General
Ogoni: Reps Promise Deeper Collaboration With IOCs, NNPC
By Adedapo Adesanya
The House of Representatives Committee on Host Communities says it will liaise with all stakeholders, including International Oil Companies (IOCs) and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) to ensure that the Ogoni cleanup project is not short of funds.
The Committee’s Chairman, Mr Dumnamene Dekor, made the commitment when he led members of the Committee on an oversight visit to the Hydrocarbon Pollution Restoration Project (HYPREP) sites in Ogoniland on Friday.
Mr Dekor said the Committee will engage with all stakeholders to ensure that funds are provided for the project, noting that the cleanup of Ogoniland is a priority and must be completed to restore the environment and improve the lives of the people.
“The last time I met with the Board of Trustees’ Chairman during the commissioning of the Bomu water project, we tried to look at what is being owed and sources where we can generate more revenue.
“The money that was earmarked for this project was a take-off grant and it’s almost spent and so we are also going to work with all stakeholders to ensure that funds are provided for the project, the IOCs and NNPC Ltd will make provisions for the tranche that belongs to them because it’s what they owe the people.
“We will work with HYPREP and other stakeholders to ensure all funds are released for the project.”
The House of Representatives Committee also commended the renewed vigour in the delivery of the hydrocarbon pollution remediation project in Ogoniland, and emphasised the need for alternative livelihood means for youths, while urging those involved in illegal activities to desist.
“We have gone to some water project sites, Ogoni Specialist Hospital, and some remediation sites. From what we have seen so far, I can say there is a renewed vigour to the delivery of this project to the people of Ogoniland and I must commend the Minister of Environment, the Project Coordinator of HYPREP and his team, having been around this project for a long time now, I can spot the difference.
“The Ogoni people have gone through a lot of deprivation and pollution for God knows how long and I think the least that can be done is what is going on now. The project coordinator has told us every community will have water, and that gladdens my mind,” he stated.
Also, the HYPREP Project Coordinator, Mr Nenibarini Zabbey, assured that the project was doing a lot, with over 130 projects ongoing simultaneously, including water projects, mangrove restoration, livelihood restoration and soil remediation.
Mr Zabbey noted that the project aims to develop a template not just for Ogoni but for the entire Niger Delta.
“We are excited that the House Reps Committee is here and we have taken note of all their concerns and their commendations.
“From day one, we assured Ogoni people and every stakeholder that we will give them the very best because we’re mindful of the fact that we are developing a template not just for Ogoni but for the entire Niger Delta,” he said.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Mr Bosun Tijani, has announced that Nigeria will launch a new alphanumeric postcode system on October 1, 2026, with every home expected to have a unique postcode.
Mr Tijani disclosed the development in a video post on X, describing the new system as a more precise and digitally oriented approach to addressing locations across the country.
He said the initiative would mark a significant shift in Nigeria’s postal addressing system by assigning unique postcodes to individual homes.
The initiative marks a major step in Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda. By replacing the outdated numeric-only system, the alphanumeric codes provide a more flexible and scalable framework that can accommodate the country’s rapid urban growth and diverse settlement patterns.
For emphasis, an alphanumeric postcode system is a postal indexing system that uses a combination of both letters (alpha) and numbers (numeric), along with spaces or punctuation, to identify specific geographic locations, streets, or individual buildings for mail delivery.
Unlike purely numeric postcode systems (such as the 5-digit US ZIP Code or 5-digit codes used in some European countries), alphanumeric codes offer a much higher number of unique combinations using fewer total characters. This flexibility allows postal authorities to pinpoint locations with incredible precision, often down to a single side of a street or a specific large building.
“On October 1st 2026 Nigeria’s new Alphanumeric Postcode System goes live,” Mr Tijani said.
“For the first time, every home will be assigned a unique postcode that’s simple, precise and built for a digital future,” he added.
The minister urged Nigerians to prepare to generate their individual postcodes ahead of the launch.
The new system is expected to strengthen Nigeria’s digital addressing infrastructure and improve the identification and location of homes and properties for postal and other location-based services.
The initiative is being implemented in collaboration with the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) as part of broader efforts to modernise the country’s addressing and digital infrastructure.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Taiwo Oyedele, has been directed to give an account to Nigerians on how the current government has fared since its inception on May 29, 2023.
This directive was given by President Bola Tinubu in a message posted on his verified social media handles on Wednesday.
This coincides with the commencement of campaigns for the 2027 presidential election scheduled for January 16.
According to the timetable of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), candidates seeking to become the country’s president are eligible to kick off their campaigns from today, Wednesday, August 19, 2026.
In his message today, Mr Tinubu said, “When we began this journey of reform in 2023, I promised that the difficult decisions we were making would serve the purpose of building an economy that works better for you and a country that is stronger for our children.
“Today, your government presents The Reforms Scorecard. It sets out what our reforms have achieved, what they have cost us, and the greater costs and harms we have prevented by acting when we did.
“I have therefore directed the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, to give an account to Nigerians, to explain the numbers, the choices we have made, the progress recorded, and the work that remains.
“You deserve to see the numbers. You deserve to know what has changed and what these reforms mean for you, your family, your business and our country.
“This is your government. This is your country. This is our account to you.”
Shortly after he took the oath of office over three years ago, President Tinubu declared that subsidies on petroleum products were gone. He later approved foreign exchange (FX) reforms, which devalued the Nigerian Naira, shooting from about N800 per Dollar to nearly N2,000 per Dollar. However, it is currently slightly above N1,340 per Dollar in the official market.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited and the Nigerian Agip Exploration (NAE) Limited are advancing discussions on the development of deepwater assets estimated to hold 500 million barrels of oil reserves.
The development followed a meeting between the chief executive of the state oil company, Mr Bayo Ojulari, and Agip’s Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Mr Maurizio Pinna, in Abuja.
The talks focused on ongoing work on deepwater acreage jointly held by NNPC, NAE and Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo) as well as plans to bring the associated resources into production.
According to NNPC, the acreage comprises the Zabazaba and Etan deepwater fields, with estimated reserves of about 500 million barrels.
The fields are located in Nigeria’s deepwater terrain and are considered significant to the country’s efforts to expand its upstream oil production base, particularly as operators seek to advance projects capable of delivering additional barrels over the medium to long term.
While details of the expected production timeline were not disclosed, the meeting underscores renewed industry focus on unlocking Nigeria’s deepwater resources and growing crude oil production.
The acreage comprises licences converted from OPL 245 and is operated by NAE in partnership with NNPC Limited and SNEPCo.
Mr Ojulari and Mr Pinna also reviewed the work currently underway on the assets and the expected production outlook, with the discussions centred on advancing deepwater development.
The engagement comes amid renewed efforts to attract investment into Nigeria’s offshore petroleum resources and increase national oil production.
