Category Nigeria News

Nigeria’s Minister of Power, Dr. Adebayo Adelabu, has called on the federal government to halt electricity subsidies, warning that their continuation risks the power sector’s collapse.

During a meeting with the heads of Generation Companies (Gencos) in Abuja, Adelabu said the nation’s current economic challenges make it impossible for the government to keep funding these payments to power firms.

The minister disclosed that the government owes power firms at least N4 trillion in subsidies, which has created a cash flow problem and threatens the sustainability of the sector.

Persecondnews recalls that the Gencos had warned that if the situation persists, the sector will collapse soon and also demanded immediate payment of the N4 trillion legacy debt to avert a potential shutdown.

Adelabu noted that Nigerians must face the reality that the federal government no longer has the funds to subsidize the sector.

“We have to understand that our economy cannot sustain subsidies indefinitely”, he said.

As a way out, he said electricity consumers should be prepared for a cost-reflective regime where they pay for what they consume.

The Minister disclosed that a meeting is being planned between President Bola Tinubu and Gencos to discuss how to offset the N4 trillion subsidy debt.

Governor of Zamfara State, Rev. Dauda Lawal, and Benue State governor Hyacinth Alia is contesting the summons issued by the House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions.

The committee had requested that governors appear before them to address alleged constitutional breaches and failures in their respective states along with their state legislatures.

The House Committee on Public Petitions, Chooks Oko, the head of media, issued a statement on Friday, according to Persecondnews, which contained the invitation.

The lawmakers had asked the governors and houses for clarification on issues involving deteriorating security, including why the National Assembly should not assume the functions that are permitted by Section 11(4) of the 1999 Constitution.

In Benue State, 13 members of the state assembly who were not devoted to the governor were the subject of a contentious suspension.

The governor’s decision to suspend the state’s chief judge, Justice Maurice Ikpambese, was uncovered by the legislators, who were given suspensions.

With the formation of a parallel state assembly, things change in Zamfara. Nine lawmakers assert their continued legitimacy despite being suspended.

This group, which operates under a different leadership, recently requested Governor Lawal to submit the budget for the year 2025, underscoring their insistence on carrying out their legislative responsibilities.

Unfortunately, both Zamfara and Benue states have become focal points for persistent insecurity and have both been dealing with deep-seated security crises that have grown in recent years.

Bandits who regularly carry out abductions, cattle theft, and extortion in Zamfara are putting an end to the country’s forests and rural areas.

Benue, known as the “Food Basket of the Nation,” has become a hotspot for violent clashes between farming communities and armed herders, which have resulted in tragic casualties.

A senior government Benue State official stated that the government was considering whether the National Assembly had the constitutional right to invite a governor and House of Assembly members.

The government needs to know whether the state government and its state assembly have oversight functions under the law because this is a constitutional issue.

He said, “I believe the law will respond to that, so the attorney general would respond right away.”

Hyacinth Dajoh, the speaker of the House of Assembly, called and stated that he has not yet received the formal invitation.

It’s all a social media issue, they say. I haven’t received the invitation letter, but it might be delivered to my office tomorrow (Monday). But as I’m speaking with you right now, I’m just talking about a media issue, he said.

The National Assembly has no constitutional right to permit a serving governor to appear before it, according to Mustafa Kaura, Senior Special Assistant to Governor Lawal on Media and Communications.

The governor cannot be invited to the governor on issues relating to his state, regardless of whether the Senate or the House of Representatives is in session. He added that the state assembly only has the authority to ask governors to appear before it, “he added.

Despite alleged intimidation and harassment by the government, the nine-member Zamfara State House of Assembly has pledged to keep sat.

The faction stated in a statement released on Sunday that its members would continue to serve as state legislators in the state despite the signature of Aliyu Kagara, a member representing Talata-Mafara South Constituency.

Under the eminent leadership of Hon. Bashar Aliyu Gummi, the parallel houses of assembly in Zamfara State will categorically state and inform the state’s citizens that we will continue to serve as legislators for our beloved state and as representatives for our respective constituents.

“Our focused leadership cannot be thwarted by intimidation from the state government, including the use of some allegedly politically biased courts or legal officers.”

The Federal Government should implement reforms to protect the nation’s poorest from rising inflation, according to the World Bank.

