Economy
Oil Spill Incidents in Nigeria Decline by 13.5%
By Adedapo Adesanya
The National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) has disclosed that a minimum of 383 oil spill incidents were recorded in 2021, lower than the 443 spills recorded in 2020 by 13.5 per cent.
In its latest oil spill report, NOSDRA stated that 33 of the 383 publicly available oil spill records for 2021 were not visited by a joint investigative team, while 122 of these spills had no estimated quantity provided by the company operating the assets from which the spills occur.
The oil spill remediation agency disclosed that based on available 23,897.271 barrels of crude oil, about 3.776 million litres were spilled, an equivalent of 119 tanker trucks full.
It further noted that the total spills in 2021 comprised two major oil spills, a situation where over 250 barrels of crude oil were spilled into inland waters, or over 2,500 barrels spilled on land, swamp, shoreline, and the open sea.
In addition, it stated that seven medium oil spills were recorded, a situation whereby 25-250 barrels of oil were spilled into inland waters, or 250-2,500 barrels spilled on land, swamp, shoreline, and the open sea.
Also, 240 minor oil spills were recorded, whereby up to 25 barrels were spilled into inland waters, or 250 barrels spilled on land, swamp, shoreline, and the open sea.
It added that 175 of these oil spills were under 10 barrels in size, while 128 oil spills could not be categorised.
NOSDRA stated that currently, there are no legally binding regulatory penalties or fines for oil spills in Nigeria, noting, however, that companies whose assets are responsible for the spill are required to fund the clean-up of each spill and usually pay compensation to local communities affected, especially if the spill was a fault of the company’s.
“A recent court case related to repeated oil spills in the Bodo area of Ogoniland argues that a failure by companies to adequately protect pipelines from vandalism or theft or continuing to operate when vandalism or theft is rife, constitutes culpability on behalf of the pipeline operator.
The government agency further stated that all operators are required by law to close off or stop all oil spills emanating from their assets within 24 hours of being notified of an oil spill in their jurisdiction, while a Joint Investigative Visit (JIV) must be carried out as soon as possible after a spill has been identified and containment measures are taken.
NOSDRA said: “The Joint Investigative Visit is where the oil company representatives, community representatives, and appropriate government agencies visit the oil spill site to agree on the cause, impact, and scale of spill among others. The resulting JIV document is signed by all parties present and forms the basis of any legal proceedings or compensation claims.
“Within two weeks of a spill being identified oil companies must (by law) submit information (Form B – enshrined in Nigerian law) to the government regulator which outlines areas of impact, the area covered by the spill, quantities spilled, quantities recovered, cause of spill, containment and cleanup measures, among others.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
The federal government has imposed an immediate nationwide ban on the export of wood and allied products, revoking all previously issued licenses and permits to exporters.
The announcement was made on Wednesday by the Minister of Environment, Mr Balarabe Lawal, during the 18th meeting of the National Council on Environment in Katsina State.
Mr Lawal said the directive, outlined in the Presidential Executive Order titled Presidential Executive Order on the Prohibition of Exportation of Wood and Allied Products, 2025, became necessary to curb illegal logging and deforestation across the country.
“Nigeria’s forests are central to environmental sustainability, providing clean air and water, supporting livelihoods, conserving biodiversity, and mitigating the effects of climate change,” the Minister said, warning that the continued exportation of wood threatens these benefits and the long-term health of the environment.
The order, published in the Extraordinary Federal Republic of Nigeria Official Gazette No. 180, Vol. 112 of 16 October 2025, relies on Sections 17(2) and 20 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which empower the state to protect the environment, forests, and wildlife and prevent the exploitation of natural resources for private gain.
Under the new policy, security agencies and relevant ministries are expected to enforce a total clampdown on illegal logging activities nationwide.
On his part, the Katsina State Deputy Governor, Mr Faruk Lawal Jobe highlighted the state’s history of pioneering socio-economic policies that have influenced national policy. He emphasized the importance of collaboration in addressing environmental challenges across the country.
“Environmental sustainability is critical to achieving growth and improving the quality of life of our people,” he said. “Our administration has prioritised initiatives aimed at combating desertification and promoting afforestation.”
The ban reflects the government’s commitment to safeguarding Nigeria’s shrinking forest cover and addressing climate change, while ensuring sustainable use of natural resources for future generations.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange rose by 0.24 per cent on Wednesday, December 17, pulling the Unlisted Security Index (NSI) up by 8.62 points to 3,614.64 points from 3,606.02 points.
In the same vein, the market capitalisation added N4.72 billion to close at N2.164 billion compared with the N2.160 trillion it ended on Tuesday.
The growth was inspired by four securities, which finished on the gainers’ log, neutralising the losses printed by two other securities on the trading platform.
MRS Oil Plc gained N17.90 on Wednesday to end at N196.90 per unit versus N179.00 per unit, NASD Plc appreciated by 59 Kobo to N58.50 per share from N57.91 per share, FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria Plc added 15 Kobo to sell at N60.19 per unit versus N60.04 per unit, and Industrial and General Insurance (IGI) Plc rose by 6 Kobo to 64 Kobo per share from 58 Kobo per share.
On the flip side, Golden Capital Plc extended its loss by 76 Kobo to end at N7.75 per unit versus N8.51 per unit, and Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc slipped by 35 Kobo to N39.65 per share from N40.00 per share.
Yesterday, the volume of transactions increased by 737.3 per cent to 20.4 million units from 2.4 million units, but the value of trades fell by 33.8 per cent to N72.2 million from N109.1 million, and the number of deals slid by 62.5 per cent to 21 deals from 56 deals.
Infrastructure Credit Guarantee Company (InfraCredit) Plc remained the most traded stock by value on a year-to-date basis with 5.8 billion units sold for N16.4 billion, the second position was occupied by Okitipupa Plc with 178.9 million units transacted for N9.5 billion, and the third place was taken by MRS Oil Plc with 36.1 million units worth N4.9 billion.
InfraCredit Plc was also the most traded stock by volume on a year-to-date basis with 5.8 billion units traded for N16.4 billion, followed by IGI Plc with 1.2 billion units valued at N420.7 million, and Impresit Bakolori Plc with 536.9 million units worth N524.9 million.
By Dipo Olowookere
A 0.26 per cent growth was achieved by the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited on Wednesday on the back of sustained bargain-hunting by investors.
This happened despite a pocket of profit-taking, with industrial goods losing 0.63 per cent and the energy index shedding 0.05 per cent.
But the insurance space increased by 2.02 per cent, the banking counter appreciated by 1.48 per cent, the commodity sector improved by 0.48 per cent, and the consumer goods segment rose by 0.03 per cent.
Consequently, the All-Share Index (ASI) went up by 383.71 points to 149,842.82 points from 149,459.11 points and the market capitalisation jumped by N244 billion to N95.525 trillion from N95.281 trillion.
The market breadth index remained positive after the bourse finished with 38 price gainers and 23 price losers, indicating a strong investor sentiment.
The quartet of First Holdco, Lasaco Assurance, Veritas Kapital, and Prestige Assurance gained 10.00 per cent to quote at N39.60, N2.75, N1.76, and N1.65, respectively, while Mecure Industries grew by 9.92 per cent to N50.40.
Conversely, Living Trust Mortgage Bank lost 10.00 per cent to close at N3.15, International Energy Insurance dropped 9.92 per cent to trade at N2.27, McNichols shrank by 6.90 per cent to N2.97, Omatek decreased by 6.84 per cent to N1.09, and Chams dipped by 6.41 per cent to N2.92.
The activity level witnessed a significant surge at midweek, with Ecobank trading 5.3 billion units for N168.7 billion.
Further, First Holdco sold 108.2 million units worth N4.2 billion, Sterling Holdings exchanged 87.3 million units valued at N606.2 million, FCMB transacted 74.3 million units worth N783.6 million, and Access Holdings sold 41.5 million units for N841.4 million.
At the close of trades, market participants traded 5.9 billion units valued at N216.2 billion in 25,205 deals compared with the 1.0 billion units worth N21.8 billion traded in 23,701 deals a day earlier, showing a rise in the trading volume, value, and number of deals by 490.00 per cent, 891.74 per cent, and 6.35 per cent, respectively.
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