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There are indications that the 650,000 barrels per day Dangote Petroleum Refinery has commenced a production test-run of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) before it is released in September.
This is according to a recent report by Reuters.
The publication stated that the Dangote Petroleum Refinery is undergoing test runs for petrol production, with full operation expected to commence by mid-September.
Citing a note by IIR Energy, an oil industry monitor, the publication said the commencement date could be extended further.
According to the report, IIR said in a note to clients that “it is possible that there could be further extensions”.
Recall that the Nigerian government had said Dangote Refinery would commence petrol production in September 2024.
This was contained in a statement by a Nigerian Government Committee headed by Finance Minister, Wale Edun on the implementation of crude oil sale in Naira to Dangote Refinery and other local refineries.
However, Dangote Refinery or its owner, Aliko Dangote has not issued any comments on the commencement, except the mid-August, which he earlier announced in July 2024.
Dangote has announced several dates that the refinery would commence petrol production, which did not materialize.
Recall that Dangote announced on May 18, 2024, that from June, the refinery would begin producing petrol, adding that Nigeria would not have to import the product again.
Similarly, in June, he stated that due to a minor delay, the refinery would commence petrol supply in July.
The July target was then moved to August before the government announced on August 20 that the plant would release PMS in September.
The development comes as the refinery grapples with a crude supply crisis and other challenges.
Emeritus Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, civil society organisations, CSOs, and Arewa youths, yesterday called for the immediate release of protesters during the nationwide #EndBadGovernance protest held between August 1 and 10, 2024.
This came on a day rights lawyer and chairman of Alliance on Surviving Covid-19 and Beyond, ASCAB, Femi Falana, SAN, said his group will not hesitate to sue the Federal Government should it fail to either arraign those arrested before August 25 or release them.
He also disclosed that of the 2,111 suspects arrested during the protests, 1,403 had been remanded in prisons across the country.
27 of the protesters, according to one of their lawyers, Deji Adeyanju, are to be arraigned at the Federal High Court in Abuja today, after two failed attempts to arraign them by the police.
Speaking on the issue in Abuja yesterday, Cardinal Onaiyekan, while making a case for the immediate release of the suspects, said the unarmed protesters are not the cause of Nigeria’s problems.
He said: “It is not unarmed protesters who are the cause of our problems. Our president told us he is ready to dialogue with all those who are unhappy, but he needs to take the initiative now.
“Is this how to ask for dialogue? There is need to completely change our attitude. The people (protesters) were just ordinary young people who are hungry.
‘’The only way to show that you feel our pain is to do things that will relieve the suffering and pain of the people. That is what the government is there for.
“When we talk about youth nowadays, we are not talking about small boys or girls, we are talking about people who are 35 and below. Most of them have graduated, and most of them have skills.”
On his part, Mr Falana in a statement, titled ‘’Halt The Clampdown On Protesters,’’ said: “Instead of subjecting the #EndBadGovernance protesters to unwarranted clampdown, the Federal Government should either release or arraign the scores of detained suspects before appropriate courts without any further delay.
‘’Whenever the suspects are going to be arraigned, they must be given adequate notice to be able to contact the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, and their family members to make arrangements for their defence.
‘’However, if all the suspects are not charged before August 25, 2024, the Alliance on Surviving Covid-19 and Beyond, ASCAB, will approach the Federal High Court to demand their immediate release.
‘’ASCAB has also resolved to defend the cases filed against the protests by two state governments (Lagos and Ogun) and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT
‘’More fundamentally, it’s important to remind the Nigerian state again that beyond legalism, the solution to the political problem of which protests are mere symptoms lie in the honest application of socio-economic justice.
“Elements of this socio-economic justice include policy instruments fashioned to fight hunger, ignorance, disease and the scandalous inequality which define the Nigerian society today.’’
The statement read further: ‘’Out of the 2,111 arrested suspects, 1,403 have been arraigned in various courts. Painfully, the suspects were ordered to be reminded in prison custody due to lack of legal representation.
‘’The suspects were denied legal representation, even though the Nigerian Bar Association had publicly announced its intention to provide lawyers to defend them.
‘’We have also confirmed that individual lawyers who had applied for bail of the detained suspects in police stations were not informed that they were going to be arraigned in the courts.
‘’We submit that the decision of the authorities to deny the suspects legal representation constitutes a violent breach of their fundamental right to fair hearing, guaranteed by Section 36 of the Constitution and Article 7 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act.
“This is highly discriminatory and illegal on the ground that politically exposed persons who are arrested for looting the treasury to the tune of several billions of naira are usually informed in advance of the dates and of their arraignment in courts.
“Such highly-placed suspected looters are always granted bail in liberal terms and even authorised by trial judges to travel abroad for medical treatment.
“It does appear that the security forces have decided to take advantage of the anti- government protests to clamp down on radical citizens and thereby expose the country to unprecedented ridicule.
“For instance, Comrade Michael Adaramoye (a.k.a. Lenin) has been detained for over three weeks in the anti-robbery department of the Nigeria Police Force in Abuja because he answers the sobriquet, “Lenin”.
‘’Messrs Elejo Opaluwa and Mosiu Abolaji are also detained in the same police station for belonging to a socialist organisation which supported the protest.
‘’Seven Polish students who were taking part in an exchange programme in Bayero University, Kano, were arrested for taking photographs during the protest. They may be charged with espionage to give the impression that the protests were instigated by foreign interest groups.
“The offence allegedly committed by the 783 suspects arrested in Kano is that they displayed the Russian flag during the protest. A tailor who was sewing the flag was also arrested by the police.
‘’It may be difficult to press charges against the suspects in a country where the flags of the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany and other European countries are hoisted by majority of hotels in Nigeria, while churches hoist the flag of Israel based on the erroneous belief that it is a Christian country.
‘’During the recent invasion of the national secretariat of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, in Abuja, some Marxist books and other radical works were carted away because they were allegedly used to incite and organise the #EndBadGovernance protests in the country.
‘’As if that was not enough, the President of Nigeria Labour Congress, Mr Joe Ajaero, has been summoned by the Nigeria Police Force for ‘interview’ on criminal charges relating to ‘criminal conspiracy, terrorism financing, treasonable felony, subversion and cybercrime’.
‘’Yesterday (Wednesday), a team of the Nigeria police force invaded the house of the Principal of Stars of Nations Schools in Nasarawa State, Mrs Helen Batubo, in connection with the protests.
