₦airaland Forum

benuejosh:
let me hear anyone say "may Nigeria not happen to you".

Artificial Intelligence has been used to design brand new viruses that are fully functional and can replicate in the laboratory, say US researchers.

It is the first time whole genomes have been successfully designed by AI.

The resulting 16 novel viruses were created to infect bacteria and pose no threat to people.

The breakthrough has been labelled a "very significant turning point" in science that could unlock a new era for treating disease. But experts have also warned AI-designed viruses raise "urgent" safety and security concerns.

AI tools are rapidly advancing and have already been used to design new antibiotics.

But that is relatively simple compared with designing a new viable virus from scratch.

"This is a next step in the complexity that's designable by generative AI, this is the first time generative AI has been used to design a complete genome, it's something that can replicate and have other functions inside cells… this was new territory for us," Brian Hie, assistant professor at Stanford University, told the BBC.

The technology works similarly to large language models, like ChatGPT, which predict sequences of text.

In this instance the AI models, known as Evo1 and Evo2, predict the language of life rather than words.

The AI models were trained on genetic codes from viruses, bacteria, plants and people.

They were then refined to produce a type of virus, known as a bacteriophage, which infect only specific species of bacteria.

The Stanford researchers picked the most promising 302 AI designs and synthesised them in the lab. Of these, 16 proved effective at killing E. coli bacteria.

Samuel King, a PhD student in the lab, said they realised the phage were working in the early hours of the morning.

The phage were placed on petri dishes growing a layer of bacteria on them and the scientists waited for signs their new viruses were enjoying the feast.

"We were starting to see these clear spots and it was just extremely exciting," says King. When the results were shared with the wider team "the room spontaneously burst into applause", Hie recalls.

Developing new phage could lead to new ways of treating infections that have become resistant to antibiotics.

But the breakthrough also points to the ability of AI to design new biology that goes beyond the natural world – what is known as synthetic biology.

Hie argues this has the potential to "massively improve human health" by developing new drugs and therapies.

But concerns have already been raised that the same technology could be used maliciously to create new diseases.

In a commentary accompanying the publication in the journal Science, Dr Thomas Inglesby and Dr Moritz Hanke from the Center for Health Security at Johns Hopkins University wrote that the findings raise "urgent biosafety and biosecurity questions".

They said it was no longer a question of "whether generative viral genome design will exist" but whether it can be used without "enabling serious harm".

For example, they said new viruses with the potential to cause disease "should not be pursued".

The researchers themselves took steps to maximise safety. They excluded viruses that could infect complex organisms from the training database, performed the research on phage rather than viruses that infect people and it all took place in a secure laboratory.

Hie argues even existing safeguards go a long way towards "ensuring that the technology is used for good".

From computers bits to atoms
Viruses are not alive and it would take another significant leap for AI to generate living organisms.

The genetic code of the phage is around 5,400 base pairs (letters) long. The smallest genome of a living cell is around 500,000 base pairs. The human genome is three billion base pairs.

Hie says "it would probably be a lot of work, but not impossible" to attempt some simple organisms and they were "definitely interested in working towards" that.

Prof Marc Güell, from the synthetic biology lab at Pompeu Fabra University in Spain, said the study was a "very significant turning point" because for the "first time in history, we are beginning to design biology on a computer".

He said it "allows us to dream of exciting possibilities for tackling humanity's greatest challenges" such as developing phages to tackle disease, enzymes to treat genetic disorders and antibodies that could be used in immunotherapy.

Prof Patrick Cai, chair of synthetic genomics at the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, said the study was an "important milestone".

"The significance extends far beyond phages – it suggests that genome language models are beginning to learn the design principles encoded by evolution, opening the door to AI-assisted genome writing."

AntiChristian:
How are those hadith related to the verse you quoted earlier?