The bank also urged the government to encourage all Nigerians’ livelihoods through more productive work, which it believed would be essential for lowering the country’s high poverty levels.

This was stated by the World Bank in its most recent Poverty and Equity Brief for Nigeria, which was released on Monday.

In its Africa’s Pulse report earlier last month, the bank stated that more Nigerians would become poor over the next five years, citing the country’s structural economic flaws, reliance on oil revenues, and national fragility as major obstacles to real poverty reduction.

The government started temporary cash transfers to 15 million households to lessen the inflationary effects of recent reforms on the poor.

The bank claimed that the roll-out has been slow.

President Bola Tinubu’s administration implemented bold economic reforms, including the repeal of fuel subsidies and the naira floating, on May 29, 2023.

Inflation rates increased as a result of the reforms.

The previous month’s inflation rate, which was the lowest since June 2023, was slightly higher, to 24.23 percent in March 2025.

Read more about President Tinubu’s meeting with senior officials regarding the power sector’s debt.

The largest component of the inflation basket, food inflation, decreased from 23.51 percent in the previous month to 21.79 percent.

The core inflation rate increased from 23.01 percent in the previous month to 24.43 percent, excluding the prices of volatile agricultural goods and energy. Consumer prices increased by 3.90 percent each month in March, up from 2.04 percent in February.

The World Bank argued that “poverty has increased and expanded as a result of multiple shocks in a time of high economic insecurity.” According to World Bank projections, more than half of Nigerians (54%) are estimated to be in poverty by 2024 because 42 million additional people have fallen into poverty since 2018/19.

Although recent macroeconomic reforms have begun to stabilize the economy, inflation continues to rise, lowering consumer demand and further lowering Nigerians’ ability to purchase goods. Many Nigerians, especially those in urban areas, are now in poverty because labor incomes have not risen with inflation.

According to the statement, the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) reform’s recent fiscal savings could be used to fund the expansion of the social protection system with a focus on enhancing resilience and enabling human capital investments.

According to the World Bank, this would be essential to reducing the impact of upcoming shocks and enabling households to make the necessary human capital investments to prevent intergenerational poverty transmission.

Read more about how oil prices dropped after the OPEC+ output boom.

These temporary measures must be supplemented by economic diversification, which expands the non-oil sector and creates jobs in the private sector, as well as by investments in public services, particularly in those in health, education, and infrastructure. In the face of limited fiscal space, “added,” improving the effectiveness and efficiency of public investments is particularly crucial.

According to the report, 30.9% of Nigerians lived below the 2017 PPP, or $2.15 per person per day (IELTS), level before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the most recent official household survey data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

The World Bank has advised the Federal Government to implement reforms that protect the country’s poorest against rising inflation.

The bank also advised the government to boost the livelihoods of all Nigerians through more productive work, which it said is key to reversing high poverty levels.

The World Bank stated this in its latest April 2025 Poverty and Equity Brief for Nigeria, which was obtained on Monday.

The bank had, earlier last month, in its Africa’s Pulse report, declared that more Nigerians would become poor over the next five years, citing Nigeria’s structural economic weaknesses, dependence on oil revenues, and national fragility as key barriers to meaningful poverty reduction.

To alleviate the inflationary effects of recent reforms on the poor, the government launched temporary cash transfers to reach 15 million households.

However, roll-out has been slow, the bank said.

Upon assumption of office on May 29, 2023, President Bola Tinubu’s administration implemented bold economic reforms such as the removal of fuel subsidies and the floating of the naira.

The reforms spiked inflation rates.

Nigeria’s annual inflation rose slightly to 24.23 percent in March 2025, from 23.18 percent in the prior month, which was the softest since June 2023.

READ ALSO: President Tinubu To Meet GenCos Over N4tn Power Sector Debt

Food inflation, the largest component of the inflation basket, remained elevated but eased to 21.79 percent from 23.51 percent in the prior month.

The core inflation, which excludes the prices of volatile agricultural products and energy, quickened to 24.43 percent, from 23.01 percent in the previous month. Monthly, consumer prices rose by 3.90 percent in March, accelerating from 2.04 percent in February.

