President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declared that the Nigerian economy has witnessed a transformation from total dependence on sale of hydrocarbon resources to potential growth in agriculture, manufacturing, and the digital and creative industries.

President Tinubu gave his scorecard on diversification of the economy on Tuesday while speaking during the fifth anniversary of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).

Represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the event, President Tinubu maintained that in the last three years of his administration, there has been a massive drop in oil revenue, as a result of growth in other sectors, a feat he attributed to his Renewed Hope Agenda.

He said: “These gains matter well beyond the oil and gas industry. Under the Renewed Hope Agenda, we are building a diversified economy in which agriculture, manufacturing, the digital and creative industries all play their part.

“We have already reduced our dependence on oil revenue, and we intend to go further. But a diversified economy still needs energy, foreign exchange and investment, and that is where this sector serves the nation. Our gas can power homes and factories. Petroleum earnings support a stable naira and help fund the Federation.”

Vice-President Shettima also told the gathering of players in the oil and gas industry that there has been an increase in investment in upstream sector and stability in hydrocarbon production, positive developments he attributed to the joint effort of security agencies, operators, host communities, and the regulatory agency, the NUPRC.

He stated that a well-run upstream industry is capable of creating jobs for Nigerian engineers, fabricators, and service companies, as his administration plans to use petroleum resources to build the wider economy, rather than depend on them.

He said: “With the largest gas reserves in Africa, we will expand gas supply for power, industry and clean cooking, reduce flaring and methane emissions, and grow renewable energy alongside it. Nigeria will meet its climate responsibilities without sacrificing the development and energy access our people deserve.”

President Tinubu also charged the International Oil Companies to reciprocate his favorable fiscal policy in the oil industry.

“Operators who enjoy incentives must deliver on their commitments to work programmes, local content, the environment and host communities, and the Commission must also account publicly for its own performance. We will uphold the rule of law and the sanctity of contracts, so that disputes are fewer and, where they arise, are resolved quickly and fairly.”

Identifying the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) as a strong foundation for the achievements recorded in the sector, President Tinubu observed, however, that a foundation is only the beginning, as laws only set the rules, while investors decide on commercial terms.

He charged the Commission “to keep its processes clear and its timelines reliable, to work closely with sister agencies so that investors are not caught between overlapping requirements, and to remain firm, fair and independent in its decisions.”

“Acknowledging that five years was a short time in the life of any institution, President Tinubu applauded the NUPRC for using the period well, urging the Commission to “approach the next five years with the same commitment, integrity, and sense of purpose.”

In his presentation, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Oil, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, said NUPRC has recorded significant achievements in the last five years, attributing the progress to the leadership and reform agenda of the Tinubu administration.

According to him, Nigeria, with crude oil production of about 1.7 million barrels per day and over 37 billion barrels of oil reserves, still requires increased investment, additional licensing rounds, and intensified exploration to unlock the full potential of the nation’s petroleum resources.

Also speaking, the Chairman of the NUPRC Governing Board, Senator Magnus Abe, said the creation of the Commission under the PIA was evidence that Nigeria was making progress in reforming the oil and gas sector.

He credited the Commission’s success to President Tinubu’s dogged leadership and his decision to shield the regulator from political interference.

Abe commended the management and staff of NUPRC for what he called their exceptional commitment to transparency, professionalism and operational efficiency over the last five years.

The anniversary event also featured the presentation of awards to former Directors of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), which was transformed into the NUPRC, in recognition of their contributions to reforms in the upstream petroleum sector.

Christa Pike, the Tennessee death row inmate in the United States who survived a failed execution last week, is now conscious, speaking and receiving medical treatment, according to her attorneys.

Pike remains in hospital following two unsuccessful attempts to administer a lethal dose of pentobarbital. Her lawyers said Tuesday that she is still handcuffed and shackled and has suffered significant injuries to her arms.

Her prognosis remains uncertain, with her attorneys warning that she faces a lengthy recovery.

“At a minimum, we expect a long recovery,” attorneys Randy Spivey and Kelly Gleason said. “We are incredibly grateful to the first responders and the medical team at the hospital who treated Christa like a human and have provided exceptional care to her. We also want to thank thousands from all over the world who sent messages offering prayers and support for Christa.”

The attorneys described Pike’s survival and current condition as “unprecedented” and said they will provide further details during a news conference Wednesday.

Pike, 50, became the first person known to survive a lethal injection execution after two rounds of the procedure failed to kill her in Tennessee.

Her case has drawn attention from President Donald Trump, who questioned how the execution could have failed and suggested that carrying out a lethal injection should not be difficult.

