The Nigeria Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Resources Authority (NMDPRA) has issued refining licenses to three companies to build new refineries in Abia, Delta, and Edo States.
According to an X post by the NMDPRA on its official page, the proposed refineries that have been issued licenses are a 100, 000 bpd refining license to Eghudu Refinery Ltd in Edo state, MB Refinery and Petrochemicals Company Ltd license to establish a 30, 000 bpd refinery in Delta State, and a 10, 000 bpd refinery issued to HIS Refining and Petrochemical Company Ltd. in Abia.
Upon completion, the three proposed refineries will have a combined refining capacity of 140, 000 barrels per day.
The statement read: “The Authority Chief Executive, Engr. Farouk Ahmed presented a License to construct a 100, 000 bpd refinery to Eghudu Refinery Ltd in Edo state, a License to establish a 30, 000 bpd refinery to MB Refinery and Petrochemicals Company Ltd in Delta state, and a License to establish a 10, 000 bpd refinery to HIS Refining and Petrochemical Company Ltd. in Abia state.
” These Licenses, which would add 140, 000 barrels per day to Nigeria’s domestic refining capacity, were presented to the MDs of the companies. “ Data from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) showed that Nigeria has nine operational refineries, which include the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals FZE, the Warri Refinery and Petrochemical Company, the Kaduna Refinery and Petrochemical Company, and the Port Harcourt Refinery Company Limited.
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Others are the Aradel Refinery, OPAC Refineries, Waltersmith Refinery and Petrochemical Company, Duport Midstream Company Limited, and the Edo Refinery and Petrochemical Company.
These refineries have a combined refining capacity of 974, 500 barrels per day, with the Dangote refinery having the largest capacity of 650, 000 bpd. However, the majority of the refineries are not producing at full-scale
Watch highlights as welterweight Lauren Price easily outpoints Natasha Jonas to settle their domestic rivalry and become a unified world champion at the Royal Albert Hall.
Pictures courtesy of Sky Sports.
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Boots customers are eagerly grabbing Khloe Kardashian’s newest scent, and the biggest bottle comes with a 15% discount. XO Khloé, down to £63.75 from the original £75 at Boots, has only just made its debut in the UK but is already flying off the shelves.
It’s a fragrance that begins with rose petals, lavender, and sage, leading to a sweeter heart featuring praline, peach, and orange blossom. The scent finishes with an earthy foundation of musk, tonka bean, moss, and woodsy elements.
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The XO Khloé perfume was crafted by Clement Gavarry, a senior perfumer who’s had a hand in creating fragrances for Tom Ford and Phlur’s Vanilla Skin. The legendary Alberto Morillas, credited with numerous scents such as Kenzo Flower, Gucci Bloom, and Marc Jacobs Daisy, also worked on it.
On Boots ‘ website, it’s already earned an impressive five-star review with a customer raving: “This perfume is hands down my favourite. The smell is amazing, I usually go for Chanel, YSL, Thierry Mulger, Dior and Chloe. This is my new favourite and I’ve only worn it once. Beautiful”.
The XO Khloe perfume has been described as beautiful (Handout)
Fragrantica, a perfume enthusiast social network, shows even more positive reviews. One user described it as: “This is a lovely scent. It is powdery, but not in a suffocating baby powdery way. It smells like a luxurious body creme to me. It’s an I’m not wearing perfume I just smell good sort of scent. I’m happy to have it in my collection”.
Another added: “Beautiful, soft romantic scent. Very light and feminine. Similar to Chloé EDP but not exact]copy]. Love it”!.
One satisfied customer raved: “This smells amazing. It’s clean and light but present at the same time. More umph than the typical light skin scents like Glossier you etc. I really really like it. Fresh airy signature type scent. Very inoffensive and pleasant. It was a blind buy and I’m pleased”.
