Author: Abdallah el-Kurebe

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) says the power sector has recorded an all-time national peak of 5,459.50MW. A statement issued on Thursday by Ms Ndidi Mbah, TCN General Manager, Public Affairs, said the new record was achieved on Oct. 28. The statement said the power generated was efficiently transmitted through the nation’s transmission grid at a frequency of 50.26Hz by 8.15pm on the said date. According to the statement, this milestone in transmission is higher than any peak ever recorded in the nation’s power industry as of date. It said the new peak surpassed the 5,420.30MW achieved on Aug.18…

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Top U.S. infectious disease expert, Dr Anthony Fauci, has said that the first doses of a successful COVID-19 vaccine would be available to some hardest-hit Americans by late December or early January. Fauci, who is the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, stated this during a live Facebook chat on Thursday. He said Americans would know in December whether or not they would have a safe and effective vaccine, citing leading vaccine developers, Pfizer and Moderna. The comments came as the country reported no fewer than 74,000 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday. The U.S. coronavirus…

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By Ahmed Attahiru Gusau The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria, SMEDAN, has organized Talent Hunt in Fashion, Arts and crafts for 150 participants across the North West. The Director-General, Dikko Radda made the disclosure on Thursday in Gusau during the official closing ceremony of a three day, 2020 SMEDAN Talent Hunt in Fashion, Arts and crafts, organized by the agency, in partnership with Zamfara State Zakkat and Endowment Board in the State. According to him, the Federal government has earmarked over N75 billion for the support of small and medium scale businesses in the country by Nigerian…

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The Director General of the National Biosafety Management Agency, NBMA, Dr Rufus Ebegba has emphasised the importance of experts input in the guidelines being developed by the agency for the regulation of gene editing and the National Policy on Biosecurity. Speaking during a two-day meeting to review the guidelines on Gene editing and National Biosecurity policy in Abuja, which held between 28 and 29 October 2020, Ebegba said that the two documents had undergone rigorous internal review by the Agency, and was now brought for input by external experts. According to him, the NBMA is concerned about the human health and…

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The Conference of Nigeria Political Parties, CNPP, has called on the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu, who was recently nominated by President Muhammadu Buhari, to the Senate for reappointment, to ensure that he uses his second term to ensure better elections in the country. A statement by the Secretary General, Chief Willy Ezugwu and made available to ASHENEWS on Thursday also advised Prof. Yakubu to use his “second term to re-enact better Edo and Ondo states electoral templates that has given hope to the masses that votes can count again. “As we are aware,…

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Does the energy transition imply a total ban on fossil fuels and should countries fire sell their oil & gas assets? No, energy transition does not mean a total ban on fossil fuels. In simple terms, energy transition refers to a shift from fossil fuels to cleaner forms of energy. Energy transition is a progressive process; however, some experts and activists have used the term to shame countries that still desire to develop their fossil fuels. Although some parts of the globe such as Europe have made significant efforts to decarbonise the energy sector by among others deploying renewable energy,…

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While anticipated, Total’s second significant gas condensate discovery announced today in South Africa is nonetheless reason to rejoice after a year of deep uncertainty and struggles for the African energy sector. With partners Qatar Petroleum, CNR International and Africa Energy Corp, Total was able to start its multi-well exploration programme on Block 11B/12B only two months behind schedule, delivering what remains until now the year’s only discovery across sub-Saharan Africa. The Luiperd-1X well was drilled to a total depth of 3,400 meters and encountered 73 meters of net gas condensate pay within the Paddavissie Fairway, which already includes the 2019…

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APO Group (www.APO-opa.com) the leading pan-African communications and business consultancy, announced today that it has joined the Global Alliance for Partnerships on Media and Information Literacy (GAPMIL) (https://bit.ly/34D5Uj5). Created by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), GAPMIL is a groundbreaking movement working to promote international cooperation to ensure all citizens have access to media and information competencies. As part of the collaboration with GAPMIL, APO Group Founder and Chairman, Nicolas Pompigne-Mognard, has been invited to participate in an online forum at the annual UNESCO Media and Information Literacy (MIL) Conference (https://bit.ly/3oEGAkE). The Mobilizing Partnerships and Resources Forum will be held on Friday 30th October…

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The statistics that hover uncertainty around Africa are not ones that should make the continent proud. The World Bank has estimated that Africa could potentially hold 90% of the global poor population by 2030 (https://bloom.bg/2HDICAP) and has recently cut its economic growth (https://bit.ly/34xTWqY) predictions to between -2.1% and -5.1% in 2020 from the 2.4% of 2019. The situation has been significantly worsened by the global pandemic, as the continent hits its first recession in 25 years. But this is not the picture that defines a continent that has long defied expectation and prediction. In fact, a young population, a growing consumption market, and the…

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The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) on Thursday said that no fewer than 21 persons lost their lives in an auto crash on the old Enugu – Okigwe road. The accident involved a low-bed articulated vehicle and a fully-loaded 608 Mercedes Benz bus conveying school children and their teachers. It happened precisely at the Nkwo Junction of the road at about 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, when the school children were returning home. The FRSC Sector Commander in Enugu State, Mr Ogbonnaya Kalu, confirmed the accident and the number of deaths in Enugu. Kalu said that the FRSC Unit in Awgu…

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