News
NNPC Raises Fuel Import, As Kaduna, PH Refineries Remain Shut
To close the gap created by the shutdown of Port Harcourt and Kaduna refineries, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has embarked on a massive importation of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).
Also, major and independent petroleum marketers have continued to import PMS into the country despite the absence of subsidy in the 2016 budget.
The refineries were shut owing to crude supply challenges arising from recent attacks on vital oil pipelines.
The Kaduna Refinery was already producing 3.2 million litres of petrol as at December last year and would have saved about $5.33 million for the country when it is 90 per cent operational. And the Port Harcourt refinery was recording a daily PMS yield of over 4.1 million litres before the attack on the pipelines.
NNPC has, therefore, been responsible for 78 per cent of the total fuel consumed in the country, while the major and independent marketers fill the remaining 22 per cent approved by the Petroleum Product Pricing and Regulatory Agency (PPPRA).
PPPRA had given NNPC 78 per cent of the allotment to import fuel while the private importers who hitherto shipped in over 60 per cent of the allocation are now left with about 22 per cent of the total allocation.
The fuel imports were approved for all the five major oil marketers and 15 independent marketers. The allocations to five members of Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN) were cut by about 70 per cent, while the NNPC allocation was jerked up from 40 to 78 per cent.
Contrary to expectations that the reduction in import allocation to private marketers of petroleum products and the breaches in Bonny-Okrika crude supply line to the Port Harcourt Refinery and the Escravos-Warri crude supply line to the Kaduna Refinery would lead to fuel scarcity in the country, an investigation showed that the product is available all over the country.
Our correspondent reports that the availability of products all over the country though not being sold at the official price of N86.50k per litre as the price is higher in some states than the price approved by the Federal Government. It was learnt that though the Federal Government has approved a new petrol price, the average pump price is still well above N100 per litre.
Apart from Lagos and its environs where the product sells at the official price, a litre of fuel in Akwa Ibom, Imo, Anambra, Zamfara, Yobe, Kwara, Taraba and some other states is still as high as between N120 and N130.
Meanwhile, private petroleum product importers have continued to meet their 22 per cent allocation despite government’s silence on subsidy in 2016. Although they have always complained about the non-payment of subsidy arrears and difficulty in sourcing foreign exchange for fuel importation, an investigation by The Guardian revealed that the marketers have been importing fuel under the current circumstances.
Neither MOMAN nor Independent Petroleum Marketers (IPM) was willing to give reasons for the continued supply of PMS despite the uncertainty surrounding subsidy in 2016. But according to a marketer who spoke with newsmen, they have to continue to import to be in business as they are still making profit under the new pricing regime.
According to the source, with the landing cost of PMS put at N59.35 as at February 8, 2016, ex-depot price, N76.50; expected open market price, N73.65 and the regulated price put at N86.50, marketers can survive without subsidy.
“We have made a case to the Federal Government to support IPMAN in mobilising our foreign partners in importing petroleum products at no cost or without subsidies payment to government. We have done all our mathematics that through our new model of crude oil swap arrangement, we can wet the country with petrol and kerosene and still gain from the transactions,” the source said.
The marketer noted that if the government removed the fuel subsidy and regulated the price at which the major oil dealers sold to other independent marketers, this would bring down the price of a litre of PMS.
“The first thing the government should do is to remove the subsidy on fuel, because the so-called subsidy is going into some private pockets. Then, it should regulate the price at which major petroleum dealers should sell the product to other independent marketers,” he said.
The Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, had affirmed government’s resolve to scrap oil subsidy because of an alleged fraud around it.
Kachikwu said the non-payment of subsidy would remain the same, as long as market trends allowed. The price modulation, according to the minister, is not an outright removal of petrol subsidy. He explained that a periodical review of the petroleum pricing template and a flexible management of the pricing system would be considered.
The price modulation, the government stressed, would be predicated on a N97 per litre projection, which would be a cap on the price of fuel with a gradual increase between the band of the current price of N87 and N97 until a fair price was reached in the pricing review.
There has been an argument whether government should continue to subsidise petrol in the country, with the organised labour insisting that government should continue to pay subsidy.
The President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Bobboi Kaiýgama, said since the price of crude oil in the international market had dropped drastically, there was the need for government to drastically reduce the price of fuel locally.
He advocated a stakeholders’ meeting to discuss the subsidy and why it has become impossible to refine and purchase fuel at N50 per litre.
But the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), described fuel subsidy, as a “major source of wastage of foreign exchange”, arguing that it would stop naturally with the privatisation of the oil and gas sector to promote emergence of private refineries.
The president of the association, Dr. Frank Udemba Jacobs, urged the government to revisit the issue of private refineries and carry out investigations into why those granted licences have not started operations.
The Federal Government has honoured 12 teachers from across the country with national awards, reaffirming its commitment to strengthening the education sector through improved welfare, incentives, and professional development for teachers.
The awards were presented yesterday at the Nigeria Teachers’ Summit 2026, held in Abuja, where the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, stated that the government would sustain reforms aimed at empowering teachers and restoring dignity to the profession.
Alausa explained that the selection process was transparent and merit-based, with three teachers nominated from each of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory at both the basic and senior secondary school levels.
From the pool of nominees, 12 teachers; six from basic education and six from senior secondary education, emerged as national award recipients.
Each of the 12 awardees received a cheque of N25m.
The Overall Best Teacher of the Year, Solanke Taiwo from the South-West category, received an additional N25m, bringing his total prize to N50m.
In addition to the cash prize, Taiwo is to receive a brand new car from the Governor of Borno State, Babagana Zulum, as well as a fully furnished two-bedroom flat from the Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun.
