The Senate Committee on Public Accounts has summoned the heads of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) over discrepancies in records of petrol imports into Nigeria.
The committee’s decision followed a review of queries raised in NEITI’s Oil and Gas Industry Audit Report covering 2021 to 2023, which highlighted significant differences between the petrol import figures reported by NMDPRA and NNPCL for 2022 and 2023.
According to figures presented before the lawmakers, NMDPRA recorded 3.29 billion litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, imported in 2022 and 6.02 billion litres in 2023.
However, NNPCL’s records showed that 6.27 billion litres were imported in 2022, while the figure for 2023 stood at 3.88 billion litres.
The conflicting records prompted questions from lawmakers about the accuracy and reliability of the data submitted by the two government agencies.
At the hearing, NMDPRA’s Deputy Director, Uzoamaka Ugwu-Ojobe, who represented the agency’s chief executive, Rabiu Umar, maintained that the authority stood by its figures despite the differences. She said the discrepancies were being examined for possible reconciliation.
However, members of the committee rejected the explanation, arguing that the variations were too substantial to be treated as minor discrepancies.
Senator Abdul Ningi said the differences required serious investigation, while Senator Dayo Faduyile questioned the reliability of the records. Senator Anietan Bassey also called for a comprehensive probe to establish the reasons for the conflicting figures and determine whether any wrongdoing had occurred.
Following the deliberations, the committee resolved to summon the heads of NMDPRA, NNPCL and NEITI for a joint meeting to explain the discrepancies and work towards reconciling the records.
The investigation forms part of the Senate’s oversight of Nigeria’s petroleum sector and the implementation of recommendations arising from the NEITI audit report.
The committee is expected to seek clarification on how the agencies compiled their figures and establish the reasons for the substantial differences.
No finding of fraud has been established by the committee at this stage. The outcome of the planned meeting is expected to provide further clarity on the conflicting import records and strengthen accountability in the downstream petroleum sector.