Seplat Energy provides an update to the previous announcement regarding the incident involving the Majestic rig.

Contrary to some media reports, the Majestic rig is owned by Depthwize Nigeria Limited and not Seplat.  As stated in our previous announcement, the rig was in transit to its next drill location at Ovhor. Seplat is the operator of OMLs 4, 38 & 41 on behalf of the NNPCEPL/SEPLAT Joint Venture.

Seplat Energy alongside Depthwize, is continuing the search for the 3 missing crew members. Divers and other emergency services are on-site, and as of 9 am, the missing crew members remain unaccounted for.

Of the other 92 crew members, 10 were admitted to hospital and stayed overnight. We are pleased to say the 10 crew members have all now been discharged from hospital.

Seplat continues to support Depthwize with the emergency response and rescue efforts continue, with the priority being the search and rescue of the 3 missing crew members.

Depthwize has notified Seplat that the single recorded fatality was a British national. The families of the deceased and the 3 missing crew members have been informed by Depthwize.

Seplat has notified the authorities of the incident and continues to comply with all regulatory requirements.

NLNG Shipping and Marine Services Limited (NSML) has launched its Clean Waterways Initiative, a programme to raise awareness of the dangers of plastic pollution and to advocate for action to address the issue.

Speaking on the initiative, the Chief Executive Officer of NSML, Mr. Abdulkadir Ahmed, highlighted the urgency of the plastic crisis and its detrimental effects on economic activities, human health, and the environment.

“Our Waterways, and by extension the world’s oceans, are in the depths of a plastic crisis. Plastics and marine pollution have found their way into every marine ecosystem, impacting economic activities and the health of our people and the environment.

“We all have a role to play in protecting our oceans. The NSML Clean Waterways Initiative is our way of contributing to the global effort to tackle plastic pollution. We urge everyone to join us in this important work,” Mr Ahmed said.

Also speaking on the initiative, Nigeria LNG Limited’s (NLNG’s) General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development, Andy Odeh, said that the clean water initiative was a universal cause, given the importance of water to human existence.

The launch of the Clean Waterways Initiative comes at a time when the world is facing a growing plastic pollution crisis. According to the United Nations, over 8 million tonnes of plastic enter our oceans every year, and scientists warn that by 2050, there will be more plastic (by weight) than fish in the sea.

The NSML Clean Waterways Initiative is a call to action for all stakeholders to address this urgent problem. It adopts a “TRIPLE A” Awareness, Advocacy, and Action strategy. It seeks to raise public awareness, educate stakeholders, and drive policy changes and solutions at the sub-national and national levels. The initiative will focus on clean-up efforts, improving waste management, and promoting recycling practices to reduce the inflow of plastics and waste into our rivers and waterways.

The launch of the Clean Waterways Initiative was attended by stakeholders in the industry.

The NSML Clean Waterways Initiative is a significant step forward in the fight against plastic pollution.

NSML is a subsidiary of NLNG. The private limited liability company provides shipping and maritime services which include training, manning, fleet management and consultancy services.

Indigenous oil and gas companies must instill principles of corporate governance in their operations if they are to grow and achieve sustainability, the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Engr. Simbi Kesiye Wabote has said.

Speaking virtually at the ceremony marking the rebranding of the Niger Delta Exploration and Production (NDEP) into Aradel Holdings, the Executive Secretary rued that many local oil and gas companies have died because they do not adhere to corporate governance principles.

He lauded the management of Aradel Holdings for setting high standards of corporate governance, stating that “one of the incredible things the Chairman, Chief Ladi Jadesimi; the former Managing Director, Dr. Layi Fatona and their team have done is instilling the spirit of corporate government. That is why the company is succeeding the owners of the business are not contractors; they do not engage contractors and they do not engage in round tripping. That has led to their success.”

Speaking further, Wabote described Aradel Holdings as a good example, noting that they have made significant returns to their joint venture partners. “They are one of the local companies that NNPC Limited is proud to associate with. NCDMD is also proud of their success and we will continue to support them,” he assured

The NCDMB boss charged indigenous producers to emulate Aradel Holdings and to take corporate governance seriously, recommending that owners of businesses should detach themselves from the daily operations of their organizations.

Dwelling on local content development, Wabote challenged Aradel Holdings to champion the development of local content, stressing that the implementation of the Nigerian Content initiative and the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act enabled indigenous producers to exist and thrive. He insisted that it is the responsibility of Aradel Holdings and other local producers to support local content, protect and enhance it, with a view to creating jobs, growing technology, and developing the nation’s natural resources.

He remarked that the percentage of unemployed Nigerians was about over 30%, warning that it would be a grave mistake if the oil industry were to de-emphasise local manufacturing and local production. He also challenged Aradel Holdings to play an active role in the acquisition of assets being divested by some international operating oil companies.

Earlier in his speech, the chairman of Aradel Holdings, Chief Ladi Jadesimi traced the history of the firm, noting that it had operated in the past three decades and pioneered several initiatives, including marginal field operations, one of which is the Okpele Field, which it has grown the daily production from about 1,000 barrels of crude oil per day to 13,000 barrels. The company is also a fully integrated oil and gas company, and also pioneered modular refinery initiatives with the first train of 1,000 barrels per day, which has since expanded to 11,000 barrels per day.

In his comments, the Managing Director of Aradel Holdings, Mr. Adegbite Falade described the new name as an acronym of the founding Chairman, late Chief Aret Adams, and the firm’s original name and area of operations, which is the Niger Delta region. The new name also signified the company’s resilience and preparedness to meet the challenges of energy transition and security as well as become the leading energy company in the country, he added.

