₦airaland Forum

by Ejike Ejike


A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court sitting in Apo, Abuja, has ordered the final forfeiture of assets linked to businesswoman Aisha Achimugu to the federal government.

The assets include jewellery valued at N4.645 billion, 11 exotic vehicles worth N4.293 billion, $50,000 in cash and N30 million.

Justice Jude Onwugbuzie made the order on Thursday, July 16, 2026, while delivering judgment on an application filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) seeking the final forfeiture of the properties.

According to the court, the forfeited assets comprise jewellery worth N4,645,170,294.09, 11 exotic vehicles valued at N4,293,000,000, $50,000 and N30 million in cash

The Nigerian government on Tuesday received the new US Africa envoy, Frank Garcia, on his first official trip to the country.

Mr Gracias is the newly confirmed US Department of State’s Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs. The trip is his first official trip to West Africa, with Nigeria as his first stop.

The top diplomat is expected to visit Côte d’Ivoire and Mali over the next few days.

The US Embassy in Nigeria disclosed in a post on X that Mr Gracias met with the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, to review progress under the US-Nigeria Joint Working Group launched earlier in the year.

The Donald Trump administration, according to the embassy, is willing to use every tool “available to hold ISIS and perpetrators of violence against Christians accountable.”

Mr Gracia also met with the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Sola Enikanolaiye, to discuss relations between the two countries. He also met with the Minister of Communication, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani.

The US mission described the meetings as “productive” and proof of US commitment to deepening bilateral relations with Nigeria.

“Nigeria is a strategic partner across numerous sectors, and the United States is committed to deepening our bilateral relationship – expanding trade, strengthening security, and building shared prosperity,” it said.

Mr Gracias’s trip is the latest in a series of trips made by American officials to Nigeria over the past 10 months.

PREMIUM TIMES previously reported a US delegation’s visit to the country to discuss the protection of Christian communities and the strengthening of counterterrorism efforts.

The delegation was led by the Under Secretary of State, Allison Hooker, who is also the head of the US-Nigeria joint working group.

A month after the delegation’s visit, US Department of the Treasury’s Assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing, Jonathan Burke, visited the country. This trip, according to the US government, was a part of the “Trump administration’s efforts to reduce violence against Christians and other vulnerable groups.”

Last year, a Congressional delegation visited Abuja and met with Nigeria’s National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu.

PREMIUM TIMES also reported the visit of a Nigerian delegation, led by Mr Ribadu, to the US. The delegation met with top US officials, including Secretary of War Peter Hegseth.

This series of visits by top officials between Nigeria and the US began following Mr Trump’s verbal antagonism toward Nigeria.

It followed Nigeria’s designation as a Country of Particular Concern. Nigeria’s relations with the US have improved since the CPC designation, with joint military operations recording some successes, notably the elimination of Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, also known as Abubakar Mainok, a top commander of Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in May.

Petroleum marketers may require about $1.84 billion every month to purchase petrol, diesel and aviation fuel from Dangote Petroleum Refinery following the company’s decision to price refined petroleum products in dollars, a development analysts warned could increase pressure on Nigeria’s foreign exchange market, test liquidity position and expose consumers to more frequent fuel price fluctuations.

With the depot price of premium motor spirit (PMS) already increasing by over N100 per litre, the decision may also leave consumers with significant strain.

It is expected to stress-test the liquidity position of the foreign exchange (FX) and how fast it can respond to short-notice demand by largely fragmented marketers.

But with the marketers’ sourced dollar going directly to the local refinery in the new pseudo-import arrangement, the market is likely not going to witness significant FX leakage or loss through the new deal.

Based on current national consumption and supply volumes, marketers would need an estimated $60.7 million daily to procure products from the refinery. PMS alone accounts for the largest share of the demand, requiring about $36.9 million daily or roughly $1.1 billion monthly, at the refinery’s new gantry price of $0.779 per litre.

For automotive gas oil (diesel), priced at $1.087 per litre, marketers would require approximately $20.4 million daily, translating to about $633.5 million monthly.

As for aviation turbine kerosene (ATK), which is priced at $0.942 per litre, marketers would require another $3.4 million daily or around $105.1 million monthly, based on an average daily supply of 3.6 million litres.

Following the development, PMS price increased by about N100, rising N1,137 to N1,250 per litre in some depots, representing an increase of N113.

Sahara, AIPEC and African Terminal have reportedly increased their petrol loading prices from N1,090 to N1,120 per litre.

Diesel prices also climbed, with ex-depot prices rising to as high as N1,650 per litre, representing a spike of up to N150 per litre at some depots.

Coming a few days after the Federal Government called for a drop in petrol prices, pump prices have already witnessed about a N100 increase even as crude oil prices climbed to $85 per barrel or about $10 within the first two days of the week.

Dangote Petroleum Refinery had written to marketers announcing the transition of all gantry lifting payment currencies from the naira to the dollar effective July 13.

Consequently, any previously issued naira-invoice deals were voided, and payments against them ceased.

The notice seen by The Guardian announced new USD rates for Gantry (LTR), including PMS quoted at $0.779, AGO at $1.087 and ATK at $0.942. Coastal PMS pricing is $1,044.62 per metric tonne.

The refinery said the currency shift does not apply to LPG transactions, which will retain their existing payment arrangement. Customers were advised to adhere to the new guidelines for future dealings.

The development effectively transfers a substantial foreign exchange (FX) burden to downstream operators who earn revenue in naira but must henceforth source dollars to purchase products from the refinery, which plays the role of market leader.

The shift marks a significant reversal from the naira-based sales framework introduced after the Federal Government launched the naira-for-crude initiative in October 2024 to reduce pressure on the FX market, support domestic refining and strengthen energy security.

It is also not the first time the refinery has taken such a step. In April last year, Dangote Refinery similarly reverted to dollar pricing after raising concerns over inadequate supplies of crude under the naira-for-crude arrangement. The decision was reversed following engagements with the Federal Government.

Multiple industry sources, who spoke with The Guardian yesterday, said the latest move reflects growing difficulties in accessing crude locally, forcing the refinery to increasingly rely on imported crude.

An energy economist and founder of Energy Business Analytics, Dr Kaase Gbako, said the development suggests that the naira-for-crude arrangement was coming under increasing strain or that a larger share of crude feedstock was now being sourced externally.

According to him, the refinery has effectively transferred FX risk from crude suppliers to downstream marketers and ultimately consumers.

Gbako said pricing products in dollars would increase demand for FX, potentially weakening the naira and raising domestic fuel prices in local currency terms. He added that marketers were also likely to factor the cost of sourcing foreign exchange and possible delays into their pricing decisions, creating additional upward pressure on pump prices.

A professor emeritus of petroleum economics and Executive Director of the Emmanuel Egbogah Foundation, Prof. Wumi Iledare, said the development is consistent with the realities of a deregulated petroleum market where crude oil, the principal feedstock, is internationally traded.

He argued that while the policy provides commercial clarity and aligns domestic pricing with global market fundamentals, it introduces fresh operational and macroeconomic challenges.

According to Iledare, marketers would now need sophisticated FX procurement strategies alongside traditional product sourcing. Firms with stronger banking relationships, better liquidity and treasury management capabilities would enjoy a competitive advantage, he said.

He said marketers are also likely to shorten inventory cycles to minimise exposure to exchange-rate depreciation, resulting in more frequent procurement and potentially quicker adjustments in retail fuel prices, a situation that could increase price volatility.

Iledare maintained that future pump prices would increasingly reflect three major variables – international crude oil prices, refining and logistics costs as well as movements in the naira-dollar exchange rate.

However, Iledare stressed that price volatility should not be interpreted as policy failure but rather as an expected outcome of a competitive and deregulated market where prices respond to economic fundamentals instead of administrative controls.

To minimise price shocks, he advised marketers to improve inventory management, diversify supply sources, strengthen logistics efficiency, adopt foreign exchange risk management instruments where available and maintain adequate working capital.

The professor also argued that government’s role should focus on maintaining macroeconomic stability through improved FX liquidity, exchange-rate stability and increased domestic crude supply to local refineries rather than fixing fuel prices.

A former president of the Nigerian Economic Society (NES), Prof. Adeola Adenikinju, said the transition would fundamentally change procurement practices in the downstream sector.

He noted that marketers would now have to source dollars through the banking system before purchasing products, effectively making domestic procurement resemble fuel importation despite the refinery being in Nigeria.

Given the relatively inelastic demand for petrol, Adenikinju warned that the additional demand for foreign exchange could place further pressure on the naira if not carefully managed.

A weaker naira, he said, would have wider implications beyond fuel prices by increasing the cost of imported goods across the economy and worsening inflationary pressures.

He added that domestic fuel prices would now become much more sensitive to exchange-rate movements, increasing the speed with which currency depreciation translates into higher pump prices.

Country Manager for Tradegrid, Jide Pratt, said Dangote Refinery’s status as a Free Trade Zone enterprise provides a legal basis for conducting transactions in foreign currency.

However, he questioned why the refinery had reverted to dollar sales after previously operating successfully under the naira-based framework.

Pratt suggested that inadequate crude supply under the naira-for-crude arrangement remained the most plausible explanation.

He warned that the new pricing model would significantly alter financing arrangements for marketers, many of whom previously relied on bank guarantees for domestic transactions.

Instead, marketers may increasingly require standby letters of credit and other trade finance instruments, making transactions more complex and expensive.

Pratt also highlighted the challenge of currency mismatch, noting that marketers would purchase products in dollars but continue selling them in naira, exposing their businesses to exchange-rate risks and tighter cash flows.

He called for greater transparency around the implementation of the naira-for-crude programme, arguing that refined products produced from crude supplied under the arrangement should ideally continue to be sold in naira, while products refined from imported crude could legitimately attract dollar pricing.

“There needs to be a transparent framework linking crude sourcing with product pricing. Without that, uncertainty will persist,” he said.

Managing Director of the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE), Dr Muda Yusuf, also identified currency mismatch as the central challenge.

He said businesses generally face significant financial risks when operating costs are largely denominated in dollars while revenues are earned in naira.

According to Yusuf, the impact on fuel prices will depend mainly on exchange-rate stability and international crude oil prices.

He argued that if the exchange rate remains relatively stable, the shift to dollar pricing may not necessarily result in significant increases in pump prices.

Indeed, converting the refinery’s published dollar prices using the prevailing exchange rate produces figures broadly comparable to existing market prices.

Yusuf observed that the refinery’s decision was commercially understandable because a substantial proportion of its crude feedstock is imported and paid for in dollars, requiring corresponding dollar inflows from product sales.

Petroleum marketers, however, fear the policy could gradually dollarise Nigeria’s downstream petroleum market.

The National President of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN), Dr Billy Gillis-Harry, questioned whether marketers would now be expected to source dollars from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to purchase products sold entirely within the domestic market.

He warned that allowing a dominant market player to alter pricing structures without wider consultation could create uncertainty across the industry.

Similarly, the National President of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Shettima Maigandi, said independent marketers would face considerable difficulties converting naira into dollars before purchasing products.

Although he said it was too early to determine the immediate effect on retail prices, he maintained that marketers would naturally prefer to continue buying products in naira since their sales are denominated in the local currency.

The stakeholders insisted that while the transition reflects commercial realities in a deregulated market increasingly linked to global crude trade, it also raises questions about the effectiveness of the naira-for-crude policy, the resilience of Nigeria’s foreign exchange market and the country’s ambition to deepen local value addition.

By Olugbenga Ige


The House of Representatives has withdrawn its proposed constitutional amendment seeking to establish state police, opting instead to consider a similar bill transmitted by the Executive.

The development emerged during Tuesday’s plenary, where lawmakers gave the Executive-sponsored state police bill its first and second readings.

The bill was subsequently referred to the House Committee on Constitutional Review for further legislative action.

The decision effectively suspends the House’s earlier proposal as lawmakers shift attention to the Executive-backed amendment.

The Executive bill is expected to undergo detailed scrutiny at the committee stage, where lawmakers will examine its key provisions before it is returned to the floor for further consideration.

by Beloved John


A Nigerian military spokesperson has contradicted the claim made by a top US official that a ‘large haul’ of electronic materials was seized from terrorists in Nigeria and extracted from the country by US forces.

