General
FG Unveils Mercury Use, Solid Waste Management Strategy
By Adedapo Adesanya
The federal government has reiterated its effort to eliminate poisonous gaseous emission in the air with the rollout of the National Action Plan (NAP) for the reduction and eventual elimination of mercury use in the artisanal and small-scale gold mining sector of the country.
The government also unveiled the national policy on solid waste management and national policy on plastics waste management.
The rollouts were done in collaboration with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) with the presentation of Nigeria’s NAP on Mercury in the Artisanal and Small-scale Mining Sector (ASGM).
The NAP was successfully completed by the UNIDO, in collaboration with the Federal Ministries of Environment, Mines and Steel Development, Health and the World Health Organization (WHO), and it is an obligation of the Minamata Convention on Mercury to which is a signatory.
Speaking at the event, the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Mr Olamilekan Adegbite, said that NAP on Mercury in the ASGM was a well-articulated document that was put together based on baseline data obtained from surveys of ASGM operators across the Nigeria gold mining belt.
He said the document was even more important as it had become a demonstration of the country’s fulfilment of an important aspect of the Minamata Convention on Mercury.
According to Mr Adegbite, represented by the Director, Special Duties, Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, Mr Yisao Adegboje, the NAP on Mercury in the ASGM sectors in Nigeria was developed to provide relevant information on the plans of the government.
He said this will “facilitate the improvement of the formalisation and regulation of ASGM sectors, promote reduction of emissions, release, and risk of exposure to mercury, manage trade and preventing diversion of mercury and mercury compounds.”
He added that the document will involve stakeholders in the implementation and continuing development of the plan, and develop public health strategy on the exposure of artisanal and small-scale gold miners and their communities to mercury.
“The document also serves to promote the exposure of vulnerable populations, particularly children and women of child-bearing age, to mercury in ASGM; and providing information to artisanal and small-scale miners and affected communities.”
The Minister stressed the need for more collaboration and synergy to foster a more sustainable effort to promote public health and the environment against the harmful effects associated with mercury release.
On his part, the Minister of Environment, Mr Muhammad Abubakar said the documents would provide a proper tool for making the environment clean.
Mr Abubakar, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mr Abel Enitan, said the government was aware that there were numerous challenges preventing the effective growth of the mining and waste sectors.
He said: “For the mining sector, the challenges exist majorly around funding and attraction of new investments, security situation around mining sites, the preponderance of artisanal and illegal mining operations, attendant environmental pollution and insufficient modern mining infrastructure.
“Those prominent in the waste sectors are problems varying from poor funding, lack of policy, inadequate legislation, limited infrastructure, low level of awareness on best waste management practices, poor recovery and recycling programme, and disposal techniques.”
He said to address these issues, the federal government was making concerted efforts to remove the barriers to the effective growth of these sectors, one of which is the development of these documents.
Speaking on the documents, UNIDO said it would chat a path to the future of gold mining and environmental sustainability in the country.
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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