“Mrs Batubo is the stepdaughter of Mr. Drew who owns the school and runs the bookshop on 2nd floor of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC‘s Labour House in Abuja.
‘’Since there is no scintilla of evidence to justify the allegations of criminal conspiracy, terrorism financing, treasonable felony, subversion and cybercrime, the police should cancel the planned interrogation of the President of the NLC and return the books seized from the bookshops as they have not been banned in the country.
‘’We are compelled to call on the National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, to cause an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the killing of 22 citizens that occurred during the protest.
“At the end of the investigation, the culprits should be charged with murder in the state high courts where the heinous offences were committed.
“Finally, it is pertinent to remind the Federal Government that some of the leaders of the 2020 #EndSARS protests were charged with frivolous offences, while others had their passports seized and accounts frozen.
“Over 160 people were killed in Lagos and other cities, yet the massive clampdown on #EndSARS leaders has not stopped aggrieved youths from protesting against official policies that are considered inimical to the interests of the Nigerian people.’’
Listing the 2,111 arrested suspects with their states of arrest, the statement read: ‘’Kano—873; Jigawa –403; Katsina—120; Gombe—111; Sokoto—110; Borno—99; Yobe—90; Bauchi-60; Plateau—51; Kaduna—50; FCT—50; Nasarawa –40; Niger—25; Zamfara –19; and Cross Rivers State—10.’’
CSOs react
Reacting yesterday, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, Head of Transparency International (Nigeria), expressed concern over government’s continuous detention of the protesters without arraignment, noting that some people not involved in the protests were arrested as patients in hospitals were also targeted.
Rafsanjani called on government to either prosecute or release the detained protesters wihout further delay.
While emphasizing that detaining them could be a means of siphoning public funds, he said further: “It is very sad that the government, which makes laws for citizens to comply with, is the one breaking the law. The government has not complied with Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution as amended.
“Additionally, we have noted that some people who were not even part of the #EndBadGovernance protests were arrested.
“To worsen matters, some people who were in the hospital were arrested in the name of pursuing protesters. In Katsina, security agencies allegedly went to the hospital, threw tear-gas canisters and killed some patients.
“We don’t know what the government aims to achieve by dehumanizing and incriminating its citizens at all costs. Meanwhile, the military and police are being terrorized by terrorists.
“Instead of harnessing their efforts and resources to tackle insecurity in the country, they are busy chasing people who are complaining of suffering in the hands of wicked public officials and non-state actors.
“The government should either prosecute or release the detained protesters. Detaining them could even be another way of siphoning public funds in the name of feeding the detainees.”
You can’t silence everybody, undermine the rights of Nigerians – CISLAC
Also reacting yesterday, the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, CISLAC, said: “We appeal to the government and security agencies to de-escalate the tension that is growing as result of continued detention of protesters.
“This action is sending a very bad signal and it is capable of mobilizing tension in the country because there were so many people who were not involved in destructive protests who are now in custody.
“So government should do everything possible to take them to court if they must take them to court, otherwise they must release those who were not involved in violent protest, and this is the only way Nigerians can see that the government is just and fair.
“You cannot silence everybody and undermine the rights of Nigerians, and those security people who are doing this are actually helping to destroy Tinubu and his legacy, and not promoting him.
“Therefore, we are calling on the President to see those who are perpetrating this brutality and attacks on Nigerians, especially those who were not involved in any violence. The protesters are not his enemies but those destroying his reputation.’’
FG’s commitment to human rights questionable –Yiaga Africa
In his reaction, the Executive Director, Yiaga Africa, Samson Itodo, said: “I think it raises questions on the commitment of government to upholding human rights and the tenets of democracy.
“This unlawful detention of protesters whose crime is just coming out to protest against policies of the government that are anti-people is really unfortunate and unacceptable.
“The President needs to make good his promise and his commitment to respect human rights and the rights of protesters, and calling security agencies, especially the police that have held this people in detention to release them forthwith.
“This is because the continuous detention of these people is not only hurting their rights but also actually putting to question the commitment of the government to democracy.
“To prevent detainees from accessing legal counsel or representation is the most unfortunate, draconian, unacceptable thing to do within our constitutional democracy.”
JAF reacts
Similarly, the Joint Action Front, JAF, also yesterday demanded the immediate and unconditional release of the protesters, including Micheal Lenin, Mosiu Adigun, Eleojo Opaluwa, Kunle Wizeman, among others.
Dr. Oladipo Fashina, Chairperson of JAF, described police justification for the attack as a ‘smokescreen’ and called for the resignation of the Inspector-General of Police and prosecution of police officers involved in the killing of protesters.
Fashina stated: “We demand the immediate and unconditional release of Micheal Lenin, Mosiu Adigun, Eleojo Opaluwa, Kunle Wizeman, and hundreds of others who have been unjustly arrested across the country over the nationwide protests.
“Sadly, according to media reports, at least 40 protesters have been murdered by security agencies across the country. While we hold the Tinubu regime responsible for the killings, we demand the resignation of the Inspector General of Police and prosecution of police officers involved.”
Release suspects to avert further protests
The Arewa Youth Assembly also yesterday called for the release of the protesters, saying the fact that government had not been able to arraign them was an indication it had no charges against the protesters.
Coordinator of the group, Mohammed Salihu Danlami, noted that indefinite detention of the protesters is brewing a bigger protest.
He said: “We are advocating release of all the protesters languishing in various prisons. They were simply disenchanted with government policies and took to the streets to protest peacefully, as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
“Even if they became culpable in unlawful acts, it should not take more than 48 hours before they are arraigned in court. Doing otherwise is a gross violation of their fundamental human rights and is in itself an unlawful act by the government.
“Two perceived wrongs can’t make a right. The government is totally wrong on this. It should know that indefinite detention of these protesters is already brewing a bigger protest.
“What government should do to avert a looming protest is to assuage anger by releasing these youths. The Federal Government has said it has programmes for the youth. Which programmes? For which youths?
“Is it the more than 1,000 young Nigerians languishing in detention? Or is it the ones who were extra-judicially murdered by security agents? The problem we have in Northern Nigeria is that most of our elites are sycophants.
“They are afraid to speak truth to power because they feel if they do, President Ahmed Tinubu will be angry and they will not have money, or perhaps they won’t get that contract or appointment they are expecting from his administration.”
