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Sustainable Dividends: Forte Oil Shareholders Task New Management

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Sustainable Dividends: Forte Oil Shareholders Task New Management
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Shareholders of Forte Oil (FO) Plc on Tuesday, 25th June, 2019 tasked the new management of the company on continuous payment of dividend and adherence to good corporate governance.

The shareholders made the demand in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on expectations from the new management team following Mr Femi Otedola’s divestment.

Mr Moses Igbrude, the Publicity Secretary of  Independent Shareholders Association of Nigeria (ISAN), told NAN that the new management needed to map out strategies to ensure higher returns.

Igbrude said that shareholders were expecting continuous returns on their investments and ensure adherence to corporate governance rules and market regulations.

“I appeal to them to manage the company properly, effectively and efficiently as expected in order to ensure yearly payment of dividend,’’ he said.

Igbrude said that the money realised from the sale of the power unit should be properly utilised to add value to the company.

According to him, the company should focus on the lubricant aspect of the business because that is where there is reasonable margin compared to the petrol business.

“They should make sure that their service stations look attractive, ensure high quality products and ensure the integrity of their pumps are superb so that customers will make them the first choice when buying fuel,’’ Igbrude said.

Mr Boniface Okezie, the National Coordinator of Progressive Shareholders Association of Nigeria (PSAN), said that the company needed to improve on its dividend payment to ensure price rally on the nation’s bourse.

Okezie said that the company should ensure prompt release of both quarterly and audited yearly results to avoid unnecessary sanctions from the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

The shareholder-activist said that the investing public and the stockbrokers should be carried along in the company’s operations through regular releases of information.

NAN reports that FO on June 20 appointed new Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer following the completion of the sale of Mr Femi Otedola’s shares in the firm’s downstream operations.

The firm announced that Mr Olumide Adeosun and Mr Moshood Olajide had been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, respectively, after the resignation of Mr Akin Akinfemiwa and Mr Julius Omodayo-Owotuga.

Forte Oil, in a notice filed with the Exchange said Ignite Investments and Commodities Limited, led by Prudent Energy Services Limited, had completed the acquisition of Otedola’s 74.02 per cent shareholding.

According to the firm, the completion is consequent upon Ignite receiving all the necessary approvals from SEC, NSE and fulfilling all relevant terms and conditions attached to the Share Purchase Agreement.

It said, “As a result of this and further to the announcement on Dec. 28, 2018, Ignite will take over controlling stake in Forte Oil Plc, the downstream company“. 

Traders seek urgent repair of Lagos-Badagry expressway
Some traders plying Lagos-Seme road have urged the Federal Government to repair the Lagos-

Badagry expressway and lift the ban on importation of vehicles through the land borders.

The traders made the appeal in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Tuesday.

A commercial driver plying between Seme and Cotonou,  Mr Joy Sagbohan, said the deteriorating state of the road had affected his business.

“Many of our customers now prefer to go through Idiroko to Cotonou instead of going through Seme border.

“Before the road got worse, I usually realised between N20, 000 to N15, 000 daily, but now I hardly realise between N2, 500 to N1, 500 after fueling the bus.

“It is difficult for me to repair my vehicle due to the low income as a result of bad roads from Lagos to Badagry.

“My colleagues and I are facing a lot of challenges encountering immigration officers,  but we have a good relationship with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS); they do not inconvenience us in any form,” Sogbohan said.

Another driver,  Mr Mamudu Paraiso, urged Nigerian government to caution some its agencies to stop extorting travellers at the border areas.

“Since the Economic Community of West African States has told the two countries to encourage free movement from the border areas, some Nigeria regulatory agencies still extort money to allow movement into Nigeria area.

“Since the borders have been closed to importation of vehicles, car dealers are no longer coming to board our vehicles to Cotonou,” Paraiso said.

He urged government to open the border posts for importation of vehicles to enable traders and commercial motorists to earn some income to feed their families.

