NEWS
Nigeria First: FG Restricts Contracts Below N20bn to Indigenous Contractors
As part of measures to promote the Nigeria First policy of the Federal Government of Nigeria, ‘henceforth any project below the contract sum of ₦20 Billion would not be given to expatriate firms’.
The Honourable Minister of Works, Senator Nweze David Umahi, made the disclosure on Tuesday, during his inspection visit to the ongoing dualization of the East-West Road (Section IIIA) from Eleme Junction, Port Harcourt to Onne Junction in Rivers State being handled by Messrs RCC Nig Ltd.
It was gathered that as part of strategic plans towards sustainability in project funding and execution and in pursuance of the directive of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on strategic and systematic funding of inherited Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), funded projects, the Federal Ministry of Works has adopted funding prioritization framework to ensure the continued execution of road projects hitherto funded by the state oil major under the Road Infrastructure Development and Refurbishment Investment Tax Credit Scheme.
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According to Sen Umahi, the Federal Ministry of Works had compiled all the NNPCL inherited Tax Credit projects for strategic priority funding, noting that the most critical projects within the national economic corridor would receive precedence in the hierarchy of prioritization.
“We are inspecting projects of federal government in Rivers State, and this particular one is the dualization of Eleme Junction to Onne Port Junction by RCC. Recall that one carriageway was completed and commissioned, even though there are a few things we ordered afresh like the retaining wall and hanging drainage. For the second carriageway with some bridges and flyovers, work has started on it. Let me say that this is part of the NNPC Tax Credit that has been stopped in terms of funding by NNPC. But graciously, we have compiled all the NNPC inherited Tax Credit projects, and we presented as Ministry of Works to Mr. President. And Mr. President has graciously directed that none of such works should stop now. However, as Ministry, we are going to do prioritization of the projects and look at the most critical of these projects within the national economic corridor like this one. And we are going to put it forward for immediate funding because the President directed that none of such projects should stop now,” he said.
He admonished contractors handling road projects under the Federal Ministry of Works to ensure speed, quality, compliance with specification and sustainability in project delivery and cautioned that the attention of the anti-graft agencies would be called to any case of violation of the regulations or terms and conditions set out under the contract of every project handled by the Federal Ministry of Works.
He stated, “I have also noticed in some of the projects in Rivers State, and same with the Six Geo-Political zones, that contractors go ahead to put stone base and put binder course of asphalt, sometimes over 20 kilometres and leave the binder unprotected without putting wearing course. The binder is like a reinforcement to the road architecture. The wearing is the sealant that doesn’t allow water to go beyond the surface. And so, when you now put stone base, which has dust as designed, and you put binder, which is like a reinforcement, and you see that the composition of the binder asphalt has bigger stones, and it has holes, so the water penetrates. The moment it gets to the stone base, which has some dust, the road fails. It may technically look safe, but with time, it will definitely fail. And we’ve seen it in a number of roads we inspected. And what I’ve directed the Controller to do, and it’s going to be nationwide, is that when you are putting binder and you have left it for more than two months, we are going to redo the certificate and remove all the binder and remove the stone base.”
The former Governor of Ebonyi Sate, directed that henceforth any project below the contract sum of ₦20 Billion would not be given to expatriate firms, and this he said is part of measures to promote the Nigeria First policy of Federal Government of Nigeria.
He commended the construction company handling the Eleme – Onne project, Reynolds Construction Company (RCC) for the quality of work so far done and for working on the project despite the fact that NNPCL has stopped funding the project, but frowned at the slow pace of work which they said was affected by the rainy season. He restated that 15th December 2025 remains the agreed deadline for the project’s completion with no extension or Variation of Price (VoP) allowed. “On this project of Eleme Junction, the quality of the work is excellent. The pace of the work is totally not acceptable. And let me make it very, very clear to the contractor that this project can never be reviewed by a kobo. Neither can there be any variation of price or any other claims.” He expressed dismay over the destructive habit of packing heavy duty vehicles on the road by drivers and warned that forthwith punitive measures would be taken against such perpetrators. “Our roads are not designed to carry these heavy trailers that are parking on the road. And the press should help us on that. When I was coming yesterday all the way from Aba to here, I saw that the trailers are taking over the entire roads, putting their waste, destroying the pavements, and so on and so forth. So, I’m going to write to our dear Governors to see what they could help us to do about it, and will also complain to the Inspector General of Police. Let us see what we can do about it. Mr. President is doing everything possible to right the wrongs in terms of road construction. We are doing quality roads now that are going to last from 50 to 100 years. But it’s being destroyed by ourselves.”
Executive Vice President and Country Chair, Shell Companies in Nigeria, Elohor Aiboni was among 100 people honoured with the DTN@100 Award.
She joined a list of distinguished recipients recognised by the Daily Times newspapers. The contributions of the awardees to national development will be documented in a special publication, titled Nigerian Grand Book.
Daily Times which started publication in 1926 gave the awards as part of its centenary celebrations in Lagos. The centenary theme is: “Honouring the Past, Shaping the Future.” Chairman, Folio Media Group and Publisher Daily Times of Nigeria Fidelis Anosike said: “We proudly celebrate Elohor Aiboni, Executive Vice President and Country Chair of Shell Companies in Nigeria, for her well-deserved recognition at the Daily Times Heroes Award. As a visionary female leader, Elohor has shown that true leadership is defined by action. Her forward-thinking policies continue to drive real, positive change across our nation.”
