Bavijas Review

Egypt's ambitious "Vision 2030" strategy, launched in February 2016, has taken a significant step forward with the enactment of Law No. 2 of 2024, also known as the Green Hydrogen Incentives Law.  This legislation, approved by the Egyptian House of Representatives in January 2024, offers substantial tax incentives to promote the development of green hydrogen projects within the country.  Following this landmark decision, Egypt has swiftly moved to capitalize on its green hydrogen potential by signing seven agreements with international developers. These agreements, expected to attract over $40 billion in investments over the next decade, signify Egypt's commitment to becoming a key player in green hydrogen production and renewable energy. Egypt's proactive approach to incentivizing green hydrogen projects underscores its determination to lead the transition towards renewable energy in North Africa. By offering tax credits and exemptions, Egypt aims to attract both

On Tuesday this week, a 400-level student of Petroleum Engineering at the University of Uyo asked me why the Dangote refinery is sourcing crude oil from far away the US when it has NNPC Ltd. as its equity shareholder. And I gave him an honest response that went thus:  “Dangote doesn’t seem to trust NNPC Ltd much when it comes to crude delivery. NNPC Ltd has failed before, so it (Dangote) is taking an extra layer of supply assurance.” Manufacturers with large production output worry when their supply base can't deliver on their promise. It makes them vulnerable to demand disruptions and volatility, which, of course, are undesirable for businesses.   To avert this, they often depend on a list of external suppliers to cut lead times and achieve assurance of supply. This is exactly what Dangote is beginning to do to sustain its refinery operations since NNPC Limited, its equity shareholder, couldn't deliver as when due. I don't think Dangote broke any agreement with NNPC Ltd. b

L-R: Italian PM Georgia Meloni, African Development Bank Group President, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, Italian Republic President, Sergio Mattarella at Palazzo del Quirinale Countries around the world are beginning to take Africa for what it is: equal partners for growth and development.  On Monday in Rome during the Italy-Africa Summit, the Italian government unveiled a US$5.95 billion facility dubbed The Mattei Plan, prioritising energy security in Africa. In her speech, the Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni said the following:  “We believe it is possible to envision and write a new chapter in the history of our relationship, a cooperation among equals, far from any predatory imposition or charitable stance towards Africa. There is a natural inclination for Italy to be a bridge between Africa and Europe. The whole world cannot think about the future without Africa.” Italy sees Africa as a critical role player in its future growth and development plan. Africa has grown past the years when

If you would recall, on Monday, December 11, 2023, I wrote a puritanical piece titled: “ Killing a wolf family won’t save the Deer ” that criticized the ongoing zero-sum war in the Middle East between Israel and Hamas.   That piece was as controversial as I’d expected it to be. It drew varied perspectives from the conservative clergy, the Evangelicals, the Muslim and Christian laity, as well as from agnostics. However, publishing that opinion was one of the boldest things I did in 2023 and it proved I was no longer taking anybody’s answer for anything where my convictions were called for.  In the last 10 years, I’ve been through an inflection point whereby I’ve learnt a lot including how to speak up whenever and wherever it mattered. No need to pipe low any longer. Perhaps this new me stems from my countless moments of  romanticism  or reflective study of self and individuality, and of course, the man I was gradually becoming.  Let me say this: I am disappointed in most Christians, eva

“Public libraries are not places of government indoctrination. They are not places where the people in power can dictate what their citizens are permitted to read about and learn. When government actors target public library books because they disagree with and intend to suppress the ideas contained within them, it jeopardizes the freedoms of everyone.” Above is an excerpt from Texas residents’ lawsuit in an escalating book ban feud in Llano County, USA. Here in Nigeria, we suffered a similar fate when an important subject like history was removed from our junior secondary school curriculum sometime in 2010. Though it was later reinstated in the year 2018, that wasn't to be in the first instance. The reason is, government must allow us to know our past – ugly or glorious, and not try to sweep things under the carpet.  Our history defines our roots and perhaps lends an explanation to why things are the way they are today. Like Soren Kierkegaard – the famous Danish Existentialist onc

It's a literal reality and not a humorous anecdote that Africa has a lot of unfinished oil and gas pipeline construction projects scattered across the continent but what could be hindering developments in a key sector as that for a continent whose population yearns for energy for industrialisation and more? First conceptualised about two years ago, the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) is an underground crude oil pipeline that's to run a total length of 1,443km from the Tilenga oil field in Western Uganda to the Indian Ocean port of Tanga in Tanzania ( erstwhile Tanganyika ). It's such a massive project with huge economic prospects. If completed, the pipeline could transport as much as 1 billion barrels of crude oil every day across the two East African countries. It is to become the world's longest electrically heated pipeline, in fact. Working to bring project into life are the Uganda National Oil Corporation UNOC and Tanzania Petroleum Development C