The Central Bank of Nigeria has announced the launch of its new website on Monday (today).

In a statement signed by the acting Director of Corporate Communications, Sidi Ali, the bank stated that the new website would become operational on Monday.

“The bank has developed a contemporary Web API that operates on Microsoft .NET Core 8 (the most recent and stable release) to enhance user experience by speeding up and simplifying the navigation process. We are pleased to announce that the front-end design and back-end technology were created in-house.

“The redesigned website introduces a variety of new content, which encompasses a broader spectrum of information regarding the Bank’s mandate. Additionally, the website is responsive to mobile devices, facilitating navigation across various web browsers and devices.”

At a special summit dinner event during the 30th Nigerian Economic Summit in October, the CBN governor, Olayemi Cardoso, revealed that the bank is working on launching a comprehensive revamped version of its website to enhance transparency and accountability.

He stated that the newly designed website would offer a more user-friendly experience and greater access to information, thereby supporting its commitment to transparency, accountability, and building trust with stakeholders.

He said, “Information is something that we are ensuring to improve on at the Central Bank. We are bringing out activities that are closer to the people. We put out the information and we allowed people to have a line of sight and have an idea of where they were going and how far we expected to continue from that particular point.

“Our website is about to be significantly overhauled. Very shortly, we will see a new website. And that’s all headed in the direction of transparency and openness.”

The Group Chairman, United Bank for Africa (UBA) and Founder, Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF), Tony Elumelu, has passionately called for a change of long-standing workplace stereotypes that continue to hinder women’s professional growth and potential.

He said this while delivering a compelling address during a meeting with the Association of Professional Women Bankers (APWB), at the UBA Head office in, Marina, Lagos on Monday.

Elumelu, who highlighted the exceptional abilities of women in business, addressed the additional obstacles women encounter, such as imposter syndrome and unfair stereotypes that portray them as “too emotional” or “sentimental” in professional settings.

“From my experience, women in our group are tenacious, hardworking, and deliver results. They don’t expect special treatment – they command respect,” Elumelu stated.

“My admiration for women comes from personal experience. My 97-year-old mother still goes to the market and cooks for us every Sunday. My wife, five daughters, and two sisters continue to inspire me daily, and the women I work with constantly surpass expectations.”

The chairman noted that his own organisations and those he has invested in stand as a testament to women’s leadership potential.

“At UBA Group for the longest time, our board has been predominantly female, and most of our CEOs are women. At Heirs Holdings Group, women head more group companies than men—not by design, but by merit,” He highlighted.

Elumelu cited examples of women’s leadership within his organizations, noting that Transcorp Group, valued at N4.5 trillion, and Transcorp Hotels Plc, valued at N1 trillion, are both led by women who are breaking barriers and redefining corporate leadership.

Drawing inspiration from the story of Mary Jane Patterson, the first Black woman graduate in America, Elumelu advised the female professionals to build confidence, ignore stereotypes, and focus on personal goals as these are the most prominent ways they could break glass ceilings and open paths for young girls.

“The story of the first Black woman graduate in America, Mary Jane Patterson, resonates deeply. She wasn’t allowed into classrooms, so she stood in hallways to learn. Decades later, this university apologized and awarded her an honorary doctorate. She paved the way for millions of successful Black women today.”

“To all women who are running businesses or climbing the corporate ladder: please note that confidence is key. Ignore stereotypes, focus on your goals, build expertise, and let your work speak for you. As I told the APWB, leadership is about showing what you can do, regardless of labels,” Elumelu concluded.

The Chairperson, Association of Professional Women Bankers (APWB), Funke Feyisitan Ladimeji, who commended Elumelu’s commitment towards female inclusivity and professional advancement, emphasized that his advocacy went beyond rhetoric. She highlighted how his various business concerns continues to provide concrete opportunities for women to excel in leadership roles.

“The chairman’s approach serves as a powerful model for other corporate leaders, which shows that diverse, merit-based leadership is not just possible, but essential for organizational success and societal progress,” she said.

The female attendees at the event agreed that the session was highly enlightening and thought-provoking, as it helped to broaden their minds and gave them more clarity as to their purpose and how they could achieve more if they put their minds to it.