Nigeria’s Director of Defence Information, Samalia Uba, told PREMIUM TIMES that the intelligence cache was not seized by US authorities from terrorists but voluntarily released to the US by the Nigerian government as part of an ongoing security cooperation.

Mr Uba, in an interview with our reporter, said the materials, which contained declassified information on previous counter-terrorism operations by the Nigerian Armed Forces, were voluntarily “given” to the US.

This is the first comment by a Nigerian official on the matter since a US official first announced it.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that the US Deputy Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Counterterrorism at the National Security Council, Sebastian Gorka, disclosed in late June that American forces had recovered a large cache of electronic materials from terrorists in Nigeria.

Mr Gorka said US soldiers seized the materials during an operation that resulted in the killing of 199 jihadists.

“I watched our operators kill 199 jihadis in one operation,” and seized an unprecedented volume of intelligence materials,” he said.

He also described the materials seized as the largest since the 11 September 2001 attack, a significant event in US history. The 9/11 attacks shaped the US counter-terrorism policy. It is considered the largest terror attack in the country.

“From that (Nigerian) raid, we needed an extra plane to bring home all the electronic material that we captured in those camps. The haul was three times bigger than any enemy electronics haul since 9/11,” he said.

Intelligence sharing is part of collaboration.

Although Mr Gorka did not identify the military operation by name, his description corresponds with the joint Nigeria-United States raid announced in May, which eliminated Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, also known as Abubakar Mainok, a top commander of Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).

Mr Gorka brought up the operation while highlighting the major successes of the Trump administration’s counterterrorism campaign. This paper reports that key American officials often cite the operation as proof of an effective counter-terrorism mission in Nigeria. In May, Secretary of State Pete Hegseth used the operation to buttress President Donald Trump’s “unwavering commitment to the protection of Christians.”

When asked why the Nigerian government had not publicly disclosed the release of the materials, the Nigerian military spokesperson said it was part of the country’s joint counter-terrorism cooperation, which “has been extensively publicised.”

“It is not a new operation,” he said. “We have previously communicated our highly successful joint operations in May. Nigeria-US joint operations and collaboration are very much on course.”

Similarly, Kimiebi Ebienfa, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, also told PREMIUM TIMES that the materials were provided to give the US a clearer picture of terrorist operations in the country.

“I don’t think it is an indictment that we shared this information with them,” he said. “Sharing intelligence is part of the counter-terrorism cooperation Nigeria has with the US.”

“We share intelligence with them. Especially with the arrival of their troops on our soil to help combat terrorist attacks,” he noted.

Mr Ebienfa also said the federal government was more focused on addressing its security crisis rather than making official announcements.

In his statement, the senior US official stated that the intelligence recovered from the operation was even more significant than the “neutralisation of 199 jihadists.”

Six weeks after the operation, the US accused and sanctioned Mukhtar Adamu, a Lagos-based bureau de change operator, of facilitating financial transactions for the West African faction of ISIS through his BDC firms. The named firms that were also sanctioned are: Nine To Nine Exchange Bureau De Change Limited, Generation Currency Bureau De Change Limited, and Manhattan Bureau De Change Limited.

After the US announcement, Nigeria also sanctioned Mr Adamu and his companies.

Christian genocide allegation

The US-Nigeria counter-terrorism operations came after months of US antagonism and hostility toward Nigeria over alleged Christian genocide.

The narrative was initially pushed by American commentators and top political officials such as Ted Cruz, Riley Moore, and Chris Smith before eventually drawing Mr Trump’s attention.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that Mr Moore, a US congressman, had described Nigeria as the most dangerous country to be a Christian. In late 2025, Mr Trump designated Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern and subsequently imposed a visa ban.

Last Christmas, the US launched air strikes in Sokoto targeting what it described as Islamic State terrorists. Mr Trump called the strikes a “Christmas present” to vulnerable Christian communities. But Sokoto is an overwhelmingly Muslim-majority state, as are the casualties of violent attacks carried out by armed groups operating in the state.

The US also sanctioned groups and individuals considered to be associated with terror groups in Nigeria. This paper reported that a bill seeking to impose sanctions on the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) and the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore was presented before the congress last year. It accused the organisations of masterminding some attacks by armed herders on rural communities.

In February, the US froze the assets of eight Nigerians allegedly linked to terrorist organisations. Weeks later, Nigeria then published the names of 48 persons and 12 organisations linked to terror financing.

Last month, Nigeria also sanctioned Mr Adamu, along with five other individuals, after a US government announcement.

The others named by the Nigerian government are: Ibrahim Yakubu Ogirima, Adamu Chiroma, Ibrahim Abubakar, Abdullahi Umar Usman and Babangida Muhammed Adamu Hammajam.

About 24 hours to the expiration of the deadline for the submission of presidential and National Assembly candidates for the 2027 general elections, the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has settled for Vice President Kashim Shettima to run with him on the joint ticket.

The duo ran in 2023 under the Tinubu/Shettima joint ticket in what was widely described as same faith ticket due to their common religious beliefs, but they went ahead to win the presidential election.

One of the biggest controversies over the choice of a running mate for the presidential candidates of the parties for the 2027 elections had ironically come from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), which analysts say that under normal circumstances, should have been the first to be dispensed with since the party has a sitting vice president.

Our correspondents report that since 2024, however, there have been insinuations that Vice President Shettima might be substituted with someone else to pair with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the January 2027 election.

Reports had it that certain influences in the presidency were not comfortable with the continuation of the joint ticket and had suggested that it should be tinkered with to give the ticket a more balanced outlook.

Yesterday, however, the president named Shettima as his running mate, clearing all the doubts hanging over his reported reluctance to run on the same ticket with the vice president again.

The leadership of the APC confirmed the development while receiving the completed Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) presidential nomination forms for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima at an event that held in Abuja, which drew an array of high-profile party executives, state governors and legislators in a robust display of party solidarity.

Our correspondent reports that the forms were delivered on behalf of the Presidency by the Special Adviser on Political and Other Matters, Ibrahim Masari.

Receiving the documents, the national chairman of the APC, Prof Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, declared that the party’s massive base was already locked in to guarantee a second term victory.

“Today is a reflection of the wishes of over 12 million of our members who overwhelmingly voted Mr President as their candidate to flag off the party candidature in the 2027 presidential election. We are proud that members of the APC across the country voted overwhelmingly for him,” Yilwatda said.

Yilwatda expressed absolute confidence that the party’s actual support at the polls would expand significantly beyond its registered database, drawing in everyday citizens who have directly felt the impact of the administration’s social and structural reforms.

Addressing the party leadership, Prof Yilwatda urged governors and state party leaders to counter social media skepticism by aggressively marketing the administration’s core success stories.

The submission ceremony was attended by Senator Hope Uzodimma, the governor of Imo State and chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum.

Other key state executives in attendance included the governors of Borno, Kano, Kebbi, Adamawa, Kaduna and Yobe, alongside several deputy governors and National Assembly members.

Earlier, impeccable sources in the Presidential Villa informed our correspondent that the vice president was given the EC9 forms to fill to enable the APC upload details of its presidential candidate to the INEC portal.

Sources in the APC said that with this gesture, the vice president was good to go as he could only be substituted if he willingly withdraws from the race.

INEC sources, however, indicate that as at the time of filing this report, the APC and other parties were yet to upload the names of their presidential and National Assembly candidates on the commission’s portal.

Weekend Trust learnt that this is due to the fear of backlash among many National Assembly candidates whose names have been replaced with those of other aspirants.

The Electoral Act 2026 and the INEC regulations and guidelines for political parties require political parties to upload the names and particulars of their nominated candidates electronically through the Candidate Nomination Portal within the period specified in the commission’s timetable.

INEC Schedule provides that access code collection begins from Saturday, June 27 to Saturday, July 11, 2026 when the portal opens for presidential and National Assembly filings and for uploading of Forms EC9 and EC9A-E online.

INEC is also supposed to release the final list of presidential and National Assembly candidates on Monday, August 25, while the deadline for withdrawal or replacement of presidential and NASS candidates is Saturday, August 29.

The commission has repeatedly urged political parties to adhere strictly to the timetable, stressing that activities relating to the election will be conducted in accordance with the Electoral Act and the published schedule.

The Electoral Act 2026 makes it mandatory for political parties to submit the names of candidates who emerged from valid primaries within the period prescribed by law.

Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act 2026 provides that: “Every political party shall, not later than 120 days before the date appointed for a general election under this Act, submit to the commission, in the prescribed forms, the list of the candidates the party proposes to sponsor at the elections, who shall have emerged from valid primaries conducted by the political party.”

The Act further provides in section 29(2) that the list of candidates “shall be accompanied by an affidavit sworn to by the candidate” confirming that he or she has fulfilled the constitutional requirements for the office being sought.

In line with the law, the commission’s timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 general elections fixed June 27 to July 11, 2026 by 11:59pm as the period for political parties to submit nomination forms for presidential and National Assembly candidates through the INEC Candidate Nomination Portal (ICNP). The timetable also states that governorship and state assembly nominations will be received between July 18 and August 8, 2026.

The INEC Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties 2026 also require political parties to submit candidates electronically through the commission’s Candidate Nomination Portal using the prescribed forms and within the period specified in the timetable issued by the commission. The guidelines make it clear that nominations are to be made only through the portal using the access codes issued by INEC to registered political parties.


‘Parties that miss candidate submission deadline are out’

Weekend Trust learnt authoritatively from a senior commission official that parties that fail to submit the names of their nominated candidates to the Independent National Electoral Commission before the expiration of the deadline for the 2027 general elections will be excluded from the affected elections.

The official, who spoke to Weekend Trust on condition of anonymity said, “Any party which does not meet the deadline is, of course, out,” our source said.

The official said that as at Friday, 14 political parties had made submissions on the portal, although not all had completed the process for every elective office.

According to the source, the parties that had made submissions were Accord Party (A), Action Alliance (AA), African Action Congress (AAC), African Democratic Congress (ADC), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Labour Party (LP), Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), National Rescue Movement (NRM), People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Social Democratic Party (SDP), Young Progressives Party (YPP) and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).

The source, however, said only seven parties had successfully submitted both their presidential candidates and running mates. They are AA, AAC, ADC, NDC, Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), SDP and the Young Progressives Party (YPP).

According to the source, the APC is yet to make any submission as at the time of filing this report.

Asked to disclose the identities of the presidential candidates and their running mates already uploaded, the source declined, saying the commission was still processing the submissions.

“Sorry, I can’t give you that now because the relevant departments are still working on the submissions. Hopefully, they will conclude their reports by Monday,” the official said.

When contacted, INEC’s Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Victoria Eta-Messi, declined to comment on the status of submissions ahead of the deadline, saying the commission would issue an official statement after the nomination window closes.

“Let’s cross that bridge first. When we get to the deadline and there are parties that didn’t submit, the commission will make a statement. I can’t make a statement that I have not heard from the commission,” she said.

Eta-Messi added that INEC would provide a comprehensive update after the deadline, including the parties that complied with the submission requirements and those that did not.


Why candidates delay in choosing running mates

Even as presidential primaries have been concluded since May, most of the parties are yet to decide on the choice of running mates, sources at the INEC have confirmed.

Due to the nature of the primaries conducted, not a few of the parties have remained undecided about the choice of vice presidential candidates.

The crisis in the Accord Party over its presidential candidate has lingered till date, that Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, who, for long has been touted as the candidate on Thursday, took the matter to court to establish that he has fulfilled all necessary arrangements to qualify as the candidate of the party and for INEC to be compelled to recognise him as such.

Some of the parties like the Social Democratic Party have also been battling with the issue of leadership.

Sources said this had been responsible for the delay in pairing their presidential tickets.

Further probe has shown that presidential candidates who have been unable to pick vice presidential candidates would be left with the option of submitting names of place holders to get by statutory provisions.


The candidates

Apart from Tinubu of the APC, there are other presidential candidates, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the ADC, who is running with a former governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi; Peter Obi of the NDC, who is paring with a former governor of Kano State, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.

