Born and raised in Nigeria.
Is interested in Journalism.
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Articles of Victor Emeruwa
Nigeria: India to build refinery
Nigeria may soon end the days of transporting its crude for refining offshore. The Nigeria Minister of State for Petroleum, Odein Ajumogobia has announced that the country is happy to partner with India in processing crude locally after a meeting with Indian business delegate and minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Shri Murli Deora. - Dr. Deora said the country’s partnership with Nigeria will ensure that green field refineries are established in Nigeria. He said his country is seeking to expand its purchase of Nigeria’s sweet crude which currently stands at 400,000 bpd, amounting to about $10 billion annually.
The India minister said that an Indian oil and gas conglomerate …Nigeria: Cement firm repays $1.27bn loan
One of Nigeria's foremost business firms, the Dangote Group has repaid a $1.27 billion loan obtained from a conglomerate of 10 banks in Nigeria. - The loan was taken in May 2008 to finance its cement expansion project with a target to crash the price of the commodity from about N1, 800 ($10) to N1, 000 ($7) early 2011.
At completion of the phase two of the project, the cement project based in Obajana, Kogi state, Nigeria, stands to be the largest cement plant in sub-Saharan Africa. The company also plans to start another project in Ogun state, Nigeria and Senegal on Africa’s west coast. The loan was originally scheduled to be fully paid within seven years.
Chief Executive Officer…Nigeria offers aid to Haiti
The Government of Lagos State and a religious body, Christ Embassy Church in Lagos, Nigeria have all pledge one million US dollars each to support the victims of the Haiti earthquake that happened last week. Since the earthquake the outpour of sympathy has continued to rise especially among church related organizations in Nigeria. - Many institutions and individuals across Nigeria are showing brotherly concern to the victims of Haiti earthquake.
“We have been encouraged to donate to a pool of funds that will be sent to Haiti next week” said Akin Owoeye, a member of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Nigeria.
The United States branch of the Church made a donation of $50…Nigeria: Old cabs off the roads
Old cabs will no longer be allowed to operate on high brow section of Lagos State, Nigeria commercial city. "This is one way to make sure that we attain the mega city status," said Ayodeji Oyedokun, Director of Lagos Drivers Institute. - Oyedokun stated the introduction of executive cabs into the state transportation system has not only increased the revenue base of the government but has brought relief to the population of commuters in the metropolis.
He said his institute is working to educate road users especially drivers on how to maintain order on roads. “Even with stiff regulations, the transport sector is still faced with so many challenges, principally in the area of human …Nigeria: Government to fix priority roads
About $480 million have been earmarked for various road related contracts in Nigeria. This will include reconstruction of poorly maintained roads and the rehabilitation of 20 major roads across the West African country. - The Minister of Information and Communication, Dora Akunyili told a meeting of the executive council of States that the contract was approved to ensure that major roads linking other states are in good shape.
Akunyili said the Government realized the dangerous effect of bad roads and poorly constructed ones. “We are addressing this road construction once and for all. It is our priority in government to make live meaningful to the people,” she told the meeting…Togo to ban public smoking
Togo is considering a bill to ban smoking in public. The Ministry of Health of the West African country said tobacco related deaths in the country has reached alarming proportions and it is about time it saves its citizens. Smoking prevalence in the tiny country is 31.3% and civil society organizations are helping to save the situation. - A representative of the Minister of State for Health, Dr. Sadjo-Hetsi Dzrevon said: “Tobacco has killed a lot of people in Togo that is why the ministry of health is concerned and working with NGOs to stop this dangerous trend”.
The National Alliance of Consumers and Environment of Togo said in a document: “Tobacco consumption is spread…Nigeria: Shell raises road safety awareness
Flashes of real and artistic photographs will be used to show the importance of road safety consciousness among motorists. Drivers' Dexterity, an exhibition that is supported by Shell Development Corporation, is meant to reinforce the message of safety for road users. - The exhibition will depict hazards of road travel in Nigeria; it will feature various horrible accident scene photograph shots taken by Nigerian award winning photographer, George Osodi.
