NEWS
Diezani Claims She Was NNPC’s Rubber Stamp Before London Court
The trial of former Nigerian Petroleum Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, continued on Day 18 at the Southwark Crown Court, where she mounted an extensive defence of her tenure, insisting she had limited direct control over oil contract awards and describing herself as largely a “rubber stamp” operating within a highly layered bureaucracy.
She told the court that contract decisions in the oil sector were processed through multiple agencies before reaching her desk, arguing that by the time files were presented to the minister, “the choice had been made.”
According to her, operational authority rested mainly with the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), while the ministry performed an oversight function.
Diezani said the size and complexity of Nigeria’s petroleum industry made direct ministerial control impossible, stating that the sector involved thousands of employees, hundreds of oil fields, multiple pipelines and depots, and several parastatals operating under different reporting structures.
“It was not a one-man state,” she told the court.
She maintained that she personally rejected only about one to two per cent of contracts during her tenure, adding that interference with already-approved transactions was rare and often politically sensitive.
Diezani also told the court that in 2014 she uncovered an alleged crude oil lifting arrangement involving multiple companies, which she said was allegedly linked to businessman Igho Sanomi.
She said she moved to cancel the contracts after a whistle-blower alert but faced strong political backlash, including direct complaints to then President Goodluck Jonathan.
ALSO READ: Ekpo Commends SPL, NCDMB Over Utorogu Gas Plant
Diezani also revisited the widely reported $20 billion oil revenue controversy, linked to claims raised by former central bank governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, telling the court that the matter had been misrepresented in public discourse.
She said what was initially described as “missing money” was later reviewed through audits and parliamentary scrutiny, which clarified that a significant portion related to subsidy payments and operational expenditures.
She insisted that she was unfairly associated with allegations of theft, describing the media fallout as politically driven and damaging to her reputation.
Diezani further told the court that subsidy investigations later revealed misuse within the system, including “round-tripping” practices where marketers allegedly submitted multiple claims for payment.
She said she escalated concerns to anti-corruption agencies and restructured aspects of the downstream sector, which she said led to a sharp reduction in subsidy claims but also triggered threats against her.
In an emotional moment, Diezani told the court that resistance to her reforms exposed her and her family to serious danger.
She revealed that her younger sister was kidnapped in 2013 and held for two weeks, while her nephew was also abducted in a separate incident.
She broke down in tears while describing how her son required military protection to attend school due to security threats.
The former minister also told the court that political and business figures frequently pressured her office for favours in oil allocations and financial matters, citing a letter from businessman and politician Ifeanyi Ubah as an example of such lobbying.
She said she rejected all such requests.
On her personal finances, Diezani acknowledged using credit cards issued by Nigerian banks, including Zenith Bank and UBA, and confirmed that some transactions were made abroad during official travels.
She told the court that Nigerian ministers were barred from maintaining foreign accounts, which sometimes created logistical challenges during overseas assignments.
She also admitted that, on a few occasions, her cards were declined abroad, which she said led to arrangements for third parties to cover expenses in some situations.
The court was shown travel records, diplomatic correspondence, and passport stamps covering her international movements between 2011 and 2015.
Diezani said she typically travelled with an entourage of about 30 staff members, including technical assistants and protocol officers, and insisted that all official movements were documented in ministry diaries later archived by government authorities.
She also addressed the use of private jets and chartered flights, saying such arrangements were common for government officials within Nigeria, while commercial flights were also frequently used for international travel.
Diezani maintained that her tenure was defined by efforts to open up the petroleum sector to indigenous participation and improve transparency, citing reforms aimed at expanding opportunities for Nigerian companies under the country’s local content framework.
The trial is still ongoing.
The Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) has honoured former Minister of Power, Prof. Bart Nnaji, on the occasion of his 70th birthday, for his enduring contributions to science, innovation and the development of The Nigeria Prize for Science and Innovation.
At a colloquium organised in his honour, the company highlighted Nnaji’s more than two decades of involvement in the growth, governance and international recognition of the Prize, describing him as one of its earliest advocates and a key figure in its evolution.
Speaking at the event, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NLNG, Adeleye Falade, represented by the General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development, Sophia Horsfall, said Nnaji had remained a pillar of the initiative since its inception in 2004.
ALSO READ: NUPRC Gives Licencees 90-Day Deadline to Meet Conditions
According to Horsfall, the renowned engineer and academic has provided intellectual leadership, strategic direction and sustained advocacy that have helped shape the Prize’s vision, strengthen its credibility and advance its role in promoting scientific innovation and national development.
She recalled that Nnaji delivered the keynote address at the inaugural Grand Award Night held in Abuja on October 9, 2004, where he spoke on “Leapfrogging Science and Technology in Nigeria.” She noted that the address reinforced the founding objective of the Prize and helped raise awareness of the initiative among scientists, policymakers and other stakeholders.
Sahara Group is convening policymakers, industry leaders, investors, academia, and media professionals to advance practical solutions for Africa’s evolving energy landscape.
Scheduled for Wednesday, July 22, 2026, in Lagos, this year’s Asharami Square, a flagship thought leadership platform, is themed “Energising Africa’s Future: Legacy, Impact, and Transformation.”
The platform will spotlight the ideas, partnerships, and policy frameworks required to accelerate sustainable energy development across the continent.
ALSO READ: NUPRC Dangles 50 Oil, Gas Blocks Before 143 Investors at Bid Conference
Building on the success of previous editions, Asharami Square 3.0 will examine how collaboration across government, industry, finance, and the media can unlock investment, strengthen infrastructure, and expand access while supporting Africa’s energy transition.
