democratic Trade Unions and the
Democratic Organization of Labour, in addition to a number of professional
and sectoral organizations and unions.

 

The participation rate on the first day of the general strike reached 84.9%,
according to the Moroccan Confederation of Labour, one of the largest trade
union centers in Morocco, stating in a statement that "the wheels of
production and movement stopped in all components of the economic fabric,
including the service, agricultural and commercial sectors, and in all
institutions, departments and services in the public service and ministerial
sectors." Educational institutions at various levels and fields were
"completely paralyzed," and the strike included vital and strategic sectors,
production and services, both public and private.

 

The national offices of the Democratic Confederation of Labour, the National
Union of Labour in Morocco, the Federation of Democratic Trade Unions and
the Democratic Organization of Labour, which called for the general strike
only on the fifth of this month (unlike the Moroccan Labour Union, which
called for a two-day strike), said that the participation rate in the
"warning" general strike exceeded 80%, according to a statement.

 

"The strike is in defense of the historical rights and gains of the working
class, and in protest of the crisis social situation, as a result of the
nature of the social policy choices that resulted in skyrocketing prices,
unemployment, inflation, and the deterioration of the purchasing power of
large groups and segments," the unions said in a statement.

 

Workers gathered in front of their union headquarters and raised slogans
denouncing the government's decisions, while a mass march took place in the
northern city of Tetouan.

 

Moroccan workers protested against "the restriction of trade union freedoms
and the restriction of the right to strike, which is constitutionally
guaranteed and guaranteed by international conventions, through the
suppressive draft law passed by the government based on its numerical
majority and outside the methodology of responsible dialogue and negotiation
to reach consensus," the same source explains.

 

The unions also reject a government plan to merge the National Fund for
Social Reserve Organizations (for government employees) and the National
Social Security Fund (for private sector employees), in an attempt to
address the crisis of the Fund for State Employees, which is suffering from
a significant decline in reserves and threatens imminent depletion, unlike
the Fund for Private Sector Employees, which is intended for the working
class in the private sector.

 

While the Moroccan working class was expressing its anger over the draft
strike law, the House of Representatives approved this legislative text in
its second reading on Wednesday, after the House of Councillors had
previously approved it.

 

The general strike was supported by large sections of Moroccan society and
international labor forces, including parties, associations, and sectoral
bodies.

 

The Tunisian General Labor Union sent a cable of support to the Moroccan
labor movement, in which it considered that "targeting trade union freedoms,
restricting the right to strike and ignoring the legitimate demands of trade
unions, in light of the deterioration of the purchasing power of all
citizens, is a flagrant violation of workers' rights and a violation of the
principles of fair social dialogue."

 

"We in the Tunisian General Labour Union, while affirming our full support
for the Moroccan trade union movement, salute its steadfastness in the face
of these unjust policies, and emphasize that respect for trade union rights
and social justice remain the main pillar of any serious and responsible
dialogue," the cable said.

 

The unions believe that the draft strike law was approved without a
"participatory approach." They accuse the government of "singling out" the
preparation of this legislative text and believe that its provisions strip
the working class of its main weapon, the strike, and its historical gains,
in order to satisfy the bourgeoisie and capital.

 

The unions also say the recent general strike was a "warning", vowing to
escalate if the government doesn't back down.

 

This article was translated from an article originally published in Arabic
on Madaar.

 

People's Dispatch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Egypt: How Cairo's 'Garbage City' Became the Envy of the World

Recycling Cairo's trash for free while providing employment to tens of
thousands, the Zabbaleen have much to teach other cash-strapped cities.

 

In the scorching afternoon heat, a few large refuse trucks barrel down the
streets of the Manshiyat Naser neighbourhood in Cairo, Egypt. They are
filled to the brim with waste, the main feature of this urban scene. Waste
spills out of the entrances of homes. It piles up on rooftops. It is strewn
along avenues.

 

The nickname for this area, nestled into the base of the Mokattam Mountain,
is, appropriately, "Garbage City". And here, garbage is gold.

 

As the growling trucks come to a halt, girls and women - old and young -
crowd around. Laughing and chatting with friends and relatives, they offload
items, collect them into their homes, and start to sort through them.