Detention unconstitutional – Rights lawyer
Reacting, rights lawyer, Temi Salami, said continued the detention of the protesters is a violation of Section 36 of the Constitution, which requires suspects to be taken to court within 24 or 48 hours if the court is not within jurisdiction.
Salami described the detention as a clear violation of the protesters’ rights, likening it to the Abacha era and a sign of Nigeria becoming a police state under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
He stated: “It is against our laws to detain any suspect beyond 48 hours without an arraignment. Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) specifically states that anyone arrested must be taken to court within 24 or 48 hours at the maximum, if the court is not within jurisdiction.
“Detaining the #EndBadGovernance protesters for nearly three weeks is a gross violation of their fundamental rights, and it seems the Tinubu administration is taking us back to the Abacha era. Nigeria is gradually becoming a police state under President Bola Tinubu.”
Over 30 lawyers to storm court over arraignment of protesters - Adeyanju
Meanwhile, ahead of the much anticipated arraignment of the protesters by the Nigerian Police Force, NPF, today, one of their lawyers, Mr Deji Adeyanju, yesterday, disclosed that over 30 lawyers would be at the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.
Adeyanju told Vanguard in an interview yesterday that they were preparing for the arraignment that had been delayed since last Thursday.
He said: “We are looking forward to the arraignment and and we are hoping that they will arraign the protesters tomorrow (today). We are also preparing in anticipation of their arraignment.
“We are expecting over 30 lawyers at the Federal High Court in Abuja in defence of the protesters.
27 protesters to be arraigned
“We are looking at 27 #EndBadGovernance protesters from the numbers we have to be arraigned in court.
“The police have also arrested some other people we are not aware of that we have now been made aware of today (yesterday). They were arrested two weeks ago in Abuja.”
Police remand warrant of 14 days long expired
“The remand warrant the police obtained for 14 days has long expired, we are optimistic that they will be charged.
“We went to the police station to see the protesters but we were still not allowed to see them but we can confirm that one of them was seen by her family two days ago.
Protesters badly treated
“They are being made to sleep on the bare floor in an extremely difficult situation, and they are largely very unkempt.”
We’ll soon file suit against FG
“We are in the process of filing a suit against the Federal Government on the unconstitutional act on the fundamental rights of the protesters by the President.
“The act of government is unconstitutional and unlawful, protesters cannot be kept for over two weeks for mere allegation of protesting, while bandits have abducted and killed an emir in the north and nothing is being done.
“The energy being used to attack and silence protesters should be used to solve the insecurity problem in the country.”
UNESCO calls for protection of journalists covering protests worldwide
In a related development, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, UNESCO, has raised the alarm that in recent months, multiple journalists covering protests in different parts of the world have been subjected to various forms of attacks, including killings, injuries, arbitrary detentions, and confiscation of their equipment, while exercising their rightful duties as journalists.
UNESCO noted that all authorities concerned have the duty and responsibility to ensure the safety of journalists covering protests around the world, in accordance with international norms and human rights obligations.
It said: “In times of crisis, as in times of peace, journalists are crucial lifelines to verified information for citizens. They facilitate public debate and dialogue that are pathways to democratic solutions. Authorities must guarantee the safety of journalists covering protests, in line with international freedom of expression standards.
“Within the UNESCO Series World Trends in Freedom of Expression and Media Development, UNESCO has previously highlighted the growing risks to the safety of journalists covering protests.
“A UNESCO report on the safety of journalists covering environmental issues, published for World Press Freedom Day in May 2024, revealed that 194 journalists, groups of journalists and media houses have been attacked in the context of environmental protests in the past 15 years.
“UNESCO is monitoring attacks and threats against journalists that undermine their legitimate role of informing populations with accurate and verified information. “
[Vanguard]
Open Congratulatory letter to my boss Engr. Jennifer Adighije on her Appointment as MD/CEO of Niger Delta Power Holding Company
Admin
Dear Engr. Jennifer Adighije,
I hope this letter finds you in excellent spirits.
It is with great pleasure that I extend my heartfelt congratulations to you on your recent appointment as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC). Your elevation to this prestigious position is a testament to your exceptional leadership qualities and unwavering commitment to excellence.
Having closely observed your career trajectory, from the office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Entrepreneurship development in communications innovation and digital economy, I am confident that your tenure at NDPHC will be marked by transformative initiatives and positive change. Your Midas touch—reminiscent of King Midas’s legendary ability to turn everything he touched into gold—will undoubtedly leave an indelible mark on the organization. Your visionary approach, coupled with your dedication to innovation, will steer NDPHC toward new horizons.
I place my utmost trust in your reformative abilities. Your leadership will not only enhance operational efficiency but also redefine the narrative within the company. I have no doubt that under your guidance, NDPHC will flourish, empowering communities and contributing significantly to Nigeria’s energy landscape.
Once again, congratulations, Engr. Adighije! May your tenure be filled with remarkable achievements, collaborative endeavors, and positive impact. The entire NDPHC family eagerly awaits the positive changes you will usher in.
Wishing you every success in your new role!
Warm regards,
Emperor Udochukwu Chijioke Ofomata
Media head and spokesperson to Enɠr. Jennifer Adighije
![[PRESS RELEASE] Olaopa Blames Civil Service's Woes On Military, Low Pay](/media/k2/items/cache/34ecb3eb081fcc9bf44270d64f643743_M.jpg)
The Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission, Prof. Tunji Olaopa, has blamed the problems of the nation's civil service on the incursion of the military into governance, and the poor remuneration of public workers.
Olaopa , a professor of public administration and a former federal permanent secretary, spoke on Wednesday at the University of Ibadan, Oyo State during the maiden Distinguished Annual Public Lecture series of the Association of Retired Heads of Service and Permanent Secretaries of Oyo and Osun State (ARHESPSOOS).
The seasoned bureaucrat who spoke on
"Reengineering the Engine Room: The Civil Service as the Fulcrum of Sustainable Development" commended ARHESPSOOS for taking the initiative to "create this annual seminal platform to offer its multidisciplinary experts and professional capital to contribute to rethinking the intellectual bases of the working and practice of public service as engine room of governance in Nigeria.
"Indeed, it will be a real shame and gross disservice to the civil service in Nigeria, to have such a rich assemblage and mine of bureaucratic wisdom as resident in this association and not tap into it."
