Business

NIPCo Gas Converts 15,000 CNG Vehicles … Moves To Sustain Investment In Gas Sector

Published

10 months ago

February 26, 2025

NIPCO Gas Limited has called for a robust industry-wide collaboration to develop the country’s gas utilization strategy.

This follows its convertion of 15,000 vehicles with plans underway to expand operations further to meet the growing demand for CNG.

The company, which pioneered private sector initiative in Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) drive, said private-public sector collaboration would help to improve current investment in gas utilization.

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (MD/CEO), NIPCo, Nagendra Verma, made the call while reviewing activities in the sub-sector, in Lagos, at the Weekend.

Sharing the remarkable progress of NIPCO Gas Ltd. in recent months, especially its dedicated investment in the CNG space as an alternative fuel, Verma said the call was enunciated by the current administration’s commitment to sustain energy efficiency and enhance economic development.

Verma said the NIPCO Gas Ltd. has sustained collaboration with NNPC Limited and the Presidential CNG Initiative (PCNGI) to expand CNG stations, conversion workshops and availability of CNG kits across Nigeria.

This commitment, he said, underscored its vision of providing cleaner, more affordable, and sustainable energy solutions.

“We are proud to announce that NIPCO Gas Ltd has been awarded Gas Distribution Licenses (GDL) by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and the Federal Government.

“This milestone highlights its pioneering role in the sub-sector and strengthens investor confidence in Nigeria’s gas industry”, he said.

The exclusivity period of 25 years granted under these licenses prevents infrastructure duplication, ensuring efficiency and national resource optimization, he added.

The Gas Distribution Licenses Awarded to NIPCO Gas Ltd. include Ibadan Axis (Ogere-Ibadan-Oluyole-Olorisaoko-Asejire-Ajoda); NIPCO Gas/NGML, Benin City; NIPCO Gas, Lekki Free Trade Zone; NIPCO Gas/NGML, Kara-Sagamu-Abeokuta-Ibadan Axis (Sagamu Interchange-Ibafo-Isheri-Otedola Bridge); and NIPCO Gas/NGML.

With these awards, NIPCO Gas Ltd. now stands as Nigeria’s largest indigenous licensed gas distribution company.

This achievement, according to the MD, “is a testament to its unwavering commitment and the continuous support of stakeholders like you.

“Our operational performance has been exceptional, with significant strides in supply chain efficiency, expansion of CNG infrastructure, customer satisfaction, and an increased market share.

“We have successfully commissioned several CNG stations across Abuja, Lagos, Edo, Delta, Ogun, Oyo, Kogi, and Akwa Ibom states. Our joint venture with NNPC Gas Marketing Limited (NGML) has strengthened industrial gas supply, particularly in the Lekki and Lagos-Ibadan corridors.”

Verma further stated that the NIPCO Gas has entered into agreement with Delta State to construct CNG station and CNG conversion workshop initially in Asaba.

“We are hoping to increase the number of CNG stations and conversion workshops in Delta State with the support of government. Delta State has provided the land for this facility, which is very proactive and welcoming stel taken by them. We are sure, with such type of public private partnership, it will provide speed to the Presidential CNG initiative”, he said.

On CNG adoption and accessibility, he said the company is actively working with PCNGI to increase the availability of CNG conversion kits and workshops.

He stated that “By forging partnerships with local and international suppliers, we are committed to making conversion kits more affordable and efficient. Educating Nigerians on the benefits and safety of CNG remains our top priority, and we count on the media to play a pivotal role in this effort.”

According to him, “Our strategic vision includes launching additional CNG stations nationwide and enhancing infrastructure such as pipelines and storage facilities. However, challenges persist, including the need for a more streamlined, time-bound regulatory approval system to fast-track the expansion of CNG infrastructure.

“We appreciate the government’s ongoing efforts under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to ease industry bottlenecks and provide a supportive policy framework.”

Verma, expressed hopes that with the right policies and infrastructure, CNG can play a transformative role in Nigeria’s energy mix, saying, “As an organization, NIPCO Gas remains committed to advancing the use of indigenous natural gas, supporting economic growth, and aligning with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the President.”

Business

PENGASSAN Tasks Multinationals On Workers’ Salary Increase

Published

2 weeks ago

December 8, 2025

The Tide

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has asked companies in the oil and gas sector to undertake urgent review of salaries of their workers in view of the prevailing harsh economic conditions in the country.

Also, the pensioners of Chevron Nigeria, under the aegis PenCoN, have lauded the President of PENGASSAN, Comrade Festus Osifo and his executive on their unrelenting efforts toward addressing pension abnormalities faced by retired workers in the oil and gas industry.

The association also appealed to the federal government to take necessary measures to check banditry and terrorist activities in parts of the country.

