News
FG Decries Massive Effect of Corrosion on Nation’s Economy
FG Decries Massive Effect of Corrosion on Nation’s Economy
By: Michael Mike
The federal government has decried the massive effect of corrosion on the nation’s oil production and economy.
Speaking at the 2023 Nigerian Corrosion Association conference, NICA in Abuja on Monday, the Minister of State for Environment, Dr. Iziaq Salako said according to Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) over 270 million barrels of national commercial crude oil production was lost between 2016 and 2020, at an estimated revenue loss of $14.6 billion, due to corrosion, operational faults and other factors.
He said furthermore, in 2021, 193 million barrels of crude oil deficit was allegedly recorded, which translated to an estimated $3.5 billion of revenue, about 10% of the country’s foreign reserves, noting that: “Corollary to revenue deficits are incidents of air and water pollution, loss of vegetation, land contamination, climate effects, manifesting in loss of livelihoods, quality of life, pollution burdens of diseases in impacted communities and huge costs of remediation and rehabilitation.”
The Minister, who was represented by a Director in the Ministry, Engineer Dilichukwu Etigbue said: “The costs associated with corrosion impacts on critical assets and associated losses are rapidly becoming unacceptable, but really hardly completely mitigatable, in today’s world where sustainability is a priority.
“Therefore, deploying appropriate eco-friendly strategies for corrosion management is not only the best sustainable infrastructural development, but a smart investment preventing highly expensive industrial failures and accidents. It also mitigates other safety hazards, linked indirectly with health,
quality of environment and carbon-footprints. The cumulative benefits thereof include an increased public safety, reliable performance, maximised assets life, environmental protection, and more cost‐effective operations on the long term.”
He assured that: “Federal Ministry of Environment places a premium on inclusive stakeholders’ participation in environmental governance,” soliciting for the support of NICA and other critical players in advancing a paradigm shift from traditional control processes with carbon and human/environmental exposure footprints, to sustainable effective, economic and environmentally friendly corrosion protection technologies/processes, in order to guarantee long-term sustainability of our national infrastructures and structures.
On the international level, he said a two-year study by the National Association of Corrosion Engineers (NACE), United States of America, estimated the corrosion cost as $2.5 trillion per year, or around 3% of global Gross Domestic Products (GDP).
He noted that: “The study, however, projected that implementing best practices in corrosion prevention could result in as much as $875 billion in savings. This claim was also corroborated by the World Corrosion Organisation (WCO).”
He decried that corrosion is also one of the major legacy challenges facing Petroleum Refineries and Chemical Process Industries globally, some of which have recorded incidental accidents leading to destruction of infrastructures and loss of personnel, he added that: “Among these are the Caribbean Petroleum Refining Tank Explosion and Fire Puerto Rico, 2009; Chevron Refinery in Richmond, California (2012); and Bhopal Pesticide Plant, India Incident of 1984, one of the world’s largest industrial disasters, resulting in the ill-fated death of nearly 8,000 people.”
The Minister of Transportation, Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola said that prevention and control of corrosion cannot be undertaken by the government alone, especially in the face of emerging innovations and advances in technological developments in addressing this phenomenon.
Oyetola while was represented by a Director in the Ministry, Engineer Shogo Omotayo said; “The significance of this conference in terms of addressing the critical issue of corrosion in building environmentally resilient infrastructures and the need to maintain their integrity over their service life couldn’t have come at a better time as the Nigerian Government intensifies its commitments to expanding public Infrastructures and utilities for improved economic and social development.”
According to him, “This conference will produce workable and implementable outcomes to address the challenges of corrosion in the development of public infrastructures and utilities in all sectors for the Nation’s benefit.”
On his part, the President Nigerian Corrosion Association, Mr Ese Ochoga said the conference aimed to educate and enlighten the society on the best practices in physical assets protection management in improving the GDP, as well as public and environmental safety.
“The theme of our conference this year is an inclusive one, as it hones on the impact of corrosion on the public infrastructure and utilities, which is common to us all,” he said.
Ochoga noted that the conference would also help present the unique perspective of the materials and corrosion specialist insights and recommendations in managing and maintaining public infrastructures.
He said: “We are here today at the Annual Conference of the Nigerian Corrosion Association, importantly, the corrosion is addressing the issue of building sustainable infrastructure by ensuring that there is corrosion resistant or resilient to corrosion. Corrosion comes from environmental sources and as the environment varies, the corrosion impact also varies some lower and some higher, the corrosion professional is always monitoring this to ensure that infrastructure or structures are viewed to be able to withstand the peculiar environment that is bound to a counter because of his service, that’s why we’re here and the conference is going to address this issue.”
The Nigerian Corrosion Association established in 1988 by industry practitioners and academicians, provides opportunities for excelling in the fields of corrosion science and engineering practices.
It also assess and proffer solutions to the interwoven adverse effects of the environment and corrosion on modern civilization.
”Corrosion Control of Public Infrastructures and Utilities,” was the theme of the 2023 Annual National Conference. It was organised by the Nigerian Corrosion Association (NICA) and hosted by Federal Ministry of Environmennt.
FG Decries Massive Effect of Corrosion on Nation’s Economy
Zulum commissions remodelled ‘2nd chance school’ for vulnerable girls
.Disburses N1bn to SMEs in 5 LGAs
By: Our Reporter
Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, on Thursday commissioned a fully remodelled “Second Chance School” for vulnerable girls and women in Biu Local Government Area.
The newly inaugurated facility is part of a strategic initiative designed to offer adult women, including those who missed formal education or dropped out of school due to prevailing challenges, a pathway to self-reliance.
The school’s curriculum is tailored towards providing comprehensive skills’ acquisition, critical digital knowledge and basic literacy, and numeracy training.
With the Biu centre now operational, Zulum’s administration has established three such schools across the state, with existing centres already operational in Maiduguri and Bama.
Meanwhile, Governor Zulum has disbursed N1 billion to small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) across five local government areas in southern Borno.
The targeted LGAs include Biu, Hawul, Shani, Bayo and Kwaya-Kusar, with the funds intended to support entrepreneurs and enhance business sustainability.
Zulum explained that the direct injection of capital into the SME sector is essential for driving grassroots development and fostering self-reliance in the post-insurgency recovery phase.
In a related development aimed at tackling youth restiveness and promoting social stability, Governor Zulum has ordered immediate employment of 200 young individuals from the Biu Local Government Area.
After the inauguration, Zulum visited Biu Specialist Hospital where he announced the immediate and automatic employment of a number of dedicated volunteer health workers who have served tirelessly.
He also inspected the 100-unit teachers’ housing estate under construction in Biu town. The estate is part of the Borno State Government’s motivational strategy to attract and retain qualified teaching professionals in public schools.
Governor Zulum has also directed immediate commencement of rehabilitation work on the Borno State Hotel Annexe in Biu.
Zulum commissions remodelled ‘2nd chance school’ for vulnerable girls
Environment Minister Calls for Inter-Agency Collaboration to Address Environmental Challenges
By: Michael Mike
The Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, has urged enhanced inter-agency collaboration to tackle environmental challenges across Nigeria.
The call was made during a meeting with the Director-General of the National Hydro-Electric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (N-HYPPADEC), Abubakar Sadiq, and his team at the Ministry’s Abuja office.
Highlighting potential areas of cooperation, Lawal emphasized the importance of climate-resilient water supply and sanitation (WASH) programs aimed at ensuring year-round access to safe, reliable, and clean water in communities affected by dam operations. He noted that such collaboration would not only improve access to safe drinking water but also reduce the prevalence of water-borne diseases in these areas.
On energy initiatives, the Minister discussed the distribution of clean cooking stoves to households in hydro-basin communities, stressing that this would significantly reduce household energy poverty, deforestation, and emissions through the adoption of energy-efficient cooking technologies.
