Senate To Debate PIB Report Thursday

The Senate will, Thursday this week, debate the report of its joint committees on Petroleum (Upstream, Downstream and Gas) on the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB).

Senate President Ahmad Lawan disclosed this on Tuesday after the chairman of the panel, Senator Mohammed Sabo (Jigawa South West) submitted the committee’s report.

He, therefore, mandated the joint committee to provide lawmakers with copies of the bill ahead of its consideration to enable them to study its content.

Lawan said: “Let me use the opportunity to thank our joint committee for working so hard, selflessly and patriotically to produce the report on the Petroleum Industry Bill.

“This report, a copy each, must be made available to each and every senator today, this afternoon. I don’t know how the committee would arrange it, but every senator must have a copy today.

“[And] we would be considering the report on Thursday.

“So, we have today, tomorrow until the beginning of Thursday to look at the report so that when we consider it, we will be doing so on the basis of what we have been able to read from this very important report.”

The long-delayed piece of legislation seeks to reform the country’s petroleum industry. The bill, first presented in the National Assembly in 2008, aims to streamline how energy assets in Nigeria are operated and funded.

It would also regulate the oil industry and attract more investment to the sector, according to lawmakers.