Business

SEREC Demands Independent Forensic Audit Of NIMASA CVFF Funds

Published

43 minutes ago

November 6, 2026

The Sea Empowerment and Research Centre (SEREC) has call for an independent forensic audit of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), following conflicting claims over the management and currency status of the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF).
The centre said the controversy surrounding the fund had reinforced its earlier concerns about transparency, accountability and the possible erosion of contributions through currency conversion and administrative decisions.
In a reaction titled, “Cocks Crow at Dawn — On the CVFF Audit Crisis,” forwarded by SEREC’s representative, Eugene Nweke, the organisation said the latest revelations had vindicated its earlier calls for a comprehensive examination of NIMASA’s accounts from 2004 to date.
SEREC said former NIMASA Director-General, Temisan Omatseye, had disclosed that dollar-denominated contributions were converted into naira and invested in fixed deposits during his tenure, while the incumbent Director-General, Dr Dayo Mobereola, maintained that the fund remained in dollars with the Central Bank of Nigeria.
The organisation said the conflicting accounts raised questions about the actual value, location and management of the fund, which was to provide financing support established for indigenous shipowners under the Coastal and Inland Shipping (Cabotage) Act.
It argued that shipowners, as contributors to the fund, deserved documentary evidence showing how much had accrued, where the money was domiciled, the interest generated and the amount currently available for disbursement.
SEREC also warned that converting dollar contributions into naira exposed the fund to significant foreign exchange losses, given the depreciation of the local currency over the years.
According to the organisation, if the contributions were converted into naira and retained in that currency, the fund could have suffered a substantial erosion in its real value, undermining its original objective of strengthening indigenous shipping capacity.
It maintained that the CVFF was contributors’ money and should not be treated as government largesse, stressing that shipowners had a legitimate right to demand accountability.
The centre further criticised maritime industry stakeholders, particularly shipowners’ associations, for allegedly prioritising access to the fund over sustained demands for transparency in its management.
SEREC insisted that no disbursement should take place without a comprehensive forensic audit to establish the fund’s financial history and current position.
It said the audit should cover all contributions, currency conversions, investments, accrued interest and administrative transactions relating to the fund from 2004 to date.
The organisation said the findings would provide the necessary clarity on the financial position of the CVFF and help restore confidence among indigenous shipowners seeking access to the facility.

Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos

Business

NNPC Targets Two Million Bpd Productions In 2027

Published

43 minutes ago

November 6, 2026

The Tide

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) has said that ongoing reforms in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector have lifted national crude oil production by 600,000 barrels per day, from about 1.2 million barrels per day to 1.8 million barrels per day.
According to the company, the improvement has strengthened Nigeria’s position as a destination for international energy investment.
Group Chief Executive Officer ( GCEO) of NNPC Limited, Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari, made the remarks last week at an Energy Talk titled “Nigeria’s Reform Agenda: Competing for Energy Capital”, moderated by John Defterios, Chairman, MENA, APCO, at the 2026 Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC) in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Ojulari linked the production growth to the implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, an improved investment climate, better investment decisions, and stronger collaboration between NNPC Limited and its partners.
He said the current output level is a milestone in NNPC Limited’s journey towards its 2 million barrels per day target by 2027.
The Company, he explained, is focused on maintaining infrastructure, protecting base production, increasing output from existing assets, and advancing new projects designed to lift production further.
“The figure of 1.8 million barrels per day is a stage in a journey towards our objective.
We are concentrating on the basics, which are maintaining our infrastructure, protecting base operations and executing the projects that will take production higher,” Ojulari stated.
On the domestic market, the GCEO said the removal of petrol subsidy has been accompanied by an expanded Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) programme.
He noted that over 400 CNG conversion centres have been established, while more than 1,000 trucks are transporting petroleum products

Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos

Business

Wigwe’s Luxury Yacht Goes For N8.74 Billion After Legal Proceedings

Published

1 week ago

October 30, 2026

The Tide

The daughter of late Nigerian banking executive, Herbert Wigwe has sold her father’s luxury yacht for $6.5 million which is the equivalent of N8.74 Billion following legal proceedings involving her, Otutochi Wigwe, and the company holding the vessel, Grosvenor Marine Ventures Limited.

This was contained in an online report obtained by The Tide Source in Port Harcourt recently.

The Source further clarified that $6. 5 Million dollars or N8.74 Billion was the asking price as at March this year but was unable to prove, if the said amount was exactly what the vessel went for.

The yacht, known as Chitochi, is a 2016 Custom Line 108 superyacht measuring approximately 33 metres (108 feet) in length. The transaction was handled by international yacht brokerage firm IYC, with its sales and charter consultant, Mark Elliott, overseeing the sale.

The disposal of the high-value vessel followed legal steps taken to address the corporate status of Grosvenor Marine Ventures Ltd., the company through which the yacht was held.

Otutochi Wigwe reportedly approached a court in the British Virgin Islands (BVI) to secure the restoration of the company to the corporate register, a move that enabled the necessary legal steps towards the sale of the vessel.