Ain't Christians the same dubious entities now?

helinues:
Our universities need adequate funding to be teaching the students practical not theory only. Some unis have extra land to establish so many things apart from school building

The Chinese have been the one taking most of the road construction in Nigeria, then I wonder where are the Engineering old students

1. University of Ilorin: 15,000 ha
2. Obafemi Awolowo University: 11,861 ha
3. University of Abuja: 11,824 ha
4. Federal University of Technology, Minna: 10,650 ha
5. Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta: 10,200 ha
6. Ahmadu Bello University: 7,000 ha
7. University of Maiduguri: 4,219 ha
8. Federal University of Owerri: 4,048 ha
9. University of Port Harcourt: 4,000 ha
10. University of Jos: 2,300 ha
11. University of Uyo: 1,443 ha
12. University of Ibadan: 1,185.04 ha
13. Federal University Oye-Ekiti: 1,045 ha
14. University of Calabar: 770 ha
15. Federal University of Petroleum Resources Effurun: 163.15 ha

ha: hectare

Rashduct4luv:
So you still mean the user of the moniker Antiiislam lied by saying "But Quran 19:17 says you all in islam shall go into it"?

Or do you have a version that says exactly that? And why bring that dubious interpretation here? What's his intention?

AntiChristian:
What the verse meant is clear. All Muslims will pass over the Sirat bridge. Non-Muslims won't pass over that bridge as they are going directly to hell. Muslims passing over the bridge will move at varrying speed according to their deeds and beliefs. Some sinful Muslims will fall iinto hell from the bridge to be punished for their sins for as long as Allah wills till they are later admited into Paradise.

Antiislam is not right according to the correct interpretation! You just align with him as you both are Christians and one of a kind!

The key word is وَارِدُهَا (wāriduhā), from the root w-r-d, which means "to come to," "to arrive at," or "to approach" but it does not mean " to go into" as he said.

Rashduct4luv:
Your attached pix says "passing by hell" but you said "shall go into it"!

Why do some Christians lie to denigrate anything Islam?

I have attached it before you remove it so that everyone can see exaclty who you are!

This is my son, whom they tried to convince me to abort.

19 years ago they told me he had Down syndrome and didn’t have a leg.

I went ahead with my pregnancy. He was already fully formed inside me.

I didn’t care about the conditions. I just wanted my son in my arms.

I said NO TO ABORTION.

He was born. Normal and with both legs.

Soccer player, college student, and speaks 3 languages.

SAY NO TO ABORTION.

A child is a gift from God. It’s the miracle of life.

And I am his mother.

A 19-year-old man who’s 1.85m tall.

My pride.

A blind man who never held a driving licence has been banned from driving after police caught him drunk behind the wheel following a 150-mile journey.

According to ITV News, 49-year-old Anthony Hall was stopped by police in the early hours of June 29 after officers saw a car drifting between lanes on the route from Huddersfield to Carlisle.

When questioned, Hall admitted he had been drinking. A breath test found he was around three times over the legal alcohol limit. Prosecutors told the court that Hall, who is registered blind, said he managed the journey by following the lights of heavy goods vehicles.

Hall also admitted taking his partner’s car without permission. He pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, drink-driving, driving without insurance, driving without a licence, and taking a vehicle without consent.

Despite never having held a licence, the court imposed an interim driving ban. He could also face up to two years in prison for the dangerous driving offence under UK law.

Nigerian oil billionaire Muhammadu Indimi joins $43.5 million court fight with twin daughters over Oriental Energy dividends

Nigerian oil billionaire Muhammadu Indimi, founder of one of the country’s largest privately owned oil producers, has moved to personally join the appeal against a court judgment awarding $43.51 million to his twin daughters in a dispute over dividend entitlements at Oriental Energy Resources.

The application marks the latest development in a legal battle that has become one of the most closely watched corporate governance disputes involving a privately held African company, raising broader questions about shareholder rights, ownership structures and succession planning in family-controlled businesses.

Indimi’s move comes months after Nigeria’s Federal High Court ruled that Oriental Energy should pay $43.51 million to Ameena and Zara Indimi, who argued they were denied dividends after their shareholdings in the company were substantially diluted.

While Oriental Energy had already appealed the February judgment, Indimi is now seeking to participate in the proceedings in his personal capacity, according to ThisDay.

