Business

220 oil blocks abandoned amid debt, crude crises

Published

1 year ago

August 4, 2025

Nigeria currently has 220 open oil blocks scattered across its onshore and offshore basins, data from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission has revealed.

This is despite its growing debt burden and crude shortages affecting local refineries. The NUPRC data showed that the deep offshore terrain accounts for the highest number of unlicensed blocks at 59, highlighting the country’s underexploited energy wealth in its most technically advanced but capital-intensive region.

The Benue Trough follows with 41 open blocks, while the Chad Basin hosts 40. In the Sokoto Basin, there are 28 blocks yet to be awarded, and the Bida Basin has 16. It was disclosed that even in more mature areas, idle blocks persist.

The offshore Niger Delta, often considered the backbone of Nigeria’s oil production history, still holds seven open blocks. The Anambra Basin has 13 open blocks, while eight each remain unlicensed in the Benin Basin and the onshore Niger Delta.

According to a publication by the NUPRC, 24 blocks were recently awarded from the 2022/2023 deepwater mini bid round and the 2024 licensing round. On the strength of the recorded successes in exploration, development, and production, the commission said it is evident that the Nigerian deepwater terrain is endowed with enormous hydrocarbon resources.

“A testament to the richness of its resources is commercial discoveries and prolific historical productions of the NNPC Exploration and Production Limited’s Abo field, Chevron Nigeria Limited’s Agbami Field, Yinka Folawiyo’s Aje field, TotalEnergies Upstream Nigeria Limited’s Akpo and Egina fields, Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company’s Bonga field, and ESSO Exploration and Production Usan and Erha fields, among others,” the report said.

While saying Nigeria’s deepwater terrain has become the new bride of international oil companies in the wave of current portfolio rationalisation and divestment programmes, it was stated that the deep offshore terrain is largely underexplored due to its complexity.

“Characteristically, the deep offshore terrain presents complexity in accessibility, technology, investment, and facility deployment, which potentially explains its status as largely underexplored and underdeveloped.

“Empirical data indicates that there are about 59 open block opportunities in deep offshore Nigeria, which accounts for about 27 per cent of total open blocks in Nigeria and 80 per cent of open blocks in the prolific Niger Delta and its offshore terrains,” it stated.

As of January 1, 2025, the deepwater terrain reportedly contributed approximately 19 per cent and 12 per cent of oil and gas reserves in Nigeria, respectively. Industry analysts said these figures point to a serious mismatch between Nigeria’s potential and its actual production performance, its unlocked wealth, and the debt profile.

As a country with high dependence on oil revenues, unlicensed and undeveloped oil blocks impact incomes, causing the country to resort to borrowing. It was learnt that the government’s debt stock hit over N149tn in Q1 2025, and the country continues to depend heavily on imports to meet refined petroleum needs, even as its own refineries suffer from chronic crude shortages.

According to a report by the Debt Management Office, Nigeria’s total public debt rose to N149.39tn as of March 31, 2025, marking a year-on-year increase of N27.72tn or 22.8 per cent compared to the N121.67tn recorded in the corresponding period of 2024.

The persistent rise in debt stock is attributed to new borrowings by the Federal Government and the depreciation of the naira, which inflated the local currency value of external loans. It was reported that the surge was against a backdrop of persistent fiscal pressures and continued reliance on both domestic and foreign borrowing to fund public expenditure.

A map published by NUPRC revealed vast acreage stretching across Nigeria’s maritime boundary, with most of it untouched. While landmark projects like Bonga, Agbami, Egina, and Akpo represent success stories in offshore development, they are exceptions in a terrain still dominated by unlicensed and undeveloped blocks.

Meanwhile, the commission is planning to push for a cluster or nodal development model to unlock smaller accumulations and cut costs. The commission announced last year that there would be a licensing bid round in 2025, but that has yet to commence as of the time of filing this report.

Aside from the 220 open blocks, the country also has a sizeable number of licensed oil and gas assets that are undeveloped. Over three billion barrels of oil are locked in these undeveloped fields, according to the NUPRC.

In April, the Minister of State Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, threatened to withdraw oil blocks from owners that have failed to develop them.

Lokpobiri also called on international oil companies operating in Nigeria to ramp up investment in the country’s oil and gas sector, emphasising that the current administration has provided every necessary incentive to ensure seamless and profitable operations.

“We cannot continue to have assets sitting idle for 20 to 30 years without development. If you are not utilising an asset and it remains underdeveloped for decades, it neither adds value to your books nor to us as a country. We encourage industry players to explore collaborative measures such as shared resources for contiguous assets, farm-outs, and the release of underutilised assets to operators ready to invest in production. Otherwise, like any responsible government, we will take back these assets and allocate them to those willing to go to work,” the oil minister said.

He emphasised the need for IOCs to support local refining efforts, noting that more refineries are coming upstream and will require a steady supply of crude oil. To make this easy and possible, he stressed that ramping up production will enable Nigeria to meet both local and international obligations.

The Dangote refinery said it depends on the United States to get enough feedstock, importing up to 10 million barrels in July.

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Business

Access Holdings Board approves H1 2026 financials

Published

1 day ago

August 31, 2026

Newsbreak365_Admin

The Board of Directors of Access Holdings Plc has approved the Group’s audited interim consolidated and separate financial statements for the half-year ended 30 June 2026.

The decision was taken during the board’s meeting held on 27 August 2026, marking a significant step in the group’s financial reporting calendar.

“The financial statements were considered and approved by the Board at its meeting held on 27 August 2026 and will now proceed through the required regulatory process, including approval by the Central Bank of Nigeria,” the company announced in a statement following the meeting.

The approval clears the path for the financial institution to move into the final administrative phase of its mid-year audit process, as the group must secure statutory sign-off from the apex bank before the results can be released to the investing public.

“Following receipt of the CBN’s approval, Access Holdings will publish the audited financial statements through the Nigerian Exchange Limited and make them available to shareholders, investors and other stakeholders through the Group’s established communication channels,” the company added.

Outlining the core principles driving its financial disclosure, the group emphasised its commitment to regulatory compliance and operational transparency across its global operations.

“The process reflects Access Holdings’ commitment to strong governance, regulatory compliance and transparent engagement with its stakeholders as it continues to build a more connected and resilient financial services group serving Africa and its international markets,” the statement noted.

In adherence to capital market rules, Access Holdings confirmed that restrictions on share trading by internal stakeholders remain strictly in force.

“In accordance with the NGX Issuers’ Rules, Access Holdings will remain in a closed period until 24 hours after the audited financial statements have been released to the public,” the company stated.

The institution concluded with a clear directive regarding trading boundaries for key insiders: “During this period, directors, insiders and their connected persons are prohibited from dealing, directly or indirectly, in the securities of Access Holdings Plc.”

The public market release of the audited statements on the NGX is expected shortly following the completion of the CBN’s review process.

In the Nigerian banking sector, Tier-1 financial institutions like Access Holdings are subject to regulatory oversight by the CBN and the NGX, requiring commercial banks and holding companies to submit interim and annual financial statements to the apex bank for formal review and approval before public dissemination.

This vetting process ensures systemic risk management, compliance with capital adequacy standards and accurate representation of non-performing loans across multi-jurisdictional operations.

Capital market rules enforced by the NGX also require listed entities to observe a closed period prohibiting directors, key management personnel and connected insiders from trading the company’s shares to prevent insider trading and ensure market fairness while price-sensitive financial information awaits regulatory clearance.

Source: punchng.com

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Business

Pension inflows surge 42% despite idle accounts

Published

1 day ago

August 31, 2026

Newsbreak365_Admin

Quarterly contributions into the Personal Pension Plan rose 42.46 per cent to N147.16m in the first quarter of 2026, up from N103.30m recorded in the fourth quarter of 2025, The PUNCH has learned.

