Category: Nigerian Tribune

NIGERIA’S midstream gas sector faced a challenging month in July, as the country’s major gas processing facilities operated at an average capacity utilisation of just 49.21 percent.

According to the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA)’s performance factsheet, there were severe operational bottlenecks and infrastructure limitations across the country, with facilities processing an average volume of 7.966 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/day).

The report said the fact that while select localised assets showed high performance, the wider sector struggled with sub-optimal efficiency.

It gave a detailed breakdown of Nigeria’s primary gas assets, revealing massive disparities in processing performance.

The Soku Gas Plant emerged as the top performer, running at a near-perfect utilisation rate of 99.56 per cent. The Gbaran Ubie Gas Plant also maintained a robust output, tracking a 92.79 per cent utilisation rate on a design capacity of 1.250 Bcf/day.

On the other hand, severe underutilisation plagued other critical pieces of national infrastructure. The OB/OB AG Gas Plant recorded the lowest performance, operating at just 22.95 per cent utilisation, despite possessing a sizable design capacity of 1.300 Bcf/day.

Furthermore, the largest processing asset, NLNG (Train 1-6), which accounts for a massive 3.500 Bcf/day design capacity, could only manage a 78.82 per cent utilisation rate, reflecting a downward trend from previous periods.

The NMDPRA’s factsheet attributed these volatile numbers to operational constraints, noting that utilisation rates across various hubs are actively impacted by ongoing bottlenecking, supply disruptions, and critical asset optimisation needs.

Also, the report showed that the downstream segment felt the pressure of the processing bottlenecks, as total natural gas utilisation fell to 4.723 Bcf/day in July 2026.

This signifies a noticeable slump compared to the peak volumes seen earlier in the year, such as the 5.141 Bcf/day distributed in April 2026.

On the export market, the report showed that the average daily gas supplied to the Nigeria LNG (NLNG) plant stood at 2.695 Bcf/day, accompanied by a downward performance indicator.

On the domestic end, local industries and power grids faced tightening constraints as the average daily gas supplied to the domestic market contracted to 2.028 Bcf/day.

Industry analysts warned that if major processing corridors like the OB/OB facility do not recover their operational footprints, the persistent deficits in domestic supply could lead to supply volatility for domestic gas-based industries and power generation networks across the country.

The report showed a significant progress on critical pipeline infrastructure alongside a noticeable dip in domestic industrial gas consumption.

It also showed that the pipeline megaprojects are nearing the finish line as the landmark Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) gas pipeline project has reached a critical milestone, hitting a 94.8 per cent completion rate as of July 2026.

The pipeline is expected to serve as the backbone of northern Nigeria’s industrial transit network, connecting gas supplies from the south to power plants and factories in the north.

Simultaneously, the vital Obiafu-Obrikom-Oben (OB3) pipeline project is on the cusp of operation.

The main OB3 project has reached 96 per cent completion, while its highly anticipated River Niger Crossing section is now 100 per cent complete. Other major distribution links showed upward momentum; the ELPS Midline Compressor Project advanced to 95.77 per cent, while the Odidi-Warri Expansion and the Escravos-Odidi (EOP) projects reached 75.47 per cent and 25.72 per cent completion, respectively.

Domestically, daily gas utilisation reflected diverging trends.

According to the report, the gas allocated to the power sector saw positive growth, averaging 0.534 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/day), indicating a stabilisation in gas-to-electricity distribution across the national grid.

However, it showed that the growth came at the expense of local commercial and industrial sectors as gas supplied to commercial markets fell to 0.552 Bcf/day, and supply to gas-based heavy industries dropped to 0.507 Bcf/day, signaling a temporary slowdown in industrial uptake despite the expanding infrastructure.

Big Brother Naija (BBN) Season11 housemate, Abisola Ayoola, popularly known as Abi, has emerged as the Head of House for week six, becoming a second-time female leader in the show.

The Head of House challenge featured a combination of physical and mental games, including the fan-the-fishes game.

After several rounds, Abi and Gerard progressed to the final stage, where they competed in a Sudoku challenge.

Abi completed the puzzle ahead of Gerard to secure victory and emerge as the new Head of House for the week.

The victory marks another HoH win for Abi, who has continued to perform strongly in the season’s leadership challenges.

However, this week’s Head of House arrangement comes with some changes.

Unlike previous weeks, the winner will not have veto power, while no lucky dip will be required.

The housemate who emerged victorious in Monday’s challenge will also be the first to use the HoH lounge this season.

Following her victory, Abi will be eligible to participate in next week’s Head of House challenge, giving her an opportunity to defend her title and potentially retain the position.

Abi’s latest achievement comes as the housemates continue their quest for the grand prize in the 11th season of the reality show, themed ‘Show Ya Self.’

However, committing your hard-earned savings to an unbuilt structure requires extreme caution. When you buy off-plan, you are buying a developer’s promise on paper rather than a physical asset you can inspect. If that developer runs out of money, ignores town planning approvals, or mismanages project funds, your capital can disappear into an abandoned construction site for years.

According to real estate advisory, thorough legal auditing and independent site checks are the primary safeguards against developer default and construction abandonment across global housing markets.

