Economy
FG To Partner Switzerland On Diversification Of Economy – Akpabio
FG To Partner Switzerland On Diversification Of Economy – Akpabio
FG to partner Switzerland on diversification of economy – Akpabio. The president of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, says Nigeria is ready to partner with Switzerland to ignite innovation, diversify the economy, and create opportunities for generations to come.
He said this on Monday when he received the chairman and members of the Swiss European Free Trade Association (EFTA), who were at the National Assembly on a courtesy visit.
Mr Akpabio said that Nigeria, as the largest economy in Africa and a proud member of the African Continental Free Trade Area, was ready to engage with EFTA in ways that would transcend mere trade.
“We envision partnerships that will ignite innovation, diversify our economy, and create opportunities for generations to come.
“Switzerland, and indeed the European Free Trade Association, has long been a beacon of ingenuity and perseverance.
“Your work in advancing free trade and fostering economic cooperation has set a standard for what nations can achieve when they focus not on their divisions but on their commonalities.
“Our two nations, Nigeria and Switzerland, have already shared moments of profound partnership.
“One such moment was the historic agreement in 2017, when Switzerland returned $321 million in recovered funds to Nigeria.”
Mr Akpabio said that the gesture not only strengthened the bonds of trust between the two countries but also set a global example of accountability and mutual respect.
“It was proof that when nations act with integrity and in the spirit of justice, the world becomes a better place.
“Now, we have before us the opportunity to write the next chapter of our shared history.
“Nigeria, as the largest economy in Africa and a proud member of the African Continental Free Trade Area, stands ready to engage with EFTA in ways that will transcend mere trade.
“Nigeria’s economy is on a transformative journey under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu with bold reforms such as the removal of fuel subsidies and the unification of the naira exchange rate.
“These measures are laying the foundation for sustainable growth, with projections indicating a promising GDP growth rate of 4.17 per cent in 2025,” he said.
Earlier, Thomas Aeschi, the leader of the delegation and a member of the House of Representatives of Switzerland, said that it was a privilege to be in Nigeria.
“A country of immense potential and an indispensable partner for Switzerland in Western Africa.”
Akpabio
Mr Aeschi said that EFTA is an intergovernmental organisation that brings together four member states: Switzerland, Iceland, Norway, and Liechtenstein.
“It is dedicated to promoting free trade and fostering economic cooperation with countries outside the European Union.”
He said that the delegation was at the national assembly to explore ways to deepen “our economic partnership with Nigeria and to identify new areas of collaboration.
“As I said, the potential of this country is huge, just looking at its population size. I am convinced that parliamentary diplomacy can help to strengthen ties and relaunch processes for our governments.
“While EFTA, the European Free Trade Association, does not yet have a formal trade negotiation process with Nigeria in place, we are here to lay the groundwork for future possibilities,” he said.
NNPC Ltd. HSE Chief Sets Tone For Industry-Wide Safety Standards
NNPC Ltd.’s Chief Health, Safety and Environment Officer, Tonye Alagba, has urged Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) personnel across the company to strengthen collaboration and build a unified HSE team.
Alagba, who made the call at the recent First Quarter 2026 HSE Council Meeting held in Abuja from 15th to 17th April, 2026, called for collective responsibility, strict compliance, and proactive prevention of HSE violations across all business units.
NNPC
NNPC Ltd. values strict HSE adherence across all its businesses and operations. The HSE Council Meeting signals the company’s broader intent to raise the bar for safety culture across Nigeria’s energy sector.
NNPC, SNEPCo, NCDMB Donate Geosciences Centre To UNILAG
NNPC Limited, in partnership with Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited (SNEPCo), the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), and the University of Lagos (UNILAG), commissioned and donated the newly built UNILAG Geosciences Centre of Excellence to the University on Friday.
Purposely built to strengthen geosciences education and research in Nigeria, the Centre was inaugurated by the Chief Upstream Investment Officer of NNPC Upstream Investment Management Services Ltd. (NUIMS), Olanrewaju Igandan, alongside the Managing Director of SNEPCo, Ronald Adams; Director of Capacity Building (NCDMB), Abayomi Bamidele; Lagos State Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Tolani Sule; and the Vice-Chancellor of UNILAG, Professor Folasade Ogunsola.
The Centre boasts of a 250-seat auditorium, geoscience and instrumentation laboratories, a rock preparation workshop, hydrogeology, mineralogy, environmental geology, sedimentary and palaeoenvironmental sciences laboratories, a seismic interpretation room, a modern library, a digital museum, and collaborative spaces for students and researchers. It is also supported by a 600 kVA transformer, a 40 kVA solar power facility, and a field investigation coaster bus.
SNEPCo, NNPC
By connecting academia, industry, and government under one roof, the Centre provides Nigerian students and researchers with hands-on access to modern energy tools, reduces the oil and gas industry’s reliance on international markets for testing and training, and builds the in-country expertise Nigeria’s energy sector needs.
NNPC Limited remains committed to driving capacity building, supporting national development, and working with partners to secure a stronger energy future for Nigeria.
NNPC: Ministers Chart Course Gor West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP)
The Committee of Ministers for the West African Gas Pipeline Project met in Abuja on Friday, reaffirming its central role in West Africa’s regional energy agenda.
The meeting brought together ministers and high-level representatives from Nigeria, Benin, Togo, and Ghana, alongside officials from ECOWAS, the West African Gas Pipeline Authority (WAGPA) and West African Gas Pipeline Company Limited (WAPCo).
Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Rt. Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo, who opened the meeting, reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to the long-term sustainability and expansion of the pipeline, adding that since its inception, the WAGP has transported over 613 million MMBtu of natural gas, with Nigeria accounting for more than 68 per cent of total volumes supplied to Benin, Togo, and Ghana.
NNPC
On his part, NNPC Limited’s Executive Vice President, Gas, Power & New Energy, Olalekan Ogunleye, emphasised the company’s active stewardship of Nigeria’s gas export commitments and its broader role in shaping regional energy cooperation across West Africa.
With gas throughput reaching approximately 80 million MMBtu in 2025, a 22 per cent rise on prior years, and discussions advancing on expanding pipeline capacity utilisation by 45 per cent in 2026, NNPC Limited remains at the centre of efforts to grow a credible, commercially viable regional gas market.
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