Business
NNPCL invites Obasanjo to tour PH, Warri Refinerie

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo received a special invitation yesterday: a tour of the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries to confirm their operational status.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) assured Obasanjo the days of inefficiency were gone and that the one-time corporation is now a profit-driven company.
NNPCL was reacting to an interview Obasanjo granted Channels Television, in which he said Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) told him that the NNPCL could not run a refinery.
According to him, SPDC was invited to buy equity in the plant but complained that corruption would never allow it to function.
Obasanjo expressed the view that NNPCL had been very deceptive about the functionality of the refineries.
The Port Harcourt Refinery started working in November, while Warri began operation last month.
NNPCL Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Mr. Olufemi Soneye, extended the company’s invitation to the former president for a tour of the refineries.
He said: “We extend an open invitation to President Obasanjo for a tour of the rehabilitated refineries to witness firsthand the progress made under the new NNPC Limited.
“We invite our esteemed former president to join us in this effort as we continue to deliver energy security for our nation and provide tangible benefits to Nigerians.
“His wisdom and experience are invaluable, and we assure him that his advice will always be welcomed and appreciated.
”According to Soneye, NNPCL did not merely carry out turnaround maintenance but did a complete overhaul of the refineries.
He said: “As part of this transformation, NNPC Limited has gone beyond oil and gas to become an integrated energy company.
“One of our notable achievements is the complete rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt Refining Company (PhRC) and Warri Refinery.
“This process was not merely the Turnaround Maintenance (TAM) of the past but a full-scale overhaul designed to meet world-class standards.
“Similarly, we are currently conducting the same comprehensive rehabilitation of the old Port Harcourt Refinery and Kaduna Refinery.”
The spokesman said NNPCL has also moved on from being a loss-making organisation to profit -driven international energy firm.
The new NNPC Limited, Soneye said, is committed not only to enhancing the refineries but also to maintaining them to global standards.
He said: “The NNPC has undergone a transformative journey, evolving from a government corporation into a private entity—NNPC Limited.
“This transition has marked a significant shift from being a loss-making organisation to a profit-oriented global energy company.
“We deeply respect and hold President Obasanjo in the highest regard as a distinguished statesman who has contributed significantly to the progress of our nation.
“He has every right to share his perspectives on national issues, and we value his insights and counsel.
“We remain grateful for his leadership and enduring commitment to the growth and development of Nigeria.
“Together, we can continue to build a brighter future for our great nation.”
Obasanjo said his successor, the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, rejected a $750 million offer from Aliko Dangote to manage the Port Harcourt and Kaduna refineries in 2007.
Speaking on the television programme, the former president said he sought external help to rehabilitate and manage the facilities but faced resistance.
“When I was president, I wanted to do something about the three refineries: Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna.
“Aliko got a team together after I asked Shell to come and run it for us. And Shell said they wouldn’t.
“Later on, I called them. I called the boss of Shell to come and tell me what the problem was and he gave me four or five reasons.
“He (Shell boss) said, first of all, they make a major profit from upstream, not from downstream. He said they run downstream just to keep their head above water.
“Two, our refineries were too small: 60,000 barrels, 100,000 barrels and I think 120,000 barrels. He said that at that time, the average refinery was going for 250,000 barrels.
“Three, he said our refineries were not well maintained. Four, he said there was too much corruption around the activities of our refinery and they would not want to get involved in that.
“After that, Aliko got a team together and they paid $750million to take part in PPP (Public–Private Partnership) in running the refineries.
“My successor refunded their money and I went to my successor and told him what transpired.
“He said NNPC said they wanted the refineries and they could run it. “I said: ‘But you know they cannot run it.’
”Obasanjo was confident in Dangote’s ability to manage his refinery effectively, unlike those of the NNPCL.
“I was told not too long ago that since that time, more than $2 billion have been squandered on the refineries and they still will not work.
“If a company like Shell tells me what they told me, I will believe them.
“But here we are, over $2 billion squandered, and the refineries still won’t work,” Obasanjo said.
Business
CBEX: Nigerians lose N1.3tn as digital trading platform crashes

