By Gloria Ikibah

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has announced a total remittance of N10 trillion to the Federation Account by September 2024, alongside N3.5 trillion in dividends after taxes for the 2024 fiscal year.

The Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, disclosed this during a budget defense session before the Joint Finance Committee of the Senate and House of Representatives in Abuja on Wednesday.

Kyari emphasised the transparency of NNPCL, that it is the only organization in Nigeria that publishes 100 percent  of its financial accounts annually, and highlighted  the its role as the Nigeria’s highest taxpayer and its significant contributions through royalties and dividends.

He also called for a forensic audit to evaluate funds spent on stabilizing petrol prices from January to September 2024. He noted that, until October 1, 2024, NNPCL, as mandated by the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), acted as the supplier of last resort for fuel.

“Our transactional accounts are fully transparent and published annually. NNPCL remains the highest taxpayer, royalty payer, and dividend contributor in the country,” Kyari stated.

On revenue projections for 2025, Kyari revealed that final figures would be determined after an upcoming board of directors’ meeting. He assured the committee that the company’s parameters for the 2025 budget are realistic.

He explained that NNPCL no longer makes direct payments into the Consolidated Revenue Fund due to its restructured operational framework under the PIA. Instead, its contributions now come through dividends and taxes.

Addressing production dynamics, Kyari explained that NNPCL operates within joint venture arrangements and can only account for its share of production. He reported that the company achieved over 90% of its 2024 production targets despite challenges related to Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) pricing and delayed tax and royalty remittances.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) revealed a remittance of N753 billion for 2024 and projected N997 billion for 2025. However, the Joint Finance Committee, chaired by Senator Sani Musa and Hon. James Faleke, revised the NPA’s revenue projection to N1.75 trillion to optimize income from the agency’s 56 revenue streams.

This revision, the committee noted, reflects a commitment to maximizing Nigeria’s revenue-generating potential.

By Gloria Ikibah 

Key health agencies under the House Committee on Healthcare Services have appealed for more funding in the 2025 budget, citing critical needs in addressing healthcare challenges across the country.

This was their position during the 2025 budget defense session on Tuesday in Abuja.

The Executive Director of the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr. Muyi Aina, presented a proposed budget of ₦48.1478 billion for 2025.

He highlighted that while the agency benefits from the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund and Vaccine Immunisation Funds, additional funding is key for optimal performance.

Dr. Aina also expressed hope for better budget releases in 2025, and noted that the 2024 disbursement was insufficient.

Similarly, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) requested ₦7.38 billion to combat the country’s ongoing eight disease outbreaks and enhance preparedness.

The Director-General of NCDC, Dr. Jide Idris, emphasised the efforts if the agency in capacity building, research, and collaboration with state governments to strengthen disease surveillance. He therefore called for a dedicated contingency fund to manage emergencies effectively.

The Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) proposed ₦113 billion for its 2025 operations. The Registrar, Dr. Fatima Kyari, revealed that the council received no allocation in 2024 due to its exclusion from the budgeting process, relying instead on funds from doctors’ registration fees and levies.

Dr. Kyari pledged to intensify advocacy to expand funding sources and alleviate pressure on federal medical institutions.

The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) is seeking ₦130 billion to increase health insurance coverage. The agency’s Director-General, Dr. Kelechi Ohiri, disclosed that only 19.4 million Nigerians are currently covered under NHIA, with an additional 2.5 million under the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund.

Dr. Ohiri outlined plans to engage the private sector, telecom companies, and digital technology to boost enrollment and expand coverage.

During the session, the Chairman of the House Committee on Healthcare Institutions, Rep. Amos Magaji, emphasised the importance of a functional healthcare system in reducing corruption and alleviating financial burdens on Nigerians.

He commended the agencies for their presentations and assured them that the Committee would review their funding requests for possible increases.

Members of the Committee also scrutinized the agencies’ 2024 expenditures and deliberated on their proposed budgets and plans for 2025.

…as Ministry proposes N6bn for 2025 budget

The Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Interior, on Wednesday, commended the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo over the 2024 budget performance of the Ministry.

The Joint Committees gave the commendation on Wednesday, when the Minister appeared in National Assembly to defend the 2025 budget of the Ministry.

Dr. Tunji-Ojo told the lawmakers during the session that the Ministry’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) exceeded its target In the 2024 budget.

He said, “In 2024, we had a revenue target as approved by the National Assembly of N1.2bn for business expatriates quotas and naturalisation. But what we were able to generate was N4,508,306,968.5”.

The Minister explained that the increase in the IGR was not as a result of the increased in expatriates quota revenue, noting that a lot of key sectors within the Ministry came alive in the last financial year.

He attributed the increase to some measures adopted by the Ministry to close linkages via zero remittances and a full automated of solutions.

According to him, it was the automation of these solutions that closed some of the linkages which made the revenue to shoot up.

The Minister further stated that the total target for 2024 was N2bn, adding that in the actual sense it was able to generate over N5bn in the year under review.

Impressed with the budget performance, the lawmakers, who could not hide their satisfaction, commended the Minister for a job well done, with he committee chairman, Senator Adams Oshiomhole taking the lead.

“Honourable Minister you have done extremely well. I think you have been detailed, I have attended some other budget defence and I can’t recall anyone as extremely detailed as you did.

“We have seen what you have done in 2024, we expect you to do more in 2025 knowing that you have a lot of energy.

“Now you have made your presentation and I believe we are very satisfied with your explanation. If there are more questions, like you said after this budget session, we can have a special session to discuss further”, Oshiomhole said.

Meanwhile, the Minister proposed a total of N6,683,463,175 for the 2025 budget, with the breakdown of Personnel, 1,692,410,481; Overhead,1,159,879,666 and Capital, 3,831,173.58.