• Chinese president meets Chinese, Nigerian businessmen

CHINA'S AFRICAN SAFARI In the heated race to tap Africa's oil resources, the Chinese are everywhere, despite unrest that has prompted others to pull back.

Vivienne Walt

1,558 words

20 February 2006

Fortune

FORTU

U.S. Edition

41

English

© 2006 Time Incorporated. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All Rights Reserved.
ON A BROILING DECEMBER MORNING IN THE Niger Delta a dozen men clamber into a boat and head up a creek through a mangrove swamp to meet the curious foreigners who have arrived at the edge of their fishing village. Over warm beers, Sokulprim Welsh, a slender 32- year-old Kula community leader, tells the newcomers that his village wants their help in return for its hospitality. "We have no telephone," Welsh says. "We have no doctor." Welsh has made similar appeals to others who have come digging for the priceless bounty under the delta: an estimated 34 billion barrels of crude oil. But these foreigners are different from any he has met before. They are from China.
Earlier this year the state-owned China National Offshore Oil Corp., or CNOOC, paid $2.3 billion for a stake in a delta oilfield, China's largest single investment in Africa ever. This despite the fact that Nigerian rebels, in their latest round of violence against oil firms, recently blew a hole in a Royal Dutch Shell pipeline not too far from Kula, kidnapped four of its workers, and set fire to four flow stations. The violence forced Shell to cut its Niger Delta output by 221,000 barrels a day, helping push world oil prices to $66 a barrel. The message: China's relentless demand for energy has it aggressively on the prowl in Africa, no matter the obstacles.
Sitting in her office in Abuja, Nigeria's capital, the country's Finance Minister can hardly conceal her glee at China's increasing influence. "China is a giant market with giant needs, and we can fulfill them," says Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, a former World Bank vice president. The world's second-largest energy consumer, China now imports about 28% of its oil and gas from sub-Saharan Africa, compared with about 15% for the U.S. Washington is hoping to boost that figure--to lessen dependence on the Persian Gulf--which puts it in a head-on battle with China. In the past few years China's leading energy companies (Sinopec, China National Petroleum Corp., and CNOOC) have inked oil contracts from Equatorial Guinea to Algeria to Angola. Chinese President Hu Jintao's African trips have included pocket-sized Gabon, whose 1.4 million people could fit into a corner of Shanghai but which has more than two billion barrels of oil reserves. When China's Foreign Minister, Li Zhaoxing, toured the region in January, he spent several days in Nigeria. "We haven't been totally invaded by China yet, but it will come," says Iheanyi Ohiaeri, head of business development for Nigeria's National Petroleum Corp. "I get calls and e-mails daily from Beijing, from people looking to buy oil."
The calls are being answered, in part because African governments view China as a more cooperative partner than the West. China has refused to back regular Western rebukes of African corruption and human-rights abuses and last year used its permanent seat on the UN Security Council to block genocide charges against Sudan--source of about 7% of China's oil--for the massacres in Darfur. "The U.S. will talk to you about governance, about efficiency, about security, about the environment," says Mustafa Bello, head of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission, who has visited China seven times. "The Chinese just ask, 'How do we procure this license?'"
China has become the biggest foreign investor in Zimbabwe, where President Robert Mugabe's policies have beggared the country and left millions homeless. Zimbabwe doesn't have oil, but it is the world's second-largest exporter of platinum, a key import for China's auto industry. Chinese radio-jamming devices block Zimbabwe's dissident broadcasts, and Chinese workers built Mugabe's new $9 million home, featuring a blue-tiled roof donated by the Chinese government. While Western politicians railed against Mugabe last year for flattening entire shantytowns, China was supplying him with fighter jets and troop carriers worth about $240 million, in exchange for imports of gold and tobacco. China has also agreed to sell armaments to Nigeria--$251 million worth of Chinese fighter jets, financed by China's Exim Bank--and satellite technology provided by defense contractor Norinco. "If China wanted to go out and develop Europe, it would be impossible," says Dai Adi, a Chinese journalist in Lagos who moved from Beijing in 2001. "But here they can."
