By Tony Obiechina, Abuja

The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has given the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) a 48-hour ultimatum to dissolve the Host Community Development Trust (HCDT) set up for communities hosting Sterling Oil Exploration and Energy Production Company (SEEPCO), as the commission escalated pressure over unmet obligations to oil-producing communities.

The directive came at an investigative hearing held Thursday, August 6, 2026, at RMAFC’s headquarters in Abuja, where the commission’s Investment Monitoring Committee scrutinised SEEPCO’s compliance with the Host Community Development Trust provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).

The Committee expressed strong concern over SEEPCO’s repeated failure to honour invitations to appear before it despite previous engagements. Dr. Enefe maintained that the Commission would not tolerate attempts by any operator to evade legitimate oversight.

Addressing the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), chairman of the Investment Monitoring Committee and Federal Commissioner representing Anambra State at RMAFC, Dr. Ekene Enefe maintained that RMAFC’s constitutional mandate requires it to hold every institution within the petroleum value chain accountable for the effective discharge of its statutory responsibilities.

He consequently directed NUPRC to immediately address concerns surrounding the Host Community Development Trust established for the affected communities, declaring: “We are going to give you 48 hours to dissolve that host community development trust.”
RMAFC Chairman, Dr. Mohammed Bello Shehu reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to protecting the interests of host communities, describing the hearing as a critical national responsibility.

He commended the Committee for its diligence and said RMAFC’s constitutional mandate demands firm oversight, transparency and accountability in managing the nation’s revenue assets.

The Chairman commended the committee for its diligence and urged members to remain resolute, noting that RMAFC’s constitutional mandate requires firm oversight, transparency and accountability in the management of national revenue assets.

He expressed confidence that the investigation would strengthen trust in the petroleum sector and ensure that host communities receive the full benefits guaranteed under the Petroleum Industry Act.

He said the committee would conclude its investigation and forward its findings to the appropriate authorities, insisting RMAFC would discharge its oversight role without fear or favour.

Earlier, an NUPRC delegation led by Mrs. Ufondu Ejiro, Director, host communities, told the committee the trust had been duly incorporated, funded and structured in line with the law.

She presented documentation on community consultations, governance structures, funding matrices, Community Development Plans and contributions made into the Trust, maintaining that NUPRC operates within the framework of the PIA and the Host Community Development Regulations.

Responding for the affected communities, Mr. Peter Chukwudi., disputed NUPRC’s submissions, saying the communities did not recognise several of the persons presented as their representatives and that adequate consultations had not taken place before the Trust was constituted.

He questioned the level of development recorded despite years of oil production.

Prof. Charles Ofoegbu, commissioner for Petroleum and Mineral Resources in Anambra State, called for closer collaboration between NUPRC and the State Government in verifying community representation, urging greater transparency in statutory contributions, operational expenditure and project execution.

Federal Commissioner for Rivers State, Amb. Desmond Akawor, noted a disconnect between the regulator and affected state governments and expressed concern over SEEPCO’s absence from the hearing.

Federal Commissioner for Kogi State, Hon. Abdulazeez Idris King, questioned whether reliance on operator-submitted documents alone could establish that genuine community consultations had occurred.

Federal Commissioner for Jigawa State, Hon. Hauwa Umar Aliyu, urged regulators to maintain professionalism and impartiality, stressing that host community interests deserve equal attention alongside operators’.

Also present were Federal Commissioners Aruviere Egharhevwa (Delta), Abdullahi Mukhtar Muhammad, MON (Kaduna), Dr. Nathaniel Adojutelegan (Ondo) and Sen. Marafa Bashir Abba (Taraba); Secretary to the Commission, Comrade Tosin Adeyanju; and Mrs. Zainab Larai Adamu, director, gas and investment, who serves as the committee’s secretary.

Dr. Enefe said every submission and piece of documentary evidence would be carefully examined as the committee continues pursuing its constitutional mandate on behalf of the Federation and the affected communities.

From Attah Ede, Makurdi

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) with support from Swedish International Development Agency (Sida) has renovated four block of classrooms and donated educational materials as well as provision of 250 desks to Benue State government for over 2400 pupils across six Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in the state.

Speaking during the commissioning and handover of the facility and flag-off/ distribution of other educational materials for Accelerated Basic Education Programme (ABEP) in Benue State held at Abagana IDPs camp in Makurdi Local Government Area of the State, Mrs.