As political activities gather momentum ahead of the 2027 general elections, several political parties have unveiled their presidential candidates with a mix of former governors, activists, legal practitioners and policy experts seeking to challenge the dominance of the country’s major parties.

Among them is a lawyer and entrepreneur, Adewole Adebayo, who will again fly the flag of the Social Democratic Party after contesting in 2023. A former Cross River State governor, Donald Duke, has also emerged as the presidential candidate of the People’s Redemption Party. The Young Progressives Party (YPP) has presented Anita Zugwai-Chukwu as its standard bearer, making her one of the few women in the 2027 presidential race.

The Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde, will contest the presidency on the platform of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM).

The African Action Congress has once again nominated its national leader, Omoyele Sowore as its presidential candidate.

The Nenadi Usman-led faction of the Labour Party has chosen governance expert and policy strategist, Dr Chibuzo Okereke as its presidential candidate.


Placeholder practice erodes democracy – Political analyst

Meanwhile, a political scientist at Bayero University, Kano (BUK), Dr Sa’idu Ahmad Dukawa, has raised concerns over the practice of substituting candidates before elections, describing it as a direct assault on Nigeria’s democratic process.

Speaking on the recent controversies surrounding the use of placeholders and last-minute replacements by political parties, Dr Dukawa argued that such actions undermine the sanctity of elections and erode public confidence in democracy.

He explained that while political parties have the responsibility to thoroughly screen candidates to minimise errors and prevent unqualified individuals from contesting, discrepancies discovered after elections should be resolved by returning to the electorate through fresh primaries.

“It is wrong for parties to simply send orders to INEC to replace one candidate with another,” he said.

Dr Dukawa noted that even in parliamentary systems, substitutions are limited to leadership positions within the parliament, not the parliamentary seats themselves.

He criticised the ruling APC’s recent substitution of a duly elected parliamentarian, calling it “strictly abnormal.”

According to him, the practice violates key democratic principles, including responsiveness and responsibility to the electorate.

“Those who benefit from such replacements will feel accountable only to the godfathers who imposed them, not to the people who voted,” he warned.

The don further cautioned that the trend could fuel voter apathy, disenchantment and ultimately weaken the legitimacy of elections.

By Adetutu Sobowale


Dangote Petroleum Refinery has commenced free delivery of Premium Motor Spirit popularly known as petrol to six states across Nigeria, including the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, while maintaining its ex-depot price of N1,075 per litre.

The refinery announced the initiative in a notice shared on its official X handle on Wednesday.

According to the company, the free delivery service covers Lagos, Ogun, Rivers, Kaduna and Delta states, as well as the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

The refinery stated that the offer is available to customers purchasing a minimum of 250,000 litres of petrol.

The latest move comes shortly after Dangote Refinery met with stakeholders in Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector to discuss cost-reflective pricing for petrol.

The engagement ended with stakeholders expressing support for further reductions in fuel prices.

The refinery had recently announced its fourth reduction in the gantry price of petrol, bringing it down to N1,075 per litre.

Also commenting on recent price movements, the President of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Abubakar Maigandi, disclosed that the retail price of petrol had fallen by N125 per litre over the past three weeks, with pump prices now ranging between N1,155 and N1,299 per litre, depending on location and marketer.

By : Leo Sobechi


Barely 24 hours to the deadline for political parties to submit the names of nominees for the Presidential and National Assembly election, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) seems set to go ahead with the Tinubu-Shettima ticket.


Checks by The Guardian revealed that despite President Tinubu‘s desire to respond to public concerns about the implications of sustaining the same faith ticket, political considerations make it imperative that he should retain Senator Kashim Shettima as his running mate.

A close Presidency source confided in The Guardian that political stakeholders from the North East geopolitical zone had been meeting and strategizing on how to ensure that Shettima remains on the presidential ballot.

He disclosed that while many of the experienced politicians from the zone maintained that it was Tinubu’s sole right to choose his running mate, they tasked the stakeholders to explore alternative “political routes” that they could adopt if the President drops the VP.

“But many APC chieftains expressed optimism that the VP would be on the ballot as Tinubu’s running mate.”

“They said that within the past three years Senator Shettima had not done anything to warrant his replacement.

“They listed the VP’s level-headedness, focus on the job and loyalty to President Tinubu as some of the compelling reasons why the President would not change him (Shettima). Then, looking at the political situation in the country right now, there is no person that the President could choose from the north to guarantee huge winning votes than the Vice President.”

He disclosed that the vice-presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, has been reaching out to influential North East elders to woo them into ADC to shore up support for former Vice President Vice President, Atiku Abubakar.

Said the source: “You know that Amaechi got maximum delegate votes from North East when he contested against Tinubu for the APC ticket in 2022. This time around the ADC vice-presidential candidate has been giving us reasons why we should work for Atiku. He (Amaechi) said that President Tinubu is determined to drop Shettima and pick a weak candidate as his running mate.

“According to Amaechi, President Tinubu is already in trouble with the United States, because of the Muslim/Muslim ticket. One thing I can tell you is that the North East stakeholders have resolved to stick with Shettima. The recent appearance of Senator Ali Modu Sheriff on the Channels Television is part of the strategies that were adopted by the leaders to assure President Tinubu of our continued support and bloc votes.”

However, as at the time of filing this report, none of the APC chieftain contacted could say whether the plan to field either General Christopher Musa or Hon Yakubu Dogara as Tinubu’s running mate has been jettisoned.

“Those close to President Tinubu have told him that fielding Shettima as a place holder may be difficult to redress due to the strong provisions of the Electoral Act 2026. They suggest that the best thing to do is to drop Shettima and offer him concessions, because it would be hard to convince him (Shettima) to resign after his name has been uploaded,” a former national officer from the North Central, stated.

By Bassey Willie


A 40-year-old man simply identified as Felix has been confirmed dead after an alleged sex romp with a yet-to-be identified lady in Bayelsa state.

The incident happened at a guest house along Azikoro Road in the Ekeki area of Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

Residents of the area told Daily Trust that the deceased was found naked and lifeless in one of the guest house rooms after allegedly spending the night with the woman.

Felix was said to be a mobile phone repairer at the shopping complex in Ekeki before the incident.

Shop owners at the shopping complex near the guest house were seen gathering to mourn their deceased colleague.

One of the shop owners told journalists that Felix’s body was discovered by a cleaner on Wednesday morning while cleaning the room.

The cleaner reportedly raised the alarm after finding the body.

Residents who saw the deceased before the scene was cordoned off by the police said sachets of alcoholic drinks were found on the bedside table beside the body.

Daily Trust gathered that three persons, including the owner of the guest house and the cleaner who discovered the body, have been arrested by the police for interrogation.

It was also gathered that the deceased’s brother, identified as Dennis, was initially arrested after he was found with Felix’s mobile phone but was later released after providing what police considered a satisfactory explanation for why it was in his possession.

The spokesperson for the Bayelsa State Police Command, DSP Musa Mohammed, who confirmed the incident, said investigations have commenced to determine the cause of death.

He added that some persons have been arrested and are being interrogated in connection with the incident.

Dare Olawin and Damilola Aina


Dangote Industries Limited has commenced preliminary works on its proposed $17bn, 700,000-barrels-per-day refinery in Kenya, marking the first major step towards what is expected to become East Africa’s largest refining project.

The company said the project has advanced beyond the planning stage, with the site already selected, soil tests ongoing and engineering and design work underway ahead of construction.

According to Reuters, the refinery, which will be located on Lamu Island off the Kenyan coast, is expected to take about three years to complete and will supply refined petroleum products to Kenya and neighbouring countries, reducing East Africa’s dependence on imported fuels.

The development comes as Bloomberg reported on Tuesday that President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, plans to build the refinery at an estimated cost of up to $17bn as part of efforts to expand his refining empire into East Africa.

Citing a spokesman for Dangote Industries Ltd., Bloomberg reported that the proposed refinery would replicate the company’s refinery in Lagos and process about 700,000 barrels of crude oil per day when completed.

The report read, “A new mega-refinery to be built at the Kenyan coast by Africa’s richest person will cost as much as $17bn, a spokesman for Dangote Industries Ltd. has confirmed.

“Billionaire Aliko Dangote personally pledged to the leaders of Kenya and Uganda that he would set up a replica of his 700,000-barrel-a-day refinery outside Lagos in East Africa. The refinery would take about five years to build.”

According to the report, Dangote personally assured the Presidents of Kenya and Uganda that he would establish the refinery in East Africa. The report recalled that Kenyan President William Ruto announced in May that Dangote would commence construction of the refinery this year.

Speaking to Reuters, Dangote Industries’ Vice President for Oil and Gas, Devakumar Edwin, said the company had made significant progress on the project. “The site has been selected, soil tests are underway, and design and engineering work has commenced. Kenya was the choice from the beginning,” he told Reuters.

According to Bloomberg, Dangote said the coastal town of Lamu in southeastern Kenya was selected as the preferred location “for commercial and technical reasons,” although he did not provide further details.

The report added that Tanzania had initially been considered as a possible location for the refinery before Kenya emerged as the preferred destination.

The project represents Dangote Group’s biggest refining investment outside Nigeria and forms part of the company’s ambition to expand refining capacity across Africa following the commencement of operations at its 650,000-barrels-per-day refinery in Lagos.

Devakumar disclosed that the refinery would be financed through a combination of internally generated cash, bonds, and proceeds from the company’s planned initial public offering.

He, however, declined to state the exact cost of the project, saying it would be comparable to that of the Lagos refinery. The Lagos refinery, built by Aliko Dangote, eventually cost more than $20bn before commencing operations in 2024.

Reuters reported that the project was initially estimated at about $9bn in 2013, but costs escalated following the relocation of the site, engineering challenges, currency weakness, the COVID-19 pandemic and global inflation.

The investment comes as Dangote is simultaneously pursuing another ambitious expansion programme in Nigeria, where the capacity of the Lagos refinery is being doubled from 700,000 barrels per day to 1.4 million barrels per day by 2028. Once completed, the Nigerian complex is expected to become one of the world’s largest refining facilities.

Dangote Industries Limited has also unveiled plans to increase its combined refining capacity to 2.1 million barrels per day across Nigeria and Kenya as part of its long-term strategy to expand its footprint across Africa.

Edwin disclosed this during a recent visit by a delegation from the Republic of the Congo’s national oil company, Société Nationale des Pétroles du Congo, to the Dangote Petroleum Refinery in Lagos.

He said the expansion would raise the group’s total refining capacity to 2.1 million barrels per day, comprising 1.4 million barrels per day in Nigeria and the planned 700,000-barrels-per-day refining complex in Kenya to serve East African markets.

He also disclosed plans by the group to invest an additional $46bn between 2026 and 2028 across its refining, cement and fertiliser businesses as part of its drive to accelerate industrialisation across Africa.

The proposed Kenyan refinery reflects a growing recognition across Africa that local refining has become increasingly critical to energy security, foreign exchange conservation, and industrial development.

For decades, despite producing millions of barrels of crude oil daily, Africa has remained heavily dependent on imported refined petroleum products because of inadequate refining capacity.

Data show that while Africa contributes about seven per cent of global crude oil production, refining capacity across the continent declined by roughly one-third over the past two decades as ageing refineries suffered years of underinvestment, operational inefficiencies and poor maintenance.

The commissioning of the Dangote refinery has begun to reverse that trend. The refinery reached full operational capacity shortly before the recent Middle East tensions involving Iran, helping Nigeria significantly reduce its dependence on imported petrol and other refined products while improving domestic fuel availability.

Its success has renewed interest among African governments and private investors seeking to replicate the model in other parts of the continent. Beyond Kenya, several countries are now pursuing similar projects to strengthen their domestic refining industries.

In Mozambique, Nigerian businessman Benedict Peters has indicated interest in developing a proposed 200,000-barrel-per-day refinery, while Uganda is advancing plans to construct a 60,000-barrel-per-day refinery to meet domestic demand and supply neighbouring markets in Kenya and Tanzania.