Nigerians have taken to their various social media platforms to lament their losses after a digital asset trading platform, known as CBEX, allegedly swept over N1.3 trillion from investors’ accounts on Monday.
This comes as CBEX, operating without legal approval from the Nigeria Securities Commission, crashed on Monday after the money in their investors’ wallets vanished.
The digital platform also locked its Telegram channels and postponed withdrawals while offering investors the option of $2,000 for $200 verification and $1,000 for $100 verification.
The development has sparked condemnations from Nigerians on X.
Explaining the CBEX crash, cryptocurrency expert and security analyst Taiwo Owolabi said the total volume of stolen investors’ funds so far in USDT is $847 million and likely to increase.
Owolabi questioned why Nigerians would invest their money in a digital platform that is unregistered by the SEC with the promise of a 100 percent return on investment.
They designed the weak website to convince people in the future that it was a security breach that affected them.
Apparently, when you make payments, you pay them into a TRX account, and then, immediately, they move it from that TRX wallet, gather it, convert it to USDT, and then to ETH. So, when you are logging into your account, there is literally no money on your profile.
“What you see are just numbers. All the daily activities you do to ‘trade’ increase your money. All the AI trading is fake. When it’s time for withdrawal, they will send you another person’s money,” Owolabi explained on an X space.
Similarly, Steve Fred, a user on X, wrote on Tuesday:
“Are we not just fantastically stupid in Nigeria?
“Nigerians are as gullible as their leaders. How many times will they be scammed before they have sense?
“How can a company like ‘CBEX’ just appear from thin air and promise you 100 percent ROI in 1 month, and you begin to invest?”
Another user, known on X as Oku, reacting to the CBEX crash, said: “The smaller the profit, the more I TRUST YOU.
“You have no business doing a business that promises you 50 percent to 100 percent ROI.
”The development comes after the SEC recently warned Nigerians to stay clear of unregistered trading platforms.
The SEC particularly pointed out that, in accordance with the ISA 2025 recently signed by President Bola Tinubu, it is now an offense for any entity to operate an online forex trading platform or provide related services without prior registration with the commission.
“By virtue of this act, it is an offense in Nigeria for any entity that is not registered by the commission to carry out the business of online foreign exchange trading platforms or related services.
“Any business entity planning to set up a business in any of these areas is advised to visit the HOD DRM Department of the commission for further direction on how to register with the commission to avoid sanctions,” it added.
Business
Nigeria, Trinidad & Tobago Sign Direct Air Connectivity Agreement to Boost Trade
The agreement grants designated airlines from both countries the rights to operate passenger and cargo flights, establish commercial agreements, and access the other’s territory under agreed terms.

• The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo
The Federal Government of Nigeria and Trinidad and Tobago have signed a Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) to boost trade, tourism, and air connectivity.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, and his counterpart, the Minister of Works and Transport, Rohan Sinanan, signed the agreement on behalf of both countries at the Piarco International Airport, Trinidad and Tobago.
The agreement, according to a statement by the Media Aide to the minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Tunde Moshood marks the official commencement of direct air links between both nations.
The agreement is the culmination of diplomatic and technical conversations that began during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Keyamo commented: “Today’s signing not only fulfills a long-standing bilateral vision initiated during President Obasanjo’s time but also represents our commitment to expanding Nigeria’s global aviation footprint.
This agreement will enhance trade, tourism, cultural exchange, and connectivity between Nigeria and the Caribbean region.
”The agreement grants designated airlines from both countries the rights to operate passenger and cargo flights, establish commercial agreements, and access the other’s territory under agreed terms.
It is expected to strengthen economic and people-to-people ties.Sinanan expressed optimism about the potential of the agreement to boost cooperation and expand aviation opportunities for Caribbean and African carriers.
The agreement adds to Nigeria’s growing list of strategic international aviation agreements and reinforces President Bola Tinubu’s administration’s commitment to improving air connectivity, promoting regional integration, and strengthening diplomatic relations through aviation diplomacy.
Business
FG Commissions N10bn Prism Foods Onion Storage Facility in Kano
This initiative aligns with President Tinubu’s agenda to curb post-harvest losses, potentially increasing farmers’ income and creating more job opportunities for youths,” the minister said.

The Federal Government has launched Prism Foods Limited N10 billion state-of-the-art onion storage facility in Kano State.
The Minister of State for Industry and Investment, Sen. John Owan Enoh, commissioned the 10,000-tonne storage capacity, on Monday at Gadar Tamburawa in Dawakin Kudu Local Government Area of the state.
He said that the federal government would provide all the needed support for initiating modern innovation to address post-harvest losses among farmers across the country, especially in the northern part.
“By providing a reliable storage solution for onions and other perishable commodities, the facility will play a vital role in effective service delivery, supporting the nation’s agricultural development.
“This initiative aligns with President Tinubu’s agenda to curb post-harvest losses, potentially increasing farmers’ income and creating more job opportunities for youths,” the minister said.
He commended Prism Foods Limited for investing heavily in a solution to post-harvest losses, saying it would enhance food security and encourage entrepreneurship, ultimately boosting the nation’s economy.
The Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, represented by the State Commissioner for Commerce, Alhaji Shehu Wada Sagagi, commended Prism Foods Limited for establishing such a huge investment in Kano.
Yusuf noted that the state government is committed to providing all the needed support to ensure that agricultural produce is enhanced.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Prism Foods Ltd., Mr. Aman Gupta, said the massive post-harvest losses faced by onion farmers prompted the establishment of the facility.Alhaji Aliyu Maitasamu, Chairman of the National Onion Producers, Processors, and Marketers Association of Nigeria, said the facility would significantly reduce post-harvest losses of onions and other perishable commodities.
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