According to Bethel Obioma, Head, Corporate Communications, Sahara Group, the platform reflects Sahara Group’s commitment to driving impactful conversations that translate into real outcomes.
“Africa’s energy future will be shaped by the strength of our partnerships and our ability to turn dialogue into action. Asharami Square continues to provide a platform for convening diverse perspectives, advancing informed discourse, and driving the decisions that will influence policy, investment, and long-term development across the continent.
As we look Beyond XXX, our focus remains on investing in the ideas, partnerships, and platforms that will help shape a sustainable energy future for Africa.”
Also speaking, Ejiro Gray, Director, Governance and Sustainability, Sahara Group, emphasised the importance of grounding energy conversations in context and practical realities.
“Africa’s energy transition must be defined by solutions that reflect our unique realities. Asharami Square plays a critical role in bridging technical expertise and public understanding, ensuring that conversations around energy, sustainability, and development are anchored in evidence, context, and impact.
Through initiatives like Asharami Square, we continue to advance our Beyond XXX philosophy by supporting credible dialogue and strengthening the ecosystems that drive sustainable progress.”
The event will feature a keynote address by Sadiq Wanka, Special Adviser to the President of Nigeria on Power Infrastructure, alongside a high-level panel including Professor Abigail Ndisika, Director, Institute of Continuing Education (ICE), University of Lagos; Temitope George, CEO, Lagos State Electricity Regulatory Commission (LASERC); Adebiyi Olusolape, Associate Editor, Africa, Argus Media; and Kemi Awodein, Managing Director, Investment Banking, Chapel Hill Denham.
A key highlight of this year’s programme will be the unveiling of the Asharami Square Energy Reporting Fellowship Judging Panel, reinforcing Sahara Group’s commitment to strengthening credible, solutions-focused journalism that deepens public understanding of Africa’s energy transition.
Since its maiden edition in 2024, Asharami Square has facilitated informed dialogue and effective media advocacy to enhance energy transition and sustainability in Africa.
Through the platform and the newly launched Asharami Energy Reporting Fellowship, Sahara Group continues to advance its Beyond XXX vision by investing in the ideas, people, and platforms that will help shape Africa’s energy future, while reinforcing its commitment to bringing energy to life responsibly.
Critical stakeholders are lamenting that fuel importers, licensed by the Nigerian government, are selling imported premium motor spirit (PMS) also known as petrol around N200 per litre, above what local refiner, the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals (DPRP) is selling.
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) noted that the importers including Matrix, AA Rano, Hayden among others have started pricing imported petrol significantly above the rates offered by the DPRP, raising concerns over the effectiveness of the government’s import licensing policy.
IPMAN’s National Publicity Secretary, Chinedu Ukadike, said independent marketers had expected the import licences to serve as a check on domestic fuel pricing but are now shocked to find out that the policy had failed to deliver the desired outcome.
“The independent marketers of Nigeria have looked at the price volatility, the issue of the import license, the issue of sales of petroleum products and dollar, and holistically I will want to use the opportunity to urge the federal government to look into this thing transparently through NMDPRA, who is the authority of the industry,” he said.
According to him, the recent import licences issued to marketers have not helped reduce fuel prices as anticipated.
“The recent import licenses, which are termed to be used as a guiding principle or a check to domestic petroleum products being refined here in Nigeria, is not yielding the results as was expected by the independent marketers,” he stated.
Ukadike expressed surprise that some importers were reportedly selling imported petrol at about N1,350 per litre, despite lower prices from the DPRP.
“We were shocked, even as I am talking to you now, that the licenses that have been given to AA Rano, Matrix and all the rest of them to be able to import petroleum products are trying to peg the price of petroleum products at N1,350, which is far, far distant from what Dangote has been selling to us,” he said.
He further questioned the quality and pricing of imported products, insisting that the policy was undermining the purpose for which the licences were granted.
“The essence of NNPC or NMDPRA or the federal government opening up this import license is also to checkmate the domestic price of petroleum products, whereas where we find out that these products are being brought into this country, one, their qualities are questionable, two, their prices are higher,” Ukadike added.
The IPMAN spokesman also warned that continued fuel importation at higher prices was increasing pressure on Nigeria’s foreign exchange market, with the naira approaching N1,400 to the US dollar.
He argued that imported petroleum products priced using the international PLATTS benchmark were about 20 percent more expensive than products supplied by the DPRP, making imports less competitive.
Ukadike urged the Federal Government to sustain the sale of crude oil to the Dangote refinery in naira, saying the arrangement would help stabilise domestic fuel prices, reduce demand for foreign exchange and ease pressure on the local currency.
He also cautioned against what he described as the indiscriminate issuance of import licences, warning that such a policy could ultimately lead to higher pump prices for consumers instead of promoting competition.
NLNG Celebrates Nnaji’s Contribution to Science, Innovation
NUPRC Gives Licencees 90-Day Deadline to Meet Conditions
Lokpobiri Credits PIA with Ending Arbitrary Oil Blocks Allocation
NUPRC Urges Prompt Compliance, Awards 37 Oil Blocks
Petrol Loading Resumes as Depot Prices Climb
Sahara Group Drives Africa’s Energy Future with Asharami Square 3.0
Trump’s Family Unveils New Cryptocurrency Platform
Senate Denies Receiving Petitions Against Tinubu’s Ambassadorial Nominees
Dangote Cement Lights Up Benue Host Communities With CSR Initiatives
Reps Recommend 3-year Jail Term For Aviation minister
Tems Sets New Record On Billboard Hot 100 Chart