According to the African Petroleum Producers’ Organisation, Africa currently exports about three-quarters of the crude oil it produces while importing approximately 70 per cent of the refined petroleum products consumed across the continent.

This imbalance has continued to expose African economies to volatile international fuel prices, high transportation costs, and foreign exchange pressures.

The proposed Kenyan refinery is therefore expected not only to strengthen East Africa’s energy security but also to deepen regional trade in refined petroleum products, reduce import dependence and stimulate industrialisation across the region.

Africa possesses abundant crude oil reserves but has historically lacked sufficient refining infrastructure to process its production locally. As a result, many oil-producing countries export crude oil and import expensive refined petroleum products, exposing their economies to global supply disruptions and price volatility.

The commissioning of the 650,000-barrel-per-day Dangote Petroleum Refinery in Nigeria marked a major shift in the continent’s refining landscape, boosting local fuel production and encouraging governments across Africa to prioritise investments in domestic refining capacity.

The proposed Kenyan refinery represents one of the continent’s most ambitious downstream projects and could significantly reshape fuel supply dynamics in East Africa while advancing the African Union’s broader agenda of industrialisation and regional energy integration.

By : Owede Agbajileke


Days after the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) disclosed that some tertiary institutions were being investigated for allegedly failing to refund students whose tuition fees had been paid twice under the Federal Government’s student loan scheme, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has published a list of 43 institutions it claims received duplicate tuition payments from both the Fund and the affected students.

The institutions, spread across universities, polytechnics and colleges of education and the country’s six geopolitical zones, were specifically accused of failing to reimburse students who had settled their tuition fees before NELFUND later disbursed the same payments on their behalf to the schools.

A statement late yesterday by NANS President, Akinteye Babatunde Afeez, said the list was intended to promote transparency, accountability and to ensure that affected students receive the refunds due to them without further delay.

The statement listed the 43 institutions to include: Adamawa State University, Mubi; Federal Polytechnic, Mubi; Federal College of Education, Yola; Kaduna State Polytechnic; Ogun State Institute of Technology, Igbesa; Federal University, Dutsin-Ma; University of Education, Akamkpa; University of Uyo; Yobe State University, Damaturu; Federal University, Lafia; Modibbo Adama University, Yola; Nasarawa State University, Keffi and Federal College of Forestry, Plateau State.

Others are Federal University of Education, Pankshin; Federal Polytechnic, Nyak; Plateau State University, Bokkos; Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi; Federal University of Education, Zaria; Imo State University, Owerri; Lagos State University of Education, Ijanikin; Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science and Technology, Ikere-Ekiti and Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology, Wudil.

Also implicated are Kano State College of Education and Preliminary Studies; University of Nigeria, Nsukka; Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki; Federal College of Education, Katsina; College of Agriculture, Science and Technology, Lafia; University of Ilorin; Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike; University of Ilesa; Ogun State Polytechnic of Health and Allied Sciences, Ilese-Ijebu as well as Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko.

The list also has Delta State University, Abraka; Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta; Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti; Federal University, Oye-Ekiti; University of Calabar; Rivers State University; Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Port Harcourt; Federal College of Education (Technical), Gombe; and Hassan Usman Katsina Polytechnic, Katsina State.

by Nicholas


Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Gwabin Musa (rtd), on Wednesday in Sokoto, after inaugurating 62 armoured vehicles and 320 motorcycles purchased by the state government for the various security agencies, assured that the current security challenges facing Nigeria will soon become history.

General Musa, who reemphasised that when engaging terrorists and bandits, security agencies should kill them instantly, further admonished Nigerians to see security as everybody’s business, hence the need for collective efforts in bringing it to an end

The vehicles purchased at around 27.7bn are considered yet another strategic logistical assistance to security agencies. They are seen as one of the many ways the state government is helping to end the insecurity.

Speaking before the commissioning, Gen. Musa expressed joy that Sokoto is his home, having been born and brought up in the state.

Admitting that, despite pockets of recent challenges, Sokoto remains a very peaceful state, adding that the governor is doing everything humanly possible to ensure the sustainability of that peace.

The minister, while recalling that the state government, under the leadership of Governor Ahmed Aliyu, had previously provided such interventions to the security agencies, added that this will not only boost their operational capabilities but also increase their morale.

He further appealed to other governors and well-meaning Nigerians to contribute their quota by extending such gestures to security agencies in their respective states, just as he assured that the current security challenges bedevilling Nigeria will soon become history.

Speaking on the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Ahmed Bola Tinubu, Gen. Musa listed security as a priority, adding that the federal government remains committed to ensuring a safer environment for all.

Delivering his speech, Governor Ahmed Aliyu said the newly purchased armoured vehicles and motorcycles will be deployed to flash points in the state to tackle banditry, kidnapping and other related crimes.

Gov Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto said the gesture is to enhance the operational capabilities of the security agencies and boost the protection of the lives and properties of all law-abiding citizens of the state.

The Sokoto State Governor recalled that his administration had previously spent over N36.27 billion in similar gestures to bolster the operations of the Armed Forces and other security agencies across the state.

According to him, a law is being promulgated at the Sokoto State House of Assembly that will ensure that informants are treated the same way as bandits.

He commended the Federal Government, the Armed Forces, other security agencies and critical stakeholders for their sustained efforts, disclosing that security tops his 9-Point Smart Agenda.

Gov. Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto also thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his unwavering commitment to improving the security of Nigerians’ lives and property.

On his part, the Sultan of Sokoto and President General, Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, represented by the Wazirin Sokoto, Prof. Sámbo Wali Junaidu, commended the giant strides of Governor Ahmed Aliyu for his relentless efforts towards ensuring the protection of the lives and properties of the people of the state.

By Daily Trust


Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has renewed her campaign for household food production.

This is just as she has harvested vegetables from the Presidential Villa garden.

She urged Nigerians to embrace home gardening as a practical way of improving food security and reducing the burden of rising food prices.

The latest harvest, carried out on Monday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, formed part of her Every Home A Garden initiative.

The programme is designed to encourage families to cultivate vegetables within available spaces around their homes.

According to information shared on Tuesday by the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), the garden continues to produce a variety of vegetables.

The harvest included spinach, waterleaf and fluted pumpkin, nearly two years after it was established.

Following the harvest, the First Lady shared part of the fresh produce with members of her staff.

She said the initiative also promotes the culture of sharing while providing households with access to nutritious, home-grown food.

Oluremi Tinubu has consistently presented home gardening as a simple but effective strategy for boosting household nutrition, lowering food expenditure and strengthening food resilience among others.

This is coming particularly at a time many Nigerians continue to grapple with the high cost of food.

The Villa garden was unveiled in July 2024 under the Renewed Hope Initiative as a demonstration project intended to show that vegetable cultivation is possible even within limited residential spaces.

The Every Home A Garden campaign particularly targets women and families.

It also encouraged them to make productive use of available land around their homes to supplement household food supplies.

The First Lady’s renewed advocacy for home gardening comes barely weeks after she found herself at the centre of a nationwide debate over comments encouraging vulnerable Nigerians to take up small-scale businesses.

According to her, this includes frying akara, roasting corn and producing kuli-kuli among others.

Speaking during an interview on her social investment programmes, Oluremi Tinubu said such ventures required little start-up capital and noted that the Federal Government was providing grants, not loans, to support beneficiaries.

The remarks quickly sparked criticism on social media.

Many Nigerians argued that suggesting petty trading at a time of severe economic hardship reflected a disconnect from the realities facing millions of citizens.

Others, however, defended the First Lady, insisting her comments were made within the context of empowerment programmes targeted at low-income and vulnerable groups rather than as a blanket prescription for all Nigerians.

The backlash gave rise to the now-viral nickname “Iya Alakara”, which gained even more prominence after President Bola Tinubu jokingly addressed his wife by the moniker during the inaugural Presidential Press Corps Dinner at the State House.

The controversy later resurfaced when the Tinubu Media Centre shared an AI-generated image depicting the First Lady selling akara, a move that reignited online debate over her earlier remarks.

The Federal Government, yesterday, convened a meeting with major oil marketers where it insisted on reduction in price of petroleum products to be consistent with crash in prices in the international market.

The meeting was to develop measures to reduce the cost of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) across the country following the decline in global crude oil prices.

At the meeting, the President of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Elijah Shettima, assured Nigerians that the price of PMS will decline.

The meeting, convened by the Nigeria Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) in Abuja, was attended by government officials and key operators in the downstream petroleum sector.

Speaking before the commencement of a closed-door meeting with stakeholders in the oil sector, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, said the meeting was aimed at engaging constructively with industry players with a view to finding common ground to lower the price of PMS.

Emphasising the impact of energy prices on all sectors of the economy, the minister said: “It is very important that we sit down, have an open and very frank discussion on how we can bring down the prices without necessarily affecting you, while also ensuring that the pump price reflects current market realities.”

Lokpobiri said he never faulted marketers when crude oil prices rose to about $118 per barrel and the prices of petroleum products increased. However, he noted that now that Brent crude had fallen below $70 per barrel, there should be no justification for pump prices not to reflect the present reality.

According to him, deregulation does not guarantee excessive profit for marketers, adding that the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) empowered the government to ensure fair pricing and prevent practices that undermine consumer interests.

The minister said the government preferred dialogue with marketers rather than imposing price controls, noting that the objective was to develop an agreed framework that would lower fuel prices without disrupting investments in the sector.

Earlier, the Chief Executive of the NMDPRA, Rabiu Umar, said the meeting was convened at the directive of the minister to address the disconnect between declining global crude oil prices and the sustained retail price of petrol in the domestic market.

He noted that although international crude oil prices had moderated following the easing of geopolitical tensions, the reduction had yet to be fully reflected in local pump prices.

The NMDPRA boss cited the recent decline in the price of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) as evidence that constructive engagement between regulators and industry operators could produce positive outcomes.

He urged marketers to participate actively in the discussions to ensure a balance between business sustainability and consumer protection.

SHETTIMA, during an interview with newsmen yesterday in Abuja, said IPMAN’s priority was to ensure that independent marketers could purchase petroleum products directly from Dangote Refinery.

He said the arrangement would improve product availability and encourage lower pump prices.

“Our major concern is to ensure that independent marketers can purchase products directly from the Dangote Refinery. If importation becomes necessary, marketers should also be allowed to import products independently,” he said.

The IPMAN president also called for sustained government support for local refining, noting that the growth of domestic refining capacity remained key to achieving affordable and stable fuel prices.

He urged the Federal Government to create an enabling environment for existing refineries to operate efficiently and to encourage more private investment in the sector.

Addressing concerns over the slow pace of reductions in pump prices, Shettima explained that fuel prices adjust gradually in line with market conditions. He claimed that since prices increased in stages when costs rose, reductions would also occur progressively as procurement costs declined.

Independent marketers, according to him, have reduced pump prices by about N125 per litre nationwide and remain committed to passing on further reductions to consumers.

“We are ready to reduce prices as long as we can maintain reasonable margins and remain profitable. Our goal is to make fuel more affordable for consumers,” he said.

Responding to questions about whether petrol could sell for N900 per litre, Shettima said the possibility largely depended on the cost at which marketers purchased products from depot owners. He explained that if procurement costs continued to decline, marketers would be willing to reduce pump prices further, even below N800 per litre, where market conditions permit.

Dangote Refinery’s decision to allow independent marketers to purchase products directly, he added, was a major milestone for the downstream petroleum sector.

The meeting, convened at the directive of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources by the sector regulator, had in attendance officials from Dangote Refinery, Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission Lagos (FCCPC), Major Energies Marketers Association of Nigeria (MEMAN), Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN), Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) and Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) among others.

by Nafisat Abdulrahman


President Bola Tinubu has directed the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to investigate major global technology companies over allegations of anti-competitive practices, unlawful use of news content and other activities alleged to be undermining Nigeria’s media industry.

The directive followed a joint petition submitted to the Presidency by the Nigerian Press Organisation (NPO), an umbrella body comprising the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria (NPAN), the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON) , the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) , and the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE).

The development was disclosed in a statement issued on Monday by the FCCPC’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Ondaje Ijagwu.

According to the statement, the federal government conveyed the President’s directive to the commission through a letter signed by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris.

