The House of Representatives Public Accounts Committee has launched an investigation into about ₦432.07 billion in unpaid levies and regulatory obligations owed to the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority.
The inquiry follows findings in the Auditor‑General’s recent audits that flagged sizeable outstanding claims by the regulator against the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and oil firms operating under the DAPPMAN, MOMAN and MEMAN trade groups.
The Auditor‑General’s 2023 report recorded ₦392.73 billion in arrears attributable to the NNPCL and those oil companies.
The liabilities, the report said, stem from items including balancing allowances, the national transport average, the 1% Midstream and Downstream Gas Infrastructure Fund and legacy debts from imports, coastal and credit transactions.
The NNPCL’s share was listed at ₦162.46 billion, while private oil companies accounted for ₦230.27 billion.
A follow‑up audit in 2024 raised the total to ₦432.07 billion, a figure that excluded the NNPCL’s indebtedness.
Submissions made by NMDPRA to the committee showed that, as of 2025, 146 oil companies under DAPPMAN, MEMAN and MOMAN owed a combined ₦327.53 billion.
The PAC said the debts cover the period from 2017 through 2023 and remained largely unpaid at the time of review. Representative Bamidele Salam, chairman of the committee, said lawmakers will require companies and agencies to produce records and appear before the panel.
“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,” Salam said, stressing the probe’s aim is fact‑finding rather than persecution.
The committee plans to examine the basis for the liabilities, payments already made, outstanding balances and steps regulatory authorities have taken to recover the funds.