Osodi’s photograph is a collection of striking landscape varieties and telling diverse stories relating to the Nigerian highway. It ranges from stories of a man leaving his house hearty and returning home as a corpse, partially paral…Nigeria: OBJ laments poor road maintenance
Poor road maintenance has been identified as one factor that slows down commerce and development of small and medium scale businesses in Nigeria. Nigeria's former President Olusegun Obasanjo said the poor state of a chunk of the federal roads in Nigeria must be addressed as a matter of urgency. - “What exactly is the problem with our roads? Is it maintenance, is it workmanship of contractors? Why don’t our roads have a long lifespan,” Obasanjo queried a team from the ministry of works, housing and urban development.
The former president urged the ministry in charge of road construction and maintenance to pay more attention on awards of contracts to companies that are inc…Nigeria: Group lead protest against Shell
An activist group has asked Shell Development Corporation to pay its royalty fee and rent or face a strong opposition. The group, Ogoni Solidarity Forum, has accused Shell of operating for 35 years in its community without paying it royalty and rent fee. - The group is also accused Shell of destroying natural vegetation and causing severe environmental decay in the oil rich community.
It was 14 years on 10th November after the gruesome murder of Ken Saro Wiwa, a social activist who was killed along eight others in 1995. Wiwa confronted Shell Corporation and the Nigerian government over the degrading environment that has caused the over 500, 000 people to be impoverished.
Ogoni Solidari…Nigeria: War of words over deregulation
Nigerian Labour Congress is leading a national protest over the proposed deregulation of the downstream oil sector of the economy. The labour union under the leadership of Wahab Umaru has warned the government that it will shut down economic activities and call for an indefinite industrial strike action to protest the proposed deregulation of petroleum product. - The cost of fuel has increased from N65 per litre (about 40cents) to N120 per litre (about 75cents). Petroleum marketing companies are beginning to hoard the product for fear of losing control of the price.
The NLC President Umaru argued that the proposed deregulation of the downstream sector is unnecessary at the moment if the r…Nigeria: Chinese firm to fix railways
A Chinese company has been awarded a 10 months contract to reconstruct a 488 kilometer rail line linking southern Nigerian States to the northern ones. The contract award was signed between the Nigerian Government and the China Civil Engineering and Construction Company. - Dr. Isa Bio, Nigeria Minister of Transport said the contract will include a provision of telecommunication facilities that will enable greater efficiency at the Nigeria Railway Corporation. The minister also said that the rail construction is necessary at this moment because it has ordered 25 locomotive trains from General Electric, GE.
“This will ease movement of people and goods around the country as well as red…Nigeria: Local pc firm spreads wings
Nigeria's indigenous computer manufacturing firm, Omatek, has signed pact to form other channel for sales of its products in other African countries and francophone countries. - The Chief Operating Officer of Omatek, Mrs. Florence Seriki said the just concluded International Telecommunication Union conference was a good platform that projected Omatek’s activities. Seriki noted that ITU organizers took special interest in the company’s Hardtops PC, which is the smallest in the world. Other product that attracted interest is the Omatek home entertainment products and Omatek power product.
Making a case for support of locally made IT products, Seriki stated technology would creat…Africa’s handset demand shoots up
Mobile phone market in Africa will see an upsurge in demand, a new report from Frost & Sullivan said. It revealed that over 139 million handsets were shipped to sub-Saharan Africa in 2007 and this is expected to reach 400 million by 2014. - "High growth in the new subscriber base is currently spurring demand for mobile handsets. Growth in the low-end devices sector is increasing the availability of relatively affordable handsets," said Spiwe Chireka, industry analyst with Frost & Sullivan.
At the moment, Mobile subscription growth in sub-Saharan Africa is higher than the global average. Several handset vendors have concerted their efforts to expand their low-end device offerings to more e…
