Economy
Low Gas Feed, Crude Oil Theft Derail NLNG Train 7,8 Progress
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) has lamented that low access to feed gas and the problems of continued crude oil theft are dragging the progress of Trains 7 and 8, while Trains 1 to 6 are compelled to operate at 50 per cent installed capacity.
This was disclosed by the chief executive of the NLNG, Mr Philip Mshelbila, when he received Mr Ekperikpe Ekpo, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources for Gas.
He disclosed that the gas supply inadequacy is a direct result of rampant crude oil theft, adding that this was impacting gas production and supply to the company.
He stressed the need to overcome the challenges within Nigeria’s energy sector, noting that the government’s inability to tackle the root causes of crude oil theft would worsen Nigeria’s energy poverty and result in a significant loss of revenue from the monetisation of valuable resources.
“As we embark on the journey to complete Train 7, we are on the precipice of achieving a remarkable milestone – a capacity of 30 Million Tonnes Per Annum (MTPA).
“This accomplishment will not only position us as one of the largest single-site operations globally but potentially among the top three worldwide in terms of such capacity at a single site.
“It is an achievement that elevates Nigeria’s standing, placing us among the top six nations in this crucial industry,” the NLNG boss noted.
The NLNG boss noted that recent events, such as the Russian/Ukraine conflict, have ushered in a wave of new developments in the LNG sector.
He said the surge in activity underscored the robust demand for LNG, a demand recognised by nations worldwide as integral to the global energy transition.
“Considering these dynamic changes, our position in the rankings is likely to shift rapidly, as other countries make substantial investments in LNG production. This is why we believe it is important for us to conclude Train 7 and begin to look beyond that for further expansion,” he added.
Responding, Mr Ekpo said, “The development of gas is something we should pursue vigorously. The present administration will do everything possible to address the issues.”
“I am glad that the stakeholders in the sector, like NLNG, are not laid back. They are constantly seeking ways out of this issue. NLNG needs all the necessary encouragement to expand. It is for the good of this country. We must be quick to make these gains in development for the benefit of our future generations,” he further added in a statement released by NLNG’s Acting Manager of Corporate Communications and Public Affairs, Mr Yemi Adeyemi.
The Minister further complemented Mr Mshelbila’s complaint about the lack of feed gas.
“Today, the biggest challenge we have, one that poses a threat not only to our existing operations but also to our expansion plans, is feed gas supply.
“Trains 1 to 6 currently operate at roughly half their potential capacity, a situation that has persisted for some time. The main issue behind the challenge is crude oil theft which affects associated gas supply. The plant is half-full, not because we don’t have the capacity but because the feed gas is not there.
“We have aspirations for Train 8 but we cannot progress that work because we have no line of sight as to where that gas will come from.
“We believe that the gas can only come from deep water gas but the terms for that must be addressed. At present, the Production Sharing Contracts (PSCs) that govern deep-water exploration do not offer commercially viable terms for producers,” the statement quoted.
“With innovation, collaboration by a wide array of stakeholders, including the government, and unwavering determination, we can shape the energy landscape of tomorrow, driving economic prosperity, creating jobs, and mitigating environmental challenges through gas.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigeria’s crude oil production slipped slightly to 1.422 million barrels per day in December 2025 from 1.436 million barrels per day in November, according to data from the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
OPEC in its Monthly Oil Market Report (MOMR), quoting primary sources, noted that the oil output was below the 1.5 million barrels per day quota for the nation.
The OPEC data indicate that Nigeria last met its production quota in July 2025, with output remaining below target from August through December.
Quarterly figures reveal a consistent decline across 2025; Q1: 1.468 million barrels per day, Q2: 1.481 million barrels per day, Q3: 1.444 million barrels per day, and 1.42 million barrels per day in Q4.
However, the cartel acknowledged that despite the gradual decrease in oil production, Nigeria’s non-oil sector grew in the second half of last year.
The organisation noted that “Nigeria’s economy showed resilience in 2H25, posting sound growth despite global challenges, as strength in the non-oil economy partly offset slower growth in the oil sector.”
According to the report, cooling inflation, a stronger Naira, lower refined fuel imports, and stronger remittance inflows are improving domestic and external conditions.
“A stronger naira, easing food prices due to the harvest, and a cooling in core inflation also point to gradually fading underlying pressures”, the report noted.
It forecast inflation to decelerate further on the back of past monetary tightening, currency strength, and seasonal harvest effects, though it noted that monetary policy remains restrictive.
