society
Akinosho’s Regular Faulty View and A Regulator’s Achievements
*Akinosho’s Regular Faulty View and A Regulator’s Achievements*
By Bukola Olasanmi
On the surface, the piece published in the online and PDF editions of the Africa Oil+Gas Report on 24 November 2025 under the title “The irregularities of the regulator will keep Nigeria’s upstream underachieving” wears the respectable garb of a professional intervention designed to stimulate debate and provoke corrective action.
A closer, honest reading instantly betrays the personal grievance of the publisher, Toyin Akinosho, who has cynically disguised his private shopping list as an “editorial.” The deliberate distortion of facts, the selective deployment of half-truths, and the insertion of outright falsehoods disgrace the very idea of an editorial—an exercise that is meant to be impartial, disinterested, and committed solely to the public good. For the remainder of this rebuttal, therefore, the article will be correctly described as Akinosho’s opinion piece, not as any official editorial of the Africa Oil+Gas Report.
To dignify it with the label “editorial” would be an insult to every serious publication that has ever taken a principled stand on issues of national importance. In that single article, Akinosho has managed to commit what amounts to journalistic fraud in print. Were he still resident in Nigeria rather than safely ensconced abroad where he now peddles his wares, a strong case could be made for charging him with criminal defamation and cyber-stalking.
By rushing into print, he has implicated himself beyond rescue. Had he kept his resentments private, some people might still have mistaken his silence for wisdom. Instead, he has chosen to advertise the hollowness of the “decades of experience” he so loudly trumpets—experience that now stands exposed as little more than recycled gossip, hot air, and copy-paste plagiarism from the NUPRC website and social-media handles.
One would not be surprised if, cornered by the collapse of his latest stunt, he resurrects his decade-old trick of claiming “assassination attempts” in order to cloak his fabrications in a martyr’s robe. His only plausible plea at this point is ignorance; everything else—malice, envy, and mercenary interest—is already on full display.
Akinosho’s tirade against the NUPRC (and by extension its leadership) conveniently omits the elementary truth that attracting investment into any sector is never the responsibility of a single regulator acting in isolation. Global capital flows are shaped by security, fiscal policy, judicial certainty, infrastructure, and a dozen other variables. A responsible analyst would at least have acknowledged the devastating impact of Nigeria’s lingering insecurity on investor confidence.
Instead, Akinosho remained silent on the subject, preferring to train his guns exclusively on the Commission while pretending the broader context does not exist. Yet even within this hostile operating environment, the NUPRC under Engr. Gbenga Komolafe has delivered results that no honest observer can dismiss as modest.
The aggressive roll-out of improved metering infrastructure has driven crude-oil theft and losses to a 16-year low by mid-2025. The 2024–2025 divestment programmes and licensing rounds have been widely praised for transparency and competitiveness. The Project One Million Barrels incremental initiative has already added approximately 250,000 barrels per day of sustainable production. These are verifiable, quantifiable achievements—facts that sit uncomfortably with Akinosho’s narrative of failure and therefore had to be ignored entirely.
The mask slips completely in the seventh paragraph, where he laments: “Hopes that NUPRC’s appointment earlier this year of a professional with business journalism experience and a track record of demanding transparency from powerful individuals and institutions as its head of communications would lead to predictable and timely release of data have been dashed.”
Translation: “They should have given the job to me. I have a geology degree, industry exposure, and I run a newsletter—never mind that my ‘journalism’ consists largely of lifting NUPRC press releases verbatim and selling them to foreign subscribers as proprietary analysis.
Fire the current spokesman and install me instead.” It is a naked, pathetic job application dressed up as public-interest commentary. One sincerely hopes that the Commission Chief Executive, Engr. Gbenga Komolafe, treats this tawdry piece of blackmail with the contempt it deserves. Intellectual laziness is the kindest explanation for such a shoddy, narrow-gauge outburst.
The days when Akinosho could simply harvest data from the NUPRC website, repackage it with minimal effort, and flog it abroad as “exclusive insight” are over. The Commission now releases timely, detailed, world-class data directly to the public—cutting out the parasitic middlemen who used to monetise information that was never theirs to sell. That is the real source of his rage: the tap has been turned off, and the easy money has dried up.
Let Toyin Akinosho understand this clearly: his attempt to denigrate an institution that has become a benchmark of competence and transparency in Nigeria’s public sector is doomed to fail—now and always.