The appeal represents more than a family disagreement. It has evolved into a landmark dispute over ownership rights inside one of Nigeria’s most prominent indigenous energy companies, offering a rare glimpse into governance practices within privately held businesses that dominate much of Africa’s corporate landscape.

The dispute centres on dividend entitlements and shareholding changes at privately held oil producer Oriental Energy Resources.

A dispute over ownership and dividends

Court filings show the dispute centres on the ownership interests held by Ameena and Zara Indimi in Oriental Energy Resources.

The sisters argued that each originally owned about 5% of the company before their interests were reduced to roughly 0.63%, significantly lowering the dividends they received after Oriental Energy declared a $435.1 million dividend in 2016.

In February, the Federal High Court agreed with the sisters, ruling that they remained entitled to dividends based on their earlier shareholdings and ordering Oriental Energy to pay them $43.51 million.

Oriental Energy has challenged that decision, arguing that the reduction in the sisters’ shareholdings was lawful, that the transfers were voluntary and that previous financial settlements resolved the dispute.

The Court of Appeal will first determine whether Indimi can be joined as a party before hearing the substantive appeal.

Why investors are paying attention

Although the dispute involves members of one of Nigeria’s wealthiest business families, lawyers and governance experts say the issues before the court extend well beyond the Indimi family.

Across Africa, many of the continent’s largest companies remain privately owned and family-controlled, with ownership arrangements and shareholder agreements rarely subjected to public scrutiny.

The outcome of the case could therefore provide valuable judicial guidance on minority shareholder protections, dividend rights and ownership disputes in closely held companies, particularly as more African family businesses transition between generations.

For investors, lenders and prospective partners, the proceedings also highlight the importance of transparent governance structures in privately owned enterprises, where ownership and management often overlap.

Nigerian billionaire Muhammadu Indimi founded Oriental Energy Resources in the early 1990s and built it into one of the country’s leading indigenous oil producers.

Who is Muhammadu Indimi?

Indimi founded Oriental Energy Resources in the early 1990s and is regarded as one of Nigeria’s pioneer indigenous oil entrepreneurs.

The company has grown into one of the country’s leading privately owned upstream oil producers, with interests in offshore assets including the Ebok, Okwok and OML 115 fields.

Over the past three decades, Oriental Energy has become an important player in Nigeria’s upstream petroleum industry, contributing to the expansion of indigenous participation following government reforms aimed at increasing local ownership of oil assets.

Although the company remains privately held, its scale and influence have made it one of the country’s best-known indigenous energy firms.

As the appeal progresses, the case is expected to remain under close watch, not only because it involves one of Nigeria’s wealthiest oil families, but because its outcome could shape how courts interpret shareholder rights in privately owned businesses across Africa.

Human rights activist and African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has mocked President Bola Tinubu over the academic credentials contained in records published by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), saying “it is not too late for the President to return to school”.

Sowore said Tinubu could still enrol in adult education or online learning programmes to obtain primary and secondary school certificates.

He made the remarks on Monday outside the Federal High Court in Abuja after the continuation of his trial over allegations of cyberbullying President Tinubu.

Reacting to renewed public debate over Tinubu’s educational history following the publication of his nomination documents by INEC, Sowore said there was nothing stopping the President from pursuing further education.

“If I have to, I have my master’s. If I have to go for a PhD, I will do like Obasanjo. I will go to the National Open University of Nigeria, where they teach you from home.

“It’s not too late for the guy (Tinubu) to go back to school. Actually, one of his ministers went back and did their NYSC after he became a minister.

“He can still register in any of these online primary and secondary schools. He had the chance to have gone back to school between 2020 and now.

“Tinubu should have gone back to school. He can still register online for primary school and secondary school. So, I don’t see any problem. After all, Adeleke did it in Osun State.

“There’s an adult education opportunity for him, so that they would fill that primary school section for him,” Sowore was quoted as saying by SaharaReporters.

Also commenting on the issue, the National Publicity Secretary of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), Osa Director, questioned why the President’s primary and secondary school qualifications were not listed in the documents published by INEC.