The Commission said its investigation would extend beyond major technology companies to include Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) platforms operating in Nigeria.

The petition accused global technology firms, including Meta, Alphabet, X (formerly Twitter), and some Generative AI platforms, of engaging in practices that allegedly distort competition, threaten the economic sustainability of Nigerian media organisations and infringe on the rights of publishers and content creators.

FCCPC Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Tunji Bello, said the commission would conduct a transparent, impartial and evidence-driven investigation into the allegations.

“We recognise the strategic importance of the media to Nigeria’s democracy and the equally significant role of technology in driving innovation and economic growth. Our responsibility is to objectively determine the facts and ensure that competition within the digital ecosystem remains fair, transparent, and consistent with Nigerian law,” Bello said.

He stressed that the investigation should not be interpreted as a finding of wrongdoing against any company.

“This inquiry is not directed at any entity by presumption of wrongdoing. Rather, it is an opportunity to carefully examine the facts, hear from all affected parties, and determine whether any conduct has resulted in anti-competitive outcomes or unfair business practices. Every party will be accorded a fair opportunity to present relevant information before any conclusions are reached.”

According to Bello, the commission will determine whether the alleged conduct violates the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) 2018 or any other applicable law.

Among the issues under investigation are allegations of abuse of market dominance and anti-competitive conduct by the affected technology firms.

The Commission will also examine claims that copyrighted news articles, broadcast content and other original journalistic works were extracted, scraped, ingested or commercially exploited without the consent of publishers for the training and development of Generative AI models.

Another key aspect of the probe is the alleged lack of fair commercial agreements between global technology companies and Nigerian media organisations.

Media stakeholders argue that local publishers have been denied meaningful opportunities to negotiate compensation or establish equitable commercial terms for the use of their content, despite the increasing reliance of digital platforms and AI systems on professionally produced journalism.

The FCCPC noted that similar concerns had been addressed in South Africa, where an investigation by the South African Competition Commission resulted in an agreement for Google to pay South African news media R688 million (about $40 million) annually for between three and five years.

The Commission also recalled its previous regulatory action against Meta. It noted that in 2025, it secured a judgment against the company over breaches of the FCCPA, including data privacy violations, leading to a $220 million fine. Meta is currently appealing the decision.

By Daily Trust


The Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) has disowned the claim that the disputed Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) opened an account with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

While responding to claims made by Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, the self-acclaimed Director-General of the PFIPC, the Presidency had said misled OAGF and opened a CBN account.

“The Police found that Adeyemi, using the fake documents he created, fraudulently opened a CBN account by misleading the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation. According to the police, no government money has been transferred into the account,” Bayo Onanuga, Presidential spokesman, had said in a statement, which exonerated Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to the President, of any wrongdoing in the saga.

But giving its own side of the issue, the OAGF said the council never completed the process required to operate a Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) account.

He said that made it impossible for any government allocation to be paid into its coffers.

Director of Public Relations at the OAGF, Bawa Mokwa, said an application to open the account was initiated after the council’s convener, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, presented “an appointment letter“ linked to an existing government agency.

He, however, said the process stalled because the names of authorised signatories were never submitted, preventing the account from becoming operational.

“The account has not seen the light of day. It has not received one kobo because it was never fully activated.

“The Accountant-General has not released any money because there is no operational account for such payment,” Mokwa said.

He added that while the council has a budgetary allocation, the existence of a provision in the Appropriation Act does not automatically translate into the release of funds.

The OAGF also dismissed claims that salaries had been paid to staff of the council.

Mokwa explained that federal agencies cannot recruit personnel or process salary payments without obtaining approvals from the Federal Character Commission, the Budget Office and the Federal Civil Service Commission before workers are enrolled on the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System.

“If an agency is granted a waiver to recruit, it must still obtain approvals from the relevant agencies before presenting staff details to the Accountant-General. Without those approvals, not even one employee can be captured on the payroll,” he said.

According to him, none of the statutory conditions has been fulfilled by the PFIPC.

He insisted that the council has neither an operational CBN account nor an approved payroll through which government funds or salaries could have been disbursed.

Daily Trust reports that the controversy surrounding PFIPC first came to public attention after the Presidency disowned the body, insisting that no such agency exists under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

It warned Nigerians against dealing with individuals claiming to represent it.

The Presidency subsequently said Adeyemi, who had presented himself as Director-General of the council, was standing trial on charges bordering on alleged forgery, impersonation and related offences.

According to the Presidency, the matter was uncovered in October 2025 after the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) raised concerns that the purported council was carrying out functions similar to those of the commission.

The Office of the Chief of Staff to the President thereafter petitioned security agencies, alleging that appointment letters, official documents and other materials purportedly issued in the name of the Presidency had been forged.

Investigators were said to have recovered documents during searches conducted after Adeyemi’s arrest, while the government maintained that the PFIPC was never legally created.

The issue, however, took a fresh twist after the 2026 Appropriation Act listed the Presidential Economic Advisory Council/Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council under the Presidency with a budgetary allocation of about N1.3 billion for personnel, overhead and capital expenditure.

The inclusion triggered widespread questions from opposition figures, legal experts and civil society groups, who argued that the budgetary provision appeared inconsistent with the Presidency’s insistence that the council was fictitious.

The development has since shifted public attention beyond the criminal allegations against Adeyemi to broader concerns over Nigeria’s budgeting and administrative processes.

Critics have questioned how a body the Presidency describes as non-existent could appear in the federal budget, while also demanding explanations over reports that the council operated from the Federal Secretariat and interacted with several government institutions before it was disowned.

Calls for an independent probe into the circumstances surrounding the controversy have continued to mount.

by Claire Mom

The federal government has criticised Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, South Africa’s minister in the presidency, over her call for Nigeria to disclose the locations of alleged drug dens linked to Nigerians in the former apartheid country.

Ntshavheni made those comments in a press conference on Friday while rebuffing the possibilities of compensating Nigerians whose properties were left behind following their evacuation in the wake of anti-migrant tensions.

The minister said South Africa would rather focus on ridding the country of the “drug dens” left by Nigerians.

“We’ll be interested to know where the drug dens of Nigerians are. So they can show us where they have been holding the drugs so that we can clean the drugs in South Africa quite urgently,” Ntshavheni said.

“Squatter camps and informal settlements are never properties because they are illegal in the country. So you are already violating our law if you are going to tell us about a shack in some informal settlement.”

“So there’s no compensation that will come from government. Those who leave their properties, if they are properly legally registered in the country, they can dispose of the properties in the property market in South Africa — whether it’s a movable or immovable property. And we are going to seriously appreciate to be told where are the drug dens.”

Ntshavheni doubled down her stance after Shehu Sani, former senator representing Kaduna central, expressed shock at her comments.

“I didn’t stutter,” she replied Sani.


NIGERIA REACTS

A statement signed by Kimiebi Ebienfa, spokesperson of the foreign affairs ministry, said Ntshavheni’s comments were concerning and inflammatory.

“The unguarded public statements are unacceptable and are strongly condemned. Such derogatory, unprofessional and uncensored generalised public statements by highly placed government officials constitute hate speech that influences and incites negative and criminal actions against members of the Nigerian community,” the statement reads.

“The gang leaders of groups such as March on March and Operation Dudula, who incite violence and hate against fellow Africans, will also be held to account as a matter of regional and international criminal liability.”

Just before the June 30 deadline set by rights groups for undocumented migrants to leave South Africa, two Nigerians were killed.

At least four Nigerians have been officially reported dead since the violence began in April but some repatriated Nigerians have alleged a higher death toll.

The foreign ministry asked South African authorities to conduct urgent investigations into the killings and ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice.

The ministry said it is South Africa’s duty to protect the lives and properties of Nigerian nationals, just as there are numerous South African nationals and businesses operating safely in Nigeria without harassment.

Nigeria threatened to take action if the situation persists

by Beloved John


The disowned director-general of the non-existent Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), Adeniyi Adeyemi, has taken down his social media accounts and personal websites amid growing public scrutiny.

Checks by PREMIUM TIMES showed that Mr Adeyemi’s main Facebook account, @Emperor2019, which contained information about his activities, is no longer accessible.

Also, the website linked to his Facebook profile is not accessible at the time of filing this report.

The presidency is accusing Mr Adeyemi of forging a government appointment letter and parading himself as the DG of the non-existent PFIPC.

PREMIUM TIMES previously reported that the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, declared two weeks ago that such an office doesn’t exist under the current administration and that the government never made the appointment.

The Nigerian government has filed an eight-count charge of forgery and impersonation against him before the Federal High Court.

Mr Adeyemi faces a maximum prison sentence of 21 years without the option of a fine on each of seven charges, and up to three years’ imprisonment or a fine on one additional charge.

Mr Adeyemi, before deactivating his Facebook account about 24 hours ago, had around 9.3 thousand followers. On his Facebook profile, he described himself as an “astute administrator” and “financial wizard.”

He also referred to himself as “truly virtuous and upright individual, deeply God-fearing and guided by strong moral principles; a man of remarkable patience.”

Before it was taken down, the account contained posts portraying him as a senior government-linked official and promoting the disputed “Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC).”

The account featured posts about diplomatic visits and high-level meetings, including a Pre-Summit Dinner held last year. Some members of the diplomatic corps, development partners, officials, and private sector leaders were in attendance.

Mr Adeyemi also took down websites linked to his previous and upcoming projects, including his 2026 World Investment Summit, scheduled for October, the one for which the Pre-Summit Dinner was organised last year.

Mr Adeyemi claimed the event, titled “Unlocking Capital, Accelerating Development, Driving Prosperity”, could generate N5 trillion in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), according to media reports.

The website, which was active only a day ago, is now inactive.

Other Facebook accounts and websites with information about his activities before his appointment in 2025 are no longer available.

Some of these contain bogus claims that have raised questions about him in the past, such as his purported election as President General of the World Youth United Nations Summit in 2017 and his establishment of a World Youth University.

That year, a Facebook page and website were created for a World Youth Economic Summit. Registration for the conference costs 600 dollars per participant.

PREMIUM TIMES found that both the Facebook account and the website are no longer accessible.

Mr Adeyemi’s access to top government officials and institutions while presenting as the DG of a non-existent agency has been a source of concern.

This paper reported that the agency received a budgetary allocation, opened accounts with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and exchanged several correspondence with the office of the Accountant General of the Federation and other government agencies.

It also secured office space at the Federal Secretariat in Abuja and had at least three senior civil servants deployed to work there.

Meanwhile, Mr Adeyemi denied the allegations against him and accused the government of falsehood, vowing to prove his innocence in court.

By Ayobami Okerinde


The South African government has pushed back against Nigeria’s plan to seek compensation for properties abandoned by Nigerians fleeing recent xenophobic attacks, insisting that only legally registered assets can be recognised while controversially calling on Nigeria to identify alleged “drug dens” linked to its citizens.

South Africa’s Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, made the remarks during a press briefing on Friday.

According to a video of the briefing shared by Newzroom Afrika on X, Ntshavheni said legally acquired properties in South Africa are properly documented and remain under the ownership of their registered owners, who are free to sell them through the country’s property market.

“If you own a property in South Africa, it’s registered. If it’s a house, it’s registered with the Deeds Register. If you own a car, it’s registered in the NATIS system. If you own a business, it’s registered with the CIPC,” she said.

She maintained that Nigerians who legally own property in South Africa could dispose of such assets rather than seek compensation from the government.

“If you own a property in South Africa, those who leave their properties, if they are properly legally registered in the country, they can dispose of the properties in the property market in South Africa, whether it’s movable or immovable property,” she added.

The minister, however, stirred controversy by suggesting that the South African government would be interested in identifying locations allegedly used for drug-related activities by Nigerians.

“We’ll be interested to know where the drug dens of Nigerians are so they can show us where they’ve been holding the drugs so that we can clean the drugs in South Africa quite urgently,” Ntshavheni said.

She also ruled out compensation for structures located in informal settlements, describing them as illegal under South African law.

“Informal squatter camps and settlements are never properties because they are illegal in the country. So you are already violating our law if you tell us about a shack in an informal settlement. So there is no compensation that will come from government,” she said.

