The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is facing intense scrutiny over its handling of a recent promotion exercise, with allegations that staff rights have been violated. A source close to the matter claims that the commission is struggling to justify its actions and is now searching for new evidence to pin down affected workers.

The source questioned whether, in a democracy, employees’ rights can be so blatantly disregarded, including the right to privacy. “This is looking like NCC does not exactly have anything tangible to hold onto as far as the current issue is concerned and now looking for new evidence to nail the affected workers,” the source said.

The source also alleged that directors and heads of departments are unable to offer objective advice, allowing management to perpetuate unfair practices under the Executive Vice Chairman’s leadership.

In contrast, Nnena Ukoha, Acting Head of Public Affairs, defended the commission’s actions, stating that the promotion exams were conducted fairly and in line with public service rules. She emphasized the commission’s commitment to integrity, fairness, and competence.

However, the controversy surrounding the promotion exercise continues to raise questions about the NCC’s adherence to these principles.

Kaduna State has once again placed education at the heart of its development agenda as it hosted the KADA EduPACT International Summit 2025 at the Umaru Musa Yar’adua Centre, Murtala Square. Governor Uba Sani used the occasion to reaffirm his administration’s unwavering commitment to leveraging education as a strategic weapon against poverty, unemployment, and insecurity.

Addressing stakeholders and global partners at the summit, Governor Sani declared that education is not just a sector to be administered but the state’s most potent tool for social transformation and economic revitalisation. He unveiled a comprehensive, data-driven blueprint focused on infrastructure renewal, teacher quality enhancement, digital learning, and inclusive policies aimed at reaching vulnerable groups such as girls, nomadic children, those living with disabilities, and children affected by conflict.

Despite prevailing global fiscal constraints, Kaduna has maintained a strong education budget, expanding digital and radio learning platforms and prioritising foundational literacy. The administration’s investment in technical education is also gaining traction with the completion of three NBTE-certified Institutes of Vocational Training and Skills Development in Rigachikun, Samaru Kataf, and Soba facilities now considered among Nigeria’s most advanced, even rivaling established polytechnics and universities.

The governor further revealed that the iconic Panteka Market Africa’s largest informal skills hub with over 38,000 apprentices—is undergoing a major transformation under the Nigerian Skills Qualification Framework, including modern facilities and updated training equipment.

In higher education, the state has injected ₦500 million into Kaduna State University (KASU), leading to accreditation for 40 new academic programmes. The introduction of a 40% tuition cut across all state-owned tertiary institutions has already sparked a surge in enrolment.

Tackling the issue of out-of-school children, Governor Sani highlighted the ongoing Reaching Out-of-School Children (ROOSC) Project. The initiative has seen the construction or rehabilitation of over 1,000 classrooms, the establishment of 62 new secondary schools, distribution of nearly 1.5 million instructional materials, and provision of 31,000 two-seater desks. These interventions are monitored through digital dashboards to track impact and progress.

The summit also spotlighted the KADA EduPACT framework, which is built on six pillars: equitable access, quality teaching and learning, sustainable financing, digital innovation, gender inclusion, and a resilient, well-monitored education system.

Minister of Education, Maruf Alausa, praised Kaduna’s proactive policies, calling the summit a model for national and sub-national education reform. British Deputy High Commissioner, Gill Lever OBE, reaffirmed the UK’s continued partnership with Kaduna through the PLANE programme. UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed lauded the state’s efforts to localise global education goals amidst worldwide disruptions caused by inequality and climate-related challenges.

Kaduna’s Commissioner for Education, Professor Abubakar Sambo, described the summit as a defining moment for the state’s education transformation. He applauded the government’s record 26% allocation of the 2025 budget to education, which he said is already driving measurable improvements in learning outcomes.

Jointly organised by the Kaduna State Government and international partners—including FCDO, UNICEF, the World Bank’s AGILE initiative, the Islamic Development Bank, Save the Children, the Malala Fund, and Miva University the summit aims to forge a sustainable educational compact between the government and the people, grounded in shared accountability, measurable targets, and long-term impact.

The Energy Governance Alliance (EGA) has commended the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) for generating a record N12.25 trillion in revenue in 2024, describing it as a testament to the commission’s regulatory reforms and strategic leadership under Chief Executive, Gbenga Komolafe.

