General
Nigeria’s Crude Output May Drop as Shell Shuts Leaking Oil Pipeline
By Adedapo Adesanya
Plans by Nigeria to further boost its oil production met a fresh barrier as the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) has suspended production in an affected pipeline.
The oil major confirmed an oil spill from one of its assets in the Obololi community, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
The shut down followed an oil leak on the pipeline at Obololi community a coastline community along the River Nun in Southern Ijaw, oil rich Bayelsa State.
Nigeria which is targeting around 2.06 million barrels per day, may have its current 1.767 million barrels per day affected by the drawback from this development.
A spokesperson for SPDC, Mr Michael Adande, said the company’s Oil Spill Response Team had identified the leak and immediately took action to contain it.
“The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited, SPDC, operator of the SPDC Joint Venture, confirms that its Oil Spill Response Team has identified a leak from one of the SPDC JV assets located in the Obololi community, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State. The Team immediately isolated the line and suspended production into the line,” Mr Adande stated.
He added that regulatory authorities and other stakeholders had been notified, and preparations were underway for a Joint Investigation Visit to determine the cause and impact of the spill.
“Plan to conduct a regulator-led Joint Investigation Visit to determine the cause and impact of the spill is ongoing,” he said.
Although the SPDC did not specify the volume of oil production affected by the shutdown, the 16 inch pipeline evacuates oil produced from various oil fields within Bayelsa swamps and feeds the SPDC’s manifold in Kolo area.
The spill had raised concerns about environmental and economic impacts, as oil spills in the Niger Delta have historically led to severe pollution, affecting communities and livelihoods.
Meanwhile, the National Oil Spills Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) said it received a report of an oil spill incident from a Shell-operated facility at Obololi, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa.
The leak from the 16 inch Nun River-Kolo Creek pipeline discharged a yet-to-ascertained volume of crude into the River Nun, impacting adjoining areas around Obololi.
A statement signed by Mr Chukwuemeka Woke, Director-General of NOSDRA, stated that incident is being investigated.
Mr Woke assured that NOSDRA was actively monitoring the ongoing response and continuously evaluating the situation to ensure that appropriate actions are taken.
The NOSDRA DG said on that the cause of the leak and estimated volume discharged was yet to be determined because the pipeline was beneath the river.
The watchdog said that it has recommended a diversion of the river to a temporary dam to give access to the joint investigating team to the leak point for examination.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has announced the completion of an upgrade to its diaspora enrolment platform.
A statement by the commission said the upgrade was to improve service delivery and enhance the management of National Identification Number (NIN) registration for Nigerians abroad.
The agency said the upgrade will deliver a more seamless, secure, robust, and efficient process for NIN enrolment in the diaspora.
As part of the initiative, NIMC Diaspora Front-End Partners (FEPs) have been onboarded to the new system and given intensive training to ensure effective application and management of the platform.
According to NIMC, all Diaspora FEPs are required to obtain and activate their enrolment licences on the upgraded platform within the next 48 hours, while Nigerians abroad can access services from compliant partners.
Head of Corporate Communications at NIMC, Mr Kayode Adegoke, apologised for any inconvenience caused during the upgrade process, adding that the commission has set up a dedicated service team to address issues related to diaspora enrolment.
“The commission apologises for any inconvenience the platform upgrade process might have caused and has set up a dedicated service team to resolve all issues related to diaspora enrolment. Diaspora applicants experiencing issues with NIN enrolment should please reach the commission via nimccustomercare@nimc.gov.ng for timely resolution,” he said.
Mr Adegoke also urged Nigerians who have completed their NIN registration to download the NIMC NINAuth App from the iOS or Google Play Store to verify their NINs instantly, approve access to their information, control their data, and enjoy seamless authentication services.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian government may issue bonds and other instruments for the payment of N4 trillion owed players inn the electricity sector to help stabilise the nation’s ailing power industry and improve supply.
The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Wale Edun, on Wednesday confirmed the presentation of a proposal to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for the clearance of the N4 trillion debt owed to power generation companies (GenCos).
Mr Edun told State House reporters after the FEC meeting that he presented a memo on refinancing outstanding obligations in the electricity industry.
“I presented a memo on the all-important refinancing of the electricity sector’s outstanding obligations totalling N4 trillion,” he said, adding that, “Though the financing plan was not fully approved immediately, we have moved into implementation, led by the Debt Management Office and other experts.”
The debt, primarily owed to 27 power generation companies for outstanding invoices between 2015 and 2023, has stifled investment in the industry and exacerbated chronic power outages in Africa’s most populous nation.
He said the refinancing would be executed within three to four weeks under the oversight of the debt management office.
“It is now fully approved, and we move to implementation,” Mr Edun said.
In April, the GenCos warned that the unpaid N4 trillion debt owed by the federal government and stakeholders for electricity generated threatens their operations. A breakdown of the debt includes N2 trillion for 2024 and N1.9 trillion in legacy debts.
Back then, the Minister of Power, Mr Adebayo Adelabu said the federal government may borrow to settle GenCos, adding that the federal government plans to pay them N2 trillion of the N4 trillion debts owed to them between now and the end of 2025.
He said he was already discussing with the Minister of Finance, to settle the debt with budgetary allocation or guaranteed debt instruments as promissory notes.
He explained that the promissory notes would be formidable enough for them to tender at the banks for immediate cash needs.
The Minister said, “And I can tell you that between now and the end of the year, we are going to pay close to N2 trillion out of this N4 trillion.
“I have had discussions with the Minister of Finance and the Coordinating Minister of the Economy, who has promised that they working on the promissory note and once we have budget releases, cash payments will also be made.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
President Bola Tinubu has ordered the review of deductions and revenue retention by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited and other major revenue-generating agencies in the country.
The move is to boost public savings, improve spending efficiency, and unlock resources for growth, according to resolutions reached at Wednesday’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in Abuja.
The directive applied to NNPC, the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), the Nigeria Customs Service, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).
Mr Tinubu specifically called for a reassessment of NNPC’s 30 per cent management fee and 30 per cent frontier exploration deduction under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
He tasked the Economic Management Team, led by the Minister of Finance, Mr Wale Edun, to present actionable recommendations to FEC on the best way forward.
President Tinubu said the directive was part of efforts to sustain reforms that had dismantled economic distortions, restored policy credibility, enhanced resilience, and bolstered investors’ confidence.
The reforms have created a transparent and competitive business environment attractive to local and foreign investors in critical sectors, such as infrastructure, oil and gas, health, and manufacturing.
Also, President Tinubu noted that Nigeria’s goal of $1 trillion economy by 2030 required growth of at least seven per cent annually from 2027, describing the target as “not just economic, but a moral imperative” as higher growth was the surest way to tackle poverty.
He cited the July 2025 International Monetary Fund (IMF) Article IV report, which he said endorsed Nigeria’s economic trajectory and the need for investment-led growth.
The President also said Nigeria’s goal of $1 trillion economy by 2030 required growth of at least seven per cent annually from 2027.
Mr Tinubu, according to a statement from the Ministry of Finance, described it as “not just economic, but a moral imperative”, as higher growth is the surest path to tackling poverty.
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