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Petrol Pump Price Hits N300 Per Litre, Nigerians Groan

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By Punch Reporters

The scarcity of Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, grew worse across the country on Thursday, as massive queues were witnessed in Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt, Calabar, Warri, Nasarawa, Minna, among other places.

Oil marketers stated that the scarcity became worse due to the fact that dealers could hardly access the product from the only two depots that were dispensing the commodity in Lagos State as of Thursday.

The few filling stations, particularly those of independent marketers, that dispensed the commodity on Thursday, sold it at between N250/litre and N300/litre, depending on area of purchase.

Oil marketers told our correspondent that over 1,000 tickets, belonging to marketers which had paid for products, remained unattended to, at the few depots that dispense the commodity in Lagos.

It was gathered that the tickets, which were for over 1,000 tankers, had continued to pile up due to the pressure on the two depots, namely MRS and Pinnacle.

It was also gathered that the cost of petrol could have been increased quietly by the Federal Government, as stations that used to sell the approved price of N179 – N180/litre had raised their prices to between N185 – N190/litre.

Scarcity hits Abuja

The scarcity in Abuja was worse on Thursday, as virtually all retail outlets belonging to independent marketers were shut, while only few stations belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and major marketers dispensed PMS.

But the very few outlets that dispensed products were greeted with massive queues of motorists who spent hours waiting to buy petrol.

Commenting on the issue, the Secretary, Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Abuja-Suleja, Mohammed Shuaibu, said the concerns in the downstream sector would continue to linger as long as the government remained the sole importer of petrol into Nigeria.

He said, “The Federal Government, through NNPC, is the only one importing this product and it is subsidising it. And they don’t have the facility to store the product.

“Some time ago we complained about this because when they store in private depots, the price is hiked and some of the depots continue to exploit the masses arbitrarily.

“However, as it is now, the government is bringing in products. But the issue now is that virtually all the depots that belong to major marketers in Apapa axis of Lagos are empty. So there is now pressure on MRS and Pinnacle depots where NNPC drop products.”

Shuaibu added, “So, there are over 1,000 tickets of marketers who have paid to have their trucks loaded, but we don’t know what is happening. Today they will tell you that they are upgrading the system, tomorrow you will hear that the system did not capture.”

He said tickets were piling and “you know that it takes much time to transport this product from the South to the North. Some trucks spend one month, especially when they have problems on the road, others spend two to three weeks.”

The IPMAN official called on the Federal Government to do something about this, adding that it must be done fast.

When asked why were other depots in Apapa and in other locations not selling products, Shuaibu stated that pipeline vandalism, depot upgrade and other issues were the reasons.

He said, “Last time we complained that some depots were exploiting us, and the depots argued that the cost of moving products from one end of their facility to another had Increased, as well as other issues. So we can’t tell whether that is another reason why NNPC stopped supplying some of these depots.

“Things were not worse like this before. As I’m talking to you now, some of our tickets have been there for close to a month. I did payment since but I can’t load. And the story is the same across their 21 depots. We can’t load.”

Meanwhile, Shuabu stated that unconfirmed information on the official pump price of PMS that filtered in on Thursday evening was that the government had quietly raised the cost of petrol.

“I cannot confirm it yet, but we are hearing that they have quietly increased the pump price of petrol, because major marketers in Lagos who used to sell at N179 – N180/litre, are now selling at N185 – N190/litre,” he stated.

Also speaking on the issue, the Public Relations Officer, IPMAN, Chief Ukadike Chinedu, said another reason for the scarcity was the changes being done by NNPC in terms of payment for products by marketers.

He said, “NNPC has moved independent marketers from PPMC Marketers Express to the NNPC Retail portal. That NNPC Retail portal is where marketers will be able to buy their products. However, they told us that the portal is in place now.

“Another concern is that they (NNPC) are also having an issue with the remittance, which, according to them, has been resolved. But the impact of these issues will definitely be felt and it will take some time to clear.

“Marketers are calling on NNPC to supply products to some of the depots where independent marketers can access them since most NNPC depots are not functional because of pipeline vandalism.”

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Business

Airtel Performs Groundbreaking Ceremony for its NXTRA Data Centre, Promises 1000 Jobs

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By Eric Elezuo

Prominent Nigerians were present as network communications service provider, Airtel Africa, performed the ground-breaking ceremony for the establishment of its NXTRA data centre project in Nigeria, at the prestigious Eko Atlantic City, in Victoria Island, Lagos, informing that the project is programmed to create over 1000 jobs for Nigerians.

The company noted that the facility, nicknamed the Nitra frontier, and reported as the first of five hyperscale data centres to be developed by Airtel Africa on the continent, will deliver 38 megawatts of total power and host high-density racks that integrate the latest best practice construction to achieve 1.3 power usage effectiveness (PUE).

It was also revealed that the data centres at full capacity will offer 180-megawatt capacity, distributed across 13 major data centres, and over 48 edge data centres.

Speaking at the event, the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Airtel, Segun Ogunsanya, who informed that the project is expected to go live by the first quarter of 2026, further stated that out of the 1000 jobs expectedto be created, 250 will be permanent once the project is deployed and at capacity.

He praised the project as marking a significant milestone in the company’s journey and is a cornerstone of the organization’s growth strategy, with a particular focus on Nigeria, which unarguably is its largest market.