In this article, Tribune Online examines the major red flags you must watch out for when buying off-plan properties and how you can protect your investment step by step.

Unverified land title and missing planning approvals

A major warning sign in any off-plan project is a developer who hesitates to show complete ownership documentation or statutory building permits. Every legitimate developer must possess an undisputed title to the land and formal approval from local urban planning authorities before selling single units to the public.

When a developer begins marketing units without these clearances, the entire project stands on illegal ground. Regulatory authorities can halt construction halfway, seal off the premises, or order complete demolition of unapproved structures, leaving buyers trapped in endless court battles.

Absence of an independent escrow account

A trustworthy developer should never ask you to transfer staged payments directly into an unrestricted personal or general corporate account.

In well-regulated global property hubs, buyer payments are placed in an independent, project-specific escrow account that is managed by an authorized financial institution.

Funds in an escrow structure are only released to the builder in batches after a certified independent quantity surveyor confirms that a specific construction milestone has been reached. If a firm insists on direct transfers without third-party milestone verification, they may use your deposit to fund other struggling developments.

Unrealistic prices and projected returns

If an off-plan property is priced drastically lower than the prevailing market average for that specific neighborhood, you should proceed with caution. Many fraudulent or inexperienced builders artificially depress entry prices to raise quick cash from unsuspecting buyers to cover existing company debts.

Constructing a durable, modern building requires substantial capital for quality materials, professional labor, and regulatory clearances. A developer offering massive, below-market discounts will eventually face severe cash deficits, leading to substandard materials, structural failure, or total project abandonment.

Lack of verifiable track record

A developer’s past performance is the most accurate indicator of how they will handle your investment. Before paying any commitment fee, examine the projects the builder has successfully completed and delivered over the past five to ten years.

Speak with residents living in their previous estates and inspect the build quality of those completed structures firsthand. If the developer operates as a newly formed entity with zero completed developments, vague corporate directors, or a history of prolonged project delivery delays, you are taking an unacceptable financial gamble.

One-sided contracts without clear delay penalties

The contract of sale should protect both the buyer and the seller equally, but predatory off-plan agreements place all risks onto the investor. A fair contract must clearly state the exact handover date and define explicit financial compensation the builder will pay you if delivery is delayed without a genuine legal emergency.

Be wary of vague ‘force majeure’ clauses that allow the builder to extend construction deadlines indefinitely without penalty. Ensure that your property lawyer reviews the dispute resolution framework, the refund policy, and the termination clauses before you sign any binding document.

Total lack of independent milestone audits

Reliable property developers welcome independent third-party inspections from structural engineers and quantity surveyors hired by the buyer. If a firm refuses site access or avoids sharing third-party progress reports, they may be hiding structural errors or slow construction speed.

Ensure your contract ties every installment payment directly to physical verification by your own building surveyor rather than automated monthly calendar dates. This step-by-step verification ensures you only pay for actual work completed on-site.

Investing in off-plan real estate remains a viable strategy for wealth creation when handled with discipline. By hiring an independent property lawyer, verifying land titles at the relevant registry, and insisting on milestone-based escrow payments, you can eliminate fraudulent schemes and protect your capital.

The first reaction is usually: ‘What exactly did they do to this thing?’ The answer is surprisingly sophisticated.

Freeze-drying, also called lyophilisation, is a preservation technology that removes water from food while keeping the food frozen. Instead of allowing ice to melt into liquid and then boiling the water away, the process uses a vacuum so that the frozen water changes directly from ice into vapour.

The FDA describes this process as sublimation. The result is the strange, crunchy fruit found in many premium snacks. And there is a reason it costs more than ordinary dried fruit.

Sublimation and structural preservation in freeze-dried fruit processing

Consider a fresh strawberry, which naturally contains a high volume of water responsible for its characteristic texture, juiciness, and limited shelf life.

During the freeze-drying process, the fruit undergoes rapid freezing before placement inside a vacuum chamber.

Under controlled pressure and temperature conditions, the trapped ice transitions directly into water vapor through sublimation.

As moisture evaporates, the foundational cell structure remains largely intact, producing a lightweight, porous version of the fruit that retains its original appearance while altering its physical texture upon consumption.

How freeze-drying preserves nutrient density and fruit structure

The premium cost associated with freeze-drying stems directly from the underlying mechanism used to remove moisture. While traditional dehydration relies on thermal heat, producing denser, chewy items like raisins or banana chips; freeze-drying utilises low temperatures combined with vacuum sublimation.

This fundamental operational difference significantly impacts color, structural integrity, flavor, and overall nutritional value.

A 2018 study comparing drying techniques across blueberries, cherries, strawberries, and cranberries demonstrated that freeze-dried samples generally retained higher levels of vitamin C, anthocyanins, phenolics, and antioxidant capacity than hot-air-dried equivalents.

However, researchers noted that exact retention levels varied based on the specific fruit profile and exact processing parameters.

Studies examining freeze-dried orange puree similarly showed that variance in processing pressure and temperature directly influenced final concentrations of vitamin C and beta-carotene.

Consequently, freeze-drying offers superior preservation of key organoleptic and nutritional qualities, though final nutrient yields remain subject to specific processing conditions.

