EFCC has recovered N83.59bn, $98.07m in unpaid NDDC levies from oil companies.
NewsOnline Nigeria reports that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has recovered approximately N83.59 billion and $98.07 million in outstanding statutory levies owed to the Niger Delta Development Commission by oil companies.
Francis Usani, Special Adviser to the EFCC on Regulatory Compliance, disclosed the recoveries while appearing before the Senate Committee on Public Accounts on Wednesday.
The committee, chaired by Senator Ibrahim Dankwambo, is investigating findings contained in the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative’s 2021–2023 oil and gas industry audit report.
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Its investigation focuses on the alleged failure of companies operating in the extractive sector to remit statutory payments to the NDDC and other government agencies.
According to the EFCC’s report, the NEITI audit identified outstanding three per cent NDDC levies amounting to N90.046 billion and $229.534 million for the period between 2015 and 2020.
Usani said the anti-graft agency subsequently invited 43 oil companies for questioning and established that 24 operators in the Niger Delta had outstanding liabilities. The remaining 19 companies were cleared after investigators found no unpaid obligations against them.
The EFCC directly recovered N76.884 billion and $81.077 million from the affected companies. The money was deposited into the commission’s recovery account at the Central Bank of Nigeria.
Usani said the commission had remitted N73.373 billion and $67.071 million to the NDDC as of July 31, 2026.
A balance of N3.510 billion and $14.006 million remained in the EFCC’s recovery account as of that date.
The commission also disclosed that some oil companies paid an additional N6.710 billion and $16.994 million directly into the NDDC’s revenue account following its intervention.
The companies presented receipts for the payments to the EFCC for verification.
Combining the funds recovered directly by the anti-graft agency with those paid into the NDDC’s account brings the total recovery to approximately N83.59 billion and $98.07 million.
“The EFCC focused on one primary pillar identified in the NEITI report, which is unpaid three per cent statutory levies due to the NDDC,” Usani told the committee.
“However, we did not lose sight of the fact that there could be other unpaid statutory obligations and taxes due to the Federal Government.”
Usani said the agency was also examining the possibility that the companies owed other statutory payments and taxes.
The Senate committee’s investigation is expected to determine the level of compliance among oil companies, establish the extent of unpaid obligations and identify potential revenue leakages in the extractive industry.