“It is so disappointing that this is what we are talking about. Again, I believe that we are just raising this question for academic purposes. We don’t know the answer to our question. That is, those certificates are not there. So, it is what it is,” he said.

He urged the President and his aides to explain the omission.

“Let them tell us why the President’s secondary school and primary school certificates are not there. We all know that you cannot graduate from university without attending basic school.

“They should be able to tell us what happened to them. Because when you fill out forms online and submit, it will reject your submission, saying you have not completed filling in all the necessary information.

“So, I am surprised that this form went through INEC, knowing it was not filled.”

The issue has resurfaced following the release of candidates’ credentials by INEC as political activities ahead of the 2027 general election intensify.

Tinubu’s educational history has remained a subject of public debate for years. In his 1999 and 2003 governorship filings, he listed specific primary and secondary schools, including St. Paul’s Children’s Home School and Government College, Ibadan.

However, in later affidavits submitted during subsequent election cycles, Tinubu stated that his academic certificates were unavailable because they were among documents allegedly lost during the confiscation of his property while he was in self-exile between 1994 and 1998 under the military regime.

His more recent nomination documents filed with INEC listed only his Bachelor of Science degree from Chicago State University, leaving the sections for primary and secondary education blank, a development that has continued to attract criticism from political opponents and civic groups.

madridguy:
Alhamdullilah the self acclaimed scholar did not quote from the glorious Quran rather from a text from his fellow Algerian scholar.

Al-Muqaddima al-Waghlīsiyya is a famous short introductory text on Māliki jurisprudence, Islamic creed, and spiritual purification written by the 14th-century Algerian scholar ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Waghlīsī (died 1384 CE). It served for centuries as a foundational staple for students across North Africa and West Africa before advancing to more advanced texts.

Imam says old women and black women are not attractive enough to tempt muslim men into sexual sin, so men need not lower their gaze when they see old or black women pic.twitter.com/UCQKduXDAN

— Femi (@Femogeoscience) August 2, 2026

AntiChristian:
to explain that His mission and authority were spiritual, meaning He posed no political or military threat to the Roman Empire.

Long before the translation of the Qur‘an became acceptable to most Muslims in Africa, Christian missionaries had taken the initiative to render the Qur‘an into local African languages.

In fact, the first known translation of the Qur‘an into any African language was in the Yoruba language, which was carried out by Bishop Michael Samuel Cole of the Church Missionary Society (C.M.S), Lagos, Southern Nigeria.

His translation was first published in 1906 and then republished in 1924 in Lagos, under the title "Al-Kurani Ni Ede Yoruba."

Reverend M.S Cole was the first and founding Principal of Abeokuta Grammar School, Abeokuta, the present-day capital of Ogun State, Nigeria. He was the Senior Tutor of the Lagos Grammar School (that is, C.M.S. Grammar School, Lagos) until he was appointed as Principal of Abeokuta Grammar School in 1908. His first pupil was Israel Oludotun Ransome-Kuti, who later became a principal of the school.

In fact, when the school was opened for girls during his tenure in 1914, Frances Abigail Olufunmilayo Thomas, later Mrs Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, became his first female pupil.

A very erudite cleric and competent administrator, the Reverend M.S. Cole guided the fortunes of the young school for 12 years, after which he left on June 30, 1920, to become the Vicar of Christ Church Pro-Cathedral, Lagos, and later, the First Principal of Oduduwa College, Ile-Ife, present-day Osun State.

His sister, Sophia Cole, married the Reverend Emmanuel Adedapo Kayode, who gave birth to Victor Adedapo Kayode, who then gave birth to Remilekun Adetokunbo Fani-Kayode, who finally gave birth to Femi Fani-Kayode, who later served as a Minister of Aviation in the Obasanjo presidency (1999-2007). #HistoryVille

AntiChristian:
Yeah, it's about the creation. God created everything so everything belongs to him. So why should Satan tempt God with what God created?

AntiChristian:
Error 404!

The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it. Psalm 24:1

To the Lord your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it. Deuteronomy 10:14

Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O Lord. 1 Chronicles 29:11

A councillor has been charged with posting a grossly offensive comment on social media in connection to a comment referencing the Nigerian community.