In Lagos, where 15 million people live, a Chinese company last year built a crimson-walled replica of the Forbidden City. It towers over a hardscrabble neighborhood, its fortress walls enclosing a Chinese-imports emporium selling cheap textiles and plastic sandals. Since 2003, China has become the largest importer of Nigeria's cassava crop, the staple for millions of farmers. Hundreds of Chinese rice farmers now live in Nigeria as part of a program to train Africans to cultivate the grain. Across the street from Dai's office, Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei Technologies recently moved into the top four floors of a modern high rise with a sweeping view of the city. Five years after setting foot in Africa, Huawei operates in 39 sub-Saharan countries, and last year it landed an $800 million contract to build base stations for mobile phones in Nigeria. Last fall Chinese officials approached Dai to help plan their newest initiative: starting Mandarin classes for Nigerian officials and businessmen. Dai says they were inspired by the European colonialists, who taught generations of Africans to speak English and French. "They thought, 'Why not Chinese?'"
At the G-8 summit last summer, President Bush and other leaders wrote off about $40 billion of debt from 18 countries, almost all of them African. But two years earlier China had unilaterally canceled $1.3 billion in African debt, paving the way for business across the continent. Chinese companies are mining copper in Zambia, diamonds in Sierra Leone, and cobalt in the Democratic Republic of Congo. They're logging timber in Mozambique, Gabon, and Equatorial Guinea. PetroChina signed its first significant oil deal in Nigeria last summer, securing 30,000 barrels a day for the next five years, in return for China's financing two badly needed power stations. China has bid to buy one of Nigeria's old oil refineries--a sure money loser--as a way of cementing its ties with the government. "These aren't the sexy, easy areas," says Finance Minister Okonjo-Iweala, whose Lagos office is powered by a backup generator to cope with frequent blackouts. "China looks at relationships in a long-term fashion."
The next hot spot may be Angola, where offshore oil could transform the country from one of Africa's poorest to one of its richest. In late 2004, while International Monetary Fund officials were berating Angola for corrupt oil dealings, China gave the government $2 billion in credit to repair railway tracks bombed in the country's long civil war and to construct new office buildings in the capital--all using Chinese contractors. The timing was flawless: When French oil company Total applied to renew its license on a large oil-production block, Angola refused, handing it instead to Sinopec, with which it then formed a joint venture to bid on other oilfields.
Of course, China faces its own challenges in Africa. Tony Chukweke, head of Nigeria's Department of Petroleum Resources, admits that he often finds it difficult to negotiate with Chinese companies, since each detail requires approval from officials in Beijing. "It is very, very slow," he says. "They go back and forth. And when they come back, sometimes you find it is not what you agreed to." Chukweke, who worked for years as a Shell geophysicist in London, prefers negotiating with Western oil companies: "Exxon comes in with clear mandates," he says. "We can negotiate within those mandates."
Still, China's intense energy needs make it an alluring partner. Nigeria's oil-business development manager Ohiaeri points out that his government can pressure China far more than it can Western governments. "They are desperate for our resources," he notes. That symbiotic relationship continues to grow, and with each passing day- -and each new deal--China's role in the region deepens.
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China's latest attempt to cultivate Africans: starting up Mandarin classes for Nigerian officials and businessmen."The U.S. will talk to you about governance," says one Nigerian official. "The Chinese just ask, 'How do we procure this license?'"
PHOTO: PHOTOGRAPH BY ANTONIN KRATOCHVIL--VII Engineers on a Chinese oil rig in the Niger Delta (top); a replica of Beijing's Forbidden City in Lagos (middle); and China's Foreign Minister, Li Zhaoxing, with his Nigerian counterpart, Oluyemi Adeniji, during a recent visit to Africa. PHOTO: PHOTOGRAPH BY ANTONIN KRATOCHVIL--VII See caption above. PHOTO: PIUS UTOMI EKPEI--AFP/GETTY IMAGES See caption above. PHOTO: AUSTIN EKIENDE--REUTERS Rebels sabotaged a Shell pipeline in the Niger Delta in December, took hostages, and forced a cutback in production. MAP: FORTUNE MAP PHOTO: PHOTOGRAPHS BY ANTONIN KRATOCHVIL--VII A river outside Port Harcourt, Nigeria, polluted by an oil spill
Document FORTU00020060206e22k0000q