Meanwhile, another reviewer wasn’t so impressed, noting its simplicity: “How does it smell? Very nondescript. It’s mass appealing and soft. It wasn’t worthy to even go on my skin. The blotter card was more than enough for me. I could be blind folded and spin around and point to a dozen other designer fragrances it smells like. It’s basic. I’m sure it will do well and another fragrance will ensue next year”.
Boots shoppers can bag their 15% discount when spending over £60 on fragrances. This means the XO Khloé in a 100ml bottle is slashed from £75 down to £63.75 at the checkout, offering a saving of £11.25, reports OK!.
Ashley James admits motherhood is a “journey” and says she understands how parents struggle.
The This Morning star has never shied away from campaigning for equal rights and has even been invited to the Houses of Parliament as part of her quest. Ashley, 37, is known for holding her own and being vocal about her beliefs and even more so since becoming a parent.
Now, she has opened up about her own experiences and explained she knows how parents struggle to balance motherhood with work due to the system. Ashley is mum to daughter Ada, One, and son Alfie, three, with her husband Tommy Andrews. “Motherhood is definitely a journey”, she exclusively told the Mirror. Ashley went on to add: “I think the reason that so many of us struggle is not because of our babies and the bond we have with our babies but because we’re almost trying to do the impossible, in a system that doesn’t necessarily support us, or in a system that hasn’t really evolved since the days that the majority of us were housewives.
” Even if you look at the school hours versus working hours and the cost of childcare, there are so many barriers. I think it’s really hard, even working all day, you just have to keep going. I feel in a really good place with motherhood and I feel like they’ve become part of my drive to fight for equality and to fight for positive change. “
Ashley James admits her two children are her driving force to fight for equality
Ashley admits that fighting for women to have equal rights will always be important to her (Dave Nelson)
The TV star went on to add:” Not just for my daughter but also for my son, if you look at toxic masculinity and sexist attitudes, I don’t want him to ever feel he can’t be himself. I want him to grow up respecting women and bringing it back to football, if he ever decides that he is into football, getting to see women represented, not just as players and the Lionesses but as commentators and sport, all of this is helping men see women in their spaces. “
Ashley has joined forces with The FA and Barclays for their Biggest Ever Football Session to promote The FA’s equal access in school goal. Speaking about the partnership, Ashley commented:” I am very vocal in my desire for equality, for women and girls to have the same opportunities.
“When I learnt about The FA’s campaign, I found it really interesting, now that I have a son and a daughter, I started about the Biggest Ever Football Session happening and wanted to get on board and help and fight the amazing work that they’re doing”. Growing up in a football mad family, attending Newcastle games, Ashley admits that she never saw any female faces in the sport and it had never crossed her mind that one day, we would be celebrating women’s football.
The This Morning star opened up about her motherhood journey and revealed she understands the struggle women face (Instagram/ashleylouisejames)
Ashley praised her This Morning co-star Cat Deeley, branding her inspirational
“You see the Lionesses getting their credit, you see football stadiums around the country with women’s games being supported”, she stated. This is a role close to Ashley’s heart as she’s also an ambassador for Girlguiding, with statistics showing that 28% of girls between seven and 10 say doing well in sports boosts their confidence.
“I was with a few four to eight-year-old-girls on a shoot and they were saying it in their innocent ways that football for them is the most exciting thing about being a girl and they’re most proud that they get to do that in schools is amazing”, she commented. Nowadays, TV viewers see more women fronting major TV shows, with the likes of Cat Deeley hosting This Morning and more women in careers that had been predominantly male spaces, including astronauts.
Ashley has joined forces with The FA and Barclays
But what women inspire Ashley on International Women’s Day? While she says there’s not one women in particular, she praises Michelle Obama for being “uplifting”. She added: “Cat Deeley, who I’m lucky enough to do This Morning with, I was such a fan of hers from a young age, I find her really inspirational, watching how competent and incredible she is as a presenter, whilst also being incredibly down to earth and chatting to every single person, from whether they work on This Morning or if they’re a guest.