The proceedings were central to resolving the corporate issues affecting the company and facilitating the transaction, underscoring the legal complexities that may arise when valuable assets are held through corporate entities in foreign jurisdictions.

The sale is also significant in the context of estate administration, as luxury yachts require substantial financial commitments to maintain, even when they are no longer actively used by their owners or beneficiaries.

Such vessels typically attract considerable expenses, including crew salaries, insurance premiums, berthing charges, routine servicing and other maintenance costs, making their continued ownership a major financial responsibility.

Beyond the recurring expenses, luxury yachts are depreciating assets that may lose value over time. Their disposal can therefore form part of a strategy to preserve estate value, reduce liabilities and convert an expensive asset into liquid funds.

Wigwe, who was the former Group Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings, died on February 9, 2024, in a helicopter crash in California, United States, alongside his wife, Chizoba; their son, Chizi; and former Nigerian Exchange Group chairman, Abimbola Ogunbanjo.

His death was widely mourned across Nigeria’s banking and business communities, where he was recognised for his contributions to the financial services industry, entrepreneurship and philanthropy.

Wigwe’s passing left behind an estate whose administration involves the management of assets and other financial interests, a process that can require legal and financial decisions to protect the interests of the estate and its beneficiaries.

The sale of Chitochi highlights the challenges associated with managing high-value assets held through corporate structures, particularly where the relevant companies and legal proceedings fall under different jurisdictions.

The $6.5 million transaction brings the yacht’s ownership chapter to a close while illustrating how legal procedures, financial considerations and estate management can intersect in the administration of the assets of a prominent business figure.

‘’We determined to get all our equipments and machinery functioning as we progress. For now we’ve about 105 workers, comprising daily paid harvesters and regular staffs. But aside these 105 staffs we also employ daily slashers who for now are about 100.

“During peak periods, hopefully on or before January 2026 we hope to increase our work force for maximum production”, the firm’s management Stated.

King Onunwor

Business

Firm Mulls Crash Down On Vegetable Oil Price …Targets Revenue Boost, Job Creation

Published

1 week ago

October 30, 2026

The Tide

A firm, Kompetenz Investment Zentrum Ltd, has said it would crash down the cost of vegetable oil in the market through adequate production and milling of its product for large scale sales in and around the State.

The Head, Human Resource Management of the firm, Mrs Amina Shehu said this in Yenagoa, the State capital, Wednesday while speaking with newsmen on an inspection tour of the company.

She noted that while other firms have previously managed the Palm farm, her company which she described as an experienced manager of palm farms recently acquired right of management of the Bayelsa Government-own palm plantation in September, 2026.

“We inherited a poorly managed farm and machineries from our predecessors, and so we’re working assiduously to overhaul the mills in this firm, more especially the biggest one.

”Today we’ve been able to put the small one into use, and it’s functioning well. Some engineering contractors have also came around with their various interest in bidding for the repair and overhaul of the ailing big mill we inherited, but surely the cost of repairs shown to us by the engineers run into billions.We’re however determined to get all our equipments and machinery functioning soon”, she said.

Mrs Shehu bemoaned the dysfunctional State of the farm facilities prior to its acquisition, adding however that there were plans by the company to get all moribund machinery functioning and put them to maximum utilisation and production capacity, while also working towards ensuring revenue boost for the firm and the State in the future.

Speaking on manpower and employment generation, the company’s HRM emphasised that at low peaks, the firm has employed no fewer than 200 staffers, comprising regular, casuals and workers on its daily payroll.

“At peak periods of harvest, more hands would be employed and production and milling capacity will be increased to 10 tons of palm oil per day in order to gradually crash down the soaring price of red oil in and around this State.

“We have just acquired the right of management of the Bayelsa Palm estate in September, 2026. We’re barely two months old as new management of this farm. As you can see for yourselves, a lot of work is currently ongoing in this farm.

“We have borrowed loans to run this farm, and so a lot of work; slashing of the palm fruits and clearing of the farm is ongoing. But upon what we have done which amounts to millions, it’s like we have not yet started because the Bayelsa Palm estate is really big” Mrs Shehu added.

She noted that during the world food day the company “showcased some of our produce and as we speak calls are coming in from far and near placing orders and showing interest in doing business with us.

“Our Director (our boss), has the requisite experience in this business. He has reinvigorated and invested in similar Palm farm businesses in other parts of this country.

“Some contractors have also came around with their various interest in bidding for the repair and overhaul of the ailing machinery we inherited, but surely the cost of repairs shown to us by the engineers run into billions.

‘We determined to get all our equipments and machinery functioning as we progress. For now we have about 105 workers, comprising daily paid harvesters and regular staffs. But aside these 105 staffs we also employ daily slashers who for now are about 100.

“During peak periods, hopefully on or before January 2026 we hope to increase our work force for maximum production”.

The Tide gathered that the firm is the new operator of the Bayelsa Palm estate and managers of the state’s Palm tree plantation.

The Tide spoke with a cross section of traders and consumers in major markets of the State and reports said the price of Palm oil which is botanically referred to as ‘elaeis guineensis’ has increased astronomically in recent months, due to general inflation in prices of commodities.

Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa