By Adedapo Adesanya

Plans are underway to recover $6 billion and an additional N66 billion owed to the federal government by oil stakeholders.

This was disclosed by the Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), Mr Ogbonnaya Orji, in Abuja at the 2025 budget defence session organised by the House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream).

According to the group, over $3.7 billion was recovered into the government’s coffers as outstanding liabilities from companies operating in the oil sector.

NEITI is also collaborating with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to recover the funds into government coffers, according to Mr Orji.

He explained that NEITI was established to promote transparency and accountability in the Nigerian oil and gas, as well as the mining sector.

Mr Orji also said the agency had been allocated a budget of N6.5 billion for the 2025 financial year, comprising N2.220 billion for personnel, N1.722 billion for overhead, and N2.575 billion for capital projects.

He outlined some of the critical activities to be undertaken in the year, including conducting industry reports on the oil, gas, and mining sectors, as well as fiscal allocation and statutory disbursement audits.

He added that research studies would be conducted on the actual volume of PMS consumed in Nigeria.

According to him, it will also indicate the economic impact of energy transition and a national perception survey of EITI implementation in Nigeria.

During the budget defence session, Mrs Kafilat Ogbara emphasised the need for government agencies to ensure that their budget proposals comply with the specified line items.

She expressed concern over the N32 million allocated for meals in the 2025 budget, stating that it was excessive, especially during a time of economic hardship.

“Most of our agencies should ensure that what they are bringing as budget proposal must tally with the line item and the purpose why you want to use such funds.

“Let us not just see budget defence as ‘the money is there and we should share it. So, let us see how to get our own share’,” she said.

On his part, Mr Ademorin Kuye also stressed the importance of considering the economic situation in the country when preparing the annual budget.

He noted that the public perceives the National Assembly as a rubber stamp that approves anything presented by government agencies.

The Chairman of the Committee, Mr Alhassan Doguwa, faulted the language used in the budget preparation.

He also faulted the inclusion of the National Assembly as a beneficiary of the agency’s welfare package, assuring the committee’s readiness to support the agency in actualising its mandate.

By Adedapo Adesanya

Former presidential candidates, Mr Peter Obi and Mr Atiku Abubakar, have expressed deep concerns over the rising frequency of petrol tanker explosions in Nigeria.

Both statesmen raised the worry following another tragic incident in Enugu that claimed 18 lives just a week after a similar explosion in Niger State killed nearly 100 people.

In a statement, Mr Obi described the recurring accidents as alarming, with at least three reported cases in the month of January 2025 alone, leading to significant loss of lives and property.

He emphasized the urgent need to prioritize safety by fixing Nigeria’s deteriorating roads, enforcing strict road safety measures, and educating citizens on protocols around accident scenes.

“My heart goes out to the families who have lost loved ones and the people of Enugu State over this terrible incident. May God grant eternal rest to the departed and quick healing to the injured,” Mr Obi said.

He also urged relevant authorities to take immediate action to prevent further tragedies, stressing that the safety and security of lives and property must remain paramount.

Similarly, former Vice President Atiku said the frequent petrol tanker explosions in the country have reached an emergency level and urged the government to establish an inquiry into the menace.

“Oh dear, not again! My thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of all the victims. May their souls find eternal rest. The incidents of tragic tanker explosions have reached emergency levels. It is time for the government to establish an inquiry into this issue,” Mr Atiku tweeted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Accidents involving fuel tanker trucks have become common in Nigeria, which authorities blame on bad roads and reckless driving, often with dozens of fatalities.

According to Mr Olusegun Ogungbemide, spokesperson of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), 10 people were rescued with different degrees of injuries and another three were unharmed, at the Enugu incident.

“Unfortunately, the remaining 18 victims were burnt beyond recognition,” said Mr Ogungbemide.

By Adedapo Adesanya

The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) will soon roll out an improved multi-purpose biometric identity card to facilitate interventions.

The Director General of NIMC, Mrs Abisoye Coker-Odusote, disclosed this at a media briefing on an improved NIN card in Abuja at the weekend, noting that the move is in collaboration with the Nigerian Interbank Settlement System (NIBSS).

Mrs Coker-Odusote said the new card programme aims to address multiple use cases of federal government and private sector interventions and is also targeted at addressing social and economic issues in the country, with the payment functionalities and identity as a foundation.

According to her, “The key features of this card, are the biometric, based on the fingerprint, which is the only one that is currently unique; the card has a long validity period because it’s also fully KYC enabled; it has an offline and online capability, which means in locations where there are limited access to internet, this card will still work and be used for those services that it’s designed to achieve.

“And you can meet out cash, digital tokens, wallet, and email and it also has some banking details inside the chip that enables the holder to perform every other thing that can be done with an ENV-enabled card.

“On the back, the card provides additional functionalities which enable Nigerians and those who are going to have access to it to be able to prove their identity at any point in time they are called to do that.”

The NIMC CEO further explained that the new multi-tasking card also facilitates the inclusion of citizens in the social and economic activities in the country.

She noted that the second programme of the card called the Government of People card (G2P) addresses the current need for the government and its agencies, and even private sectors, to be able to identify people who are providing such services in a very secure and verifiable manner.

This is expected to take care of challenges in terms of identifying the people who participate in government intervention programmes.

On the cost of issuance, she assured that the card would be made available to Nigerians at affordable cost, adding that the newly designed biometric card is designed to uplift 133 million Nigerians out of poverty and provide seamless services.

Providing an overview of the project, the Director of the Card Management team, Mr Peter Iwegbu, said in terms of benefit to the citizens, the card will provide instant evidential identification; it’s a 3-in-1 card, access to government services, self-identification of yourself, and access to financial transactions.

The card also provides the opportunity to track people identify them and verify them without having to wait for any electronic devices.