In her response, Elohor said: “Although this award is presented to me, I do not regard it as mine alone. I share it with my colleagues across the Shell Companies in Nigeria, our partners, and the many people I have had the privilege of working with and learning from over the years.”
Elohor was commended for her achievements in a career in the energy industry that started in Shell in 2002. In addition to serving in operational roles within and outside Nigeria, she has worked as asset manager for Bonga, leading up to her appointment as Managing Director of Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited (SNEPCo) in 2021, the first female to hold the post. Early this year, she took up the role of Executive Vice President and Country Chair, Shell Companies in Nigeria, also the first female and Nigerian to hold both roles.
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In her acceptance speech, Elohor also called for concerted efforts towards educating the girl-child. She said: “If we are serious about shaping Nigeria’s future, we must be equally serious about educating and empowering the Nigerian girl child. Education provides not only knowledge, but also confidence, choice and the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to her community and country.”
Photo Caption – L-R: Energy and Investment Solicitor, Sam Aiboni; Executive Vice President and Country Chair, Shell Nigeria, Elohor Aiboni; actress Rita Dominic; and Daily Times Chairman, Fidelis Anosike, during the award presentation at Harbour Point, Lagos.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has congratulated Nigeria’s U-17 women’s national football team, the Flamingos, following their historic qualification for the final of the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.
The President commended the team for their impressive 3-1 victory over Brazil in Wednesday’s semi-final, describing their achievement as a remarkable milestone that has brought immense pride and joy to Nigerians at home and abroad.
In a statement issued on Thursday, November 5, by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu also praised the coaching crew and everyone whose hard work and support contributed to the team’s successful campaign.
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With the Flamingos set to face Japan in the final, the President urged the players to remain focused, confident and determined as they pursue the historic world title.
“I encourage you to approach the final with the same fighting spirit and belief that have brought you this far. I have confidence in your ability to make history by winning the coveted world title,” he said.
Tinubu also called on Nigerians to rally behind the young players, describing them as national ambassadors whose achievements continue to showcase the country’s sporting excellence.
He said the team’s performance would inspire a new generation of girls to pursue their dreams without limitations.
“Once again, Nigeria is proud of you. Go for the trophy, Flamingos!” the President added.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited has disclosed its support for healthcare infrastructure in Sokoto State through the donation and subsequent handover of an Infectious Diseases Hospital (IDH) to the state government.
The development was contained in the company’s September 2026 Monthly Operations and Financial Report, which also highlighted its financial performance, oil and gas production, pipeline infrastructure and other operational activities.
According to the report, the Sokoto State Commissioner for Health visited the NNPC Foundation and NNPC Limited on September 1, 2026, to present a letter of appreciation to the Foundation for donating the Infectious Diseases Hospital and handing it over to the Sokoto State Government.
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The engagement provided an opportunity for the state government to formally acknowledge the Foundation’s intervention and support towards strengthening healthcare infrastructure in Sokoto State.
The report identified the engagement as part of the NNPC Foundation’s public impact initiatives.
NNPC Records ₦509bn September Profit
On its financial performance, NNPC recorded a profit after tax of ₦509 billion in September 2026, representing an 18.1 per cent increase compared with the previous month.
The company’s revenue also rose to ₦4.608 trillion from ₦3.74 trillion recorded in August, representing an increase of approximately 23.2 per cent.
Cumulative statutory payments to the Federation increased by 17.4 per cent, rising from ₦9.49 trillion between January and August to ₦11.14 trillion between January and September 2026.
Crude Oil and Gas Production
The report showed that average crude oil and condensate production stood at 1.70 million barrels per day during the period.
Natural gas production increased to 7,789 million standard cubic feet per day, while total hydrocarbon production reached 3.04 million barrels of oil equivalent per day.
The monthly operational summary also presented production and sales trends for crude oil, condensate and natural gas.
Pipeline Infrastructure Records Progress
On infrastructure development, NNPC reported 100 per cent availability of its upstream pipelines.
The company also disclosed that the Obiafu-Obrikom-Oben (OB3) Gas Pipeline had reached 100 per cent completion, while the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) Gas Pipeline stood at 95 per cent completion.
According to the report, the OB3 River Niger Crossing pipeline had been commissioned and operationalised.
For the AKK pipeline, NNPC said sustained collaboration with stakeholders was helping to accelerate construction and pre-commissioning activities towards achieving early gas delivery to Abuja in 2026.
NNPC Reports 54% Retail Station Availability
The report also highlighted the availability of petrol at NNPC retail stations across the country, putting the nationwide Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) availability level at 54 per cent.
A geographical map showing retail station availability across different parts of Nigeria was included in the monthly operational summary.
NNPC Outlines Strategic Production Efforts
On efforts to sustain production growth, NNPC listed accelerated restoration of shut-in wells and facilities, production optimisation and well interventions among its priorities.
The company also highlighted efforts to strengthen facility reliability and preventive maintenance, address infrastructure and operational constraints, improve community engagement and resolve storage, tank-top and export infrastructure challenges.
These measures, according to the report, are aimed at sustaining production growth and improving operational efficiency across its oil and gas assets.
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