Business

EITI Seeks Stakeholders Commitment To New Standards For The Sector

Published

3 years ago

June 17, 2023

226 Views

The Chair of the Board, Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), Helen Clark, has called on the stakeholders in the sector to show commitment in strengthening transparency and the implementation of EITI goals.

She made the call during the launch of a new standard for the extractive industries at the just ended EITI 2023 global conference in Dakar, Senegal, themed “Transparency in Transition.”

At the event, hosted by the government of Senegal at the Centre International de Conférences Abdou Diouf, Diamniadio, and which drew participants from across the globe, she said that the new standard focuses on beneficial ownership transparency as a key anti-corruption mechanism in the extractive sector.

The key players in the industry deliberated on different areas bordering on key issues plaguing the institution in promoting transparency and accountability in the extractive industry, benefits of disclosing contract from energy in the extractive and energy transition.

Highlights of The New Standard

• A new requirement to request full disclosure of beneficial ownership by politically exposed persons (PEPs), regardless of their level of ownership.
This is intended to ensure that any amount of ownership by PEPs is publicly disclosed, and if implemented effectively, will act as an important mechanism to detect conflicts of interest, for example in the awarding and management of licences.

• The Standard now encourages EITI implementing countries to adopt a threshold of 10% or lower for beneficial ownership reporting.
In extractives, a high-risk sector for corruption, it has long been acknowledged that low thresholds are important for understanding ownership, for example of a small percentage stake in a very large extractives company.

• Requirements for information to be disclosed when state-owned enterprises (SOEs) hold beneficial ownership or control. The Standard now specifies the key information that is required: the name of the state, level of ownership, and detail about how ownership or control is exerted.

Given the prominent role of state-owned enterprises in the extractive sector, when combined with the EITI requirement on PEP disclosure, this represents a significant strengthening of the potential for the EITI Standard to deliver anti-corruption impact.

• Requirement 2.6e) also encourages SOEs to disclose beneficial ownership information for their agents, intermediaries, suppliers or contractors.

•The Standard now contains additional requirements to support the disclosure of full ownership chains where beneficial ownership is held indirectly.
This comprises a new requirement to disclose the legal ownership of entities as well as beneficial ownership, and is coupled with an encouragement for companies to disclose their ownership structure and full ownership chain.

• Finally, the Standard now encourages the EITI multi-stakeholder groups to review the comprehensiveness and reliability of beneficial ownership information disclosed through stock exchange filings for listed extractives companies, although it does not require any action if the data is not found to be reliable.
This remains an issue for actors wishing to understand ownership and control in listed companies in the extractive sector, as in practice there is wide variation in the availability of information from different stock exchanges.

Together, these new developments in the 2023 EITI Standard signal the continued strengthening of the ambitions of the EITI and its work to embed beneficial ownership transparency.

The transition from fossil fuel to renewable energy took the center stage of the discussion.

Business

MAN woos CBN, MOF for manufacturing refinancing facility

The Director -General of MAN, Segun Ajayi-Kadir, made the call for the facility in a report on the manufacturing outlook for 2026.

Published

57 minutes ago

January 2, 2026

OCHEFA

30 Views

Cover image: MAN

The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has called on the monetary authorities ( CBN and MOF) to introduce a Manufacturing Refinancing and Rediscounting Facility (MRRF) believing that it can reinvigorate the manufacturing sector in 2026.

The Director -General of MAN, Segun Ajayi-Kadir, made the call for the facility in a report on the manufacturing outlook for 2026.

He said that the MRRF is to enable banks to refinance approved manufacturing loans at single-digit rates for up to seven years.

He emphasised that to ensure a more robust manufacturing sector in 2026 , there was need for:

1. Launch a Manufacturing Refinancing and Rediscounting Facility (MRRF) that allows banks to refinance approved manufacturing loans at single-digit rates for up to 7 years.
2. Create a publicly accessible dashboard tracking lending flows, interest rate spreads, loan approvals and sectoral disbursement patterns in real time.

3. Further reduce the benchmark interest rate by at least 200–300 basis points over the next two quarters to make credit affordable for manufacturers.

4. Craft and ensure the effective execution of the implementation strategy for the recently approved Nigeria Industrial Policy.

5. Categorize manufacturers as strategic users of gas to remove the gap between what manufacturers and electricity generation companies pay per cubic foot of gas.

6. Introduce a stable, transparent gas pricing framework for manufacturers and prioritize local gas supply before exports.

Business

Nigeria Revenue Service unveils new logo as FIRS goes to rest

Speaking at the unveiling ceremony in Abuja on Wednesday, the Executive Chairman of the NRS, Zacch Adedeji, said the launch of the logo and accompanying brand elements represents an important milestone in the evolution of Nigeria’s revenue administration framework.

Published

1 day ago

January 1, 2026

OCHEFA

21 Views

The Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS), which has replaced the now-defunct Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), has unveiled its institutional brand identity (logo) as part of efforts to reposition the country’s revenue administration structure.

The agency came into operation following the signing of the Nigeria Revenue Service Establishment Act 2025 by President Bola Tinubu in June 2025, marking a major shift in the legal and operational framework governing tax administration in the country.

Adedeji noted that the new institutional identity “signals continuity of purpose, strengthened institutional capacity, and a forward-looking approach to supporting taxpayers and national development.”

Business

BREAKING: Heirs Energies Acquires 20.07% Stake in Seplat Energy from Maurel & Prom in $496-500 Million Deal

Published

2 days ago

December 31, 2025

Charles Flames

52 Views

In a major shake-up in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, Heirs Energies Limited, chaired by billionaire Tony Elumelu, has agreed to acquire the entire 20.07% equity stake in Seplat Energy Plc from French oil company Etablissements Maurel & Prom S.A.

The transaction involves the sale of 120.4 million ordinary shares at approximately £3.05 per share, valuing the deal at around $496 million to $500 million.

The binding agreement was signed on December 30, 2025, after market close, marking Maurel & Prom’s exit from its long-held position in Seplat, one of Nigeria’s leading independent energy producers listed on both the London Stock Exchange and the Nigerian Exchange.

Tony Elumelu, Chairman of Heirs Energies and its parent Heirs Holdings, described the acquisition as a “long-term investment in Nigeria’s and Africa’s energy future,” emphasizing its alignment with goals of energy security, industrialization, and shared prosperity.

Maurel & Prom CEO Olivier de Langavant stated that the sale allows the company to monetize its stake and redirect resources toward direct investments in oil and gas assets, while expressing confidence in Heirs Energies as a strong, long-term shareholder for Seplat.

Seplat Energy, a key player in Nigeria’s energy transition with significant oil and gas operations in the Niger Delta, recently bolstered its portfolio through acquisitions, including ExxonMobil’s shallow-water assets.

This deal further consolidates indigenous ownership in Nigeria’s upstream sector, following Heirs Energies’ own growth as a major gas supplier powering domestic electricity generation.

The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals.