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PIA To Unlock Investments In Nigeria’s Oil And Gas Sector – Sylva

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The Minister of State Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, has said that the desire to surmount the challenges bedeviling the oil and gas sector led to the enactment of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).

Speaking at the Nigeria International Economic Partnership Forum, in New York, on Wednesday, with the theme: “Nigeria’s Oil and Gas Sector: Reforms, Results and the Road Ahead”, Sylva said the desire of the President Muhammadu Buhari’s government to inject life into the sector hitherto characterized by fiscal and operational challenges led to making proactive reforms in the sector a priority.

The minister said the enactment of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) on August 16, 2022 was a “watershed moment for the nation, the industry and all stakeholders alike, signaling the beginning of a more conducive environment for investment, output, industrial and national growth, while also addressing legitimate grievances of resource host-communities most impacted by resource extraction operations”.

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Sylva said the “PIA 2021, at full implementation, will create massive investment opportunities, improve transparency, attract investors, and reposition the Nigerian Oil and Gas industry for sustainable growth,” urging investors “to capitalize on the sustainable incentives provided by the PIA 2021 to invest in the oil and gas industry in Nigeria” with no future regret.

The minister told the gathering that the “PIA 2021 has established a legal, governance, regulatory, and fiscal framework for the petroleum industry, host community development, and associated matters” adding that “it provides fiscal certainty, improves regulations and incentives for investment, including up to ten-year tax vacations, while guaranteeing better take for both government and private investors, thereby balancing rewards with risk”.

READ ALSO: PIA: FG Considers First Set Of Regulations For Oil Industry

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The minister who said the PIA has set the foundation for a sustainable growth in the sector with the establishment of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) reassured the international investors of government’s commitment in the sector.

“This administration remains committed to ensure a full implementation of these carefully conceived reforms to foster efficiency and attract investments and development of supporting infrastructure along the oil and gas value chain as embedded in our policy aspirations for the sector.

“The government has taken the necessary steps to sustainably implement and operationalize the PIA 2021 within the timelines stipulated in the Act. To this end, the government has inaugurated the steering committee, which I chair, responsible for PIA implementation immediately after the PIA was signed into law,” he further stated.

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He noted that the commitment of the Nigerian government to tackle the challenges in the oil and gas sector is a clear move “to reform the industry in order to build a robust, thriving and resilient economic backbone for domestic growth, expansion and consolidation in the era of the global energy transition, and also in a post covid world”.

Reflecting on the theme of the conference “Nigeria’s Oil and Gas Sector: Reforms, Results and the Road Ahead”, Sylva said the theme resonates the aspirations and commitment of President Buhari’s government to reform the sector in order to make it pivot for industrial diversification, economic growth and sustainable development in Nigeria.

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N5m, N10m Zero-interest Loans: SheVentures Opens Applications For Women Entrepreneurs

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First City Monument Bank (FCMB) has opened a new round of applications for its SheVentures proposition, offering zero-interest loans of up to ₦10 million to women entrepreneurs to ease access to working capital and support business growth.

The facility provides loans ranging from ₦500,000 to ₦5 million under a general category, and ₦5 million to ₦10 million for sector-specific businesses, with funding capped at up to 50% of an applicant’s average monthly turnover.

At the centre of the offering is a 0% interest rate, with all charges embedded in a transparent structure.

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Repayment is structured over four or six months, allowing businesses to match obligations with their cash flow cycles.

READ ALSO:I’ve Been Blacklisted In Music Industry For 13 Years – Seun Kuti

Yemisi Edun, Managing Director and Chief Executive of First City Monument Bank (FCMB), said the initiative reflects a deliberate approach to inclusive growth.

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Inclusive growth requires access to capital and the right conditions for businesses to deploy that capital effectively.

“Women-led enterprises are critical to economic activity, yet they face structural barriers.

This intervention aims to help close that gap by providing financing that supports job creation, business expansion, and long-term sustainability for women entrepreneurs.”

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Access to affordable finance remains a major constraint for women entrepreneurs,” said Nnenna Jacob-Ogogo, Group Head, SheVentures and Impact Segments at First City Monument Bank (FCMB).

READ ALSO:My Beef With Wizkid Is For Life – Seun Kuti

By removing the cost barrier and offering quick, flexible funding, this zero-interest loan is designed to safeguard existing jobs, enable businesses to invest in growth initiatives, and foster resilience in challenging economic conditions.”

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Women-owned businesses account for a significant share of Nigeria’s small and medium-sized enterprises but continue to face high borrowing costs and limited access to credit.

Through these efforts, SheVentures tackles persistent financing gaps facing women-led businesses, combining targeted funding with broader support to empower women entrepreneurs, encourage business innovation, and enhance their ability to compete on a national scale.

Applications for the zero-interest loan are now open.Apply now.

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Xenophobic Attacks: Oshiomhole Tells FG To Retaliate Against South African Companies In Nigeria

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Senator Adams Oshiomhole has called on the Federal Government to retaliate against South African businesses operating in Nigeria following the recent attacks on Nigerians in South Africa.

Speaking during plenary on Tuesday, Oshiomhole said the Federal Government should consider revoking the working license of South African owned companies such as MTN and DSTV.

He argued that Nigeria must respond firmly to what he described as persistent hostility against its citizens.

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READ ALSO:South Africa To Investigate ‘Mystery’ Of Planeload Of Palestinians

“I am not going to shed tears. If you hit me, I hit you. I think it is appropriate in diplomacy. It is an economic struggle,” Oshiomhole said.

He argued that while some South Africans accuse Nigerians of taking their jobs, Nigerians should return home and take over employment opportunities created by major South African companies operating in the country, including MTN and DSTV.

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When we hit back, the President of South Africa will not only talk but will also go on his knees to recognise that Nigeria cannot be intimidated.

READ ALSO:South African Ambassador Found Dead Outside Paris Hotel

We will not condone any life being lost. If a crime has been committed under the South African law they have the right to bring any such person to justice, but to kill our people as if we are helpless, we will not allow that,” Oshiomhole added.

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DAILY POST reports that several Nigerians in South Africa have reportedly been attacked, and their businesses destroyed, in ongoing xenophobic attacks in the country.

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IGP Orders Officers Display Name Tag On Uniform, Gives Update On State Police

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The Inspector General of Police, IGP, Tunji Disu, has ordered all police personnel to always have their name tags on their uniforms for easy identification.

Disu disclosed that only police personnel who are undercover are exempted from displaying their name tags.

Speaking on Tuesday, Disu said: “All police officers should have their name tags. All of us on the high table have our names apart from the undercover among us so if you look at all the Commissioners of Police we have our name tags, so it’s not our standard.

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All the Commissioners of Police are here and that is why we called this meeting, we have list of things like this that we will want to discuss with the Commissioners of Police, we have told them earlier and we will still let them know that every that happens within their area of jurisdiction falls under their control.”

On the issue of state police, the IGP said: “Since we got the signal that the Federal Government of Nigeria intend to establish State Police and since we are the federal police, we decided to take the bull by the horn and put down our own side of what we believe on how the state police should be run.

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“A lot of things were taken into consideration, a lot of comparative analysis was done and it has been transmitted to the National Assembly.”

 

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