General
Nigeria Adopts New Security Framework to Safeguard Oil Assets
By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and the Federal Ministry of Defence have agreed to deepen collaboration on the protection of critical oil and gas infrastructure through a new non-kinetic security framework designed to curb threats, strengthen community relations and sustain rising output.
The initiative comes as Nigeria recorded crude oil production of nearly 1.8 million barrels per day, one of the highest production levels in recent years, amid intensified efforts to combat crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism and other security challenges across the Niger Delta.
Speaking during a courtesy visit by a delegation from the Ministry of Defence to the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja, the chief executive of NUPRC, Mrs Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, said the country’s recent production gains were directly linked to coordinated interventions involving security agencies and industry stakeholders.
“Today, we are benefiting from those efforts. Last month, we recorded production of nearly 1.8 million barrels per day throughout the month,” Mrs Eyesan said.
She noted that sustained investments in security operations, technology deployment and human capacity development had significantly improved production stability and operational efficiency in the upstream petroleum sector.
According to her, maintaining and expanding the gains has become critical as Nigeria seeks to increase crude oil output, attract fresh investments and maximise revenue generation from the petroleum industry.
“As we look to the future, we desire to grow production and must have assurances that security threats can be effectively managed. We can only achieve this through stronger collaboration with security agencies and industry stakeholders,” she stated.
Mrs Eyesan stressed that safeguarding oil and gas assets remains central to Nigeria’s energy security strategy and economic growth objectives, noting that production assurance has become a key requirement for investors considering new upstream projects.
She disclosed that the Commission was exploring wider deployment of advanced technologies, including drone surveillance systems, to improve monitoring of the country’s vast oil and gas infrastructure network and detect threats before they escalate into operational disruptions.
The NUPRC boss further revealed that the Commission would work closely with operators to refine and implement a new security framework, while providing leadership in stakeholder engagement and governance structures needed to ensure long-term sustainability.
The Minister of Defence, Mr Christopher Gwabin Musa, said the Ministry was introducing a non-kinetic security intervention model aimed at addressing the underlying causes of insecurity in oil-producing communities.
Rather than relying solely on military operations, he explained that the strategy would focus on community engagement, youth empowerment and social inclusion programmes to build lasting peace around critical energy infrastructure.
“One of the best ways to engage youths in oil-producing areas is through sports-based interventions,” Mr Musa stated.
He explained that the initiative would utilise sports development programmes to channel youthful energy into productive activities, reduce vulnerability to criminal networks and strengthen community ownership of critical national assets.
The Defence Minister, who was represented by one of his aides, added that the intervention would also include structured programmes for persons living with disabilities, creating broader opportunities for participation and economic inclusion in host communities.
According to him, the initiative aligns with the Host Community Development provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) and is expected to strengthen relationships between operators and host communities while promoting sustainable development.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has explained why it initiated a move to freeze the bank account of the Osun State government.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Governor of Osun State, Mr Ademola Adeleke, claimed that the anti-money laundering agency asked one of its bankers, First Bank, not to release funds to the state government.
According to the Governor, this was part of the strategies to frustrate his administration ahead of the August 15, 2026, governorship election in the state.
Reacting to the issue on Wednesday night, the EFCC, in a statement, said it has been investigating the state government since March 2026 over an alleged “fraudulent handling of Ecology Funds, Intervention Funds and Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) account to the tune of N11.0 billion.
The organisation noted that some officials of the state government, especially the Accountant General of the State, have had interview sessions with investigators of the EFCC.
“These ongoing investigations of the state government would not have warranted any placement of Post No Debit order on its account but for the precipitate and unwarranted movement of funds from the accounts to different suspicious accounts since August 2, 2026.
“The commission noticed huge transfers of funds into different corporate entities and had to swiftly halt the trend by freezing the accounts from which such heavy funds are being moved,” parts of the statement said.
In the disclosure, the agency noted that its preventive mandate is a public-inclined framework of safeguarding public funds, assets and resources, stressing that it cannot “watch idly while a state government’s account is being pillaged.”
