Nigerian President, Bola Tinubu has lauded the recent rise in crude oil production to 1.6 million barrels per day (mbpd) during a nationwide broadcast on Sunday.

The increase follows emergency measures introduced by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) aimed at addressing production gaps.

Tinubu’s address comes in the context of ongoing protests against economic hardship and high living costs. He highlighted that Nigeria’s gas assets, previously underutilized, are now receiving significant attention.

The President further noted that this resurgence in the oil and gas sector is attracting new investments.

Since the implementation of reforms in May 2024, the government has secured two Foreign Direct Investments, totaling over half a billion dollars.

“Our oil and gas industry, which had been declining, is now experiencing a revival due to the reforms introduced to address gaps in the Petroleum Industry Act,” Tinubu stated. “Last month, we raised oil production to 1.61 million barrels per day, and our gas assets are finally receiving the attention they deserve.”

Addressing the country’s reliance on oil-based petrol and the neglect of gas resources, Tinubu announced the launch of the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Initiative. This programme aims to power the transportation sector and reduce costs.

The President assured that the CNG initiative would save over two trillion Naira monthly, previously used for importing petrol and diesel, thereby freeing up resources for investment in healthcare and education.

“We are distributing one million CNG conversion kits at minimal or no cost to commercial vehicles, which consume 80% of imported fuel,” Tinubu said. “The initiative includes setting up conversion centers across the country in partnership with the private sector. We anticipate a 60% reduction in transportation costs and a decrease in inflation.”

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The assailants set fire to vehicles parked at the premises, causing significant damage.

In the Hadejia area of Jigawa, the #EndBadGovernance protests also turned violent, with demonstrators clashing with security forces.

Protesters who marched to the Government House in the state capital were forcibly dispersed by security agents.

The unrest extended to neighbouring Kano State, where hoodlums exploited the nationwide #EndBadGovernance protests to set ablaze vehicles parked at the State High Court.

Also, the newly built Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC) Industrial Park in Kano was looted on the first day of the protests.

The protests, which began on Thursday in response to economic hardship, have rapidly escalated in both Kano and Jigawa States, part of the North-West geopolitical zone.

In response to the unrest, Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano State has declared a 24-hour curfew to restore order.

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In a statement signed personally by the IGP on the eve of the nationwide protests, Egbetokun noted that the organisers of the demonstrations had not provided the police with details such as participant names or rally routes.

The IGP criticized the movement’s name, “Take It Back Movement,” stating it has “far-reaching undemocratic, unconstitutional and illegal connotations.” He added that intelligence reports suggest the protests are intended to incite chaos and target innocent citizens.

Egbetokun emphasized that the police will not tolerate a “state of anomy” and have been instructed to protect lives and property from attacks.

“All officers and men of the Nigeria Police are hereby directed to act and deal decisively with any act of arson, intimidation or harassment of any citizen, threat to lives and properties, breach of peace and any act of criminality that may arise or flow from the planned protest in any part of the country,” he said. “Perpetrators of any crime will be arrested and promptly prosecuted.”

The upcoming protests, gaining traction on social media, are set to take place across all states and the nation’s capital, Abuja. The demonstrations come in response to soaring food and basic commodity prices amidst one of Nigeria’s worst inflation crises, driven by the government’s removal of petrol subsidies and unification of forex windows.

Authorities, including the police, military, and the Department of State Services, have cautioned against protests similar to Kenya’s recent demonstrations. Despite appeals from politicians and concerns that the rallies might mirror the EndSARS protests of October 2020, the youth remain resolute in their plans.

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The protest took place mainly on the street of Nigerian House official residence of the Nigerian president in London.

President Buhari, before arriving London had declare intention to seek reelection.

Some of the protesters wowed to sustain the protest until Buhari leaves UK, just as they passed a judgement of failure on his government.

The placards wielded by the crowd of protesters asked the government of Nigeria to stop the killing in Benue, Taraba and other states in the middle belt zone of Nigeria, while some appealed to the government to also tackle the menace of corruption in the country.

Protesters were heard chanting “Buhari must go”, reminding him that Fulani herdsmen have continued to be on rampage back home because the government made no attempt to stop them.

Nigerians in UK has staged a similar protest at the Nigerian House during the last visit by President Buhari when he sought medical attention. The President left UK for Nigeria a day after the protest.

However, the Presidency has said the protest was sponsored by supporters of alleged looters and corrupt elements within and outside the country.

A source in the presidency said those affected by Mr. Buhari’s anti-corruption crusade were jolted by his decision to seek re-election, “forcing them to push panic buttons including renting a motley crowd of professional demonstrators to protest against the President on his arrival into the United Kingdom.”

The source said “extremely corrupt Nigerians who are custodians of slush funds stolen from Nigeria, and hiding in UK or are resident cronies of such elements, have colluded to form a league of protesters with a singular aim of distracting and disorganising the scheduled state visit of the president to England for bilateral talks with Prime Minister Theresa May and other dignitaries.”

“Esteemed Nigerians home and abroad, friends and business investors in Nigeria, should please see through the veil of the motive behind the Abuja House, Kensington London demonstration.

“It was an orchestrated act of desperation and a ploy to blackmail and hoodwink the President from concentrating on his anti corruption campaign, which is fast gaining grounds locally and internationally,” the source said.

He said the protest may also be because of the Nigerian government’s decision to name and shame corrupt citizens and looters, as well as to collate database of Nigerians with homes in UK who are not paying the right taxes.

He said the move by the government to prosecute all financial defaulters through bilateral and multilateral means is another reason they are coming after Mr. Buhari.

The government recently released a list of persons, mostly members of the opposition PDP, who, they said looted the treasury while they were in power.

The list has been criticised by the PDP and civic groups.

Information Minister, Lai Mohammed on Monday said another “shocking” list of looters would be released soon.

The presidency disclosed that security sources in UK had informed the government that the protesters are determined to embarrass Mr Buhari throughout his stay in the UK.

He said they have information that the protesters will take their demonstrations to the venue of the meeting of Commonwealth Heads of Government (CHOGM), holding on April 16-17 in Britain.

In reaction to the protest, Mr Buhari’s spokesperson, Garba Shehu, said the president “will not be distracted from his mission in the UK.”

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