Her comments came days after the federal govenrment announced plans to seek compensation for citizens who lost access to businesses and property while fleeing anti-migrant violence in South Africa.

Speaking during an interview on Channels Television on July 1, Acting Nigerian High Commissioner to South Africa, Temitope Ajayi, disclosed that affected Nigerians had been directed to compile detailed records of businesses and properties they left behind.

“In terms of the businesses, just three days ago, myself and the South African deputy minister of foreign affairs were together, and we were discussing this,” Ajayi said.

“I took up the discussion with her, and we have agreed that we are going to ask our people who are returning to begin to document what they are leaving behind.”

He explained that returnees had been instructed to provide detailed information about their abandoned assets before departing South Africa.

“I have asked them before they left yesterday to document very accurately those things they were leaving behind in terms of businesses, in terms of even cars, movable and immovable properties.

“…We are going to work with the South African government to get to the exact locations of all these businesses, shops and properties and present them to the South African government for possible compensation because we will not allow the labour people have suffered to build over the years to just go down the drain or be taken over by people,” he added.


Over 850 Nigerians evacuated

The Federal Government has so far evacuated more than 850 Nigerians from South Africa in four batches following the outbreak of xenophobic attacks.

Before the latest evacuation, 328 Nigerians had returned home in two batches. The first Air Peace flight, which arrived in Lagos on June 11, brought back 262 returnees, while a second batch of 66 arrived on June 25.

A third evacuation flight landed at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on June 30, conveying about 271 Nigerians from Johannesburg.

The latest batch arrived on July 3, when an Air Peace charter flight brought back 268 Nigerians, alongside two officials and crew members.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, said the government remained committed to ensuring the safe return of Nigerians affected by the unrest while continuing diplomatic engagement with South African authorities over the crisis

Dangote Petroleum Refinery has slashed the ex-depot price of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, also known as petrol, to ₦1,075 per litre, from ₦1,125 per litre, in a move expected to trigger another round of price reductions across Nigeria’s downstream petroleum market.

The refinery also aligned its coastal loading price at ₦1,075 per litre and suspended its consortium marketing arrangement, effectively opening petrol loading at its gantry to all qualified marketers.

The suspended consortium comprised NIPCO Plc/11 Plc, MRS, TotalEnergies, Conoil, AA Rano, AYM Shafa, Rainoil/Eterna, Ardova Plc, NNPC Retail and other participating marketers.

Industry sources said the latest decision is aimed at making locally refined petrol more competitive than imported products, while broadening access to supplies for marketers nationwide.

According to the sources, opening product loading to all qualified marketers is expected to deepen competition in the downstream sector, improve product availability and enhance distribution across the country.

The latest reduction comes amid declining global crude oil prices and follows calls by the Federal Government and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, NMDPRA, for domestic petroleum product prices to reflect prevailing international market conditions under the deregulated regime.

Stakeholders said the new pricing would increase pressure on fuel importers and private depot owners, many of whom are expected to review their prices downward to remain competitive.

They added that the development could also lead to fresh reductions in depot prices and, ultimately, lower pump prices for motorists if marketers pass the savings on to consumers.

The latest adjustment further strengthens Dangote Refinery’s growing influence on Nigeria’s downstream petroleum market, where its pricing decisions have increasingly become a benchmark for other suppliers.

by Habeebah Basah


A Kaduna State High Court has dismissed a fresh bail application filed by former Governor Nasir El-Rufai, after the National Hospital Abuja disowned a medical report submitted in support of his request.

Justice Darius Khobo rejected the application, which was based on claims that El-Rufai was suffering from advanced metastatic prostate cancer requiring specialised treatment allegedly unavailable in Nigeria.

During the proceedings, counsel for the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) presented documentary evidence from the hospital’s Chief Medical Director, Muhammad Raji Mahmud, challenging the authenticity of the medical report relied upon by the defence.

According to the ICPC, a search of the hospital’s electronic medical records and patient database found no evidence that El-Rufai had ever been registered, consulted, admitted or treated at the facility.

The commission further stated that the purported medical report was issued without the knowledge or authorisation of the hospital’s management.

In his ruling, Justice Khobo held that a document disowned by the institution purported to have issued it could not serve as the basis for granting bail.

The court, however, directed the ICPC to grant El-Rufai unrestricted access to his personal physicians and ensure that he is escorted to any specialised diagnostic or medical facility of his choice within Nigeria whenever necessary during the trial.

El-Rufai is standing trial on a nine-count charge bordering on the alleged conferment of benefits under false pretences and the dishonest disposal of loan funds when he was governor of Kaduna State. He has pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

The ruling marks the third time the former governor has failed to secure bail. He remains in ICPC custody and is also facing a separate prosecution before the Federal High Court in Kaduna

by Malik Abdulganiy


The federal government granted a waiver to the controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) to recruit 300 members of staff in August 2025, TheCable can report.

Mimi Abu, director, organisation design and development, in the office of the head of the civil service of the federation, conveyed the government’s approval for recruitment in a letter dated August 7, 2025.

The waiver was necessary because of the federal government’s embargo on general civil service recruitment.


DETAILS OF THE RECRUITMENT APPROVAL

In the two-page letter conveying the waiver, which was copied to the office of the secretary to the government of the federation, Abu said the PFIPC had been approved to recruit 10 directors on grade level (GL) 17 and 20 assistant directors on GL15.

There was also approval for the recruitment of 44 administrative officers, with 20 on GL08, 15 on GL09, four on GL12 and five on GL14.

Other approvals were:

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45 planning officers
Six statisticians
32 commercial officers
22 investment promotion officers
26 accountants
10 legal officers
13 procurement officers
11 programme analysts
12 information officers
Nine executive officers (accounts)
Nine executive officers (GD)
Five data processing officers
Three confidential secretaries
Six technical officers (elect/mech/civil)
Seven data processing assistants
10 motor drivers/mechanics


“This approval is based on and limited to the 2025 Approved Establishment position of the Agency, which covers the proposed recruitment,” Abu wrote in the letter.

“You are please advised to: (a) obtain the clearance of the Budget Office of the Federation in line with the provisions of the extant circular issued by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation before the recruitment; (b) adhere to extant rules including the Federal Character principle while filling the vacancies; and (c) ensure that 5% of the recruitment is allocated to persons living with disabilities.

“Kindly note that: (a) on no account should the approval be varied or exceeded, in order not to increase the personnel costs unduly; (b) the officials of this office are required to be present during the exercise to ensure compliance with the waiver; and (c) the list of candidates who are successful in the engagement exercise should be forwarded to this Office for record purposes.

“Please accept the warm regards of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.”


MESSAGE OF APPRECIATION

Twenty-four hours after the letter’s issuance, Adeniyi Adeyemi, the director-general of PFIPC, published a note of appreciation on social media, thanking President Bola Tinubu for granting the waiver.

“Mr. President, we are growing because you believe in us,” the message reads in part.

Adeyemi also indicated that the agency had secured approval for “the establishment of PFIPC offices in all the 36 states of the federation” and “the rollout of 127 global offices across the world”.

“The visionary support strengthens our resolve to champion Nigerian enterprise and attract foreign direct investments across every border,” he said.


THE CONTROVERSY

The controversy started on June 11, when Femi Gbajabiamila, chief of staff to the president, released a statement saying the PFIPC does not exist under the Tinubu administration.

Adeyemi challenged the disclaimer and urged the president to establish an independent panel to investigate the matter.

TheCable subsequently reported that the council was allocated N1.3 billion — comprising N802.98m for personnel, N200 million for overheads and N300 million for capital — in the 2026 budget.

Adeyemi is also believed to operate from an office in the federal secretariat, Abuja, and has hosted diplomats and government officials, in addition to organising public events.

The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has filed an eight-count criminal charge against Adeyemi, according to Bayo Onanuga, presidential spokesperson.

In his statement challenging Gbajabiamila’s disclaimer, Adeyemi alleged that the disagreement was triggered by his refusal to part with 48 percent of the agency’s take-off grant.

He also claimed to have paid N400 million to secure his appointment, with a remaining balance of N200 million.

By Daily Trust


Peter Obi, Presidential Candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to make public the academic certificates and credentials submitted by candidates seeking elective office.

Obi made the call while reflecting on questions contained in the INEC nomination form, particularly those relating to mental fitness and certificate authenticity.

He said for openness in the electoral system, INEC should publish the certificates and credentials submitted by all aspirants.

According to Obi, making such documents publicly available would help ensure that those seeking public office are held to higher standards of accountability and integrity.

“Have you ever presented a forged certificate to INEC?” Again, the answer is either Yes or No. This raises another important question: Why shouldn’t INEC, in the interest of ensuring that our leaders are exemplary in following the rules and to strengthen public confidence in our electoral process, publish the academic certificates and credentials submitted by every candidate seeking elective office?”

“Transparency strengthens democracy and builds public trust. Nigeria’s problems are too serious for politics as usual. It is time for leadership defined by competence, character, capacity, compassion, and commitment to service.”

He noted that Section E, Question 1 of the nomination form asks whether a candidate has ever been adjudged a lunatic or declared a person of unsound mind, with only “Yes” or “No” as possible answers.

Obi said the question raises concerns about whether current political leaders are demonstrating the qualities of sound-minded leadership.

According to him, the prevailing realities in the country including kidnappings, unsafe highways, widespread hunger, and alleged diversion of public funds through questionable agencies and projects suggest that political leaders may be losing focus on urgent national priorities.

Obi argued that a responsible and sound-minded leadership would treat the country’s security and economic crises as a national emergency, mobilising all relevant institutions, security agencies, experts, and community leaders to address them with urgency.

He stressed that the survival, security, and stability of Nigeria should take precedence over political maneuvering and partisan interests, insisting that the nation requires decisive governance rather than political calculations.

Obi added that Nigeria’s mounting challenges demand leaders defined by competence, character, capacity, compassion, and commitment to public service, rather than politics driven by personal or partisan interests.

Earlier, Seriake Dickson, National Leader of the NDC, confirmed that Obi’s name had been uploaded to the INEC portal.

This comes amid a court ruling which voided the registration process of the opposition party.

By Ogaga Ariemu


Nigerian filling stations have hinted at plans to drop the premium motor spirit pump price to near N1,000 per litre amid pressure.

DAILY POST reports that in the last two weeks Nigeria’s petroleum downstream sector has witnessed a downward fuel price reduction.

Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, recently reduced its petrol price to N1,210 per litre barely two days after Dangote Refinery adjusted its petrol gantry price to N1,125 per litre.

This comes amid calls by Nigerians for a commensurate drop in the pump price of petrol as crude oil prices fell to around $73 per barrel, up from over $100 per barrel owing to the relative easing of the crisis in the Middle East.

At the weekend, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission warned oil firms in Nigeria against exploitation and profiteering after DAILY POST report on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government being silent over the fuel price concerns.

Reacting, an MRS filling station manager in Abuja told DAILY POST under anonymity that the fuel retail outlet will by Tuesday or Wednesday, drop its petrol price to between N1,201 and N1,191 per litre.

The spokesperson of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Chinedu Ukadike, also confirmed planned further fuel price drop.

Ukadike said the price would head towards N1000 per litre if crude oil prices continued to fall.

He attributed the current fuel pricing to refiners and importers.

According to him, petroleum product markets want the best fuel price for their customers to remain competitive.

“So you see this is coming down gradually. It’s possible the fuel price will drop to N1000 per litre or less if the crude oil price keeps reducing and refiners and depot owners follow.

“It is simply based on the factors of demand and supply,” he told DAILY POST.

DAILY POST reports that pump price stood between N1,210 and N1,300 per litre in Abuja and environs as of Monday night, while crude Brent and West Texas Intermediate stood at $72 and $70 per barrel, respectively.

By Agency Report


Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri, has directed petroleum marketers to immediately reflect the recent decline in global oil prices by reducing the pump prices of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) and other petroleum products.

Lokpobiri gave the directive at the 2026 Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) General Counsel and Legal Advisers Forum on Monday in Abuja.

The forum is themed “Beyond Compliance Certainty and Investment Confidence in Nigeria’s Petroleum Sector.”