“How does that happen?,” Trump said. “Should be easy to do. It shouldn’t be very difficult.”

Trump described the case as an “interesting situation” but said Tennessee authorities would decide whether another execution attempt would be made.

“That was an interesting situation, but you’re going to have to speak to Tennessee about it. Whether or not they’re going to go forward,” he told reporters who traveled with him to Texas.

Pike’s attorneys previously said she was subjected to at least seven needle insertions during the failed execution. Spivey described the procedure as “cruel and torturous” and urged Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee to commute Pike’s death sentence to life imprisonment.

Lee subsequently suspended executions in Tennessee while the state investigates the circumstances surrounding the failed procedure, calling Pike’s case a “tragedy.”

Before the execution attempt, Pike had sought to be executed by hanging, citing concerns that damaged veins in her arms could prevent the execution team from successfully administering pentobarbital.

Pike had been scheduled to become the first woman executed by Tennessee in 200 years.

She was sentenced to death for the 1995 killing of a classmate when both were teenagers. Pike was convicted of torturing and killing the girl before cutting her body with a box cutter.

Source: tribuneonlineng.com

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Kenya has confirmed its first imported case of Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD), with the patient dying after travelling from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) through Uganda to Nairobi, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said.

The WHO said the Kenyan government had activated measures to prevent further transmission, including case investigation, contact tracing, enhanced surveillance, screening at points of entry and risk communication with affected communities.

The patient, a Kenyan citizen who had been living in the DRC, fell ill and received treatment at several health facilities in the country before travelling by road through Beni to Kampala, Uganda, on October 2, 2026.

The patient subsequently flew to Nairobi, arriving on October 3, and was immediately transported to a hospital where the person was isolated.

Samples tested positive for Bundibugyo virus at both the National Virology Reference Laboratory and the Kenya Medical Research Institute.

Despite receiving supportive care, the patient died on the night of October 5 and was buried on October 6 in line with Kenya’s Ebola safe and dignified burial protocol.

The government notified the WHO of the case on October 6 in accordance with the International Health Regulations (2005).

Kenya is the fourth country to confirm BVD. The DRC is currently responding to an outbreak, while Uganda, where the Bundibugyo virus species was first detected in 2007, ended its latest outbreak in August 2026.

France also reported a travel-related case of BVD in June 2026.

According to the WHO, Kenyan health authorities have so far identified 28 contacts, including family members and health workers who cared for the patient.

They are also tracing 23 passengers and four crew members who were on the same flight as the patient, with arrangements being made for follow-up and quarantine of individuals assessed to be at risk.

WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Mohamed Janabi, said Kenya’s preparedness for health emergencies had helped the country respond quickly to the imported case.

“Health emergency preparedness gives us a head start. Kenya has put important outbreak control measures in place,” Janabi said.

He said the priority was to rapidly identify any additional cases before the virus could spread further, adding that WHO was supporting Kenya’s response.

“With rapid and coordinated action, we can prevent the virus from gaining a foothold and stop a potential larger outbreak,” he said.

Kenya had been on high alert since May 2026 following outbreaks in the DRC and Uganda.

As of October 6, the country had screened more than 652,000 travellers entering Kenya, tested 267 suspected samples and trained about 5,000 health workers on Ebola prevention and management.

The WHO said it had worked with partners to support Kenya’s Ministry of Health and National Public Health Institute through Ebola simulation exercises, training of rapid-response trainers and strengthening of surveillance and laboratory capacity.

Isolation units in 27 high-risk counties have been identified and assessed, while case managers have been trained and Ebola surveillance tools updated to facilitate rapid identification, reporting and investigation of suspected cases.

The agency said risk communication and community engagement had also been strengthened through public messaging, media and community engagement, call-centre support and monitoring of rumours and misinformation.

It added that about 1,000 Ebola tests and 1,000 personal protective equipment kits had been delivered to high-risk counties.

Kenya’s Ebola preparedness score, covering areas such as surveillance, laboratory testing, isolation and treatment facilities and trained response teams, rose from 66 per cent in May to 82 per cent in July 2026.

The WHO advised against imposing travel or trade restrictions on the DRC, Uganda or Kenya based on available information, saying it would continue to monitor the situation and verify travel and trade measures where necessary.

Bundibugyo virus disease is a severe and potentially fatal illness transmitted through direct contact with the blood or body fluids of an infected person or contaminated materials.

The WHO said there were currently no approved vaccines or specific treatments for the disease, although candidate products were being evaluated in clinical trials.

Source: tribuneonlineng.com

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