Juliet Chiluwe, Chief of UNICEF Enugu Field Office, highlighted the importance of the intervention.

She explained that UNICEF is working closely with the State government to ensure that no child is denied education especially the displaced children and to make sure they catch up with modern education.

Mrs. Chiluwe disclosed that 219 pupils have been admitted into the Accelerated Basic Education Programme (ABEP) in Abagana IDPs camp while others are being admitted in five other camps including; Daudu 1 & 2, Ortese, Mega camp and Naka in Guma and Gwer LGAs respectively.

She further stated that UNICEF in collaboration with its development partner has engaged 62 facilitators as volunteers for the ABEP who would be impacting knowledge on the learners for next nine months.

The UNICEF Chief however appealed for collective collaboration among relevant stakeholders to ensure that the learners read and write in the next 9 months and called for continued leadership to ensure sustainability of the programme in the State.

“So, we believe that no matter where the children are, they have the right to access education. So today we hand over this building with support from our partner Sida. We have renovated the classrooms and provided learning materials to ensure that our children who are in the camps have access to schools.

“In addition to the renovation of the four blocks of classrooms, we have provided tents in the others camps where the pupils would be learning. We have made learning materials available and there will be no room for complaint in the next nine months because all the necessary materials that would enhance teaching skills are available”. Chiluwe stated.

Receiving the items on behalf of the State Government, Commissioner for Education and Knowledge Management Dr. Mrs. Margaret Adamu, expressed gratitude to UNICEF for its continued support to the State, noting that UNICEF effort will help displaced children gain access to education.

“We are happy that UNICEF is intervening in the education system in Benue State and it is a very great milestone of this present administration because it has brought quality access to education and for even those children we can consider as out of schools for now because of their peculiar situation.

“This intervention is not just in this camp, is in other camps and we have over 2000 children and you know that education is very key and important. So, UNICEF is bringing hope and succour to many homes”, she said.

The education commissioner noted that Governor Hyacinth Alia sees education as very important and considers it a heart of human capital development, which is evident in the massive renovation and equipping of public schools in the State.

“Under Governor Alia’s administration, everybody is important. You see the children are very small but there are potentials in them.

“So, what UNICEF has done with the support of Sida, on behalf of Benue State government, we really appreciate them because this is going to bridge the learning gaps that have ever existed and then bringing these children into the mainstream education informally.

“Sustainability is very important in whatever government is doing and that is why teachers were not brought from outside the camps but those that were trained within. I assure that whenever there is going to be recruitment exercise, these teachers will be brought into the mainstream so that there would be sustainability which is very important.

“Once in awhile, we interact with those in the camps particularly the parents. They need to own these facilities and ensure that the place is secured and protected. They must take responsibility of this project to make sure that no theft is happening here and everything is going on well”, Mrs. Adamu maintained.

She charged the beneficiaries to see this gesture as a golden opportunity, to grab it and use it by learning very well and warned against playing truancy and take care of whatever is provided to them.

Speaking on behalf of the 62 facilitators, Festus Azende, thanked UNICEF for providing them with robust training that would aid them to impact positive knowledge on the pupils.

He promised that they would put into use what they have learnt and produce great future leaders from the IDPs camps.

By Ubong Ukpong, Abuja

The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) on Thursday, asked the National Assembly to increase its share of the statutory five per cent aviation revenue pool from the current 22 per cent to 56 per cent, warning that the rising cost of maintaining safety-critical infrastructure was putting increasing pressure on the country’s air navigation system.

Managing Director of NAMA, Engr.

Farouk Ahmed Umar, who made the demand at a public hearing organised by the House of Representatives Committee on Aviation, said the existing revenue-sharing formula no longer reflects the scale of the agency’s statutory responsibilities or the financial burden of keeping Nigeria’s airspace safe.

At the same hearing, the African Aviation and Aerospace University (AAAU), Abuja, also asked the National Assembly to include it as a statutory beneficiary of the five per cent Ticket Sales Charge (TSC) and allocate not less than 10 per cent of the revenue to the institution for aviation manpower development, research and innovation.

Umar told the lawmakers that the safety of the aviation sector depends on strong and adequately funded institutions, stressing that the regulator must be strong, meteorological services dependable, accident and incident investigation independent and aviation training excellent.

He, however, said it was equally important for the law regulating the sector to recognise, in practical and sustainable terms, the enormous responsibility placed on NAMA as Nigeria’s sole Air Navigation Service Provider.

