Headlines
Dangote refinery begins production of petrol
The facility to begin sale immediately
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
The 650,000 barrels per day Dangote refinery has concluded the test production of petroleum and will begin sale immediately.
KANO FOCUS reports that this will bring much needed relief to Nigerians currently experiencing excruciation petrol scarcity in towns and cities across the country.
It was gathered that all the parameters for certifying the suitability of any refining asset have been satisfactorily ticked by the superstructure owned by Africa’s richest person, Mr Aliko Dangote.
The country despite spending billions of dollars on turnaround maintenance of its four official refineries for over two decades has been unable to get them to work.
Nigeria which consumes about 66 million litres of petrol daily on the average, currently spends a huge chunk of its budget, exceeding $10 billion by some estimates on the importation of the road fuel every year.
The development is expected to save the country several billions of dollars in foreign exchange as well as enhance the local availability of the critical fuel heavily used by businesses and homes.
In the same vein, Africa’s largest oil refining facility, is on the brink of producing significant volumes of petrol and the fuel could be made available as early as this week, Bloomberg reported on Monday.
Describing it as a landmark moment with the potential to transform the global market for the fuel, the report quoting two sources, stated that that product testing has started in earnest.
The giant new facility near the commercial hub of Lagos is on the verge of producing large amounts of the fuel and will be able to process 650,000 barrels a day of oil when at full capacity, turning more than half of that into petrol.
The ramp up is likely to be welcomed within the country, given that the state oil company — Nigeria’s main importer of fuel — said its ability to supply gasoline is being disrupted by debt and rising prices, Bloomberg stressed.
Dangote’s production is expected to impact billions of dollars of trade in fuel markets regionally and beyond as Nigeria remains a global demand sink for the fuel, receiving almost 250,000 barrels a day in shipments last year, mostly from Europe, according to data from analytics firm Vortexa Ltd.
Key to the plant’s petrol output is a unit called a reformer, which produces blendstock for the road fuel. That has started operating, with petrol production expected to begin by the end of the week, one of the people told the international news agency. Another said petrol would be rolled out this week.
At full rates, the refinery is expected to be able to produce about 330,000 barrels a day of petrol, according to Randy Hurburun, senior refinery analyst at consultancy Energy Aspects Ltd. That’s more than 1 per cent of global demand for the road fuel, which is about 27 million barrels a day.
Still, those volumes are a long way off, with Energy Aspects forecasting about 90,000 barrels a day of production in the fourth quarter, increasing to almost 250,000 in the second half of next year. Key to raising output further is another unit called a residue fluid catalytic cracker.
The refinery has been gradually ramping up after years of delays. The plant’s owner, Aliko Dangote, said in July the plant was aiming to start petrol production from August.
In response to questions about the various steps involved in ramping up gasoline output, a spokesman for Dangote told Bloomberg “we are on track”.
In the same vein, a Reuters report said on Monday that the refinery had begun processing petrol after delays caused by recent crude shortages, quoting an executive of the company.
The $20 billion refinery began operations in January with output of products including naphtha and jet fuel. The refinery promises to ease oil producer Nigeria’s costly reliance on imported oil products.
“We are testing the product (petrol) and subsequently it will start flowing into the product tanks,” said Devakumar Edwin, a vice president at Dangote Industries Limited. He did not however say exactly when the petrol would hit the local market.
Edwin said state-oil firm, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), Nigeria’s sole importer of petrol, would buy the product exclusively.
“If no one is buying it, we will export it as we have been exporting our aviation jet fuel and diesel,” Edwin said.
The delivery of petrol into the Nigerian market will ease NNPC’s struggle to supply the local market. The company is reeling with debts of $6 billion to oil traders for supply since January, Reuters reported.
This has affected its ability to supply the local market where fuel queues have persisted since July.
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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