Nigerian Professionals Abroad Plan Diaspora Days
by Tayo Ajakaye

1,747 words

16 February 2006

03:06 PM

All Africa

AFNWS

English

(c) 2006 AllAfrica, All Rights Reserved
Lagos, Feb 15, 2006 (This Day/All Africa Global Media via COMTEX) --
Nigeria professionals in Science and Technology in the Diaspora are tidying up arrangements to hold their annual Diaspora days this year. For the first time, the event would hold in two places; in Washington DC, USA on February 17-18 and the Nigeria Diaspora Week slated for July 24-28 this year in Abuja, Nigeria.
The National President of the Nigerian IT professionals in the Americas (NITPA), the umbrella body of the professionals, Prof. Manny Aniebonam said Nigerians in the Diaspora have undertaken to be part of Nigeria's national development, led by NITPA (Nigerian IT Professionals in the Americas), the Association of Nigerian Physicians in America (ANPA), and the Nigerians in Diaspora Organization (NIDO).
The Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo had declared July 25th of every year the Diaspora Day, with 2005 as the first of the observation.
According to him, "We have now concluded plans to take up that mantle, across the board, with all professionals in Science and technology participating in our nation-building, just as the Irish, Indians and Chinese are doing today. (There are over 400,000 Diaspora Nigerians in Science and Technology living and working in the United States. These include doctors, academics, Engineers, ICT professionals, pharmacists, nurses, etc)."
During last year's conference declared opened by the president and chaired by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief Ufot Ekaette, the conference made a number of recommendations.
Under Biotechnology and Agriculture for instance, the conference urged the development of academic scholars programmes that will enable the Nigerian Diaspora to visit institutions where their expertise is required (between two weeks to one month). Participants also asked that government should establish a Biotechnology Innovation Fund (BIF) to support Research and Development and training in biotechnology. The National Biotechnology Development Agency should manage the fund which should become accessible within one year.
Still on Biotechnology and Agriculture, conference participants wanted the development of regular training workshops, seminars as well as visits by Nigerian scientists at home to relevant research laboratories abroad which are hosted by some Nigerian Diasporans. This should commence immediately and be sustained.
Conference also recommended the development of a databank of all Nigerian experts in Biotechnology in the Diaspora and at home giving details of their skills and resources as well as existing gaps that can be addressed by the former. This should be completed within one year.
There's also a recommendation to develop regular training workshops, seminars as well as visits by Nigerian scientists at home to relevant research laboratories abroad which are hosted by some Nigerian Diasporans. This should commence immediately and be sustained.
The upgrade of the SHEDA Science and Technology Complex (SHESTCO), Biotechnology Advance Laboratory and other Biotech Laboratories as Centers of Excellence were also recommended. These should host the Nigerian Diaspora and other researchers in Nigeria who are interested in Re-combinant DNA technology. This should be made functional within three years.
On Engineering, Infrastructure and Environment, it was recommended that Nigeria should develop appropriate technology at affordable cost, small and medium scale industrial equipment, made in Nigeria vehicular system/parts, alternate energy sources and home made engineering products that will be competitive internationally.
Additionally, the country should expand and build on existing collaborations of research and development in critical infrastructure such as power/energy systems.
Conference also wanted Nigeria to develop national competitive flagships projects to respond to national priorities through Research, Development, and Demonstration e.g. Electric Vehicle, solar house, fuel cell and Hydrogen energy application, Bridge Design and Environmental/Waste Management; and to encourage involvement and collaboration of Nigerian Academy of Engineering, Nigeria Society of Engineers and Nigerian Academy of Science.
On Manufacturing and Technology Parks/Incubation Centers, the conference recommended that Nigeria should aim to become an industrialized nation with diversified economy within ten years.
The country should also create competence in technicians and artisans, and reactivate and empower the technical colleges. Similarly, the ITF, ETF and other relevant agencies should be empowered to collaborate and network effectively with technical colleges in meeting the above-mentioned recommendation. The Technical profession should be made more attractive with appropriate recognition and remuneration to provide critical mid-level manpower.
Additionally, Nigeria was advised to revert to the original intentions of the establishment of universities and polytechnics by establishing programmes, enhancing facilities, encouraging practical apprenticeship and reforming the curricula to achieve world class professional competence for all professional certifications; and to provide world standard infrastructure (e.g. near 100% electrical power supply, regular water supply etc) in place by appropriate bodies without the burden to the manufacturing companies.
The country should also establish research laboratories and centers of excellence to be empowered to perform basic research, development and first level commercialization.
It should "establish laboratories that will ensure that products are ISO and other relevant standards compliant as well as strengthen the Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON) and other relevant institutions to perform appropriate credit checks and monitoring."
Conference also recommended that Nigeria establish product-focused incubation centers to be developed/up-graded to provide market-ready enterprises; put in place legislations that will drive increase in local content in all products manufactured in Nigeria; promote, as a matter of urgency, the manufacturing of intermediate products for the capital goods industries; promote local design and fabrication of equipment and parts; and meet, within a period of two years, the investment requirements of UNESCO in Science and Technology for developing countries.
On Information and Communication Technology, conference recommended that Nigeria should establish a national or regional fiber-optic backbone and broad based infrastructure as the most urgent national priority and provide science, technology and ICT training at every level of education and integrate information system courses into the national curriculum to address the serious capacity deficiency in the industry.
