The Senate on Thursday confirmed Dr. Kingsley Tochukwu Udeh as a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, following his nomination by President Bola Tinubu.

The confirmation, which was carried out in line with Section 147(2) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), came after Udeh successfully completed all required security screenings.

President Tinubu had, in a letter to the Senate earlier in the week, sought the lawmakers’ approval for Udeh’s appointment. With the confirmation, Udeh is now set to join the Federal Executive Council.

Udeh, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and the current Attorney General of Enugu State, faced several questions during his screening. One question from Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central) sought his view on the ongoing diplomatic tension between Nigeria and the United States, following threats by former U.S. President Donald Trump to take military action in Nigeria over alleged persecution of Christians.

Before Udeh could respond, Senate President Godswill Akpabio humorously advised him to “dodge” the politically sensitive question.

When he eventually replied, Udeh offered a measured response, noting that the issue was being handled directly by President Tinubu and emphasizing that it was “more of a diplomatic matter than a legal one.”

He commended President Tinubu for revitalizing Nigeria’s foreign relations, stressing that sustained international cooperation is key to improving the country’s global image and advancing its national interests.

• US lawmakers

The United States House of Representatives has urged the Departments of State and Treasury to impose targeted sanctions on individuals and organisations, including Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria and Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, over alleged violations of religious freedom in Nigeria.

The Punch reported that this is contained in a resolution introduced before the House on Tuesday from the US Congress website.

Recall that Trump, in a post on Truth over the weekend, declared Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern” and threatened to take military action if the country did not stem the alleged killings of Christians.

Filed as H. Res. 860 in the 119th Congress, the resolution, submitted by Rep. Christopher Smith with Rep. Paul Huizenga as a co-sponsor, commends President Donald Trump for designating Nigeria as a CPC.

The sponsors decried the alleged worsening persecution of Christians and other religious minorities.

They cited a catalogue of findings and reports that informed the measure, including media accounts and NGO data alleging large-scale attacks on civilians, destruction of places of worship, and a pattern of impunity.

The resolution reads in parts, “For over a decade, Islamic terror organisations have carried out mass murder, rape, kidnappings, and other atrocities targeting mostly Nigerian Christians and non-Fulani moderate Muslim populations, resulting in mass displacement and destruction of places of worship.

” Prominent Christian and Muslim leaders have been kidnapped or assassinated, including priests, pastors, and imams who advocate for religious tolerance;

“Religious leaders, such as Father Remigius Iyhula and Bishop Wilfred Anagbe, who testified on March 12, 2025, at a hearing of the House Foreign Affairs Committee about the persecution and targeted killings of Christians in the Diocese of Makurdi, have faced intimidation, threats, and harassment from both extremist groups and government authorities.”

A Step Towards Strengthening Local Content and the Patronage of Made-in-Nigeria Preamble

The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has commended the Federal Government for its recent approval of a 15% import tariff on petrol and diesel.

In a press release signed by Segun Ajayi-Kadir, Director-General Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, the association recognised gesture as a strategic step and patriotic policy that aligns with the Nigeria First agenda and MAN’s long-standing advocacy for local content development and patronage of Made-in-Nigeria.

It is heartening that this is coming less than one Month after the 53rd AGM of MAN with the theme: Nigeria First: Prioritizing Patronage of Made in Nigeria Products.

The association said the strategic policy has reassured domestic manufacturers that Government is attentive to the imperatives of growing indigenous manufacturing.

It exemplifies governments commitment to halting the perennial bleeding of our patrimony; asserting the sovereignty of the great country; guaranteeing energy sufficiency and security, and improving the overall wellbeing of Nigerians in this regards.

This is a sure step in the promotion of local value addition, strengthening domestic refining capacity, conserving foreign exchange, and advancing Nigeria’s long-term industrialisation objectives.

MAN’s Position:

1. Unfettered implementation of the domestic supply of crude and enshrined in the PIA. This will ensure the Naira for crude arrangement that will ensure effective and reliable supply of crude to the local refineries and reduce the pressure on our scarce foreign exhange.

It will also attract more investors, including the holders of the 30 refininery licenses to commit resources in the sector.

2. There is no better path to fixing Nigeria’s economy than protecting local industries, encouraging local patronage, fostering value addition, and promoting industrial development anchored on local content.

3. Nigeria is blessed with enormous oil resources. Unfortunately, scarce forex in billions of dollars is still being spent on importing refined petroleum.

Supporting local refining capacity through appropriate policy tools will conserve scarce foreign exchange, improve the stability of the Naira, and foster a more favourable macroeconomic environment for investment.

In view of above, MAN duly:

i. recognises the importance, significance, and necessity of the approval of the 15% import tariff on petroleum products — petrol and diesel.

ii. Acknowledges that the tariff is a rightful, deliberately designed policy instrument intended to protect and encourage domestic producers, curb dumping, and create a stable environment for local refiners to thrive.

iii. Notes that the tariff will accelerate operational readiness of domestic refineries, thereby reducing disruptions and stabilising energy supply to industries.

iv. Supports the 15% import tariff as an industrial policy instrument that will:

• Encourage the utilisation of local refining capacity and promote backward integration across the energy value chain.

• Conserve foreign exchange by reducing the nation’s dependence on imported refined petroleum products.

• Strengthen the manufacturing base through a more stable and predictable fuel supply.

• Generate employment opportunities, build technical expertise, and strengthen industrial linkages between refineries and manufacturers.

• Promote local content development and stimulate demand for Nigerian engineering, fabrication and logistics services.

v. MAN views this policy as a vital step in achieving energy independence and industrial sustainability, both of which are prerequisites for Nigeria’s economic transformation.

Call for Transparent and Balanced Implementation:

While supporting the 15% tariff imposition, MAN calls for transparent, efficient, and well-coordinated implementation to ensure its benefits reach both industry and consumers, safeguard competitiveness, and prevent unintended cost burdens.

Specifically, MAN calls for:

i. Transparent price monitoring: Government and regulators (PPPRA, NMDPRA, FCCPC) should closely monitor domestic pricing to prevent excessive mark-ups or anti-competitive behaviour.

ii. Stable transition period: During the initial months of implementation, the government should support local refiners to ensure adequate fuel availability and prevent supply shocks or speculative hoarding, particularly with the festive period approaching.

iii. Reinvestment of tariff revenue: Proceeds from the import duty should be reinvested into energy infrastructure, refinery efficiency, and power support schemes for industries, including credit facilities for industrial energy transition and renewable adoption.

iv. SMIs support measures: Provide targeted incentives or rebatesfor small and medium manufacturers reliant on diesel-powered generators during the transition period.

v. Support the development of more local refineries: The government should create an enabling environment and provide targeted incentives to attract investment in additional modular and conventional refineries, thereby strengthening domestic refining capacity, promoting competition, and ensuring long-term energy security.

vii. Ensure stakeholder harmony in the energy sector: The government should foster continuous engagement among refiners, marketers, regulators, and consumers to prevent disputes, ensure policy coherence, and sustain market stability.

viii. Move speedily to fully privatize the government owned refinery as it is evident that we may never succeed in restoring them to functionality under the current dispensation.

Selling off the refineries will stop the commitment of our scarce financial resources to an evidently irredeemable venture.

MAN acknowledges this major step in the implementation of Nigeria First policy of government. We are committed to supporting the Federal Government’s Nigeria First policy direction, especially on local content development and home grown industrialisation.

MAN believes that this tariff will accelerate the country’s journey toward energy sovereignty, industrial competitiveness, and sustainable economic growth — all anchored on the strength of Made-in-Nigeria.