The House of Representatives Public Accounts Committee has commenced an investigation into N432bn outstanding debts owed to the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and oil companies.
Key Highlights:
- Reps probe ₦432bn debt owed to NMDPRA.
- NNPCL owes ₦162.46bn, while oil marketers owe billions more.
- 146 companies reportedly owe ₦327.53bn as of 2025.
- Some unpaid obligations date back to 2017.
- Committee seeks to verify debts and recover government revenue.
The probe was triggered by findings in the 2023 audit report of the auditor-general of the federation, concerning unpaid petroleum-related obligations accruing to the NMDPRA owed by NNPCL and oil companies at ₦392.73bn.
NNPCL accounted for ₦162.46bn of the amount, while companies operating under the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN), Major Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN) and Major Energy Marketers Association of Nigeria (MEMAN) were listed as owing ₦230.27bn.
The outstanding liabilities were attributed to various regulatory charges, including balancing allowance, national transport average and the one per cent midstream and downstream gas infrastructure fund.
They also included legacy obligations connected to importation, coastal and credit transactions. The auditor-general federation’s 2024 report later put outstanding liabilities at ₦432.07bn, although the figure excluded debts attributed to NNPCL.
Further information submitted by the NMDPRA to the House committee showed that 146 oil companies under DAPPMAN, MEMAN and MOMAN owed the authority ₦327.53bn as of 2025.
The committee expressed concern that some of the obligations have remained unpaid for several years, with portions dating back to 2017.
It said the situation raised questions about the effectiveness of the NMDPRA’s systems for assessing, collecting and recovering regulatory revenues.
Chairman of the committee, Rep. Bamidele Salam, said in a statement on Wednesday that the investigation is intended to establish the circumstances surrounding the outstanding debts and ensure that revenues due to the government were properly accounted for and recovered.
Rep. Salam also cautioned companies and institutions summoned by the committee against ignoring its invitations or appearing without the required representatives and relevant records.
“Any company invited by this committee must respect the people’s parliament of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by honouring the summons with appropriate representation and all relevant documents.
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“We are not here to witch-hunt anybody; our responsibility is to establish the facts, protect public revenue and ensure that every naira due to government is properly accounted for,” he said.
The committee is expected to scrutinise how the liabilities were calculated, the periods they cover, payments already made by the affected entities and the balances that remain outstanding.
Lawmakers will also examine the measures taken by the NMDPRA to recover the funds and determine why some liabilities accumulated over several years without being fully settled.
The committee stressed that the investigation is part of the National Assembly’s constitutional oversight role and was not targeted at any particular company or institution.
Rep. Salam said the affected companies and the regulatory authority would be required to provide documents showing how the liabilities arose, the amounts recovered so far and the outstanding balances.
He reaffirmed the committee’s determination to use its oversight powers to ensure that government revenue is properly accounted for and that agencies responsible for collection take appropriate steps to recover outstanding public funds.
