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Tuesday, February 16, 2016

$2 billion Halliburton Game

President Muhammadu Buhari, in a refreshing and confidence building move, has ordered the reopening of the files relating to the Halliburton scandal as it involves a number of Nigerian leaders. In the course of doing a research on an article related to this subject I came across the information below which provides the chronological history of a scandal that tainted Nigeria and Nigerians to no end. This information below, I assume, is already in the hands of those tasked by the President to investigate this matter. In case it is not, I believe they would find this handy.
As we all struggle towards an open society, where the threats of assassination is removed, where the monster of corruption is effectively tamed, where honesty and integrity are the bulwark of public service, where merit is adequately rewarded, where governance is geared towards the interest of the people, it is my belief that there is nothing wrong if one refreshes the memories of Nigerians who have been duped by those entrusted with power in our commonwealth. Hence I have decided to publish this information verbatim.
1988: Dresser Industries acquires M.W. Kellogg, ten years before Dresser merges with Halliburton.
September 1994: M.W. Kellogg and three other companies form a partnership known as TSKJ, incorporated in Medeira, Portugal. Each partner owns a 25 percent equal share. Kellogg’s three other partners are Technip of France, Italy’s Snamprogetti, and Japan Gasoline Corp. The partnership submits a bid to Nigeria LNG to build a natural gas plant in Nigeria. Nigeria LNG is owned by the Nigerian government and Royal Dutch/Shell Group. TSKJ’s $2 billion bid is not immediately accepted even though it was 5 percent lower than a bid submitted by competitor, Bechtel Group, Inc.
November 1994: As TSKJ awaits Nigeria’s decision on the bid, Wojciech Chodan, an executive at Kellogg and later a consultant for Kellogg Brown & Root, meets with London lawyer Jefferey Tesler, who is known for his contacts and friendly relations with the Nigerian government, including its dictator Gen. Sani Abacha. During the meeting, they discussed channeling $40 million to Gen. Abacha through Mr. Tesler’s firm Tri-Star, based in Gibralter, Spain.
March 1995: TSKJ formally hires Mr. Tesler as agent; TSKJ’s bid has still not been accepted by Nigeria LNG. Mr. Tesler’s employment contracthttp://cdncache-a.akamaihd.net/items/it/img/arrow-10×10.png is signed by an M.W. Kellogg executive on behalf of the TSKJ partnership. Mr. Tesler had been working on behalf of TSKJ prior to March 1995 and the employment contract was given to Mr. Tesler as a reward for his prodding of Nigerian officials. The employment contract provided that Mr. Tesler would be paid $60 million if Nigeria awarded the construction contract to TSKJ. Mr. Tesler’s Tri-Star was contracted to receive at least $160 million in five agreements signed between 1995 and 2002, and the funds were directed to bankhttp://cdncache-a.akamaihd.net/items/it/img/arrow-10×10.png accounts in Switzerland and Monaco.
March 20, 1995: Dan Etete replaces Nigeria’s former oil minister, who has a falling out with the dictator, Gen. Abacha. “In an interrogation of Mr. Tesler, a French magistrate described the London lawyer’s transfer of $2.5 million into Swiss bank accounts held by Mr. Etete under a false name between 1996 and 1998. Mr. Tesler confirmed making the payments but told the magistrate that the money was for an investment in offshore oil exploration leases in Nigeria and that he wasn’t aware the accounts belonged to Mr. Etete, according to people familiar with the interrogation.” (Wall Street Journal, Sept. 29, 2004.)
June 1995: Albert Jack Stanley is promoted to president and chief operating officer of M.W. Kellogg after serving as executive vice president since 1991 and various positions since 1975.
August 1995: Dick Cheney is hired as CEO of Halliburton, three years before he directs the merger of Halliburton with Dresser Industries and M.W. Kellogg. He serves as CEO until August of 2000.
December 1995: TSKJ is finally awarded the $2 billion contract from Nigeria LNG.
July 1996: M.W. Kellogg promotes Albert Jack Stanley to chairman, president and chief executive officer; he also becomes vice president of operations for the parent, Dresser Industries.
February 1998: Halliburton and M.W. Kellogg’s parent, Dresser Industries, agree to a $7.7 billion merger directed by Dick Cheney. M.W. Kellogg is merged with Halliburton’s Brown & Root subsidiary to form Kellogg, Brown & Root. Albert Jack Stanley is named as chairman of the new subsidiary.