Lokpobiri said that with the de-escalation of tensions between Iran and the United States, there was an expectation that the prices of PMS and other petroleum products would be adjusted downward accordingly.

He expressed concern that the anticipated reduction had yet to be reflected at the pumps, stressing that while market forces under the deregulated regime would ultimately restore price equilibrium, marketers should not exploit the situation to make excessive profits.

The minister said the regulator had a statutory responsibility to ensure that deregulation did not become an avenue for profiteering, adding that this must be carried out in line with the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA 2021).

“For too long, the dominant question in our regulatory conversations has been: are operators complying? That question matters. It will always matter. But it is no longer sufficient.

“The more consequential question today is this: are our regulatory authorities doing their job? Is it clear, consistent and predictable enough to give investors the confidence they need to commit capital, not just for one cycle, but for the long term?

“Compliance is the foundation. Regulatory certainty is the ceiling we must now be building toward,” he said.

Lokpobiri, while urging marketers to comply with the principles of fair pricing to ensure that consumers benefit from the prevailing market realities, urged regulators to move beyond compliance by promoting regulatory certainty to attracting long-term investments.

“The sector is now fully deregulated, a bold reform that President Bola Tinubu had the courage to implement. That decision paved way for the operationalisation of the Dangote Refinery and other refinery projects currently underway.

“It also ensured that artificial scarcity has become a thing of the past.

“You can attest to the fact that since 2023 there has been availability of products in country even with the recent challenges posed by the US-Israeli /Iranian conflict.

“Beyond allowing prices to be determined by market forces, the question is: what is the regulator doing to ensure that consumers receive the correct quantity of product?

“When someone pays for 10 litres of PMS, they should receive exactly 10 litres, not less,” he warned.

Lokpobiri said while compliance with regulations remained fundamental, investors were increasingly interested in jurisdictions with clear, consistent and predictable regulatory frameworks.

He described general counsel as strategic partners whose responsibilities extend beyond interpreting laws to shaping investment decisions, improving regulatory design and supporting national development.

According to him, legal advisers should provide constructive feedback whenever regulations or guidelines create uncertainty that could discourage investment.

He said Nigeria’s petroleum sector was entering a new phase characterised by expanding domestic refining capacity, increased private sector participation and emerging opportunities across the midstream and downstream segments.

According to him, attracting investments will require policy consistency, transparent regulation, efficient dispute resolution and strong collaboration among government, regulators, industry operators and legal practitioners.

He expressed confidence that the recommendations from the forum would contribute to improving governance, regulatory certainty and investment confidence in Nigeria’s petroleum sector.(NAN)

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja


The United States has disclosed that the cache of seized materials from terrorists during its recent raid in Nigeria was the largest haul of enemy electronic equipment recovered since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

According to the US government, it had to deploy an additional aircraft to evacuate electronic devices and other intelligence materials seized during the counter-terrorism operation, due to the sheer size of the equipment.

Besides, Washington revealed that US intelligence agencies had begun to examine the devices confiscated to gain deeper insight into the communications, networks and operational methods of the Islamic State (ISIS).

The disclosure was made by the United States Deputy Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Counterterrorism at the National Security Council, Dr. Sebastian Gorka, during an interview with Marissa Streit, the CEO of PragerU, a US conservative media organisation.

Gorka described the Nigerian mission as one of the most significant counter-terrorism successes recorded by the administration, likening the operation to scenes from a Hollywood action thriller.

He said that particular operation resulted in the killing of 199 jihadists in a single raid, which he described as the largest enemy neutralisation in a single counter-terrorism operation since the September 11 attacks.

“I can talk about this because it has been declassified. The President is not…going around the world like some lunatic neocon saying, ‘we will turn the world into America’.

“But if you’re threatening Americans, or if you’re targeting Christians, he has a very strong message to send to you, whether it was his Christmas Day strike, or three weeks ago, what we did in Nigeria.

“Three weeks ago in Nigeria, I watched it live from the Situation Room. It was like being in a Tom Clancy movie, but it’s better because it’s real. I watched our operatives kill 199 jihadists in one operation.

“Now, why is this important? That is the biggest neutralisation enemy killed in action since September the 11th. 199 jihadists who will not harm Americans again.

“Not only that, from that raid we brought home, we needed an extra plane to bring home all the electronic material that we captured in those camps. The haul was three times bigger than any enemy electronics haul since 9-11.

“That is priceless, because now our experts are taking apart all of that information, looking at how ISIS is communicating with each other. We are so back in the game of counterterrorism. It is just superlative to watch our professionals,” he explained.

Since late 2025, the United States has significantly expanded security cooperation with Nigeria, shifting from largely advisory engagement to a more structured partnership centred on intelligence sharing, counterterrorism operations, institutional reform and military capacity building.

THISDAY recalled that the renewed engagement gathered pace after National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu led a high-level delegation to Washington in November 2025, where both countries agreed to establish a Nigeria-US Joint Working Group on security.

Apart from the Christmas day bombing of terrorists’ enclaves in the north, one of the most significant achievements was a joint Nigerian-U.S. operation in Borno State that eliminated several Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) militants, including the group’s Deputy Leader, Abu Bakr al-Mainuki.

But the US counter-terrorism chief added that beyond the casualties inflicted on the terrorist group, the intelligence recovered from the operation could prove even more consequential.

The White House official ieclosed further that the electronic devices were currently being analysed by American intelligence agencies as part of efforts to dismantle ISIS networks and prevent future attacks against the United States and its allies.

Gorka argued that the operation reflected a more aggressive counter-terrorism posture under President Trump, insisting that the administration had abandoned what he described as the policy of “watching and waiting.”

He said that in the administration’s first 15 months, American forces killed about 1,031 jihadists globally while also securing the freedom of 106 American hostages without paying ransom. “We are not watching and waiting. We are dealing death to bad people,” he said.

Gorka said the threat posed by extremist groups remained real and pointed to attacks carried out by ISIS and other jihadist organisations across the world, including against Christian communities in Nigeria.

“If you’re threatening Americans, or if you’re targeting Christians because they’re Christians, he has a very strong message to send to you,” Gorka said in reference to President Trump.

Speaking specifically about Africa, Gorka argued that the continent has increasingly become a target for ISIS because of the existence of vast ungoverned territories where extremist groups can regroup after suffering defeats elsewhere.

He stated that many ISIS fighters displaced from Iraq and Syria during Trump’s first administration relocated to Africa after the organisation’s so-called caliphate collapsed.

“Terrorists need ungoverned space. They need somewhere where they can hang out and rebuild. Africa has a lot of ungoverned space. That’s why I focus a lot of my attention on that region of the world where ISIS is trying to reconstitute a caliphate,” he said.

While acknowledging that many African conflicts have local roots involving resources, ethnicity and communal disputes, Gorka argued that ISIS and similar organisations attempt to exploit those grievances by imposing extremist ideologies on existing conflicts.

He said the United States was working with African governments to prevent that strategy from succeeding.

Gorka submitted that the relations between Washington and several African countries had improved significantly under the current administration after what he described as ideological disagreements during the previous U.S. administration.

“We’ve been working intelligently. I sent a team of mine out to Africa to some key states and said, look, we’re not here to tell you what to believe in. But if you’ve got a terrorist threat, that is a threat to us. Let’s work together,” he stated.

Gorka also defended Trump’s decision to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organisation, describing the group as the ideological foundation of several modern jihadist movements, including ISIS, Al Qaeda and Hamas.

He argued that the designation represented one of the administration’s most consequential counter-terrorism decisions and should have been implemented decades earlier.

The official further expressed concern over what he described as the continued threat posed by radical Islamist organisations to both Africa and the United States, warning that extremist groups could exploit migration routes and weak border controls to expand their reach.

He nevertheless praised ongoing efforts by senior U.S. homeland security officials to tighten border security and disrupt terrorist and cartel activities.

Detailing how the plan to move into Nigeria was arrived at, Gorka stated that Trump never wasted time before approving the exercise immediately it was brought to his attention.

“We told the President, this man has killed Americans and is planning to kill Americans. And we’ve been watching him for a year and a half under the Biden administration.

“The President (Trump) looked up from the resident desk, he looked at us and said, What do you mean we’re watching him? Kill him.

“And as a result, he took out his iconic sharpie pen. He ticked the ‘go box’ on the operational orders we had in front of him. Less than 30 hours later, I’m in the situation room under the West Wing with the National Security Advisor with my colleague from my counterterrorism team.

“And we watched like clockwork at exactly 8.45 in the morning on Saturday, this ISIS leader being permanently removed from the battlefield. The President then declassified the video of that strike. He posted it on Truth Social, it went 120 million likes in like eight hours,” he added.

Nigeria’s Ambassador to the United States, Ambassador Kayode Are, has expressed optimism that President Bola Tinubu will undertake an official visit to Washington during his tenure, saying ongoing engagements between Nigeria and the United States provide a strong foundation for such a high-level meeting.

Are said although presidential travel schedules are determined by several strategic considerations, relations between President Bola Tinubu and US President Donald Trump remain cordial, with sustained diplomatic contacts taking place at different levels.

He spoke on Inside Sources with Laolu Akande on Channels Television,

“With the excellent relations between the two [President Donald Trump and President Bola Tinubu], I’m sure we will be able to get that done one way or the other. Of course, you know the itinerary of presidents determines where they go or where they cannot go.”

“Right now, there is a good level of contacts and engagements from top to bottom even if you have not seen them together physically. I will hope finally that during my tenure, that a presidential visit will be possible. It will be the greatest joy to be able to receive my president here,” Are said.

The ambassador said an official presidential visit would further consolidate the strategic partnership between Nigeria and the United States, deepen political and economic cooperation, and create new opportunities for trade, investment and security collaboration.

Are also reflected on the impact of Nigeria’s three-year absence of a substantive ambassador in Washington, describing it as a period that weakened bilateral engagement and disrupted the work of the Nigerian Mission in the United States.

According to him, the diplomatic vacuum affected both external relations with the US government and the internal functioning of the embassy, where many officers had never served under the leadership of a substantive ambassador.

“As we speak, I’m still feeling the impact that for three years we didn’t have an ambassador [to the United States]. In fact, you will find out that even in my mission here, many of the staff who came from home, they’ve never had an ambassador or worked with an ambassador. So, it’s a new learning experience for them. There is a clear impact,” he said.

He explained that rebuilding diplomatic relationships and restoring institutional momentum requires time, stressing that ambassadors play a critical role in maintaining high-level political engagement, promoting investment, advancing trade and representing national interests before the host government.

Nigeria had been without a substantive ambassador in Washington since the recall of its envoys in 2023, leaving career diplomats to manage the mission until Are’s appointment.

The ambassador also addressed concerns over visa restrictions affecting Nigerians, noting that immigration has become a major policy issue across the world, with countries increasingly adopting measures that reflect their national priorities.

He said the United States’ current immigration policies have affected many Nigerians seeking to travel for tourism, business, education and family visits, adding that the embassy receives visa-related enquiries from Nigerians on a daily basis.

“Another issue is the current state of affairs with immigration. All over the world, immigration is generating a lot of attention. Different countries have adopted policies which suit their interests. It has happened that the policies which have been adopted here have restricted the ambitions of some Nigerians, both for their leisure or for business. Every day, I receive enquiries from Nigerians about visas,” he said.

While acknowledging that diplomatic representation alone cannot eliminate visa challenges, Are said sustained engagement with American authorities would help Nigeria better navigate evolving immigration policies and protect the interests of its citizens.

“The visa issues won’t disappear even now that there is an ambassador, but we will create the conditions and engagements with our partners such that those things that are not particularly directed at us, we will learn how to deal with them,” he added.

The ambassador urged Nigerians travelling to the United States to comply strictly with the conditions of their visas, warning that overstaying or violating immigration regulations damages individual cases and could also affect the country’s reputation.

“One of the things is that if you come on a visa for a visit, you cannot expect to stay here beyond your visit and expect people to condone you because you are a Nigerian. It won’t happen,” he said.

