Business
Port Harcourt Refinery Set for Commercial Production Soon
Nigeria’s oil marketers are expressing renewed optimism about the Port Harcourt Refinery’s imminent start of commercial production.
According to Billy Gillis-Harry, the national president of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria, his recent visit to the refinery, which has a capacity of 250 barrels per day, revealed that it is now prepared to produce petroleum products on a commercial scale.
Gillis-Harry noted that both the Port Harcourt Refinery and the Dangote Refinery are crucial for eliminating fuel shortages in Nigeria.
He emphasized that significant progress has been made, and he is hopeful that the refinery will begin operations in the near future. His firsthand observation of the efforts underway at the refinery supports this optimism.
In an interview with oil and gas expert Zakka Bala, it was highlighted that the future of Nigeria’s energy security depends significantly on the successful revitalization of key government-owned refineries, including those in Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna.
Bala pointed out that while the Dangote Refinery operates as a profit-driven private entity, the government-owned refineries are intended to serve the public’s needs.
Bala expressed concern that private refineries, which are focused on maximizing profits, might undermine the success of national refineries if they begin receiving crude allocations from them.
He stressed the need for the government to ensure that these national refineries are allowed to thrive and serve the public interest.
This development follows an earlier projection by Mele Kyari, the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), who had anticipated that the Port Harcourt Refinery would begin operations in August 2024.
The NNPCL had previously set March and July 2024 as tentative dates for the refinery’s operational launch, following its mechanical completion in December of the previous year.
The refinery’s turnaround maintenance, which began in 2021, involved a significant investment of $1.5 billion.
This substantial expenditure has recently attracted scrutiny, with Opeyemi Bamidele, Chairman of the Senate Committee investigating alleged economic sabotage in the Nigerian Petroleum Industry, calling for an investigation into the use of these funds.
Overall, the successful commencement of the Port Harcourt Refinery’s operations is seen as a pivotal moment for Nigeria’s energy sector, potentially bringing an end to persistent fuel shortages and strengthening national energy security.
Business
“Minimum Wage Can Buy a Bag Now” — User Claims Rice Price Falling in Nigeria
Nigerians react as a user claims and shares that the price of rice in Nigeria is already reducing.
“Rice prices are finally dropping, minimum wage can buy a bag now. Step by step, we’re getting there. Nigeria will work in our lifetime.”
It can be noted that rice was sold at ₦85k to ₦90k, however, according to a market survey, the price of rice has dropped to ₦56k to ₦62k.
Business
New Telecom that Allows Minutes Instead of Airtime for Calls Launches in Nigeria
Nigerians now have a new choice when it comes to making calls and browsing the internet. A new telecom company called LEBARA has launched in the country with a new idea. Instead of the usual airtime system that most networks use, this company is offering something different, subscribers will now buy call minutes and data directly.
What makes this different is that customers will only pay for what they actually use. If you buy 100 minutes, those minutes are yours until you use them up. If you make a call that lasts only 30 seconds, the rest of your time remains, leaving you with 99 minutes and 30 seconds. Nothing is taken away without your knowledge, and every second is accounted for.
The company is rolling out its services with the new 0724 number series, and it already has connections with all the major networks in Nigeria. This means subscribers will be able to call friends, family, and business contacts across MTN, Airtel, Glo, 9mobile and others without any problems. They have also been licensed as a Tier 5 Mobile Virtual Network Operator, which is the highest category approved by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
Company officials explained that the goal is to give Nigerians more freedom, fairness, and transparency. For years, people have raised concerns about airtime being deducted too quickly or without clear explanation. By introducing a minutes-based model, the new operator wants to end that problem once and for all. Subscribers can clearly see what they paid for, how much they have used, and what is left.
Business
Child Abuse Victim Begs Elon Musk to Stop Circulation of Abusive Content on X
Victim of child abuse pleads and urges American billionaire and businessman, Elon Musk, to halt the spread of a link that showcases her abuse on the social media platform, X.
The victim shared as she pleaded with Musk: “Hearing that my abuse — and the abuse of so many others — is still being circulated and commodified here is infuriating.”
The victim then expressed anger and disappointment that she is still reminded of her hurtful past and pleaded that Elon stop the link as he is the owner of the platform.
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