The Independent (UK) reported that “Mr Stanley had been appointed to his senior role at Halliburton by Mr Cheney when he was chief executive between 1995 and 2000.” (The Independent, Oct. 3, 2004
The Wall Street Journal confirmed that Cheney “named Mr. Stanley to a top post at the company in 1998.” (Wall Street Journal, Sept. 29, 2004.) Cheney told the Middle East Economic Digest in 1999 that, “We took Jack Stanley to head up the organization and that has helped tremendously.” (Middle East Economic Digest, April 9, 1999.)
1999: The TSKJ partners, with Kellogg Brown & Root acting as the lead partner, agree to reappoint Mr. Tesler as its agent during a meeting in London. Kellogg wanted Mr. Tesler, with whom it had a long-term relationship, to attend. But the representative from the French partner, Technip, wanted a different agent and insisted that Mr. Tesler be excluded from the meeting. William Chaudan, the Kellogg representative at TSKJ, said Mr. Tesler had been selected on Kellogg’s recommendation and over Technip’s “strong opposition.” (Financial Times, London, Sept. 16, 2004.) Halliburton officials in Houston deny that Kellogg Brown & Root demanded Mr. Tesler’s participation. Three new contracts with Mr. Tesler required TSKJ to pay his firm, Tri-Star, $32.5 million for his services in Nigeria. Richard Northmore, a sales manager for M.W. Kellogg in England, signed contracts with Mr. Tesler for TSKJ. Syed Nasser, M.W. Kellogg’s legal director, acted as counsel to the TSKJ consortium, approving Mr Tesler’s role. Bhaskar Patel, a sales and marketing vice-president who works in Kellogg, Brown & Root’s office in England, also worked with Mr. Tesler.
March 1999: Halliburton announces the Nigerian government awarded a $1.2 billion contract to TSKJ to expand the construction of the natural gas plant from two trains to three trains in order to increase the plant’s capacity by 50 percent. At the time, Stanley declared the contract award exemplifies Kellogg’s “project execution skills.” (Halliburton press release, March 11, 1999.)
October 1999: First shipment of liquefied natural gas is shipped from Nigeria.
October 2003: French magistrate initiates investigation of suspicious payments made by TSKJ after a former executive with one of TSKJ’s partners, Technip of France, said Mr. Tesler is “directly linked to corruption in Nigeria.” (Financial Times, London, Sept. 16, 2004.)
Halliburton admitted that TSKJ paid $132 million in “advisory fees” to Mr. Tesler and that under Tesler’s contract with the company the money was not to be used for bribery. But the French investigator said the payments to Mr. Tesler “appear completely unjustified.” (Wall Street Journal, Sept. 29, 2004.)
The money was paid to Mr. Tesler between 1995 and 2002, more than half of which came after 1999. Under French law, Mr. Cheney could be subject to a charge of “abuse of corporate assets” even if he knew nothing about the alleged improper payments during his tenure as Halliburton’s chief executive. The U.S. antibribery law applies only to executives who are aware of illicit payments to foreign officials. (Dallas Morning News, Sept. 8, 2004.)
The Wall Street Journal reported that French authorities don’t have jurisdiction over Halliburton in this case but are sharing information with U.S. authorities. (Wall Street Journal, Sept. 29, 2004.) “A preliminary investigation by the Police Judiciaire of France found that LNG Servicos, a company indirectly owned by the four partners in the Nigerian joint venture, made four payments totaling at least $166 million at times that roughly coincide with the award of contracts. The payments went to a Gibraltar company owned by a London attorney to a Swiss bank account that was later closed at the request of the bank.” (Dallas Morning News, Jan. 25, 2004.)
December 2003: Albert Jack Stanley retires as chairman of Kellogg Brown & Root, but retains a position as consultant for Halliburton.
June 2004: Halliburton fires Albert Jack Stanley after investigators say he received $5 million in “improper” payments from Mr. Tesler. It also fires William Chaudan, the Kellogg representative at TSKJ. Halliburton spokesperson, Wendy Hall, said that during the years he ran KBR, Mr. Stanley reported to David Lesar, Halliburton’s president and chief operating officer at the time and CEO today. Mr. Lesar reported to Mr. Cheney when Cheney was chief executive. (Dallas Morning News, Sept. 8, 2004.) (Important Note: Lesar is an accountanthttp://cdncache-a.akamaihd.net/items/it/img/arrow-10×10.png and former Arthur Andersen partner, meaning he may have been in a position to know about the purpose of payments to Tesler when they occurred.) According to the Dallas Morning News, “Mr. Cheney ran Halliburton when one of four suspicious payments occurred.” (Dallas Morning News, Sept. 8, 2004.)