Mrs Nofisat Kareem, a former cosmetics dealer who ended up as a pure water seller, said she change her business because she could no longer make profit from cosmetics.

She said she was trading between Lagos International Trade fair areas to Seme.

Kareem said she had no option than to go into pure water business to enable her feed her children.

Another trader, Mrs Mercy Jude,  also lamented the poor state of Lagos-Badagry express road, saying  that she used to  travel once a week on the route to buy Dettol disinfectant in Lagos.

She urged government to look into multiple checkpoints along the routes mounted by Nigerian officials extorting money from the traders.

Oil & Gas

Petrol Price Stands at N1,052.31 per Litre in October – NBS

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he National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said the average retail price of a litre of petrol witnessed a drop from N1,184.83 in October 2024 to N1,052.31 in October 2025.

The NBS made this known in its Petrol Price Watch for October 2025 released in Abuja yesterday.

It stated that the October 2025 price of N1,052.

31 represented a 11.
18 per cent decrease over the price of N1,184.
83 recorded in October 2024.

“Comparing the average price value with the previous month of September, the average retail price increased  by 8.42  per cent from N970.59.”

On state profiles analysis, the report said Kogi paid the highest average retail price of N1,110.

00,  followed by  Sokoto and Borno at N1,105.93 and N1,101.63, respectively.

“Conversely, Oyo, Nasarawa and Abia paid the lowest average retail price at N1,001.79, N1,009.38, and N1,012.50, respectively,’’ it stated.

Analysis by zones showed that the North-East recorded the highest average retail price in October 2025 at N1,072.74 while the South-West Zone recorded the lowest price at  N1,032.81 per litre.

The NBS also stated in its Diesel Price Watch Report for October 2025 that the average retail price was N1,398.57 per litre.

It said that the October 2025 price of N1,398.57 per litre amounted to a 2.96 per cent decrease on a year-on-year basis over the N1,441.28 per litre paid in October 2024.

“On a month-on-month basis, the price increased by 9.45 per cent from the N1,277.81 per litre recorded in September 2025,’’ it added.

On state profile analysis, the report said the highest average price per litre of diesel in October was recorded in Enugu at N1,468.29, followed by  Niger at N1,465.69 and Jigawa at N1,437.40.

On the other hand, the lowest price was recorded in Katsina at N1,301.24 per litre,  followed by Edo at N1,307.84 and Kebbi at  N1,308.94.In addition, the analysis by zones showed that the South-East Zone had the highest price of N1,415.85 per litre, while the South-South recorded the lowest price at N1,387.18 per litre.(NAN) 

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Oil & Gas

Dangote Refinery Says Its Intervention Prompted Petrol Price Reduction

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Dangote Petroleum Refinery has said that its gantry price reduction actually prompted petrol price downward adjustments by marketers.

The management rejected what it described as series of misleading publications claiming that the recent reduction in pump prices by oil marketers is a consequence of the Federal Government’s reversal of the 15 per cent import tariff.

‘This narrative is entirely false, deliberately misleading, and inconsistent with actual market dynamics.

For the avoidance of doubt, the factor that prompted the price adjustment was our own reduction of PMS gantry and coastal prices on November 6.’ it said in a statement.

According to the statement, the subsequent change in pump prices is now being wrongly attributed to a tariff decision in an attempt to distort the facts and misinform the public.

It will be recalled that Dangote Petroleum Refinery, on November 6, reduced its PMS gantry price from N877 to N828 per litre, representing a 5.6 per cent decrease, and its coastal price from N854 to N806 per litre.

These changes were publicly announced across major media platforms, including, but not limited to, The Punch, Vanguard, The Cable, Daily Trust, The Sun, The Street Journal, Petroleumprice.ng, New Telegraph, Business Hallmark, and several others, and were implemented well before marketers adjusted their pump prices.

The claim that the reduction in pump prices was driven by the suspension of the 15 per cent import tariff is therefore incorrect, it said.

