Connect with us

Headlines

Tax Credit: NNPC’s  N1.6trn quest to fix Nigerian roads

Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd, NNPCL, Mallam Mele Kolo Kyari, inspecting rehabilitation work progress on the Lagos-Badagry Road, as part of the 21 roads funded by the NNPC Limited under the FG’s Federal Roads Infrastructure Tax Credit Scheme.
Bayo Amodu
While Nigeria boasts of the largest road network in Africa, only about 60,000km out of its estimated 195,000km road network is paved. Some of the roads are either in a state of disrepair, poorly maintained or altogether untarred.
As part of the Federal Government’s efforts to improve the condition of road infrastructure and transportation in the country, it introduced Executive Order 007 which was signed by President Muhammadu Buhari on January 25, 2019.
The instrument brought about the Road Infrastructure Development and Refurbishment Investment Tax Credit Scheme with the objective to unlock funding from the private sector for critical road infrastructure in the country.
Executive Order 007 was designed to empower private companies to finance the construction or refurbishment of federal roads designated as “Eligible Roads” under the scheme and recoup their investments through the deduction of the approved total costs expended on the project from their annual Companies Income Tax.
The Road Infrastructure Scheme is a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) intervention that enables the Federal Government to leverage private sector capital and efficiency for the construction, and refurbishment of critical road infrastructure in key economic areas in Nigeria.
Participants under the arrangement were entitled to utilise the total cost, referred to as “Project Cost”, incurred in the construction or refurbishment of an eligible road as a tax credit against their future Companies Income Tax (CIT) liability until full cost recovery is achieved.
Like any other responsible corporate citizen, the NNPC prioritizes road infrastructure as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Projects and became one of the companies that have keyed into the initiative.
The NNPC had expressed interest to invest in the reconstruction of selected federal roads in order to sustain a smooth supply and distribution of petroleum products across the country.
A few months after announcing the release of N621 billion to revamp selected Nigerian roads, the company is planning to invest over N1 trillion for a similar purpose. In the first phase, the NNPC was expected to construct a total of 1,804.6 kilometres of roads at a total cost of N621,237,143,897.35, with the North-central getting the highest chunk of N244.87 billion and the South-south emerging the second highest beneficiary of the NNPC roads project with the sum of N172.02 billion.
In addition, the South-west has a total allocation of N81.87 billion; it’s N56.12 billion for the North-East, while the South-East has N43.28 billion allocation.  The North-west was allocated N23.05 billion.
The Group Chief Executive, NNPC Limited, Mallam Mele Kyari, said during a tour of roads in the North-central and South-west, along with the Chief Executive of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Muhammad Nami and top officials of the Ministry of Works and Housing, that in the coming months, Nigerian road users will experience substantial comfort when commuting.
Also, among the roads visited by Kyari were the one in Niger State where he carried out an assessment of the reconstruction of the Bida-Lambata road in the state, with a length 124.81km and the Lagos-Badagry expressway along the Agbara junction and Nigeria/Benin border.
Under the scheme, the road projects will be funded by NNPC and the equivalent amount deducted by the Federal Inland Revenue Service from the National Oil Company’s tax obligations. Through the scheme, the NNPC will be serving as an enabler for building the Nigerian economy and it is collaborating with key stakeholders such as the Ministry of Works and the FIRS on the execution of the initiative.
The company said this is in response to the plight faced by petroleum products marketers in transportation which affects nationwide distribution.
Interestingly, NNPC Ltd is involved in operations across the oil and gas value chain from exploration and production of hydrocarbon and processing of natural gas to nationwide distribution of petroleum products such as petrol, diesel, and kerosene.
The NNPC’s assets base and operations span across different regions of the country and the oil and gas industry has remained one of the biggest and most important economic drivers through foreign and domestic investments.
Kyari further stated that the NNPC was taking cognisance of the importance of road infrastructure to the development of the Nigerian economy, explaining that it is the reason it is investing massively in road infrastructure.
He termed the programme a game changer in the federal government’s quest to scale up infrastructure projects in the country, noting that the NNPC will continue to support any effort of the government aimed at growing the Nigerian economy.
The GCEO expressed satisfaction with the progress of work so far done in the project sites visited, adding that the NNPC had done its part in releasing all the funds needed for their execution.
He said, “We are very happy about the state of this road development. We are very happy with this intervention across the country not just in this place. We are doing 1,800km across the country. We are taking another set of over N1 trillion of investments in road infrastructure in the country. We believe that this tax credit system that Mr President has put in place is the game changer for our country.
”We believe that in the next 24 months, there will be a massive change to the entire road network in this country and this is why NNPC is your company and working for all of us.
“We think that it is the best way to intervene and bring up our infrastructure. We are adding another set of cash, we have not reached the final numbers, but I know it is over N1 trillion.’’
Kyari stated that the quality of work was top-notch, revealing that the consultants deployed during Buhari’s stint at the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF), were handling the jobs. “We are using the same consultants in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Works and the FIRS to make sure that this works for all of us and we can see from the quality of work. This is the best framework for delivering infrastructure in the country. We are funding partners. We are development partners and enablers. So, whatsoever the FIRS and the ministry of works approve for us, we will consider from our cash flow and fund them,” he assured.
The Director, Roads, Ministry of Works, Folorunso Esan, said through the intervention, the NNPC has been able to improve the pace of the project from 10 per cent to about 40 per cent within a very short period.
Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Customs

