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.
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
Nafisah Yusuf Hassan, a magistrate in Kano State, has been recommended for appointment as a judge of the Kano State High Court by the National Judicial Council (NJC).
KANO FOCUS reports that Hassan is among four judicial officers from Kano State recommended for elevation to the High Court bench out of 28 candidates selected nationwide.
The other nominees are Halima Yahuza Ahmad, Abdullahi Abdulsalam Bature and Musa Ibrahim Umar.
The NJC disclosed the recommendations in a statement issued by its Deputy Director of Information, Kemi Babalola-Ogedengbe, following its consideration of candidates for judicial appointments across the country.
The council said all recommended candidates were expected to be sworn in by their respective state governors without delay.
Hassan’s recommendation follows her years of service in the Kano State judiciary, where she has reportedly distinguished herself through diligence, professionalism and careful handling of cases.
She has been commended for her commitment to judicial ethics, diligence and fairness in the discharge of her responsibilities, achievements that contributed to her career progression within the judiciary.
Her elevation is part of a broader development in the Kano State judiciary, with four magistrates from the state successfully scaling the selection process for appointment to the High Court.
The four nominees were reportedly assessed during the selection exercise and demonstrated strong professional competence, while their service records were found to be free of adverse remarks.
Their recommendation marks a significant step in their judicial careers and is expected to strengthen the judicial workforce in Kano State upon their formal appointment.
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
The Kano State Accountability Forum on Education (K-SAFE) says it has tracked nearly 1,000 education projects across the state as part of efforts to promote transparency, accountability and effective service delivery in the education sector.
KANO FOCUS the coalition’s Co-Chair, Dr Auwalu Halilu, disclosed this on Wednesday during an advocacy visit to the Kano State Ministry of Public Procurement and Project Monitoring.
Dr Halilu said K-SAFE had monitored projects in more than six local government areas, covering interventions implemented by the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Kano State Senior Secondary Education Management Board and Local Education Authorities (LEAs).
He explained that the monitoring exercise involved physical inspections and documentation of projects through photographs, videos and geographical locations.
According to him, reports of the findings had been submitted to relevant ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), highlighting projects that met required standards and those requiring further attention.
He cited Rimin Gado Local Government Area, where the coalition tracked more than 80 education projects, adding that it planned to extend the exercise to all 44 local government areas of the state.
The K-SAFE Co-Chair said the visit was aimed at presenting the coalition’s activities to the ministry and exploring areas of collaboration in procurement and project monitoring.
He called for the inclusion of civil society organisations in procurement and monitoring processes, particularly tender board activities and field inspections, to strengthen independent oversight and provide them with firsthand information on government projects.
Dr Halilu also requested the ministry’s support in organising capacity-building programmes for civil society organisations on procurement procedures, due process, project standardisation, monitoring and evaluation.
He said such training would enhance civil society organisations’ understanding of procurement regulations and the technical requirements guiding project implementation.
Responding, the Commissioner for Public Procurement and Project Monitoring, Dr Nura Iro Ma’aji, welcomed the delegation and acknowledged the coalition’s contributions to supporting the state government’s efforts in the education sector.
He expressed the ministry’s readiness to collaborate with K-SAFE through information sharing and other relevant engagements to strengthen accountability and ensure compliance with due process.
“From our side, we are ready to work together because we know what they have been doing to support Kano State Government in the education sector,” he said.
Dr Halilu further disclosed that the coalition and its partner organisations had carried out the monitoring exercise without financial sponsorship, describing it as a demonstration of their commitment to transparency and accountability.
He reaffirmed K-SAFE’s commitment to sustaining engagement with relevant government agencies, civil society organisations and the media to strengthen oversight of education projects across Kano State.
Ibrahim Khalil
Government Secondary School (GSS) Army Day Bukavu has emerged champion in both the male and female categories of the maiden Kano State Secondary Schools Tug of War Competition.
KANO FOCUS reports that the school clinched the double victory at the competition, which ended on Wednesday at the Kano Pillars Stadium, Sabon Gari, Kano.
Governors College finished as runners-up in the male category, while Government Girls College (GGC) Kano secured second position in the female category.
The competition was organised by the Kano State Tug of War Association in collaboration with the state Ministry of Education, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the Kano State Sports Commission.
The maiden championship brought together secondary school students to promote teamwork, discipline, unity and sportsmanship, while raising awareness about the dangers of drug abuse.
Speaking at the closing ceremony, the Vice Chairman of the Kano State Tug of War Association, Jamilu Uba Adamu, described the competition as a successful initiative that had achieved its objectives.
He commended the Ministry of Education, Sports Commission, NDLEA, Gongoni Company Limited and MAGZO Pharmaceutical for supporting the event, particularly through the provision of T-shirts and Pocari Sweat drinks.
Also speaking, the Secretary of the Kano State Tug of War Association, Bashir Muhammad Sulaiman, who represented the Executive Chairman of the Sports Commission, Muhammad Tukur Babangida, reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to developing grassroots and school sports.
He said the initiative would help identify and nurture young sporting talents across the state.
The closing ceremony was attended by a member of the Kano State Football Association Board, Rilwanu Idris Malikawa Garu, representatives of the Ministry of Education, NDLEA, the Sports Commission and other stakeholders in the sports sector.
The organisers congratulated the winning schools and commended all participating institutions and partners for contributing to the success of the maiden edition.
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