” I think there’s so many amazing women. Even my daughter, she’s a huge inspiration, she sees the joy in everything – I always say she was born happy. “
Girlguiding is the UK’s largest youth organisation dedicated completely to girls, where they can be themselves, get creative, explore, and have fun. Visit girlguiding. org. uk for information on how to sign your child up or become a volunteer. The FA, in collaboration with Barclays, held the Biggest Ever Football Session (BEFS), across schools up and down the country yesterday. The day in the calendar is central to The FA’s equal access in school ambition.You can find out more information here.
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Matthew Henry
BBC Sport journalist in Dubai
21 Comments
The day before taking his latest flying catch in the Champions Trophy, New Zealand’s Glenn Phillips was soaring in a different way.
He is training to be an aeroplane pilot and has a simulator with him in his hotel room.
“I’ll probably fly for close to four or five hours most days”, Phillips tells BBC Sport.
“The other day I did Bahrain to Dubai.
” Sometimes I’ll do Heathrow to Manchester, other days Auckland to Christchurch.
Phillips also practises various tricky scenarios – crosswind landings, mechanical failure, or turbulence and the like.
But on Sunday he will find himself attempting to keep a calm head in the Champions Trophy final against India in Dubai.
India will be favourites but New Zealand, who beat India to win the 2000 edition, have progressed to their third Champions Trophy final via steady batting, dependable bowling and near-perfect fielding, led by the extraordinary Phillips.
Two ‘ Superman ‘ catches in the group stage – one diving to his left to take Mohammad Rizwan one-handed and the other a mirror image leaping to his right to catch Virat Kohli – have reinforced the view that Phillips is the best fielder in the world.
“I did a fair bit of gymnastics at school growing up, so learning to tuck and roll, dive properly, land properly”, he says.
“That probably gave me a lot more confidence than potentially your average person when hitting a hard surface on the ground.
” In the garden we had a big 16-foot trampoline and we always played like football goalkeeping stuff on it and we’d play like little cricket games on it.
“That probably had a huge impact on learning how to dive and being in a safe environment where you weren’t going to get injured”.
Catching statistics can be misleading in cricket.
A high catch percentage figure can look good but also mean the fielder has not attempted the more difficult chances.
Conversely, an athletic fielder could attempt difficult chances and be punished for only getting a fingertip to a ball others would not have reached.
Phillips has managed to succeed regardless.
He has had more touches in the field than any other player (156) during this tournament and has a 100% catch success rate, despite fielding in the most difficult positions.
He would also reject one of cricket’s oldest cliches – that fielding is something to be endured.
“I’ve always loved fielding since the beginning of playing”, says Phillips, whose side also have the best catch percentage (91.2%) in the tournament.
“The reactionary catches like the dives, there’s a big element of luck involved.
” I don’t train those at all purely because if you train them and you get injured at training doing so then what’s the point? There’s no heroes at training.
“I’ve taken a few so you build up a bit of belief that if it’s in that area, you have a chance.
Getty Images
When you sit with Phillips his attributes are obvious.
Bulging forearms, broad shoulders, huge thighs and a stocky frame all help him cover ground at speed, throw and leap from a low centre of gravity. He has also spoken about embracing being diagnosed with ADHD.
But Phillips, who was born in South Africa before moving to New Zealand with his family aged five, is not happy to settle with what he has been given physically.
The 28-year-old is a studier of the mechanics of fielding. He watches the NFL and, in particular, baseball for theories of how he can push those limits.
He practises throwing with his non-dominant left arm and tests different ways to collect the ball in the field, like picking up with his left hand and throwing with his right and vice versa to maintain momentum through the ball.
” In baseball, it’s significantly quicker to pick it up on the move on your mitt side, carry on through the ball and then throw, “Phillips says.
