Hi, I am Caroline Doyle, an associate editor at Horizon Engage. This week, we’re covering countries that have seen different sectors or areas of government moving in new directions:
- Mexico’s President AMLO signed into law a sweeping judicial reform, cementing his legacy in his last few weeks in office.
- The Indian government hosted the second international conference on green hydrogen, drawing a large domestic and international audience
- Nigeria’s Dangote Group saw first gas from it’s refinery in Lagos State, but the road ahead may not be so smooth …
This week’s Quote of the Week comes from former US President Donald Trump following the second public assassination attempt against him this summer.
Mexico Passes Sweeping Judicial Reform
This week cemented President AMLO’s legacy as he signed into law his judicial overhaul amid protests from lawmakers. The reform, which mandates judges be elected by popular vote (among other things), has raised concerns about democratic backsliding and the politicization of the judiciary.
Incoming President Claudia Sheinbaum must implement the reform, the most significant change to the judicial system since 1994. Though we expect secondary legislation to soften reform slightly, its core — particularly the election of judges — will remain largely intact.
Modi Hosts 2nd International Green H2 Conference
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the second international conference on green hydrogen in New Delhi last week, attended by over 3,000 domestic and international industry representatives. Modi showcased his government’s national green hydrogen strategy as it strives to make India a global hub in the sector.
New and Renewable Energy Minister Prahlad Venkatesh Joshi discussed the successes India’s green hydrogen sector has seen so far and showed off a new green hydrogen-fueled bus. Not only did the conference allow the Indian government to do some peacocking, but it also showed off its convening power in a relatively young sector.
Dangote Refinery (Finally) Sees First Gas
On 15 September, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) lifted first gas from the Dangote Group refinery in Lagos State. This is a significant development: Dangote claims the 650,000 bpd refinery can supply 100% of Nigeria’s fuel demand — with leftovers for export.
If true, this could help lessen the government’s dependence on expensive imports.
However, the Dangote Group and NNPC have taken to trading insults, this time over a purchase price disagreement, pointing to a potentially rocky road ahead. NNPC’s plans to post several of its staff at the refinery could further complicate the picture.
Quote of the Week
Following a second assassination attempt against him, former US President Donald Trump accused President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris of fueling violence:
“Their rhetoric is causing me to be shot at, when I am the one who is going to save the country.”
Said country goes to the polls in less than two months to choose a savior, and polls show Harris is hot on Trump’s heels.
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