Business Archives - Zedvirals

NNPCL signs 20-year gas deal for Ajaokuta Steel

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has signed a 20-year Gas Supply Agreement and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited (ASCL), in a move expected to remove a major obstacle to the commencement of steel production at the long-idle plant.

Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of ASCL, Prof. Nasir Abdulsalam, described the agreement as a significant breakthrough for the project, which has remained largely dormant since it was established 46 years ago.

Mubanga
Jul 14, 2026

Shell awards $518m contracts to indigenous companies

Shell Companies in Nigeria awarded contracts worth $518 million to 123 indigenous companies in 2025, significantly reinforcing its commitment to growing local content in the nation’s oil and gas sector.

The company’s Communications Manager, Mrs Gladys Afam-Anadu, disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday, 14 July 2026, detailing the extensive engagement of local firms across Shell’s operations and value chain over the past year.

Mubanga
Jul 14, 2026

Black sand boom threatens Unyenge’s survival

The promise of economic prosperity from black sand mining is rapidly turning into a source of anxiety in Unyenge, a historic coastal community in Mbo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, where residents fear that unchecked mineral extraction could inflict irreversible environmental damage while yielding little benefit to the people whose land is being exploited.

For decades, Unyenge, one of the oldest coastal settlements in Nigeria’s Niger Delta, has borne the environmental burden of oil exploration with little to show in terms of development. Despite the vast wealth extracted from its surrounding waters, the community continues to grapple with poor infrastructure, widespread poverty and decades of environmental neglect.

Mubanga
Jul 12, 2026

Bayelsa monarch seeks blue economy investment

The Acting Amayanabo of Okpoama Kingdom in Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, High Chief Nathan Egba-Dienegha, has called on all levels of government to prioritise the development of the blue economy across the Niger Delta.

He urged the Federal, state and local governments to collaborate with development organisations to unlock the region’s multi-billion-naira blue economy potential and create sustainable livelihoods for coastal communities.

Mubanga
Jul 10, 2026

Vessel owners launch anti-piracy verification exercise

The Tugboat, Fuel Barges and Seagoing Vessel Association of Nigeria (TUBAVS) has unveiled a nationwide vessel verification and registration exercise aimed at supporting the Federal Government’s efforts to combat sea piracy, illegal oil bunkering and other maritime crimes.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, 8 July 2026, and signed by its Legal Adviser, Tonye D. Wilson, the association directed the immediate verification, registration and stricter regulation of all marine vessels and watercraft operating on Nigeria’s coastal and inland waterways.

Mubanga
Jul 8, 2026

IMEMPA urges swift action on ALSCON revival as steel minister awaits presidential directive

The Ibom Minerals, Energy and Maritime Professionals Association (IMEMPA) has intensified its advocacy for the revival of the Aluminium Smelter Company of Nigeria (ALSCON), Ikot Abasi, following a high-level courtesy visit to the Honourable Minister of Steel Development in Abuja.

The meeting, held on June 18, 2026, formed part of the association’s sustained efforts to mobilise government attention towards the resuscitation of ALSCON, one of Nigeria’s most strategic but dormant industrial assets.

Mubanga
Jun 29, 2026

Group unveils roadmap for ocean jobs, urges Tinubu to establish coast guard

The Provisional Committee for the Proposed Nigerian Coast Guard (PC-NCG) has unveiled a roadmap aimed at creating five million ocean-based jobs by 2035, while urging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to establish a Nigerian Coast Guard as a critical institution for achieving the country’s blue economy ambitions.

The committee conveyed its proposals in an open letter to the President following Nigeria’s commitments at the 11th Our Ocean Conference (OOC11) held in Mombasa, Kenya.

Mubanga
Jun 29, 2026

EMR trains journalists on energy, maritime reporting

EMRN trains journalists on energy, maritime reporting

The Energy and Maritime Reporters of Nigeria (EMR), Akwa Ibom State Branch, has called for stronger maritime security, sustained capacity building for journalists and increased investment in marine infrastructure to support the growth of Nigeria’s energy and maritime sectors.

The resolutions were contained in a communiqué issued at the end of the association’s one-day training workshop held on Thursday, June 26, 2026, at Plot 51 G-Line, Ewet Housing Estate, Uyo.

Mubanga
Jun 26, 2026

ABER honours 30 Africa Blue Economy Heroines

The Africa Blue Economy Roundtable (ABER) has honoured 30 outstanding women from across the continent, declaring that women are playing a pivotal role in shaping Africa’s maritime future.

Speaking during the 2026 World Seafarers Day celebration in Douala, Cameroon on Friday, 2026, the Chief Executive Officer and Convener of ABER, Dr Piriye Kiyaramo, said women have become key drivers of Africa’s blue economy through their contributions to fisheries, maritime governance, conservation, education and coastal development.

Mubanga
Jun 26, 2026

Why we invested in Eket – Kaybi Beverage

Kaybi Beverage Industries Limited has attributed its decision to establish a multi-million-naira water production facility in Eket to the area’s peaceful environment, investor-friendly climate, and the development policies of the Akwa Ibom State Government.

The Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer of the company, producers of Kayora Premium Water, Dr Ebi Awosika, said Eket offered the ideal conditions for business growth and industrial development, making it the preferred location for the company’s manufacturing operations.

Mubanga
Jun 10, 2026