Headlines
Buhari inaugurates Dangote refinery
Aminu Abdullahi
President Muhammadu Buhari has inaugurated the Dangote petroleum refinery, an illustrious project expected to catalyse the transformation of Nigeria’s energy sector.
KANO FOCUS reports that Buhari inaugurated the facility on Monday in Lagos as bigwigs, industry players, and presidents of African countries, gathered to witness the unveiling of a $19 billion facility, set to revolutionise crude oil refining in Africa.
The landmark inauguration comes a decade after Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest businessman, announced plans for the refinery in September 2013, when he secured about $3.3 billion in financing for the project.
Speaking at the inauguration Buhari said facility has the capacity to process 650,000 barrels a day of crude which would enable “our country to achieve self-sufficiency in refined products, and even have some surplus for export”.
“This clearly makes this event a notable milestone for our economy and a game-changer for the downstream petroleum products market, not only in Nigeria, but the entire African continent,” the president said.
Buhari, stressing on the significance of the project, said Nigeria’s economy has been stressed for many decades by efficiencies in economicinfrastructure and over a decade of insurgency.
He said has also been severely impacted by several external crisis including the global financial crisis, the collapse of oil prices, the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war.
‘OUR ECONOMY WILL BE CHALLENGED WITHOUT PRIVATE SECTOR PARTICIPATION’
According to the president, the consequences of these challenges constitutes a severe strain on “our economy, limiting government’s ability to provide basic infrastructure without resorting to huge borrowings.
“Our government, therefore, took the decision to focus attention on creating an enabling environment for the private sector to thrive and fill the enormous depth in investments not only in infrastructure, but also in all critical sectors,” Buhari said.
“We recognise that without active participation of the private sector and a strong commitment to public private partnership, our economy will continue to remain severely challenged.
“Government, therefore, will and should continue to provide an enabling environment and encourage innovative public private partnership in all sectors of our economy.”
The Dangote Petroleum Refinery, with a capacity to process 650,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd), is sitting on 2,635 hectares of land located in Dangote Industries Free Zone in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos, and will employ over 100,000 persons.
The coming onstream of the project is expected to mark Nigeria’s exit from the league of oil-rich nations which are heavy importers of petroleum products.
It expected that the new refinery would meet 100 percent of the Nigerian requirement of all refined products (gasoline, 53 million litres per day; diesel, 34 million litres per day; kerosene, 10 million litres per day, and aviation jet, (2 million litres per day), and also have a surplus of each of these products for export.
The refinery is also said to be designed for 100 percent Nigerian crude with the flexibility to process other crudes.
Dangote, addressing guests at the event thanked Buhari for his unwavering commitment to the project.
He promised that petroleum products from the refinery would circulate in the Nigerian market soon.
“Our first goal is to ramp up projections of various production to ensure that within this year, we are able to fully satisfy our nation’s demand for higher quality products to enable us to eliminate the tragedy of import dependency and stop, once and for all, the dumping in our market of toxic substandard petroleum products” the billionaire said.
“Our first products will be in the market before the end of July, beginning of August this year.
Former Kano State Governor and Senator, Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, has voiced his disappointment and concern regarding the Federal Government’s approach to distributing rice palliatives in Kano State.
During a recent week-long visit to Kano, Senator Kwankwaso observed that while governors in 35 other states received the palliatives directly, Kano’s allocation was controversially handed over to members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), sidestepping the state government entirely.
Senator Kwankwaso condemned this move as a blatant violation of constitutional principles, accusing the government of taking partisanship to an unacceptable level.
He called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immediately suspend the distribution process and address the issue.
In addition, Senator Kwankwaso expressed concern over the frequent reshuffling of State Directors of the Department of State Services (DSS) in Kano, noting that three different directors had been posted and reposted within just two weeks, potentially jeopardizing the state’s security.
Mukhtar Yahya Usman
Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin has inaugurated a postgraduate foreign scholarship program under his foundation, aimed at providing advanced educational opportunities for students from Kano.
The scholarship will enable beneficiaries to pursue postgraduate studies in cutting-edge fields such as Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Cybersecurity and Forensic Science, and Robotics Technology in India, China, and Thailand.
During a ceremony in Kano on Monday, where admission letters were distributed to the first batch of 70 recipients, Jibrin emphasized that the selected students would embark on two-year postgraduate programs in these technologically advanced fields.
Jibrin highlighted the rigorous and transparent selection process overseen by a dedicated committee, which prioritized academic excellence.
Only candidates with first-class or second-class upper degrees were considered, ensuring that the most qualified students were chosen.
He stressed that the process was impartial, noting that he had no personal connections with any of the beneficiaries.
Importantly, the scholarship is not limited to students from Kano North, Jibrin’s senatorial district, but is inclusive of all 44 local government areas in Kano State.
“Our goal is to invest in the future of our youth through education,” Jibrin stated.
“We carefully selected these areas of study because they are at the forefront of modern technology.
“This initiative is designed to equip our students with the skills needed for the overall development of our nation.”
Jibrin encouraged the beneficiaries to be diligent in their studies and to represent Nigeria positively in their host countries.
He also expressed that students who find opportunities abroad after their studies are welcome to stay and gain further experience before returning to Nigeria.
Dr. Yusuf Tanko Sununu, the Minister of State for Education, lauded Jibrin for his commitment to advancing education and providing such opportunities for Kano’s youth.
Mukhtar Yahya Usman
In a significant academic milestone, the Senate of Bayero University, Kano (BUK) has approved the promotion of 90 senior academics to the ranks of Professors and Associate Professors.
KANO FOCUS reports that the decision was made during the Senate’s 416th meeting, held on Wednesday, August 28, 2024.
The promotion list includes 45 academics who have attained the rank of Professor, further bolstering BUK’s academic reputation across various disciplines.
Among those promoted to Professor are Dr. Umar Sani Fagge, now Professor of Arabic Language; Dr. Ibrahim Muazzam Saminu Maibushira, Professor of Islamic Thought and Civilization; and Dr. Tijjani Muhammad Naniya, who has been elevated to Professor of Social and Political History.
In the sciences, Dr. Mukhtar Ridwanu Bunza has been promoted to Professor of Forest Ecology and Silviculture, while Dr. Kasim Muhammad has become Professor of Environmental Engineering. Other notable promotions include Dr. Murtala M. Badamasi as Professor of Geography and Dr. Salisu Maiwada Abubakar as Professor of Nutritional Biochemistry.
The list also highlights the promotion of five female academics to full Professorships, underscoring BUK’s commitment to gender diversity in academia. Among them are Dr. Ummulkhair A. Dantata, now Professor of Hausa Language; Dr. Latifa Musa Pedro, Professor of Health Economics; and Dr. Hauwa Musa Abdullahi, who has become Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
In addition to these promotions, 45 academics have been elevated to the rank of Associate Professor.
This includes Dr. Lawal Muhammad Bello in Electrical Engineering, Dr. Warshu Tijjani Rabi’u in Islamic Studies & Shari’ah, and Sunusi Iguda in Mass Communication.
This wave of promotions reflects BUK’s dedication to academic excellence and its ongoing efforts to enhance the quality of education and research within the institution.
The university continues to position itself as a leading center of learning and scholarship in Nigeria and beyond.
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Barau Jibrin Launches Postgraduate Foreign Scholarship Scheme for Kano Students
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Fagge, Mai Bushira, Naniya now professors as BUK Promotes 90 Senior Academics
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