Beyond euphoria of WCO chairmanship: Stakeholders urge Nigeria to translate global Customs ascendency to reformation of Port industry

Funso OLOJO

The stakeholders at the maritime industry were firm and unanimous in their admonition that the Nigerian government should leverage the ascendency of Nigeria to global Customs top hierarchy to position the Port industry into a world player with improved port efficiency, world class infrastructure and automated port system.
It could be recalled that the Comptroller- General of Customs,  Adewale Adeniyi, in June, 2025 became the first Nigerian to be elected as the Chairman of the World Customs Organization(WCO).
His historic election elicited wild jubilation and encomiums as Nigerians expressed undisguised happiness over the feat.
However, maritime experts who spoke at the one- day seminar organized by the League of Maritime Editors(LOME) in Lagos on Tuesday, September 30th,2025, warned that Nigerians should not be carried away with the historic feat.
The lead speaker, Dr Eugene Nweke, the Head of Research at Sea Empowerment and Research Center (SEREC), who spoke on the theme of the seminar “Nigeria ‘s Chairmanship of WCO Council: The Impact on Nation’s Economy” advised that the position is not a trophy to decorate the shelf but rather it was a call to duty and a rare opportunity for the country to leverage  the feat to stimulate its maritime industry.
 Represented by Francis Aneze-Chukwu, Dr Nweke,  said the country’s new  customs global status will pale into insignificance if Nigeria fails to leverage the position to improve Port efficiency, engender reforms and strengthen regulatory laws to protect legitimate trade
Addressing the gathering which cut across operators of the port industry,  Nweke declared that Nigeria’s July 1, 2025 assumption of the WCO Council chair—an institution representing over 180 customs administrations and 98 percent of world trade—places the nation under an unforgiving global spotlight.
“This position is not for celebration alone; it is power to influence customs standards and champion Africa’s trade future. Leadership without domestic discipline is hollow,” he said.
He warned that despite Customs generating ₦1.3 trillion in the first quarter of 2025, port congestion and inefficiencies continue to drain an estimated $4 billion annually.
Nweke outlined six key reforms under Comptroller-General of Customs Bashir Adewale Adeniyi—Time Release Studies, data-driven inspections, advance ruling applications, the Authorized Economic Operator programme, the B’Odogwu single-window migration, and rapid cargo scanners—as the springboard to leverage Nigeria’s WCO status, but cautioned that infrastructure decay, policy flip-flops and entrenched bureaucracy could erode the gains.
Turning his focus to the media, he charged maritime journalists to “educate, interrogate and shape narratives” rather than indulge in “undue praises that make us a collective ridicule,” urging them to become professors of the maritime space and watchdogs of reform.
The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Dr. Akutah Pius Ukeyima,  who was also represented by Mrs Margaret Ogbonna, Director Regulatory Services department, insisted that Nigeria’s international leadership must be matched by “strong, clear and enforceable laws” to regulate ports and protect shippers.
He called for the urgent passage of the Nigerian Port Economic Regulatory Agency Bill to give the NSC a statutory mandate to curb monopolies, enforce competition and end opaque concession renewals.
 “The world is watching Nigeria, and credibility abroad will only be matched by credibility at home,” he warned.
The  former General Manager of Public Affairs at the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Capt. Iheanacho Ebubeogwu, reminded the gathering that the Customs Service remains the frontline enforcer of border laws and the first symbol of government authority at every port.
“For us who are professionals, the rest of you can look at the signboards and say NPA ports, but we insiders know it is first a customs area.
“That is where customs enforce all border fiscal regulations, demonstrate trade facilitation, and show that they can attract foreign investment,” he said.