Blaming the military for the decline of the civil service, Olaopa said
" that the civil service indeed evolves within a growth trajectory that was distorted significantly by military rule, and a series of other disruptions, hiccups, misconceptions, administrative misses, and fortuitous breakthroughs.
"Some of its evolving systems and structures were decimated after 1966 by the 'with immediate effect' military tradition. The transition from parliamentary to presidential system since 1979 created its own issues that were not systematically resolved.
"The public service system that Nigeria inherited from the British was not just Weberian, it was overly legalistic and top-down control (‘I am directed’) fixated, making the administrative system unresponsive to public demands and therefore weak in terms of democratic accountability
"The classification of personnel emphasised job in the person, not person on the job, with work done largely in terms of functions/duties as scheduled, rather than as tasks, day to day.
"There is also the phenomenon of 'trained incapacity' deriving from the fact that skills development and training investments were seen as isolated processes, without coherent linkages to HR planning, employee appraisal, and pay and reward system.In other words, staff performance appraisal system which relied on APER, in the absence of institutionalised performance management system (PMS), remains as ever vague about what is being assessed and rewarded."
Noting that the remuneration system was also responsible for the decline of the civil service, Olaopa said: " Since the 1974 Udoji bonanza, the pay and remuneration system has been disconnected from the productivity trajectory in the national economy, with adversarial industrial relations looming large in its wake.
"Indeed, the public service pay system was reasonable as at independence until the early 1980s. As the economy slowed, revenue faltered, and staffing numbers continued to rise, driven by the expanding role of the welfare state and the federal character policy.
Pay level became stagnant, with low wages eventually becoming irredeemably the norm. By the mid-80s, retiring officers were coping with a pension that was formidably less than purchasing power, while serving officers earned subsistence wage
The collapse of the pay system inexorably destroyed the employment contract between government and public employees. Informality then set in, and performance plummeted .
"Officers started to invent a series of coping mechanisms, ranging from moonlighting, manipulation of travel allowances and per diems, connivance with contractors and outright theft of public assets and alteration of date of birth to guarantee prolonged tenure.
Professionals with scarce skills left the shore to work in other sectors or relocated overseas. Training budget evaporated, and systemic corruption, the culture of ‘something for nothing’ which replaced the value of deferred gratification and honour cum excellence in service, became new normal, with public interest and merit emasculated.
"Overall, the bureaucratic system started to function outside of its assumed tradition and values. In its place, an unsavoury culture wherein officers followed rules and regulations for its own sake was enthroned
Compliance with rules and regulations then ceases to embed flexibilities required to innovate to build and install results-based management framework in the era of managerialism which set in since the mid-70s.
Staff progression and promotion system acquired negative logic, as one that rewarded officers order than those making real contributions. It in turn discouraged risk taking and creativity, within a structural regression into silos operations, with officers protecting boundaries of authority while foreclosing team work, networking, results-orientation and whole of government approaches.
"The civil service gradually closed itself to ideas and intellectual discourses in manner that became a culture of anti-intellectualism and insularity due in part to closure of entry to other talents from other sectors, occasioning over time deep-rooted inbreeding, structural inertia and obsolescence ."
Earlier, Olaopa highlighted the various reforms that have taken place in the civil service .
He said that 1974 was a fundamental administrative year in the history of the Nigerian civil service. He said it was the year that Nigeria got its first opportunity to fundamentally rethink its public administration system .
But he decried a situation where the Udoji Commission got caught up in the deeper managerial challenges raised in the UK in 1968 when the Lord Fulton Report was set up to reassess the efficiency problem of the British civil service.
"The Fulton Report itself took bearing from a theoretical wave set in motion at the time by the new public management (NPM) revolution at the time.
The concern of administrative reform at the time was to reflect on the possibilities of how the Weberian administrative system could take advantage of expanding innovations in the market system and private sector good practices.
"The Udoji Commission tackled its terms of reference head on. It saw a fundamental problem of the civil service in Nigeria as that of administrative inflexibility that finds it hard to respond to positive changes.
It therefore advocated the need for a total reassessment of the public service and its capacity to internalise and adapt global best practices."
According to him, the commission was also bold enough to tackle the generalist-professional issue (the 'cult of the generalists') when it recommended a new style public service infused with 'new blood' working under a result-oriented management system operated by professionals and specialists in particular field.
"Like the Fulton Report in the UK before it, these cogent recommendations never saw the light of day.
From the Dotun Philip Report of 1984 to the Ayida reform of 1994, the Nigerian state took forward the managerial recommendations that would give birth to a new public service. The recommendation was the basis of the Decree 43 of 1988.
"The Ayida Review, against the backdrop of some conception-reality gaps in the Philips reform, reconstituted the civil service system along the Weberian traditional principles," he said.
According to him, since 1999 and the inception of Nigeria’s democratic experiment, some critical defining reforms have yielded lots of significant (though not sufficient) reform achievements. These reforms include the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), SERVICOM, pension and pay reforms, the professionalisation of the FOS/NBS, FIRS/NEITI, the price intelligence and procurement reform, and fiscal responsibility.
But he lamented that the bureaucratic model served the civil service well up to the mid-70s before the decline he identified as bureau-pathology set in .
[PRESS RELEASE] President Tinubu’s Road Infrastructure Architectural Master Plan Strategic for Economic Stimulation
Admin![[PRESS RELEASE] President Tinubu’s Road Infrastructure Architectural Master Plan Strategic for Economic Stimulation](/media/k2/items/cache/d5596df067330f2532a11b821de868a3_M.jpg)
1. As part of the economic stimulus plans of the Renewed Hope administration of the President of Nigeria, His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, the Federal Ministry of Works has designed the fourth Renewed Hope road infrastructure legacy project that passes through States of the North East known as the Akwanga – Jos – Bauchi – Gombe road. The Hon Minister of Works His Excellency, Sen. Engr. Nweze David Umahi, CON, FNSE, FNATE, GGCEHF made this disclosure during a courtesy visit to the Governor of Bauchi State at the State Government House, Bauchi on 15th August 2024. He said, “I want to thank you very highly, and to let you know that the shortfall in terms of road distribution was not done by President Tinubu, it wasn't done by me, but Mr. President is addressing it, and that's why we have injected the fourth legacy project of the President that runs from Akwanga to Jos to Bauchi State, and we are happy to see that you have intervened progressively and critically on a good percentage of the road in your State”
2. The Honourable Minister emphasized the importance of the four Renewed Hope legacy projects which he said was not only strategic in terms of seamless connectivity to the 6 Geo-Political Zones, but also a strategic architectural masterplan that would stimulate the economy of the Nation through enhanced agriculture, job creation, regional integration, tourism, transportation ecosystem and industralisation. He spoke of the President’s determination to ensure that funding was made available for the legacy projects through different intervention mechanisms. “The President is taking us to China, because there was an agreement before, when this project was listed for funding on EPC + F, and the Chinese people were supposed to inject foreign financing on the roads, but they didn't immediately do that. So the President is reviving it, and we will be in China soon. We are very sure that we'll be able to get that funding, and this road will not only be constructed, but it will also be dualized.”