June 2004: It is reported that Tesler put $1 million into an account held by William Chaudan, the Kellogg representative at TSKJ. “The company has since learned that even larger sums may have gone into the accounts of Mr. Stanley and Mr. Chaudan.” (Dallas Morning News, Sept. 3, 2004.) Chaudan retired from M.W. Kellogg Co. in 1998, but had continued as a consultant. (Dallas Morning News, June 19, 2004.)
August 2004: Nigeria’s parliament votes unanimously to summon Halliburton CEO, David Lesar, to answer questions over its bribery investigation. It issues a report recommending that Halliburton and TSKJ be disqualified from bidding on future government projects. It denounces what it calls Halliburton’s “hide-and-seek games” to avoid questions from government investigators.
September 2004: TSKJ severs all ties to Mr. Tesler and his firm, Tri-Star.
September 2004: The Wall Street Journal reports on newly disclosed evidence by Halliburton, including notes written by M.W. Kellogg employees during the mid-1990s in which they discussed bribing Nigerian officials.
The Financial Times of London said the evidence “raises questions over what Mr Cheney knew – or should have known – about one of the largest contracts awarded to a Halliburton subsidiary.” (Financial Times, Sept. 16, 2004.) The written notes were discovered by Halliburton’s lawyer, James Doty, a lead partner in the Houston law firm Baker Botts. The “Baker” in Baker Botts is Bush family lawyer James Baker, the same lawyer credited with winning Florida for Bush Jr. over Gore. Baker also served as President George H. Bush’s Secretary of State. Doty was general counsel to the Securitieshttp://cdncache-a.akamaihd.net/items/it/img/arrow-10×10.png and Exchange Commission (SEC) under the senior President Bush. He was SEC general counsel when the SEC investigated Bush Jr. for insider trading. Doty recused himself from the case, which was eventually closed without action. Bush Jr. was never interviewed. Although Bush’s lawyers gave the “smoking gun” in that case to the SEC the day after it closed the investigation, Doty refused to reopen the case. (Washington Post, Nov. 1, 2002.)
September 2004: Nigeria’s President Olusegun Obasanjo officially bans Halliburton from bidding on future government contracts because it violated safety regulations for nuclear material. The president accuses the company of negligently causing the disappearance of two highly sensitive radioactive devices used to take measurements in oil wells. The ban is apparently not related to the ongoing bribery investigations.
October 2004: Revelations about Halliburton’s central role in the bribery investigation forces United Kingdom’s Export Credit Guarantee Department (ECGD) to consider withdrawinghttp://cdncache-a.akamaihd.net/items/it/img/arrow-10×10.png its support of a 133 million (British pounds) loan made last year to Kellogg. ECGD said it originally supported the loan on the basis that Halliburton was merely a “subcontractor to the [TSKJ] consortium and financial arrangements were not their responsibility,” but it was maintaining a “watching brief” on the French investigation. (The Independent, Oct. 3, 2004).
October 22, 2004: Investigators with Nigeria’s parliament complain that Halliburton is not being cooperative in their investigation of the alleged bribery. The investigators say Mr. Tesler paid bribes on behalf of TSKJ to Nigerian government officialshttp://cdncache-a.akamaihd.net/items/it/img/arrow-10×10.png. The bribes were paid in installments: $60 million in 1995, $37.5 million in 1999, $51 million in 2001 and $23 million in 2002.
June 20, 2005: The French newspaper LeFigaro reports that a U.S. Justice Department official held “lengthy” meetings with French authorities in Paris on the issue of TSKJ bribes. It said an unnamed U.S. source asserted that the bribery scandal is “probably the most significant file of corruption” known in Washington today.
Sept. 22, 2006: A former Halliburton employee says he has evidence proving the company has embarked on a campaign to cover-up all wrongdoing, including attempts to mislead federal investigators.
Source: Halliburton Watch
“In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility – I welcome it.”
– John F. Kennedy, in his Inaugural Address January 20, 1961
By Remi Oyeyemi