 

This street in Egypt's capital is one of countless nodes in what might be
the world's most efficient and sustainable recycling system. Germany, the
country with the highest recycling rate in the world, recycles about 66% of
its waste. The informal networks that manage refuse in this half of Cairo
are estimated to recycle over 80% of garbage they collect.

 

Moreover, much of the waste they find new uses for is plastic. Every year,
barely 9% of the 460 million metric tons of plastic produced worldwide is
recycled. Most of the rest is discarded into the environment where it chokes
marine wildlife, contaminates soil, and poisons groundwater.

 

The operations of Cairo's unique community of informal recyclers - known as
the Zabbaleen - have evolved organically over several decades. Today, almost
all of the 100,000 residents of Manshiyat Naser, the capital's main
recycling hub, live off or are involved in garbage-related activities. Each
family has its own particular role in a process that spans from the
collection and transportation of household waste to sorting, washing,
processing, and production.

 

In some families, the men and boys will go door-to-door, collecting about
30-40 kg of garbage each day. Back at their homes, women and girls will
remove the organic waste to feed to animals and then categorise the rest
into plastics, metal, cardboard, and fabric. The plastics are then
sub-divided into bottles, bags, and miscellaneous hard plastics. Once a
week, the accumulated 300-400 kg of garbage will be sold to other families,
who will further sort the items by material and colour. They will then sell
this cargo onto one of the few hundred households in Manshiyat Naser that
own machines that can wash, granulate, or pelletise the plastic.

 

The resulting material is then sold to factories. Plastic pellets can make
their way to Cairo, Alexandria, or the Nile Delta to be manufactured into
all manners of recycled products - from buckets and brooms to jugs and
flip-flops. Granulated water bottles may be turned into carpets, curtains,
and clothing that is then exported all around the world.

 

The Zabbaleen's activities have enormous positive repercussions for the
environment. They reduce the need to produce new plastic, 99% of which is
made from fossil fuels. And they dramatically cut the amount of waste that
would otherwise be burned or deposited in landfills, both of which would
release huge amounts of greenhouse gases and pollute local ecosystems.

 

Recycling in Cairo is also good business. A ton of plastic can sell for
$860, and residents say the industry has ensured there is zero unemployment
in the neighbourhood.

 

"There's never a day without work," boasts Ayman Agayby, 28, sitting outside
his home as he and his family sort undulating hills of plastic bags by
colour. "As long as the garbage keeps coming, we will always have jobs...We
make enough to live comfortably and send our children to school."

 

The abundance of work in Manshiyat Naser also means there is little need to
see others as rivals.

 

"We all have a lot of respect between each other," says Romani Badir, 55.
"We don't need to compete. Actually, our system works so well because we all
cooperate with one another. There's enough garbage and work for everyone to
play a role."

 

Badir first began helping in the family business half a century ago when he
was just four years old. He describes how, since then, useful knowledge has
been passed around and through the generations. Part of his job, for
instance, involves sorting plastics by type, separating out polyethylene
from polypropylene and other materials. Etched symbols provide one way to
decipher between the kinds of plastic, but the Zabbaleen have developed
another method over time.

 

"We can put a plastic piece into a bucket of water and if it floats in the
water then it is one of two materials," explains Badir. "If it sinks, then
it means it could be one of another two materials. Then we burn a piece of
the item and if the smoke is blue, then it is one kind of material. If the
smoke is black, then it must be another material."

 

Many other forms of specialist expertise have developed over the decades to
deal with the fast-proliferating range of objects being disposed of.

 

"Every day we process different items," says Sheata Abu Diem, 57, as he
unloads a bundle of discarded plastic flower pots he has just bought from a
family of sorters. "Today we are processing flower pots. Yesterday, it was
yoghurt cups. Tomorrow it will be something else."

 

"God decides what we will recycle each day," interjects his wife, Karima.

 

>From pig-rearing to plastic

 

This sophisticated system of garbage collection and recycling has gradually
evolved over almost a century. It was in the 1940s that those who would
become known as the Zabbaleen - Egyptian Arabic for "garbage people" - first
arrived in Cairo. Most were Coptic Christians from the rural province of
Assiut 400km south of the capital.