How structural moisture removal creates the freeze-dried crunch

The characteristic crunch of freeze-dried fruit comes down to how water leaves the fruit during processing. As ice turns directly into vapor, it leaves behind millions of tiny, empty air pockets where the water used to be. Without moisture to soften these delicate cell walls, the fruit takes on a light, crispy texture that snaps easily when bitten.

?Because this dry structure acts like a natural sponge, adding liquid quickly softens the fruit back toward its original texture. This same porous quality makes freeze-dried fruit extremely useful for food manufacturers. It can be easily crushed into concentrated powders for cereals, yogurts, chocolates, and instant drinks.

A 2025 study on freeze-dried guava, amla, and jamun juice powders showed that this technique preserves high levels of healthy nutrients while keeping the final product tasty and appealing to consumers.

Preservation opportunities for Nigeria’s seasonal harvest

Nigeria’s fruit production suffers from severe post-harvest losses during peak harvest periods, created by limited cold storage and short shelf lives.

Key domestic crops, including mango, pineapple, banana, pawpaw, watermelon, guava, cashew apple, and African star apple (agbalumo), frequently experience market gluts that drive down farmer incomes and result in massive agricultural waste.

Freeze-drying and dehydration offer a practical industrial solution to these supply chain bottlenecks.

By converting surplus seasonal yield into shelf-stable, lightweight products, processors can stabilise market prices during peak harvest windows.

The resulting processed fruits can then be distributed nationally or exported as high-value snacks and specialised ingredients for the food manufacturing, confectionery, and beverage sectors.

High equipment costs and low yield: The economics of commercial freeze-drying

The high retail price of freeze-dried fruit reflects the significant capital and operational expenses required for industrial processing. Commercial freeze-dryers rely on complex systems that combine rapid freezing, high-vacuum chambers, precise heating elements, and heavy condensation units. Operating this machinery over long processing cycles demands substantial electricity, alongside costs for labor, raw material preparation, hygienic maintenance, and moisture-proof packaging.

?In addition to operational overhead, processors face a sharp reduction in yield. Fresh fruit consists mostly of water. When sublimation removes this moisture, the final product retains only a fraction of its original weight.

Processing 100 kilograms of raw fruit produces just a small yield of dried material, forcing processors to calculate raw material costs against drastic weight loss to remain commercially viable.

Building a viable freeze-drying business in Nigeria

Freeze-drying presents a real business opportunity in Nigeria, but success requires securing demand before buying equipment.

Premium prices mean targeting high-margin buyers: upscale supermarkets, health-conscious consumers, bakeries, hotels, and food manufacturers needing specialized ingredients.

Exporting offers further growth because lightweight, shelf-stable goods cost far less to ship than fresh produce. However, international sales require strict food safety standards and proper labeling.

To avoid costly mistakes, entrepreneurs should follow a clear order: validate market demand, select the crop, calculate processing yield, determine total production costs, set a competitive price, and only then invest in machinery.

Freeze-dried vs. conventionally dried: Choosing the right process

Although freeze-dried and traditionally dried fruits can look similar on store shelves, their processing methods and final characteristics are entirely distinct. Traditional dehydration relies on direct heat to evaporate moisture, producing dense, chewy, or leathery snacks like classic dried mangoes. In contrast, freeze-drying freezes the fruit first before using a vacuum to transform ice directly into vapor. This thermal difference allows freeze-dried fruit to preserve its original shape and vibrant color while taking on a light, airy crunch.

Because freeze-drying requires specialised, high-cost machinery, the finished product carries a much higher price tag than standard heat-dried alternatives.

However, neither method is universally superior, as the right choice depends entirely on the intended application. Heat drying remains the ideal option for soft, chewy fruit snacks, whereas freeze-drying is indispensable for creating crisp fruit bites, toppings, or powders that ordinary drying cannot replicate.

Beyond retail snacks: The broader industrial potential of food preservation

The primary value of freeze-drying lies far beyond retail fruit snacks. At its core, freeze-drying is a sophisticated preservation technology designed for industrial value addition, making the processing of high-value raw ingredients the true growth sector.

Rather than competing solely in consumer retail, processors can produce specialised fruit pieces and concentrated powders for industrial supply chains.

Enterprise-scale opportunities exist in supplying bakeries, beverage producers, and food manufacturers with shelf-stable, highly concentrated fruit components that maintain their natural flavor profiles and nutritional integrity.

Weighing the commercial payoff for Nigerian agriculture

While freeze-drying remains capital-intensive for routine home preservation, it offers significant potential for well-capitalised food enterprises with access to reliable power, quality produce, and premium markets.

The technology provides a direct solution to post-harvest losses by turning seasonal agricultural surpluses into durable, high-value commodities.

Realising this potential across Nigeria’s fruit-producing regions requires viewing freeze-dried goods not merely as expensive snacks, but as the end product of a complex chain combining advanced physics, food chemistry, precise packaging, and targeted market integration.

FAQs

Is freeze-dried fruit healthier than fresh fruit?

Not necessarily. Fresh fruit remains an excellent food, and freeze-drying does not automatically make a product nutritionally superior. Research indicates that freeze-drying can retain substantial amounts of several nutrients and bioactive compounds, but the outcome varies according to the fruit and processing conditions.

