Oil & Energy

Rivers Senator Faults NNPCL Over Repeated Absence From Crude Theft Probe

Published

3 months ago

July 20, 2026

The Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream), Senator Allwell Onyesoh, has criticised the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited for repeatedly failing to honour invitations from the National Assembly, describing the action as a setback to legislative oversight and the fight against crude oil theft.

Onyesoh made the remark while speaking with journalists shortly after a meeting of the Senate committee investigating crude oil theft and considering amendments to Nigeria’s petroleum laws to strengthen the legal and regulatory framework governing the oil and gas sector.

The Rivers East senator had earlier staged a walkout from the committee meeting in protest over what he described as the recurring absence of the NNPCL’s top management at critical legislative engagements.

He said the corporation’s repeated failure to appear before the committee undermined transparency, weakened legislative oversight and reflected a disregard for democratic institutions.

According to him, the committee was merely carrying out its constitutional responsibility by seeking facts, records and explanations from the state-owned oil companies.

“We are not contractors. We are simply asking questions. Give us facts. Give us records. We want to study them. That is our constitutional responsibility,” he said.

Onyesoh maintained that the National Assembly has a constitutional duty to scrutinise the activities of government agencies, particularly one responsible for managing Nigeria’s oil resources.

He also rejected the corporation’s repeated explanation that its officials were unavailable due to official engagements abroad.

“They keep writing letters saying they are travelling to Congo, travelling here and there, just to dodge simple things. Was the GCEO appointed to keep travelling or to work?

“Is Nigeria’s problem outside the country or here in Nigeria? How is it possible that the GCEO, his deputy, directors and the entire management are all travelling at the same time? That is not acceptable,” he said.

The lawmaker argued that the corporation’s continued refusal to appear before the Senate only deepened public suspicion about its willingness to submit to parliamentary scrutiny.

“If you are serving the people of Nigeria, first and foremost, you must obey the laws of the land. The highest law-making body in the country invites you, and consistently, you are too big to appear. Who told you that?” he queried.

He insisted that no public institution was above legislative oversight and dismissed suggestions that the NNPCL was answerable only to the Presidency.

Onyesoh also cautioned against linking the corporation’s conduct to President Bola Tinubu, saying the President had consistently shown respect for the legislature.

“I know, Mr President. That is not the President I know. He will not tell any agency to ignore the National Assembly. We all work with Mr President. Whenever issues arise, he engages the legislature with respect,” he said.

The senator disclosed that he would formally engage the Senate leadership over what he described as the corporation’s repeated disregard for parliamentary invitations.

He also lamented the continued underdevelopment of oil-producing communities despite the enormous wealth generated from petroleum resources.

Recalling the history of Umuechem in Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State, one of Nigeria’s earliest oil-producing communities after Oloibiri, Onyesoh said many host communities still lacked basic infrastructure, employment opportunities and meaningful participation in the petroleum industry.

He questioned why employment opportunities, training programmes and other benefits in the oil sector rarely reached people from the communities where crude oil is produced.

The senator also called on the Petroleum Technology Development Fund to publish records showing how many indigenes of Rivers State and other oil-producing communities had benefited from its scholarship and capacity development programmes.

He reaffirmed his commitment to demanding greater accountability, transparency and equitable treatment for oil-producing communities, insisting that the wealth derived from their land should translate into meaningful development and opportunities.

The committee also considered proposed amendments to Nigeria’s petroleum laws, particularly outdated provisions relating to penalties and regulatory enforcement, as part of efforts to strengthen the sector, curb crude oil theft, improve regulatory efficiency and boost crude oil production.

Oil & Energy

15-Year Blackout: NDPHC Begins Electricity Project In Kaduna Community

Published

6 days ago

October 26, 2026

The Tide

The Niger Delta Power Holding Company Limited (NDPHC) has commenced a major electricity project aimed at ending a 15-year blackout in Rigasa community, Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

The General Manager, Corporate Communication and External Relations, NDPHC, Nazo Agim, made this known in a statement, in Abuja, at the weekend.

Agim said that the project, facilitated by the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Ideological Group (BAT-IG), comprises a two-kilometre 11kV line, a 1.5-kilometre 33kV line and a 7.5MVA, 33/11kV injection substation.Access Services

According to him, the project is designed to strengthen electricity distribution and improve power supply to residents and businesses in the community.

He said that the Rigasa project underscored NDPHC’s commitment to extending critical electricity infrastructure beyond generation to bridge distribution gaps.

He also said that the project would stimulate socioeconomic development and improve the quality of life in underserved communities across Nigeria.

Agim disclosed that a groundbreaking ceremony was performed earlier on Friday, by the Kaduna state Deputy Governor, Dr. Hadiza Balarabe, who represented Governor Uba Sani.

According to him, Balarabe, while speaking during the ceremony commended NDPHC for the intervention, describing it as a life-saving initiative that would address the community’s longstanding electricity challenges.

The NDPHC Managing Director, Jennifer Adighije, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to addressing the community’s electricity challenges.

Represented by the Executive Director, Networks, Babayo Bello, Adighije also reiterated NDPHC’s commitment to supporting President Bola Tinubu’s vision of improving electricity supply across the country.

She said that although NDPHC’s primary mandate was power generation, the company’s interventions also extended to transmission and distribution infrastructure to address critical gaps and expand electricity access.

According to her, the Rigasa project represents a worthwhile investment that will ease residents’ hardship and demonstrate the impact of targeted infrastructure development in underserved communities.Access Services

NDPHC Executive Director, Strategy and Commercial, Patrick Obahiagbon, commended the Kaduna state government and the community for their cooperation and support for the project.