Other proposed collaboration areas between the Ministry and N-HYPPADEC include erosion and flood management, ecosystem restoration, climate-resilient afforestation programs, youth and community engagement, job creation, and public awareness campaigns.
In his remarks, Abubakar Sadiq described N-HYPPADEC as a strategic partner of the Federal Ministry of Environment, outlining the commission’s impactful interventions across water supply, sanitation, housing, youth empowerment, water transport safety, and institutional strengthening. He also commended the Ministry for its prompt response to flood-prone areas, erosion challenges, and pollution management.
N-HYPPADEC maintains offices in Lokoja, Birnin Kebbi, Ilorin, Lafia, Jos, Gombe, Jalingo, Makurdi, Kaduna, with its headquarters in Minna, Niger State.
Environment Minister Calls for Inter-Agency Collaboration to Address Environmental Challenges
Health
Health Worker Exodus Deepens as Policy Brief Warns of Systemic Risk to Nigeria’s Healthcare Sector
Health Worker Exodus Deepens as Policy Brief Warns of Systemic Risk to Nigeria’s Healthcare Sector
By: Michael Mike
A new policy brief has warned that unless urgent welfare-focused reforms are implemented, the country risks a deepening crisis that could undermine access to quality healthcare nationwide.
Nigeria’s healthcare system is facing mounting pressure as the steady departure of doctors and nurses continues to erode service capacity, raising concerns about long-term system viability.
According to the policy analysis authored by health policy expert Dr Emmanuel Ejimonu, of the Athena Centre for Policy and Leadership, more than 42,000 nurses left Nigeria between 2021 and early 2024, while thousands of Nigerian-trained doctors have registered to practise abroad, particularly in the United Kingdom. The trend shows no sign of slowing, as survey data cited in the report indicate that nearly three-quarters of medical and nursing students intend to seek employment overseas, with about one in three expressing no plans to return.
The report attributed the exodus largely to domestic welfare and governance challenges rather than professional ambition. Health workers interviewed consistently pointed to low and irregular salaries, unsafe and overstretched working environments, limited opportunities for funded specialist training and weak social protection systems. These challenges, the brief notes, have made emigration a rational choice in the face of institutional uncertainty, especially as global demand for health professionals continues to rise.
Although the Federal Government introduced a National Policy on Health Workforce Migration in 2023 to promote ethical recruitment and retention, the brief argues that its impact has been limited. Implementation gaps, inadequate funding and uneven execution at state and facility levels have prevented the policy from delivering meaningful improvements in working conditions.
The consequences of sustained health worker losses are already visible. Teaching hospitals are reportedly struggling to maintain specialist training and mentorship programmes, while recurring strikes highlight growing mistrust between health workers and government authorities. Economically, the country is losing returns on public investments in training, even as staff shortages compromise care delivery in both urban and rural facilities. Remaining workers also face rising burnout, further fuelling migration intentions.
Drawing on international experiences from countries such as Ghana, Kenya, the Philippines and Cuba, the policy brief stresses that health worker migration cannot be completely stopped. Instead, it recommends managing mobility through welfare-based retention strategies and credible governance structures.
Central to the recommendations is a proposed Welfare-First Retention Package, which prioritises guaranteed and timely payment of salaries, improved workplace safety, funded career progression, fair bonding arrangements and strengthened social protection. The package also calls for disciplined use of bilateral agreements and ethical recruitment frameworks to protect Nigeria’s investment in health worker training.
The brief estimates that, if properly funded and implemented, the proposed measures could reduce short-term health worker attrition by up to one-third within two years, while significantly improving retention over a five-year period.
The report stated that reversing the health workforce crisis will require treating welfare reform as a core economic and governance priority, backed by political will, fiscal discipline and strong institutional coordination. Without such action, the report warns, Nigeria risks the gradual hollowing out of its healthcare system, with far-reaching consequences for public health and national development.
Health Worker Exodus Deepens as Policy Brief Warns of Systemic Risk to Nigeria’s Healthcare Sector
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Zulum commissions remodelled ‘2nd chance school’ for vulnerable girls
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