Energy

By Ono Yima The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) has commenced a formal bid process to sell equity stakes in some of its oil and gas assets, signalling a renewed push to optimise its portfolio and attract fresh investment into the country’s struggling upstream sector. Details of the bid process were outlined in an invitation document obtained by Reuters on Monday. Although NNPC Ltd did not disclose the specific assets involved, the size of the stakes on offer, or the funds it hopes to raise, the move aligns with an earlier announcement by the company to divest or reduce at least 25 per cent equity in select oil and gas fields. Under the process, interested bidders are required to register online by January 10, after which a pre-screening exercise will be cond...

By Ali Elias Aradel Holdings Plc has strengthened its foothold in Nigeria’s upstream oil and gas sector with the completion of its acquisition of an additional 40 per cent equity stake in ND Western Limited, consolidating its position among leading indigenous energy companies. In a regulatory filing released on the Nigerian Exchange on Wednesday, Aradel said the transaction was executed through its wholly owned subsidiary, Aradel Energy Limited, after fulfilling all regulatory and contractual conditions precedent. The acquisition was first announced on October 24, 2025. With the deal completed, Aradel Energy Limited’s shareholding in ND Western increased from 41.67 per cent to 81.67 per cent, effectively making ND Western a subsidiary of Aradel Energy. The transaction also resu...

By PR The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) in December 2025 commenced the Nigerian Content Research, Innovation and Technology Challenge 2025/2026 with a call on interested individuals, research institutions, academia, oil and gas industry suppliers, and members of the public with research innovations, to submit proposals for evaluation and admission into the NCDMB Technology Innovation and Incubation Centre (TIIC), Yenagoa, Bayelsa State. The competition, which seeks to identify and develop new technologies to address specific challenges in the oil and gas industry and its linkage sectors, requires that proposals be in line with approved thematic areas and priority industry challenge, namely, Geological and G...

Photo courtesy: Punch By Ono Yima Electricity distribution companies (DisCos) have begun rolling out up to 700,000 prepaid meters to customers nationwide at no direct cost, following mounting pressure from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to close the country’s long-standing metering gap. The rollout, which is largely targeting Band A and some Band B customers, comes weeks after NERC Chairman, Musiliu Oseni, publicly accused DisCos of failing to pick up available meters for distribution despite substantial government investment. Speaking at the 4th Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) Stakeholders Meeting in Abuja, Oseni disclosed that between 600,000 and 700,000 meters were already available and challenged utilities to accelerate deployment and improve...

By Ali Elias The 14th Practical Nigerian Content (PNC) Forum concluded in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, after four days of high-level engagement that brought together government officials, regulators, policymakers, and leading players in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry to examine pathways for investment, deepen local capacity, and scale energy production. Organised by DMG Nigeria Events in partnership with the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), with the Bayelsa State Government as host, the forum, held from December 1 to 4, 2025, served as a strategic platform for aligning policy direction with industry execution at a time when Nigeria’s energy sector faces both opportunity and transition. The forum opened with a Welcome Reception hosted by Hobark International Li...

By Ono Yima The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) convened media professionals in Abuja for a one-day Capacity Building Workshop, designed to highlight the critical role of the media in promoting Nigerian Content within the country’s oil and gas sector. The workshop brought together journalists, industry stakeholders, and experts to explore how responsible reporting, storytelling, and digital innovation can support local capacity growth, accountability, and long-term value creation. Participants engaged in practical sessions, keynote presentations, and interactive discussions aimed at strengthening collaboration between the media and the Nigerian Content ecosystem. Azu Ishiekwene, Group Managing Director of Leadership Newspaper, delivered a session titled “...

Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator (Dr.) Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo By Els William The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, has expressed deep sorrow over the death of the Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator (Dr.) Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, describing his passing as a major loss to the state, the oil and gas industry and the nation. In a condolence message addressed to the Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, Engr. Ogbe conveyed the sympathy of the management and staff of the NCDMB on the untimely demise of the deputy governor. According to the NCDMB boss, the news of Ewhrudjakpo’s death came as a shock, prompting profound grief across the Board. He extended heartfelt condolences to the imme...

By Ali Elias The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), in collaboration with the Ministry of Interior and the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), has inaugurated a tripartite committee to strengthen regulatory compliance, streamline operational processes and enhance security within Nigeria’s oil and gas industry. The committee, which brings together key regulatory and enforcement institutions, was formally inaugurated at a meeting chaired by the Director of Corporate Services at the NCDMB, Alhaji Abdulmalik Halilu. Representatives of the partnering agencies include Mr. OGA-Okwoche Paul of the Ministry of Interior and Deputy Comptroller of Immigration, DCI O.G. Oloruntoba, representing the Nigerian Immigration Service. At its inaugural session, the committee ad...

By Ali Elias Senior Advocate of Nigeria and constitutional lawyer, Mr. Olisa Agbakoba, has warned that the ongoing dispute between the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) goes far beyond a commercial disagreement, describing it as a fundamental test of Nigeria’s economic sovereignty and governance of its hydrocarbon resources. In a public statement on the impasse, Agbakoba argued that the issues at stake strike at the heart of Nigeria’s development strategy and its constitutional responsibility to manage oil and gas resources in the national interest. According to him, regulatory actions that appear to undermine domestic refining capacity raise troubling questions about whether Nigeria is committed to self-suffi...

By Ono Yima The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) has reduced the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, to about ₦835 per litre in major cities across the country, marking the third downward price adjustment within the month amid intensifying competition in the downstream petroleum market. The latest cut represents a decline from the previous average of about ₦915 per litre. Checks across selected NNPC retail outlets on Wednesday showed that stations in Lagos, including those in Igando, Lekki and Iwaya, were selling petrol at between ₦838 and ₦840 per litre, while outlets in Abuja dispensed the product at ₦835 per litre. Industry analysts attribute the reduction to a combination of softer ex-depot prices, lower freight and insuran...