Can ordinary home freezers make freeze-dried fruit?

No. A conventional freezer can freeze fruit, but genuine freeze-drying requires a controlled vacuum process that allows frozen water to sublime. A household freezer alone does not provide the required conditions.

Can bananas, mangoes and pineapples be freeze-dried?

Yes. Many fruits can be freeze-dried, although preparation and processing conditions vary according to the fruit’s water content, structure and composition. Tropical fruits are particularly interesting candidates for value-added processing because their fresh forms can be highly perishable.

Does freeze-dried fruit contain sugar?

Yes. Removing water does not remove the fruit’s naturally occurring sugars. Because the finished product is much lighter, the sugar becomes concentrated by weight compared with the original fresh fruit.

Why is freeze-dried fruit so expensive?

The cost reflects specialised freeze-drying equipment, freezing and vacuum operation, electricity, processing time, labour, packaging, fruit losses and the weight reduction that occurs when water is removed. Freeze-drying is considerably more technically demanding than ordinary dehydration.

Can freeze-dried fruit become a business in Nigeria?

Potentially. The strongest opportunities would likely involve identifying premium consumers or food manufacturers first, then selecting fruits with suitable supply, calculating processing yields and determining whether the selling price can support the equipment and operating costs. The technology may be particularly interesting for value addition and reducing losses from highly perishable fruits.

The NNPC Exploration and Production Limited (NEPL)/Seplat Energy Joint Venture has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening quality education through sustained investment in teacher development, as it prepares to train 500 teachers across Edo State.

This was disclosed recently in Benin, Edo State, by Chioma Afe, Director of External Affairs and Social Performance, Seplat Energy Plc, represented by Esther Icha, the General Manager, Corporate Social Investment and Social Performance, Seplat Energy Plc, during the 2026 Seplat Teachers Empowerment Programme (STEP) onboarding workshop.

The 2026 programme sees a significant expansion of STEP, which has, over the past six years, trained more than 2,000 teachers and education evaluators across Edo, Delta and Imo States. In this cohort, 500 teachers from Edo State will benefit from the knowledge-empowerment initiative.

Afe explained that the Seplat JV is investing heavily in the programme because education remains a critical part of Seplat Energy’s contribution to nation building, noting that teachers play a vital role in shaping the future of the country.

‘Seplat is very committed to education. It’s critical to nation building, and everybody that is here has contributed in one way or the other to the life of one student or one child,’ she said.

Afe explained that the continued changes in education, including evolving curricula, technology and teaching approaches, make it necessary for teachers to continuously update their skills and adapt to emerging trends.

‘Education is changing daily,’ she said. ‘This programme is to equip you with what you need to meet the changing trends,’ she added.

She pointed out that STEP is designed to strengthen teachers both in the classroom and in their personal and professional development, by providing participants with access to facilitators, learning resources and platforms that expose them to developments in education and contemporary approaches to teaching.

Afe acknowledged the support of the JV Partner, NEPL, for consistently backing the initiative, and the Edo State Government for facilitating the participation of schools and teachers in the programme.

She encouraged the participants to make the most of the training and translate their learning into improved outcomes for their students.

Speaking at the event, Washington Osa Osifo, the Edo State Commissioner for Education, commended Seplat Energy for its sustained contribution to education in the state and its long-standing partnership with the government.

Recalling his previous experience working with Seplat during his earlier tenure in the Ministry of Education, Osifo expressed appreciation for the company’s continued commitment to Edo State.

‘I am glad, and I thank you so much for not abandoning Edo State,’ he said.

Describing Seplat as a ‘partner in progress’, Osifo said the company’s sustained engagement demonstrated the value of long-term collaboration between the government and the private sector in addressing challenges in the education sector.

Reflecting on the state’s previous education reforms, Osifo noted that investments in school infrastructure had helped make schools more attractive to students. However, he stressed that physical infrastructure alone could not deliver meaningful educational outcomes.

‘Whereas the form is good, but content is always better,’ he said, emphasising the need to complement infrastructure with effective administration, quality teaching and strong educational content.

Osifo recalled that during his earlier tenure, Edo State had sought to establish a stronger connection between investment in education and measurable results. He pointed to the improvements in the state’s performance in national examinations as clearly demonstrating the importance of effective management and teacher capacity-building that lead to quality content, which the JV helps with through the STEP initiative.

Addressing the teachers participating in the STEP programme, Osifo urged them to ensure that the training translates into tangible improvements in their classrooms.

‘After this investment in training, you are supposed to go back and manifest it. And we will measure it with the results that will proceed from you,’ he said.

He encouraged teachers to remain committed to the state curriculum, avoid shortcuts and focus on helping students develop confidence in themselves and their abilities. Osifo also emphasised the importance of character, conduct and moral responsibility in teaching, urging educators to recognise the responsibility they have to shape the next generation.

‘See yourself and do to them (your students) what you would have loved a teacher to do to you,’ he said.

He encouraged teachers to pass on positive values and experiences to their students and to approach their work with an understanding that the future of society is closely connected to the quality of education provided to young people today.

On her part, Emo Udobong-Ntia, Vice President HR Operations, Seplat Energy Plc, encouraged the participants to build a culture of influence, leadership and mentorship to help them bond with their students and impact on them positively.

