General
Belgium Assures Nigeria, Others Quality Petrol, Diesel
By Adedapo Adesanya
One of Nigeria’s key sources of imports for petrol and diesel, Belgium, is tightening regulations to boost quality fuels to Nigeria and other West African countries.
Belgium, a major exporter of petrol and other fuels to Nigeria, is following the Netherlands in tightening environmental rules, officials told Reuters.
The Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp (ARA) hub is the world’s leading petrol exporting region and hosts some of Europe’s largest oil refineries including plants operated by TotalEnergies and Exxon Mobil.
Despite being Africa’s largest crude oil producer, moribund infrastructure and underinvestment makes Nigeria dependent on importing its fuels.
In February 2022, a large consignment of imported petrol had to be withdrawn from the market in Nigeria, after it was found to have excessive levels of methanol, which was causing engine damage in vehicles.
The development raised serious concerns over the regulation of fuel standards in Nigeria. Specifically, the fuel was imported from Antwerp in Belgium, according to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited.
In 2021, Nigeria imported $11.3 billion in refined petroleum, becoming the 18th largest importer of refined petroleum in the world. In the same year, refined petroleum was the 1st most imported product in Nigeria.
Nigeria’s imports of refined petrol during the year were: Netherlands ($3.62 billion), Belgium ($1.78 billion), Norway ($1.2 billion), India ($992 million), and the United Kingdom ($760 million).
However, after the Netherlands introduced legislation in April to tighten the specification for its road fuel exports, Belgium’s environment and energy ministries are now planning to introduce their own draft rules to tighten the quality of exported fuels.
This would further reduce northern Europe’s role in supplying Africa with dirtier petrol and diesel, which have been proven to cause significant health problems.
However, this may also lead to rising costs for poorer nations.
The office of Minister of Climate, the Environment, Sustainable Development and Green Deal, Ms Zakia Khattabi is working with Energy Minister, Ms Tinne Van der Straeten to prepare a royal decree to introduce the law, a spokesperson for Mr Khattabi told Reuters.
“It is evident that we must join forces and combine our expertise to halt the export of toxic fuels to third-party nations,” Ms Van der Straeten said in a statement.
The draft is expected to be ready within two weeks and, barring major political hurdles could become law by February next year, the environment ministry said.
Nigeria has in recent years cut sulphur content allowances for imported fuels.
However, its current specification for petrol remains at 150 sulphur parts per million (ppm), three times above Belgium’s proposed limits. The maximum allowed sulphur content for gasoline sold in the European Union is 10 ppm.
“There can be no double standards when it comes to products that pose environmental and health risks,” Van der Straeten said.
The Belgian government began researching the legislation in part due to concerns that “part of the export of these fuels from the Netherlands would come to Belgium”, Ms Khattabi’s spokesperson, Mr Mathias Bienstman said.
The Netherlands’ share of Northwest Europe’s exports to West Africa fell from around 47 per cent in the first quarter to just 15 per cent in October, according to tracking data from analytics firm Vortexa, while Belgium’s share rose from 34 per cent in the first quarter to 65 per cent last month.
The earliest the decree could be passed in February, the ministries hope, but the timeline will depend on the extent to which collaboration with the wider Belgian federal government, advisory council, and European Union is required.
It was reported that while an implementation date has not yet been decided, it usually comes six months after the publication of a royal decree, Mr Bienstman said.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Governor of Oyo State, Mr Seyi Makinde, has inaugurated a Judicial Commission of Inquiry to investigate the abduction of students and teachers from Esinele and Yawota communities in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
The governor formally inaugurated the commission at the Executive Council Chamber of the Governor’s Office, Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan.
Speaking at the event, Governor Makinde said that although the successful rescue of the victims brought relief to the state, it did not provide complete closure.
He explained that the decision to set up an independent commission was not intended to undermine the efforts of security agencies but to ensure that every question surrounding the incident is thoroughly addressed and lessons are learnt to prevent a recurrence.
He charged members of the commission to conduct a thorough, impartial, and evidence-based investigation, assuring them of the state government’s full support. He also called on individuals and relevant institutions to cooperate fully with the panel.
Speaking on behalf of the commission, its chairman, Professor Mojeed Owoade, pledged that members would carry out the assignment with integrity, professionalism, and fairness. He added that the panel would seek an extension if necessary to complete its work.
Governor Makinde gave the commission four weeks to submit its report.
Earlier this month, the pupils and teachers abducted in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State regained their freedom after 56 days in captivity.
