General
Customs Seizes Illicit Goods Worth Over N31bn
By Bon Peters
Illicit goods with a duty-paid value of over N31 billion have been seized at the Area II Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) in Onne, Rivers State.
The items were imported into the country in 12 forty-foot containers and were intercepted by officials of the agency and comprised 4,800 pairs of military/paramilitary camouflage rain boots, 67,320 pairs of various rubber footwear, 562,600 bottles of 100ml cough syrup with codeine, 3,150 pieces of chilly cutters, 380,000 bottles of 100ml cough syrup with codeine, 24,480,000 tablets of Royal Tramadol Hydrochloride, 5,350,000 tablets of Tapentadol and Carisoprodol, 892,400 bottles of 100ml cough syrup with codeine, 1,300,000 tablets of 50mg Really Extra Diclofenac, 7,250,000 tablets of 5mg Trodol Benzhexol, and other items.
At a press briefing in the Rivers State on Wednesday, the Comptroller General of the NCS, Mr Adewale Adeniyi, said the importers were trying to undermine the trade facilitation posture of his administration, but expressed confidence in the ability of the leader of the Command, Mr Mohammed Babandede, and his team to beat them in their games.
“Our emphasis has been to promote initiatives that speak to trade facilitation and economic development. It is a matter of regret that criminal elements in the international supply chain are exploiting our pro-trade stance to commit atrocities bothering on National Security breaches,” Mr Adeniyi said.
“The attempt to test our will through the importation of dangerous cargo through this port has necessitated the declaration of a state of emergency in Onne Port.
“Coming on the heel of a seizure of a huge cache of arms a couple of months ago, it is disheartening that perpetrators have not backed down on their illegal acts,” he stated.
The customs chief reiterated that recent intelligence and seizures have revealed a disturbing trend at Onne Port which, according to him, is increasingly being used as a destination for dangerous and illicit cargo importation.
He insisted that the scale and nature of these illegal importations posed a significant threat to the national security and the health of her citizens.
“We are here to showcase yet another series of significant seizures made by the diligent officers of the Area 11 Command,” he said.
On the dangers such goods would pose to the nation at large, Mr Adeniyi called on all patriotic citizens to assist the customs, saying the fight was not for the organisation alone, stressing that any information shared with the agency would help prevent what he described as a potential catastrophe.
“I want to emphasize that this is not just a customs issue – it is a national security concern that affects every Nigerian.
“We are, therefore, calling on all patriotic citizens to assist us in this crucial endeavour. We need your help in providing intelligence regarding those behind these nefarious acts and their intentions.
“Your information, no matter how small, could be the key to preventing a potential catastrophe. Therefore, effective immediately, we are implementing emergency protocols at Onne Port.
“For the next three months, we will be conducting thorough examinations of all suspected containers. If the owners do not come forward for examination, we will open these containers to verify their contents. This is a temporary but necessary measure to clean up the port and restore its integrity,” he averred.
However, he assured legitimate traders that such a measure was not to disrupt their businesses but to create a more secure business environment for their businesses to thrive.
“I want to assure the business community and legitimate importers that this measure is not aimed at disrupting lawful trade.
“Our goal is to create a safer, more secure environment for genuine business activities to thrive. We will work to ensure that lawful shipments are processed as quickly and efficiently as possible during this period,” Mr Adeniyi said.
But he warned those who may be tempted to continue these illegal activities to desist as the customs would collaborate with other security agencies to bring the full weight of the law upon anyone found complicit in these crimes against our nation.
By Dipo Olowookere
A $15 million debt facility has been obtained by Watt Renewable Corporation from the AfriGreen Debt Impact Fund to finance hybrid solar power plants to be built and operated by the former, especially in Nigeria.
WATT intends to use the projects to serve commercial and industrial clients in Nigeria, particularly in the telecommunication and financial services sectors.
By integrating solar hybrid solutions, the firm aims to significantly reduce diesel consumption and CO2 emissions, enabling its clients to achieve substantial energy cost savings while promoting environmental sustainability.