3. The Honourable Minister visited the flood damaged locations of Kano – Maiduguri road, the dualization of Kano - Maiduguri Road Section 3 (washout location at Buskuri town), the dualization of Kano - Marduguri Road Section 2 (at Sabon Gari village), the flooded area of Yana - Shiva - Azare road, the bridge along Bauchi - Gombe road, Ningi - Babaldu washout, and he also performed the flag - off of the Bauchi-Gombe road being handled by Triacta Nig Ltd. While acknowledging the pains and difficulties faced by road users whose livelihood has been affected by the effect of the flood, he assured them that intervention would be timely provided to bring immediate reliefs to the people of the State and other road users.
4. Speaking during the event, the Governor of Bauchi State His Excellency, Sen. Bala Mohammed commended the President of Nigeria for promptly sending the Hon Minister of Works to visit and assess the damaged sections of the road in the State with a view to providing intervention. He said that the State government and the entire Emirate Council were gratified by the rare proactiveness and sense of responsiveness demonstrated by Federal Government at this difficult moment of the State.
Hon. Barr. Orji Uchenna Orji
Special Adviser (Media) to the Honourable Minister of Works
[STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE] President Tinubu Congratulates Justice Olukayode Ariwoola on Successful Public Service Career
Admin![[STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE] President Tinubu Congratulates Justice Olukayode Ariwoola on Successful Public Service Career](/media/k2/items/cache/6c113c498f21e2f60d6216f1726ed084_M.jpg)
President Bola Tinubu congratulates Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, GCON, as he retires as Chief Justice of Nigeria after a successful public service career.
Justice Ariwoola had served as Justice of the Court of Appeal in Kaduna, Enugu, and Lagos divisions before his elevation to the Supreme Court in 2011.
He was sworn in as Chief Justice of Nigeria in 2022 and had also served the nation in diverse capacities as a judicial officer.
President Tinubu commends the eminent jurist for his services to the nation, noting his impactful leadership of the judiciary and his efforts in enriching Nigerian jurisprudence, as well as in strengthening the fibre of the law.
The President thanks Justice Ariwoola and wishes him the very best for the future.
President Tinubu will swear in Justice Ariwoola's successor at the State House Council Chambers on August 23, 2024.
Chief Ajuri Ngelale
Special Adviser to the President
(Media & Publicity)
The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Dr Richard Montgomery, has described the model of the Geometric Power in developing the Aba Independent Power Project in Abia State as impressive.
“The Geometric model is impressive”, declared the High Commissioner after inspecting the facilities in the $800m power project which comprises a 188-megawatt gas-fired plant with an embedded distribution firm that provides electricity to nine of the 17 local government areas in Abia State.
“It represents the kind of innovation needed to drive sustainable development across Nigeria”.
Dr Montgomery was accompanied by the Abia State Commissioner for Power and Public Utilities, Engineer Ikechukwu Monday, and was received on arrival by the Geometric Power management led by its chairman, Professor Bart Nnaji, a former Minister of Power.
Commissioned last February 26 by Vice President Kashim Shettima, the Aba Independent Project was started in 2004 on the recommendation of the then World Bank president, James Wolfonsohn, and the then Nigeria’s Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, when they visited Aba in March 2004 and discovered that the lack of reliable electricity was the main constraint to the realization of the city’s enormous manufacturing potential.
They requested Professor Nnaji, a leading Nigerian engineering professor in the United States who had earlier led a team of Nigerian engineers to build the 22MW Abuja Emergency Plant, to consider establishing an independent thermal plant in Aba for small, medium, and large industrialists.
High Commissioner Montgomery also lauded the “state-of-the-art facilities” at the power utility.
The utility, licensed to produce 188MW, has three installed General Electric (GE) turbines and has built four brand-new substations and refurbished three old ones inherited from the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN).
“It has, in addition, provided 150,000 kilometres of overhead wires and cables”, says Ben Caven, a former PHCN executive director in charge of engineering, transmission, and generation who is now the Geometric Power managing director.
“Our steel tubular poles, with 10 metres buried in the ground to withstand any natural disaster like an earthquake, match the ones in San Francisco in the United States and Tokyo in Japan.
“We have also built a 27-kilometre gas pipeline from Owaza in Ukwa West LGA to the Osisioma Industrial Layout in Aba”.
The British diplomat said that given the technical sophistication attained by Geometric Power, he would like UK firms to work with it.
Nnaji praised the High Commissioner for the visit, adding that when Geometric Power overcomes the ongoing gas supply challenges in the next few weeks, Aba would be receiving about 100MW while about 50MW would be exported to the national grid to boost electricity in other parts of the country.
The Abia State Commissioner for Power and Public Utilities commended Governor Alex Otti for his “relentless support to Geometric Power for its key role in the state’s industrialization”.
Other Geometric Power executives who interacted with the British High Commissioner delegation are the Geometric Power Group Managing Director, Mrs. Agatha Nnaji, The Managing Director of Geometric Power Aba Limited, Engr. Ben Caven, the Aba Power Managing Director, Ugo Opiegbe, and the Geometric Power Chief Financial Officer, Tony Alozie, the Aba Power Chief Operating Officer, Engr Blessing Ogbe, Facilities Manager, Geometric Power Group, Mr Adeniyi Adebiyi, as well as Hannah Yangchi, Principal Manager, Projects.
A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has granted an ex parte order restraining the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress, APC, led by Abdullahi Umar-Ganduje and the Secretary Surajudeen Ajibola-Basiru, from proceeding with the planned Rivers State Ward, Local Government and State Congresses scheduled for October 11, 16, and 26, 2024.