He added that the project will enhance data sovereignty, security, and preservation within the continent, as well as reflect the group’s commitment to make Nigeria a major hub for access to digital services as it propel Africa towards a sustainable and inclusive digital age.

“This mega project will provide over 1000 jobs. More significantly, once deployed and at capacity, it will create over 250 permanent jobs for Nigerians whilst supporting companies in manufacturing, financial services, and health care as they move their data and computing into third-party data centers like ours.

“Ultimately, we have to store data and content closer to where it is being consumed,” Ogunsanya said.
Boost for digital economy

Ogunsanya was also of the opinion that with Airtel Africa’s extensive fibre footprint, NXTRA “offers secure and scalable integrated solutions to global hyper-scalers, large African enterprises, startups, SMEs and governments.

“Through locally available data centre capacity, speed to access digital services will improve and the cost of managing data will be reduced, thus helping power increased innovation, while supporting a new generation of African tech talent,” he said.

In his remarks at the event, that also has the governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, in attendance, the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani laud the creativity attached the innovation, saying it is in tandem with technology revolution that is fast engulfing the universe, with Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a main point of reference.

“Data is a key driver in our economy. Not only do we need to connect our people, we also must invest in the digital economy, and through the investment that companies like Airtel have made in our economy, we are fully able to participate in the digital economy,” he said.

Other personalities that graced that event include traditional rulers and stakeholders in the telecoms sector.

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Customers Applaud As Glo MoneyMaster PSB Mobile App Enhances Banking Experience

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The mobile banking app recently launched by MoneyMaster Payment Service Bank Limited (MMPSB), Nigeria’s leading payment service bank, has been enriching the banking experience of the bank’s customers.

The app, which was unveiled by MMPSB for the convenience of its existing and new customers provides a seamless banking experience to its customers thereby reaffirming the bank’s commitment to deliver faster and secure banking services to its growing customer base.

Apart from allowing customers to perform many services without stress from their comfort zone, the mobile banking app has a robust suite of functionalities. Customers using Android phones can download the mobile banking app from the Google Play Store, while iPhone users can also download from the Apple App Store.

The mobile banking app enables MMPSB customers to manage multiple accounts. Wallets, savings, and current accounts can all be managed from the mobile banking app. Customers can also upgrade the KYC (Know Your Customer) requirements for higher transaction limits and open additional accounts via the app. It is an invaluable tool for all existing and potential mobile wallet, savings, and current account holders of MoneyMaster PSB.

The mobile banking app is also fast and secure for all intra-bank and interbank transactions and allows customers to set transaction limits, manage beneficiaries, view transaction history, and download and share transaction receipts, among other exciting features. They can also request their account statement and receive it via e-mail.

It also features both biometric and password authorization to login and authorize transactions and allows customers to also buy airtime recharge and data bundles from all networks directly for themselves and others via the app. In addition, customers can pay for their DSTV and GOTV subscriptions, buy electricity units from all major DisCos and pay utility bills from the app.

Customers of the bank have also attested to the robust nature of the app. Some of them who commented on the effectiveness of the app include Uche Nwoye who said, “It has not been long that I downloaded the app, but from all indications, the features and design are easy to navigate.”

Also Henry Omosimua describes it as a “nicely built app. The UI is good and smooth. Kudos to Moneymaster PSB. It would be nice to add app notification for incoming and outgoing transactions”, he noted.

For Agunbiade Abiola, “this app is the definition of evolution”, while Michael Sanamo said the app is “fast in carrying out transactions.”

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Globacom Targets SMEs’ Growth with Launch of “Glo Outsource Pro”

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Leading telecommunications company, Globacom, has launched an outsourcing product aimed at helping small and medium scale companies as well as corporate organisations focus on their core operations thereby enhancing their productivity.
The company explained in a press statement that the service tagged “Glo Outsource Pro”, is a strategic business solution that aids companies and businesses to outsource some of their non-core operations.
Such businesses including banking, energy, oil and gas, FMCG, manufacturing, distribution, utility, internet service providers (ISPs), logistics companies, MSME, etc. will be able to  focus on their core competencies, leading to improved efficiency, cost savings, and enhanced customer experiences.
“Glo Outsource Pro enables companies to delegate specific operational activities, such as customer support, finance and accounting, IT services, human resources, and supply chain management to Globacom which leverages its expertise, technology, and economies of scale to optimize processes and deliver high-quality results that will impact positively on their operations”, the telecommunications giant said.
The company added that “with Glo Outsource Pro, organizations are able to contract out their inbound and outbound call centre activities, inbound technical helpdesk, social media management, data mining for planning purposes and general back office support. It will also help them in the areas of teleprospecting, customer campaigns/onboarding, retention campaigns, collections, sales campaigns, etc”.
It also confirmed that the service will assist companies to maximize cost-effectiveness, boost productivity, and improve effectiveness in the marketplace by helping them look after some non-core sections of their businesses so they can focus on their core activities.
The new business management proposition is meant to further boost Globacom’s image as the ultimate value and innovative solutions provider for businesses at varying levels while unlocking their full potentials as well as enabling cost savings, operational excellence and unmatched customer satisfaction.
Aside from these, “Glo Outsource Pro” will equally enhance technology upgrade, competitive advantage and improved effectiveness in the marketplace.

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