As a pioneer in renewable energy solutions, WATT continues to drive innovation in Nigeria’s energy sector.
The company’s robust roll-out plan includes deploying hundreds of hybrid solar power sites nationwide to meet the growing energy demands of commercial & industrial clients.
This strategic expansion aligns with WATT’s vision to revolutionize energy access across Africa, enabling sustainable development and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
The funds from AfriGreen provide the critical capital needed to accelerate WATT’s ambitious projects, strengthening its market position and empowering businesses with reliable and affordable energy solutions.
Business Post gathered that to mitigate the currency risk for WATT in the event of devaluation of the Nigerian Naira, AfriGreen is offering a local currency facility that matches the payment structure of the power purchase agreements.
“We are thrilled to partner with AFRIGREEN on this transformative journey to expand reliable and sustainable energy solutions across Africa.
“With this support, it enables us to accelerate our shared mission of providing hybrid solar power to businesses, reducing carbon emissions, and supporting economic growth while enhancing energy security for our clients,” the Managing Director of WATT, Mr Oluwole Eweje, said.
“We are delighted to support WATT in rolling out hundreds of hybrid sites across the country.
“This represents another key transaction for AFRIGREEN in Nigeria. The combination of high energy prices, good solar irradiation, and strong demand from industrial and commercial energy users makes this market particularly attractive for companies like WATT.
“By leveraging these favourable market conditions alongside WATT’s exceptional operational performance and a well-structured financing solution, we are setting the stage for a strong and lasting business partnership,” the Managing Director of AfriGreen, Mr Alexandre Gilles, stated.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has denied issuing a directive that gas supply to power generating companies (GenCos) be halted.
In a statement on Wednesday, the authority also denied instructing wholesale gas suppliers to stop further supply of gas to companies due to failure in payment obligations.
The NMDPRA described reports stating that it has directed the stoppage of gas supply to GenCos over N2 trillion debt as “false and completely unfounded”.
“It has absolutely no bearing on the information shared at a recent stakeholders’ engagement held in Lagos between the Authority, the OPTS, IPPG and other stakeholders in the oil and gas industry,” the NMDPRA said.
“The purpose of the engagement was to sensitise stakeholders on the requirements, opportunities and benefits associated with the implementation of the wholesale supply license as provided by sections 142 and 197 of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021.
“It was a follow-up to an earlier stakeholder engagement held at the NMDPRA corporate headquarters in Abuja on November 27, 2024.
“The Authority wishes to reassure all our stakeholders and indeed the general public that at no time was the false statement made at that event and anywhere else, and are advised to completely disregard the publication as every effort is being made to ensure that the supply and distribution of natural gas and petroleum products to end users is seamless and unabated as we head into the festive season and indeed all through the coming year 2025.”
Recall that Nigeria’s national grid experienced another collapse on Wednesday, the 11th time in 2024 as Gencos couldn’t generate enough power, compounding issues facing the Nigerian power sector.
This was the first time in over a month as the last time the nation witnessed a nationwide shutdown in electricity supply was on November 7, 2024.
Before then, the country was experiencing an incessant collapse of the grid, which prompted the federal government to set up a team to address the issue.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
Nigeria is currently experience a cut in power supply after the national grid collapsed for the 11th time in 2024.
This is the first time in over a month as the last time the nation witnessed a nationwide shut down in electricity supply was on November 7, 2024.
Before then, the country was experiencing an incessant collapse of the grid, which prompted the federal government to set up a team to address the issue.
However, just when Nigerians were thinking they will not witnessed another national grid collapse in the year, it issue reared its ugly head again.
On Wednesday afternoon, most of the energy distribution companies suffered power outage, prompting them to inform their customers of the situation.
One of the DisCos, Ikeja Electric Plc, in a message to electricity consumers under its franchise area, said, “Please be informed that we experienced a system outage today, December 11, 2024, at about 13:32 hours affecting supply within our network.
“Restoration of supply is ongoing in collaboration with our critical stakeholders. Kindly bear with us.”
Recall that on Tuesday, in a report, Google listed national grid as one of the top trending searches by Nigerians this year.
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