Category Nigeria News

According to Sam Amadi, former chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), the Federal Government may terminate the subsidy in order to lower the cost of electricity for consumers who continue to owe debts.

Amadi made this statement on Saturday when he made an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise.

“Yes, the Federal Government[/…]would likely eliminate the electricity subsidy.” The Federal Government can grow envious, he said.

“Oh, our tariff is low, we are doing better,” if some states are blatantly claiming that. As a fiscal authority, the Federal Government can say, “You know what?” Why should we be responsible for “looking bad”? Amadi continued.

He did, however, claim that the government should not proceed right away because developed nations also use subsidies for their citizens’ energy consumption.

Amadi said, “There is a significant, emotive debate; most economists just hold the ideological view that subsidy is bad. That is not accurate. As you can see, a market is always a source of subsidy. The question is: How much money is provided by you, where is it put, and why?

“Look at Europe, look at the EU, and look at all of these nations,” the phrase means. Because they needed to switch from one energy source to another, they actually receive significant subsidies for energy because of the crisis in Russia or Ukraine.

“Subsidy is always present,” he says. When Canada and Ontario switched to renewable energy, there was a lot of subsidy to ensure that the cost was manageable. Therefore, the economics that says a subsidy is false is incorrect.

The Federal Government can then respond, “This is the amount of subsidy we can put, and this is how we can put it. “

He also raised questions about corrupt practices and the country’s regulatory frameworks.

We have not utilized our regulatory tools, either. The Power Consumer Assistance Fund is mentioned in the Electricity Act. He said that finding out who needs that fund now requires extensive desktop research.

You need good data, Amadi said. DisCos offer subsidies. They can increase energy efficiency and offer a discount on energy, which is what they do. The subsidy is that. Therefore, there ought to be subsidies. When we increase the number, the question is always: do we cover up corruption in the name of subsidy?

“We also refer to the financial consequences as subsidies.” For instance, if we devalue your currency and then your debt increased to 700 billion as a result, your debt will increase. You now claim to be receiving 700 billion in subsidies. That is not accurate.

1 , 949 bn Subsidy Tariff Shortfall

According to information compiled from the newly released 2024 Annual Report of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, the Federal Government’s total gross electricity subsidy tariff shortfall for the power sector totaled 1,949 billion in 2024.

According to the data, a lower-than-cost-reflective tariff, as calculated for the year being reviewed, led to the ensuing debt.

On Friday, President Bola Tinubu made an appeal to power generation companies (GenCos) to give the Federal Government more time to finish verifying and validating their long-standing debts.

The President assured the Association of Power Generation Companies that Col. Sani Bello (retd) would continue to work with them at the Presidential Villa in Abuja informing them of his administration’s commitment to addressing the power sector’s liquidity problems.

Tinubu made a pledge of honesty and fairness in resolving the issues that had previously been left by previous governments.

Aminu Masari, a former governor of Katsina State, has urged Nigerian universities to make use of their local resources to gain a competitive edge in the education sector.

He delivered the convocation lecture on Saturday at the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, celebrating its 35th year and 50th anniversary.

However, every university must take into account its surroundings, make use of its unique resources, and create a competitive advantage. Former House of Representatives Speaker Masari, who is a former member of the House of Representatives, said, “That is your charge for the next 50 years.”

READ MORE: Why I voted for UNIPORT As a Governor and Minister of the Rivers, Wike.

Universities are essential to nation-building, according to Masari, who is also the chairman of the TETFund’s board.

He urged UNIPORT to look beyond oil and consider the numerous opportunities in the Gulf of Guinea, saying that this was a requirement if it was to continue to be at the forefront of national transformation.

Your future should be bolder, according to Masari. Beyond oil and gas, you must look. Establish a marine and coastal studies institute to make the most of the Gulf of Guinea’s numerous opportunities.

Create a school of technology and energy policy that can guide Nigeria’s transition to clean energy. These are not merely aspirations. If you want to be at the forefront of national transformation, they must be done.

Given Wike’s legacy of service, both as a two-term governor and now as a minister, Siminalayi Fubara, the suspended governor of Rivers State, praised the honor given to him by the 35th Convocation Ceremony and 50th Anniversary Celebration of UNIPORT as both timely and richly deserved.

He characterized Wike as a transformative and visionary leader whose advancements in governance and development continue to shape Nigeria’s future.

Fubara congratulated his predecessor on receiving a Doctor of Science (D) in a statement he signed on behalf of his family and Rivers State residents on Saturday. Sc.) University of Port Harcourt honororis Causa.

He noted that “your distinguished recognition is a testament to your contributions to education, governance, and the advancement of society,” not just a celebration of your distinguished accomplishments.

READ MORE: UNIPORT Confers Honorary Doctorate Degree On Wike, Oluremi Tinubu, and Others

Fubara emphasized Wike’s work, which has enriched countless lives and given people renewed faith in leadership.