Udobong-Ntia presented a paper on ‘The Case for Teacher Leadership’, in which she addressed ‘why teachers’ leadership matters now more than ever’.

The 2026 STEP programme builds on Seplat Energy Joint Venture’s sustained investment in teacher capacity development and its broader commitment to supporting education in the communities and states where it operates.

PRESIDENT, Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Ali Allimasuya Rabiu has, charged newly inducted corporate members to place public safety above profit, noting that substandard materials and ethical compromise are behind Nigeria’s frequent structural failures.

The charge was given at the 2026 Annual Dinner, Induction of New Corporate Members and Paper Presentation held at Jogor Centre, Ibadan.

Rabiu, who was represented by Engineer Ezekiel Ojekunle, told the inductees that the first duty of an engineer is the security of lives and property, not profit.

He also stressed the need for mentorship, urging senior engineers to guide younger ones so they can become good representatives of the profession.

‘Profit making should not be the first priority. The first priority is the security of life and property because if the ethics of the profession are not obeyed, there can be structural failure,’ he concluded.

In his speech, the guest speaker at the event, and professor of Mechanical Engineering from the Federal University of Agriculture, (FUNAAB) Abeokuta, Ismaila Olasunkanmi, noted that the engineering profession in Nigeria is at a crossroads, due to ethical challenges.

Delivering a paper titled:

‘Beyond the blueprint: Engineering excellence, ethics, and national development’ he said engineers must stand their ground when clients demand substandard work to put an end to building collapse.

Professor Olasunkanmi, who is also a former chairman of the NSE Ibadan branch, lamented the waste of public funds from poor infrastructure and urged engineers to embrace standards that ensure durability.

‘We have issues of ethics in Nigeria. I challenge you that you are coming to the engineering profession, you should be looking at the larger house. You should be looking at the whole of Nigeria when you are designing whatever you design.

‘The issue of the collapse of buildings has so many dimensions. We are not exonerating all engineers, some people are culpable.

‘As an engineer who has been properly trained, you don’t have to bend the rules. You have the standard, you have to follow the standard’ he said.’

In his welcome address, chairman of NSE Ibadan Branch,. Ayokunnu Ojed???, described the event as more than a celebration, but a call to service.

For years, Nigeria sat on a paradox beneath the Atlantic. Its deep offshore held enormous oil and gas reserves, international oil companies possessed the technology and expertise to develop them, and the country desperately needed the investment, production and revenue that such projects could generate. Yet, somehow, the money remained on the sidelines.

Projects that should have become engines of growth were trapped in prolonged negotiations, fiscal uncertainty, commercial disagreements and regulatory bottlenecks. Some of the country’s most promising offshore assets became monuments to what Nigeria had in abundance but struggled to convert into wealth.

That story may finally be changing. The most compelling evidence is not another government promise or another projection of what Nigeria’s petroleum industry could become. It is the movement of serious capital towards projects that had spent years waiting for the right commercial conditions.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s signing of the Deep Offshore Oil and Gas Projects Incentives (Tax Remission) Order, 2026, has fundamentally altered the conversation around deepwater investment. The framework is designed to provide a more predictable and competitive fiscal environment capable of unlocking more than US$50 billion in potential new investment in Nigeria’s deep offshore.

For an industry where investment decisions can involve billions of dollars and extend over decades, certainty is not a technical detail. It is the foundation upon which investment decisions are made. And almost immediately, the policy signal was followed by a commercial development of enormous significance.

On 24 August 2026, NNPC Limited and the contractor parties to Oil Mining Lease 118 executed addenda to the Production Sharing Contract and Dispute Settlement Agreement for the long-delayed Bonga South-West/Aparo project. The agreement brings one of Nigeria’s most important deepwater developments significantly closer to Final Investment Decision and opens the door to an estimated US$15 billion to US$21 billion investment over the life of the project.

At peak production, Bonga South-West/Aparo is expected to deliver approximately 175,000 barrels of crude oil per day and 140 million standard cubic feet of gas per day. Bonga South-West is the first Final Investment Decision on a Nigerian deepwater Production Sharing Contract asset since 2008. For an industry that has watched deepwater projects remain stalled for years, that alone represents a significant break with the past. And it is difficult to discuss this emerging momentum without examining the role of NNPC Limited and the leadership of its Group Chief Executive Officer, Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari.

Ojulari inherited an institution whose public image had, over the years, become associated with bureaucracy, inefficiency, opacity and the inability to translate Nigeria’s enormous petroleum endowment into commensurate economic value. His challenge was therefore never simply about increasing crude production.

It was about changing the way the national oil company does business especially with the passage of Petroleum Industry Act, PIA.

The emerging philosophy under Ojulari is increasingly centred on commercial discipline, transparency, investment attraction, operational efficiency and the aggressive removal of obstacles standing between Nigeria’s petroleum resources and the capital required to develop them. That is an important shift. The global energy business has changed dramatically. Capital is no longer automatically attracted to countries simply because they possess large reserves. Investors compare jurisdictions, assess fiscal terms, calculate risk and ask difficult questions about how quickly and predictably a project can move from approval to production.

