News

Sale Of Assets: Shell Cannot Exit N’Delta Without Addressing Ecological, Health, Economic Consequences Of Its Operations – CSOs

Published

2 years ago

January 21, 2024

By Joseph Ebi Kanjo, Benin

Civil society organisations mostly operating from the Niger Delta region have called on the Federal Government to urgently produce a framework and guide on how oil companies disengage from areas where they have operated.

The CSOs recommended that such guides should be developed by a multi stakeholder group including
communities and civil society organizations.

They further recommended that guidelines for any divestment (or sale) framework should include: “A scientifically developed post hydrocarbon impact assessment report that establishes the exact ecological and livelihoods impacts of oil extraction.

“A health audit of people located near extraction sites, and others
exposed to oil contamination and gas flaring. This audit will aim at
unravelling the negative health impacts of exposure to hydrocarbons.

“A detailed plan and costing for remediating the ecological,
livelihood and health impacts of extraction.

“The establishment of independent frameworks for remediating all
identified impacts and compensation to the impacted individuals and communities.

“Posting of funds in a designated account commensurate for the cleanup of impacted ecosystems and restoration of livelihoods.”

Their call and recommendations followed a recent announcement by Shell on its website and social media handles that it had reached an agreement to sell its Nigerian onshore subsidiary, SPDC, to a consortium of domestic and international oil companies for a total net fee of $2.8 billion.

The finalisation of the transaction is, however, dependent on the approval of the Federal Government.

The civil society organisations, in a statement signed by Nnimmo Bassey, Health of Mother Earth Foundation; Ken Henshaw, We The People; Tijah Bolton-Akpan, Policy Alert; Stephen Oduware, Niger Delta Alternatives Convergence, and two other CSOs, argued that Shell cannot just sell off their assets and walk away without addressing the “many cases and concerns about the ecological, health, economic, and social consequences of its operations in the Niger Delta.”

The statement made available to INFO DAILY by Kome Odhomor
Media/Communication Lead, Health of Mother Earth Foundation, reads in parts: “It is pertinent that Shell owns up to its responsibility for the ecocidal damage of territories they have exploited.

“This means full payment for the remediation and restoration of the polluted areas as well as reparations to the host communities. They cannot walk away from the grave and irreparable harm they have caused,” the CSOs said.

The civil society organisations, while condemning strongly the attempt by Shell to sell off onshore oil assets, further urged the Federal Government to “immediately place a moratorium on all oil company divestment (or sale of assets) in the Niger Delta, pending the ascertaining of issues of community concern.”

News

BREAKING: Gov Fubara Dissolves Rivers Pension Board

Published

11 minutes ago

September 26, 2025

Editor

Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State has dissolved the State Pensions Board with immediate effect.

Rivers State Head of Service Mrs Inyingi Brown made this announcement on Friday in Port Harcourt.

According to the governor, the office of the State Accountant General will handle the functions of the board until a new one is constituted.

News

FAAN Launches Cashless Payment System Across Airports

Published

45 minutes ago

September 26, 2025

Editor

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has launched the cashless system of payment across all airports.

“FAAN in partnership with Paystack, is proud to announce the roll out of OPERATION GO CASHLESS, a cashless contactless payment solution across all airports beginning with Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja,” the agency said in a communique on Thursday.

Effective September 29, 2025, all payments at FAAN’s revenue points, including airport Access Gates, Car Parks, FAAN VIP and Protocol Lounges will go cashless which means the agency will be phasing out the collection of cash at these points.

FAAN added that travelers and airport users will now enjoy fast and seamless services by using a secure contactless payment option.

This initiative, it stated, is a response to the growing demand for safe, modern, and transparent payment systems while ensuring Nigeria’s airports remain aligned with global digital trends.

By reducing reliance on cash, FAAN said it aims to enhance efficiency, improve revenue assurance, and deliver a better customer experience at our airports.

