By Editor

The Senate Committee on Public Accounts has ordered the arrest of former Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, over his repeated failure to appear before it to respond to alleged financial discrepancies amounting to N210 trillion.

The directive was issued on Wednesday by the committee chairman, Senator Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo, following a voice vote by members of the panel.

The committee is investigating audit queries covering the period between 2017 and 2023, during which it says massive financial figures in the NNPCL accounts remain insufficiently explained.

At the session, Senator Adams Oshiomhole urged the committee to invoke its constitutional powers, arguing that repeated absences by the former NNPCL chief undermined the integrity of the probe.

He questioned the justification for Kyari’s reported absence on health grounds in Germany, insisting that such explanations were not sufficient given the scale of the alleged financial issues and Nigeria’s fiscal pressures.

According to him, the committee must act decisively, especially as the audit queries were raised by professional auditors and not by public speculation.

The Vice Chairman of the committee, Senator Onyeka Peter Nwebonyi, also supported the move, stating that there was no further need to delay proceedings and calling for the issuance of an arrest warrant.

Following the deliberations, Chairman Dankwambo ruled that Kyari should be arrested and compelled to appear before the committee immediately.

The probe, which initially involved summons issued in March, also covered other former senior officials of the NNPCL, including former Chief Financial Officer Umar Ajiya Isa and former Group General Manager of NAPIMS, Bala Wunti.

The committee flagged two major financial components during its review of audit reports: N103 trillion allegedly linked to cumulative Joint Venture (JV) cash call spending since 2017, and N107 trillion recorded as “sundry receivables” in the December 2023 audited financial statements, reportedly owed by banks and other entities.

The panel had earlier directed the current NNPCL leadership under Bayo Ojulari to appear before it in July 2025 to respond to the audit queries, warning that failure to comply could also lead to enforcement actions.

With the latest order, the Senate Committee says it is intensifying efforts to compel accountability over the alleged financial discrepancies and ensure full compliance with its ongoing investigation into NNPCL’s audited accounts.

By Editor

Nigeria’s ambition to become a major global refining hub received a significant boost as Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals announced that it has increased crude oil processing capacity to 700,000 barrels per day (bpd), surpassing its original nameplate capacity of 650,000 bpd.

The milestone, achieved during a performance test conducted by the refinery’s process licensors, underscores the facility’s growing operational efficiency and reinforces its status as the world’s largest single-train petroleum refinery.

The achievement comes less than two years after the refinery commenced fuel production and signals the rapid maturation of a project that is reshaping Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector while strengthening Africa’s energy security.

According to the Vice President, Oil and Gas, Dangote Industries Limited, Devakumar Edwin, the increase in processing capacity forms part of a broader strategy to more than double the refinery’s throughput to 1.4 million barrels per day within the next 30 months.

“The refinery’s growth trajectory is not only about meeting domestic demand but positioning Nigeria as a major refining and export hub serving Africa and global markets,” Edwin said.

The increase in capacity further enhances the refinery’s ability to process larger volumes of crude oil while optimizing production of premium motor spirit (petrol), diesel, aviation fuel, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), polypropylene and other petroleum products.

Industry analysts view the development as a major step toward reducing Africa’s dependence on imported refined products, a challenge that has historically exposed many countries to supply disruptions and foreign exchange pressures.

Owned by Nigerian businessman and philanthropist Aliko Dangote, the refinery has rapidly emerged as a key supplier of refined petroleum products to domestic and international markets.

Since commencing operations in 2024, the facility has expanded exports across Africa and into Europe, supplying markets in countries including the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands. The refinery has also delivered gasoline to the United States and aviation fuel to Saudi Arabia, demonstrating its growing relevance in global energy trade.

The refinery’s rising output comes at a time when geopolitical tensions and supply chain disruptions in the Middle East continue to affect global energy markets. Industry observers note that several African countries increasingly view the Dangote Refinery as a strategic source of supply that can help strengthen regional energy security.

Its growing international footprint has also earned global recognition. In April, the refinery was identified by S&P Global Commodities Insights as the world’s largest exporter of jet fuel, reflecting its expanding role in international petroleum markets.

Beyond exports, the refinery has played a critical role in transforming Nigeria’s domestic fuel market by reducing dependence on imported petroleum products and easing pressure on scarce foreign exchange resources.

The expansion aligns with broader national objectives of maximizing value from Nigeria’s crude oil resources, creating jobs, supporting industrialization and strengthening the country’s balance of trade.

Growing production volumes have also attracted increased interest from international crude suppliers and commodity trading companies, with the refinery sourcing feedstock from both domestic producers and global markets to support its rising operational needs.

Looking ahead, Dangote’s ambition to expand capacity to 1.4 million barrels per day by 2028 could position the facility among the largest refining complexes in the world, further elevating Nigeria’s standing in the global energy value chain.

The refinery is also expected to deepen industrial development by ensuring reliable supplies of key petrochemical feedstocks such as polypropylene and, in the future, Linear Alkylbenzene (LAB), a critical raw material used in detergent manufacturing.

