ABAYOMI BAMIDELE

In case you think incidents like this are happening for the first time, let me tell you boldly that they are not. Exactly one year ago, a professor and 19 medical students were kidnapped in Otukpo, Benue State. The same people who were shouting and pushing the “Christian genocide” narrative immediately blamed Fulani and Muslims. But when the police did their due diligence and arrested the kidnappers, none of their names or faces matched the description of a Fulani man or Muslim. They were all Christians from the same Benue. As usual, those who spread the propaganda went silent, because they are not searching for the truth, they are searching for a version of the truth that suits their agenda, and if the facts do not fit that agenda, they simply look away.

𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗢𝗶𝗹 & 𝗚𝗮𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵? 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. In today’s energy landscape, just having a degree is not enough. Companies now want skills, proof of competence, and globally recognized certifications. Whether you’re a student, fresh graduate, NYSC member, job seeker, or working professional, here are reputable platforms to get legit Oil & Gas certifications that employers respect: ✅ Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) – Petroleum Engineering Certification (PEC) spe.org/en/certificati… ✅ OPITO – Global Industry Training & Safety Certifications opito.com ✅ IADC (International Association of Drilling Contractors) – WellSharp (Well Control Training) iadc.org/wellsharp/ ✅ American Petroleum Institute (API) – Individual Certification Program (ICP) api.org/products-and-s… ✅ NEBOSH – International Technical Certificate in Oil & Gas Operational Safety nebosh.org.uk/qualifications… ✅ OPITO Training Standards Library – Safety & Technical Skill Courses opito.com/industry/our-s… ✅ IADC Drilling Industry Training (DIT) – Competency Courses & Accreditation iadc.org/training-accre… ✅ NEBOSH Oil & Gas Operational Safety – Course and Assessment Details nebosh.org.uk/our-qualificat… ✅ OPITO Open Learning & eLearning – Online Courses & Certificates learning.opito.com ✅ IADC Well Control Awareness / Role-Specific Training (Online) learn.wellsharp.org Quick Tip for Beginners: Start with NEBOSH or OPITO safety & operational training. These open doors in drilling, production, HSE, refinery operations, gas plants, FPSOs, and offshore work. Nigerian recruiters and multinational operators recognize these certificates; no stories, no “Google school” certificates. #OilAndGas #EnergyIndustry #CareerDevelopment #Engineering #HSE #PetroleumEngineering #Nigeria #FreshGraduates #SkillsForTheFuture #Certification #ProfessionalGrowth ~ For safety core courses (e.g., BOSIET, OPITO Rigger) you may budget ₦200,000-₦300,000+ for local delivery. ~ For well‐control, drilling or supervisory‐level global courses budget ₦2M+ (because USD cost) or seek group rates/offers.

@realFemiOtedola @AlikoDangote One or two of those depots should be bought by govt and urned into strategic white products storage reserves as part of energy security infrastructure. Congratulations to you and Aliko. Next is to defeat the steel monster.

My Dear Brother Aliko, First and foremost, I want to extend my heartfelt congratulations to President Bola Tinubu for his unwavering support and belief in actualizing this monumental achievement under his administration. This day belongs to every Nigerian who has dared to dream of a better future. Congratulations to our great nation—today, we all stand a little taller. Aliko, it feels like just yesterday, but it has been 25 long years since we first set our sights on transforming Nigeria’s energy landscape. I remember vividly when we set up the Blue Star Consortium to acquire stakes in the Kaduna and Port Harcourt refineries—20% for me and 51% for you. We were ready to change the game, but fate had other plans. The government of the day, in an act I can only describe as utterly obnoxious, canceled our stakes and thwarted our vision. But, as always, you refused to be deterred. You never gave up on the dream we shared. You carried the torch forward, igniting a spark that has today become a roaring flame. And now, 25 years later, here we stand on the precipice of history, with the first fuel shipment from the Dangote Refinery—a feat that is nothing short of miraculous. While the Kaduna and Port Harcourt refineries have remained dormant, their promise unfulfilled despite billions of dollars spent on so-called turn-around maintenance, you have achieved what many said was impossible. You have beaten all the skeptics, silenced the naysayers, and proved wrong those who doubted your resolve, even those who never wanted this project to succeed. You have not just built a refinery; you have liberated us from the chains of economic dependence that have held this nation back for far too long. The days of bowing to foreign powers for our fuel needs are over, thanks to your vision and determination. You have dealt a death blow to the so-called local cabals who have fattened themselves for years, feeding off our nation’s economic slavery. These cabals, who have grown rich by keeping Nigeria in a perpetual state of dependence, must now face the reality that their era of easy gains is coming to an end. I am reminded of the time you revolutionized the cement industry in Nigeria. Ships that once brought in cement turned into rusting relics, scraps of a bygone era. Now, with your refinery in full swing, I foresee a similar fate for fuel imports. The depot owners should take heed—it’s time to dismantle those depots and sell them as scraps while the market is still high. The world has changed, and those who do not adapt will be left behind. When I ventured into the depot business with Zenon, it was in response to the inefficiencies of the NNPC. Zenon pioneered the diesel business in Nigeria and quickly became the largest in the country, filling the gaps left by our inefficient system. But today, your refinery stands as a beacon of what is possible when one has the audacity to dream and the tenacity to see it through. Aliko, you have my deepest admiration and respect. Congratulations to you and the entire board, management and staff of Dangote Refinery on this monumental achievement. This is not just a victory for you but for every Nigerian who dares to dream. May this be just the beginning of even greater things to come. With profound respect and warmest regards, F. Ote$

Friendship takes work, enmity is effortless

Wokeness destroys the mind, body, and soul

“Let me correct the perspective: 1) India only bought 0.2% of Russian oil 2) India buys in a quarter of what Europe buys in one afternoon” - STRONG 💪🏼 response by India’s Minister of Petroleum H.E. @HardeepSPuri to CNN’s Becky today.

If you talk down your money, it will go down. If you allow some unidentifiable person to talk down your money, it will go down.

Type “Keyboard” with your eyes closed. Ours: keybisrd 🤭 Now your turn 👇🏾

‘Abokiya’, innit?

Financial statements are scary, but not hard. Let me break them down for you:

The newly constructed sports center in Ajegunle, Lagos state built by Mr Yemi Idowu, a passionate sports entrepreneur and businessman. It has ten 5-Aside pitches, eight 7- Aside pitches and one 11-Aside pitch. Yes we can if we want to...

@the_davidatta Asemota wakes up every morning to talk rubbish about Nigeria. He revels in the negatives and is always boastful about how he told people not to establish a business in Nigeria. I'm surprised that he still goes about with a Nigerian passport. What goes around......

News has a way of making humans get emotional. Negative news is the order of today, which sells and thereby entirely blanks out progress. Despite its many challenges,Nigeria does make progress, and sometimes a lot of it. Here are some facts to delight your day and encourage you:

Yoruba is such a heavily nuanced culture. It teaches you quickly how to recognize it, when you are not wanted as a company. No dey force friendship, and don't hang around where you are not wanted.

Evidence of cooperation to move the industry forward

Twitter NG back. Avoid Toxicity. No negative engagement. Positive vibes only. #TwitterBan

I just interviewed the man who invented Amazon Prime. He started a business worth $40 billion today and served on Amazon's board for 15 yrs. Here are lessons from Bing Gordon that'll save you years of mistakes:

So you're a new CEO. 1. Read "The First 90 Days" by Watkins. 2. Don't change too many things at the same time. 3. Win their HEARTS before asking for their HANDS. 4. Repeat after me, "We will do it together." Then say it every day to your people. 5. Get one key win in 90 days.

The Next 20 Years Just look around you in Nigeria, for example. 20 years ago, the ATM machine was a novelty. No bank issued debit cards- maybe just the foreign ones. There were no banking apps. You couldn't transfer funds the way we do now.