Headlines

Nigeria: NNPC recorded a zero remittance to the Federation Account in January.

Published

3 years ago

February 28, 2022

By Derrick Bangura.

Despite rising international oil prices, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited failed to return its statutory funding to the Federation Account, which is shared by the federal, state, and local governments, before January 2022.

It was the second time in less than a year that the national oil company (NOC) was unable to deliver a kobo to the joint account, following the same incident in April of last year, when the business announced zero remittance for the month.
In addition, a document detailing NNPC’s activities for the month under review, presented during the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) held last Thursday, indicated that the NOC expended a whopping N210.38 billion on petrol subsidy during the month.

THISDAY recalls that with a deficit of approximately N2 trillion out of its projected N2.511 trillion, the NNPC was unable to remit roughly 80 percent of its projected contribution to the Federation Account in 2021.

For the entire 12 months of last year, the NNPC disbursed N542 billion as against the budgeted N2.511 trillion, despite a monthly contribution estimate of N209.3 billion. The N542 billion represented just about 21. 6 percent of the total expected contribution of the NNPC to the joint account.

The development underscored how a combination of factors, including declining oil production, rising subsidy payments, and high oil production costs, have hobbled the organization’s performance despite the increasing oil prices which overshot $105 per barrel last week.

Earlier in the year, President Muhammadu Buhari had backtracked on the planned full deregulation of the downstream sector, including the wholesale removal of petrol subsidy, citing the negative impact it would have on the poor in the country.

For decades, Nigeria’s attempt to fully free the downstream oil and gas industry has met with a brick wall. The latest effort has also been pushed forward by about 18 months, effectively exempting the current administration which will exit by May 2023 from any burden.

A THISDAY’s analysis in January 2022, had shown that total deductions for petrol subsidy or what the government terms under-recovery was about N1.43 trillion for 2021.

The journey to zero remittance in January was envisaged by close watchers of the industry as the NNPC only delivered a paltry N14.8 billion, N10.54 billion, and N20 billion in October, November, and December respectively last year.

In December, the three tiers of government shared N675.946 billion as FAAC revenue for November while in January, it shared N699.82 billion for December.

But the total funds shared in February markedly decreased to N574.66 billion, raising concerns over the capacity of sub-nationals to meet their current financial obligations.

The amount shared by the federal, state, and local governments dropped to a four-year low this month, a huge blow to states that are already struggling to survive.
But in the latest monthly presentation to FAAC held on February 24, obtained by TheCable, NNPC pointed out that the N210 billion shortfall included a December 2021 value of N176.48 billion plus the outstanding value shortfall recovery of N33.90 billion accruing from 2021.

Furthermore, the oil firm stated that it would deduct N242.5 billion, which was about N143.7 billion for January 2022 recovery and November spot arrears of N98.8 billion, during next month’s FAAC meeting. It, however, stated that the national oil company recorded N383 billion as gross revenue from crude oil sales in January, a dip from the projected N414.9 billion.

The fall would significantly negatively affect states that are presently experiencing fiscal stress and had been kicking against deductions of the shortfall from FAAC remittances.

While an ad-hoc committee of the National Economic Council (NEC) had recommended gradual deregulation of petrol prices by February 2022 to reduce the pressure on revenue accruing to states, recently Buhari asked the National Assembly to approve the N2.557 trillion budget for petrol subsidy in 2022.

Meanwhile, the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies OPEC+ have revised down forecast for the 2022 oil market surplus by about 200,000 barrels per day (BPD) to 1.1 million bpd, according to a base scenario in a technical committee report seen by Reuters on Sunday.

The data which is part of a report the Joint Technical Committee (JTC) prepares for OPEC+ ministers – also showed stocks in the developed world standing at 62 million barrels below the 2015 to 2019 average by the end of the year.

In a previous forecast, it had predicted the stocks would reach 20 million barrels above the same average by that point.

Ministers from OPEC and its allies, led by Russia, will meet on March 2 to decide whether to increase output by 400,000 barrels per day in April.
According to Reuters, the group’s output agreement has shown no fractures so far following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the organization is likely to continue to a planned output increase despite crude exceeding $100 per barrel.

Data from a separate JTC study also showed that the group produced 972,000 bpd less than the deal’s targets in January, compared to 824,000 fewer in December.

Related Topics:Accessmagazine Accessnews AccessNewsMagazine FG nigeria Nigerian Government NNPC OilandGas

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Headlines

Akwa Ibom APC Gears Up to Receive President Tinubu as Governor Umo Eno Joins Party

Published

3 days ago

June 20, 2025

Matthew Eloyi

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom State has announced its readiness to host President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and other top party leaders as it officially welcomes Governor Umo Eno into its ranks.

Speaking at a press briefing in Uyo on Friday, APC chieftain and former presidential aide, Senator Ita Enang, disclosed that the party was fully prepared to receive the president, Vice President Kashim Shettima, APC National Chairman, and governors elected on the party’s platform for the historic reception.

Governor Umo Eno had on June 6 formally defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC, in a move widely described as a political game-changer in Akwa Ibom.