For Nigeria, the refinery’s latest capacity milestone represents more than an operational achievement. It signals the emergence of a strategic industrial asset capable of reshaping fuel markets, strengthening energy security, driving export earnings and accelerating the country’s transition from a crude oil exporter to a major processor and supplier of refined petroleum products.

By Editor

Founder, OOH Academy/Convener, LOMA Awards, Kingsley Onwukeke, has described the commissioning of Nigeria’s first major independent Out-of-Home audience and consumer penetration study in over a decade as a defining moment for the future of the industry.

Speaking at the official commissioning ceremony, in Lagos, Onwukeke announced the appointment of Research Brooks to undertake the “Nigeria OOH Advertising Consumer Penetration & Audience Behaviour Study,” an ambitious nationwide research project designed to reshape how Out-of-Home advertising is measured, understood, planned, and valued across Nigeria.

The initiative, championed by OOH Academy Nigeria — organisers of the Location Marketing (LOMA) Conference and Awards — is being executed in collaboration with TMKG Consulting and supported by leading stakeholders across the advertising ecosystem.

According to Onwukeke, the Nigerian Out-of-Home industry can no longer depend on fragmented assumptions and outdated estimations in an era driven by technology, audience intelligence, mobility data, and measurable media performance.

“For too long, the industry has operated without comprehensive independent audience data. Yet Out-of-Home advertising remains one of the most visible and influential media platforms shaping consumer awareness across Nigeria. As cities evolve and audience behavior changes, the industry itself must evolve through credible intelligence and measurable insights,” he stated.

The study will focus on critical industry indicators including audience penetration, consumer mobility patterns, engagement levels, media visibility, effectiveness, market intelligence, historical industry spend analysis, and emerging opportunities shaping the future of the sector.

Beyond a one-time project, the initiative is designed to become an annual industry intelligence publication under the flagship report titled “LOMA Outlook: The State of Out-of-Home & Location Marketing in Africa.”

Industry observers believe the development could significantly influence future media planning, investment decisions, audience measurement standards, and the broader credibility of Nigeria’s advertising ecosystem.

Onwukeke also acknowledged the support of international partners whose involvement reflects growing global confidence in Africa’s Out-of-Home sector.

These include Moving Walls, the Singapore-based audience measurement and location intelligence company; Polygon, the South African screen network aggregator and programmatic DOOH company; and Absen, one of the world’s leading LED display technology manufacturers.

He reaffirmed the commitment of OOH Academy Nigeria and the LOMA Conference and Awards to advancing industry knowledge, recognising overlooked industry contributors, and strengthening long-term sustainability within the Out-of-Home sector.

“To build a stronger industry, we must invest in knowledge, transparency, and credible measurement systems. Today’s commissioning represents a major step toward that future,” he said.

To ensure transparency and professional credibility, an independent oversight committee comprising respected media and research professionals was constituted for the project.

Members include Emmanuel Adediran, Business Unit Lead at Plus Acuity; Ikechukwu Ogbonna, former Kantar executive and former Head of Consumer Research at Dentsu Nigeria; and Felix Ehikhuemen, former OAAN leader and founding member of the African OOH Congress.

Onwukeke further disclosed that major industry bodies including the Outdoor Advertising Association of Nigeria (OAAN), Media Independent Practitioners Association of Nigeria (MIPAN), and the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) are fully aware of the initiative and recognise its strategic importance to industry development.

The final report and findings are expected to be officially unveiled during the fourth edition of the Location Marketing (LOMA) Conference and Awards scheduled for September, with copies distributed to stakeholders across the advertising industry to support informed decision-making and future growth.

Business Unit Director, Plus Acuity Limited, Emmanuel Adediran, said out-of-home advertising has remained one of the most resilient channels within the traditional media mix over the past five to 10 years, recording steady year-on-year growth.

According to him, the sector is expected to attract even greater investment and attention as the industry moves into 2026 and 2027.

“We are entering an era where data and information have become central to marketing investments and business decisions,” he said. “As marketing professionals, it is our responsibility to provide accurate, timely, and consistent data that can support investments in out-of-home advertising.”

Adediran noted that measurement remains one of the major challenges facing the sector.

“When it comes to out-of-home advertising, there is still uncertainty around measurement. There are estimates from different sources and fragmented systems across the industry. There is no single source of data that harmonises all of this,” he added.

Also speaking, Lead and Principal Investigator at, Jonathan Kalu, described the initiative as long overdue.

“This event has been long coming. We almost achieved it last year, but discussions ended in a narrow miss. However, this year, we are finally here, and it promises to be something every stakeholder in the industry should look forward to,” he said.

Kalu assured stakeholders of the company’s commitment to delivering reliable, evidence-based industry intelligence.

“We have assured the convener of LOMA that we will spare no effort in making this an evidence-based research journey that the industry can consistently rely on. It is important to make that clear from the outset. We are fully committed to the process,” he stated.