General
Transparency: Lagos Assembly to Amend State Audit Law
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Lagos State House of Assembly has concluded arrangement to strengthen the Audit Law in the state by amending it.
Speaking during a day public hearing on A Law to Amend the Lagos State Audit Law on Friday, Speaker of the House, Mr Mudashiru Obasa, said government must be transparent.
Mr Obasa, who was represented at the event by the Majority Leader, Mr Sanai Agunbiade, said government needed to generate revenue to serve the people and that government’s money must be spent for the purposes it is meant for.
“The Audit Department is very important and we must continue to make it functional and effective. The central internal audit is domiciled in Public Finance Management Law.
“The Bill seeks to amend 23 Sections of the law, take it to Audit Service Commission and bring all the auditors under one umbrella to exclude the control of Central Internal Audit from the Ministry of Finance.
“It is to extend the application of the audit law to local government audit commission.
“It is also to take care of little lapses in the law and strengthen our audit system in the state,” he said.
In his welcome address, Chairman of the House Committee on Public Accounts, Mr Moshood Oshun, said the amendment was necessary.
Mr Oshun added that the auditors, who he said were the state police, serve as checks and balances on the state’s budget.
The lawmaker stated that the auditors monitor the state’s expenditures, and commended the Auditor General of the state for what she has been doing.
Mr Oshun promised that the House would do its best and do the utmost for the auditors so that the tax payers would have confidence in the government.
“We will do everything within our powers for the auditors to give the best so that they can give us a good report, which would be properly treated.
“I want to appeal to the auditors to do the best within their ability so that we can have the Lagos of our dream that can be compared to any state in the world.
“You must do everything possible to be the state police on auditing.
“We must all contribute objectively to make the bill a better one. You can give us a memo to have a bill that we all can be proud of,” he said.
In his contribution, Chairman of the Lagos State Audit Service Commission, Mr Waliu Abiodun Onibon, observed that the original bill was passed in 2010 and not 2015, and that the Permanent Secretary to be appointed should be a chartered accountant by profession, saying that he is in-charge of in-house administration.
He suggested that the Chairman of the Commission should also be a professional accountant with cognate experience.
The State Auditor General, Mrs Morenike Helen Deile, stated that Public Sector Audit experience must be different from private experience, and that the two of them must have public sector experience.
Mrs Deile added that the commission would formulate polices, while the audit agencies would implement the policies.
“The Auditor General would be appointed on the recommendations of the State Civil Service Commission. Local Government Service Commission has nothing to do with it, it should be Audit Service Commission.
“Public financial management is a global framework. We should not repeal the provision in that law,” she said.
The Auditor General, who welcomed the amendment, stated that it would further empower auditors.
She stressed that there was no issue with her staff and that the MDAs have improved.
“There are always challenges because nobody wants to be audited. But by and large because of education we are not hostile to them, we are now strategic partners.
“The Lagos State Government started electronic financial system years back, but we cannot cut off from paper auditing just like that.
“We do electronic auditing of basic agencies that are on the platform. We even train system auditors amongst us and we give reports to the Assembly. We are telling the MDAs to do proper record keeping,” she said.
Also speaking, the Chief Executive of the Institute of Internal Auditors, Mr Humphrey Okorie, said the state was moving closer to international best practise on auditing, and commended the stat for the establishment of Audit Service Commission.
Composition of the commission
Mr Okorie advised that the commission should comprise a chairman and four others with a professional accountant and a professional auditor with 10 years’ experience.
He observed that there was a difference between internal auditing and accounting even if they are related.
According to him, an experienced auditor should be appointed as the Permanent Secretary, while there should be a Bureau for Internal Audit Services for the effectiveness of governance system and processes.
He added that internal auditors ought to be in various agencies to ensure that the necessary systems work.
“The head of Bureau for Internal Audit Services should be appointed by the Governor with cognate experience.
“He should not be at the director level. He should be reviewing and maintain services and ensure proper accountability and transparency,” he said.
Mrs Joko Ogundimu from the Lagos State Audit Service Commission said the main function of the Audit Service Commission was human resource management of auditors.
Mrs Ogundimu stated that the government must recruit people with experience in human resource management.