PENGASSAN President, Osifo who addressed journalists shortly after the National Executive Council meeting of the association in Abuja, at the weekend, said that though a lot of success has been recorded in negotiating salary reviews for its members, there are still organisations that have failed to lift their workers from the present harsh economic situation.

He said within this period, PENGASSAN has signed numerous Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs) which has brought smiles to the faces of its teeming members.

“This is because we recognise that our job, literally, is how to protect the job of our members, and how to enhance their pay,” he said.

Osifo said that operators in the oil and gas sectors always go for the best qualified professionals to carry out their operations.

“So, the same way they recruit the best, we also challenge them to provide the best condition of service and provide the best remuneration.

“Yes, today, a lot of companies will have achieved successes, but there are still few that we are still discussing at their CBAs, that we are not yet there.

“We still use this opportunity to call on these companies that are still foot dragging, that are still holding back, even with the massive devaluation that has occurred in our country, that still don’t want to fix the remuneration of our members.

“We are calling on them to do the needful, because for us in PENGASSAN we will push without holding back. We will push, using everything in our arsenal, to ensure that the needful is done,” he said.

Osifo spoke of the dispute with the Dangote Refinery group, saying there are still pending issues to be resolved.

“Gentlemen of the press, during the networking session, we also looked at the issues that are plaguing some of our branches, and you know that recently, we had some challenges in Dangote Refinery and PetroChemicals Ltd.

“And within this period, since our last National Industrial Action, we have been engaging them in a lot of conversations, but the issues are not fully resolved. There are still a lot of pending issues.

“Yes, the NEC decided that, yes, let us still consummate that process by pushing those issues, by engaging in dialogue to resolve the issues, and by also engaging all our social partners and stakeholders to get the issues resolved,” he said.

Business

SEC Unveils Digital Regulatory Hub To Boost Oversight Across Financial Markets

Published

2 weeks ago

December 8, 2025

The Tide

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has launched the Regulatory Hub, a new centralized digital platform designed to streamline collaboration, strengthen oversight, and improve transparency across Nigeria’s financial and capital market ecosystem.

The Commission disclosed this in a statement posted on its website.

According to the commission, the platform connects key regulatory and security institutions including the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), and Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), enabling them to exchange information securely and in real time.

The launch of this regulatory hub comes ahead of the implementation of new tax laws in January 2026, with agencies such as the FIRS spreading its tentacles across sector to monitor compliance.

According to the SEC Director-General, Emomotimi Agama, the launch marks a significant step toward modernizing Nigeria’s regulatory framework through technology.

“The Regulatory Hub is a major step in our commitment to leverage technology for stronger regulatory synergy. By connecting regulators on one platform, we are building resilience, enhancing market integrity, and promoting investor confidence,” he said.

The SEC said the platform would help reduce bottlenecks in regulatory processes and facilitate faster, more informed decision-making across agencies.

Reinforcing the DG’s comments, the Executive Commissioner, Operations, Bola Ajomale, highlighted the operational benefits of the new system.

“The platform will significantly improve the timeliness and quality of regulatory decision-making. It provides a single window for regulators to share data, respond to requests, and collaborate seamlessly in safeguarding our financial and capital markets,” he said.

The commission believes the Regulatory Hub would support its broader mandate to strengthen investor protection, enhance market stability, and harmonize regulatory activities across the financial sector.

It urged stakeholders to initiate interest by emailing the Commission, adding that once registered, participants would be able to access the Hub and take advantage of its features.

Business

NAFDAC Decries Circulation Of Prohibited Food Items In markets …….Orders Vendors’ Immediate Cessation Of Dealings With Products

Published

2 weeks ago

December 8, 2025

The Tide

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has raised an alarm over the growing circulation of banned food products across markets in the country.

The agency, in a Press Release dated 6 December 2025, warned that these items including pasta, noodles, sugar and tomato paste are expressly listed on the Federal Government’s Customs Prohibition List and are illegal to import.

NAFDAC stated that the sale and distribution of such prohibited items violate national trade laws, compromise the integrity of Nigeria’s food control system, and pose significant public health risks, as they have not undergone the agency’s mandatory safety and quality evaluations.

Importers, market traders, and supermarket operators have therefore, been directed to immediately cease all dealings in these items and to notify their supply chain partners to halt transactions involving prohibited products.

The agency emphasized that failure to comply will attract strict enforcement measures, including seizure and destruction of goods, suspension or revocation of operational licences, and prosecution under relevant laws.

The statement said “The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has raised an alarm over the growing incidence of smuggling, sale, and distribution of regulated food products such as pasta, noodles, sugar, and tomato paste currently found in markets across the country.

“These products are expressly listed on the Federal Government’s Customs Prohibition List and are not permitted for importation”.

NAFDAC also called on other government bodies, including the Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Immigration Service(NIS) Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Nigeria Shippers Council, and the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS), to collaborate in enforcing the ban on these unsafe products.

By: Lady Godknows Ogbulu