 

By this time, there was already a nascent waste collection service in parts
of the city, managed by migrants from the western Dakhla oasis known as the
Waahis. They gathered used paper from households and sold it to businesses
to use as fuel to heat public baths or cook the popular breakfast food ful
medames.

 

The Zabbaleen, who had been farmers, spotted an opportunity. They forged an
agreement with the Waahis whereby they would take over garbage collection.
The new migrants would hand over the paper to their partners but keep the
rest. At that point, that meant food and organic waste, which they would use
as fodder for raising pigs and goats, a practice that continues up until
today.

 

As time went on and Cairo grew, other materials - such as glass, plastic,
and aluminium - became a common part of the city's waste. The Zabbaleen
repurposed these to manufacture crude household items such as clothing pegs,
ice cream spoons, lollipop sticks, and paper stampers.

 

Meanwhile, the growth of private baths and kerosene meant paper was no
longer necessary for fuel. The Waahis instead began making money as
middlemen, collecting monthly fees from residents as they assigned
additional routes, streets, and buildings for garbage collection. This
arrangement situated the Zabbaleen, who were mostly illiterate, in a
dependent and exploitable position. They got a small fraction of the regular
payments. However, they knew that the real money was not in collection, but
recycling.

 

In the 1980s, by which time Manshiyat Naser had been connected to Cairo's
electricity and water grids, the Zabbaleen began investing their personal
funds into mechanising garbage collection and purchasing refuse trucks. In
the 1990s, as formal plastic recycling factories emerged in Egypt, they
acquired machines to process plastic into granules or pellets to sell on.

 

With the proceeds from these activities, the Zabbaleen began establishing
community-based organisations and improving the infrastructure of their
settlements. They enrolled increasing numbers of their children in schools,
especially girls, and introduced health programmes that reduced the neonatal
mortality rate.

 

More relatives, meanwhile, continued to arrive from rural areas as entire
extended families became employed in the industry. While remaining entirely
informal and based on communal relationships, the Zabbaleen's activities
grew along with the city and became increasingly sophisticated.

 

Badir recalls helping his father collect garbage on a donkey cart when he
was a small child in the 1970s. At the time, he was one of only five
children in the neighbourhood to go to school, after which he would hurry
home to help with the family business. A generation later, Badir was able to
send all four of his children not just to school but university, though they
all continue to help in the garbage work.

 

"Since they were very small I have been teaching them the knowledge of this
recycling work, so they will all continue with this business regardless of
their degrees," says Badir, who speaks fluent English and French. This story
is common around Manshiyat Naser, where family enterprises provide
sustainable and lucrative employment that is largely shielded from broader
economic slumps.

 

According to Badir, who is also secretary for the Association of Garbage
Collectors for Community Development, the industry has also attracted tens
of thousands of migrant workers from Upper Egypt and refugees from Sudan.
"We give them a place to stay, food to eat with us, everything," he says.
"In exchange, they work with us and help us make more money."

 

Some residents say that even educated Egyptians are turning to trash to make
a living. Abu Diem, a professional electrical technician, tells African
Arguments that he did not initially choose to work in Manshiyat Naser, but
ended up here. "This was where we got a chance to make money," he says. "The
economy is not good in Egypt. It's difficult to find jobs and especially
manual work is never consistent."

 

Over eight decades from when their predecessors first settled in Cairo, the
people now known as the Zabbaleen reside in six neighbourhoods to which they
bring waste to sort. The largest is Manshiyat Naser, where about 700
families own collection enterprises, 200 operate small- and medium-scale
recycling businesses, and 120 own trading enterprises.

 

Badir says of the 20,000 tons of waste Cairo produces daily, the six
Zabbaleen neighbourhoods recycle 11,000 tons, with Manshiyat Naser alone
accounting for 5,000.

 

"We are doing more than half the work for the city," says Badir proudly, and
at no cost to the city.

 

"They tried to implement a European system"

 

The Zabbaleen's relationship with officials, however, has not always been
smooth. In 2003, the Egyptian government attempted to privatise waste
services by signing contracts worth up to $50 million with multinationals,
according to Wael Salah Fahmi, professor of urban design at Cairo's Helwan
University.