Data obtained from the National Pension Commission’s Q1 2026 pension industry report revealed that the N43.86m surge pushed cumulative contributions under the scheme to N1.66bn since inception.

Reacting to the increase in revenue despite low participation, Lagos-based stock market trader and pension analyst Ade Ojapa said the figures highlight both progress and persistent structural challenges.

“The 42 per cent increase in quarterly inflows demonstrates that active participants are beginning to deposit larger volumes, but the sheer volume of dormant accounts shows that initial onboarding is failing to translate into financial commitment,” Ojapa said.

However, the PenCom report highlighted a severe structural deficit, revealing that 91.4 per cent of registered accounts under the scheme remain dormant.

Out of 219,316 total registrations recorded from inception to Q1 2026, only 18,811 accounts (8.6 per cent) were funded with active Retirement Savings Accounts.

Conversely, 200,505 registered accounts have received zero financial contributions.

The figures underscore a persistent hurdle for the regulator: converting initial registrations into active, recurring pension contributions among informal sector participants.

Explaining the operational realities behind the figures, a member of the Pension Fund Operators Association of Nigeria noted that economic conditions heavily dictate compliance among informal workers.

“Unlike formal sector employees whose contributions are deducted at source by employers, informal workers must manually transfer funds while managing unpredictable daily incomes,” the official said, requesting anonymity. “When headline inflation squeezes household budgets, voluntary long-term savings are usually the first casualty.”

Business

Ajah-Lekki markets, facilities face waste compliance enforcement

Published

1 day ago

August 31, 2026

Newsbreak365_Admin

The Lagos Waste Management Authority has identified a number of markets, commercial and institutional facilities across the Ajah-Lekki Axis for compliance enforcement over persistent violations of waste management requirements and other environmental regulations.

The Director of Public Affairs at LAWMA, Mukaila Sanusi, disclosed this in a recent statement obtained by The PUNCH.

Speaking on the development, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of LAWMA, Dr Muyiwa Gbadegesin, disclosed that the identified facilities include Kodak Moment, Bayrock Lifestyle, Caelum Nigeria Ltd, Alpha Pharmacy, Amazon Farm, Ramayaa Mall, Simply Africa Place, Aries Safia, Wolly Mall, Delightful Toy Shop and New Creation Church.

“Others include The Logic Church, Dow Eye Clinic, Time Oak Hotel, L OMP, Furniture House, Fashion Design Factory, De Phantom Hotel, Elizade Motors, Trinity, Living Faith Church, Premium Rentals, Christ Chapel Church and QMB Mart,” Gbadegesin said.

He added that the facilities had been identified for compliance enforcement following observed violations.

“We have continued to engage and monitor facilities to secure compliance, but where establishments continue to default after being given the opportunity to comply, we will take the necessary enforcement measures. Our responsibility is to ensure that commercial activities do not compromise proper waste management or the right of residents to a clean and orderly environment,” he stressed.

Gbadegesin said that LAWMA would continue to combine engagement and improved waste management services with firm compliance enforcement.

He stressed that operators within the corridor were expected to meet their waste management obligations.

He urged businesses, markets, institutions and residents to comply with approved waste management requirements and cooperate with LAWMA’s enforcement teams.

The LAWMA boss noted that sustained compliance was essential to preventing indiscriminate dumping, protecting public spaces and maintaining a cleaner environment.

He reaffirmed LAWMA’s commitment to sustained monitoring, enforcement and stakeholder engagement to promote proper waste management and environmental compliance across Lagos State.

The development followed a monitoring and enforcement exercise conducted on Tuesday, 25 August 2026, by the LAWMA Project WISE team in collaboration with officials of the Kick Against Indiscipline, military personnel and the Nigeria Police at the Eleganza and Issa Imamu Market areas of Ajah.

At Eleganza, the enforcement team dislodged illegal structures erected along road corridors and pedestrian walkways by traders, which had obstructed the movement of motorists and pedestrians, while Issa Imamu Market was sealed following persistent indiscriminate disposal of waste along the roadside.

Source: punchng.com

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