He said, “It is only fitting that your alma mater recognizes you for your outstanding dedication and the strategic contribution you continue to make to shaping Nigeria’s future.”

A medical charity reported that more than 600 malnourished children in northern Nigeria perished in six months after receiving inadequate care as foreign aid dried up.

According to Doctors Without Borders (MSF), northern Nigeria, which is already rife with an insurgency, is “currently facing an alarming malnutrition crisis.”

Between January and June, there were 208 more cases of children experiencing the most severe and deadly form of malnutrition than during the same time last year.

The charity, which is known by its French initials, stated in a statement released on Friday that “unfortunately, 652 children have already died in our facilities since the beginning of 2025.”

The US President Donald Trump’s decision to cut spending abroad and the rise in jihadist attacks have combined with significant foreign aid cuts, which have contributed to a dire state in northern Nigeria.

The treatment and care for malnourished children in Nigeria were hampered by the cuts, according to Ahmed Aldikhari, the country representative of MSF in Nigeria.

According to him, “the actual size of the crisis exceeds all forecasts.”

Also read: Suspect Arrested As Missing Ogun Teenager Found Dead, Vital Organs Removed

More than half of pregnant and breastfeeding mothers were “acutely malnourished, including 13% with severe acute malnutrition,” according to an MSF survey of 750 mothers.

Nearly 31 million people in Nigeria are currently experiencing acute hunger, according to David Stevenson, the UN’s food agency chief.

WFP warned earlier this week that due to severe funding gaps, it would have to end all 1.3 million people in northeast Nigeria’s need for emergency food and nutrition aid at the end of July.

Through the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, the federal government is currently constructing 250 Renewed Hope estates in 12 states across the nation’s six geopolitical zones.

Ahmed Dangiwa, the minister of housing and urban development, made the remarks in Kano on Friday during a visit to the Renewed Hope City and Estate in Lambu, Kano State.

He noted that a provision is also being finalized to stop the same project from being built in the remaining 24 states in order to provide affordable housing to Nigerians.

The government is also planning to build seven Renewed Hope Cities, one for each geopolitical zone and one for each FCT, while the announcement for the takeoff in the last four north-central, north-central, south-south, and south-eastern regions is noted in the statement.

Arc . Despite the delay in receiving payments, Dangiwa assured the Kano Renewed Hope Estate contractors that the issues will be resolved soon.

READ ALSO: Tinubu Demands Governors to Deliver Results

The Minister and the team also inspected Renewed Hope City, one of the Kano 2000 units, for PPP financing.

He praised the work’s progress and demanded that the developers follow the 2025 delivery deadline.

The administration’s priority list includes the housing provision. By making housing affordable and accessible to all levels of Nigerians, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu remarked.

Arc . In a message to the Kano contractors complaining about non-payments, Dangiwa assured them that the government was working to resolve their issues as soon as possible.

He said, “I implore you not to be discouraged; all of your payments will be made as soon as possible.”

Instead of providing 5,000 palliatives that can barely support the poor, President Bola Tinubu has been advised to start cottage industries in all the federation’s local government areas in order to create jobs for the people.

The Class of 1999 governors gave the recommendations at a closed-door meeting held on Friday at the Abuja Presidential Villa.

They also advised the president to address the country’s security issues as a means of ensuring its development.

President Tinubu, who served from 1999 to 2007, as governor of Lagos State, is one of the Class of ’99 governors.

Lucky Igbinedion, the former governor of Edo State and chairman of the Class of ’99 governors, advised the President to intervene because the rural residents were bearing the brunt of the nation’s harsh economic situation.

According to his assessment of the President’s efforts and what they specifically desired him to address, “Well, the first and foremost thing is security, because we told him that there can be no progress and stability without security.”

Second, the economy must be stabilized to ensure that people can afford it and the foreign exchange market stays stable. But the most crucial thing is to create cottage industries that can employ workers rather than simply administer palliatives.

We implore him to try their hardest to establish cottage industries in all of the federal’s local governments where people can work because a palliative given to someone today will determine what happens tomorrow. What about lunch or dinner if he has $5, 000 in the morning? What will he do?

“₦5, 000 cannot buy much. So I assumed these were part of our heartfelt discussions with the President, and he agreed with us to say, “Yes, he’s going to look into it, and we appreciate it,” he continued.

Read more about Tinubu’s meeting with GenCos chairmen and pledges to settle debt claims.

Igbinedion also mentioned the purpose of their trip to Abuja, saying, “We came to see one of our own, Class of ’99, and to discuss issues involving the state of the country. We were warmly received by Mr. President, and we essentially discussed the nation’s security situation, the economy, and of course, agriculture. The President expressed his concern over the various issues he and I discussed.

“And we also offered our suggestions for how he could help the people.” He assured us that he is looking into the harsh economy because the people, especially those in rural areas, are feeling the effects.