 

Under these agreements, the corporations employed the Zabbaleen to continue
gathering garbage but put an end to the door-to-door collections that had
been running for decades. Instead, the companies set up large containers on
the streets into which residents were expected to deposit their waste.

 

"It ended very badly," says Laila Iskander, Egypt's former minister for
environment affairs and chair of the development firm CID Consulting. "They
tried to implement a European system that depends on these waste pooling
sites to reduce the cost of labour. But peoples' already-established habits
did not work well with that."

 

The streets of Cairo became coated in garbage. "Children would steal the
wheels and play with them," continues Iskander, a leading expert on Cairo's
waste management system. "Whole containers were stolen and sometimes
repurposed to store water during water cuts. They attracted stray dogs and
cats."

 

The Zabbaleen were not impressed. Badir, who helped negotiate with the
multinationals, says the salaries were initially so low that it was "not
enough to even cover the fuel for the trucks". Eventually, the salaries were
raised, but many Zabbaleen nonetheless bypassed the companies and continued
their informal door-to-door collections.

 

"They were happy to continue collecting the waste for nothing because their
lives relied on the recyclables," says Iskander. "They are not actually
garbage collectors, but recyclers."

 

According to CID Consulting, the multinationals were only required to
recycle 20% of the waste, with most of it going into landfills.

 

The experiment at privatisation was a colossal failure. The systems
implemented were unsuitable to the context and the wage-based approach
undermined the innovation and self-motivation that had characterised the
informal sector.

 

"Because our families rely on this work, and the more we recycle the more
money we get, everyone is trying their hardest to recycle the maximum amount
possible," says Badir. "When I am walking home and, on the way, I find two
cartons or bottles or cans on the street, I stop and pick them up. Sure,
this is cleaning the environment that I live in, but it also gives me more
money to recycle it and reuse it."

 

Despite the fiasco, the government was legally unable to rescind the
contracts for ten years. After this, Cairo's waste management system
reverted to the previous arrangement. Today, two of the city's four zones -
the Giza and Qalyubia governorates - contract the Zabbaleen to collect waste
door-to-door via the Waahi middlemen. The other two zones contract waste
collection services to Egyptian companies through municipalities.

 

More recent interactions with multinationals have been more productive.
Since 2019, three global food and drink giants - Nestlé, Pepsi and Heineken
- have worked with residents to collect and process bottles made from
recyclable PET plastic. This time the approach has been devised to suit the
local context. According to Iskander, whose firm CID Consulting co-designed
the project with Nestlé Egypt, the initiative has seen the Zabbaleen collect
44,000 tons of PET bottles.

 

"That's a lot of plastic," she says. "This proved once again that [the
Zabbaleen] are principle stewards of the environment and it showed the
formal sector that they are also the main source of feedstock for the
industry."

 

The initiative was put on hold last year while the Egyptian government
develops standards for its Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policy,
which makes producers liable for their products along the entire lifecycle.
Before the government operationalises these policies, the multinationals are
not able to officially track their progress.

 

"We are very proud"

 

Looking ahead, Iskander emphasises that any governmental reforms or
improvements to Cairo's waste management system should be done "with the
[Zabbaleen], not around them". She says that a priority ought to be finding
alternatives to the collectors bringing organic waste home, possibly by
providing residents two separate containers to put their refuse. "In the
heart of Cairo, nobody wants smelly organic waste to ruin the health and
cleanliness of the city," says Iskander.

 

She also explains that CID Consulting is working to help change the
Zabbaleen's official occupations on their identity cards to "recyclers".
They have succeeded with about 300 IDs, she says, and hope to complete half
a million.

 

"The perceptions of waste people everywhere in the world...are always
negative because they deal with waste and dirt," says Iskander. "In reality,
they are not scavengers. They are recyclers. We are trying globally to
improve [this profession's] image by explaining to everyone what they do for
the city, for climate change, our health, and the material economy."

 

Badir points out that the term Zabbaleen is not an insult but agrees that
"garbage person" is too limited. "We are very proud of this name," he says.
"The problem is that it doesn't accurately describe who we are. This term is
a name for someone producing garbage, while we are recycling and cleaning
the garbage."