According to him, NAMA currently receives only 22 per cent of the five per cent statutory revenue pool despite carrying a substantial portion of the operational responsibilities required for safe flight operations across the country.

He therefore asked the National Assembly to increase NAMA’s allocation to 56 per cent of the available pool, stressing that the proposal would not increase the existing five per cent charge but would ensure a more sustainable allocation of the available revenue to the agency responsible for critical air navigation infrastructure.

Umar said NAMA’s responsibilities begin long before passengers board an aircraft and continue throughout every stage of flight operations.

The NAMA boss told the Committee that the cost of keeping Nigerian airspace safe had outgrown the existing funding formula, pointing out that the agency recorded a total cost profile exceeding N43 billion in 2023.

According to him, the expenditure included approximately N21 billion in personnel costs, more than N12 billion in capital expenditure and over N10 billion in overheads.

He also raised concerns over the Total Radar Coverage of Nigeria (TRACON) system, saying the ageing surveillance infrastructure now requires a deliberate renewal and transition programme.

According to him, as equipment ages, spare parts become increasingly difficult to obtain while manufacturers’ support changes, making sustained investment in replacement and modernisation imperative.

Umar said the global aviation system was also becoming increasingly digital, interconnected and exposed to cyber risks, requiring greater investment in performance-based navigation, digital aeronautical information, satellite-enabled surveillance and integrated flight-data systems.

He said such technologies promised improved capacity and efficiency but required substantial investment in equipment, data quality, specialised skills and cybersecurity.

The NAMA managing director also asked the National Assembly to recognise obstacle assessment and WGS-84 aeronautical surveys as chargeable technical services performed by the agency.

He said NAMA was the only federal aviation agency that connected WGS-84 survey data, obstacle analysis, aeronautical information, procedure design and operational management of airspace within one technical chain.

Umar maintained that while the regulatory component of Aviation Height Clearance should remain with the appropriate regulator, NAMA should be directly paid for technical services involving WGS-84 survey validation, obstacle assessment, procedure-impact analysis and field work.

He further argued that adequately funding NAMA would produce benefits extending beyond the agency to airlines, airports, passengers, trade, tourism and national security.

Umar pledged NAMA’s support for automated collection and remittance of revenues, quarterly disclosure of receipts and projects, annual independent audits, transparent procurement and measurable performance indicators.

The NAMA boss also urged the National Assembly to harmonise existing aviation laws, pointing out that while the Civil Aviation Act currently provides a 22 per cent allocation to NAMA, the NAMA Act refers to 23 per cent in its Fund provisions.

Umar acknowledged that reallocating the statutory revenue pool would raise legitimate concerns among other aviation agencies, but argued that the final formula should be determined by audited costs, statutory mandates and risks rather than preserving historical percentages.

Making his final appeal, Umar asked the lawmakers to appreciate the critical infrastructure and personnel behind the management of Nigeria’s airspace.

Meanwhile, the African Aviation and Aerospace University, Abuja, asked the National Assembly to recognise aviation manpower development as a critical component of the industry deserving statutory funding.

Presenting the university’s position paper, the Acting Vice-Chancellor, Mustapha Abdullahi said that AAAU occupies a unique position in Nigeria’s aviation ecosystem as the country’s specialised federal university dedicated to aviation, aerospace and allied disciplines.

The institution said it was established specifically to develop the highly skilled manpower required to sustain Nigeria’s aviation industry and should therefore be recognised as a statutory beneficiary of the five per cent Ticket Sales Charge.

According to the university, the proposed amendments to the aviation laws provide an opportunity to ensure that funding within the sector is aligned not only with immediate operational responsibilities but also with the long-term sustainability of aviation manpower development.

AAAU argued that aviation safety ultimately depends on competent professionals, including air traffic managers, aeronautical engineers, aviation managers, safety specialists, meteorologists, airspace planners, aerospace scientists, airport managers and environmental specialists.

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen reiterated the 10th Assembly’s resolve to strengthen the financial framework of our aviation industry and enhance the capacity of aviation agencies to effectively manage and safeguard Nigeria’s airspace, underscoring the need to ensure investors’ confidence in the industry.

In his remarks, Chairman, House Committee on Aviation, Abdullahi Garba applauded the contributions of various stakeholders towards the safety and development of Nigeria’s aviation sector, adding that the bills are aimed at strengthening the financial and institutional framework of the aviation industry, with direct implications for safety, transparency and service delivery.