By Oluwakemi Kindness
The House of Representatives has launched an investigation into ₦432.07 billion in outstanding obligations owed to the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) by oil companies and other entities.
The probe is being conducted by the House Public Accounts Committee (PAC), following concerns raised in the Auditor-General’s annual reports over unpaid petroleum-related liabilities.
The committee is seeking to determine the identities of the debtors, how the liabilities accumulated and the steps taken by relevant authorities to recover the outstanding funds.
According to submissions by the NMDPRA, 146 oil companies operating under the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN), Major Energies Marketers Association of Nigeria (MEMAN) and the Natural Oil and Gas Suppliers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN) owed the Authority ₦327.53 billion as of 2025.
The debts cover obligations dating from 2017 to 2023, with a significant portion still outstanding.
The Auditor-General’s 2023 report had put the combined liabilities of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and the affected oil companies at ₦392.73 billion.
NNPCL accounted for ₦162.46 billion, while the oil companies owed ₦230.27 billion.
The obligations include Balancing Allowance, National Transport Average and the one per cent Midstream and Downstream Gas Infrastructure Fund, as well as legacy debts arising from imports, coastal transactions and credit arrangements.
However, the Auditor-General’s 2024 report placed outstanding liabilities at ₦432.07 billion, excluding NNPCL’s indebtedness.
PAC Chairman, Rep. Bamidele Salam, said the committee would summon the affected companies and relevant institutions to provide detailed records of the debts.
He said the committee would examine the amounts owed, payments already made, periods covered and efforts by regulatory authorities to recover the outstanding funds.
Salam warned summoned entities against disregarding parliamentary invitations, stressing that companies must appear with appropriate representatives and relevant documents.
He said the investigation was not a witch-hunt but an effort to safeguard public revenue and ensure that funds due to the government are properly accounted for.
The committee will also scrutinise measures taken by regulatory authorities to prevent statutory obligations from accumulating without recovery.