 

The term also does not capture the innovative economy of their work.
Iskander argues that Cairo's informal system provides a powerful example for
cash-strapped towns around the world. In places where funding municipal
waste collection may be unfeasible, an informal system in which collectors
keep full revenues from the sale of recyclables could provide a similar
service while also creating employment, reducing pollution, and curbing
greenhouse gas emissions.

 

"It is an extremely relevant model for situations where communities and
cities cannot cover the cost of waste cleaning services," says Iskander.
"The Cairo model has succeeded and been sustained because the trouble of
collecting and not getting paid adequate fees has been compensated by the
revenue from the trade and processing of recyclable materials."

 

The positive contributions the Zabbaleen have made to the environment are
not lost on them.

 

"We have a lot to teach the world," says Badir, who has been invited to
speak about Manshiyat Naser's recycling activities at conferences in France,
Belgium, South Africa, and Vietnam. "From the time our children are very
young, we explain to them that what we are doing is protecting the
environment. We teach them that cardboard cartons come from trees. If I can
recycle 1,000 tons of cartons per day, I am making good money for my family
and at the same time I am protecting maybe 5,000 tons of trees per day.

 

"We raise our children to know how important this recycling is for the earth
and all its creatures. The trees produce oxygen, which humans need to stay
breathing. So if I can recycle even a single item, then I am protecting
human life all over the planet."

 

Jaclynn Ashly is a freelance journalist.

 

Read the original of this report, including embedded links and
illustrations, on the African Arguments site.

 

 

 

Nigeria: Senate Increases, Passes 2025 Budget

The increment comes about a week after President Tinubu requested an upward
review of the budget from the initial proposal of N49.7 trillion to N54.2
trillion.

 

The Senate, on Thursday, passed the 2025 budget with an increase of about
N750 billion.

 

It increased the budget from N54.2 trillion, proposed by President Bola
Tinubu, to N54.9 trillion.

 

The Committee of Supply considered the budget.

 

The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the budget's passage after
most senators supported it through voice votes.

 

The senators supported passage of the budget after they reviewed a report
presented by Adeola Olamilekan, chairman of the Senate Committee on
Appropriations.

 

Mr Olamilekan, while presenting the report, recommended that N3.6 trillion
be approved for Statutory Transfers, N14.3 trillion for Debt service, N23.9
trillion for Capital expenditure, and N13.8 trillion for Fiscal Deficit.

 

This increase comes about a week after President Tinubu requested an upward
budget revision by N4.5 trillion. He increased it from its initial proposal
of N49.7 trillion to N54.2 trillion.

 

In his letter to the National Assembly, President Tinubu explained that the
increment was necessary due to additional revenue from the Federal Inland
Revenue Service (FIRS), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), and other
revenue-generating agencies in 2024.

 

How additional N4.5 trillion was shared

 

Mr Olamilekan said the additional request of N5.4 trillion by President
Tinubu was approved to address critical challenges and advance government
developments.

 

He said N1 trillion was approved for the Solid Minerals Sector and N1.6
trillion was approved for the recapitalisation of the Bank of Agriculture
(BOA).

 

He said N5 trillion was approved for infrastructural projects, including
irrigation development through River Basin Development Authorities, which
specifically gulped N380 billion.

 

A total of N300 billion was approved for the construction and rehabilitation
of critical roads while N400 billion was allocated for light rail networks
in urban centres.

 

Border communities also got N50 billion from the share. Military and
barracks got N250 billion, and N120 billion was appropriated for military
aviation.

 

Health intervention

 

Mr Olamilekan also said the 2025 budget made a new provision of $200m, which
is equivalent to N300bn, to fill the gap created by the United States
Government's suspension of intervention in the Nigerian health sector to
proactively address the health challenges currently being experienced by
some countries.

 

Similarly, additional funds were allocated to some agencies, namely the
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Nigerian Financial
Intelligence Unit (NFIU), Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC),
Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Offences Commission (ICPC), National
Judicial Council (NJC), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

 

Premium Times.