The lawsuit, filed by Peter Ohochukwu and Haija Ndidi-Chukwuma on behalf of themselves and all elected executive members of the APC in the state, named the APC, the Inspector General of Police, IGP, the Nigeria Police, and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, as defendants.
Justice Godwin O. Ollor, in his ruling on the ex parte motion on Thursday, also restrained the defendants, their representatives, officers, or agents from conducting, supervising, holding, monitoring, or otherwise organizing any elections for the Rivers State executive committee.
Justice Ollor emphasized that his ruling was based on the merits of the application and the oral arguments presented by the plaintiffs’ counsel, Collins Dike.
The court also barred the national leadership of the APC from attempting to suspend the state executives led by Emeka Beke.
The judge further restrained the APC’s national chairman, secretary and the party itself from interfering with the activities of the elected APC executives in the state, led by Beke, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice for an interlocutory injunction.
DAILY POST reports that Justice Ollor adjourned the case to September 9, 2024, for the hearing of the motion on notice.
Speaking to journalists outside the courtroom, counsel for the claimants, Collins Dike said, “After the very erudite judgement of My Lord Honorable S. H. Aprioku, the national office wrote a letter in which they disclosed their plans to hold an elective congress specifically for Rivers State.
“Invariably what they intended to achieve with that was to ensure the judgement of Honorable justice Aprioku was rendered a nullity.
“The judgement of Honorable justice Aprioku was very clear, that the tenure of office of the elected executives of the party was still subsisting, was still valid, until the four years term the constitution gave them expired.
“But curiously, these people, in spite of the fact that there’s no vacancy in the various offices that make up the executive committee, went behind and started planning how to hold an elective congress, in-spite of the fact that they are fully aware of that judgement, they have been served with that judgment.
“So, it is for that reason that we said no. They have created a new cause of action by their attempt to proceed with plans to hold an elective congress. And if we do not do anything, they will foist a fait accompli on the court with respect to the judgement of Honorable Justice S. H. Aprioku by purporting to hold that elective congress.
“And it is for that reason that we have gone on to say that no, what they want to do is contrary to the law.
“And we are happy that the court was convinced with the facts we presented, convinced with the argument we presented. And the court has in very clear terms, restrained them from proceeding in the interim pending when the court will be hearing all the parties.”
[DailyPost]
The Enugu State Police Command announced on Thursday that it had apprehended a total of 123 suspects between July and August of this year.
The arrests were made in connection with various crimes, including murder, armed robbery, kidnapping, rape, vandalism, theft, illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, and cultism.
During a press conference at the Command’s Headquarters, State Commissioner of Police Kanayo Uzuegbu revealed that numerous incriminating exhibits were seized during the operations that took place across the state.
Uzuegbu further stated that many of the suspects have been charged and remanded in custody at the Nigerian Correctional Custodial Centres.
While commending the residents of the state for providing the command information, he still appealed they shouldn’t relent timely and actionable information will help the command to provide better security for all in the state.
A breakdown of the arrests shows that 123 suspects were apprehended and 19 victims of kidnapping and abduction were rescued during the period in question.
He said, “AK-47 and assault rifles recovered -15, Pump action guns recovered – 25, other firearms recovered – 35, live ammunition of different calibres recovered – 710, live cartridges recovered – 187, motor vehicles recovered – 17, tricycles recovered – 11, motorcycles recovered – 8,” the crime summary report indicated.
While confirming the attack on the police checkpoint where four policemen were killed by hoodlums, he, however, refuted the purported kidnapping of some persons around the Enugu State College of Health Technology, Oji-River.
He stated, “Rather, the four persons, three of whom were not students of the school, allegedly kidnapped around the College on August 14, 2024, have all been rescued and reunited with their families.
“Meanwhile, be informed that the suspects involved have been arrested and are undergoing interrogation.
“Also, the peddler of the unwarranted panic news on the incident has been traced and he has been apologizing for the mischievous act.
“Similarly, the sinister plans of the IPOB/ESN secessionist renegades to attack the police operatives and cause collateral damage at 4-Corner, along the Enugu/Port-Harcourt Expressway, on August 18, 2024, were squarely thwarted by the operatives.
“The militants, dressed in security forces uniforms and operating in a snatched Lexus 350 Jeep, suddenly opened fire on the patrol team on approaching the operatives.”
Uzuegbu commended the Enugu State Government, under the leadership of His Excellency, Dr. Peter Mbah, “for taking the bold and pragmatic steps of demolishing houses and facilities used in harbouring and perpetrating acts of abduction and kidnapping in the State.
“Therefore, I call on citizens of Enugu State, particularly landlords, hoteliers, and owners of uncompleted buildings to be mindful of who they accommodate in such structures.”
“This is to ensure that they do not harbour criminals whose activities could bring about the demolition of their building facilities.”
While providing further details on the arrests made within the period, the Police Commissioner said, “Yesterday, August 21, 2024, at about 5 p.m., Police Operatives serving in the Anti-Cultism Tactical Squad recovered an AK-47 rifle at New Artisan, Enugu.”
[Punch]
Agora Policy, an Abuja-based think tank, says petrol subsidy will reach an all-time high in 2024 after gulping N4.2 trillion from January to August.
In a post on Thursday, the organisation said petrol subsidy, which was supposedly ended in mid-2023, “is not only back but bigger than prior era”.
Agora Policy said petrol subsidy stood at N5.10 trillion in 2023 — almost double the record set in 2022.
“With 4.2t incurred in just seven months, 2024 is set for an all-time record,” the think tank said.
According to data shared by Agora Policy, Nigeria spent N220 billion in 2006 on subsidy, N236 billion in 2007, and N360 billion in 2008.
In 2009, petrol subsidy payments dropped to N198 billion, increasing to N416 billion in 2010, and N1.9 trillion in 2011.
The year after, the petrol subsidy culminated in N690 billion, but dropped to N495 billion in 2013, N482 billion in 2014, N317 billion in 2015, and N99 billion in 2016.
However, in 2017, Agora Policy said the amount spent on petrol subsidy rose to N142 billion, N722 billion in 2018, before declining to N578 billion in 2019, and N135 billion in 2020.
The decline halted in 2021, as the petrol subsidy rose to N1.16 trillion, N2.91 trillion in 2022, and N5.10 trillion in 2023.