” Obviously that provides a lot of momentum and power. That becomes slightly difficult when you’ve got bare hands.
“I’m yet to find out whether there is actually a difference in it. I’ve used it in a game a couple of times and it’s felt really cool”.
Those that know Phillips describe him as one of those people that is good at everything.
Electric in the field, he is also a hard-hitting batter, bowls canny off-spin and has even been wicketkeeper at international level, something he has now stopped because “there was no ability to move, no running, no diving and no ability to do something special unless the ball comes your way in your one specific spot”.
Phillips has also taken up archery, which he believes helps his cricket.
“The element that I’ve taken out of that is being more process driven”, he says.
“Obviously, baseball, I’ve seen the fielding element of it. Golf, the real patience side of things.
” But then archery is a real process-driven sport where if you focus on trying to hit the target, it often doesn’t really work.
“If you focus on doing the things that you can do well, that being the process, the end result takes care of itself”.
Phillips believes New Zealand’s fielding gives them “an edge in big tournaments” – they have reached a fourth men’s white-ball final since 2015 here – but is also able to see the big picture when showing off his art.
“If it’s a little thing I can do to give back to the cricket community and inspire the next generation to enjoy fielding rather than wanting to just sit on the sidelines and just bat and bowl, I think that’s something that I’d be really happy to come out of this game with one day”, Phillips says.
India playing all their Champions Trophy matches in Dubai was a pre-tournament decision, and talk of it giving India an unfair advantage is baseless, the team’s batting coach says as he blasts back against the criticism.
Rohit Sharma’s India face New Zealand in the title clash on Sunday at the Dubai International Stadium, where the tournament favourites have been unbeaten in their four matches.
India refused to tour hosts Pakistan in the eight-nation tournament due to political tensions and were given Dubai as their venue in the United Arab Emirates.
“The draw that happened, it happened before”, batting coach Sitanshu Kotak told reporters before the final. “After India winning four matches, if people feel that there is an advantage, then I don’t know what to say about it”.
The tournament’s tangled schedule with teams flying in and out of the UAE from Pakistan while India have stayed put has been controversial.
South Africa batsman David Miller said “it was not an ideal situation” for his team to fly to Dubai to wait on India’s semifinal opponent and then fly back to Lahore in less than 24 hours.
Even nominal hosts Pakistan had to jump on a jet and fly to Dubai to play India rather than face them on home soil.
India’s Virat Kohli salutes the crowd in Dubai after achieving a century against Australia in the semifinal]Christopher Pike/AP]
The pitches have been vastly different in the two countries. Pakistan tracks produced big totals in contrast to the slow and turning decks of the Dubai stadium.
“End of the day, I think in a game you have to play good cricket every day when you turn up”, Kotak said. “So the only thing they]critics] may say is that we play here. But that is how the draw is”.
“So nothing else can happen in that. It is not that after coming here, they changed something, and we got an advantage”, he added.
India have been the team to beat after they topped Group A, in which they faced New Zealand, Pakistan and Bangladesh. They then beat Australia in the first semifinal.
New Zealand, led by Mitchell Santner, lost the last group game to India by 44 runs before they beat South Africa in the second semifinal in Lahore.
India’s Varun Chakravarthy, centre, celebrates the wicket of New Zealand’s Glenn Phillips, right, in Dubai during the final Champions Trophy group-stage match]Altaf Qadri/AP]
Kotak said the previous result between the two teams will have no bearing on their mindset going into the final.
“That depends how the New Zealand team thinks, but I think we should not think that”, Kotak said.
“We should just try and turn up and play a good game of cricket because there is no use thinking about the last match”.
New Zealand head coach Gary Stead said they are not too worried about India’s advantage.
“I mean, look, the decision around that’s out of our hands”, Stead said.
“So it’s not something we worry about too much. India have got to play all their games here in Dubai. But as you said, we have had a game here, and we’ll learn very quickly from that experience there as well”.