Nigeria should also initiate within a period of one year the formulation and legislation of an integrated and sustainable national ICT policy to remove the current ad hoc efforts in the industry.
Conference also urge Nigeria to encourage the local assembly and manufacture of ICT hardware to stem the current serious foreign exchange outflow through local and foreign direct investment and SME designation, with appropriate legislation to patronize use of such local products.
On Health, Basic and Applied Sciences, it was recommended that the Nigerian Diaspora should provide intellectual capacity and explore possibility of establishing state of the art medical institutions with capacity of regional diagnostic equipment utilization and maintenance, and support research and development of local therapeutics, vaccine development and research into African medicinal plants to treat conditions such as sickle cell disease and arthritis.
Additionally Nigerians in the Diaspora should provide training support and medical capacity building in our institutions through short term sabbaticals as well as encourage and support exchange programmes, workshops and seminars; and use intellectual expertise and capacity of medical/public health specialists to fight such infectious/communicable diseases as HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and chronic diseases such as arthritis, hypertension, diabetes and sickle cell.
The professionals abroad were also asked to assist with improving healthcare delivery infrastructure and implementation of humanitarian medical missions (such as those delivered by the Association of Nigerian Physicians in the Americas (ANPA) and Medical Association of Nigerian Specialists and General Practitioners (MANSAG) sustained by the involvement of local healthcare workers.
Nigerian Diaspora are also encouraged to organize a conference on sickle cell disease in 2006 by the NNVS/Federal Ministry of Health, Nigerian organizations such as Nigerian society of Hematology and other NGOs working on sickle cell disease in collaboration with Nigerian organizations in Diaspora and international agencies with interest in the disease.
On Space Science and Nuclear Technology, it is recommended that the country should publicize the efforts of the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) in order to correct certain misconceptions and to enlighten all stakeholders of the socio-economic importance of space programmes.
It should accentuate the involvement of the Nigerian Diaspora nuclear technology experts in the provision of expert services in technology evaluation and contract negotiations with international nuclear technology and other services providers to enhance government activities in these areas. It should also create an organisation such as the National Science Foundation to work with bodies such as the Nigerian Academy of Science, the Nigerian Academy of Engineering and the National Universities Commission in order to facilitate research in basic sciences while embedding systems engineering and human machine systems disciplines in the nuclear and space programmes of Nigeria.
Nigeria was further urged to develop and implement Youth Technology Awareness and outreach programmes in space and nuclear technology through NASRDA and Nuclear Energy Research Centers so as to get the youths interested in these disciplines early in life and provide appropriate financial remunerations for nuclear/space experts.
On Capacity Building and Technology Management, the conference recommended that the development of academic programmes that will enable Nigerians in the Diaspora to visit Institutions where their expertise is required. The development of robust programmes for exchange of scholars and researchers to drive an intensive capacity building programme in national priority projects, including training workshops in conjunction with the Nigerian Diaspora is also recommended.
Still on Capacity Building and Technology Management, the conference also recommended the encouragement of the establishment of integrated capacity building partnerships encompassing human, infrastructural and institutional dimensions geared towards raising knowledge economy in areas for which Nigerians have comparative advantage.
Focusing on the Diaspora, conference advised that the Nigerian Diaspora should be encouraged to liaise with appropriate government agencies and institutions to provide services required by the country. The technical advisory committees or boards on Nigeria's Science and Technology should be broadened to include eminent Nigerian scientists in the Diaspora.
Collectively, the conference emphasized the strong need to establish a databank of Nigerians in the Diaspora including those in the science and technology sector whose contributions are key to the successful implementation of the recommendations of the conference.
It also stressed the need to set up a special Fund/Funding Institutions to provide required financial backing to science and technology projects especially in Research and Development, empower the Nigerian Academies of Science and Engineering to become primary intellectual advisers to government on science and technology on issues of national development, and ensure that Science and Technology should be well funded, backed by appropriate policy instrument/legislation and recognized as the engine of economic/national development.
Document AFNWS00020060216e22g001bd
This Day (Nigeria) - AAGM: Nigerian Professionals Abroad Plan Diaspora Days.
Tayo Ajakaye

1,746 words

15 February 2006

This Day (Nigeria)

AIWTHD

English

The Financial Times Limited. Asia Africa Intelligence Wire. All material subject to copyright. This Day (Nigeria) (c) 2006 All rights reserved
Nigeria professionals in Science and Technology in the Diaspora are tidying up arrangements to hold their annual Diaspora days this year. For the first time, the event would hold in two places; in Washington DC, USA on February 17-18 and the Nigeria Diaspora Week slated for July 24-28 this year in Abuja, Nigeria.
The National President of the Nigerian IT professionals in the Americas (NITPA), the umbrella body of the professionals, Prof. Manny Aniebonam said Nigerians in the Diaspora have undertaken to be part of Nigeria's national development, led by NITPA (Nigerian IT Professionals in the Americas), the Association of Nigerian Physicians in America (ANPA), and the Nigerians in Diaspora Organization (NIDO).
The Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo had declared July 25th of every year the Diaspora Day, with 2005 as the first of the observation.
According to him, "We have now concluded plans to take up that mantle, across the board, with all professionals in Science and technology participating in our nation-building, just as the Irish, Indians and