“Office of the Auditor General for Lagos State and Local Government should be Office of Auditor General for Lagos State, Local Government, and Internal Audit.
People in internal audit should have the appropriate experience. The status of the head of Central Internal Audit must also be a Permanent Secretary,” she said.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Navy has launched Operation Delta Sentinel, a new maritime security initiative designed to curb crude oil theft, secure critical oil assets and support the federal government’s ambition to ramp up crude production to 2.5 million barrels per day by 2027.
The operation, which replaces Operation Delta Sanity II, was formally unveiled at the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Pathfinder Jetty in Port Harcourt, marking a renewed push to stabilise the Niger Delta and protect Nigeria’s oil-dependent economy.
Speaking at the launch, Commander Task Group 26.1, Operation Delta Sentinel, Rear Admiral Suleiman Ibrahim, said the initiative was aligned with the Federal Government’s drive to boost oil exploration and production under the Project 1 Million Barrels Per Day initiative of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).
“The transformation from Operation Delta Sanity II to Operation Delta Sentinel is necessitated, among other considerations, by the Federal Government drive to increase oil exploration and production,” he said, adding that, “It is further anticipated that oil production would be about 2.5 million barrels per day by 2027.”
Rear Admiral Ibrahim, who is also the Flag Officer Commanding, Central Naval Command, said Operation Delta Sentinel would run for an initial one-year period, subject to 90-day renewable mandates, and would focus on denying criminal networks access to Nigeria’s maritime and oil infrastructure.
“Our objective is clear and unambiguous: to deny criminal elements freedom of action, protect critical national oil assets, support legitimate economic activities and contribute to enduring peace and stability in the Niger Delta,” he stated.
He explained that the operation would rely heavily on intelligence-driven missions, enhanced inter-agency collaboration and advanced surveillance tools, including Maritime Domain Awareness infrastructure, new maritime platforms, and manned and unmanned air assets.
“Our approach will be deliberate, innovative and technology-enabled. These capabilities will enable us to optimise asset utilisation, improve situational awareness and maintain a proactive operational posture,” he added.
The Navy said early indicators already show progress, noting that crude oil losses have dropped by about 90 per cent, from 102,900 barrels per day in 2021 to 9,600 barrels per day as of September 25.
Earlier, Flag Officer Commanding, Eastern Naval Command, Rear Admiral Chiedozie Okehie, highlighted the achievements of Operation Delta Sanity II, which was launched on December 30, 2024, to combat crude oil theft, illegal bunkering and pipeline vandalism.
“Operation Delta Sanity II lived up to expectations and made measurable contributions to national security and economic stability,” the Naval commander said.
According to him, between January 1 and December 31, 2025, the operation led to the arrest of 203 suspects, the deactivation of 324 illegal refining sites, and the seizure of stolen petroleum products valued at over N3.65 billion.
“An estimated 3.78 million litres of stolen crude oil, over 1.09 million litres of illegally refined AGO, 86,210 litres of PMS and 74,300 litres of kerosene were seized and appropriately handled,” he disclosed.
Rear Admiral Okehie added that the Navy’s operations, supported by collaboration with regulators, security agencies, oil industry stakeholders and host communities, contributed to a significant decline in crude oil losses, with NUPRC reporting the lowest loss levels since 2009 in September 2025.
With Operation Delta Sentinel now in force, the Navy said it is positioning itself as a key enabler of Nigeria’s oil production growth, investor confidence and long-term stability in the Niger Delta.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) have moved to formalise a closer working relationship under the country’s new tax regime to ensure that upstream oil and gas revenues get tighter oversight and improved collection.
The renewed revenue alliance was activated when the chief executive of NUPRC, Mrs Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, paid a strategic visit to the chairman of NRS, Mr Zacch Adedeji, at the tax agency’s corporate headquarters in Abuja.
The engagement comes less than two weeks after new tax laws took effect on January 1, 2026, mandating deeper collaboration between sector regulators and revenue authorities in the collection of oil and gas proceeds accruing to the Federation.
Speaking during the meeting, Mrs Eyesan said the engagement was part of her post-assumption consultations aimed at aligning the upstream regulator with critical national revenue institutions.