“Out of N20.37t incurred on petrol subsidy from January 2006 to July 2024, the year 2023 accounted for 25.04% of the total while seven months in 2024 alone is responsible for 20.67% of the total,” Agora Policy said.
By contrast, the organisation said 16 years accounted for just 40 percent of the total subsidy.
“Petrol subsidy as a percentage of gross oil revenues in 18 years and seven months: from 21% in 2011 to 126% in 2023, then to 113% between January and July 2024,” Agora Policy said.
“Another dimension: petrol subsidy as a percentage of FAAC net revenues, ranging from 1.9% in 2020 to 50% in seven months of 2024.
“Here’s what petrol subsidy as a percentage of GDP looks like. Petrol subsidy was 2.2% of GDP in 2023, when it was supposedly gone by mid-year.”
Agora Policy said the percentage for 2023 was only surpassed by that of 2011 (3 percent), “regarded as a tipping point”.
TheCable had reported that President Bola Tinubu approved a request by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited to utilise the 2023 final dividends due to the federation to pay for the petrol subsidy.
However, on August 19, the national oil company said the federal government owes it N7.8 trillion for petrol subsidy — despite denying the existence of petrol subsidy
On August 20, the NNPC said it is selling petrol at only half the landing cost.
[TheCable]
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![[PRESS RELEASE] Don't Turn Our Democracy Into a Plutocracy](/media/k2/items/cache/a68a8231f0da4337e3d9300d0c329971_XS.jpg)
The Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) condemns and opposes the attempt by the state governments to impose a plutocracy on the nations fledgling democracy through fees charged by the States Independent Electoral Commissions (SIEC's) for nomination forms to contest local government elections nationwide. The party views these charges, such as N10,000,000.00 for chairmanship and N5,000,000.00 for councillorship candidates in Kano or even the N2,000,000.00 levied for chairmanship and N600,000.00 for councillorship candidates in neighbouring Kaduna State, as deliberate attempts to disenfranchise ordinary Nigerians from contesting for elections in the local governments of their states. The Constitution of Nigeria, in spirit and words, has not intended that Nigeria should be governed only by the rich.
The PRP is shocked that the SIECs of these states have chosen to ignore the principle of equity and fairness, which is at the heart of democratic governance. The party believes that the right to participate in the electoral process is a fundamental human right that should not be denied to anyone based on their financial status. Charging these exorbitant fees by the state for nomination forms to contest elections at local government levels amounts to denying the poor, which are about 98% of the population, participation in their governance. This practice will deny many good people with conpetence and integrity participation in their governance, leaving the horizon for only rich persons or those backed by money bags or state governments who would control and continue mismanaging the resources of the local governments.
The PRP demands that state governments such as Kano and Kaduna reverse these exorbitant fees and charge reasonable fees or zero fees for nomination forms. After all, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that conducts national and state assembly elections for the president, vice president, governors, senators, and members of the federal and state legislatures does not charge these contestants for their nominations. We cannot and should not continue to condone a system that favours only the rich and powerful at the expense of the teeming Nigerian masses. Furthermore, the PRP urges all states that have not yet announced their fees for nomination forms to emulate INEC by charging no fees at all. It is most unfair to subject aspiring candidates to arbitrary fees, which will lead to situations where only the rich with deep pockets can participate in the electoral process.
The PRP believes that every Nigerian, rich or poor, has the right to participate in the democratic process without being hindered by financial constraints. We believe that democracy should be about inclusivity, not exclusivity. We warn that if the ruling class continues with this practice, ordinary Nigerians, inclusive of the Nigerian youth that constitute over 60% of the registered voters, may rebel against the system, and if and when they do, we should blame these plutocrats preventing ordinary Nigerians from participating in elections.
It is our duty as a responsible political party to speak out against this injustice and demand better from our leaders, and should we not be listened to, we will have no options as an interested party but to go to court to ask as to whether or not the practice of using financial strength to exclude ordinary Nigerians from participating in the electoral process is not a breach of the fundamental human right of these ordinary Nigerians from participating in their governance in a plural democracy.
We call on all Nigerians to join us in this struggle for democratic rights and demand that our leaders prioritise the interests of the people over personal gain. We will not tolerate any action that seeks to disenfranchise ordinary Nigerians and undermine the very fabric of our democracy.
Falalu Bello, OFR
National Chairman
Peoples Redemption Party (PRP).
Students of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY) and some community leaders of the town have alleged the Chairman, Governing Council of Mapoly, Prof. Kamaldeen Balogun of conniving with the institution's Registrar, Mrs. Olubunmi Elewedalu to install new micro finance Managing Director, Mr. Ayodeji Adeolu Jibodun.
It was revealed that the new MD is younger brother to the institution's Registrar, Elewedalu, alleging that it was against the rules and regulations guiding the Polytechnic and Mapoly Microfinance board.
Speaking on anonymous with the journalists, they were calling on the state government to raise a panel of enquiry to look into the Mapoly Microfinance, so as to ensure sanity and justice, noting the act may destroy the foremost and great citadel of learning in the state.
"Indeed, the registrar with full support of the Chairman, Governing Board screened-out best contenders for the pposition of Managing-Director of MAPOLY Microfinance Bank and installed his unqualified brother, Mr. Ayodeji Adeolu Jibodu, even with PASS from the Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro, which against financial regulations of the banking sector and negates the banking rules." they said
Also, a senior staff of institution, pleaded on anonymity said that the CBN is yet to recognised the new MD, as the Chairman and Registrar failed to provide reason for untimely resignation and termination of a well recognised Director of the bank.
"We thereby call on the NDIC, CBN and Ogun State government to look into the selection process of MAPOLY MFB. The government must also stop the Chairman, Governing Council of the Institution, Prof. Kamaldeen Balogun from abuse of power and do the right thing to save the bank and indeed, the Polytechnic from mediocrity and destruction," a saff said
According to the information gathered from the institution, if the anomalies and unrighteousness continue in chosen unqualified person as the MD of the institution's bank, they would have power to undermines embesslement, misappropriation of money, saying that they will mismanage fund.