Are maintained that responsible conduct by Nigerian travellers, combined with sustained diplomatic engagement and stronger institutional cooperation, would help preserve and deepen the long-standing relationship between Nigeria and the United States.

He expressed confidence that with continued high-level contacts between both governments and renewed diplomatic momentum, Nigeria-US relations would continue to strengthen, while reiterating his hope of welcoming President Tinubu to Washington during his tenure as ambassador.

Premium Motor Spirit (PMS or Petrol) import landing cost has dropped to N983.92 per litre as st June 24, 2026, falling below Dangote Refinery’s gantry price of N1,125 per litre, according to data from the Major Energies Marketers Association of Nigeria (MEMAN).

The figures pointed to a market where short-term import costs have softened, even as the local refinery continues to supply petrol at a higher rate than the spot landing benchmark.

MEMAN said in its Energy Bulletin for Wednesday, June 24, 2026, that the spot import parity price for petrol was N983.92 per litre via the ASPM route and N982.92 per litre via the NPSC-NOJ route. The association said the lower spot figures reflected recent movements in the international market and suggested that the immediate cost of bringing petrol into Nigeria had eased.

The bulletin showed that Dangote Refinery sold petrol at a gantry price of N1,125 per litre and a coastal price of N1,065 per litre. Compared with the spot landing cost, the refinery’s gantry price was higher by about N141.08 per litre, underscoring the current gap between local refinery pricing and short-term import parity.

MEMAN said the 30-day average import parity price for petrol stood at N1,138.20 per litre, which was slightly above Dangote’s gantry price. This means that while spot import costs were lower, the longer-term average still placed imported petrol above the refinery’s price, showing that the market remained mixed depending on the pricing window used.

The bulletin also showed that crude oil prices eased over the seven-day period ending June 24. Brent crude averaged $78.24 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate averaged $69.90 per barrel. Nigeria’s Bonny Light crude averaged $79.64 per barrel, slightly above Brent, reflecting continued demand for the country’s high-quality sweet crude.

MEMAN said the naira averaged N1,367.26 to the dollar during the review week, based on the Central Bank of Nigeria’s weighted average rate on the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market. The exchange rate remained a major factor in determining the final cost of imported fuel, since crude oil and refined products are priced in dollars.

For diesel, MEMAN said Dangote Refinery’s gantry price was N1,500 per litre, compared with a 30-day import parity price of N1,487.71 per litre and a spot parity of N1,213.44 per litre. The figures showed that diesel import costs were also easing on a spot basis, even though the refinery’s gantry price remained above the spot benchmark.

The bulletin said aviation turbine kerosene, or jet fuel, was priced at N1,450 per litre at the Dangote gantry, while its spot import parity stood at N1,201.23 per litre. MEMAN said jet fuel was the only product category in the bulletin that recorded an upward move in spot import parity, suggesting some pressure on short-term aviation fuel costs.

MEMAN also said liquefied petroleum gas was sold at N925,000 per metric tonne at the Dangote facility. It added that ex-depot prices varied across major distribution hubs, with Lagos petrol ranging from N1,125 to N1,130 per litre and Port Harcourt recording some of the highest diesel prices at N1,550 to N1,555 per litre.

The association said Nigeria remained the cheapest petrol market in West Africa, with pump prices of N1,208 per litre, based on the lowest prevailing prices in Lagos. It said the figure was below those of Liberia, Benin, Togo, Ghana, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Mali, Senegal and Sierra Leone, where prices were much higher.

MEMAN said energy stocks on the Nigerian Exchange were broadly flat during the trading session, although Geregu Power fell 10 percent and Oando declined 3 percent. It said Seplat Energy remained the most highly priced energy stock, while other counters closed unchanged.

The bulletin also showed that seven-day average domestic fuel prices to June 24 were lower than the refinery’s current gantry price. Petrol averaged N1,001.76 per itre, diesel averaged N1,243.09 per litre and aviation uel averaged N1,202.24 per litre.

byPress Release


The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, said the pace of infrastructure development under Governor Alex Otti has positioned Abia State as one of the states witnessing remarkable progress in critical sectors.

Mr Dare stated this on Wednesday when he, alongside the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, led members of the Renewed Hope Presidential Media Team on the tour of key federal and state projects across Abia. He described the ongoing projects in the state under Governor Otti’s administration as “impressive, restorative and transformational”.

This is contained in a statement issued on Wednesday by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Ferdinand Ekeoma.

Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare

The presidential aide particularly applauded the state’s well-thought-out investment in critical infrastructure, including the electrification project in Ohafia and ongoing road construction works across the state, noting that the current administration has demonstrated a strong commitment to reversing the trend of backwardness that characterised the state for many years, before Governor Otti came into office.

Mr Dare cited the ongoing Abia airport project as an example of effective collaboration between the federal and state governments, described the relationship between the two tiers of government as commendable.

Earlier, while conducting the team around project sites, the Commissioner for Information in Abia, Okey Kanu and his works counterpart, Otumchere Oti, said the 67-kilometre Joe Irukwu Way, which was previously impassable, was entirely funded and constructed by the state government and has significantly improved connectivity across over 20 communities in that part of the state.

According to them, the road installed with end-to-end solar street lights, links numerous agrarian communities and mineral-producing areas to the state capital. They added that the state government has also intervened on several federal roads in the state, to improve accessibility to remote communities.

Also speaking, the Commissioner for Lands in Abia, Chaka Chukwumerije, highlighted the significance of the Federal Housing Authority’s Renewed Hope Housing Estate project in Bende, describing it as one of the key federal interventions aimed at addressing housing needs in the state.

Also speaking, the Commissioner for Power and Public Utilities, Ikechukwu Monday, disclosed that the state government is on the verge of restoring electricity to Ohafia communities that had been without power for eight years due to vandalism. He added that the state government has completed a 20-kilometre, 33KV power line from Ihechiowa in Arochukwu to Ebem, Ohafia, terminating at a newly installed 7.5MVA injection substation.

He added that the ministry is currently finishing the last-mile installations to restore power supply to the whole of Ohafia Local Government Area. He noted that the state government is almost finalising a transaction to acquire a majority stake in the Abia operations of the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company, which he said would enable the government to extend stable electricity to the remaining local government areas not covered by Geometric Power.


Impact of cordial relationship between Tinubu, Otti

In his contribution, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Mr Ekeoma, stated that the Joe Irukwu Way had been in a state of decay for almost two decades before the intervention by Governor Otti’s administration.

“Because the government understands the economic benefit of this road, it awarded the project to three construction companies, which worked simultaneously and delivered it in record time,” Mr Ekeoma said.

Mr Ekeoma described the relationship between Messrs Tinubu and Otti as “fantastic and people-oriented”. He said the cordial relationship between the two leaders is one of the reasons the state has been getting the nod of the federal government so easily before embarking on the execution of numerous federal projects in the state.

The delegation, comprising editors, senior journalists, media influencers and representatives of the federal government, visited several projects being executed under both the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Tinubu and the Abia State Government under Governor Otti.

Projects inspected by the team include the 67-kilometre Umuahia-Uzuakoli-Akara-Abiriba Ohafia Road, renamed Joe Orukwu Way; the recently flagged-off Renewed Hope Housing Estate along Umuahia-Uzuakoli Road; the 30-kilometre Ozu-Abam-Ndiokereke-Amuvi Road in Arochukwu; and the 42-kilometre Ebem-Ohafia Road.

The delegation also visited the newly constructed Omenuko Bridge, the Renewed Hope Housing Estate at Onu-Inyang in Bende Local Government Area (which is currently under construction), the Nnenna Oti Multi Bus Terminal Umuahia, as well as the four-lane Dr Uma Ukpai Road project, a federal government project executed by the Otti administration.

By Zakariyya Adaramola


The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has begun the review of interconnection rates for telecom operators’ call and SMS services in the country, eight years after it was last reviewed.

Daily Trust reports that interconnection rates or Mobile Termination Rate (MTR) is the wholesale charge one network pays to another when its customer places a call that is received on a different network.

It is the underlying pricing mechanism that connects every Nigerian mobile subscriber — regardless of their network — with every other.

The current rate is N3.90 per minute/N4.70 per minute.

If the rate is eventually reviewed upward, telecom users in the country will pay more for call and SMS services, Daily Trust can report.

Speaking at a stakeholders’ consultative forum on the determination of mobile termination rate (MTR) in Lagos on Tuesday, a partner at KPMG, Mr. Wole Adenekan, said rates that are too low would fail to signal the true cost of providing termination services and can deter infrastructure investment.

Adenekan added that cost-based rates reward efficient investment and improve the country’s GDP.

“A mis-set MTR can enable dominant operators to foreclose smaller competitors through high termination barriers. A cost-reflective rate supports a level competitive playing field,” he said.

He said inflated termination charges are ultimately borne by end-users through higher retail prices.

The KPMG official said significant naira devaluation, inflation, and rising energy and equipment costs since 2018 have materially altered operator cost structures, hence the review of the current rate regime.

He added 5G rollout and AI/IoT adoption are also reshaping network usage patterns, cost structures, and service delivery models, making legacy interconnection frameworks less representative of current realities.

He noted competition by Over-the-top players, who are capturing voice and messaging traffic, is reducing reliance on traditional interconnection and weakening legacy wholesale revenue streams.

According to him, the 2018 MTR determination has never been updated for local rates, adding that the 2022 amendment addressed International Termination Rate only.

In her welcome address, the head competition and tariff unit policy department at NCC, Omotayo Mohammed. said the review constitutes a significant economic intervention intended to align NCC’s frameworks with the rapid pace of change in the telecoms sector.
Mohammed said the review would examine existing retail price controls and asymmetry arrangements with a view to safeguarding consumer welfare.

She said: “Our existing national interconnection rate regime was set out in the Commission’s Interconnection Rate Determination of June 1, 2018, and was subsequently adjusted through an amendment to the Mobile International Termination Rate (ITR) in September 2022.

“The Commission has historically maintained a regular cycle of periodic reviews to keep its frameworks relevant.

“However, the years since our 2018 determination have been marked by unprecedented and rapid change. The Nigerian telecommunications market has undergone considerable transformation, reflected in swift expansion, shifting market dynamics, the commercial deployment of advanced technologies such as 5G, and the emergence of new ecosystem players including Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs).

“At the same time, both global and domestic macroeconomic conditions have shifted considerably. Changes in exchange rate regimes, and inflation rates have substantially altered the cost structures associated with providing communications services in Nigeria.

“For regulation to remain effective in a fast-moving market, our frameworks must evolve in step with it. Pursuant to Section 108 of the Nigerian Communications Act (NCA) 2003, the Commission is therefore acting on its mandate to ensure that telecommunications tariffs and charges remain reasonable, cost-reflective, and non-discriminatory”

Equatorial Guinea's government has resigned after failing to meet its objectives, Vice-President Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue said.

Obiang, who is also the son of President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, said the prime minister had presented the resignation of all members of the government because it had barely reached 10% of its targets.

He did not specify the targets but a statement by the ruling party said the president had observed that the government fostered corruption and failed to diversify the economy.

President Obiang is the world's longest-serving leader who has ruled the oil-rich West African country since 1979 with a strong grip, while naming family members to key government roles.

The president appointed the outgoing government in 2024, with Manuel Osa Nsue Nsua as prime minister.

On Tuesday, the vice-president said the resignation was in line with "the principle that responsibility in public management must be accompanied by results".

"The degree of execution achieved is clearly insufficient in relation to the expectations and commitments undertaken," he posted on X.

In a statement on Facebook, the ruling Democratic ‌Party ⁠of Equatorial Guinea (PDGE) said the president was dissatisfied with the management of the outgoing government. A new government is expected to be appointed.

The statement further cited the misuse of state resources for personal interests and stagnation in the implementation of development projects.

The president also noted that the government had not implemented policies to diversify the economy especially in the agricultural sector, which would cut reliance on imported goods that can be produced locally.

Equatorial Guinea's economy is heavily reliant on petroleum, with oil and gas accounting for most of its exports and revenues.

In spite of its oil wealth, much of its 1.8m population has not benefitted, as poverty remains rampant. In recent years, the economy has been on a decline amid reduced production and demand for oil.