News
Reps Secure $37.4m Oil Debt Repayment as Probe Uncovers $1.7bn in Unpaid Royalties
Published
1 year agoon
By
Mega Icon
The House of Representatives has announced that seven oil companies have pledged to settle a cumulative debt of $37.4 million owed to the Federation Account before August 2025.
Akin Rotimi, the spokesperson for the House, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, highlighting the commitment as part of an ongoing investigation by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).
“This commitment follows the Committee’s scrutiny of financial records from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), which flagged significant lapses in royalty payments and reconciliation processes across the sector,” Rotimi stated.
The pledged repayment is a fraction of the ₦9 trillion outstanding liability flagged by the Auditor General for the Federation in the 2021 report submitted to the National Assembly. The debts, some of which have accrued over four years, underscore persistent revenue leakages in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
$1.7 Billion Still Unpaid by 45 Companies
Beyond the seven firms that have agreed to settle their debts, the Committee’s probe has uncovered an additional $1.7 billion (₦2.5 trillion) in unpaid royalty payments by 45 oil and gas companies as of December 31, 2024.
The seven companies that acknowledged their outstanding liabilities and pledged to clear them before August 2025 are:
Belema Oil
Panocean Oil Nigeria Ltd
Newcross Exploration & Production Ltd
Dubri Oil Company Ltd
Chorus Energy
Amni International
Network Exploration
Nine Companies Contest $429.2 Million Debt Figures
Meanwhile, nine companies with a combined outstanding balance of $429.2 million have contested the figures provided by the NUPRC, requesting a reconciliation process to verify their actual liabilities. These companies include:
Aradel/Niger Delta
Chevron
STAR DEEP
Shore Line
Seplat Producing Unlimited
Esso Erha
Esso Usan
Eroton Exploration
Seplat Energy
The committee has mandated that the reconciliation process be concluded within two weeks, after which companies must settle their confirmed debts without delay.
28 Companies Fail to Honour House Invitation
In a more concerning development, 28 oil companies collectively owing $1,230,708,293.14 have failed to appear before the Committee or respond to public notices. The House has granted them a final grace period of one week to submit relevant documentation and appear before the PAC.
The affected companies include:
Addax Petroleum Exploration Nigeria Ltd
AITEO Group
All Grace Energy
Amalgamated Oil Company Nigeria Limited
Total E&P Nigeria (OML 100, 102, 52 & 99)
Bilton Energy Limited
Enageed Resources Limited
Waltersmith Petroman Limited
Conoil Plc
Continental Oil & Gas Company Ltd
Energia Limited
First E&P Ltd
Frontier Oil Limited
General Hydrocarbons Limited
Green Energy International Ltd
Nigeria Agip Exploration Ltd (NAE)
Neconde Energy Limited
Nigeria Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) – OML 60, 61 & 63
Lekoil Oil and Gas Investments Limited
Midwestern Oil and Gas Limited
Millennium Oil and Gas Company Limited
Oando Oil Ltd (OML 60, 61 & 62)
Heirs Holding
Pillar Oil Limited
Platform Petroleum Limited
Universal Energy Limited / Sinpec
Sahara Field Production Limited
Oriental Energy Resources Limited
Failure to comply within the stipulated timeframe, the House warned, would attract firm legislative and regulatory sanctions to enforce accountability and compliance.
Two Companies Found Compliant
On a positive note, only two companies—Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) and Shell Nigeria Exploration & Production—were found to have fully met their royalty obligations.
The House of Representatives reaffirmed its commitment to enforcing financial discipline in the oil and gas sector to plug revenue leakages and ensure all outstanding debts to the Federation Account are settled.
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Iran War Disrupts Oil Supply, Global Loss Hits $50bn
Published
5 days agoon
April 18, 2026By
Mega IconThe global oil market has recorded losses exceeding $50bn following massive supply disruptions triggered by the ongoing Iran war, which has now stretched to nearly 50 days.
Data from energy analytics firm Kpler showed that more than 500 million barrels of crude oil and condensate have been wiped off the global market since the crisis began in late February, making it the largest energy supply disruption in modern history.
Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araqchi, on Friday said the Strait of Hormuz had been reopened after a ceasefire agreement reached in Lebanon.
However, tensions escalated again on Saturday as Tehran warned it could shut the strategic waterway if the United States sustains its blockade of Iranian ports.
Also, U.S. President Donald Trump expressed optimism that a deal to end the conflict could be reached “soon,” although he did not provide a definite timeline.
Analysts warned that the scale of disruption could have prolonged effects on global energy stability, with shocks expected to linger for months or even years.
