General
NUPRC, NNPC Pledge Deeper Collaboration for Operational Efficiency
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited have pledged to deepen collaboration to boost operational efficiency.
This was the outcome of a meeting between the managements of the NUPRC and the NNPC at the commission’s corporate headquarters in Abuja, where the chief executive of the former, Mrs Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, said the two oil regulators, as creations of the Nigerian government, have similar goals.
“As major instruments of the government in the industry, we are aligned toward the same goal, and I think this is pivotal, and we must not lose this golden opportunity,” she disclosed.
Further addressing the NNPC team, led by its chief executive, Mr Bayo Ojulari, Mrs Eyesan said the NUPRC is focused on reducing the cost of operations by harmonising fees and rents to make Nigeria’s oil and gas sector more competitive.
To this end, the NUPRC boss revealed that the agencywas working closely with the Oil Producers Trade Section, OPTS, to address the multiplicity of fees and rents to improve Nigeria’s competitiveness.
“We are working with the industry on harmonising the fees and rents that we charge. The whole idea is to harmonise and reduce it to the barest minimum so that we can reduce the cost of operations,” she said.
Mr Eyesan further stated that the Commission is working on enhancing measurement and hydrocarbon accounting.
“We have done the first phase, which is to audit what we already have. The second phase, which will commence shortly, will be the real implementation of the metering standards, and this entire programme will entail us having a data centre and having all the meters in all our locations to standard,” she stated.
The NUPRC boss said the Host Community Development Trust (HCDT) had so far been a success but maintained that there was a need to fully utilise these funds for its intended purpose, as this would enhance community peace and improve the operating environment.
Mrs Eyesan encouraged NNPC, as the country’s national oil company, to participate in the ongoing 2025 licensing round and deepen exploration.
In his remarks, the NNPC GCEO reiterated the need for an improved relationship between the national oil company and the regulator.
Mr Ojulari hailed Mr Eyesan, noting that, “Your antecedents, your track records, your integrity, your forthrightness and clarity for those who have had the privilege of interacting with you, excite the industry.”
He said the NUPRC had continued to demonstrate exceptional leadership in terms of regulation and has been promoting transparency and shaping an enabling environment crucial for investment and operational excellence, which is good for the industry.
The NNPC boss said the national oil firm had recently launched the national gas master plan, which would boost the country’s gas production.
Mr Ojulari said critical projects like the OB3 and the AKK gas pipeline have continued to progress. He also presented a copy of the Gas masterplan to the CCE.
He, however, maintained that there was a need to reduce the cost of operation in Nigeria to attract fresh investments and boost Nigeria’s energy security. This, he said, would not be possible without the NUPRC’s regulatory role.
“As the national energy company operating commercially under the Petroleum Industry Act, our success is intertwined with the regulatory stewardship, which we are absolutely confident will be taken to the next level. We believe that deepening this partnership will greatly enhance our ability to unlock more value for Nigeria,” he stated.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has confirmed the collapse of five transmission towers along the Ikot Abasi–Eket 132kV Double Circuit Transmission Line.
This was attributed to severe acts of vandalism, as TCN disclosed that the structure collapsed after vandals removed critical structural bracing members.
The affected towers were N9, J4, N10, N11 and N12, the organisation said in a statement on Friday.
It explained that the extensive damage was discovered during a routine joint line patrol conducted on August 9, 2026, by TCN linesmen.
Further inspection revealed that structural members from seven additional towers along the same transmission corridor had also been removed and stolen. The towers, J3, N8, N13, N14, N15, N18 and N19, are now structurally compromised and pose a risk of further collapse.
TCN condemned this act of sabotage and reiterated its commitment to working hard to maintain a robust and reliable national grid.
The statement said that to mitigate the impact on electricity supply, the network has been reconfigured to prioritise supply to Ekim transmission station, leaving Ibom Power as the only station without supply.
TCN said it is mobilising an urgent intervention to complete the reconstruction of the affected sections of the line, with security agencies also notified to aid investigations and prevent further acts of vandalism along the line route.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Tajudeen Abbas, has urged all relevant government agencies to promptly initiate actions for the full implementation of the Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory Agency Act, 2026, following its signing into law by President Bola Tinubu.
The bill, sponsored by Speaker Abbas, was aimed at repealing the Nigerian Shippers’ Council Act, Cap. N133, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, and establish the Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory Agency to ensure effective economic regulation of Nigerian ports while safeguarding the interests of shippers, service providers, and users of regulated port services. With the President’s assent, it has now been enacted as an Act of Parliament.