Enang, a former Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly and Niger Delta Affairs, said the governor’s defection had effectively aligned the state with the central government.

He assured Governor Eno and his supporters that the APC would embrace them wholeheartedly and honour all agreements reached.

“As progressives, we shall work with the governor and his supporters to ensure that they fit into the party without hitches,” Enang stated. “We will also work with them to align programmes of the state government with the ideals and manifesto of the party.”

He further described the governor’s move as a “merger” that promises significant benefits for Akwa Ibom and its citizens.

The planned reception is expected to mark a major political event in the state, signaling a realignment of forces ahead of future elections.

Headlines

Ekiti Launches Aggressive Anti-Flood Campaign, Dredges Ofigba River

Published

3 days ago

June 20, 2025

Matthew Eloyi

The Ekiti State Government has intensified efforts to prevent flooding across the state with the launch of a comprehensive dredging campaign, targeting critical waterways in both rural and urban areas.

Chairman of the Ekiti State Environmental Protection Agency (EKSEPA), Chief Bamitale Oguntoyinbo, disclosed this on Friday during an inspection visit to the ongoing dredging project at the Ofigba River in Ise-Ekiti.

Oguntoyinbo, who was accompanied by EKSEPA board members, said the visit was to assess the progress of work being carried out to mitigate flood risks in the community. He expressed satisfaction with the pace and quality of the dredging work.

“I and other board members of EKSEPA are delighted with the level of job done by the site engineer because he is actually working with the directives of three-kilometer dredging of waterways,” he said.

According to him, the dredging commenced on June 4, and so far, 1.8 kilometers of the river have been successfully cleared.

He applauded Governor Biodun Oyebanji for prioritizing the safety and welfare of residents by initiating the state-wide anti-flooding campaign.

“I want to commend our amiable governor, Mr. Biodun Oyebanji, for embarking on zero tolerance campaign against flooding in every community and town in Ekiti,” Oguntoyinbo stated.

He also praised the General Manager of EKSEPA, Mr. Olukayode Adunmo, for his commitment to the project’s supervision and success.

In his remarks, Adunmo emphasized the urgent need to clear waterways choked by refuse, which impede water flow and contribute to flooding during the rainy season.

“Dredging of Ofigba River in Ise-Ekiti in Ise/Orun Local Government Area is necessary because some of the waterways have been blocked by refuse,” he explained. “There is the need for us to remove every blockage to enhance free flow of water and avert flooding during heavy rainfall.”

Adunmo also commended Governor Oyebanji for taking proactive steps to protect lives and properties across the state.

Residents of Ise-Ekiti have welcomed the government’s intervention. Chief Godwin Ojo, a community leader, expressed gratitude to the governor for his timely action.

“We thank the governor for the move to avert flooding in our community,” Ojo said. “May God grant him more wisdom to pilot the affairs of the state to an enviable height.”

The dredging campaign forms part of the Oyebanji administration’s broader commitment to environmental safety and disaster prevention.

Developmental

Tinubu to visit Kaduna Thursday to inaugurate key projects

Published

4 days ago

June 19, 2025

Saadatu Sahabo

Tinubu commiserates with Akwa Ibom governor over wife’s death

President Bola Tinubu is expected in Kaduna State Today Thursday for the inauguration of several key developmental projects executed by the administration of Gov. Uba Sani.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the visit forms part of activities marking Sani’s two years in office.

The projects lined up for inauguration include the 300-bed Specialist Hospital in Millennium City, Kaduna, built by the state government to bolster the provision of healthcare services.

Tinubu will also inaugurate the Institute of Vocational Training and Skills Development in Rigachikun, road projects in Soba, and Samaru Kataf LGA’S as well as the 24-kilometre Kafanchan Township Road.

Others are the Tudun Biri Road, the 22km road linking Kauru and Kubau LGAs as well as the Vocational and Skills Training Centre in Tudun Biri.

Tinubu is also expected to unveil 100 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses, as part of efforts to modernise the state’s public transportation system.

The projects are part of the administration’s focus on infrastructurde evelopment, healthcare delivery, youths empowerment, and economic growth.

The state government described the visit as a significant moment for the people of Kaduna and an opportunity to showcase ongoing efforts to transform the state through impactful governance.

Sani, who marked his second year in office this month, has prioritised human capital development, rural infrastructure, and jobs creation since taking office in 2023.

Tinubu’s visit to Kaduna State was rescheduled from Wednesday to Thursday.

He was initially supposed to visit Kaduna on Wednesday, but due to the recent attacks in Benue, he shifted his trip.

The president visited Benue on Wednesday to commiserate with the victims of the recent attacks and assess the humanitarian crisis.

During his visit to Benue, Tinubu met with stakeholders, including traditional rulers, political and community leaders, and youth groups, to seek lasting solutions to the hostilities.

He also condemned the ongoing violence and called on the residents to embrace peace and mutual understanding.

NAN recalls that the Benue Government had declared a work-free day for Tinubu’s visit, urging the residents to turn out in large numbers to welcome him.