In a statement issued on Tuesday and signed by its Executive Director, Dr Kelvin Sotonye William, the alliance said the revenue achievement marked a watershed moment in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, affirming NUPRC’s central role in repositioning the upstream industry for value creation, fiscal accountability and national development.

The figure, disclosed in the commission’s newly released 2024 Annual Report, represents a 182.25 percent increase from the N4.34 trillion generated in 2023. It also significantly surpassed the 2024 forecast revenue of N6.93 trillion by over N5 trillion.

“The Energy Governance Alliance welcomes the stellar performance of the NUPRC, under the visionary stewardship of Mr Gbenga Komolafe, for generating over N12 trillion in 2024 — the highest ever recorded in a single year in Nigeria’s upstream sector,” the statement reads.

“This performance is not accidental. It reflects sustained policy clarity, increased compliance, and a bold enforcement posture on critical issues such as royalty payments, gas flare penalties and lease renewals. These are the very foundations of energy justice, and we applaud the Commission for restoring regulatory credibility in a sector long plagued by opacity and inefficiency.”

EGA said the unprecedented revenue inflow has “revalidated the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021 as a working framework for revenue optimisation, investor discipline and upstream transparency”, adding that the Komolafe-led NUPRC had broken new ground in actualising the fiscal and institutional aspirations of the landmark law.

According to the commission’s breakdown, oil and gas royalties alone accounted for N11.08 trillion in 2024 — nearly twice the projected figure — while gas flared penalties brought in N391.26 billion, and concession rentals fetched N23.71 billion. Other key revenue lines included N369.57 billion from signature bonuses, N230.73 billion from lease renewals, N35.19 billion in miscellaneous income, and N117.02 billion from goods and valuable consideration.

Reacting to the figures, Dr William said the scale and spread of the revenue performance demonstrated a “whole-of-sector approach” that has closed long-standing loopholes and challenged entrenched rent-seeking behaviour.

“For the first time in recent memory, we are seeing a regulator extract value from multiple pressure points across the upstream system — from flare penalties to lease administration. This is what it means to govern oil in the public interest,” he said.

EGA urged other agencies in the oil and gas ecosystem to emulate NUPRC’s results-oriented culture, noting that the commission’s transparency in publishing unreconciled production volumes, average daily outputs, and compliance with the technical allowable rate (TAR) regime was “a welcome deviation from the era of secrecy”.

The report had revealed that total crude production in 2024 stood at 578.5 million barrels — comprising 482.8 million barrels of oil and 95.7 million barrels of condensate — with a daily average output of 1.58 million barrels per day. Joint ventures contributed 48 percent of the production, followed by production sharing contracts at 35 percent, sole risk operations at 13 percent, and marginal fields at 4 percent.

The alliance also welcomed NUPRC’s disclosures on the TAR, which stood at 67 percent in 2024, and urged further collaboration with industry players to raise efficiency levels.

“This is not just about revenue. It’s also about regulatory honesty. By publishing unreconciled volumes and clarifying that they are not to be mistaken for export figures, NUPRC has sent a strong message that it is no longer business as usual. This level of transparency is key to improving investor confidence and public trust,” William said.

EGA said it was particularly impressed with the commission’s performance in gas flare penalties and lease renewals, which surpassed their 2024 projections by over 200 percent, indicating renewed rigour in enforcement.

It noted that N391 billion was realised from gas flaring penalties, compared to a projected N126 billion, while lease renewals brought in N230.73 billion, almost three times the forecasted N80.63 billion.

“Gas flaring is an ecological crime and an economic waste. The fact that penalties have become a major revenue item shows the Commission’s zero-tolerance stance. We expect this to further push operators towards cleaner and more responsible energy production,” the alliance added.

The alliance urged the Federal Government to channel a significant portion of the NUPRC’s revenue surplus into supporting host communities, funding clean energy transitions and closing infrastructure gaps in the Niger Delta.

“Komolafe’s performance shows that Nigeria’s oil sector can deliver both revenue and reform — if we prioritise competence, clarity and courage. The Energy Governance Alliance urges President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to continue backing such reforms and ensure that the NUPRC remains insulated from political interference,” the statement concluded.