Business
Deregulation: FG Moves Against Sabotage
The Federal Government yesterday moved to checkmate those who may want to scuttle fuel supply in the country ahead of the planned January 2010 take-off of the deregulation of the downstream sector of the petroleum industry.
The government through the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) ordered for the importation of 90 cargoes of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), 28 cargoes of Dual Purpose Kerosene (DPK) and 10 cargoes of Automative Gas Oil (AGO).
It again declared that there was no going back on the planned deregulation of the downstream sector of the petroleum industry and warned that erring marketers who indulge in acts that are capable of jeopardising the exercise would risk severe sanctions.
Reading the riot acts in a meeting with major and independent oil marketers and other stakeholders, Acting Director of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Mr. Mr. Billy Agha, said the DPR, an agency saddled with the responsibility of regulating the petroleum industry, had braced up with the expected challenges and had taken steps to deploy resources at its disposal to ensure that products distributed to dispensing points were monitored and made available to the public as intended.
He said the massive importation was designed to meet the country’s ever increasing fuel needs during the forthcoming Muslim and Christian festivities that will precede the January 2010 new take-off date of deregulation.
Agha reminded the marketers that they had a critical role to play especially in products distribution and supply and advised them to shy away from actions that are inimical to the successful deregulation of the petroleum sector.
“NNPC has indicated that their coverage of the market is premised on the fact that there may not be supplies coming from third parties, while assuring sufficient and robust supply of the indicated products within this critical period,” he said.
Agha, who expressed concern about the sharp drop in the number of applications for permits to import Premium Motor Spirit and kerosene by major and independent marketers of product, appealed to the marketers to take it as “sacrifice” and continue products importation to ensure availability of adequate supplies in the country.
He said: “It is our fear that in the event of not being able to flood the markets, as anticipated during the critical period, the supply chain will be affected which may lead to scarcity, hoarding of products, diversion and other associated ills of scarcity, the most notable of which is the reduced trucks load-out from the storage depots/facilities” .
While noting that “deregulation would phase out monopoly and allow market forces to dictate the price”, the DPR boss cautioned against hoarding and diversion of products, noting that anybody caught in such act would be punished.
“The key players should get ready for deregulation and be ready to play a critical role so that it could be a success and all of us will move on to the promise land.
There is no going back on the deregulation. The time I do not know, but what I know is that we are deregulating the sector. No going back.
“We therefore appeal to all marketers to as a mater of fact have the interest of the public at heart, and to shy away from actions that are inimical to the successful deregulation of petroleum products in the country. The DPR would not hesitate to impose the necessary sanctions on the erring marketers found violating the laws,” he warned.
Responding, the marketers complained that notwithstanding that government is yet to pay the huge amount owed them as outstanding subsidy, they had gone ahead to secure permit to import products but were not granted approval by the Petroleum Product Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA).
They accused the Federal government of failing to follow due process in the deregulation exercise and of not providing the conducive operating environment that will make it succeed.
The government had recently announced that the planned deregulation initially scheduled to take off on November 1, 2009 would now kick-off by January 2010. However, marketers are of the view that a situation where the NNPC is allowed to monopolise fuel importation will create monopoly and endanger competition.
Meanwhile, Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) last week resumed operations at its Soku gas plant located in Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State, after 11 months of closure, a company spokesman confirmed yesterday.
The Federal Government lost over $180 million liquefied natural gas revenue monthly following the closure of the gas plant since November 27, 2008 as a result of the activities of militants and vandals.
The gas plant accounts for 40 per cent of the gas need of the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Plant in Bonny Island of Rivers State. NLNG supplies 10 per cent of the world’s liquefied natural gas. Following the closure of the plant, NLNG declared force majeure on 40 per cent of its LNG supplies to European customers.
The company said over 101 vandalised points were detected on the pipelines shortly before closure. When remediation was being carried out, Shell discovered that about 200 places on the 58 kilometres pipeline had been punctured for stealing of the product.
The plant was capable of producing 577 billion standard cubic feet of gas per day but the theft of condensate, which is a by-product of crude oil, has grossly affected production.
The Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, John Enoh said this at the 8th annual induction and conference of the Chartered Institute of Project Managers of Nigeria (CIPMN).
He explained that abandoned projects continue to lock up public funds that could have been used for infrastructure development, industrial growth, job creation and essential social services.
Represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Chris Osa Isokpunwu, he said the impact goes beyond financial losses, as incomplete projects affect communities and limit access to important public services
He cited examples of that remain unopened, schools that cannot accommodate students, roads that fail to connect communities and electricity projects that have not delivered their intended benefits.
The Registrar-General and Chief Executive Officer of CIPMN, Henry Ifeanyi Mbadiwe, also identified poor project management as a major challenge affecting development in Nigeria.
He revealed that the institute had developed a project management curriculum for Nigerian universities, which has received approval from the National Universities Commission (NUC). The programme is expected to enable universities to offer project management as a bachelor’s degree.