 

 

 

 

 

Nigeria: NUC Signs MOU to Build AI Ecosystem Across Varsities

The National Universities Commission (NUC) has signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) with Daimlas Corporation, a global leader in Artificial
Intelligence (AI) innovation, to establish a comprehensive AI ecosystem
across Nigerian universities.

 

The groundbreaking collaboration aims to empower academic institutions with
cutting-edge AI resources, research opportunities, and a platform for
AI-driven education.

 

At the official signing of the MoU in Abuja, for the NUC AI Centre of
Excellence, Executive Secretary of NUC, Prof. Abdullahi Ribadu, expressed
the Commission's readiness to embrace the project towards its success.

 

"Based on the explanation and what they say, the next four years at least.
It's enough time for us to see and review and see that we are prepared. You
know, it's very good.

 

"Because at times, it's like a gauge, so to say. And when you start it, then
you see that you cannot do without it. And you are prepared to pay the
one-off cost.

 

"So I think it's a very good thing. And we are happy that we are established
already in many institutions that are well-known around the world. So I must
say that we are very happy that we willingly signed this thing," the
executive secretary said.

 

Earlier, Joseph Wehbe, CEO of Daimlas Corporation, Princeton, New Jersey,
USA, said they started the journey five years ago, and the idea is that AI
is affecting every part of society and academia.

 

According to him, universities in the US, as well as the federal states and
local governments, community colleges, and everyone else, are trying to
figure out their AI strategy, and our solution is a platform that brings the
ecosystem together.

 

He said, "In a fully functioning AI ecosystem, you have AI research centres,
you have AI labs, AI for entrepreneurs, AI for kids, AI for platform
companies, for small businesses. And when you bring all these ecosystems
together, you have great pathways for everyone that wants to participate in
the AI economy. The taxonomy of an AI ecosystem is different than an ICT
ecosystem.

 

"Why? Because in AI, academia is at the heart of the research that goes into
the advancements in AI. And on our platform that we built for NUC, it is to
create pathways for every university in Nigeria that wants to participate in
AI to join the platform. They create profiles at the management level,
leadership, also at the students and alumni of these universities.

 

"Anyone that has an AI goal in mind, they create a profile, and the platform
guides them to achieve their goal. Every stakeholder has a different goal in
AI. Someone might be trying to set up an AI bachelor's degree programme.

 

"Somebody might be setting up an AI lab. Someone might be setting up an AI
master's programme or getting an internship in AI. The platform facilitates
these opportunities for the different stakeholders," he said.

 

According to him, the organization has five ecosystems live globally, in New
Jersey, Massachusetts, Washington D.C., California, and Saudi Arabia. In
Nigeria, he said it has two that are with the Federal Ministry of
Innovation.

 

"So universities in Nigeria that want to connect to the Massachusetts
Corridor, to the New Jersey Corridor, to the California AI Corridor, can all
access the platform that way. And we look forward to engaging with the
universities, guiding them to start their AI journey, because it's very
difficult.

 

"Some universities, out of fear, would exclude AI from their offerings. But
the reality is that the job market is changing so fast, and the entry-level
jobs that the graduates are expected to get are all being replaced by AI. So
whether it's somebody studying marketing or law, it's a lot cheaper to get
the AI to do those entry-level jobs than to hire new graduates.

 

"So these talents that are coming out of university also need to be prepared
for an AI future. And the jobs of the future haven't been created because a
lot of those entry-level jobs are going to be eliminated. AI doesn't sleep
and it doesn't complain about your new graduate," he added.

 

Leadership.

 

 

 

 

 

Nigeria's Crude Oil Production Rose in January - OPEC

According to the oil cartel's direct communication data, Nigeria recorded
1,539 million barrels per day in January from 1,485 million recorded in
December 2024, an increase of 54,000 barrels.

 

According to data from the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries
(OPEC), Nigeria's crude oil production rose in January.

 

According to the oil cartel's direct communication data, Nigeria recorded
1,539 million barrels per day in January from 1,485 million recorded in
December 2024, an increase of 54,000 barrels.

 

Nigeria's crude oil production recorded 1,495 million barrels per day (bpd)
in January, from 1,525 million bpd recorded in December 2024, a decrease of
29,000 barrels, an OPEC survey, which cites secondary data sources, said.

