Business
Expert Decries Lack Of Mous Among Multinationals In Onne
Elder statesman and foremost Environmentalist, Engr. Olu Wai – Ogosu, has attributed the brewing conflicts between oil companies and their host communities in the Niger Delta to the absence of effective regulatory policies.
Engr. Wai-Ogosu said the policies such as Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and the breach of other existing agreements signed by the companies and their host communities have been responsible for the conflicts.
The elder statesman said that despite the numerous companies operating in Onne, their was no meaningful host community engagement as no MOU was signed with the people of Onne.
Wai-Ogosu who described the practice in Onne and Niger Delta as, “corporate negligence “ called on all multinationals and corporate organisations operating in the Niger Delta to introduce a more practical community engagement model and implement the Memorandum of Understanding (MOUs) signed with their host communities.
In an interview with The Tide, yesterday in Port Harcourt, he pointed out that, “modern industry practices require that both the oil firms and the host communities operate in mutual agreement as well as synergy through a well established community engagement model that would be subject to upward reviews to suit evolving developments to avert crisis.”
He noted that oil related conflicts has been a predominant feature of the Niger Delta over the years and urged prospecting oil firms and other corporate organisations in the Niger Delta to learn from the experiences of the past to improve their host community relations by contributing meaningfully to the development of their host communities.
The Environmental expert, said that the host communities were major stakeholders in the oil and gas business, noting that their active participation in the sector was an elixir to smooth business operation.
“It’s certain that business activities can’t strive in an environment where their is mutual disagreement and incessant conflicts, the federal government policies in the Onne oil and gas free zone are not properly directed.
“There are fillers that Snepco, a major affiliate of Shell want to relocate from Onne over flimsy and unjustifiable excuses, this is totally unacceptable to the people of Onne.
“Global standards in oil and gas business require that host communities be given their due sense of belonging to promote peace and development, the business concern must be accommodative of the development interest of the host communities, any company that gloss over the interest of its host communities is bound to face challenges”, he said.
He cautioned against the influx of substandard oil firms in the Niger Delta and called on the federal government to enact laws that will compel multinationals to implement all agreements signed with their host communities
According to him: “Not all companies that prospect for oil in the Niger Delta has the capacity for effective business operation, some of them don’t have the industry experience and lack the potency to make the right impact.
“The implantation of the Petroleum Industry Bill will address the inherent challenges in the oil and gas sector, especially in the development of oil and gas producing communities.”
By: Taneh Beemene
Credit to Nigeria’s private sector rose to N83.26 trillion in June 2026 from N81.04 trillion in May, signifying a positive balance of N2.22 trillion month-on-month.
Year-on-year, the figure represents a nine per cent increase compared with the N76.13 trillion recorded in June 2025. The latest figures come as the CBN continues to balance efforts to control inflation with the need to support economic growth and expand credit to businesses.
The CBN data shows that credit to Nigeria’s private sector increased by approximately 2.74 per cent month-on-month between May and June 2026. Also, the CBN data noted that credit to the government fell slightly to N40.03 trillion from N40.38 trillion. Other assets, net, dropped to N10.76 trillion from N12.63 trillion.
The credit surge signifies sustained growth in lending to businesses and other private-sector borrowers during the month. The rise in private sector credit was recorded alongside an increase in net domestic credit, despite declines in credit to government and other assets.
Further analysis of the report says that compared with June 2025, private sector credit rose by about N7.13 trillion yea-on-year but net domestic credit increased by approximately N1.87 trillion during the month.
The CBN’s relatively tight monetary policy stance notwithstanding, more banks still loaded funds to the private sector within the period. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) held its 306th meeting on July 20 and 21.
The Committee reviewed recent developments in the global and domestic economies, assessed emerging risks to the outlook and considered their implications for monetary policy and retained all rates.
The Committee decided to retain the Monetary Policy Rate at 26.5 per cent; the Standing Facilities Corridor around the MPR at +50/-450 basis points and retain the Cash Reserve Requirement (CRR) for Deposit Money Banks at 45.00 per cent, Merchant Banks at 16.00 per cent, and non-TSA public sector deposits at 75.00 per cent.
The MPC decision means that credit extension in the private sector will likely continue to rise because of rising confidence in the sector and calls by stakeholders for banks to invest in the private scetor instead of government securities.
