Nigeria: Revealed – UK Toxic Wastes Traced to Alaba Market

Lagos — Potentially dangerous toxic wastes from the United Kingdom (UK) have been traced to Alaba International Market and Apapa, all in Lagos state.The wastes, according to Sky News investigation, comprise abandoned TV set, computer and electrical appliances, which are ordinarily meant to be recycled .The report said the wastes “are traced to Lagos port inside the container. We finally managed to track the television down to a shipping container.”

Equatorial Guinea: ‘Nigeria Not Behind Armed Attack’

Abuja — The Federal Government yesterday denied involvement in Tuesday’s attack on the Presidential Palace in Malabo, capital of Equatorial Guinea.It also expressed solidarity with the people of the country and congratulated the Equitorial Guinea government for repellingwhat it called ‘cowardly action’, by criminal elements.Equatorial Guinea authorities had fingered Niger Delta militants in the attack launched on the country’s presidential palace Tuesday.

Nigeria: Niger Delta Crisis – Shell Shuts in 180,000bpd

Lagos — The unabated crisis in the oil-rich Niger Delta has continued to take its toll on Shell Petroleum Development and Production Company (SPDC) and Nigeria’s oil revenue, as the company has been forced to shut in production of 180,000 barrels per day (“bpd) of oil following renewed attacks on its facilities.Suspected loyalists of Kitikata, a militant leader linked with the recent killing of soldiers in the Niger Delta region, yesterday invaded the SPDC’s Nembe Creek flowstation in Bayelsa State.

New Technology Sweeps Through Africa

In Nigeria, new subscribers are signing up with mobile phone services at a rate of almost one every second. In Kenya, they can transfer money, get exam results and even find dates using their phones.African farmers can decide what crops to plant by checking prices at local markets using their cell phones. Physicians can help nurses in rural clinics diagnose patients by “telemedicine.”In this topical briefing, AllAfrica brings you news of the exciting developments in the fields of telecommunications, information technology and the Internet across the continent.

Nigeria: Country Overtakes South Africa in Telecoms Market

Lagos — Nigeria has overtaken South Africa as Africa’s largest telecom market with the highest subscriber base, Dr Ernest Ndukwe, Deputy Chairman, National Communication Commission, has said.Ndukwe stated this on Tuesday at the “Investment in Africa Telecom Conference” in Johannesburg.He said South Africa had maintained that lead up till January 2008.Ndukwe’s paper entitled: “Facilitating African Renaissance through Communications Infrastructure Development” was presented by Mr Abdullahi Maikano, Head Business Development at the NCC.

Nigeria: Kidnappings – Oil, Gas Exports Under Threat

Lagos — Nigeria’s troubled economy is at further risk as the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) yesterday said it would embark on an industrial action to shut down crude oil exports from Rivers State.The action is to start from Monday unless the increasing spate of kidnappings in the Niger Delta is addressed, the union said.If the action takes place as planned, activities at the export terminal would be paralysed, a development which will lead to loss of billions of dollars in revenue for the country.

Nigeria: Constitution Review Impasse – Reps Head for Court

The battle for supremacy between the Senate and the House of Representatives over the leadership of the constitution review committee is about to shift from the precincts of the National Assembly to the Supreme Court, as some lawmakers head for the apex court to seek interpretation of certain sections of the constitution regarding the status of the two chambers.A group of members of the House under the aegis of the Faculty Board of the Initiatives announced yesterday in Abuja that it was going to court to seek interpretation of sections 4(1), 53(2) and 54(2) of the constitution, which provide for the establishment of the two chambers of the National Assembly.

Nigeria: Govt, Pfizer Opt for Out-of-Court Settlement

Abuja — Federal Government and Pfizer, which had sustained a legal battle over the death of some children in Kano State following alleged administration of vaccines on them, have agreed to settle the case instituted by the government against the company out-of-court.Pfizer is seeking to quash the report by a committee set up by the Federal Government to look into the activities of Pfizer in the controversial clinical test trial in Kano.

Nigeria: FG Cuts Fuel Price

Abuja — On a day the Federal Government reiterated that the nation’s economic outlook remains buoyant, Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) has asked oil marketers to reduce the price of a litre of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), otherwise known as petrol, to N65. This represents a N5 reduction.In a statement signed on behalf of the agency by Yusuf Mu’azu, PPPRA said last night that the decision followed the downward trend in the prices of crude and refined petroleum products at the international market.

Nigeria: Soludo – Obama’s Energy Policy, Threat to Nigeria

Abuja — Twenty-four hours after Barack Obama became the 44th President of the United States of America, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Professor Chukwuma Soludo, has warned that the energy policy of the new administration may spell doom for the Nigerian economy.He said Obama’s proposed vigorous search for alternative energy to drive the world’s largest economy poses “great dangers” for Nigeria whose economy is highly dependent on revenue from oil.Nigeria is the fifth largest exporter of crude oil to the US.