Nation
NNPC Team Visits Depots, Monitors Compliance With Extended Operations Directive
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Ltd. has expressed satisfaction with the level of compliance by petroleum products depots with the directive to extend hours of operation, to end the lingering petrol scarcity.
Mr Isiyaku Abdullahi, Managing Director, Pipelines Products Marketing Company Ltd. (PPMC), made this known during a monitoring visit to some petroleum products depots on Saturday in Lagos.
The depots visited include Total Energies Depot Apapa and Pinnacle Depot in Lekki Free Zone, Ibeju Lekki.
Abdullahi said the visit was to ensure that depots were complying with the directive by Mr Mele Kyari, Group Managing Director, NNPC Ltd.
“We are here to appreciate the good job all the stakeholders are doing in this country in order to get back to normalcy in respect to the fuel queues that we noticed across the country, especially in Lagos, Abuja and some other major cities.
“What we are trying to do is to ensure that there is compliance to the GMD’s directive that all our facilities, both depots and select retail outlets are working 24/7, taking security and safety into consideration.
“We are ensuring that we move products from marine everyday, at least a 100 million litres, so that when it comes to land we will be able to push it within and across the country.
“By the special grace of God, we want to achieve that so that we bring normalcy and ease the pains that Nigerians have undergone for these few periods.
“What we saw in the depots shows compliance with the directive.”
He said Total Energies for instance had 9.5 million litres and was supported this week by the NNPC with another 13 million litres.
According to him, about 70 million litres was also made available to Pinnacle Depot which is one of the largest loading bays in the country.
Abdullahi said another cargo with 80 million litres justed birthed with about 2,000 trucks on standby to distribute the products across the country.
“We want to assure Nigerians that we are working round the clock to ensure stability in the distribution of Premium Motor Spirit.
“From what we saw today, Lagos is getting better and so also is Abuja, “ he said.
Also, Mr Peter Mbah, Managing Director, Pinnacle Oil and Gas Ltd., said the facility had the ability to receive huge supplies at a time and could discharge over a 100 million litres of petroleum products within 72 hours.
Mbah said: “Last week we did a volume of over 70 million litres and this week we are even poised to do more than that.
“The idea is for us to send a very strong message to the general public that there is no reason for panic buying because the supply is coming.
“In a few hours we are going to receive a supply of 80 million litres and we are able to truck out 20 million litres daily which is distributed across the retail outlets, so there is no reason to panic.”
On his part, Mr Ernest Umunna, Site Manager, Total Energies, Apapa Depot, said product supply to the company has been stable.
The Lagos State Government has disclosed that 26,592 public school students failed the 2024 West African Senior School Certificate Examination, raising alarm across the state’s education sector.
The state Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Jamiu Alli-Balogun, during a ministerial press briefing yesterday in Alausa, Ikeja, said that “45.7 per cent of the 58,188 students from public schools who sat for the exams did not pass.”.
This failure rate comes despite the state government’s significant financial backing N1.577 billion was paid on behalf of the students to cover WAEC fees.
“Suffice to say that the sum of N1,577,794,000 only was paid by the state government as examination fees for 58,188 students who were captured for the year 2024 WASSCE,” Alli-Balogun announced.
In a bid to tighten accountability and avoid wastage, the Commissioner disclosed that biometric and image registration was carried out to accurately determine eligible students for government sponsorship for the 2025 WASSCE.
“The exercise successfully captured and registered 56,134 students as bona fide beneficiaries of the Lagos state government’s sponsorship for the examination,” he added.
However, the Lagos State Government rolled out a bold educational intervention – the Eko Learners’ Support Programme for WASSCE and NECO candidates – aimed at reversing the tide of academic failure in the state’s public schools.
Launched on January 14, 2025, the initiative is part of a broader commitment by the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education to equip Lagos students with tools for success.
“This forward-thinking initiative was designed to support and empower young scholars in attestation of the ministry’s commitment to advancing interest and management of the educational system in Lagos State,” Alli-Balogun stated.
Ekiti State Government says it has vaccinated 226,429 eligible girls in the State against the Human Papilloma Virus, an infection believed to be a leading cause of cervical cancer.
The wife of the Ekiti State Governor, Dr Olayemi Oyebanji, said the HPV immunization exercise, which she flagged off in the State in May 2025 was a great success, noting that it reached targeted communities and protected children against cervical cancer.
The governor’s wife made the disclosure in Ado Ekiti yesterday during a one-day stakeholders’ sensitisation meeting on the introduction of Measles Rubella vaccines in Ekiti State.
She said, “The introduction of Measles Rubella Vaccines is a very crucial step towards protecting Ekiti children particularly the target age group of nine to 14 years from diseases.
“I urge all women in the State to regularly scan their breasts. This can be done with the aid of the Mammography machine which is available at Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti”.
The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Oyebanji Filani, noted that the Measles Rubella vaccines would be rolled out nationally in October, 2025.
Filani said that the State was taking proactive steps to sensitise residents of the State before the date to ensure adequate awareness on the vaccines by citizens.
The Acting Ochimba of Ogida in Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State, Eze Ndudiri Azuatalam, says peace remains paramount in the socio-economic development of Etche land.
Eze Azuatalam, however, called on his people to embrace and eschew violence at all times.
The Onwa Nagbara Oha made the call during the official commissioning of his palace at Ogida recently.
The epoch-making ceremony held at his palace saw the attendance of members of the Etche Supreme Council of Traditional Rulers and Chiefs; the academia; the political class; the clergy ; women as well relevant stakeholders within and outside Etche land.
The Ngbaragida of Azuafor re-emphasised the essence of peace and social harmony which he said open the window for meaningful development to take place.
He also sought the support and collaboration of his people to achieve the desired goals of development, progress and prosperity.
He noted that the peace being witnessed in the area must be sustained through collective effort, saying, contributions and sacrifices need to be made by all concerned to live in peace.
Eze Azuatalam said his aim towards building a better Ogida cannot be compromised as he and his people have no other place called home.
The Acting Ochimba said as part of efforts to build a better Ogida, he has instituted a number of development projects, adding that some of his kinsmen have been empowered through his hard-earned money and resources, saying, he will continue to assist the less- privileged around him.
He reaffirmed his desire to impact positively on the lives of his people as the engagement of the youths will help to reduce social vices in the area.
He thanked members of the Etche Supreme Council of Traditional Rulers and Chiefs for honouring his invitation.
He specifically thanked the Onyi Ishi Etche and Ochie of Etcheland, His Eminence E mmanuel Opurum for leading Etche on the path of prosperity, and described the revered King as a role model to the younger generation.
He said his fatherly role has been a source of hope and inspiration to his subjects.
The palace was unveiled by His Eminence with the assistance of Ochimba of Abara, Eze Jonah Nwala and other prominent Etche traditional rulers and chiefs while the Onyi Ishi Etche was represented by Eze Ken Nwala, Onyi Ishi Agwuru, Ulakwo/ Umuselem Clan.
The Onyi Ishi Etche urged other prominent sons of Etche to emulate the kind gesture of Eze Ndudiri Azuatalam as his magnanimity is being seen and appreciated by his people.
Eze Azuatalam also applauded the efforts of Prof Mekuri Ndimele, former Vice Chancellor of the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education in the growth of Etche land.
According to him, during Ndimele’ s tenure, a lot of development projects were sited at the institution, including the development of Etcheland and empowerment of Etche people.