Nigeria is therefore competing for capital, not merely selling crude. This is why the deep offshore incentive framework matters so much. The new fiscal regime is intended to provide the certainty investors need to commit long-term capital, accelerate Final Investment Decisions and bring commercially viable offshore developments into production. For NNPC, it creates a much clearer platform from which to engage international oil companies and turn stranded opportunities into bankable projects.

Ojulari’s response to the policy is revealing. He has described the reform as a landmark development capable of enhancing Nigeria’s competitiveness for deep offshore investment and supporting the country’s ambition of reaching three million barrels of oil production per day by 2030.

That ambition will not be achieved through declarations. It will require projects, capital, technology, infrastructure and, above all, investor confidence. Bonga South-West provides a glimpse of what that could look like. The immediate benefit is obvious: billions of dollars of investment flowing into the Nigerian economy and additional oil and gas production coming on stream. But the real economic impact could be considerably larger.

A project of this scale requires engineers, fabricators, marine operators, subsea specialists, logistics companies, financial institutions, project managers, environmental consultants and thousands of skilled workers. Its value chain stretches far beyond the offshore platform itself.

A sustained deepwater investment cycle could therefore breathe new life into Nigeria’s engineering and fabrication industry, expand marine logistics, strengthen technical services and create opportunities for indigenous companies to participate in increasingly sophisticated energy projects.

And greater confidence in Nigeria’s upstream sector can produce perhaps the most valuable commodity of all: repeat investment. That is where the transformation of NNPC becomes particularly important. A national oil company that merely administers petroleum assets is one thing. A commercially driven national energy company capable of structuring transactions, resolving complex contractual issues, attracting international capital and moving projects towards production is something entirely different.

The difference is increasingly visible. Even the changing conversation among Nigeria’s business leaders and energy stakeholders reflects this. Billionaire businessman and energy investor Tony Elumelu has publicly praised the progress made in reducing crude oil losses, noting the dramatic improvement from the extraordinary levels of losses experienced previously. His comments are important because they underline the connection between security, production and investment confidence. When less crude is lost to theft and vandalism, more barrels reach the market, production becomes more predictable and the economics of investing in Nigeria improve.

That improvement cannot be separated from the broader reforms taking place across the petroleum sector and the drive by NNPC management to restore production efficiency.

The logic is straightforward. An investor will not commit billions of dollars to a project merely because Nigeria has oil beneath its waters. The investor wants to know that the operating environment is secure, contracts are respected, fiscal obligations are understood, infrastructure can support production and the institution sitting across the negotiating table understands the commercial realities of the industry. That is the confidence NNPC has built and sustaining under Ojulari.

Interestingly, even criticism of the company’s financial management has recently produced an unexpected demonstration of the importance of evidence and transparency. The Association of Energy Policy and Development Consultants (AEPDC) had earlier called for changes in the leadership of NNPC over concerns it raised about the company’s financial management and accountability. The association later withdrew its position, saying its initial assessment had been based on incomplete information, and apologised to Ojulari and the NNPC management.

The episode is significant not because NNPC should be shielded from criticism; it should not. A company controlling assets of such enormous national importance must remain open to scrutiny. What matters is what happened when the allegations were tested against the facts. The position changed and that is precisely how serious institutional accountability should work.

It also reinforces one of the most important elements of Ojulari’s reform agenda: rebuilding confidence through greater transparency, clearer communication and evidence-based engagement.

The deepwater signing also sends a message to investors watching Nigeria from London, Houston, Paris, Dubai and other global energy centres: the country’s deepwater opportunities are not necessarily condemned to remain stranded assets. There is movement. There is capital and there is a clearer fiscal framework. And there is now a national oil company increasingly determined to position itself as a commercial partner rather than simply a bureaucratic gatekeeper.

This is where Ojulari’s stewardship will ultimately be judged. The success of his reform agenda cannot be measured simply by how impressive its monthly figures appear. It must be measured by whether projects reach FID, whether capital flows into the country, whether production rises sustainably, whether costs are controlled, whether local businesses benefit and whether the Nigerian state receives greater value from its resources.

By that measure, the Bonga South-West agreement is an important marker. So too is the wider deep offshore investment framework. Together, they point towards an NNPC that is beginning to understand that its greatest value to Nigeria lies not merely in owning petroleum assets, but in unlocking them. And unlocking them requires a different mindset; one that sees every stranded field as potential capital, every contractual dispute as a commercial problem to be resolved, every investor as a potential long-term partner and every barrel produced as part of a wider national economic strategy.

That is the real significance of the Ojulari era. It needs an energy institution capable of creating value when the market is difficult, attracting capital when investors are cautious and turning opportunities buried beneath thousands of feet of water into tangible economic benefits for a country of more than 200 million people.

The early signs are encouraging. The real test, however, is still ahead. Bonga South-West must move from agreement to Final Investment Decision, from FID to development and from development to production. The US$50 billion deep offshore investment opportunity must translate from policy ambition into actual capital deployed, projects executed and barrels produced.

If that happens at scale, the story of NNPC under Bayo Ojulari will be much bigger than a story about increased oil production.

It will be the story of an institution rediscovering its commercial purpose. From an organisation once criticised for consuming enormous resources without delivering commensurate value, NNPC is increasingly positioning itself as a magnet for capital, a catalyst for production and a financial backbone of Nigeria’s energy economy.