"In fact, the bank has been in shamble dues to mismanagement of fund and they had already depleted the bank finances and Central Bank of Nigeria may revoke the bank licence which in turn will have adverse effect on both majority of the institution and minority shareholders; like students, communities and others," finding revealed
It was observed that the Chairman of Mapoly board, Registrar and his brother are the three running the Microfinance bank, instead of the recognised and registered Directors who are; the Rector, Dr. Adeoye Odedeji, the Bursar, Mr. Fatai Adisa Yekini, who are not in their good record.
It added that Dr. (Mrs) Olasunbo Oyebolu who was sent away during the interview of the selection Managing Directors of the Microfinance bank in April, 2024 and she was later forced to resign as Director of the Board of the bank.
In her response, Elewedalu agreed that the new Microfinance Bank was her brother but refused to response to other questions, claiming that she is a public servant, saying that she was in better position to response to some issues.
While the calls to the Chairman Governing Council didn't go for further clarification, as messages sent to him didn't no go.
It should be recalled that around April 2024, one of the Governing Council Board Member, Alhaji (Dr) Rasheed Adenusi complained about some decisions of the Microfinance Bank Board which was not followed by Prof. Kamaldeen Balogun, saying that Chairman and the Registrar decided to take over the functions of the Board of the Bank.
Some users across social media platforms such as X, Facebook and Instagram, have expressed disappointment at the recently increased fees for Nigerian Standard Passport.
The Federal Government, through the Nigeria Immigration Service – the national agency mandated to issue passports to applicants, on Wednesday, announced that the upward review of the passport fees was necessary to maintain its quality and integrity.
The increased fee, effective from September 1, 2024, will cost N50,000 for a 32-page passport booklet with five-year validity which was previously charged at N35,000.
Also, a 64-page passport booklet with 10-year validity will cost N100,000; an increment of N30,000 from its previous N70,000 charge.
Part of the concerns raised by some of the social media users range from corruption of some NIS officials who charge extra, unofficial fees; to the economic hardship in the country, inflation, insensitivity of the government to the masses, among others.
On X.com, Callme_Wéalth EndSars, tweeting as #Lexyzdoo, wrote, “Online 50k, offline 100k for 32 pages.”
A Facebook user, Taiwo Olaoye, stated, “Without the hiked-up fees, you still have to pay an arm and a leg as bribery for them to do their jobs. That’s why my passport will forever remain expired. It will end up being expired in five years anyway.”
A tweep, Asiwaju Arowopoko, tweeting as #souqueasnaf, stated, “I can bet that some people paid more to get their passports done expressly. If it’s 50k and 100k for 32 and 64 pages respectively, and we will get it done seamlessly without paying a bribe or extra cost, then it’s ok.”
One Shedrach Onyekonwu on Facebook, criticised the fewer number of days to implement the passport fee review, compared to that of the national minimum wage, saying, “It takes just a publication of this nature to announce an upward review of fees to be implemented in 10 days but takes endless meetings to sign new minimum wage with no date in sight for its implementation.”
Another tweep, CitizenOlu, tweeting as #jagabanolu, wrote, “What kind of rubbish is this policy? In this economy with a 70k minimum wage, a passport will now cost 50,000! This is a very deliberate policy that shows some elites in power truly must be living in a different reality!”
An X user, Adewale ‘Damilare, tweeting as #dammygtnet, said, “Una dun increase money for passport issuance again. You guys are testing our patience!”
Another tweep, Hemjay of Life, with the username #MuritalaMujeebA, tweeted, “And it is not as if your useless officers will not still collect bribe at point of biometrics oo.”
An X user, E.J, tweeting as #Enwagboso, asked the FG to delay the effective date of the new passport fees to 2025.
He wrote, “The 10-day notice for the passport price increase is an example of the government’s lack of empathy and consideration for its citizens. #officialABAT and #nigimmigration should know this. I recommend reviewing the pricing strategy and considering a reversal or, at the very least, a delayed effective date of January 1, 2025.”
A Facebook user, Celestine Uzodike wrote, “Every agency is in a hurry to extort the masses at this crucial period. Very insensitive Govt.”
Another Facebook user, Emecheta David, queried, “So to maintain the integrity of the passport, you’ll increase the price? Which integrity does the Nigerian passport possess that you are maintaining?”
An Instagram user, #l_ayk_an, wrote, “Making japa expensive but yet making Nigeria worse and unlivable.”
Another user, identified as #officialcollinzo, said, “Very soon to breath for this Nigeria go be 1k per 1hr.”
According to the Henley Passport Index, the Nigerian passport was ranked 92nd out of 199 passports, highlighting the challenges its citizens face regarding international travel freedom.
[Punch]
The Dangote Petroleum Refinery is reducing its importation of crude from the United States, taking more of Nigeria’s oil for processing, a report by Bloomberg said.
The report stated that the 650,000 refinery is set to import just over four-fifths of its feedstock from domestic sources in the third quarter. That compares with less than three-quarters in the prior quarter, according to tanker-tracking data and information from traders.
It was learnt that oil prices were pressured last month on reports that the plant planned on re-selling some of the US barrels it previously purchased, underscoring the pivotal role Dangote already plays within Atlantic basin petroleum markets.
The refinery’s efforts to dial back overseas crude purchases potentially leave more US export barrels competing for buyers elsewhere.
The pivot could even gather pace in the coming months.
The PUNCH reported earlier that the Federal Government would start selling crude in the local currency to Dangote from October 1.
It is not yet certain how much supply will be traded under the system but if the 450,000 meant for local consumption is exhausted, the process could leave Dangote requiring hardly any overseas crude.
The $20bn Dangote refinery in Lekki, Lagos, has taken in more than 56 million barrels of crude since December as it completed test runs and gradually lifted processing. Of that, 78 per cent has been local supply.
It took six cargoes of crude directly from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited for next month, a company spokesman told Bloomberg earlier this month.
Most Nigerian cargoes are about one million barrels each. A further two shipments from Nigeria as well as two million barrels of WTI Midland are slated for September arrival, the tanker-tracking data show.
The plant will have taken in an average of almost 10 million barrels per month in the six months through September.
Inflows of American feedstock had been expected to increase significantly earlier in the summer.
However, some of the US barrels it bought for this month and next were being resold, a claim that was debunked by the refinery in late July.
It also scrapped two tenders in which it had been looking to purchase a further 6 million barrels of American crude for September, according to traders.
The changes may also leave fewer Nigerian barrels on offer for sale in Europe and Asia.
Dangote’s petrol is expected in the market by September.