Nigeria Plans To Block Oil Smuggling Routes

A new plan has been proposed by key security Agencies to protect the country’s oil and gas industry through tightening border controls and improving security around petroleum products conveyors.

Part of the plan would see the establishment of a centre for linkages and collaboration, bringing together all relevant stakeholders for improved information sharing and joint operations to combat smuggling more effectively.

This is part of agreement reached in a meeting held by the Nigeria Customs Service, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) and the Nigeria Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) at the instance of the National Security Adviser (NSA).

The new plan would also explore the adoption of advanced technologies to enhance monitoring and control of petroleum product movement throughout the supply chain.

Prosecuting offenders and significant penalties to offenders would be applied under the current arrangement.

A communiqué jointly signed by the National Security Adviser, NCS, NMDPRA, NNPCL and the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) among others, after a stakeholder meeting on petroleum product smuggling held on Monday affirmed agreement to that effect.

The meeting resolved to launch a comprehensive public awareness campaign to educate Nigerians on the detrimental effects of petroleum smuggling on the nation’s economy and security.

“This campaign would be a joint effort of all participating agencies, leveraging various media platforms to reach all segments of society.

“The NNPC Ltd. and NMDPRA, in collaboration with the NCS, agreed to explore the adoption of advanced technologies to enhance monitoring and control of petroleum product movement throughout the supply chain.” the communique read.

It added that the stakeholders at the gathering publicly disassociated themselves from smuggling activities and committed to implementing stricter internal controls even as they agreed to cooperate fully with the NCS and other agencies in identifying and reporting suspected smuggling activities.

The communiqué also disclosed that a formal mechanism was established for regular feedback from stakeholders on anti-smuggling efforts.

This includes periodic review meetings of the operation, with participation from all relevant agencies and associations, it stated.

They also called on the need to support Operation Whirlwind, for stronger collaboration between the service, NMDPRA, NNPC, and other security agencies.

“The meeting acknowledged the significant costs associated with anti-smuggling operations. A resolution was passed to advocate for increased budgetary allocation for Operation Whirlwind, with support from all participating agencies.

“The Operation Whirlwind team, with support from other agencies, will develop a strategy to actively engage community leaders in border areas as partners in the fight against smuggling,” the communiqué stated.

They also agreed that the NSA would work with relevant government bodies to implement existing laws, aiming to strengthen penalties for smuggling and provide greater legal backing for anti-smuggling operations, ‘the forum encouraged NCS to prosecute offenders.’

The communiqué added that the service would collaborate with NMDPRA and NNPC Ltd to develop a long-term, sustainable strategy for combating petroleum smuggling, adding that the platform would be reviewed and updated annually under the supervision of the NSA.

The communiqué also stated that a joint monitoring team, comprising representatives from all participating agencies and associations, was established to monitor the implementation of these resolutions and to provide periodic progress reports to the NSA.

“The meeting concluded with a renewed commitment from all parties to work collaboratively towards eliminating petroleum smuggling and ensuring the integrity of Nigeria’s petroleum supply chain,”.

By Chika Izuora, Leadership

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Dam collapse in Nigeria sweeps deadly reptiles into flooded communities

A dam collapsed Tuesday in northeastern Nigeria unleashing severe flooding that prompted evacuations and swept deadly reptiles from a zoo into communities in the area, local officials and a zoo manager said.

The collapse of the Alau dam in the state of Borno caused some of the state's worst flooding since the same dam collapsed 30 years ago, and prompted many residents to flee their homes. The dam was at full capacity due to unusually high rains, according to the state government.

About 15 per cent of the Borno state capital Maiduguri was under water, Nahum Daso, the state's police spokesperson told The Associated Press. No death toll from the flooding has been released yet.

At the Borno State Museum Park, the flooding killed about 80 per cent of the animals while an unspecified number of reptiles escaped, zoo general manager Ali Abatcha Don Best said.

"Some deadly animals have been washed away into our communities, animals like crocodiles and snakes," the zoo manager said.

The local authorities issued a flooding alert and an immediate evacuation order for residents close to river banks, Usman Tar, Borno's commissioner for information and internal security said. All schools in the state will close for the next two weeks, he added.

The dam collapse is compounding a humanitarian crisis in Borno over the past decade due to the activities of Boko Haram insurgents. The insurgency, which has spilled across borders around Lake Chad, has killed more than 35,000 people, displaced 2.6 million others in the country's north-east region.

Boko Haram, with one branch allied to the Islamic State group, wants to install an Islamic state in Nigeria, West Africa's oil giant of 170 million people divided almost equally between a mainly Christian south and a predominantly Muslim north.

Earlier this year, at least 18 people were killed by suicide bombers in a coordinated attack targeting a wedding, a funeral and a hospital in Borno.

AP

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Video - Nigerian men speak on mental health awareness

Some Nigerians say societal views on masculinity and cultural expectations have prevented African men from gaining mental health awareness. VOA Africa took to the streets of the West African nation to hear people’s opinions.

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Nigeria cracks the whip on fake university degrees

Fake university degrees are not new to Nigeria. The country’s decision to ban many foreign universities accused of awarding such degrees aims to reverse the trend.Nigeria has defended its recently revived and long fight against fraudulent university degrees declaring its strong commitment and relentless effort to end the practice.

Earlier this year, it suspended degrees obtained by Nigerians from Universities in Benin and Togo. But last month, the ban was subsequently broadened to cover some universities in Kenya, Uganda, and Ghana.

"For the first time, this is a decisive game changer and large-scale decision-making by the current government, that it has zero tolerance [for fake degrees]," Dr. Chris Maiyaki, the acting executive secretary of the Nigerian National Universities Commission based in the capital, Abuja told DW.

Nigerian authorities say they want tomaintain the credibility of their educational system and protect employersfrom potential fraudulent practices.

The latest decision by Africa's most populous nation was triggered by an undercover report by a local newspaper journalist who easily acquired a degree from a university in Benin.

The journalist, Umar Audu, detailed how he acquired the degree for a four-year program from Benin University in under two months. "To get your certificate in six weeks, as this undercover journalist did across the border of Niger, is unthinkable. It is inconceivable," Maiyaki said.

State agencies and ministries in charge of accrediting academic qualifications obtained abroad are already facing investigations.

Nigeria's Minister of Education told journalists that the federal government of President Bola Tinubu had directed the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) to issue a circular to flush out anybody with fake certificates.

Safeguarding the integrity of university degrees

He said this measure should safeguard Nigeria's employers and maintain the integrity of qualifications in the country.

Dr. Richmond Acheampong, a communication lecturer at the Christian Service University in Ghana, told DW that Nigeria is taking the right steps in tackling the menace.

"That [banning of several foreign institutions] is a step in the right direction. It will help check the incidence of these [fake] certificates," Acheampong said.

Fraudulent university qualifications are not a new phenomenon in Nigeria. In January this year the government announced it was investigating 107 local private universities that began operating in the past 15 years.

This was to tackle the proliferation of fake degrees again on the back of media investigations into the menace.

"There are pockets of illegality here and there, but we will wish that this does not, in any way, cloud the rich academic tradition and the glorious years that the Nigerian University brand has enjoyed over the years," Maiyaki said.

According to Acheampong, the prevalence of fake university degrees is often linked to a lack of "proper oversight" by regulatory bodies.

In Ghana, where fake degrees had been reported in the past, Acheampong said the menace has largely been contained through a vigorous monitoring process.

"This is what Ghana has been doing over the years to resolve the issue of these certificates. [Ghanaian authorities] regularly publish list of accredited institutions to caution the public against unaccredited institutions."

Nigeria must learn from its neighbors

Acheampong said Nigeria can learn from Ghana by ensuring that employers always verify employees' certificates. "[Ghana] also encourages employers to verify certificates of their prospective employees," Acheampong said.

Nigerian authorities have assured citizens and the world that the credibility of degrees awarded within Nigeria by local universities still meets regulatory standards.

"The academic credibility is not in doubt, but it is a matter that we're worried about because no matter how little it is, the fraction can impinge on the reputation of our certificates in our universities," Maiyaka said, adding that Nigeria was earnestly looking into the issue. "It is one matter that we will continue to tackle."

But for Acheampong, Nigeria must do more to win the fight. "Nigeria can go a step further by making sure that people who are already caught or busted are given the appropriate punishment to serve as a deterrent to others," the Ghanaian academic said.


Nigerian authorities revealed that at least 21,600 Nigerian graduates obtained fraudulent degrees from institutions in Benin Republic, Togo, and other countries. That signals the high interest by Nigerians to acquire fradulent qualifications.

"You could see a lot of young Nigerians now who are desperately looking for certificates, and it is causing a serious dent to our educational sector," Audu, the investigative journalist, told DW when his investigation first came public in January this year.

Acheampong said Nigeria must launch a major awareness campaign on the issue. "It is by educating the public about the risks of fake qualifications and how to also verify the legitimacy of institutions. This can help check it," Acheampong added.

He urged Nigerian authorities to also engage in cross-border collaborations with countries where it has identified institutions awarding fraudulent degrees if it wants to make many gains.

By Isaac Kaledzi, DW