The World Bank said, “Multiple shocks in a context of high economic insecurity have deepened and broadened poverty. Since 2018/19, an additional 42 million people have fallen into poverty, so more than half of all Nigerians (54 percent) are estimated to live in poverty in 2024, based on World Bank projections.

” Although recent macroeconomic reforms have begun to stabilise the economy, inflation remains high, dampening consumer demand and continuing to undermine the purchasing power of Nigerians. Labour incomes have not kept up with inflation, pushing many Nigerians, particularly in urban areas, into poverty. “

It said strengthening the social protection system with a focus on building resilience and enabling human capital investments could be funded through recent fiscal savings from the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) reform.

This, the World Bank said, would be key to help mitigate the impact of future shocks, and allow households to make necessary investments into human capital to avoid inter-generational transmission of poverty.

READ ALSO: &nbsp, Oil Prices Fall Over 3% After OPEC+ Output Hike

These temporary measures must be supplemented by economic diversification, which expands the non-oil sector and creates jobs in the private sector, as well as by investments in public services, particularly in those in health, education, and infrastructure. In the face of limited fiscal space, “added,” improving the effectiveness and efficiency of public investments is particularly crucial.

According to the report, 30.9% of Nigerians lived below the 2017 PPP, or $2.15 per person per day (IELTS), level before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the most recent official household survey data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

Five children were discovered lifeless in an “abandoned” and “unserviceable” vehicle in the state’s Obi Local Government Area. The Nasarawa State Police Command has launched an investigation.

It explained in a statement that its Police Public Relations Officer, SP Ramhan Nansel, had received a report from a resident of the Agyaragu neighborhood where the incident took place that the community had discovered the children’s lifeless bodies.

The children, who range in age from six to ten, were discovered “unresponsive” in a resident’s compound.

One Mr. Ozimna Ogbor, a resident of Agyaragu, reported to the Agyaragu Divisional Headquarters on May 4, 2025, that five children, among them, were found unresponsive inside a used car parked in one Mr. Abu Agyeme’s compound at around 1730 hours.

The Divisional Police Officer and his team were instructed to immediately arrive at the scene by the Commissioner of Police, CP Shetima Jauro Mohammed, who had responded quickly to the report. The officers arrived and discovered the victims locked inside the abandoned car.

Also read: Bandits Kill Vigilantes, Civilians in Bauchi, and More.

Additionally, the police stated that the children had to be immediately taken to Aro Hospital in Agyaragu, where a doctor found all five children dead due to a rumored suffocation.

Due to severe heat burns on the bodies of the deceased, the statement claimed that their parents were requested to bury their remains after the remains were discovered.

However, the police claimed that the Police Commissioner had ordered a thorough investigation to find out what had happened.

This heartbreaking incident is a fitting comparison to the tragic accident that happened in Keffi in August of last year when two children lost their lives in an abandoned car.

Five children were discovered lifeless in an “abandoned” and “unserviceable” vehicle in the state’s Obi Local Government Area. The Nasarawa State Police Command has launched an investigation.

It explained in a statement that its Police Public Relations Officer, SP Ramhan Nansel, had received a report from a resident of the Agyaragu neighborhood where the incident took place that the community had discovered the children’s lifeless bodies.

The children, who range in age from six to ten, were discovered “unresponsive” in a resident’s compound.

One Mr. Ozimna Ogbor, a resident of Agyaragu, reported to the Agyaragu Divisional Headquarters on May 4, 2025, that five children, among them, were found unresponsive inside a used car parked in one Mr. Abu Agyeme’s compound at around 1730 hours.

The Divisional Police Officer and his team were instructed to immediately arrive at the scene by the Commissioner of Police, CP Shetima Jauro Mohammed, who had responded quickly to the report. The officers arrived and discovered the victims locked inside the abandoned car.

Also read: Bandits Kill Vigilantes, Civilians in Bauchi, and More.

Additionally, the police stated that the children had to be immediately taken to Aro Hospital in Agyaragu, where a doctor found all five children dead due to a rumored suffocation.

Due to severe heat burns on the bodies of the deceased, the statement claimed that their parents were requested to bury their remains after the remains were discovered.

However, the police claimed that the Police Commissioner had ordered a thorough investigation to find out what had happened.

This heartbreaking incident is a fitting comparison to the tragic accident that happened in Keffi in August of last year when two children lost their lives in an abandoned car.