NEWS
Niger Delta Youths Threaten Oil Shutdown Over Rivers Crisis
Tensions are rising in Rivers State as the Niger Delta Youth Council (NDYC) has issued a seven-day ultimatum to President Bola Tinubu, threatening to halt oil production in response to the ongoing political crisis in the state.
In a statement signed by its president, Bene Youkore Mamamu, and made available to journalists in Warri on Saturday, the group listed three key demands: the restoration of Rivers State’s statutory revenue allocation, an end to alleged impeachment moves against Governor Similaye Fubara, and a public retraction of reported anti-Ijaw remarks attributed to former Governor and current FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike.
READ ALSO: BREAKING: Rivers Chief Judge Under Probe For Alleged Age Falsification
The youth group warned of dire economic consequences if their demands were ignored.
“We are ready to shock the world in seven days. The oil that fuels this nation flows from our land, the fourth largest and most populated ethnic group in Nigeria. We will not allow Wike, who we suspect is being used by the Presidency, to sabotage our region and undermine Ijaw history,” the statement read.
The NDYC accused Wike of attempting to manipulate the political landscape of Rivers State and marginalize the Ijaw ethnic group, citing his reported comments describing the Ijaws as a “minority within a minority.”
The group labeled the remarks as “provocative, inflammatory, and a declaration of economic and political war.”
Further criticizing the Federal Government, the NDYC alleged that President Tinubu’s administration was enabling Wike’s interference in Rivers politics.
“We are angry that Tinubu’s government has empowered Wike and the Judiciary to undermine Ijaws and the Niger Delta region, with regular threats to impeach Governor Fubara, seize the state’s allocation, insult late Pa Edwin Clark, and rewrite the history of the Ijaw nation,” the letter continued.
With the deadline fast approaching, the NDYC has called on its members to prepare for action, warning that oil production across the region could be disrupted if their demands are not met.
The potential shutdown poses a serious threat to Nigeria’s economy, given that the Niger Delta remains the country’s primary source of crude oil revenue. A disruption could exacerbate economic challenges, including foreign exchange shortages and rising inflation.
President Bola Tinubu has assured journalists that they have nothing to fear from his administration for criticising or attacking him, reaffirming his commitment to press freedom.
Tinubu gave the assurance on Thursday in Abuja during the centenary celebration of the Daily Times and the unveiling of the Nigerian Grand Book and Times Heroes Awards.
ALSO READ: Dangote Credits Tinubu’s Economic Reforms with Driving Nigeria’s Economic Recovery
The President, who was represented at the event by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, said the media remained essential to Nigeria’s development, accountability and preservation of the country’s history.
He said his administration was committed to the constitutional freedom of the press, stressing that journalists should be able to scrutinise government without fear of retaliation.
The President stated that under his administration, Nigerians could criticise or attack him without expecting government officials to retaliate against them.
Tinubu also used the occasion to emphasise the importance of preserving Nigeria’s history.
He said the Nigerian Grand Book would enable Nigerians to document the country’s story from their own perspective and preserve important institutional memories for future generations.
According to him, understanding the nation’s past would help Nigerians learn from previous successes and failures while building a stronger future.
Adesina Urges Nigerians to Build on Existing Foundations
Delivering the keynote address, former President of the African Development Bank, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, said nation-building was a continuous process that required contributions from successive generations.
Adesina noted that no country could be built by one individual or a single administration, stressing the importance of leadership that leaves stronger foundations for those who come after.
He also called for unity of purpose among Nigerians, saying the country’s diversity should be harnessed toward building a prosperous future.
Daily Times Honours Nigerians
The centenary celebration also featured the Times Heroes Awards, with prominent Nigerians receiving recognition for their contributions to society.
The Ooni of Ife, Adeyeye Ogunwusi, received the Community Impact Award, while Adesina received the Global Impact Award.
Founder and Editor-in-Chief of ThisDay, Prince Nduka Obaigbena, was honoured with the Media Icon of the Decade Award.
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, received the Minister of the Decade Award, while APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, was named Politician of the Year.
Several state governors and lawmakers were also recognised at the event.