Halliburton And The Ole's



1. 1994-1995, Late Gen. Sani Abacha collected $40 Million USD 
2. 1996-1998, Chief Dan Etete collected $2.5 Million USD 
3. 1996-1998, M.D. Yusuf collected $75,000 USD 
4. March/June 1998, Grety Overseas UK and Riser Brothers collected $1,120,000 USD 
5. 1998, Abulkadir Abacha collected $1,887,000 USD 
6. 1999-2000, Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar and Chief Don Etiebet collected $37.5 Million USD 
7. March 1999, Prince N. A. Bayero and Glosmer Int. (Risers Brothers) collected $600,000 USD 
8. March 1999, Edith Unuigbe $290,000 USD 
9. March 1999, Zertasha Malik and Gret Overseas (Risers Brothers) collected $600,000 USD 
10. 1999-2000, Messr Shinkafi, Aliyu and Glosmer Int. Risers Brothers) collected $195,000 USD 
11. 2001-2002, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Atiku Abubakar, Gaius Obaseki and Funsho Kupolokum collected $74 Million USD 
12. 2001-2002, Bodunde Adeyanju collected $5 Million USD 
13. 2001-2002, Ibrahim Aliyu, Urban Shelter and Intercellular collected $11.700,000 USD 
14. 2001-2002, M.G. Bakare collected $3,108,675 USD 
TOTAL = $178,575,675 USD Page 42 I Newswatch May 17, 2010 

The Halliburton: “Biggest Scandal in Nigeria’s History,”

Image result wey dey for The Halliburton: “Biggest Scandal in Nigeria’s History,”