While congratulating the Comptroller-General on his global appointment, Ebubeogwu warned that the WCO Council is a “salad of interests—country interests, regional interests, diplomacy and politics,” and urged stakeholders to rally behind Adeniyi to protect Nigeria’s and Africa’s stake in the organization.
 He called on the maritime press to “manage his image and talk up his reputation” so that Nigeria’s tenure at the WCO strengthens the nation’s profile rather than diminishes it.
Earlier in her welcome address, President of the League of Maritime Editors, Mrs. Remi Itie, described Adeniyi’s election as “a historic moment for Nigeria” and a clear signal of the country’s growing influence in global customs affairs.
She noted that as WCO chair, Adeniyi now provides strategic leadership to the global customs agenda on trade facilitation, revenue optimization, security, and digital transformation.
But she challenged participants to go beyond celebration and interrogate how this elevation will “boost the nation’s growth index and possibly change the narrative concerning Nigeria’s trade and image abroad.”
Calling on government to harness the country’s maritime potential to create jobs for Nigeria’s vast youth population, Itie urged coastal states to look beyond federal allocations and invest in maritime opportunities such as seafaring, fishing, agro-tourism and coastal security.
“We cannot run away from global trade,” she said. “Nigeria has the natural resources to create more jobs through the nation’s maritime potentials.”
The speakers and stakeholders agreed that Nigeria’s WCO chairmanship offers a rare chance to align with global best practices on customs governance and trade facilitation.
But they stressed that prestige alone will not cut cargo dwell times that still average 20–25 days—among the worst in West Africa—nor end the corruption and inefficiency that cost traders billions.
 “Let Customs deliver, let industry comply, and let the press profess,” Nweke charged.
The speakers were unanimous in their conviction and submission that  Nigeria’s new global customs power is a weapon.
They believed that without decisive reforms, strong laws and relentless enforcement, the global recognition will remain an unused sword while the nation’s ports will continue to wallow in inefficiency and corruption.
The event witnessed presentations  of awards to deserving industry players such as the Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr Abubakar Dantsoho, the Executive Secretary of Nigerian Shippers Council NSC Barrister Pius Akutah, the Controller of Lagos A Federal Operations unit of Nigeria Customs Service, Comptroller MS Shuaibu.
Others were the Tin Can Island Customs Area Controller,  Comptroller Frank Onyeka, the Assistant Comptroller- General Babatunde Olomu and the Director General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency NIMASA, Dr Dayo Mobereola.
Charles Edike, a retired Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs(ACG) presided over the event.
Continue Reading

Headlines

NRC gears up for resumption of Abuja–Kaduna train services, opens platform for ticket payment 

Funso OLOJO 
Ahead of the scheduled resumption of passenger services on the Abuja–Kaduna Train Service (AKTS) on Wednesday, October 1, 2025, the Nigerian Railway Corporation(NRC) has opened the online ticketing platform for payment.
According to the NRC management, passengers are encouraged to book their tickets online via https://nrc.tps.ng or visit any of the designated stations to purchase their tickets.
“In preparation for the resumption of services, the journey time has been reduced following a review of the Temporary Speed Restriction (TSR) to enhance operations.
” The new schedule is as follows:
 New Timetable
Abuja – Kaduna
Idu: 8:45 AM
Kubwa: 9:10 AM
Rigasa (Arrive): 11:47 AM
Kaduna – Abuja
Rigasa: 2:30 PM
Kubwa: 5:12 PM
Idu (Arrive): 5:32 PM
“The NRC appreciates the patience and understanding of its esteemed passengers during the suspension period and assures the public that safety, comfort, and customer satisfaction remain our top priorities” the NRC declared.
Continue Reading