What is truly galling is the shameless plagiarism that has sustained Akinosho’s “career” for years. Page after page of his paid reports, sometimes sold for thousands of dollars to unsuspecting international clients, are nothing more than lightly reworded copies of press releases, presentations, and social-media infographics. He adds a few adjectives, changes a headline, and pockets the money while contributing zero original research, zero fieldwork, and zero value.
Now that the Commission publishes everything in real time—with infographics, spreadsheets, and interactive dashboards—he has been reduced to a digital scavenger screaming because the free buffet has been replaced by an open, transparent cafeteria that no longer needs his waiter services.
The irony is delicious: a man who postures as the conscience of Nigerian upstream is in reality its most conspicuous freeloader. While genuine journalists and analysts burn shoe leather attending technical meetings, interviewing engineers, and crunching data, Akinosho sits abroad, copies, pastes, and cashes cheques. His entire brand—built on the borrowed credibility of other people’s work—is collapsing in real time, and the panic is palpable.
This November 2025 tantrum is not the cry of a wounded patriot; it is the death rattle of a hustler whose business model has been rendered obsolete by competence and openness. Finally, spare us the pretence of elder-statesman gravitas.
A man who has spent years dining out on the NUPRC’s intellectual property now has the effrontery to lecture the same institution on “irregularities” because it refused to hand him a salaried position he never applied for through proper channels. The sheer sense of entitlement would be comical if it were not so pathetic.
Toyin Akinosho is not a victim of regulatory failure; he is a casualty of his own laziness, greed, and the irreversible triumph of institutional excellence over parasitic pamphleteering. History will record him not as a chronicler of Nigeria’s oil industry, but as a cautionary tale of what happens when a mediocre middleman mistakes access for talent and plagiarism for journalism. The NUPRC has moved on. He never began.
***Olasanmi is a legislative writer with a focus in oil and gas
society
NCAT Delegation Tours Gusau International Airport, Commends Governor Lawal, Eyes Strategic Partnership for Aviation Training
NCAT Delegation Tours Gusau International Airport, Commends Governor Lawal, Eyes Strategic Partnership for Aviation Training
In a move signaling a major push for inter-agency cooperation within Nigeria’s aviation sector, a high-level delegation from the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria, has undertaken an official working visit to Gusau International Airport currently under construction by the administration of Governor Dauda Lawal. The visit, aimed at a comprehensive assessment of the facility’s infrastructure and operational capabilities, is seen as a foundational step toward forging a strategic partnership to bolster aviation training and safety standards across the region.
The NCAT team, led by Nasir Muhammad Bungura, conducted an extensive tour of the airport premises. They were received and accompanied by the Permanent Secretary of the Zamfara State Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, Engr. Haruna Dikko Gusau, underscoring the state government’s keen interest in maximizing the airport’s potential.
During the meticulous inspection, the delegation evaluated the airport’s runway, terminal buildings, navigational aids, and safety apparatus. Following the tour, Mr. Bungura commended Governor Lawal for a job well done as he expressed profound satisfaction with the state of the facility, describing the infrastructure, operational protocols, and visible ongoing upgrade projects as both encouraging and highly promising.
“The standards we have observed here today are commendable and align strongly with international best practices,” Bungura stated. “Gusau International Airport possesses a robust foundation. Our visit was to assess how this facility can serve as a practical hub for our training programs, offering our students real-world exposure to a modern, functioning airport environment.”
The delegation highlighted the airport’s latent potential to serve as a critical node for specialized aviation training, particularly in areas of safety operations, air traffic control simulations, and aircraft handling. Such collaboration, they noted, would not only enhance the practical skills of NCAT cadets but also contribute to elevating the overall safety and efficiency metrics of Nigeria’s air transport system.
Engr. Haruna Dikko Gusau welcomed the NCAT delegation’s interest, reiterating the Zamfara State government under Governor Dauda Lawal is committed to developing the airport as a catalyst for economic growth and regional integration. “This visit is a testament to the growing strategic importance of Gusau International Airport,” Engr. Gusau remarked. “We are not just building infrastructure; we are creating a hub for opportunity. Partnering with a prestigious institution like NCAT will ensure this facility contributes meaningfully to human capital development and the advancement of Nigeria’s aviation industry.”
The visit marks a significant milestone for Gusau International Airport, transitioning its role from a regional transit point to a potential center of excellence for aviation education and a key partner in national aviation development. Both parties are expected to hold further discussions to formalize areas of collaboration, which could pave the way for NCAT to utilize the airport for specialized training exercises and curriculum development in the near future.
