The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Dr. Ekperikpe Ekpo, has performed the groundbreaking of Guelph Gas Limited’s Compressed Natural Gas, CNG, mother station in Ibesikpo, Akwa Ibom State.

Sweetcrudereports, reported that the project, with a processing capacity of 3 million standard cubic feet per day, is aimed at supplying CNG to commercial and industrial users in the South-South and South-East regions not currently connected to Nigeria’s gas pipeline network.

Describing the project as a landmark development in Nigeria’s gas revolution, Dr. Ekpo said the initiative represents a strategic shift toward cleaner, more accessible energy sources for underserved regions.

This CNG project is a clear example of how our nation can leverage its vast natural gas resources to fuel a cleaner and more prosperous future.

CNG is not only cost-effective but also environmentally friendly, offering a real solution to reducing carbon emissions, ”the minister said during the ceremony.

Ekpo, who hails from Akwa Ibom, commended the state government’s proactive investment climate under Governor Umo Eno.

“As an indigene of Akwa Ibom, I take pride in the commitment of the government and people of the state to fostering growth and innovation.

Governor Umo Eno has created a supportive environment for investments that stimulate economic development and generate job opportunities for our citizens.

”The CNG mother station, once completed, is expected to serve as a central hub for compressed gas delivery across the two geopolitical zones, supporting the Federal Government’s Decade of Gas initiative and contributing to Nigeria’s energy transition.”

(Reuters): PwC shut operations in nine Sub-Saharan African countries last month following a strategic review, the Big Four accounting firm said, in response to a media report that said the company exited over a dozen countries to avoid scandals.

PwC, which operates as a global network of locally owned partnerships, has shut operations in the Ivory Coast, Gabon, Cameroon, Madagascar, Senegal, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Congo Republic, Republic of Guinea and Equatorial Guinea, it said in a statement, opens new tab published on its website on March 31.

The accounting firm directed Reuters to the statement in response to queries on a Financial Times article published earlier in the day that said PwC had exited multiple countries that were deemed too small, risky or unprofitable.

The decision came due to mounting differences with local partners, who said they lost over a third of their business in recent years after pressure from PwC’s global executives to drop risky clients, the FT said, citing people familiar with the matter.

Story and Image credit: Reuters

(Reuters): The World Trade Organization sharply cut its forecast for global merchandise trade from solid growth to a decline on Wednesday, saying further U.S. tariffs and spillover effects could lead to the heaviest slump since the height of the COVID pandemic.

The WTO said it expected trade in goods to fall by 0.2% this year, down from its expectation in October of 3.0% expansion.

It said its new estimate was based on measures in place at the start of this week.

“I’m very concerned, the contraction in global merchandise trade growth is of big concern,” WTO Director General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala told reporters in Geneva.

U.S. President Donald Trump imposed extra duties on steel and car imports as well as more sweeping global tariffs before unexpectedly pausing higher duties on a dozen economies.

His trade war with China has also intensified with tit-for-tat exchanges pushing levies on each other’s imports beyond 100%.

The WTO said that, if Trump reintroduced the full rates of his broader tariffs that would reduce goods trade growth by 0.6 percentage points, with another 0.8 point cut due to spillover effects beyond U.S.-linked trade.