The celebration marked 100 years of the Daily Times and highlighted the newspaper’s longstanding role in Nigeria’s media history and national development.
The Obiafu-Obrikom-Oben (OB3) gas pipeline is ready for first gas, while the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) gas pipeline has reached 95 percent completion.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) disclosed this in its July 2026 monthly report, adding that pre-commissioning activities at the OB3 River Niger Crossing had been completed in August in preparation for first gas.
In the NNPC Ltd report, OB3 was put at 100 percent, and AKK at 95 percent complete. “OB3 River Niger Crossing: Pipeline pre-commissioning activities completed in readiness for First Gas in August 2026,” the report stated.
On the AKK project, the national oil company said construction and installation works had reached an advanced stage, with the pipeline expected to deliver early gas to Abuja in 2026.
“AKK (Early Gas): Construction and installation works are at an advanced stage to deliver early gas to Abuja in 2026,” NNPC Ltd stated.
READ ALSO: Dangote Credits Tinubu’s Economic Reforms with Driving Nigeria’s Economic Recovery
The two projects form part of NNPC Ltd’s gas infrastructure development programme aimed at expanding gas transportation infrastructure.
The OB3 pipeline is designed to connect gas supplies across the eastern and western parts of the country, while the AKK pipeline is being developed to transport gas to Abuja and onwards to northern parts of Nigeria.
However, the July report did not provide further details on the expected capacity or commissioning date of the AKK pipeline beyond stating that early gas would be delivered to Abuja in 2026.
Earlier in April, the NNPC Ltd announced that it had completed the long-anticipated River Niger crossing of the OB3 gas pipeline, unlocking a critical segment of the country’s gas transmission network and paving the way for increased supply to power plants and industries.
The feat, delivered by the NNPC Gas Infrastructure Company, a subsidiary of NNPC Ltd, involved drilling approximately two kilometres beneath the River Niger using advanced horizontal directional drilling technology, a method deployed in complex engineering terrains.
Announcing the development in a statement by the Chief Corporate Communications Officer of NNPC, Andy Odeh, the company said the milestone effectively activates the full capacity of the 130-kilometre OB3 pipeline, designed to transport up to 2 billion standard cubic feet of gas per day.
The pipeline is to significantly strengthen energy availability, enhance supply reliability, and accelerate national economic development.
The company noted that the completion would, in the near term, unlock over 500 million standard cubic feet per day of additional gas supply for the domestic market, with positive implications for electricity generation, manufacturing, and exports.
The Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Ltd, Bayo Ojulari, noted that the OB3 pipeline remains central to Nigeria’s ambition of building an integrated and resilient gas network.
“I commend everyone involved for their doggedness and for staying the course to deliver this strategic national asset,” he said.
Ojulari also linked the project to the Federal Government’s broader energy targets, including plans to increase crude oil production to 3 million barrels per day and gas output to 12 billion standard cubic feet per day by 2030.
Started in 2016, the $700m OB3 pipeline has missed several completion deadlines before this latest announcement.
The Federal Government has come under scrutiny for not doing enough to ensure that prices in the oil industry are kept within the reach of ordinary people, by ensuring that local refineries get adequate crude supplies from the domestic oil industry.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) lamented that Nigeria’s leading domestic refiner, the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals (DPRP) gets inadequate supplies of crude from the local oil industry, while the government watches helplessly.
The acting General Secretary of the NLC, Benson Upah, was cited by The Punch as taking the stance in an interview on Tuesday, while reacting to the latest increase in petrol prices.
Upah was reacting to the latest increase in the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), popularly known as petrol, and was emphatic that the upward review of price was both “avoidable and unacceptable” because the development would further compound the economic difficulties confronting ordinary Nigerians, particularly workers and low-income households already struggling with high transportation, food and other living costs.
READ ALSO: DPRP Uses Court to Restrain NMDPRA from Meddlesomeness
He said, “This adds to the increasing difficulties of the average Nigerian for whom life has been Hobbesian.”
The labour leader argued that the latest increase was difficult to justify, particularly against the backdrop of developments in the international oil market and Nigeria’s growing domestic refining capacity.
