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Access Bank to Fund Plateau’s British-American Junction-Commissioner

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From Jude Dangwam, Jos

The Plateau State Commissioner of Works Hon. Pam Botmang has disclosed that the newly flagged off construction of British American-Junction overhead bridge is to be funded by Access Bank PLC.

He said the project will gulp about N10 billion and that the bank has fully mobilized the contractor to site on mutually agreed terms and are ready to make further payment on receipts of Certificates of Valuation (CVs) on permanent work executed.

Botmang made this known during the official flag-off ceremony for the construction of the long-awaited overhead bridge held at the construction site in Jos the Plateau State capital.

He said his ministry was going to provide technical services and design amongst others for the success of the project.
“The Plateau State Ministry of Works is charged with the responsibility of providing technical services such as design, construction and maintenance of state roads and bridges.”

The Commissioner said in exploring the financing of the project, the Lalong administration has engaged Access Bank Nig PLC to provide all the funding. “The Ministry of Works got the approval of the Plateau State Executive Council led by His Excellency the Executive Governor to explore the option of Contractor financing of this project.

“From the contractors available, Craneburg Construction Company Ltd made the best and realistic submission, as they brought a Finance Institution Access Bank Nig. Plc who agreed to provide all the funds for the construction of the project to completion.”

He added that, “The cost of the project is N9.988,949,835.74 with it’s attendant cost of funds and with 12 months completion period. Access Bank has fully mobilized the contractor to site on mutually agreed term and they are ready to make further payment on receipts of Certificates of Valuation (CVs) on permanent work executed and certified by the Ministry of Works as approved by His Excellency up to project completion.”

Governor Simon Lalong said the road was a major carriageway that links the North-east to the Federal Capital Territory and other parts of the country.
“At the end of the day, this project will fit into the Reconstruction and the Dualisation of the Akwanga-Jos-Bauchi-Gombe road which is part of the Dualization of Abuja-Keffi-Akwanga-Lafia-Makurdi road being carried out by the Federal Government.
“While we eagerly await the commencement of the Akwanga through Jos to Gombe segment of the project, the construction of this flyover is an intervention by Plateau State on a section of this federal road,” Lalong stated

He said as part of his administration efforts to consolidate on achievements in road infrastructure, “the total sum of about N12 billion naira has so far been expended by our administration on payment of outstanding cost of projects unfinished by the previous administration and billions of naira on numerous projects awarded by our Rescue administration.”
Former Head Military Head of State Gen. Yakubu Gowon applauded the step taken by  Lalong and urged him to give his best while another admintration completes the project in line with the values of completing ongoing projects demonstrated by him.

The Contractor Engr. Nasiru Gani has assured that they are going to give their best and work with the stipulated timeframe of the contract.

BUSINESS

NNPC Posts N7.2trn Profit amid Revenue Decline

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The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd. (NNPC Ltd.) recorded N7.2 trillion Profit After Tax (PAT) in 2025, a 33 per cent increase from N5.4 trillion.

Group Chief Executive Officer, Bayo Ojulari, disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja at a media briefing after the company’s AGM and second Earnings Call.

Revenue declined to N34.

5 trillion from N45.1 trillion in 2024.

Ojulari attributed the 24 per cent revenue decline to lower crude oil prices and reduced product volumes following market deregulation.

He said earnings per share rose to N35.

90 from N27.07, while return on equity improved by 200 basis points to 16 per cent.

The company’s declared dividend increased by 35 per cent to N5.8 trillion, while taxes, royalties and other government remittances rose 39 per cent to N22.3 trillion.

 “Stronger earnings in spite of this pressure demonstrate the resilience of NNPC Limited’s operations,” Ojulari said.

He said profit grew because NNPC had improved its operations and maintained discipline across its businesses.

Ojulari said crude oil and condensate production reached a five-year peak of 1.77 million barrels per day.

He added that gas supply reached a three-year high of 7.2 billion standard cubic feet per day.

“Stronger performance gives NNPC Limited more capacity to invest, contribute to public revenue and strengthen Nigeria’s energy security,” he said.

On infrastructure, Ojulari said the mainline of the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano gas pipeline had been completed.

He said work was ongoing on tie-ins to delivery points, beginning with Abuja, followed by Ajaokuta and Kaduna.

According to him, the next milestone is to commence gas flow through the pipeline to industries and power plants.

Ojulari said the company completed the Obiafu-Obrikom-Oben (OB3) gas pipeline in 2026 after several years of challenges.

On the refineries, he said prospective partners under NNPC’s technical equity partnership model had conducted a three-month onsite review.

He said more than 34 engineers participated in the review, adding that NNPC was now concluding the report.

Ojulari said the company was targeting self-sustaining and profitable refineries, with a pathway expected to be defined soon.

He reaffirmed NNPC’s target of producing two million barrels of crude oil daily by 2027 and three million barrels by 2030.

He said gas production targets were 10 billion cubic feet per day by 2027 and 12 billion by 2030.

“NNPC plans to mobilise over 60 billion dollars of investment across the energy value chain,” he added.

Ojulari said more than 1,000 newly recruited professionals joined NNPC in 2025 under its Talent to Value programme.

He said the recruits completed a one-year internship and training programme before being deployed across the company. (NAN)

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FCCPC Calls for Improved Capacity Building on Competition Reporting, Matters

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The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) says there is a need for sustained capacity building in competition reporting and issues.

The Executive Vice Chairman of FCCPC, Tunji Bello, said this in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Sunday.

Bello described competition matters as a relatively new area in the country adding that it required specialised knowledge among journalists, regulators and other stakeholders.

He said that competition law and consumer protection regulations had made stakeholders’ education a priority for the commission.

Bello said that the FCCPC recently supported the training of judges through the National Judicial Institute (NJI) to deepen understanding of competition-related matters.

He noted that members of the judiciary also required exposure to the nuances of the emerging field.

“We recognised that because it is a new terrain, the judges themselves are not familiar with the nuances.

”So we brought in experts on competition,” he said.

Bello stressed that the media had a critical role in promoting public understanding of competition and consumer protection issues.

“If FCCPC is becoming more known to the public, it is as a result of the kind of publicity you have given us,” he said. (NAN)

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BUSINESS

Fire Guts Customs Western Marine Command Office in Lagos

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Fire gutted the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Western Marine Command office in Apapa, Lagos, on Monday, destroying property worth millions of Naira.

The fire, which reportedly started at about 10:23 a.m. from an electrical surge in the conference room, spread to other sections of the building.

Officers on duty made frantic efforts to contain the fire before officials of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service arrived at about 10:45 a.

m.

The Deputy Comptroller of Customs, Timothy Jonah, who just resumed at the Command, to take over the affairs from his predecessor, described the incident as unfortunate.

He said: “I just resumed duty to take over, only to witness this fire outbreak.

“Every challenge, though negative, is an opportunity to strengthen our operations.

“In the meantime, we will set up a committee to investigate the cause of the fire.”

He commended the swift response of the personnel on duty and their collaboration with the fire service, saying measures would be taken to strengthen safety protocols and prevent a recurrence. (NAN)

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