The House of Representatives has set up two investigative panels to examine petitions against NIPCO Plc over its gas distribution licences and a senior Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited executive over alleged money laundering and abuse of office.
The House Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream) announced the decision on Monday in Abuja, with one of the panels given seven days to conduct a preliminary investigation into allegations against the NNPC executive vice-president for downstream, Dr Mumuni Dagazu.
The committee chairman, Ikenga Ugochinyere, said the petitions raised serious concerns requiring attention but stressed that the allegations had not been established.
The panel investigating the allegations against Dagazu will be chaired by Aliyu Al-Mustapha, with Amobi Ogah as deputy chairman. It is expected to submit its preliminary findings to the main committee within seven days.
A second panel, chaired by Peter Aniekwe with Shehu Dalhatu as deputy chairman, will examine a petition seeking the investigation, suspension and cancellation of gas distribution licences issued to NIPCO by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority.
The licences cover Lagos, Ogun, Oyo and Osun states, as well as the Lagos and Lekki Free Trade Zones.
Speaking at a technical briefing marking the end of Downstream Week 2026, Ugochinyere said the committee would give all parties an opportunity to present their positions before reaching any conclusions.
He assured Nigerians that the outcome of the investigations would be made public.
Neither NIPCO nor Dagazu had publicly responded to the petitions as of the time of the briefing.
Beyond the petitions, the committee reviewed developments in the downstream petroleum industry, including domestic refining, crude oil supply, pipeline security and the regulation of petroleum imports.
It said domestic refineries had increased their contribution to Nigeria’s petrol supply by more than 75 per cent, with no supply shortfalls recorded and national supply sufficiency maintained for more than 25 days.
The committee also highlighted the commissioning of the Port Harcourt Petroleum Product Laboratory, the licensing of a petroleum liquid trading exchange and the completion of a framework for a national strategic petroleum stock capable of covering up to 20 days.
Plans are also underway to increase the reserve to 90 days in 2027, according to figures presented at the briefing.
However, Ugochinyere said sustained improvements in domestic refining depended on securing oil pipelines and ensuring adequate crude supplies to local refineries.
He called for strict enforcement of the Domestic Crude Supply Obligation, arguing that refineries needed reliable access to crude oil to operate effectively.
The committee also disclosed that it had opened an inquiry into alleged underpayments for crude oil by some companies and was seeking answers from the NNPC over legacy transactions and refinery rehabilitation.
It urged the Federal Government to increase funding for pipeline surveillance and provide operators with the logistics needed to protect oil infrastructure.
The lawmakers further pledged to pursue amendments to the Petroleum Industry Act to strengthen provisions on domestic crude supply, licensing and the protection of local refining investments.
They said the proposed changes would seek to balance immediate energy security needs with the long-term development of Nigeria’s refining capacity.
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