Sunderland City Council Reform UK councillor Glenn Gibbins was investigated by his party and given a final written warning.

The charge, under the Communications Act 2003, relates to a post from 2024.

Northumbria Police said it was "aware there has already been significant interest" in what had happened and asked people not to speculate online or in the community.

The force said the 66-year-old, from the Sunderland area, was due to appear before South Tyneside Magistrates' Court next month.

A Reform UK spokesman said: "The party is aware of the situation involving Councillor Gibbins. We will monitor the verdict closely."

AntiChristian:
Any right thinking individual reading that passage should be concerned about Satan tempting God with what was already God's.

Alhamdulillah! Today is the grand opening of my wife’s alcohol and wine store. The place is already filled with respected alfas praying for massive patronage and overflowing profits. As always, we must put Allah (SWT) first in everything we do. 🤲🏽 pic.twitter.com/p9gUQmZBT9

— Yemi. (@KR3Wmatic) July 28, 2026

Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago has sacked all Fulani district heads, known as Ardos, replacing them with indigenous Nupe Chiefs in a historic move aimed at curbing kidnapping, violence, and terrorism. The decision effectively ends centuries of Fulani domination over indigenous people in the state, marking a significant shift in the region's political and traditional landscape.

The governor cited the rising cases of kidnapping, land grabbing, destruction of farmlands, and the invitation by local Fulani of other Fulani from outside the country to help them in sustained conflicts with indigenous people as reasons for the decision. He has replaced them with village chiefs or re-designated roles such as Hakimi to strengthen local indigenous authority and improve security in the state.

The dream that a private sector-led oil exploration drive will return to northern Nigeria and other frontier basins where taxpayers’ money has been invested in recent years suffered a major setback yesterday after investors outrightly refused to bid for oil blocks in most inland basins.

This is coming four years after the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) led former President Muhammadu Buhari to Kolmani, announcing a one billion-barrel oil discovery, 500 billion standard cubic feet of gas, a proposed $3 billion investment, a refinery, fertiliser plant as well as gas-fired power plants.

Unlike previous bid rounds, 13 of the oil blocks marketed by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) failed to attract any investor interest.

Three of the four marketed blocks in the Chad Basin received no bids, while two blocks each in the Benue and Benin basins were ignored. More significantly, six blocks in the Niger Delta also failed to attract bidders, raising fresh questions over the commercial attractiveness of the 2025 licensing round despite repeated assurances by regulators that investor confidence had returned.

The Guardian exclusively reports that oil block without bids include Ayama PPL 2A52 in the shallow waters of the Niger Delta, Foniwetoiro PPL 2A37, Olori PPL 2A36, Misty PPL 2A35, Kenam PPL 2A34 and Ikuru PPL 2A31, alongside PPL 309, PPL 307, PPL 802, PPL 803, PPL 701, PPL 702 and PPL 703 located across the inland basins.

The Federal Government confirmed that the 13 blocks would now be returned to the licensing basket after failing to receive bids during the 2025 Licensing Round.

Speaking at the 2025 Commercial Bid Conference in Abuja, Chief Executive of the NUPRC, Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, disclosed that only 37 of the 50 blocks offered received representations from prospective investors.

“At the end of the exercise, we had 50 blocks on offer, but we only had representation for 37 of those 50 blocks. Thirteen of those blocks will be returned to the basket,” she said.

Eyesan, however, described the exercise as successful, noting that 143 companies eventually submitted about 200 bids after a rigorous screening process.

According to her, almost 300 companies initially expressed interest in the licensing round before the figure was reduced to 196 after prequalification and eventually 143 participants at the commercial stage.

While the commission projected the outcome as evidence that investor confidence in Nigeria’s upstream industry is improving, industry experts told The Guardian that the pattern of bidding tells a more nuanced story. Rather than indicating renewed appetite for frontier exploration, they argued that investors merely concentrated on producing or near-producing assets while avoiding speculative acreages.

