Andrew Stegmann

Nigeria: New Registration Requirements Introduced for Oil and Gas Sector Companies

Oil and gas sector companies seeking work permits on or after June 6, 2016 must provide evidence of registration with the Nigerian Content and Development Management Board (NCDMB), and those involved in engineering projects must register with the Council for the Regulations of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), according to new requirements issued by the Nigerian Immigration authorities.

The additional requirements are intended to ensure that companies in the oil and gas sector comply with federal government policy and that employees in the engineering sector meet federal competency standards.

Background

Both processes result from a restructuring of the oil and gas sector that is meant to improve the efficiency and transparency of the industry and to ensure that local workers are fairly considered in the labor market.

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Andrew Stegmann

South Africa/India: South African Visa Applications in India Must be Submitted to VFS

Effective immediately, South African visa applicants in India must submit their applications to a VFS office in India instead of to an Indian consular post. VFS assists consular posts in high-volume cities to process visa applications.

Application processes and processing times may change as a result of this mandatory requirement. For example, third parties can still submit applications on behalf of applicants but an in-person submission requirement may be implemented soon.

The VFS visa application process and documentary requirements are available on the VFS website.

What This Means for Employers and Foreign Nationals

South African consular posts in India have strict document requirements, make discretionary decisions and often request additional documentation that is not prescribed by law. Therefore, it may be possible that inquiries from consular posts for VFS-submitted applications may increase.

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Andrew Stegmann

Shot and twice robbed, refugee wants to leave SA

Somali shop owner says he’ll go to any country that’s safe.

“South Africa is no longer a safe place to live in,” says Somali refugee Liban Ali Nuur.

In 2014, GroundUp reported that Nuur had been a victim of armed robbery [in that article he used a pseudonym] in Khayelitsha. A bullet rendered his right arm useless, and he is unable to lift things with it.

“When it is a cold day, I feel a lot of pain,” he says. He goes to the clinic in Mfuleni for painkillers.

Nuur relocated to Delft, where he again established a spaza shop with the assistance of family members. But last month, he was a victim of armed robbery for the second time in 14 months.

Nuur had ordered groceries and decided to offload them at his spaza shop the following morning.

“While I was offloading the groceries from my car, around 7 am, four guys opened fire on me. Luckily, they missed and I ran away. They went away with my Toyota Conquest and all the goods I had ordered,” he says.

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Andrew Stegmann

How Kenya Plans to Boost Electricity Through Nuclear Energy

Kenya is planning to increase its electricity through the peaceful use of nuclear energy. The east African nation has signed three different deals with China, South Korea, and Russia in a rush to establish a suitable pact.
Kenya has signed two separate deals with two countries on nuclear energy in a race to build its first nuclear power plant of 1,000 megawatts (MW) by 2025.

The new development is expected to increase to 4,000MW by 2033, adding to the country’s energy mix which is projected to be about 19,000MW in total.

Currently, Kenya has a capacity of 2,298MW of energy from hydro, geo thermal and thermal sources.

Last week, the East African nation signed nuclear energy cooperation with Russia and South Korea.

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