‘The import tariff had received the approval of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR as far back as October 21 for immediate implementation.

The refinery management noted that contrary to repeated claims by certain interests, imported products which are often below acceptable standards have consistently been sold at higher pump prices than the premium-grade fuel supplied by Dangote Refinery.

The continued importation of substandard fuel constitutes dumping, a harmful practice that undermines economic growth and industrial development.

Nigeria has witnessed the devastating consequences of such unchecked dumping before, including the collapse of the once-thriving textile industry, which was a major employer of labour, it noted.

 Dangote Petroleum Refinery further reiterated its commitment to supplying high-quality, internationally benchmarked petroleum products at competitive prices, adding. “Our operations continue to moderate prices in the market, ensuring Nigerian consumers receive genuine value for money.”

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Oil & Gas

NNPC Accelerates Transformation Ahead of IPO

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The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) is fast-tracking its transformation through strategic investments in infrastructure, governance reforms, and operational efficiency, positioning the company for a landmark Initial Public Offering (IPO).

Under its “Fit for the Future” strategy, NNPC Ltd.

aims for global competitiveness, public listing, and a pivotal role in connecting Africa to international markets through extensive gas infrastructure development initiatives.

Group Chief Executive Officer, Bashir Ojulari, disclosed this during a dialogue at the 2025 Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC), emphasising the company’s commitment to transparency, efficiency, and investor readiness.

Ojulari said NNPC Ltd. was steadily preparing for its IPO under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA 2021) by improving governance, operational transparency, and accountability to meet international investment standards and expectations.

“Our IPO journey is mandated by law. We are publishing monthly performance reports and embedding global best practices to make NNPC a high-performing, investor-ready company with enhanced transparency.

“The ‘Fit for the Future’ project focuses on market leadership, building the necessary structures for IPO readiness, increasing investor attractiveness, and strengthening the company’s long-term competitiveness and operational capacity,” Ojulari said.

The CEO highlighted the transformation programme’s five core workstreams: production growth, gas monetisation, downstream optimisation, market leadership, and talent development, forming the backbone of NNPC’s strategy to become globally competitive.

Ojulari said the initiative was also reshaping NNPC’s workforce through innovation, digitalisation, and international exposure, enhancing staff capabilities via the “Talent Valley” programme and secondments with global partners.

He stated, “The new board and management were given a clear mission by the President: achieve two million barrels per day by 2027 and three million barrels per day by 2030.”

On gas development, Ojulari noted targets of 10 billion cubic feet per day by 2027 and 12 billion cubic feet by 2030, achievable through partnerships, operational efficiency, and access to broader investment capital.

He added that production recovery had been boosted by collaboration with international and indigenous operators, along with fiscal incentives under the PIA 2021, contributing to growth in oil output and investment confidence.

“Nigeria’s oil output has increased from 1.5 million to about 1.7 million barrels per day. We recently signed our first deepwater Production Sharing Contract in 15 years,” he revealed.

On gas, Ojulari said Nigeria’s reserves, exceeding 600 trillion cubic feet equivalent, positioned the country for full industrialisation and regional economic leadership, underscoring NNPC’s strategic focus on natural gas development.

He said NNPC was leading the Nigeria–Morocco Gas Pipeline Project, connecting West African economies and Europe, allowing countries along the corridor to both consume and supply gas, boosting trade and energy integration.

“The pipeline aligns with our vision to make Africa a major global gas player while promoting economic integration, industrialisation, and sustainable development across participating nations,” Ojulari said.

He added that NNPC was finalising partnerships with global operators to upgrade refineries to international standards, seeking partners with proven expertise and shared investment responsibility to enhance operational efficiency.

Ojulari reaffirmed NNPC’s commitment to advancing energy access and industrial growth across Africa, emphasising that its transformation journey was simultaneously commercial and developmental, with benefits for investors, governments, and communities alike.

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