The legislation represents one of the landmark achievements of the 10th National Assembly. It reflects the Speaker’s commitment to legislative excellence, institutional reform, and sustainable economic growth, according to a press statement by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Speaker, Mr Musa Krishi.
The bill underwent a rigorous and inclusive legislative process, including extensive stakeholder consultations and a public hearing. It was passed by both Chambers of the National Assembly and subsequently assented to by the President.
The Act provides a robust legal and institutional framework to ensure effective economic regulation of Nigerian ports by fostering transparency, competitiveness, and efficiency in port operations; protecting the rights and interests of shippers, service providers, and other port users; and aligning Nigeria’s port regulatory system with global best practices, thereby enhancing the ease and cost-effectiveness of doing business.
Despite receiving presidential assent, the Act has yet to be fully operationalised.
He warned that any further delay would undermine the legislative intent of the reform, prolong the exposure of port users to arbitrary charges and operational inefficiencies, and deny the nation the anticipated benefits of increased revenue, improved trade facilitation, and stronger investor confidence in the marine and blue economy sector.
The Speaker urged the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, in collaboration with all relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the federal government, to take the necessary administrative, institutional, and financial measures for the prompt implementation of the Act.
He said this should include the formal transition to, as well as operational empowerment of, the Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory Agency to discharge its statutory mandate effectively.
The full implementation of the Act is critical to unlocking the economic potential of Nigeria’s ports, reducing the cost of doing business, strengthening trade competitiveness, and positioning Nigeria as the leading maritime and logistics hub in West and Central Africa.
The statement noted that the Speaker reaffirmed the 10th House’s commitment to exercising the necessary legislative oversight to ensure this landmark legislation, along with others assented to by the President, is fully implemented and achieves its intended goals for the benefit of the Nigerian people.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Federal Ministry of Youth Development (FMYD), through the Nigerian Youth Academy (NiYA), has partnered with Cascador, a Nigeria-focused platform for growth-stage founders, to provide funding and support for the next generation of Nigerian youth entrepreneurs.
The announcement coincides with International Youth Day 2026, whose global theme this year — Different Contexts, Common Aspirations — calls on institutions to close the gap between young people’s circumstances and their opportunities. The pilot is an early step toward NiYA’s broader ambition to train and empower 7 million Nigerian youth within two years.
The NiYA and Cascador Founders Programme will begin with a pilot cohort of 20 early-stage Nigerian youth founders, including entrepreneurs without formal business registration or established financial records.
Over four weeks, participants will undergo intensive training focused on business fundamentals, investment readiness and pitch preparation. At the end of the programme, the eight top-performing founders will receive non-dilutive funding of up to N5 million each from Cascador, alongside an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution to help them structure, manage and scale their businesses.
The funding and support will be presented at a Pitch Day organised by NiYA and the Federal Ministry of Youth Development.
The Minister for Youth Development, Mr s Ayodele Olawande, said the partnership would enable NiYA to move beyond training by helping young people transform ideas into investable businesses and achieve sustainable economic participation through business preparation and access to capital.
“The pilot is deliberately designed to test a model that can go beyond one cohort. If young founders can be identified early, prepared properly, connected to credible capital and supported to build stronger business systems, then access to opportunity becomes less dependent on background or existing networks. That is the larger objective: to build a youth entrepreneurship ecosystem in which readiness, ideas and execution can increasingly determine who gets the opportunity to grow.”
The pilot will run in-person in Abuja with virtual touchpoints and 1:1 mentorship. All 20 graduates retain NiYA alumni status, with priority consideration for future opportunities.
NiYA and FMYD have already shown what real commitment to Nigeria’s youth looks like — the platforms, the reach, the ambition to train millions. What we’re building together now is the missing piece, a practical bridge from the ideation stage to real capital-readiness. When a Ministry so dedicated to its young people asked Cascador to help build that bridge, it was an easy decision,” said Trish Thomas, CEO of Cascador.
Ms Oyin Solebo, COO of Cascador and former Managing Director of the ARM Labs Lagos Techstars Accelerator, highlighted the partnership’s impact, saying, “This is what innovative capital deployment looks like: a government building real investment readiness at scale, and a partner meeting that foundational work with non-dilutive funding at exactly the moment it’s needed. Partnerships like this open doors that neither of us could open alone.”