The companies that emerged winners of the 2025 Licensing Round include: SSonic Petroleum Limited (PPL 2A29), CFP Pipeline and Flowlines (2A30), Dutchford E&P Limited (2A32), Attabanson Global Company Limited (2A33 and PPL 901), Rosem Energy Limited (2A38), Pivot-GIS Limited (2A39), Network E&P (2A40), Asharami (2A41), LexOil (2A42), BVOF (2A43), GupscoEnergy Limited (2A44 and 2A51), Saratoga (2A45), Volante (2A46), Concept-Reel Petroleum Services Limited (2A47 and 2A55), Clinton Oil Field (2A48 and 2A62) and Nuway Oaklane Limited (2A49).

Others are Ramec (2A50), Italia (2A53), Blueridge E&P (2A54), Up Energies Limited (2A56), AYM Shafa (2A57), Blackrock Holdings Limited (2A58), Funtay Integrated Business Limited (2A59), Riparian Development and Production Limited (2A60), Nikstallis (2A61 and PPL 900), Stardeep Petroleum (PPL 2010), Dakoda & U Limited (PPL308 and PPL 800), Southborne Oil and Gas Limited (PPL 902), Lanaka Petroleum (PPL 903) HighbanResources Limited (PPL 700), Eyre Energy Limited (PPL 801).

These firms, NUPRC said, would only be presented with final awards after the payment of the appropriate signature bonus and the approval of the Minister of Petroleum Resources in line with the Petroleum Industry Act, 2021.

Stakeholders raise concerns over poor seismic data, undersized oil blocks
A senior geologist with one of Nigeria’s leading international oil companies, who requested anonymity because he was not authorised to speak publicly, said the outcome reflected long-standing structural weaknesses in the country’s frontier basin strategy.

“The outcome of the licensing round was not surprising. Virtually all the blocks located outside the Niger Delta attracted little or no interest from investors. The way these frontier blocks have been partitioned raises serious concerns. Many of the acreages are simply too small to support meaningful exploration activities, with some covering barely 100 square kilometres. For a capital-intensive and high-risk business such as oil exploration, such block sizes are commercially unattractive,” he said.

According to him, the entire approach appeared driven more by political considerations than commercial realities.

He argued that investors were unlikely to commit millions of dollars to highly speculative assets where the government had failed to provide adequate seismic and geological information capable of reducing exploration risk.

“Exploration is inherently speculative, and companies require robust geological and seismic data before making investment decisions. Unfortunately, the government has not made sufficient subsurface data available to de-risk these frontier acreages. Asking investors to pay about $7 million for blocks with limited data and uncertain prospects is simply unrealistic,” he stated.

He recalled that previous licensing rounds attempted to compel investors to acquire frontier acreage alongside more attractive Niger Delta assets under the “drill or drop” policy but noted that the strategy failed to stimulate sustained exploration.

The geologist also questioned the official narrative surrounding the Kolmani discovery.
He noted that unlike conventional industry practice, where discoveries undergo several appraisal stages before reserves are declared commercially recoverable, the Kolmani announcement was accompanied by bold political declarations that were never followed by publicly available technical evidence.

“Years after the announcement of crude oil discoveries in the Kolmani area, neither the government nor NNPC has publicly disclosed the actual size of the discovery, the estimated recoverable reserves or the commercial viability of the find. Exploration companies rely on credible geological evidence, not political pronouncements,” he added.

Partner at Kreston Pedabo, Olufemi Idowu, said the outcome of the licensing round underscored growing investor caution towards frontier exploration, arguing that capital naturally gravitates towards projects with clearer commercial prospects.

According to him, the inability of 13 frontier basin blocks to attract bids reflects concerns over the high cost and uncertainty associated with inland exploration, particularly in areas where supporting infrastructure remains inadequate.

He noted that the Kolmani Integrated Development Project, launched with expectations of over one billion barrels of crude oil and significant gas reserves, had yet to deliver commercial production nearly four years later, raising fresh questions about the viability of similar projects.

