The House of Representatives ad-hoc committee investigating pre-shipment inspection failures and the non-remittance of crude oil proceeds said on Tuesday that it was determined to address longstanding revenue leakages in Nigeria’s oil and non-oil export.
Speaking at a capacity-building workshop for members of the committee in Abuja, Chairman of the committee, Seyi Sowunmi, Nigeria’s continued losses running into billions of dollars were not abstract figures but the equivalent of hundreds of hospitals, schools, and critical infrastructure denied the citizens because of violations of pre-shipment regulations.
He said the committee was set up in response to mounting evidence of systemic exploitation in crude and non-oil exports, stressing that the probe is a national mission, not a witch-hunt.
He said, “This committee intends to close loopholes, recover lost value, and restore confidence in Nigeria’s economic governance. For the first time, we are looking at the entire export chain from crude oil flows to financial repatriation through a transparent, data-driven lens”.
The chairman said the workshop was designed to equip lawmakers with the expertise needed to confront the technicalities surrounding export data, maritime operations, and financial intelligence.
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He said experts in trade compliance, forensic auditing, and international oil transactions are facilitating the training, saying the exercise is an investment in competence, credibility, and national integrity.
While saying public scrutiny was welcome as democracy flourishes when the people are informed and engaged, Sowunmi stressed that the country must transition to a system where exported barrels are digitally tracked and every dollar earned is accounted for.
He urged his colleagues to embrace stronger legislative oversight and champion reforms that would guarantee that natural resource earnings benefit Nigerians, warning that the era of impunity and unaccounted exports is coming to an end.