According to the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, eight of the kidnappers had been arrested, but the Federal High Court in Abuja on July 23 sentenced three suspects in the abduction to life imprisonment.
According to the court, the sentencing of Mr Abdulrazak Umar, known under the alias Abu Khalifa/Abu Khalid; Mr Yunusa Musa, alias Yunusa Bin Musa; and Mr Shamsu Adamu Sani, alias Abu Itisar, will start from the date of their arrest.
Before their sentencing by Justice Salim Ibrahim, counsel for the defendants pleaded with the court to sentence them on liberal terms, adding that they were first-time offenders and had pleaded guilty.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Two Chinese, Mr Zhang Hong Lin and Mr Gao Pei Hai, have been convicted and sentenced by Justice Akintayo Aluko of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, for conspiracy and the illegal mining of solid minerals.
They were both found guilty on all five counts levelled against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and sentenced each to five years’ imprisonment on each count, with an option of a N50 million fine covering all five counts.
The court also ordered the forfeiture of the mineral resources recovered from them to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The defendants were arraigned on a five-count charge bordering on conspiracy and the unlawful possession of mineral resources intended for export without lawful authority.
“That you, Zhang Hong Lin, Gao Pei Hai, and Gao Pei Yu (currently at large), sometime in 2025 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this court, conspired among yourselves, with the intent to defraud the Federal Government of Nigeria of revenue accruing therefrom, and without the permission of the appropriate authority, engaged in the exportation of mica products, copper-bearing, and lithium-bearing mineral resources out of Nigeria, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 1(8)(a) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, 1983, and punishable under Section 8 of the same Act,” one of the charges read.
The defendants pleaded guilty when the charges were read to them, with the prosecution counsel, H.U. Kofarnaisa, calling the investigating officer, Matthew Orogwu, who reviewed the facts of the case and tendered documentary evidence before the court.
After presenting the evidence, Kofarnaisa urged the court to convict and sentence the defendants in line with the charges.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF) and the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at improving the generation, validation, sharing and analysis of agricultural data to support evidence-based financing, policymaking and investment in the country’s agricultural sector.
The agreement was signed on Thursday at the NADF headquarters in Abuja, marking the beginning of a strategic partnership designed to strengthen the quality and use of agricultural statistics for planning, programme implementation and impact assessment.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, the chief executive of NADF, Mr Mohammed Ibrahim, described reliable data as the foundation of effective agricultural development, saying the partnership would enable the fund to make better-informed investment decisions and deliver more impactful interventions across the country’s agricultural value chain.
He noted that although NADF was established by an Act of Parliament in 2022, the Fund has continued to build strategic partnerships that will enhance the delivery of its mandate.
According to him, the collaboration with the National Bureau of Statistics comes at a critical time as the Fund expands its support for agricultural financing, research, donor coordination and sub-national agricultural development.
“Data is our chief enabler. We want every intervention and every investment we make to be guided by credible evidence. Working with the National Bureau of Statistics will strengthen our ability to design programmes that respond to real needs and deliver measurable results,” Mr Ibrahim said.
On his part, the Statistician-General of the Federation and chief executive of NBS, Mr Adeyemi Adeniran, said the agreement represents a practical commitment by both institutions to strengthen Nigeria’s agricultural sector through better statistics and closer institutional collaboration.
He explained that the partnership would create a common framework for agricultural data exchange, validation and harmonisation, ensuring that policymakers and investors have access to reliable information.
“Agriculture deserves better data, and together we intend to build it. Reliable statistics remain the foundation of good governance, sound planning and effective investment,” Mr Adeniran said.
He added that the partnership would improve monitoring of agricultural programmes, support investment decisions and contribute to national food security by ensuring that critical decisions are driven by evidence rather than assumptions.
The Statistician-General also assured stakeholders that both organisations would maintain the highest standards of data governance and confidentiality throughout the implementation of the agreement.
He commended NADF for its growing role in agricultural development and expressed confidence that the partnership would deliver tangible benefits for farmers, policymakers and investors.
Also speaking, a representative of NADF’s Partnership and Investor Relations Department, Mr Nasir Ingawa, described the signing of the MoU as the culmination of a productive relationship between the two organisations.
He said the formal partnership would deepen collaboration and ensure that agricultural interventions are supported by credible and fit-for-purpose data.
The ceremony ended with the formal signing of the Memorandum of Understanding by the leadership of both organisations after legal representatives confirmed that the document reflected the agreed terms.