ONOGWU Muhammed, B.Tech (Chemical/Petroleum Tech.), LLB, BL, LLM (Energy and Oil Gas Law) in View, MIAD, ANIPR

Borno State Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Sainna Buba, has threatened that people who refuse to support the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 general election will be flogged.

Buba made the statement in a video circulating on social media on Monday during the inauguration of a campaign organised by the Tinubu City Boy Movement, a political support group backing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid.

The commissioner said those who support the APC would benefit from the government, while warning those who choose not to support the party of consequences.

‘As for some people who do not deserve us to call their names. In politics, sometimes things go smoothly, sometimes it goes with persuasion, and sometimes it goes with force. Right now, we are being persuasive, but we’ve noticed they are throwing jabs at us on TikTok. Well, it is not as if we are inefficient at blowing the whistle on politics.

‘If they point fingers at us, we will point fingers at them; if they point fingers at us with malicious intent, then we will hold that finger and break it. This government is our government; follow us and enjoy honey. As for those who refuse to follow us, they will be flogged.

‘We should all be aware that they will bring campaign materials for the state for us all to benefit,’ he said.

Buba’s comments came days after a similar warning by the chairman of Kuje Area Council in the Federal Capital Territory, Samuel Shekwolo, who told residents who do not support the APC to leave the council ahead of the 2027 election.

Shekwolo made the remarks in a video that surfaced on social media while addressing his followers and constituents.

The council chairman linked his position to what he described as developmental interventions by Tinubu and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, in Kuje.

According to him, residents should not benefit from the administration’s projects and interventions and then vote against the APC in the 2027 elections.

The Kano State Pilgrims Welfare Board has given intending pilgrims who have paid their Hajj fares but are yet to submit their e-passports until September 5, 2026, to complete the process or risk losing their slots for the 2027 Hajj.

The Director-General of the Board, Abubakar Ibrahim Matawalle, announced the deadline on Monday during an interview with members of the Kano Correspondents Chapel at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Press Centre in Kano.

Matawalle warned that pilgrims who failed to submit their e-passports by the deadline would have their payments refunded, while their slots would be allocated to standby pilgrims.

He disclosed that about 200 pilgrims were already on the standby list, with their passports and cheques of N7.6 million, in addition to the required Hajj fare, ready for processing.

‘Anybody who fails to meet the deadline will automatically be replaced,’ the DG warned.

He explained that the decision was necessary to enable the board to meet deadlines set by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) and avoid losing unutilized slots.

Matawalle further warned that any slots that remained unutilized after September 10 would be taken over by NAHCON and reallocated to states requiring additional slots.

The DG said the board had reviewed the challenges encountered during the previous Hajj operation, particularly delays in accommodation arrangements, issuance of pilgrims’ identification cards known as ‘Masuk,’ and airlift arrangements.

He assured intending pilgrims that measures had been put in place to prevent a recurrence of the delays experienced in obtaining the Masuk cards.

According to him, the identification card is essential because it enables Saudi authorities to properly identify pilgrims and helps prevent them from experiencing difficulties during their stay.

Matawalle said he assumed office at a critical period when preparations for the pilgrimage were already behind schedule, noting that important arrangements such as visa processing, Basic Travel Allowance (BTA), and pilgrims’ sensitization should ordinarily have started one or two months earlier.

Despite the challenges, he said the board worked round the clock, including during Ramadan, to clear outstanding documentation and meet the deadlines imposed by NAHCON and Saudi authorities for uploading pilgrims’ passports for visa processing.

He said Kano successfully secured visas for all its allocated 3,600 pilgrims within the required period during the previous Hajj operation.

Matawalle said his administration had reviewed the previous arrangements and identified areas where shortcomings occurred, with a view to improving the 2026 Hajj operation.

He listed decent accommodation, feeding, medical services, and general welfare of pilgrims among his major priorities.

The DG also disclosed that the number of accommodation facilities for Kano pilgrims would be reduced from about nine or 10 houses used previously to only two houses for the 2026 operation.

He said the measure would enable board officials to monitor pilgrims more effectively, provide essential services, and respond promptly to their needs.

Matawalle disclosed that Kano’s allocation had been reduced to 3,050 pilgrims following a reduction in Nigeria’s overall Hajj quota by Saudi authorities.

He explained that Nigeria previously received an allocation of 90,000 pilgrims, but only about 50,000 were eventually transported because some states failed to utilize their allocated slots.

According to him, Kano has already exhausted its 3,050 allocated seats, making it necessary for the board to replace any pilgrim who fails to complete the required documentation.

On accommodation in Saudi Arabia, Matawalle acknowledged that the board might not be able to secure facilities extremely close to the Grand Mosque but assured pilgrims that the distance would be considerably better than what they experienced previously.

He also said the board had engaged the airline to ensure that Kano pilgrims would not again be among the last groups to be airlifted to Saudi Arabia.

‘Last year, we were almost the last people to be airlifted to Saudi Arabia. This time around, we will never be the last. If we cannot be the first, we will definitely be the second or be in the middle,’ he said.

