In a bold move to tackle corruption in Nigeria’s oil industry, President Bola Tinubu issued three executive orders on March 1, 2024. These orders, numbered 40, 41, and 42, aim to introduce fiscal incentives for oil and gas projects, reduce contracting costs and timelines, and promote cost efficiency in local content requirements.

Executive Order 40 extends existing incentives to non-associated gas (NAG) greenfield projects in onshore and shallow water locations, provided the first gas production occurs before January 2029. This six-page document targets fiscal terms, including tax incentives, exemptions, and remissions in the oil and gas industry.

Executive Order 41, a four-page document, laments the significant decrease in investments in the oil and gas sector in Nigeria. It focuses on local content compliance, taking into account the “practical challenges of insufficient in-country capacity” for certain services. The order mandates the local content board, NCDMB, to not hinder investments or the cost competitiveness of oil and gas projects.

The third regulation, Executive Order 42, is a five-page document targeting the incredible sleaze that hampers the speed of contracting and resultant high cost in the oil and gas industry. It raises the contract approval threshold to $10 million, meaning contracts of value below this amount no longer have to go to the NNPC or its subsidiaries for approval. This is a game-changer for the industry.

These executive orders could deal a heavy blow on the outsized corruption and sleaze in Nigeria’s oil industry if well executed. They have the potential to clean up mind-blowing black holes in the industry. As the nation looks forward to a corruption-free oil sector, these orders bring a ray of hope for a brighter and prosperous future.

Source: BusinessDay