As Nigeria’s president Muhammadu Buhari orders the re-opening of the Halliburton Bribe scandal case, christened the “Biggest Scandal in Nigeria’s History,” the precedence-based question to ask is if he is capable and how far he will honestly be able to go in pursuing the many known culprits and metering justice.
Justice must be served, with all culprits prosecuted for the United States to repatriate about $140 million bribe money recovered from the culprits in the scandal.
#SwissLeaks, an expansive Indian Express Investigation in collaboration with Le Monde and International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, ICIJ report by Will Fitzgibbon with Musikilu Mojeed, this February detailed the monumental Halliburton scandal that yet remains un-addressed on the Nigerian side. The scandal from 1994 (Abdusalami)-2004 (Obasanjo) involved bribes by Kellogg, Brown and Root, KBR, Halliburton subsidiary to secure the $6 billion contract to build the Bonny Island Natural Liquefied Gas overambitious Project for the Nigerian government.
“A network of secretive banks and offshore tax havens was used to funnel US$182mn in bribes to Nigerian officials in exchange for US$6bn in engineering and construction work for an international consortium of companies that included a then Halliburton subsidiary.”
The Halliburton bribery scandal was so large that even the former US Vice president, Dick Cheney (Bush’s Dick), former company CEO, was indicted by Nigeria and cleared after Halliburton worked out a $35 million settlement. ($35 million that remains unaccounted for.)
According to the report, “The files, obtained by the French newspaper Le Monde and the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), show ties between Tesler and high-ranking Nigerians not previously named publicly in connection with the scandal, raising the possibility of renewed questions about Nigeria’s handling of the affair.”
Jeffrey Tesler was a UK-based lawyer who had through years of Nigerian real estate business, gotten close to the nation’s corrupt leadership.
There was so much bribery involved in the dirty case, implicated Lawyer Tesler at a point had a duffel bag with $1 million in US notes, dropped off at a luxury hotel, the foyer, in Abuja.
“Leaked files reveal that Tesler had financial ties to two former Nigeria officials: now-retired Major General Chris Garuba, chief of staff to former Nigerian president Abdulsalami Abubakar who himself allegedly received bribes as president; and Andrew Agom, a senior government official who was killed in an attack on a motorcade. Bank staff also responded to a request from Agom’s widow to unfreeze her husband’s account, whose post was sent to Tesler’s North London law firm and which was marked as subject to criminal investigations into Tesler. The files do not indicate whether or not the account was ultimately unfrozen. Garuba, a former governor of Northeastern Bauchi state, is now chairman of Obekpa Petroleum, a Nigerian oil company. Before his death, Agom was a board member of the People’s Democratic Party, which controlled the government when this affair unfolded.” – ICIJ report.
SUMMARY OF ALLEGED PAYMENT IN HALLIBURTON BRIBERY SCANDAL 
1. 1994-1995, Late Gen. Sani Abacha collected $40 Million USD 2. 1996-1998, Chief Dan Etete collected $2.5 Million USD 3. 1996-1998, M.D. Yusuf collected $75,000 USD 4. March/June 1998, Grety Overseas UK and Riser Brothers collected $1,120,000 USD 5. 1998, Abulkadir Abacha collected $1,887,000 USD 6. 1999-2000, Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar and Chief Don Etiebet collected $37.5 Million USD 7. March 1999, Prince N. A. Bayero and Glosmer Int. (Risers Brothers) collected $600,000 USD 8. March 1999, Edith Unuigbe $290,000 USD 9. March 1999, Zertasha Malik and Gret Overseas (Risers Brothers) collected $600,000 USD 10. 1999-2000, Messr Shinkafi, Aliyu and Glosmer Int. Risers Brothers) collected $195,000 USD 11. 2001-2002, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Atiku Abubakar, Gaius Obaseki and Funsho Kupolokum collected $74 Million USD 12. 2001-2002, Bodunde Adeyanju collected $5 Million USD 13. 2001-2002, Ibrahim Aliyu, Urban Shelter and Intercellular collected $11.700,000 USD 14. 2001-2002, M.G. Bakare collected $3,108,675 USD TOTAL = $178,575,675 USD Page 42 I Newswatch May 17, 2010 Buhari is the hope at the moment in which this fund could be recovered.
The Olusegun Obasanjo and Atiku Abubakar government of 1999-2007 were handed the baton and implicated in the Halliburton bribery case. A former Nigerian Air Force Chief, Abdullahi Dominic Bello also had implicated Swiss bank accounts involved in the dealings.



A former KBR Inc. (Halliburton subsidiary) chief executive received two and a half years in prison, 3 years probation and $1000/month to be paid in restitution in 2012 for his role in the scandal. KBR paid a $402 million criminal fine to the US government for foreign bribery. “KBR and Halliburton also paid $177 million to settle civil complaints related to the bribery.”
While Tesler was charged in a French corruption investigation and served his sentence, there has been no action on the Nigerian side.


As America again insists that new president Muhammadu Buhari re-open this case — which he has– “It will be recalled that President Jonathan had (likewise) directed the Police to resuscitate the investigative report of the $180million Halliburton scam following America’s insistence that the culprits in the bribery scandal must be brought to book before the $130million in US coffers can be returned to Nigeria,” Vanguard reported in 2010.

But following the directive by President Goodluck Jonathan that the investigative report into the Halliburton bribery scandal be re-opened and the major culprits re-arrested, Vanguard in its 2012 report, gathered that this action by Jonathan resulted in a fall out between two former heads of state and President Jonathan. Vanguard captioned it, “$180m HALLIBURTON SCANDAL: Two ex-Heads of State battle Jonathan.”