Idowu said: “The lesson is straightforward. Without adequate infrastructure, reliable geological data and commercially attractive incentives, frontier basins will remain largely unattractive to investors. Nigeria may achieve better returns by prioritising investment in proven oil and gas assets where production can commence more quickly and investment risks are significantly lower.”

Those concerns have become more pronounced because many of the promises made during the Kolmani flag-off have yet to materialise.

In November 2022, Buhari inaugurated the Kolmani Integrated Development Project spanning Bauchi and Gombe states, describing it as Nigeria’s first commercial oil discovery outside the Niger Delta.

The project was projected to produce about 50,000 barrels of crude oil daily and unlock over one billion barrels of crude oil reserves alongside about 500 billion standard cubic feet of gas.

Government officials also announced plans for a refinery, fertiliser plant, gas processing facilities and gas-fired power generation, while NNPC stated that more drillable prospects had been identified within the Gongola and Chad basins.

At the time, Buhari acknowledged that the project faced difficult economics because of its landlocked location but insisted that NNPC had successfully leveraged its assets to attract more than $3 billion in investments despite declining global appetite for fossil fuel projects.
Nearly four years later, however, none of the proposed industrial projects has reached completion, commercial crude production has not commenced, while independent reserve certification and appraisal results have remained unavailable to the public.

NNPC mum on frontier basins’ appraisal
The Guardian contacted the Chief Corporate Communications Officer of NNPC, Andy Odey, seeking clarification on the status of the Kolmani project, including the refinery, fertiliser plant, gas facilities, power project, current reserve estimates and total public investments committed to frontier exploration.

Although Odey acknowledged receipt of the enquiry and promised to respond, no answers had been received as of the time of filing this report despite repeated follow-up calls and messages.

Former Shell management staff, Madaki Ameh, said investor reluctance reflected commercial discipline rather than loss of confidence in Nigeria.

“It is not surprising that investors did not show any interest in the 13 frontier basins which were put up for sale in the current bid round. The risk is quite high, and investors would rather stick to fields with proven reserves which have actually produced or are producing.

“Considering the huge capital outlay in terms of the cost associated with the bids and signature bonuses, it is only prudent to take calculated risks.”
According to him, the absence of visible progress at Kolmani has further reinforced investor caution.

“The much-celebrated Kolmani Field, with all the huge costs sunk by NNPCL into it, has not shown any further activity, thereby heightening the aversion of investors to such frontier fields. A whole lot still needs to be done to make frontier basin fields attractive to investors.

“I won’t advise further investments in the frontier basins because such investments may not yield the desired results in the short or long term. Let us optimise production from existing fields and minimise undue costs associated with risky political investments in the oil and gas industry at this time,” he said.

Similarly, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Community Development Committees of Niger Delta Oil and Gas Producing Areas (CDC), Joseph Ambakederimo, said the bidding outcome demonstrated that investors remain focused on assets capable of generating quicker and more predictable returns.

He argued that in an era where global capital is increasingly selective, frontier exploration faces stiff competition from producing fields with lower geological uncertainty.

According to him, although the Petroleum Industry Act introduced fiscal incentives aimed at attracting upstream investment, the incentives alone were insufficient to compensate for the technical risks associated with frontier acreage.

He added that signature bonuses ranging between $3 million and $7 million, combined with substantial work programme obligations, further weakened the commercial appeal of many of the blocks.

Ambakederimo also questioned the long-standing claims surrounding Kolmani’s reserve estimates.

“Despite the proven reserves of over one billion barrels of crude oil and nearly 500 billion cubic feet of gas as we were made to believe, the study has always been called to question in my mind, and I still hold those reservations. Perhaps it was a made-up study designed to justify taking out resources and putting them into a basket.

“I think frontier basins within the Niger Delta hold greater prospects for investors. If there are frontier opportunities in that region, it is only sensible for NUPRC to restrategise to derive optimum benefits for the country,” he said.

Petroleum economist and founder of Energy Business Analytics, Dr Kaase Gbakon, said the failure of the frontier basin blocks to attract bids reflected the high risks associated with exploration in Nigeria’s hinterland basins.