To ease the transition, trained brand ambassadors have been deployed at access gates and around the terminals to guide users, assist with onboarding, provide demonstrations, and answer questions they may have.

In addition, passengers have been directed to obtain a FAAN Go Cashless Card at any airport access gate in Lagos and Abuja.

After collection, users are encouraged to activate and fund their cards immediately by visiting www.gocashless. faan.gov.ng.

FAAN added that it remains committed to continuous improvement and will expand this cashless policy to other airports nationwide in phases.

For inquiries, airport users have also been advised to contact FAAN’s support line at 0700 CBS FAAN (0700 227 3226) or email the agency at gocashlesssupport@faan.gov.ng.

News

Full List: Top 10 Manufacturing Nations

Published

55 minutes ago

September 26, 2025

Editor

Industrial production remains a cornerstone of the global economy and it serves as a key indicator of a nation’s economic capacity and technological advancement.

The following list presents the top ten manufacturing nations ranked by the latest available data for Manufacturing Value Added (MVA), a metric that reflects the net output of the sector after accounting for intermediate inputs.

1. China

According to the World Bank, China tops the list when it comes to manufacturing.

The country makes up about 18% of the total global manufacturing output, which adds a total value of nearly $4.66 trillion to the world economy.

The main exports from China comprise consumer goods like textiles, electronics, and garments.

2. United States

The U.S. used to have the world’s largest manufacturing sector until it was overtaken by China in 2010.

Today, the U.S. is still significantly behind China, which leads the world by a wide margin.

The country accounts for roughly 9.5% of global manufacturing, and its output is valued at almost $2.5 trillion.

American production includes automobiles, chemical products, food products, military equipment, and aircraft.

3. Japan

Japan comes in third and provides approximately 4.0% of the world’s total manufacturing output.

Japan produced a little over $1.05 trillion from manufacturing in 2023.

The country is famous for manufactured exports, including vehicles, computer parts, electronics, and chemicals.

4. Germany

Germany is among the leading European manufacturing nations, with about $839 billion coming from this sector.

Well known for motor vehicle exports, electrical machinery, and manufactured metals, the country accounts for approximately 3.2% of global manufacturing.

5. India

Although it may be better known for the I.T. workforce or customer service centers, India also has a major share of manufacturing output, accounting for around 1.8% of global manufacturing output.

The country gives an output value of roughly $461 billion. It’s mostly known for agricultural products, textiles, engineering goods, leather products, and chemicals.

6. South Korea

South Korea accounts for about 1.6% of global manufacturing, and its output value is around $416 billion.

Manufacturing represents approximately 24% of the entire country’s national output. Significant exports from South Korea include technological products, automobiles, petroleum, and machinery.

7. Mexico

Mexico accounts for around 1.4% of global manufacturing output, enough to generate a value of $359 billion. Mexican exports are mineral fuels, lubricants, food, transport equipment, and machinery.

8. Italy

Italy ranks 8th on the list of manufacturing countries, and its economic structure relies heavily on manufacturing and industrialization.

The output value of Italy’s manufacturing industry amounts to approximately $354 billion, and the country’s primary exports include metal products, clothing and footwear, vehicles, and chemicals.

9. France

France contributes approximately $297 billion in manufacturing output to the global economy, accounting for 1.1% of the total global manufacturing output.

Its leading exports include agricultural products, machinery, aircraft, and hydrocarbon products.

10. Brazil

Brazil ranks 10th among the world’s top manufacturing countries, contributing approximately $290 billion to global manufacturing.

This accounts for about 1.1% of the global total. Brazil’s manufacturing sector is diverse, with major exports including food products, automobiles, aircraft, machinery, and petroleum-based goods.

Meanwhile the highest-ranked African nations by manufacturing output, such as Egypt, Nigeria, Algeria, Morocco and South Africa, are positioned outside the global top 25.

According to UNIDO, Africa’s combined Manufacturing Value Added (MVA) constitutes a small single-digit percentage of the world total, with recent figures showing it at 2% of global MVA