Monday, February 15, 2016

Nigeria: Soldiers invade church in Delta


The crisis in the Assemblies of God Church took a dangerous twist on Sunday morning as troops took over an Effurun, Delta State branch of the church.
Worshippers told our reporter that Armoured Personnel Carriers (APC) stormed the Glory House Parish of the church on Oti Street, off Aka Avenue, Effurun, and ordered worshippers to close.
“We were preparing for service when they (soldiers) came. They were menacing and prevented us from continuing the service. We had no option but to close,” a source said.
Commanding Officer, 13 Battalion Lt Colonel Patrick Igwe said he was not aware of the incident.
Sunday’s incident came on the heels of a similar invasion of the church by thugs.
A senior pastor of the church, Rev Fred Iyorhiobhe, confirmed the report.
He said it was a continuation of the act of terrorism with the aid of military and police by a factional leader of the church.
He said: “Last week, some youths came with two pastors to attack the church. They destroyed the signboard.
“We went to A Division Police Station to get protection. Today, we called the commander, who told us that he was not aware and did not give any such order.”
However, it was gathered that for the wisdom of some policemen who were called in, there would have been a bloody confrontation.
Rev Iyorhiobhe, who is backing the Bishop Emeka faction, appealed to security operatives to protect law-abiding worshippers and to avoid taking sides in the conflict.

He lamented the action of the opposing pastors, stressing: “I wonder why they are doing this when the matter is in court.”

Monday, February 8, 2016

$97 Million Solar Plant Switches In Sahara Desert

Even at night, the plant will be able to provide energy, thanks to the power of salt. A cylinder full of salt is melted by the warmth from the mirrors, and stays hot enough when the sun goes down to provide up to eight hours of power. Morocco has switched on what will be the world's largest concentrated solar power plant.
The new site near the city of Ouarzazate -- famous as a filming location for Hollywood blockbusters like "Lawrence of Arabia" and "Gladiator" -- could produce enough energy to power over one million homes by 2018 and reduce carbon emissions by an estimated 760,000 tons per year, according to the Climate Investment Funds (CIF) finance group.
As His Majesty Mohammed VI of Morocco pressed a button on 4 February 2016, the first phase of the three-part project was set in motion.
The solar plant, called the Noor complex, uses concentrating solar power (CSP) which is more expensive to install than the widely used photovoltaic panels, but unlike them, enables the storage of energy for nights and cloudy days.
Mirrors focus the sun's light and heat up a liquid, which, when mixed with water, reaches around 400 degree Celsius. The steam produced from this process drives a turbine and generates electrical power.
Related imageA cylinder full of salt is melted by the warmth from the mirrors during the day, and stays hot enough at night to provide up to eight hours of power, according to World Bank, who partially financed construction of the plant through a $97 million loan from the Clean Technology Fund.
"With this bold step toward a clean energy future, Morocco is pioneering a greener development and developing a cutting edge solar technology," said Marie Francoise Marie-Nelly, World Bank Country Director for the Maghreb.
"The returns on this investment will be significant for the country and its people, by enhancing energy security, creating a cleaner environment, and encouraging new industries and job creation."
Desert 

Noor Complex Ouarzazate 2 

Laptop Used In Somalia In-Flight Jet Blast

Image result wey dey for laptop used in Somalia in-flight jet blastSomali intelligence officials say two airport workers handled a laptop containing a bomb that later exploded in a passenger plane.
In a video made public on Sunday by officials, one airport worker takes the laptop and hands it to another employee.
The employees then hand it over to a man who was killed when the laptop explosion blew a hole in the plane's fuselage, said Abdisalam Aato, a spokesman for the Somali Prime Minister.
Both workers have been arrested.
Somali officials identified the lone fatality as suspect Abdullahi Abdisalam Borleh. He was sucked out of the airliner through the hole from the blast Tuesday.
Investigators suspect Borleh, a Somali national, carried a laptop computer with a bomb in it onto the plane, according to a source familiar with the investigation.
He knew precisely where to sit and how to place the device to maximize damage.
Given the placement, the blast likely would have set off a catastrophic secondary explosion in the fuel tank if the aircraft had reached cruising altitude, the source said.
But the explosion happened at a lower altitude, between 12,000 feet and 14,000 feet, killing the Somali national and injuring two others.
Though preliminary tests showed the bomb contained a military grade of the explosive TNT, the source said, it failed to bring down Daallo Airlines Flight 3159. The pilot turned around and landed the Airbus safely in Mogadishu.
"Security at our airport is strong, but we need to do more," Aato said in response to concerns about airport security. "While threats will always be there, this could happen at any other airport,".
Somalia asked U.S. officials for help with investigations, and several FBI agents are on the ground assisting in Mogadishu, the spokesman said.
"This was a sophisticated attack ... so we reached out to our international partners," Aato said.