Providing context, Principal Analyst at Wood Mackenzie, Iain Mowat, said the 500 million barrels lost is equivalent to grounding global aviation demand for 10 weeks, halting all road transport worldwide for 11 days, or shutting down the entire global oil supply for five days.
Further estimates showed that the lost volume is nearly equal to one month of oil demand in the United States or more than a month’s supply for Europe. It also represents about six years of fuel consumption by the U.S. military and could power global shipping activities for approximately four months.
The crisis has significantly affected oil-producing nations in the Gulf, with output losses reaching about eight million barrels per day in March—roughly equivalent to the combined production of two of the world’s largest oil companies.
Jet fuel exports from major producers, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Oman, dropped sharply from 19.6 million barrels in February to just 4.1 million barrels recorded across March and April combined. Analysts said the shortfall could have powered about 20,000 round-trip international flights.
With crude prices averaging around $100 per barrel since the onset of the conflict, the lost volumes translate to an estimated $50bn in revenue. Experts noted that this figure is equivalent to about one per cent of Germany’s annual Gross Domestic Product, or roughly the size of the economies of smaller European countries.
Meanwhile, global onshore crude inventories have declined by about 45 million barrels in April alone, while total production outages have risen to approximately 12 million barrels per day since late March.
Industry experts cautioned that unless a lasting resolution is reached, the disruption could intensify volatility in global oil markets, worsen inflationary pressures, and further strain fragile economies worldwide.
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Oseni Secures Prestigious City People Political Award Nomination
Published
1 week agoon
April 16, 2026By
Mega IconA member of the House of Representatives representing Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency and Chairman of the House Committee on Federal Roads Maintenance Agency, Aderemi Oseni, has been nominated for a Special Award in Politics at the 2026 City People Political Awards.
The nomination was conveyed in a letter dated April 13, 2026, signed by the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of City People Magazine, Seye Kehinde.
The development was disclosed in a statement issued by Oseni’s media aide, Idowu Ayodele, and made available to journalists in Ibadan on Thursday.
According to the statement, the lawmaker earned the nomination in recognition of his “outstanding contributions to politics in Oyo State, particularly in Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency.”
The organisers noted that Oseni emerged as a nominee following a comprehensive review of performances across sectors by the award’s selection committee.
Part of the letter read, “Having performed creditably well in your sector last year, the Organising Committee presented you as a nominee in your sector.”
The award ceremony is scheduled to hold on Sunday, May 3, 2026, at Etal Hall, Kudirat Abiola Way, Oregun, Ikeja, Lagos, at 4pm.
The City People Awards is an annual event that recognises individuals who have distinguished themselves in governance, public service and other sectors of national development.
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Kaduna Electric to prosecute, expose attackers of staff
Published
1 week agoon
April 16, 2026By
Mega IconThe Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company has announced a crackdown on individuals who assault its staff, warning that offenders will face prosecution and public exposure.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the company expressed concern over what it described as a “disturbing surge” in attacks on its field workers and third-party partners.
It noted that the affected personnel were mainly engaged in meter installation, revenue collection and maintenance of electricity infrastructure.
According to the firm, the increasing cases of harassment, physical assault and unlawful detention of its workers pose a serious threat to employee safety and the stability of electricity service delivery across its franchise areas.
The Deputy Managing Director, Abubakar Mohammed, said the company would no longer tolerate any form of aggression against its workforce.
“Let this serve as a clear warning to anyone who engages in the assault of our staff. Kaduna Electric will pursue every case to its logical conclusion,” he said.
“We will work closely with security agencies to ensure offenders are brought to justice and face the full weight of the law,” Mohammed added.
He further disclosed that the company would publicly reveal the identities of individuals found culpable.
According to him, names, photographs and other details of offenders would be published on the company’s official platforms as well as in national and local media.
“This measure is intended to ensure accountability and serve as a strong deterrent. Anyone who chooses to attack our personnel should be prepared not only to face prosecution but also public exposure,” he added.
The company stressed that assaults on utility workers attract serious legal and financial consequences, noting that offenders risk criminal charges that may lead to fines or imprisonment.
It added that perpetrators could also face civil liabilities, including compensation for medical treatment, psychological trauma and loss of work hours.
While condemning the attacks, Kaduna Electric urged customers to adopt peaceful and lawful means of resolving disputes.
It advised aggrieved customers to channel complaints through its customer service units or appropriate regulatory bodies.
The management reaffirmed its commitment to protecting its workforce and partners, stressing that a safe working environment is essential for delivering reliable and efficient electricity services.
Although disputes between electricity providers and consumers are often linked to billing issues, metering challenges and service delivery concerns, the company maintained that such matters must be resolved through dialogue, insisting that violence against its staff will no longer be tolerated.
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