A destroyed refinery By Favour Ifeoluwa & Akinola Ajibade The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited( NNPCL) says it has destroyed 134 illegal refineries in the last few weeks. Also, the company said 63 illegal pipeline connections were uncovered during the the weeks . The corporation, In a visual report, stated that at about 2 am on Sunday, a joint team of security agents discovered a large wooden boat illicitly loading stolen crude oil from Barge AGS01 within the OML 18 operating area, noted intelligence report a large wooden wooden boat was caught receiving crude oil from the barge. According to the state-owned oil firm, while the barge was towed away with a tugboat in custody, five speedboats used in towing the large wooden boat to the illegal loading site were also detained and the particulars of the tugboats and barge used for the operation were reportedly seized for further investigation. It further said that two large boats, which involve
By Akinola Ajibade
Nigeria and Brazil will commence direct flights in order to enable business owners impact positively on their earnings and the economies in particula before this December end, if all go according to plans.
This happens as the two countries renew interest in bilateral trade relations recently. Interestingly, Air Peace, a local airline,has shown interest in flying the route, a development, which would enable the company overcome problems relating to absence of direct flights to different countries and further improve profitability, which is a major problem in the sector.
“The chairman of Air Peace has indicated interest to offer the service of direct flight between Nigeria and Brazil. Hopefully that will come into play by November. At least, you have heard that there is a trade mission being planned in November. It will be good that we can fly directly,” said Anibe Achimugu, the Managing Director, Arewa Cotton and Allied Product Limited.
Achimugu is one of those whose businesses are taking a hit from lack of direct flight and hopes that Air Peace commences operation soon.
Of particular concern is the issue of lack of direct flight, which makes it extremely difficult for businessmen and women to transact business, thereby shrinking the volume and value of imports as well as exports.
Brazil is actually six to seven hours away from Nigeria but travellers have to have to go through Europe or South Africa or Dubai to get to Brazil owing to lack of direct air-link. This takes 13 hours and also costs a lot of money.
This and other issues that have hampered trade between both countries, a development, which generated discourse at the just concluded Brazil-Nigeria Business Forum organised by the Brazilian Consulate in Lagos in commemoration of the Bicentennial Independence of Brazil.
The event focused on renewing efforts and strengthening bilateral trade relations the two countries had enjoyed in time past.
A decade ago, Nigeria-Brazil bilateral trade rose to as high as $11 billion. Relative to $1.3 billion recorded in 2021, this represents a far drop of over 88 per cent.
This is even as Nigeria remains the biggest economy and trade partner in Africa to Brazil – the biggest economy in South America.
“We are trying to use the business forum to raise the profile of Brazil here in Nigeria and this will help the business community,” the Consul General of Brazil in Nigeria, Francisco Luz, told our correspondent in an interview.
According to Luz, the determination is to break the challenge of logistics and other issues that hamper bilateral trade relations between both countries.
He believes that the business forum will be one of the biggest facilitators for both countries to resume trade and subdue the issue of direct flight.
“Nigeria businessmen found it very difficult to go to Europe or the Middle East before going to South America that would have taken them 7-8 hours,” the President of Nigerian-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NBCCI), Alexander Okafor lamented.
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