General
NSCDC Destroys Four Illegal Refineries Tapping OML 18
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has dismantled and destroyed four illegal refineries within the Oil Mining License (OML) 18 in Cawthorne Channel, Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State.
OML18 which holds about 1.5 billion barrels of oil equivalent (boe), formerly operated by Eroton Exploration and Production Limited, is owned by Joint Ventures of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited with 55 per cent and four others including — Midwestern Oil, 16 per cent, Asharami Energy 16 per cent, San Leon Energy 11 per cent, and Bilton Energy, 2 per cent.
The oil block located swamp onshore, South of Port Harcourt, has ten oil fields, the largest being Cawthorne Channel, Buguma Creek, Orubiri, Akaso, Alakiri, Awoba and Krakama fields.
Speaking, the NSCDC Commandant in Rivers State, Mr Basil Igwebueze, has been directed by the NSCDC Commandant General, Dr Ahmed Abubakar Audi, to step up intelligence and protection of all critical national assets and Infrastructure both on land and the waterways.
Mr Igwebueze said the illegal refinery was uncovered by operatives of its marine unit based on credible intelligence, warning of his zero tolerance for all acts of economic sabotage, according to a statement through the command’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Mr Olufemi Ayodele.
He explained that suspected oil thieves carrying out illegal oil refining activities in Cawthorne Channel had vandalized OML18 wellheads and pipelines and further siphoned crude oil from the pipes to feed their locally made refinery in the creek.
He said, “With full determination to combat the menace of illegal oil bunkering activities on the waterways; operatives of the Marine Unit swung into action by taking charge of the environment.
“The suspects took to their heels upon sighting the marine operatives. In furtherance to this, the State Commandant ordered massive destruction of all materials used in carrying out the illegal oil bunkering and over four different refining stations were destroyed altogether.
“To ensure that the suspects do not reconstruct the local refinery, the NSCDC marine operatives have also been directed to intensify patrol in the area.
“Our commitment to ensure that Rivers State is a haven for the dwellers remains firm and most importantly our nation must be salvaged from economic saboteurs who are milking on the wealth and resources of the country.
“The Command will not relent in her collaboration with all sister security agencies to fight to stand still the activities of illegal oil bunkering in Rivers State.
“In addition, we hereby appeal to the public to continue giving us actionable information that would lead to the arrests of criminal-minded persons, even as we assure our informants of overall protection and secrecy of any given information.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Mr Bosun Tijani, has announced that Nigeria will launch a new alphanumeric postcode system on October 1, 2026, with every home expected to have a unique postcode.
Mr Tijani disclosed the development in a video post on X, describing the new system as a more precise and digitally oriented approach to addressing locations across the country.
He said the initiative would mark a significant shift in Nigeria’s postal addressing system by assigning unique postcodes to individual homes.
The initiative marks a major step in Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda. By replacing the outdated numeric-only system, the alphanumeric codes provide a more flexible and scalable framework that can accommodate the country’s rapid urban growth and diverse settlement patterns.
For emphasis, an alphanumeric postcode system is a postal indexing system that uses a combination of both letters (alpha) and numbers (numeric), along with spaces or punctuation, to identify specific geographic locations, streets, or individual buildings for mail delivery.
Unlike purely numeric postcode systems (such as the 5-digit US ZIP Code or 5-digit codes used in some European countries), alphanumeric codes offer a much higher number of unique combinations using fewer total characters. This flexibility allows postal authorities to pinpoint locations with incredible precision, often down to a single side of a street or a specific large building.
“On October 1st 2026 Nigeria’s new Alphanumeric Postcode System goes live,” Mr Tijani said.
“For the first time, every home will be assigned a unique postcode that’s simple, precise and built for a digital future,” he added.
The minister urged Nigerians to prepare to generate their individual postcodes ahead of the launch.
The new system is expected to strengthen Nigeria’s digital addressing infrastructure and improve the identification and location of homes and properties for postal and other location-based services.
The initiative is being implemented in collaboration with the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) as part of broader efforts to modernise the country’s addressing and digital infrastructure.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Taiwo Oyedele, has been directed to give an account to Nigerians on how the current government has fared since its inception on May 29, 2023.
This directive was given by President Bola Tinubu in a message posted on his verified social media handles on Wednesday.
This coincides with the commencement of campaigns for the 2027 presidential election scheduled for January 16.
According to the timetable of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), candidates seeking to become the country’s president are eligible to kick off their campaigns from today, Wednesday, August 19, 2026.
In his message today, Mr Tinubu said, “When we began this journey of reform in 2023, I promised that the difficult decisions we were making would serve the purpose of building an economy that works better for you and a country that is stronger for our children.
“Today, your government presents The Reforms Scorecard. It sets out what our reforms have achieved, what they have cost us, and the greater costs and harms we have prevented by acting when we did.
“I have therefore directed the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, to give an account to Nigerians, to explain the numbers, the choices we have made, the progress recorded, and the work that remains.
“You deserve to see the numbers. You deserve to know what has changed and what these reforms mean for you, your family, your business and our country.
“This is your government. This is your country. This is our account to you.”
Shortly after he took the oath of office over three years ago, President Tinubu declared that subsidies on petroleum products were gone. He later approved foreign exchange (FX) reforms, which devalued the Nigerian Naira, shooting from about N800 per Dollar to nearly N2,000 per Dollar. However, it is currently slightly above N1,340 per Dollar in the official market.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited and the Nigerian Agip Exploration (NAE) Limited are advancing discussions on the development of deepwater assets estimated to hold 500 million barrels of oil reserves.
The development followed a meeting between the chief executive of the state oil company, Mr Bayo Ojulari, and Agip’s Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Mr Maurizio Pinna, in Abuja.
The talks focused on ongoing work on deepwater acreage jointly held by NNPC, NAE and Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo) as well as plans to bring the associated resources into production.
According to NNPC, the acreage comprises the Zabazaba and Etan deepwater fields, with estimated reserves of about 500 million barrels.
The fields are located in Nigeria’s deepwater terrain and are considered significant to the country’s efforts to expand its upstream oil production base, particularly as operators seek to advance projects capable of delivering additional barrels over the medium to long term.
While details of the expected production timeline were not disclosed, the meeting underscores renewed industry focus on unlocking Nigeria’s deepwater resources and growing crude oil production.
The acreage comprises licences converted from OPL 245 and is operated by NAE in partnership with NNPC Limited and SNEPCo.
Mr Ojulari and Mr Pinna also reviewed the work currently underway on the assets and the expected production outlook, with the discussions centred on advancing deepwater development.
The engagement comes amid renewed efforts to attract investment into Nigeria’s offshore petroleum resources and increase national oil production.