 

OPEC indicated it gets its crude oil production figures mainly from two
sources, either as direct communication by member countries or by
information released by secondary energy intelligence platforms.

 

The report showed that Nigeria retained its position as the largest oil
producer in Africa, surpassing Algeria, which produced 907,000 bpd in the
month under review.

 

The oil cartel explained that after the Nigerian economy recorded healthy
growth in the third quarter of 2024 across key sectors, economic growth is
also anticipated to have been steady in the fourth quarter of 2024.

 

It noted that economic growth reached 3.5 per cent, year-on-year, in the
third quarter of 2024, up from 3.2 per cent in the second quarter of 2024.

 

"This came despite the impact of tightening monetary policy, with the
non-oil sector playing an increasingly important role in driving growth,
supported by easing price pressures and a potential loosening of tight
monetary policy," it said.

 

However, it said the oil sector remains central to the economy, and the
Dangote Refinery reaching full production capacity should help stabilise the
petroleum product supply and possibly lower petrol prices.

 

Over the years, crude theft and pipeline vandalism and its negative impact
on the country's economy have been a source of concern to the Nigerian
government.

 

On 2 July 2024, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd)
declared a state of emergency on Nigeria's crude oil production. The move,
according to the company, aimed to increase Nigeria's crude oil production
and grow its reserves.

 

Additionally, the Nigerian government approved $21 million for the metering
of 187 oil flow stations across the Niger Delta region to promote effective
monitoring of the country's crude oil production and distribution.

 

Premium Times.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nigeria: MTN Apologies for Increasing Cost of Data Plan By 200%

MTN acknowledged that the price hike was a mistake and asked its subscribers
to forgive and forget.

 

Mobile network operator MTN has tendered an apology to its subscribers for
the recent increase in the price of its 15GB data plan by 200 per cent.

 

On Tuesday, MTN increased the price of its 15GB data subscription by 200 per
cent, amid a recent approval by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC)
for telecom operators to review their tariffs by 50 per cent.

 

Under the revised pricing, the MTN 1.8GB monthly plan now costs N1,500,
replacing the previous 1.5GB plan that was priced at N1,000. The 20GB plan
has increased to N7,500 from N5,500.

 

On 20 January, the NCC said it would approve tariff adjustment requests by
network operators in response to prevailing market conditions.

 

The NCC in a statement signed by Reuben Muoka, the director of Public
Affairs, said the decision is pursuant to its power under Section 108 of the
Nigerian Communications Act, 2003 (NCA) to regulate and approve tariff rates
and charges by telecommunications operators.

 

The adjustment, capped at a maximum of 50 per cent of current tariffs,
though lower than the over 100 per cent requested by some network operators,
was arrived at taking into account ongoing industry reforms that will
positively influence sustainability, the regulator said.

 

These adjustments will remain within the tariff bands stipulated in the 2013
NCC Cost Study, and requests will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis as is
the Commission's standard practice for tariff reviews. It will be
implemented in strict adherence to the recently issued NCC Guidance on
Tariff Simplification, 2024, the commission said.

 

In its statement on Thursday, MTN, the largest mobile network in Nigeria
with millions of subscribers, acknowledged the price hike and asked its
subscribers to forgive and forget.

 

"To our 15G digital bundle lovers, you dey vex. We know. We know how
upsetting it must have been to suddenly wake up to a 200% increase on your
favourite digital bundle.

 

"We could share several reasons, and provide explanations, but omo, all that
one na story. We don cast. We get it and admit it. Let's just say na
mistake.

 

"In this love season, don't stay angry with us. Please forgive and forget.
You matter, die, and we will never stop showing you how much. Let's continue
our relationship. Thank you for your understanding," the company said in
pidgin English.

 

Premium Times.

 

 

 

 

 

Nigerian Agency Shuts Down Nine Filling Stations for Under-Dispensing

"It is a big offence to under-dispense petroleum products to customers. Any
petroleum marketer caught will face the full wrath of the law."