The fanfare and cheers that greeted the resumption of activities at the Port Harcourt Refining Company on Tuesday may have faded, leaving the hopes and expectations of many Nigerians uncertain.

A visit (by Saturday Punch) to the refinery on Friday revealed that there was no activity on-site, with some workers stating that the refinery was undergoing calibration, which might last until next week.

The Port Harcourt Refinery has faced numerous delays and missed deadlines for resuming operations.

However, on Tuesday, the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited, Melee Kyari, inaugurated the new plant at the Area 5 terminal of the refinery. It was claimed that 200 petrol trucks were loading daily from the plant.

Despite the announcement, skepticism arose as reports circulated that the trucks were being loaded with old products from the storage tanks.

Upon visiting the Port Harcourt Refinery Area 5, it was observed that there were no signs of activity.

An official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, revealed that the loaded trucks contained “dead stock.”

He said, “Before the refinery was shut down between 2015/2016, we had dead stock left in the tank, including some Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) DPK (kerosene), and Automated Gas Oil (diesel).

“So, these products were in large quantities in stores in those tanks. During the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt Refinery, Old Area 5, those products were evacuated from the tanks for storage.”

However, he noted that the large quantity of refined petrol was “off-spec,” requiring separation from water to obtain the main product in preferred colours.

“But for DPK, it is in large quantity but they have not pushed it from the tank where it was kept after refined ready for commercial purposes.

“So, the product that was loaded was dead stock, that is the old product that was in the system. So, after these dead stocks, they will have to clean the tank, remove all the debris before pumping the new project into that tank, and redye it,” the source said.

The worker highlighted that refineries worldwide should operate electronically, not manually.

“But what they are trying to do at the Port Harcourt Refinery is manual, which cannot match the new digital pumps. Most of the pumps used for the event were refurbished,” he added.

He explained that during Kyari’s visit on Tuesday, seven trucks were prepared for loading, but only five were filled with petrol.

The Chairman of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Taken Ikpaki, while speaking to journalists during the inauguration of the facility on Tuesday, had expressed optimism.

He stated that more trucks were expected to come into the facility to load products in the coming days.

But rather than more trucks coming into the refinery, the number of trucks has dwindled.

Around 1.30pm when our correspondent visited, he observed that most workers and drivers appeared idle as no machinery was operational.

Nine trucks were seen parked, but the loading bay, numbered from one to 18, was empty and deserted, with some workers lying down.

When asked about the lack of loading activity, a worker in overalls said, “They are de-watering, removing the water under the PMS. Maybe there will be loading after that, but we don’t know what time today.”

Another worker at the loading bay mentioned that ongoing calibration was the reason for the delay.

“They are calibrating the meters,” he said tersely.

Findings (by Saturday Punch) showed that the PMS left in the storage might not be enough to fill five trucks.

A source indicated that calibration would continue until Monday, with the loading of DPK (kerosene) and AGO (diesel) expected to start by then.

Speaking to our correspondent, a resident of Alode in Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State, who simply identified himself as Osaro, said, “After that ceremony with Mele Kyari where they said the refinery had started operation and loading was taking place, what happened afterwards? They continued loading on air, that is on the pages of newspapers and social media.”

When contacted for his reaction on the lack of activities on Friday, the National Public Relations Officer of the Petroleum Product Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria, Dr Joseph Obelle, said it was as a result of ongoing calibration.

Obelle, the PETROAN spokesman, said, “They are calibrating the loading pumps. They will be done today.”

Meanwhile, it was gathered that the Senate Committee on Petroleum visited the refinery on Thursday on a facility tour. The outcome of the visit had yet to be made public.

Calls and text messages to the spokesperson for the NNPC, Olufemi Soneye, were not replied as of the time of filing this report.

But the NNPC had in a statement denied claims by an Alesa community leader, Timothy Mgbere, that the Port Harcourt refinery was not producing fuel.

Soneye accused Mgbere of crass ignorance of how a refinery runs.

He said, “The old and new Port Harcourt refineries have since been integrated with one single terminal for product load-out. They share common utilities like power and storage tanks. This means that storage tanks and loading gantry which he claimed belongs to the new Port-Harcourt Refinery can also receive products from the Old Port Harcourt Refinery.”

He called on the public to disregard claims borne out of “sheer mischief and blatant display of ignorance.”

Credit: The Punch