Ramadan: Adron Homes Felicitates Muslims, Preaches Hope and Unity
Adron Homes & Properties Limited has congratulated Muslim faithful on the commencement of the holy month of Ramadan, urging Nigerians to embrace the virtues of sacrifice, discipline, and compassion that define the season.
In a statement made available to journalists, the company described Ramadan as a period of deep reflection, spiritual renewal, and strengthened devotion to faith and humanity.
According to the management, the holy month represents values that align with the organisation’s commitment to integrity, resilience, and community development.
“Ramadan is a time that teaches patience, generosity, and selflessness. As our Muslim customers and partners begin the fast, we pray that their sacrifices are accepted and that the season brings peace, joy, and renewed hope to their homes and the nation at large,” the statement read.
The firm reaffirmed its dedication to providing affordable and accessible housing solutions to Nigerians, noting that building homes goes beyond structures to creating environments where families can thrive.
Adron Homes further urged citizens to use the period to pray for national unity, economic stability, and sustainable growth.
It wished all Muslim faithful a spiritually fulfilling Ramadan.
Ramadan Mubarak.
society
Underfunding National Security: Envelope Budgeting Fails Nigeria’s Defence By George Omagbemi Sylvester
Underfunding National Security: Envelope Budgeting Fails Nigeria’s Defence
By George Omagbemi Sylvester | Published by saharaweeklyng.com
“Fiscal Rigidity in a Time of Crisis: Lawmakers Say Fixed Budget Ceilings Are Crippling Nigeria’s Fight Against Insurgency, Banditry, and Organized Crime.”
Nigeria’s legislature has issued a stark warning: the envelope budgeting system; a fiscal model that caps spending for ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) is inadequate to meet the country’s escalating security challenges. Lawmakers and budget analysts argue that rigid fiscal ceilings are undermining the nation’s ability to confront insurgency, banditry, kidnapping, separatist violence, oil theft and maritime insecurity.
The warning emerged during the 2026 budget defence session for the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) at the National Assembly in Abuja. Senator Yahaya Abdullahi (APC‑Kebbi North), chairman of the Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence, decried the envelope system, noting that security agencies “have been subject to the vagaries of the envelope system rather than to genuine needs and requirements.” The committee highlighted non-release or partial release of capital funds from previous budgets, which has hindered procurement, intelligence and operational capacity.
Nigeria faces a multi‑front security crisis: persistent insurgency in the North‑East, banditry and kidnappings across the North‑West and North‑Central, separatist tensions in the South‑East, and piracy affecting Niger Delta oil production. Despite declarations of a national security emergency by President Bola Tinubu, lawmakers point to a “disconnect” between rhetoric and the actual fiscal support for agencies tasked with enforcement.
Experts warn that security operations demand flexibility and rapid resource allocation. Dr. Amina Bello, a public finance specialist, said: “A static budget in a dynamic threat environment is like sending firefighters with water jugs to a forest fire. You need flexibility, not fixed ceilings, to adapt to unforeseen developments.”
The Permanent Secretary of Special Services at ONSA, Mohammed Sanusi, detailed operational consequences: irregular overhead releases, unfulfilled capital appropriations, and constrained foreign service funds. These fiscal constraints have weakened intelligence and covert units, hampering surveillance, cyber‑security, counter‑terrorism and intelligence sharing.
Delayed capital releases have stalled critical projects, including infrastructure upgrades and surveillance systems. Professor Kolawole Adeyemi, a governance expert, emphasized that “budgeting for security must allow for rapid reallocation in response to threats that move faster than political cycles. Envelope budgeting lacks this essential flexibility.”
While the National Assembly advocates fiscal discipline, lawmakers stress that security funding requires strategic responsiveness. Speaker Abbas Ibrahim underscored that security deserves “prominent and sustained attention” in the 2026 budget, balancing oversight with operational needs.
In response, the Senate committee plans to pursue reforms, including collaboration with the executive to restructure funding, explore supplementary budgets and ensure predictable and sufficient resources for security agencies. Experts warn that without reform, criminal networks will exploit these gaps, eroding public trust.
As one policy analyst summarized: “A nation declares a security emergency; but if its budget does not follow with real resources and oversight, the emergency remains rhetorical.” Nigeria’s debate over envelope budgeting is more than an accounting dispute; it is a contest over the nation’s security priorities and its commitment to safeguarding citizens.
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