The DG urged all intending pilgrims who had paid their fares but were yet to submit their e-passports to do so before the September 5 deadline.

He also appealed to pilgrims to cooperate with the board, complete their documentation promptly, and comply with all official directives to ensure a smoother and more organized Hajj operation.

Tinubu also called for stronger collaboration among governments, security agencies, traditional and religious institutions, communities, youths, women, development partners, and the private sector to tackle insecurity and restore stability across the region.

The president spoke on Monday at the 2026 North Central Regional Security Summit in Makurdi, Benue State, where he was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume.

Mr. Yomi Odunuga, who is the Special Adviser to the SGF on Media and Publicity, made this known in a statement, noting that the summit, organized by the Ministry of Defense in collaboration with the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement, North Central, was themed ‘Collaborative Approaches to Strengthening Security and Regional Stability.’

Tinubu said insecurity in the North Central had continued to evolve beyond the capacity of any single security agency, government, or community to tackle in isolation.

According to him, criminal elements move across state and local government boundaries, making collaboration and intelligence sharing critical to containing the threat.

‘No single agency, no single tier of government, and no single community can secure this region acting alone.

‘Insecurity does not respect state boundaries or agency mandates. Criminals move freely across local government areas while our responses are too often slowed by rivalry, duplication and the withholding of information. That must end.’

The President said his administration had strengthened the national security architecture through improved coordination among the Armed Forces, Nigeria Police Force, and intelligence services, while also acquiring new platforms and advanced capabilities for the military.

He said the government was equally rebuilding Nigeria’s indigenous defense industry through the Defense Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) Act and improving the welfare of security personnel to enhance their effectiveness.

Tinubu commended the military and other security agencies for what he described as significant gains against terrorists and criminal elements, including the neutralisation of terrorist commanders, surrender of thousands of fighters, rescue of captives, and restoration of normalcy to several communities.

He, however, stressed that military operations could only suppress violence without addressing the grievances and conditions that sustain it.

‘Military action alone will not deliver lasting peace to the North Central. Force can suppress violence; it cannot resolve the grievances that produce it.’

He identified competition over land and water, climate change, desertification, unresolved land-use disputes, weak local dispute-resolution mechanisms and the proliferation of illicit weapons as major factors contributing to violent conflicts in the region.

Tinubu said the Federal Government would therefore continue to combine kinetic operations with developmental interventions.

He cited the government’s plan to transition from open grazing to modern, settled livestock production through the Ministry of Livestock Development, saying the policy was designed to protect farmlands, improve pastoral livelihoods and address a major trigger of farmer-herder conflicts.

He also highlighted the Reclaiming the Ungoverned Space for Economic Benefits Programme of the Ministry of Defence, which he said would deploy the experience of retired military personnel towards securing and revitalising communities recovering from violence.

According to him, investments in irrigation, mechanised agriculture, rural roads and access to credit under the Renewed Hope Agenda would help transform the region’s vulnerabilities into economic opportunities.

The President tasked traditional and religious leaders with taking a more active role in preventing conflicts, saying their proximity to the grassroots placed them in a unique position to detect threats before they escalate.

‘I ask you to be our first line of early warning and our most trusted voice of reconciliation,’ he told the traditional and religious leaders.

He urged them to reject inflammatory rhetoric regardless of its source, warning that Nigeria had suffered from careless statements exploiting ethnic, religious and other differences.

Tinubu also called on communities to provide timely intelligence to security agencies and stop shielding criminals on the basis of kinship or sentiment.

‘Security begins with you. I call on every citizen to share information with the security agencies, to refuse to shield criminality out of kinship or sentiment,’ he said.

The President further called for greater involvement of women and youths in peace-building efforts.

He described women as some of the most effective peacebuilders in communities and assured youths that his administration would continue to expand economic opportunities capable of discouraging their recruitment into criminal and violent groups.

‘Your energy is this region’s greatest asset. This administration is committed to expanding the opportunities that make a rifle a far less attractive prospect than a livelihood,’ he told young people.

Tinubu also urged development partners and the private sector to increase investment in the North Central, stressing that economic development and security were mutually reinforcing.

‘Peace and investment reinforce one another. Every factory built, every farm expanded and every young person employed in this region is a contribution to its security,’ he said.

Tinubu demands action plan

The President warned participants against producing another communiqué that would eventually be abandoned, insisting that the summit must generate practical recommendations with clear responsibilities, timelines and measurable outcomes.

He directed the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Gwabin Musa (retd.), to transmit the outcomes of the summit to him and report on the implementation of its recommendations.

‘We will be judged not by the quality of our deliberations here, but by whether a farmer in this region sleeps more soundly a year from now,’ Tinubu said.

He commended the Ministry of Defence and the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement, North Central, for convening the summit, describing it as part of his administration’s strategy of building national security from the communities upwards.

The Makurdi summit is the second in a series of regional security engagements initiated by the Ministry of Defence, following the South-East Regional Security Summit held in Umuahia, Abia State, on July 30, 2026.

Tinubu urged governors, ministers, service chiefs, traditional and religious leaders, civil society organisations, women, youths and private-sector representatives attending the summit to engage candidly and develop practical solutions to the region’s security challenges.

He thereafter declared the 2026 North Central Regional Security Summit open.