Falade also announced that the company’s modular refinery will soon begin to refine premium motor spirit, alongside other major projects the firm plans to embark on.

Participants sit with Andy Odeh, NLNG’s GM, External Relations and Sustainable Development (centre), and facilitators from The Journalism Clinic, Dan Mason and Taiwo Obe (right) at the close of the #NLNGChangeYourStory workshop in Abuja.

Nigeria LNG Limited has completed the second edition of its highly impactful 2023 #NLNGChangeYourStory workshop, aimed at equipping journalists with cutting-edge digital communication and social media skills.

From 1^st August to August 3, 2023, the annual capacity-building workshop brought together a diverse group of more than 25 journalists from various editorial sections in Abuja. The event, fully sponsored by NLNG, focused on mobile and multimedia journalism, offering participants a comprehensive learning experience.

At the workshop, Mr. Andy Odeh, NLNG’s General Manager of External Relations and Sustainable Development, stated that NLNG remained steadfast in its commitment to empowering journalists with the tools and skills needed to effectively convey stories that resonate with the Nigerian populace in today’s rapidly evolving digital age.

Odeh reiterated NLNG’s belief in fostering symbiotic relationships with its stakeholders, recognising their indispensable role in the company’s current and future success.

“The growth and triumph of NLNG’s stakeholders are inextricably tied to the company’s growth, and thus, capacity building remains a cornerstone of NLNG’s commitment to collective progress. NLNG’s dedication to capacity building is not mere rhetoric but a tangible commitment that bolsters the growth and success of both stakeholders and the nation. It is also in line with our vision of being a globally competitive LNG company helping to build a better Nigeria,” he said.

He added that NLNG’s quest for sustainability led to the recognition of digital communication and social media as the future of the media. He stated that the workshop was initiated in 2015 when eight journalists participated in the first #NLNGChangeYourStory workshop.

The workshop, delivered by seasoned journalist, Mr. Dan Mason in collaboration with The Journalism Clinic, led by Mr. Taiwo Obe, proved to be a transformative experience for the participating journalists. Leveraging their wealth of knowledge and experience, these experts adeptly guided participants through the nuances of digital communication and social media, empowering them to take control of their narratives and shape the nation’s stories.

#NLNGChangeYourStory workshop has benefited over 90 journalists since 2015, reinforcing their digital communication and social media competencies. The workshop is an inspiring testament to the transformative power of state-of-the-art training. Journalists emerge equipped with the confidence and skills to embrace digital communication and social media.

Andy Odeh, NLNG’s GM External Relations & Sustainable Development with playwrights in the Longlist of 11 playwrights of The Nigeria Prize for Literature (2023) at the NLNG-NPL Book Party in Lagos…recently.

Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) and the Committee for Relevant Arts (CORA) last weekend in Lagos held a book party in honour of the longlist of 11 playwrights for The Nigeria Prize for Literature (2023 edition).

The book party featured the readings from the longlisted plays and a panel session with the playwrights who participated in person or virtually.

This will be the first public gathering of the writers on the longlist recently released by the panel of judges led by Professor Ameh Dennis Akoh, a Drama and Critical Theory professor at the Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ebonyi State. Other panel members include Professor Osita Catherine Ezenwanebe and Dr. Rasheedah Liman.

Playwrights on the longlist who attended the event include Victor S. Dugga (Gidan Juju), Obari Gomba (Grit), Cheta Igbokwe (Home Coming), Christopher Anyokwu (The Boat People) and Abuchi Modilim (The Brigadiers of a Mad Tribe)

Other authors who attended were Olubunmi Familoni (When Big Masquerades Dance Naked), Olatunbosun Taofeek (Where Is Patient Zero) and Henry Akubuiro (Yamtarawala – The Warrior King).

Abideen Abolaji Ojomu (Ojuelegba Crossroads), Ade Adeniji (Dance of The Sacred Feet) and Bode Sowande (The Spellbinder) joined the panel session virtually.

In his remarks, the General Manager of External Relations and Sustainable Development at NLNG, Mr Andy Odeh, said the annual book party brings NLNG, the sponsor of the prize, together with the literary community to promote excellence and creativity, and to project outstanding books to Nigerians and the world.

“Nineteen (19) years of successful administration have produced 17 winning works, and over $1 million has been won. This prize stands out as the biggest and most prestigious literary prize in Africa, and one of the world’s biggest and most reputable. We are happy that today presents an opportunity to interact with these 11 playwrights. We are just two steps away from announcing the winner of the $100,000 prize in October.

“We instituted The Nigeria Prize for Literature because we were concerned that standards of reading, writing, editing, proof-reading and publishing were drastically falling in Nigeria, a country that largely founded and dominated the African Writers Series; a country that is also known to have produced reputable writers and winning works. Today, we are glad that Nigeria can showcase great literary works published in Nigeria. Our library and bookshelves have been enriched with many great works by Nigerian writers. The Nigeria Prize for Literature alone has received over 2400 entries in the four genres, many of which are top-quality entries,” he said.

In his speech, Ropo Ewenla, a member of the CORA Board, stated that the idea of a book party sprung from a review of the prize in 2010 when some argued that stakeholders should do more for the publishing industry. He said CORA came up with the book reading event to create an opportunity for the authors to discuss their books with the audience, adding that nothing beats a book reading. He stated further that the prize money of $100,000 makes the competition one of the most keenly contested literary prizes in the world. Still, he added that writers primarily want to distinguish themselves with their writing and be recognised.

The 11 entries were selected out of 143 for this year’s prize round, which focuses on Drama. The final verdict on the winning entry is expected to be announced in October 2023.

The Nigeria Prize for Literature rotates yearly among four genres: prose fiction, poetry, drama and children’s literature.