According to him, the basins are characterised by limited geological data, inadequate infrastructure and high development costs, requiring patient capital and substantial long-term investment before production can commence.

He noted that investors are instead gravitating towards proven oil provinces with established reserves and existing infrastructure, while companies willing to undertake frontier exploration have more attractive opportunities in countries such as Namibia, Guyana, Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire.

Echoing similar views, Professor Emeritus of Petroleum Economics, Wumi Iledare, said the outcome should not be interpreted as a lack of confidence in Nigeria’s frontier petroleum potential but as a commercial decision driven by prevailing market realities.

He stressed that investors are guided by commercial viability rather than geological prospects, noting that the slow progress of the Kolmani Integrated Development Project illustrates the gap between hydrocarbon discoveries and economically viable developments.

Iledare added that sustained investor interest would depend on policy certainty, fiscal competitiveness, regulatory consistency and continued transparency in the implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act.

In the vast British tropical colony of Nigeria, the back-country people of the Eastern Region have long been a troublesome lot to officialdom.

Mostly half-naked farmers, they take unusual delight in staging bloody campaigns against vaccinations, and in setting schools on fire. Each time, the police must come in to restore order. But of all the assignments that the police have undertaken, none has produced such eerie results as the search of the house of Chief Nwiboko Obodo.

For months reports had poured in of a high homicide rate around the tiny town of Abakaliki, about 50 miles from the Eastern Region capital of Enugu. Men would go to their farms of a morning and simply disappear; women went to market and never came home. Police found evidence that since 1954 there had been more than 100 murders in Abakaliki. But it was not until they raided Chief Obodo’s house that they found the reason why.

Inside, they discovered rope, leg irons, and swords, as well as an assortment of juju charms bearing the warning that all men and women in the 14 villages around “must respect me and do whatever I say.” It soon turned out that the chief was a member of a secret cult that inappropriately bears the name of Odozi Obodo, the “Committee of the Peacemakers.”

The most powerful arm of the society was a sort of Murder Inc. squad called Exepute, meaning “the Chief says . ..”

It was the Exepute that carried out the grisly justice of the society against anyone who balked at paying the “taxes” the chiefs whimsically imposed, or against those whom the chiefs merely disliked.

For the chiefs, murder was also a lucrative business: by tradition, they inherit “all property of the dead, including wives and children.

Last week, while Chief Obodo languished in jail and his British counsel, Dingle Foot (brother of Cyprus Governor Sir Hugh Foot), prepared his defense, one of his sidekicks, Chief Idaka Igboji, faced trial for murder, along with ten accomplices. A steady stream of witnesses —those who dared talk—told tales of death by drowning or burying alive.

Finally there unrolled the story of the specific murder in question—that of a farmer named Nwakriko Abam. Abam, according to prosecution testimony, had been invited around for drinks by some of the chief’s men. Suddenly his hosts seized him and slowly strangled him with a chain. His body was then brought before Chief Igboji, dismembered, tied to the victim’s own bicycle, and flung into the river. Abam’s crime: he had had the temerity to campaign against the chief in the last local parliamentary election.

WriterrNg:

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Show us the several verified credible sources.

We are waiting.

All the testimonies from the African recruits always mentions single individuals and no single mention of Russian government or embassy.

WriterrNg:

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So why are you blaming Russian government for this when they have no hand in it? Why aren't you blaming the fake agents perpetrating the scams?

From my investigations, they are even Indians and Bangladeshis.

Russia sits on a continent with over 3 billion people. You think they're running short of people to fight for them?

You think Russia will leave Syria, Libya, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, China, North Korea, India to recruit from and come all the way to Africa to recruit?

Even if you're a dullard, don't you know it'll cost them more money to recruit from far away Africa than to recruit from bordering countries?

You think the recruits will trek to Russia?

WriterrNg:

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And what about the Nigerians 419ed by fake job offers in the UK on Facebook & WhatsApp?

Will you blame the UK government for that?

WriterrNg:
Lookup how many Nigerians are fighting for American.

I bet it'll fill the entire thread.

Even Nigerian actors & actresses are joining the US army.