 

The Nigeria Mainstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority
(NMDPRA) has sealed seven filling stations in Kogi and two in Ogun over
alleged under-dispensing of products to customers.

 

The NMDPRA Kogi coordinator, Ogbe Godwin, who disclosed that of Kogi during
a news conference on Thursday in Lokoja, accused the stations of branding
without authorisation.

 

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the affected stations include:
Solag Resources Ltd., Ankpa, Hismus Oil and Gas, Obajana, Riyenic Global
Ltd., Oke-Ibukun Kabba and S.O.T Nigeria Ltd.

 

Others are, Omuo Kabba, Marktot Oil and Gas, Kabba, and NIPCO Filling
Station.

 

Mr Godwin lamented the attitude of some oil marketers, who sabotage the
efforts of the government and the system for selfish interest.

 

"As long as NMDPRA is concerned, we will not condone such an act here in
Kogi.

 

"It is a big offence to under-dispense petroleum products to customers. Any
petroleum marketer caught will face the full wrath of the law.

 

"All the seven filling stations we shut today will be paying to the coffers
of the federal government. This will serve as a deterrent to others, who may
tend to follow this dubious act," he said.

 

According to him, NMDPRA visited 50 filling stations and sealed seven for
under-dispensing.

 

He disclosed that four filling stations were also sealed for operating
without a licence.

 

The coordinator gave the names to include Absala Oil and Gas, Yak Ali Oil
and Gas, Yamuda Nigeria Ltd, and Hanimat Nigeria Ltd, all in Ankpa Local
Government Area of the state.

 

"We will no longer tolerate any marketer who is operating illegally in the
state. It is better for them to go and do the needful by registering their
stations with the federal government or the long arms of the law will catch
up with them.

 

"NMDPRA won't give any breathing space for individuals who intend to
sabotage government efforts, but will ensure that petroleum products are
available in Kogi without any compromise," he said.

 

Another two in Ogun

 

Also, the NMDPRA said it sealed two filling stations and a gas plant in
Sagamu, Ogun State, over alleged infractions.

 

The NMDPRA Coordinator in Ogun and surveillance team lead, Akinyemi Atilola,
who coordinated the exercise on Wednesday, said the action was in order to
safeguard the lives and properties of residents.

 

He noted that the monitoring and surveillance action would also curb the
excesses of petroleum marketers and the continued extortion of unsuspecting
customers.

 

Mr Atilola said that the filling stations were sealed for under-dispensing
while the gas outlet was sealed for operating without approval.

 

Mr Atilola noted that while the government preaches domestic gas utilisation
for Nigerians, it was important to ensure rules and regulations were
followed to prevent potential risks associated with its usage.

 

He said that his office received a letter from the community where the
illegal gas plant was situated and upon visiting the site, they found out it
did not have the approval to construct.

 

He said that no reasonable government agency would give such a place
approval.

 

According to him, the site is situated within a densely populated
residential area.

 

"And we are here again today to sound a note of warning that NMDPRA will not
fold its hands while some people think that they can engage in gas plant
construction without recourse and respect to the safety rules for the people
around.

 

"We are out here on surveillance. We also need to know the quantity of fuel
that is being dispensed to the masses, to know that they have value for
their money.

 

"You can't spend money on buying fuel at N959, N980 and still be having
shortages; that isn't good for our economy.

 

"So many of these stations will be monitored and we will definitely go after
whoever is committing any infractions, malpractice in terms of quality, and
quantity.

 

"We will also look at the safety of the stations," the official said.

 

He advised petroleum and gas marketers to prioritise the issue of safety and
conduct their businesses with the utmost sense of duty to ensure the safety
of all.

 

Mr Atilola also urged the public to register complaints of filling stations
or gas outlets suspected of flouting regulations at its office.

 

(NAN)

 

Premium Times.

 

 

 

 


 


 


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Companies under Cautionary

 

 

 


 

 

 

 


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report shall be solely responsible for making their own independent
investigation into the business, financial condition and future prospects of
any companies referred to in this report. Other  Indices quoted herein are
for guideline purposes only and d from third parties.

 


 

 


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<mailto:bulls at bullszimbabwe.com> bulls at bullszimbabwe.com Tel: +27 79 993
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