Headlines

Resident alleges threat to life over report of vandalized Lagos Water Corporation infrastructure 

Our reporter
A middle aged man, Mayowa Alonge, has been accused of vandalizing a critical infrastructure belonging to the Lagos State Water Corporation (LSWC).
 The incident occurred at No. 9, Ago-Owu Street, off Kayode Street, Onipanu, Lagos State, where Alonge allegedly broke the bricks and removed the iron lid cover protecting a major pipeline interjection station along the railway axis connecting Ijora Olopa to Iju Waterworks.
According to Niyi Kolawole, the complainant and administrator of the affected family property, Alonge reportedly told some residents in October 2024 that he intended to remove the heavy iron lid of over a century-old interjection point of the LSWC pipeline in the area.
Few days later, it was observed that the bricks had been broken and the heavy iron lid over the manhole had been removed.
 This incident reportedly occurred around October 2024.
On noticing that Alonge has  allegedly  went ahead with the removal of the iron , sparking safety concerns and due to the potential environmental and safety hazards posed by the vandalism, Niyi Kolawole promptly notified the Lagos State Water Corporation in January 2025.
Prior to this, on December 13, 2024, Kolawole had submitted a petition to the Deputy Commissioner of Police,  State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Panti,Yaba, Lagos, detailing the vandalism and requesting that the alleged culprit be investigated and held accountable.
Niyi Kolawole further said, he  also wrote the Lagos State Governor on the issue, of which he later saw the letter minuted to the Lagos State Water Corporation for action , but nothing has been done up till now.
Kolawole further alleged that Mayowa Alonge was invited by the police and reportedly confessed to committing the crime and selling the iron for ₦133,000.
He also said Alonge later claimed to have bribed the officers in charge with ₦350,000 to have the case dropped.
He further alleged that during a visit to the State CID at Panti for verification, some police officers pressured him to drop the case, with one officer reportedly threatening to detain him if he returned.
Although petitions were sent to the Lagos State Government, the DCP,  Panti and the Managing Director of Lagos State Water Corporation and agents visited the crime scene to verify the claims, no action has been taken to address the issue so far .
Furthermore, Kolawole said for being a good citizen by reporting such collateral damage to government asset and threat to human lives , instead of being commended, he is being threatened, including Mayowa Alonge and his relatives, lamenting that his life and  that of his family is in great danger.
Kolawole is therefore urging the Lagos State Government to urgently secure the manhole with a durable lid like the old type to prevent flooding and potential accidents involving children and pedestrians, particularly as the culprit continues to evade justice and community safety being risked.
In response  to our reporter phone call, the accused, Mayowa Alonge, said he removed the said Lagos State Water Cooperation manhole lid when they carried out renovation  of their grand father’s house where they currently reside at No 9,Ago- Owu Street, off Kayode Street, Onipanu.
The renovation, he said, was jointly funded with Debo Kolawole who is his cousin and a brother to Niyi.
He further  explained that the manhole lid is  located at the setback between their house and the railway line known as railway axis interjection station running from Ijora Olopa to Iju Water Works, Lagos State.
Alonge  further said Niyi petitioned the State Criminal Investigation Department(SCID), Musiliu Smith Street, Panti -Yaba, Lagos accusing him of taking the said lid and sold to scrap metal dealers.
 “I never sold the water Cooperation manhole lid nor bragged of bribing the police.
“I told the police I sold the metal scraps removed from the renovated house for ₦133,000.
“The police however ordered me to go and replace the lid. I have not been able to do so because I presently do not have any job to enable me fund it. Am hopeful of doing so soonest”, Mayowa Alonge, the accused, told our reporter on phone .
On the other hand , when our reporter called the Chief Security Officer(CSO) of the Lagos State Water Cooperation, Mr Babajide Kassim and Mr Bimbo an independent security agent sent to investigate the vandalism, both declined to speak when contacted.
They both evaded answering the questions  from our reporter that  bothered on safety of Lagosians and criminality rather was seeking to know  how our reporter was able to get  their phone numbers regardless of the fact they are public figures. They however abruptly terminated the calls with our reporter.
Continue Reading

Trending