Business

FG Cracks Down On Producers Over Domestic Crude Oil Supply To Refineries

Published

2 years ago

November 1, 2023

In a bid to ensure that local refineries have enough feedstock for domestic refining, the Federal Government Wednesday threatened to sanction oil companies which fail to meet their domestic crude oil supply obligations in line with the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act, PIA.

The government said companies which violate the law could be fined as much as $10,000 and have their export licences withdrawn.

Speaking at a meeting with crude oil producers in Abuja, the Chief Executive, Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, NUPRC, Engr. Gbenga Komolafe said it was important that the industry supply enough crude oil to local refineries on a willing buyer, willing seller basis.

Mr Komolafe noted that as the largest oil producer in Africa and 7th in OPEC, Nigeria could no longer afford to be a net importer of petroleum products.

He therefore urged the oil producers to make available the volume needed for local refining, stressing that supply to the domestic market would henceforth be given priority over export.

He pointed out that the industry’s inability to meet its domestic refining obligations has impacted negatively on the economy given the volume taken as under-recovery during the petrol subsidy regime.

He explained that “domestic crude oil supply obligation refers to the requirements imposed by the government on oil producers to allocate a certain portion of their crude oil production for domestic consumption. This is done to ensure a stable and reliable supply of crude oil for the country’s domestic needs, including refining to petroleum products.

“Section 109 of the Petroleum Industry Act introduces the domestic crude oil supply obligation to the oil industry in Nigeria in a bid to ensure crude supply to local refineries. Under section 109 subsection two of the PIA, the commission gazetted the production containment and domestic crude oil supply regulations which provides clarity of the obligations of the stakeholders”.

The CCE noted that where there are supply gaps, the Commission has the responsibility to step in by issuing a “request for quotation to oil producers requiring them to submit a quotation for the supply of crude oil to meet the shortage. Upon receiving responses from the oil producers, the Commission makes available the information to the affected refineries to facilitate contract negotiations between these stakeholders. If no resolution is reached, the commission shall impose an obligation on oil producers to supply the and notify the Authority of same.

“The volume of crude oil that oil producing companies shall dedicate to the domestic crude supply obligation shall be based on an allocation system determined by the Commission”.

He stated that the Commission would take all necessary steps that would be needed to avoid an inadequate supply of crude oil to domestic refineries.

He disclosed that the Commission shall “enforce the following penalties for violations or non-compliance to the provisions of Section 109 of the Act. A company which fails to respond to requests for quotations within a specified period is liable to pay an administrative fine of $10,000 to the Commission, that is for the period of default.

“A company which has not complied with its domestic crude supply obligation, where a willing buyer insists, shall not be granted an export permit for the lease there. A company that fails to comply with the domestic supply obligation shall incur a penalty of 50 per cent of the fiscal price for barrels not delivered.

He said the Commission has received a request from Dangote Refinery to guarantee the supply of 650,000 barrels of crude oil per day ahead of its expected coming onstream in December.
VANGUARD

Business

NNPCL Raises Fuel Price

Published

2 weeks ago

October 13, 2025

Editor

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has increased the pump price of petrol from ₦865 to ₦992 per litre, marking a fresh hike that has sparked widespread concern among motorists and consumers .

As of the time of filing this report, the company has not released any official statement explaining the reason for the sudden adjustment.

During visits to several NNPC retail outlets, The Nation observed fuel attendants recalibrating their pumps to reflect the new price.

At NNPC filling station on Ogunusi road, Ojodu Berger, petrol attendants at the station said they were instructed to change the price to reflect the new rate N992 per litre.

However, checks at Ibafo along the Lagos /Ibadan expressway showed that NNPC outlets still displayed the old price of N875 per litre, although they were not selling to commuters.

Most of the NNPC stations were not dispensing fuel.

Business

CBN Directs Banks To Refund Failed ATM Transactions Within 48hrs

Published

2 weeks ago

October 11, 2025

Editor

The Central Bank of Nigeria has directed Deposit Money Banks and other financial institutions to refund customers for failed Automated Teller Machine transactions within 48 hours, in a sweeping reform aimed at protecting consumers and restoring confidence in the banking system.

The directive is contained in a draft guideline released by the apex bank on Saturday, titled “Exposure of the Draft Guidelines on the Operations of Automated Teller Machines in Nigeria.”

The document, signed by Musa I. Jimoh, Director of Payments System Policy Department, was circulated to banks, payment service providers, card schemes, and independent ATM deployers, with a call for stakeholder feedback by October 31, 2025.

Under the draft, failed “on-us” transactions, where customers use their own bank’s ATM, must be reversed instantly. If technical glitches prevent immediate reversal, the bank is required to manually refund the customer within 24 hours.

For “not-on-us” transactions, involving other banks’ ATMs, refunds must be processed within 48 hours.

“Customers must not be made to suffer for failed transactions caused by system errors or network failures,” the circular stressed.

In a significant shift, the CBN mandated banks and ATM acquirers to deploy technology that automatically reverses failed or partial transactions, removing the need for customers to lodge complaints.

Institutions holding customer funds due to failed disbursements must reconcile and return balances immediately.

According to the apex bank, these measures respond to widespread frustration over delayed refunds and poor customer service and form part of a broader effort to enhance consumer protection, improve reliability, and modernise Nigeria’s payment infrastructure in line with global standards.

The guidelines will also overhaul ATM operations nationwide. Banks and card issuers are now required to deploy at least one ATM for every 5,000 active cards, with phased targets of 30% compliance in 2026, 60% in 2027, and full compliance by 2028. Any future deployment, relocation, or decommissioning of ATMs must receive prior approval from the CBN.

To ensure safety, ATMs must be fitted with anti-skimming devices, CCTV cameras, and placed in enclosed or well-lit areas.

Machines are expected to comply with Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards, maintain audit logs, and display functional helpdesk contacts. At least 2% of all ATMs must feature tactile symbols for visually impaired customers.

ATMs are also required to dispense cash before returning cards, allow free PIN changes, issue receipts for all transactions except balance inquiries, display clear transaction fees, dispense only clean banknotes, and provide backup power to reduce downtime.

Downtime must not exceed 72 consecutive hours, after which operators must inform the public of the cause and expected restoration time.

The CBN will enforce compliance through regular audits, on-site inspections, and monthly reports from ATM operators detailing deployments and locations. Defaulting institutions risk sanctions, though fines were not specified.

The apex bank explained that the overhaul was necessary due to rising complaints about failed transactions, cyber fraud, and declining service quality, noting that “the goal is to build a payments system that works seamlessly for everyone, urban and rural users alike.”

Nigeria’s electronic payments landscape has grown rapidly in recent years, with 200 million cardholders and rising reliance on digital banking, but network failures, poor infrastructure, and delayed reversals have continued to undermine confidence.

The fresh guidelines, coming eight months after a revision of ATM fees, are expected to streamline service delivery, enhance transaction security, and hold banks accountable. Stakeholders are invited to submit feedback ahead of the final policy adoption, which could take effect before the end of the year.

Business

Nigerian Stock Market Hits 10th Consecutive Uptrend As investors Gain N308bn

Published

2 weeks ago

October 10, 2025

Editor

The Nigerian Stock Market recorded its 10th consecutive uptrend as investors raked in N308 billion gain on Thursday.

This comes as the Nigerian Exchange Limited, NGX, market capitalisation, which opened at N92.490 trillion, appreciated by 0.33 per cent to close at N92.798 trillion on Thursday.

Also, the All-Share Index added 0.33 per cent, or 485.25 points, to close at 146,204.34, compared with 145,719.09 recorded on Wednesday.

Increased trading in Eunisell Interlinked, Caverton Offshore Support Group, Sunu Assurances, Industrial and Medical Gases, Mecure, and 27 other advancing stocks boosted market performance on Thursday.

To this end, the market breadth also closed positive with 32 gainers and 21 losers.

Further analysis showed that Eunisell Interlinked and Caverton Offshore Support Group led the gainers’ chart by 10 per cent each, closing at N44 and N6.93 per share, respectively, while FTN Cocoa Processors led the losers’ table by 6.67 per cent, closing at N5.60 per share.

Market activity showed a decline in the number of deals and volume traded but an improvement in trade value.

Accordingly, a total of 346.99 million shares worth N27.43 billion were traded in 24,691 deals, compared with 525.72 million shares worth N13.61 billion exchanged in 25,597 deals on Wednesday.

Fidelity Bank topped the activity chart with 42.01 million shares valued at N861.54 million.

According to DAILY POST, NGX has continued its bullish run from last month’s end to date.