According to him, “The latest increase is avoidable and unacceptable in light of falling prices in the international market and our local capacity to sell more crude oil to Dangote. Why are we not doing so?”
The NLC’s reaction came against the backdrop of another increase in the price of petrol by the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, which has triggered fresh concerns among motorists, transport operators and businesses already grappling with high operating costs.
The refinery raised its petrol gantry price by N65 per litre on Saturday, moving it from N1,200 to N1,265 per litre. The latest adjustment came only three days after the company increased the price from N1,185 to N1,200 per litre.
It was the third price adjustment by the refinery in eight days. On August 21, the company had raised its gantry price from N1,165 to N1,185 per litre. In all, the three adjustments have added N100 to the price of petrol at the refinery’s gantry, representing an 8.6 per cent increase within just eight days.
The latest increase has since begun to reverberate across the downstream market, with petrol prices varying from one location to another as marketers factor in transportation, logistics and other distribution costs.
In some parts of Lagos and Ogun, petrol has been reported at about N1,310 per litre, while prices in some northern states and areas farther from the refinery have climbed to N1,350 and above. In some locations, the product is approaching N1,400 per litre.
The renewed price increase is coming at a particularly sensitive time for Nigerians, many of whom are still struggling with the impact of the removal of the petrol subsidy in 2023.
The subsidy removal fundamentally altered the petroleum pricing regime, exposing consumers to movements in crude oil prices, foreign exchange rates and other market costs. Petrol prices, which were previously heavily regulated by the government, have since undergone several increases, with each adjustment feeding into the cost of transportation and other essential goods and services.
The latest development has also revived an old but unresolved question in Nigeria’s petroleum sector: why does a crude-producing country with a major new refinery still face persistent pressure on petrol prices?
The question has become more prominent with the emergence of the DPRP, which has a capacity to process in excess of 650,000 barrels of crude oil daily and was expected to reduce Nigeria’s dependence on imported refined petroleum products.
But while the refinery has ramped up production, securing adequate quantities of Nigerian crude has remained a contentious issue.
Crude Oil Thieves Perish in Rivers
No Gov’t Reprisal for Criticism — Tinubu Assures Journalists
Diddy to Leave Prison Earlier Than Expected as Release Date Changes Again
Navy Cracks Down on Crude Theft, Illegal Refining in Rivers, Delta
Queiroz Makes Shock Return as Ghana Coach After World Cup Exit
Drama in Court as Ex-Benue Councillor Faces Assault, Attempted Homicide Charges
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
I really appreciate this post. I’ve been looking everywhere for this! Thank goodness I found it on Bing. You have made my day! Thank you again
This site is my inhalation, very superb pattern and perfect content material.
It’s really a great and useful piece of information. I am glad that you shared this useful information with us. Please keep us up to date like this. Thanks for sharing.
Hello, i think that i saw you visited my website so i came to “return the favor”.I am trying to find things to improve my web site!I suppose its ok to use some of your ideas!!
You completed a few good points there. I did a search on the subject and found a good number of people will go along with with your blog.
This is the right blog for anyone who wants to find out about this topic. You realize so much its almost hard to argue with you (not that I actually would want…HaHa). You definitely put a new spin on a topic thats been written about for years. Great stuff, just great!
Excellent post. I was checking constantly this blog and I am impressed! Very helpful info specially the last part 🙂 I care for such information a lot. I was looking for this certain info for a very long time. Thank you and best of luck.
I would like to thank you for the efforts you have put in writing this website. I’m hoping the same high-grade blog post from you in the upcoming also. In fact your creative writing abilities has encouraged me to get my own blog now. Really the blogging is spreading its wings quickly. Your write up is a good example of it.
Very interesting points you have mentioned, regards for putting up.
Today, I went to the beach front with my children. I found a sea shell and gave it to my 4 year old daughter and said “You can hear the ocean if you put this to your ear.” She put the shell to her ear and screamed. There was a hermit crab inside and it pinched her ear. She never wants to go back! LoL I know this is completely off topic but I had to tell someone!
I envy your piece of work, regards for all the informative posts.
I got good info from your blog
Only wanna remark on few general things, The website design is perfect, the written content is really good : D.