 

Chai Nigeria Is Running Out Of Cash

Nigeria is considering asking the World Bank, the African Development Bank and other international organizations for help to plug a hole in this year's budget created by the collapse in crude oil prices. The government said it is looking to borrow as much as $9 billion to fund its cash-starved economy.

 The 75% plunge in crude prices to around $33 per barrel means Nigeria is now losing money on some of the oil it pumps.
Nigeria is the second major oil producing country, after Azerbaijan, to admit it might need emergency financing because of low crude prices.
Nigeria, Africa's largest economy, is also the continent's biggest oil producer. The sector accounts for about 35% of GDP, 75% of government revenue and 90% of export earnings.
Its currency is plummeting, with foreign exchange dealers offering much higher rates than the official 199 nair per dollar. The government has been burning through its foreign currency reserves, which fell to $28 billion at the end of January from $43 billion two years ago.
And its budget deficit is growing fast. The government wants to invest in big infrastructure projects and make the country less dependent on oil.
The deficit is now expected to reach 3 trillion naira ($15 billion) in 2016, up from a previous estimate of 2.2 trillion.
Nigeria is also suffering from frequent power cuts and fuel shortages because it doesn't have enough capacity to refine it own crude.
The finance ministry denied reports that it has already asked for emergency cash, but said it is considering a World Bank loan as one way of funding the deficit.
"The truth is that Nigeria... has indicated an intention to borrow 1.8 trillion naira principally for investment in capital projects to stimulate the economy," Finance Minister Kemi Adeosun said in a statement.
Nigeria is exploring the option of borrowing from multilateral organizations such as the World Bank and AFDB, as well as the Export-Import Bank of China, because they offer lower rates of interest than other lenders, she said.
Officials from the African Development Bank visited Nigeria last week.
Nigeria is a member of OPEC, and has been pushing for the Saudi-led oil cartel to cut production to support prices.
OPEC decided in 2014 to wage a price war with low cost producers in the U.S. and elsewhere in a bid to defend market share. Many OPEC countries are still making money at these prices but others are losing.
Nigeria's average production costs are estimated at about $31 a barrel.