“With the new tax laws now in force, it is important that NUPRC and NRS work in close coordination to ensure that oil and gas revenues due to the Federation are fully captured,” Mrs Eyesan said.
“Our mandate goes beyond regulation. It includes ensuring transparency, efficiency and accountability in revenue flows from upstream petroleum operations.”
She stressed that effective collaboration between both agencies would strengthen compliance, reduce leakages and support government revenue targets at a time of heightened fiscal pressure.
On his part, Mr Adedeji said the tax authority was committed to working with sector regulators to maximise revenue mobilisation under the evolving legal framework.
“The oil and gas sector remains critical to Nigeria’s revenue base, and collaboration with NUPRC is essential to meeting government revenue targets,” Mr Adedeji said.
“With clearer laws and better data-sharing between our institutions, we can significantly improve collection efficiency and enforcement.”
Both agencies agreed to deepen cooperation through information sharing and coordinated operational strategies, in line with the provisions of the new tax laws governing petroleum operations.
The meeting concluded with a shared resolve by NUPRC and NRS to prioritise national interest, tighten revenue assurance mechanisms and ensure that Nigeria derives maximum value from its upstream petroleum resources.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
To double down on Africa’s tech talent pipeline, the continent’s leading digital financial services provider, Moniepoint Incorporated, has opened applications for the second cohort of its flagship transformative programme, DreamDevs initiative.
A statement from the organisation disclosed that entries are expected to close on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, and should be submitted via dreamdevs.moniepoint.com.
Selection will be based on technical aptitude, learning potential, and alignment with Moniepoint’s values of innovation and excellence.
DreamDevs was created to bridge the tech talent gap in Africa by equipping recent graduates with industry-ready skills and real-world experience.
Each year, just 20 high-potential candidates are selected into an intensive bootcamp, with the strongest performers progressing into internship and full-time roles at Moniepoint.
Last year’s cohort delivered four hires – three interns and one full-time engineer – validating the programme’s role as a high-impact talent pipeline.
Targeting graduates from technology, computer science, engineering, and related fields with foundational programming knowledge in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, DreamDevs offers a rigorous nine-week boot camp that immerses participants via hands-on training from leading software engineers. Standout performers will secure six-month internship placements at Moniepoint, with potential progression to full-time employment based on performance.
“The results from our first cohort validated our belief that with the right training and support, Africa’s young tech talent can compete globally.
“This year, we’re doubling down on our commitment by aiming to convert half of our participants into full-time employees. For us, DreamDevs is all about creating sustainable career pathways that drive Africa’s digital economy forward,” the co-founder and Chief Technology Officer at Moniepont, Mr Felix Ike, said.
“We’re proud to support the government’s vision of building three million technical talents while also creating direct employment opportunities through initiatives like DreamDevs. This multi-faceted approach ensures we’re contributing to national goals while simultaneously addressing our industry’s immediate talent needs.
“By investing in young people and providing them with practical experience, startup incubation support, and product development opportunities, we are not only creating high-impact jobs and driving sustainable economic growth across the continent,” he added.
Sharing his experience, a member of the first cohort and now a Backend Engineer at Moniepoint, Mr Victor Adepoju, said, “The organisation of the programme was top-notch. The training covered a wide range of topics and provided a solid foundation I could continue to build on.
“I learned a great deal about cloud technologies, particularly Google Cloud Platform. The program also emphasised valuable soft skills, including planning, organisation, and prioritisation, which have been very useful in my day-to-day work.”
DreamDevs aligns with Moniepoint’s broader vision of using technology to power the dreams of millions and engineer financial happiness across Africa. It complements the company’s existing talent development programs, including HatchDev – a collaboration with NITHub Unilag that produces 500 specialised developers annually across software engineering, intelligent systems, and IoT/embedded systems as well as its hugely popular, Women-in-Tech which is now in its fifth year. The initiative is also in tandem with the federal government’s 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme, for which Moniepoint serves as a key sponsor. While the 3MTT programme focuses on mass technical skills training across Nigeria, DreamDevs provides a specialised pathway that takes graduates from foundational training through to employment, creating a complete talent development ecosystem.
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