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Nigeria records over 6,000 tonnes of oil spillage by saboteurs in 2021 – Shell

Published

1 year ago

April 8, 2022

Multinational oil and gas company, Shell Plc has revealed that the volume of crude oil spills caused by sabotage in Nigeria’s oil-rich Delta more than doubled to 3,300 tonnes last year, a level last seen seven years ago in 2016.

Report says the Niger Delta in southern Nigeria is one of the most polluted places on Earth. Decades of spillages from over 50 years of oil operations continue to erode local communities’ health, well-being, and livelihoods. 75% of spills since 2016 are due to theft and sabotage, mostly by militants and organized crime groups.

Most often the oil and gas are delivered safely to domestic and international customers without problem thanks to a dedicated focus on operational excellence, spill prevention and, if necessary, responding quickly to any spill.

However, multinational in its 2021 Nigeria report (Pdf) claimed that the total spilled volume of crude oil is the lowest for at least 10 years.

“Spills from the SPDC JV operations, activities, and assets are now uncommon and, as the operator, SPDC operates to the same technical standards as Shell companies globally. Illegal activities and their legacy continue to require additional work, security, and engagement with local communities”. The Report reads.

A Premiumtimesng report says between January 2019 and April 2021, 12 states in Nigeria recorded 881 cases of oil spillage, according to data obtained from NOSDRA, a government-run satellite tracker. “About 77 percent of the spills were said to have occurred in only three oil-producing states: Bayelsa, Delta, and Rivers. The three are among Nigeria’s highest oil producers for that period. However, Nigeria’s second-highest oil-producing state during the period, Akwa Ibom, only witnessed 26 oil spills within that period” The report concludes.

Shell operations in Nigeria have encountered difficulties lately in the Delta caused due to operational incidents, theft and sabotage so much that the company has started moves to divest but that decision has not not been without hurdles.

Last month, a Nigerian court stopped Shell from selling any assets in Nigeria until a decision is reached on the company’s appeal of a nearly $2 billion penalty for an alleged oil spill.

In 2021, Shell agreed to pay a Nigerian community $111.68 million to settle a case over an oil spill that took place more than 50 years ago.

Related Topics:Featured Nigeria oil spillage Shell

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Kenya: Parliament approves appointment of Kamau Thugge as central bank governor

Published

17 hours ago

June 7, 2023

Ifeoluwa Dada

Months after throwing open the position for the country’s top banker, Kenya’s parliament has approved the appointment of Kamau Thugge as the country’s central bank governor.

The National Assembly on Wednesday approved the
appointment of economist and senior civil servant who was nominated by President William Ruto as the next apex bank chief.

Thugge, who served as principal secretary in the finance ministry until mid-2018, was nominated after serving as one of the president’s senior economic advisers since late last year.

He shook off competition from others shortlisted candidates like Adan Mohamed, who served in the cabinet from 2013-2022, with four others also interviewed for the role.

The new central bank governor will be faced with the immediate pressure of stabilizing the country’s monetary policy as the East African giant currently faces a shortage of funds amidst rising public debt.

Despite the odds, the World Bank in a report earlier today expects growth to edge up to 5.0% in 2023, underpinned by a recovery in agriculture.

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Ghana presents ‘working proposal’ for debt restructuring— IMF sources

Published

17 hours ago

June 7, 2023

Ifeoluwa Dada

West African country, Ghana has made a major move at resolving its debt crisis as the country has presented debt restructuring proposal to its creditors.

According to sources quoted by Reuters, a “working proposal” has been submitted to help the country escape its worst economic crisis in a generation.

One of the sources revealed that the proposal was a first attempt to engage the official creditor committee after its formation in May. It should be recalled that the Paris Club last month announced that official sector of creditors of Ghana had formed a committee co-chaired by China and France for debt restructuring talks.

The plan is to end restructuring of domestic debt before turning to negotiations with its official bilateral creditors and international bondholders, a government official said.

Ghana is one of several cash-strapped countries facing unprecedented delays in getting bailouts as China, its biggest bilateral creditor with about $1.7 billion of debt and Western economies disagree over how debt relief should be structured.

The first formal review of the programme will hold in the coming months as an IMF team will visit Ghana between 8th and 15th of June.