News
Enforce the PIA act on crude supply, Dangote urges NUPRC
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
Management of Dangote Petroleum Refinery has urged the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), to enforce the domestic crude supply obligation as specified in the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), insisting that refineries in Nigeria should be allowed to buy crude directly from the companies that produce it in Nigeria rather than from international middlemen, as enshrined in the PIA act.
KANO FOCUS reports that the Spokesperson of the Dangote Group, Anthony Chiejina said on Friday: “We are in receipt of NUPRC’s statement that they have facilitated the allocation of 29 million barrels of crude oil to the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals, we would like to thank them for this allocation but at the same time we wish to let them know that we are yet to receive these cargoes.
“Aside from the term supply we bilaterally negotiated with NNPCL, so far NUPRC has only facilitated the purchase of one crude cargo from a domestic producer. The rest of the cargoes we have processed were purchased from international traders.”
Chiejina said that: “All we are asking for, is for refineries in Nigeria to buy crude directly from the companies that produce it in Nigeria rather than from international middlemen. This is specified in the PIA. Unfortunately, the NUPRC has effectively admitted in their statement, that they will be unable to enforce the domestic crude supply obligation as specified in the PIA citing “sanctity of contracts” as an excuse.
It would be recalled that Dangote Petroleum Refinery management had insisted that it was not yet getting enough crude required for the effective optimization of its refinery from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL).
The Refinery Management, in a release signed by, Group Chief, Branding and Communications Officer, Anthony Chiejina revealed that, “we therefore still insist that we are unable to secure our full crude requirement from domestic production and urge the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), to fully enforce the domestic crude supply obligation as mandated by the PIA.”
Chiejina clarified that his company has never accused NNPC of not supplying “…us with crude. Our concern has always been NUPRC’s reluctance to enforce the domestic crude supply obligation and ensure that we receive our full crude requirement from NNPC and the IOCs.”
He further explained that “For September, our requirement is 15 cargoes, of which NNPC allocated six. Despite appealing to NUPRC, we’ve been unable to secure the remaining cargoes. When we approached IOCs producing in Nigeria, they redirected us to their international trading arms or responded that their cargoes were committed.
“Consequently, we often purchase the same Nigerian crude from international traders at an additional $3-$4 premium per barrel which translates to $3-$4 million per cargo.”
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
Kano State on Tuesday rolled out the State Emergency Medical Services and Ambulance System (KN-SEMSAS) as part of efforts to strengthen emergency response and improve access to timely healthcare across the state.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Abubakar Labaran Yusuf, commended the governor for procuring 20 ambulances for the programme, describing the initiative as a strategic step to align the state with ongoing national emergency health interventions. He noted that a formal inauguration of the scheme would be held at a later date.
Dr. Abubakar Labaran Yusuf
Dr. Yusuf said the ambulances would play a critical role in transporting pregnant women to hospitals during labour, thereby reducing maternal and infant mortality. He added that any patient conveyed to a hospital through the scheme would have their transportation costs covered by the government.
He also called on members of the Guild of Medical Directors to support the initiative by procuring additional ambulances to complement government efforts.
Dr. Abubakar Labaran Yusuf inspecting the ambulances
According to the commissioner, the vehicles are expected to respond to distress calls within the shortest possible time, ensuring prompt medical attention for residents in need.
Dr. Yusuf further stated that KN-SEMSAS would provide free, coordinated pre-hospital and emergency care services statewide. He described the establishment of the system as a major milestone in strengthening emergency medical response, reducing preventable deaths, and improving access to life-saving care for the people of Kano State.
The event was attended by the Director-General of the Drugs and Medical Consumables Agency, Pharmacist Ghali Sule; the Executive Secretary of the Kano State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency (KASCHMA), Dr. Rahila Aliyu Mukhtar; and the Director-General of the Kano State Centre for Disease Control (KNCDC), Prof. Mahmoud Adamu Abbas.
Group Picture
Goodwill messages were presented by representatives of various stakeholders, including the Lafiya Project, the Kano State Accountability Mechanism (KanSLAM), and the Kano State Fire Service, among others.
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano State has announced the constitution of three high-level committees to oversee its forthcoming State Congress scheduled for Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
KANO FOCUS reports that the congress is slated to take place at the Indoor Sports Stadium, Kofar Mata, Kano, at 8:00 p.m.
The disclosure was made in a statement issued on Monday by the Kano APC Spokesperson, Hon. Ahmad Aruwa, on the directive of the outgoing State Chairman, Hon. Prince Abdullahi Abbas Sunusi.
According to the statement, the committees were constituted to ensure a transparent, credible and well-coordinated congress in line with the party’s constitution and guidelines.
Congress and Accreditation Committee
The Congress and Accreditation Committee is chaired by Rabi’u Sulaiman Bichi, with Hon. Muhammad Jamu Yusuf serving as Secretary. Other members include Hon. Baffa Babba, Rt. Hon. Butu-Butu, Hajiya Sa’adatu Algon, Hon. Ali Haruna Makoda, Hon. Abdullahi Rogo, Hon. Baffa Takai, Hon. Lamin Sani, Sani Ma’aruf, Hon. Sani Bala, Khalid Ishaq, Barrister Mannir Rimin Gado and Hon. Hassan Hussain.
Publicity Committee
The Publicity Committee is headed by Muhammad Garba as Chairman, with Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa as Secretary. Members include Lawan Hussaini, Jamilu Danbatta, Yusuf Sharada, Musa Liliyasu, Ghali Sadiq, Binta Spikin, Uba Dan Zainab, Ibrahim Yaro and Ahmad Aruwa.
Security Committee
The Security Committee is chaired by Col. Malami. Other members are Mustapha Bakwana, the Director-General of Special Services, Bala Albasu, CP Balarabe Musa, Group Captain Kura, Dr. Garba Sani Diso and Air Commodore Yusha’u Sulaisu Tudun Wada.
Hon. Aruwa stated that the party leadership has full confidence in the committees’ ability to deliver a peaceful, orderly and successful congress.
He urged party members and stakeholders to cooperate fully with the committees and conduct themselves in a disciplined and responsible manner throughout the exercise.
The APC reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening internal democracy and consolidating unity within the party in Kano State.
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
Kano State has strengthened its position as a leading subnational actor in climate governance following a strategic departmental meeting of the Kano State Ministry of Environment and Climate Change.
KANO FOCUS reports that a major highlight of the meeting was the state’s intensified support for Nigeria’s Second Biennial Transparency Report (BTR2) under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The ministry disclosed that ongoing collaboration with sectoral ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) across Energy, Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use (AFOLU), Waste and Industrial Processes is ensuring credible and harmonised greenhouse gas emissions data in line with the transparency requirements of the Paris Agreement.
In what officials described as a significant milestone, Kano has been selected as one of three pilot states under the UK PACT programme to develop a Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV) system. The initiative is expected to institutionalise structured emissions reporting, strengthen accountability mechanisms and support tracking of Nigeria’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
In a statement signed by Dr. Umar Saleh Anka, Director of Climate Change, the ministry also announced the commencement of preparations for the third edition of the Climate Governance Performance Ranking. The exercise aims to enhance methodological rigour, promote peer learning, improve transparency and deepen stakeholder engagement in climate action.
Further consolidating the state’s leadership role, the Commissioner for Environment was recently appointed Regional Lead (North West) of the Community of Practice for Environment and Climate Change, a move expected to strengthen regional collaboration and policy coordination.
The statement added that, the state government reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening institutional systems, improving emissions transparency and advancing coordinated climate action across Nigeria.
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APC constitutes committees for Kano state congress
Kano emerges as MRV pilot state, advances climate governance
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