Also, the Governor of Kebbi State, Nasir Idris, pledged to give each of the award winners an additional N5 million.
The minister described the awardees as exemplifying professionalism, integrity, innovation and dedication to learners, noting that they represent the best of the teaching profession in the country.
“This is more than a reward. It is a national signal that teaching is a noble, respected, and valued profession in Nigeria,” he said.
Speaking at the summit themed ‘Empowering Teachers, Strengthening the System: A National Agenda for Education Transformation and Sustainability,’ the minister said the recognition of the teachers reflected the FG’s broader education reform agenda under Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“Teachers are the foundation of education, and education is the foundation of national development. No nation can rise above the quality of its teachers.
“No reform, no matter how well designed, can succeed unless teachers are empowered, motivated, supported, and respected,” Alausa said.
He pledged that the government would continue to invest in teachers through structured training, improved career pathways and fair rewards, noting that education remained central to national development.
Under the Renewed Hope Agenda, he said, “sustainable development, economic growth, innovation, and social cohesion depend on a strong and responsive education system and that system depends on teachers.”
As part of this commitment, the minister announced the launch of EduRevamp, a nationally coordinated Continuous Professional Development programme designed to modernise teacher training and improve classroom outcomes.
While the programme is open to teachers in both public and private schools, Alausa said performance-based incentives would be reserved for public school teachers who complete certified training.
“Professional growth must never be restricted. Every teacher deserves access to quality training, modern tools, and updated skills,” he said, adding that incentives would be tied to measurable performance.
He also highlighted complementary initiatives, including the Ignite digital platform to reduce teacher workload, the Diaspora Bridge programme to strengthen STEMM education, and the provision of 60,000 tablets for teachers with zero-data access to approved training platforms.
The minister further announced reforms to the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria’s digital platform, the expansion of Communities of Practice, and progress on the Accelerated Teacher Training Programme aimed at fast-tracking professionalisation for in-service teachers.
To provide long-term stability, he said the government had introduced a National Teacher Policy to guide teacher development, welfare and professional standards nationwide.
Addressing the award recipients and other educators at the summit, Alausa described the government’s message as “professional growth, dignity in service, and renewed hope,” urging stakeholders to focus on tangible outcomes in classrooms across the country.
In her welcoming remarks, the Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Ahmad, underscored the central role of teachers in Nigeria’s education reform agenda.
Ahmad said the gathering was both timely and strategic, noting that the quality of any education system is inseparable from the quality, motivation and empowerment of its teachers.
She explained that the theme aligns directly with Nigeria’s current education priorities.
According to her, investing in teachers is the bedrock of sustainable reform and national development.
“Empowering teachers is not an isolated intervention; it is the foundation upon which sustainable education reform is built.
“When teachers are supported, trained, motivated, and valued, the entire system is strengthened, learning outcomes improved, equity expands, and national development is accelerated,” she said.
Describing the summit as a strategic national platform, Ahmad said it was designed to unite key stakeholders to address challenges in the education sector and advance practical reforms.
She noted that the forum brings together teachers, policymakers, education leaders, regulators, unions, development partners and private sector actors to strengthen teaching and learning outcomes nationwide.
In his goodwill message, the National President of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, Audi Amba, described the summit as a historic milestone in the recognition of teachers’ roles in national development.
Nigeria’s education sector has continued to grapple with longstanding challenges, particularly around teacher welfare, access to regular professional development, classroom capacity and infrastructure.
These issues have raised concerns among stakeholders about the quality of teaching and learning in many public schools. At the same time, industrial actions by education unions in recent years have further highlighted the pressures facing educators nationwide.
The Rivers State Government has declared that it draws its confidence from the assurance that God is more than sufficient to guide its leaders, strengthen its institutions, and sustain its communities in peace and progress.
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?Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, made this declaration during the 2026 Holy Ghost Rally organised by the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Port Harcourt, on Sunday.
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?Speaking through his deputy, Prof. Ngozi Odu, the governor stated that “with the Almighty God on our side, our challenges are surmountable and our future remains hopeful,” noting that the theme of this year’s rally, “The All-Sufficient God,” is both timely and reassuring.
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This was contained in a statement from the office of the Deputy Governor, signed by the Head of Press, ?Owupele Benebo.
?According to Fubara, the theme serves as a powerful reminder that in a world filled with uncertainty, God remains our unfailing source, sufficient in wisdom, strength, provision, and grace.
He stressed that when human ability reaches its limit, God’s sufficiency prevails.
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?The governor commended the Redeemed Christian Church of God for its consistent spiritual impact and unwavering prayers for Rivers State and the nation, expressing appreciation for the Church’s contributions to promoting moral values, unity, and faith in God.
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?In his sermon, drawn from Genesis 17:1, the General Overseer of the RCCG, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, described the Almighty God, whose name is above every other name, as all-sufficient and capable of meeting every human need.
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?He noted that the God who created all things also has the power to repair and restore them.
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?Adeboye explained that while human effort, including medical intervention, may reach its limits, there comes a point where only God steps in to turn situations around, bringing hope where none seemed possible.
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?In his address, the Pastor in charge of the Rivers Family of the RCCG, Pastor Adesoji Oni, stated that the Port Harcourt Holy Ghost Rally, which began in 2015 and has now become an annual event, has been a tremendous blessing to the people of the State.
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Adesoji noted that the rally has drawn thousands of souls to God while impacting lives spiritually and physically.
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?He further disclosed that the Church has gone beyond preaching the gospel to actively engage in impactful initiatives through its Christian Social Responsibility programmes.
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?These include skills acquisition centres, maternity centres across the State, a rehabilitation centre for persons battling substance abuse, and an Innovative Mind Hub.
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