Mbadiwe further referenced findings by the Presidential Projects Assessment Committee, which identified 11,886 ongoing federal capital projects in 2011, with an estimated financial commitment of ?7.78 trillion.
He noted that inadequate planning, supervision, accountability and implementation were among the factors contributing to the abandonment of projects across the country.
The minister called for stronger project management structures across ministries, departments and agencies to improve planning, monitoring and evaluation.
He added that the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment had introduced a 90-day implementation reporting cycle to strengthen transparency and monitor the progress of government programmes.
Ikenga said the company remained committed to Nigeria’s power sector and would continue investing in its operations despite the challenging business environment.
He spoke in Lagos at the third edition of the Shell Power Conference, themed “Powering Nigeria’s Progress: Turning Ambition and Action into Sustainable Impact”.
The Transcorp Power chief said the company would sustain electricity generation, invest in its facilities and deliver value to shareholders.
“Transcorp Power is a long-term player, not a short-term player. This year has been challenging, but what is important is getting power to schools, hospitals and businesses to power progress,” he said.
Ikenga said the company’s focus on operational efficiency and investment had strengthened its contribution to Nigeria’s electricity supply.
He disclosed that since acquiring the Ughelli Power Plant in Delta State in 2013, Transcorp Power had quadrupled its available generation capacity.
He also said the company became the first privatised power generation firm to receive a post-privatisation discharge certificate after fulfilling all its privatisation obligations.
The company’s unaudited results for the nine months ended September 30, 2026, showed a profit before tax of N83.1 billion, while its profit-before-tax margin rose to 31.2 per cent from 29.6 per cent recorded in the corresponding period of 2025.
Its total assets rose to 11.7 per cent amounting to N629.5 billion, while shareholders’ funds grew 8.9 per cent to N199.8 billion. Cash and cash equivalents also rose to N10.3 billion, supported by improved collections.
On the company’s contribution to grid stability, Ikenga said Transcorp Power’s black-start capability enabled it to restart operations without relying on electricity from the national grid.
He explained that the capability allowed the company to support power restoration following grid disturbances, helping to restore electricity supply to homes, businesses and industries.
Ikenga noted that Nigeria had an installed electricity generation capacity of about 13,000 megawatts, with an estimated potential of 50 gigawatts, adding that realising the potential would require effective coordination across the entire value chain.
“Everything in the value chain has to work,” he said.
He called for stronger collaboration among federal and state governments, regulators and private-sector operators, alongside increased private investment, to build a sustainable electricity market.
This was contained in a statement issued on Thursday by his Senior Special Assistant on Communications and Press Secretary, Maryann Duke.
The statement said Oyedele pointed to “improved digital systems, including electronic invoicing, as a key driver behind a record of N33tn in government revenue collected between January and October 2026.”
The minister said the performance demonstrated the potential of technology to improve revenue administration, strengthen compliance and increase efficiency across government institutions.
Speaking on the theme, ‘Digital Sovereignty and Ethics: Guarding the Economy for the Next Generation,’ Oyedele warned that Nigeria risked losing substantial economic opportunities if it continued to depend heavily on foreign digital infrastructure.
Citing Nigerian Communications Commission figures, he disclosed that the country recorded more than 157 million active internet subscriptions as of May 2026.
He explained that these connections generated significant volumes of information through financial transactions, healthcare, education and taxation.
However, citing estimates from the Nigeria Data Protection Commission, Oyedele said as much as 90 per cent of the country’s data was hosted abroad.
According to him, the situation has implications for foreign exchange expenditure, employment opportunities, technological skills and Nigeria’s control over information generated by its citizens.
He compared the country’s reliance on foreign digital infrastructure with its historical dependence on imported refined petroleum products, warning against a situation where Nigerian data would be processed abroad and the resulting services sold back to domestic users.
The minister consequently advocated greater investment in local data infrastructure, technical expertise, cybersecurity and predictable regulations to enable Nigerian businesses to capture more value from the digital economy.
He clarified that digital sovereignty should not translate into technological isolation but should strengthen Nigeria’s capacity to participate competitively in international markets.
Addressing graduating students, Oyedele urged young Nigerians to become developers of technological solutions rather than remain primarily consumers of products created elsewhere.
He identified artificial intelligence as both a disruptive force and an opportunity for innovation, advising graduates to acquire relevant digital skills alongside critical thinking, creativity, sound judgement and integrity.
The minister also cautioned against irresponsible online behaviour, explaining that digital footprints increasingly influence employment prospects, commercial relationships and professional credibility.
Oyedele outlined five priorities for graduates, including continuous learning, value creation, integrity, responsible digital citizenship and active participation in national development.
“Your degree is evidence of what you have learned. Your competence will demonstrate what you can do. Your character will reveal who you truly are,” he told the graduating students.
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