Friday, February 5, 2016

Africa's Billion Dollar Hair Care Industry

Abebe, 1975. These images of Nigerian hairstyles were taken by world-renowned photographer J. D. 'Okhai Ojeikere. He travelled the streets of 1960s Lagos with his Brownie D camera, capturing the intricately designed hairstyles of his fellow country people. Looking good is big business in Africa; reports show that the amount of money being spent on haircare across the continent is rising.
The biggest growth in 2014 was in Nigeria where people spent more than $440 million, the sales of conditioners and relaxers rose 11% since 2013.
Similarly, in South Africa the amount of money spent on haircare increased 7% from 2013 to 2014, and in Kenya consumers spent more than $100 million on haircare, and salon sales were up 8%.
As the younger population grows in Nigeria, sales of hair care products increase, and are considered to be more essential than many other grooming products.
The rise in usage of the internet and cable TV has influenced many consumers' thorough the use international celebrities in advertising.
There has also been a rise in demand for men's products from men in urban areas.
L'Oréal Nigeria lead the market in 2014, the company owns firm favorite Dark & Lovely which is the leading haircare brand in the country.
"There is a wide range of products available in the traditional markets," says the founder of lifestyle blog,Natural Nigerian. "They are mostly cheap and very few of them are made in Nigeria -- most are imported.
J.D. Okhai Ojeikere "The move towards natural hair has raised a lot of questions and inspired a lot of handmade, better quality, mid to high level products that utilize indigenous ingredients that were overlooked in the past e.g. shea butter, coconut oil, and even our local black soap."
In the next few years Euromonitor predicts that growth will continue due to urbanization and a swelling middle class. A focus on modern hairstyles that require lots of hair products is a key driver of growth, as fewer people maintain more traditional styles do no require as many products.
In Kenya top haircare manufacturers are using imagery of black women with long straight hair in their advertising to drive sales, aiming to encourage the perception that straight hair is easier to manage and more attractive.
J.D. Okhai Ojeikere The haircare industry in Kenya is growing for a number of reasons; Kenya's middle class gaining more disposable income, quality of products is increasing, and there are growing numbers of professional hair care salons.
J.D. Okhai Ojeikere Products that claim to solve specific hair concerns such as dry hair, thin hair and discoloration are doing well in South Africa.
African American celebrities have driven demand for products that make hair easier to manage in Cameroon. The increase in working women's authority over their money has made it easier to buy these products, another driving factor is exposure to western culture through magazines and TV.
In 2014 the haircare industry in Algeria grew by 8%, which can be out down to the country's improved economic conditions.
A growing number of Tunisians have started using styling agents and colorants in the past few years. Hair sales have increased as the economic downturn has caused people to stop visiting salons and start caring for their hair at home.
In 2014 leading haircare brands in Kenya included HACO Tiger Brands, L'Oréal East African and PZ Cussons East Africa.
L'Oréal South Africa continue to lead in this country, followed by Proctor & Gamble, Amka Products and Unilever South Africa.
Foreign companies dominate the market in Algeria, the leading company is L'Oreal Groupe, followed by Unilever Algeria SPA, Proctor and Gamble, Colgate-Palmolive and Laboratoire Venus Sapeco -- the only domestic company.
The leading haircare company in Tunisia was Henkel-Alki, it's strong brands such as Taft, Gliss and Souplesse mean it is likely to continue to be successful in this country.

J.D. Okhai Ojeikere J.D. Okhai Ojeikere Euromonitor International suggest that leading brands such as Henkel and Unilever are likely to start offering more products designed especially for men and products that multitask as the demand for value products increases.

Tuesday, February 2, 2016

China: 85 Years Farmer Wore Suit For The First Time

This was the first time Bingcai had ever worn a suit. Jesse hoped his granddad could "travel through time" to experience modern life.<br />
china grandpa 9An 85-year-old farmer, who tended rice paddies all his life and never wore a suit, has become an unlikely style icon in China.
A series of photos of Ding Bingcai, nattily dressed and striking elegant poses, taken by his fashion photographer grandson recently went viral on Chinese social media.
He's drawn comparisons to Nick Wooster, the fifty something New York street-style star.
Ding Guoliang, who prefers to be called Jesse said that the photos were both a tribute to his grandpa and a way to raise awareness about caring for the elderly.
Jesse had the idea of profiling his grandpa last summer when Bingcai moved to the southeastern city of Xiamen where his grandson owns a photography studio.
"I wanted to show him what I do for a living,"
"He had known I was a photographer, but thought I worked in an old-school photo studio."
They spent three days shooting while wandering around the coastal city. In some of the photos, the two wore the same outfits and adopted the same posture in the same location.
"My grandpa had never worn a suit before," Jesse said.
china grandpa 7"Like everybody in his generation, he experienced tremendous hardship when he was young. I only wish he had had a better life like mine."
Clad in a duffel coat and a fur hat, Bingcai, a father of five and grandfather of 10, spoke little but said he enjoyed wearing the classy outfits.
Now 30, Jesse grew up with his grandpa Bingcai in the countryside until he was 10.
"When I was a kid, he would keep all the delicious food for me -- eggs, apples, candy... and he loved telling stories about himself as a young boy."
Jesse is now repaying the favor.
He's taken his grandfather on his first trip to the Chinese capital to fulfill a life-long dream of his to visit Tian'anmen Square.
And photos haven't just brought Jesse and his grandfather closer, they've unexpectedly strengthened ties among his extended family.

"I am from a peasant family where people weren't particularly touchy feely," he says
In some of the photos, the two wore the same outfits and adopted the same posture in the same location.
His grandson, Ding Guoliang, who prefers to be called Jesse, told CNN the photos were both a tribute to his grandpa, and a way to raise awareness about caring for the elderly.