“Seasonally adjusted real GDP growth at market prices moderated to stand at 3.9%, y-o-y, in 3Q25, down from 4.2% in 2Q25. Nonetheless, this is still a healthy and robust growth level, supported by strengthening non-oil activity, with growth in that segment rising by 0.3 percentage points to 3.9%, y-o-y. Inflation continued to decelerate in November, with headline CPI falling for an eighth straight month to 14.5%, y-o-y, following 16.1%, y-o-y, in October”.
OPEC, however, stated that while preserving recent disinflation gains is important, the persistently high policy rate – implying real interest rates of around 12% – risks weighing on aggregate demand in the near term.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Thursday revealed that inflation rate for December 2025 stood at 15.15 per cent compared with the 14.45 per cent it put the previous month.
However, it recalculated the November 2025 inflation rate at 17.33 per cent after using a 12-month index reference period where the average consumer price index (CPI) for the 12 months of 2024 is equated to 100. This is a departure from the single-month index reference period, in which December 2024 was set to 100, which would have produced an artificial spike in the December 2025 year-on-year inflation rate.
The NBS had earlier informed stakeholders a few days ago that it was changing its methodology for inflation to reflect the economic reality. This is coming after the organisation changed the base year from 2009 to 2024 earlier in 2025.
In its report released today, the stats agency explained that this process was in line with international best practice as contained in the Consumer Price Index Inter-national Monetary Fund (IMF) Manual, specifically in Section 9.125 and the ECOWAS Harmonised CPI Manual, which address index reference period maximisation, following a rebasing exercise.
On a month-on-month basis, the headline inflation rate in December 2025 was 0.54 per cent, lower than the 1.22 per cent recorded in November 2025.
The NBS also revealed that on a year-on-year basis, the urban inflation rate for last month stood at 14.85 per cent versus 37.29 per cent in December 2024, while on a month-on-month basis, it jumped to 0.99 per cent from 0.95 per cent in the preceding month.
As for the rural inflation rate in December 2025, it stood at 14.56 per cent on a year-on-year basis from 32.47 per cent in December 2024, and on a month-on-month basis, it declined to -0.55 per cent from 1.88 per cent in November 2025.
It was also disclosed that food inflation rate in December 2025 was 10.84 per cent on a year-on-year basis from 39.84 per cent in December 2024, while on a month-on-month basis, it declined to -0.36 per cent from 1.13 per cent in November 2025 (1.13%).
This was attributed to the rate of decrease in the average prices of tomatoes, garri, eggs, potatoes, carrots, millet, vegetables, plantain, beans, wheat grain, grounded pepper, fresh onions and others.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Companies operating in Lagos State have been reminded of their obligations to file their annual tax returns for the 2025 financial year on or before January 31, 2026.
This reminder was given by the Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS) in a statement made available to Business Post on Thursday.
In the notice signed by the chairman of the tax agency, Mr Ayodele Subair, it was stressed that filing the tax returns is an obligation as stipulated in the Nigeria Tax Administration Act (NTAA) 2025.
He explained that employers are required to file detailed returns on emoluments and compensation paid to their employees, as well as payments made to their service providers, vendors and consultants, and to ensure that all applicable taxes due for the year 2025 are fully remitted.
Mr Subair emphasised that filing of annual returns is a mandatory legal obligation, and warned that failure to comply will result in statutory sanctions, including administrative penalties, as prescribed under the new tax law.
According to Section 14 of the NTAA, employers are required to file detailed annual returns of all emoluments paid to employees, including taxes deducted and remitted to relevant tax authorities. Such returns must be filed and submitted not later than January 31 each year.
“Employers must prioritise the timely filing of their annual income tax returns. Compliance should be part of our everyday business practice.
“Early and accurate filing not only ensures adherence to the law as required by the Nigerian Constitution, but also supports effective revenue tracking, which is important to Lagos State’s fiscal planning and sustainability,” he noted.
The LIRS chief disclosed that electronic filing via the organisation’s eTax platform remains the only approved and acceptable mode of filing, as manual submissions have been completely phased out. This measure, he said, is aimed at simplifying and standardising tax administration processes in the state.
Employers are therefore required to submit their annual tax returns exclusively through the LIRS eTax portal: https://etax.lirs.net.
Dr Subair described the channel as secure, user-friendly, accessible 24/7, and designed to provide employers with a convenient and efficient means of fulfilling their tax obligations, advising firms to ensure that the tax identification number (Tax ID) of all employees is correctly captured in their filings, noting that employees without a Tax ID must generate one promptly to avoid disruptions during the filing process.
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