“While the commission is fully aware of the impending governorship election in Osun State, it has a responsibility to act in defence of the sanctity of the funds of the state. It will be uncharitable for the commission to allow an excuse of an upcoming election to fold its arms to perform its legally-assigned functions,” it pointed out.
The EFCC disclosed that it is “keeping watch over the finances of other states like Osun State. Many of these states are on the investigative radar of the commission to ensure accountability and probity. The commission has always pointed out that it is non-partisan and non-sectarian but always working in the overall interests of Nigerians. The Osun State government account was frozen to save public funds from being looted.”
The organisation urged the public “to ignore false narratives and deliberate demonisation of the works of the EFCC. The interests of all Nigerians are greater and will always be protected by the commission.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has launched a mobile application designed to monitor fuel consumption patterns in real time across retail outlets nationwide.
The NMDPRA, established under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, is responsible for the technical and commercial regulation of Nigeria’s midstream and downstream petroleum operations. The deployment of the mobile application aligns with the authority’s broader efforts to leverage technology to improve regulatory compliance and strengthen accountability.
The pilot phase of the project began on August 1 in Abuja and its six Area Councils, the authority said in a statement published on X.
As part of the rollout, the Executive Director for Distribution Systems, Storage and Retailing Infrastructure (DSSRI), Mr Ogbugo Ukoha, led a team alongside officials from the Abuja Regional Office to assess the readiness and operational performance of the digital platform at participating retail outlets.
According to the NMDPRA, the application captures inventory and compliance data in real time, enabling regulators to monitor fuel distribution more effectively while improving operational efficiency across the sector.
The authority said the platform would generate reliable, data-driven insights to support evidence-based decision-making, strengthen national energy security planning and enhance transparency in the downstream petroleum industry.
It added that the initiative is expected to provide significant value to government, investors, operators and other stakeholders by improving access to accurate fuel consumption and compliance data.
Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector has undergone significant changes since the deregulation of the petrol market and the removal of fuel subsidies, with regulators placing greater emphasis on data-driven supervision to ensure product availability, prevent supply disruptions and discourage sharp regional disparities in distribution.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
No doubt, moving money among African markets remains a slow, fragmented process that relies on multiple intermediaries and prolonged settlement cycles.
To solve this issue and drive the development of stablecoin-enabled payment services for businesses across the continent, Onafriq has joined forces with a leading stablecoin infrastructure provider, Privy.
The collaboration will enable Onafriq to create and manage embedded digital asset solutions for its partners and, in time, institutional clients where regulation allows. The initial phase focuses on cross-chain stablecoin transfers and treasury and settlement workflows, creating the foundation for future cross-border payment and liquidity solutions.
Integrating Privy’s secure infrastructure enables Onafriq to build the capabilities required to support a new generation of efficient digital payment services for banks, fintechs, and mobile money operators.
This partnership is a key component of Onafriq’s broader strategy to modernise pan-African payment infrastructure, enabling secure multi-modal wallets and more efficient movement of value across the continent.
The outcome will support a range of future institutional use cases, including stablecoin-enabled settlement, treasury management and liquidity services, as it reflects Onafriq’s commitment to driving Africa’s digital transformation agenda by investing in technologies that make financial services more efficient, connected and accessible.
It was gathered that Onafriq selected Privy for its enterprise-grade infrastructure to enable the seamless integration of digital asset wallet capabilities into its products, subject to regulatory approval, and deliver a simple user experience while abstracting the complexity of blockchain technology.
“At Onafriq, we keep investing in technology that makes payments faster and more accessible. Privy gives us a building block for faster settlement and better liquidity management. As demand for digital asset services grows, our goal is to ensure Africa’s payment ecosystem benefits securely and in line with regulatory frameworks,” the Group Chief Product and Innovation Officer at Onafriq,” Mr Luke Kyohere, said.
The chief executive of Privy, Mr Henri Stern, said, “Stablecoins will play an increasingly important role in the future of global payments, but real-world adoption depends on infrastructure that is secure, scalable and simple to implement. Working with Onafriq allows us to help build that foundation across Africa and beyond.”
