|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has appointed eight new pre-shipment inspection agents and two monitoring and evaluation agents to oversee Nigeria’s crude oil and gas exports under the Nigerian Export Supervision Scheme.
The appointments are contained in a CBN circular dated October 29, 2026, signed by Aderinola Shonekan, Director of the Trade and Exchange Department. Although the circular was issued in late October, the new appointments and terminal allocations took effect from October 2, 2026.
The revised arrangement assigns the eight pre-shipment inspection agents to specific crude oil and gas export terminals across Nigeria, while two monitoring and evaluation companies have been appointed to supervise their activities.
The CBN directed authorised dealer banks, the Nigeria Customs Service, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, terminal operators and oil and gas companies to comply with the new framework.
The move represents another adjustment to Nigeria’s system for monitoring crude oil and gas exports and comes as the government continues efforts to strengthen oversight of export transactions and the country’s foreign-exchange earnings.
CBN Names 8 Pre-Shipment Inspection Agents
Under the new arrangement, the CBN assigned eight companies to specific crude oil and gas export terminals.
Dakee Engineering and Construction Ltd. was assigned LNG, Escravos (Gas), Bonny River Terminal and EGTL.
Trexem Energy Services Limited was allocated the Egina, Qua Iboe and Tulja terminals.
Geoscape Limited will handle Escravos, ERHA, Odudu and FSO Cawthorne.
617 Limited was assigned Bonga, Brass, Usan and Eagle.
Robinson International Energy Limited will cover Ugo-Cha, Penington, Aje, Ima, Oyo and Nembe.
Trobell International Nigeria Limited was assigned Forcados, Bonny and Okwori.
Integrated Shipping Services Nigeria Limited will oversee Akpo, Antan, Okoro, Anyala-Madu and Ebok.
The eighth company, Kephren Business Limited, was assigned Ukpokiti, Utapate, Yoho, Abo, Agbami, Ajapa, Okono and Okwok, as well as additional marginal streams that may be designated by the NUPRC.
The allocations cover some of Nigeria’s major crude oil and gas export locations, making the inspection companies responsible for important parts of the country’s petroleum export chain.
Two Companies Appointed to Monitor the Inspection Agents
The CBN also appointed two monitoring and evaluation agents to supervise the eight pre-shipment inspection companies.
Q&Q Control Services Limited will monitor the activities of 617 Limited, Trexem Energy Services Limited, Geoscape Limited and Kephren Business Limited.
Arlington Securitas Nigeria Limited will oversee Dakee Engineering and Construction Limited, Trobell International Nigeria Limited, Robinson International Energy Limited and Integrated Shipping Services Nigeria Limited.
The two-tier arrangement separates the companies responsible for inspection from those responsible for monitoring and evaluating their performance.
This is intended to provide an additional layer of oversight within the export supervision framework.
CBN Orders Oil and Gas Operators to Comply
The revised arrangements apply to a broad range of institutions involved in Nigeria’s petroleum export process.
The CBN specifically addressed authorised dealer banks, the Nigeria Customs Service, NUPRC, NNPCL, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, terminal operators, oil and gas companies and the general public in the circular.
The institutions and companies affected by the new allocations are required to comply with the revised appointments and terminal responsibilities.
The CBN said the appointments and allocations took effect from October 2, 2026.
The central bank’s official website also lists the appointment notice among its current circulars, confirming that the revised export-monitoring framework forms part of its regulatory activities.
Crude oil and gas exports remain critical to Nigeria’s external earnings and foreign-exchange position.
For the CBN, effective monitoring of petroleum exports is important because export transactions generate foreign exchange that ultimately feeds into the country’s external sector and financial system.
A stronger inspection and monitoring structure can also help ensure that export documentation, cargo information and proceeds are properly captured within the regulatory framework.
The latest CBN arrangement therefore goes beyond simply changing the companies assigned to terminals. It establishes a revised chain of responsibility covering inspection, monitoring and evaluation across major petroleum export points.
The involvement of the NUPRC is also significant because the upstream regulator has responsibilities relating to Nigeria’s upstream petroleum operations and production activities.
The latest appointments are not the first changes to Nigeria’s crude oil and gas export inspection system.
The CBN previously appointed inspection and monitoring agents under the Nigerian Export Supervision Scheme, with terminal allocations subsequently reviewed as Nigeria’s petroleum export landscape changed.
The latest circular replaces or reallocates responsibilities among inspection companies and introduces the current terminal-by-terminal structure.
In July 2026, the CBN also appointed Candid Oil Services Limited as the pre-shipment inspection agent for the Taurus Oil and Gas Depot, demonstrating that the bank continues to adjust its inspection framework as new export facilities and petroleum infrastructure become relevant.
The new structure places designated inspection companies at specific export terminals while assigning separate companies to monitor their activities.
For oil and gas producers, terminal operators and other participants in the export chain, the immediate implication is the need to work with the newly assigned inspection agents applicable to their facilities.
For authorised dealer banks and government agencies, the changes also provide a revised reference point for processing and monitoring export transactions.
The framework could become particularly important as Nigeria seeks to maximise foreign-exchange earnings from crude oil and gas exports while improving transparency across the petroleum value chain.
The CBN’s latest directive makes clear that the terminal allocations are already effective, meaning affected operators are expected to comply with the revised structure rather than wait for a future implementation date.
With eight inspection companies now assigned to specific terminals and two monitoring and evaluation companies overseeing them, the CBN has effectively introduced a new layer of organisation into Nigeria’s crude oil and gas export supervision system.
The next key issue will be how effectively the new agents carry out their responsibilities and whether the revised arrangement improves the accuracy, transparency and monitoring of Nigeria’s petroleum export transactions.