The District Head of Rigasa, Mohammed Idris, also commended NDPHC’s management for its commitment to expanding electricity access in the community.

Oil & Energy

FG Commissions 640MW Transmission Capacity To National Grid

Published

6 days ago

October 26, 2026

The Tide

As the federal government intensifies efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s power infrastructure, it has commissioned 640 megawatts (MW) of electricity transmission capacity to the national grid with an additional six transmission substations in Kano and Katsina states, respectively.

The projects comprise four substations at Walalambe, Kumbotso, Dakata and Dan-Agundi in Kano State, which collectively add 544MW of transmission capacity, and two 60 megavolt amperes (MVA) substations in Kankia Local Government Area of Katsina State, contributing another 96MW.

The additional capacity is expected to improve the transmission network’s ability to evacuate and deliver available electricity to distribution companies and consumers in the two states.

The Ministry of Power announced the developments in a statement issued at the weekend.

According to the statement, the additional capacity is expected to improve the transmission network’s ability to evacuate and deliver available electricity to distribution companies and consumers in the two states.

The projects, however, increase transmission capacity rather than electricity generation, implying that their impact on supply would depend partly on the availability of power from generating plants and the capacity of downstream distribution networks.

Speaking at the commissioning of the Kankia substation, the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, said the projects reflected President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to improving the country’s electricity infrastructure.

“Mr. President’s Renewed Hope Agenda recognizes that economic ambition requires dependable infrastructure,” Tegbe said.

He added that investments in electricity infrastructure would strengthen the foundations for business expansion, employment and economic growth.

The Kankia substations comprise two 60 MVA, 132/33 kilovolt (kV) facilities designed to strengthen the transmission network serving Katsina State and neighbouring areas.

Tegbe said the infrastructure would improve the network’s ability to distribute available electricity, supporting commercial activities and household welfare.

He also urged residents to protect the facilities against vandalism and other activities that could disrupt electricity infrastructure, asking them to report suspicious activities to TCN or security agencies.

Katsina State Governor, Dikko Umaru Radda, described the project as a significant investment in the state’s electricity infrastructure.

Radda stated that improved electricity supply could support industrial development, economic growth and public service delivery.

He further commended the President, the Federal Ministry of Power and TCN for completing the project.

It would be noted that the latest projects come amid a broader government’s drive to address bottlenecks in Nigeria’s electricity transmission network, which has constrained the amount of electricity that can be delivered to distribution companies and end users.

Oil & Energy

NBTI Unveils $600m Investment Pipeline Innovation

Published

6 days ago

October 26, 2026

The Tide

The National Board for Technology Incubation (NBTI) has unveiled an investment and development-finance pipeline exceeding $600 million, alongside a proposed solar energy programme targeting one million micro and small businesses across Nigeria.

The Director-General, NBTI, Dr Kazeem Raji, disclosed this while presenting the outcomes of the 2026 NextGen Innovation Challenge at a World Press Conference, Abuja.

Raji said the investment pipeline comprised a proposed $500m solar energy programme for universities and polytechnics, which would be developed in partnership with Gigawatt Global, and a $100m financing opportunity linked to the Tinubu Light Initiative under a memorandum of understanding with Financial Innovation for Impact, UK, also known as Cambridge Investors.

He, however, clarified that the funds had not been fully secured or disbursed, stressing that their realisation would depend on due diligence, financing arrangements, contractual commitments, regulatory approvals and implementation requirements.

“These figures represent proposed investment and financing opportunities and should not be interpreted as $600m already received, disbursed or fully deployed in Nigeria,” he said.

According to Raji, the initiative was designed to connect Nigerian innovators with international investors, business leaders and development partners to accelerate the commercialisation of indigenous technologies.

He said the challenge attracted 298 Nigerian innovators from all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, up from 105 participants in 2025.

The innovations showcased covered artificial intelligence, robotics, agriculture, healthcare, education, renewable energy, telecommunications, digital technology, enterprise software, 3D printing and advanced manufacturing.

“Our message is straightforward: Nigeria’s innovators deserve visibility, our enterprises deserve opportunities to grow, and our technologies deserve pathways to the marketplace,” Raji said.

He added that NBTI’s priority was to move beyond showcasing ideas to helping innovators develop commercially viable products, establish sustainable businesses and create jobs.

The proposed Tinubu Light Initiative is expected to support one million micro and small businesses through access to solar energy solutions, with a proposed target of training and deploying 10,000 field marketers and creating 50,000 direct youth employment opportunities.

The initiative also targets N30bn in blended financing for its first phase and estimates annual economic benefits of about N12bn, subject to its underlying assumptions and implementation outcomes.

Raji said the programme was conceived to address the energy challenges facing small businesses, including high operating costs associated with unreliable electricity and dependence on petrol and diesel generators.

Tailors, barbers, hairdressers, pharmacies, food vendors, neighbourhood retailers, printing businesses and digital-service providers, he stated, are among the potential beneficiaries.

He said the initiative also envisaged opportunities to promote business formalisation and financial inclusion, particularly among informal enterprises, where appropriate arrangements could be established.

However, the NBTI director-general acknowledged that the programme’s success would depend on sound financing, transparent beneficiary selection, reliable equipment, maintenance arrangements and measurable delivery.

“Our vision is to make clean-energy access an enabler of enterprise development, not merely an infrastructure intervention,” he said.