₦airaland Forum

The Federal Government has secured a $25.35 million concessionary loan from the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development to support a major initiative aimed at reducing the number of out-of-school children in Kaduna State.

The facility, signed on behalf of the Kaduna State Government, forms part of a broader $62.8m blended financing package with international development partners designed to expand access to quality and inclusive education in one of the country’s most affected regions.

In a statement issued on Tuesday by the Director of Information and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Finance, Mohammed Manga, the loan is expected to finance the Reaching Out-of-School Children programme, a large-scale intervention targeting vulnerable populations, including girls, children with disabilities, and internally displaced persons.

The statement read, “In a significant step towards improving access to quality education in Nigeria, the Federal Government and the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development have partnered to support the Reaching Out-of-School Children programme in Kaduna State.

“This partnership is built on a $25.35m concessionary loan agreement signed today between the Federal Government of Nigeria, on behalf of Kaduna State and the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development.
“The facility forms part of a wider $62.8m blended package with international partners that will expand access to quality, inclusive education and improve learning outcomes for some of Nigeria’s most vulnerable children.”

The programme is set to enrol over 100,000 children, construct or upgrade more than 200 schools, and improve both the learning environment and the capacity of teachers in underserved areas across the state.

The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Wale Edun, who was represented at the signing by the Minister of State for Finance, Dr Doris Uzoka-Anite, said the programme highlights the government’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and measurable outcomes in social sector investments.

He noted that with millions of children still out of school, particularly in northern Nigeria, each dollar of intervention must translate into real and visible progress.

leadership and strong engagement with partners, expressing confidence that the initiative could serve as a model for replication across other states.

According to the statement, Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, reaffirmed the state’s prioritisation of education, disclosing that Kaduna had already fulfilled its counterpart funding commitment of $1m.
He said the state had increased the education sector’s share of the 2025 budget to 26 per cent, as part of a broader commitment to human capital development.

Under the framework of the new programme, 102 new climate-resilient schools will be built while 170 existing schools and learning centres will be rehabilitated, with particular emphasis on marginalised groups and hard-to-reach communities.

The Director-General of the Kuwait Fund, Dr Wahid Al-Bahar, described the project as an investment in hope, noting that its goals extend beyond infrastructure.

He said the fund was proud to support an initiative that aims to guarantee access to learning for every child, stressing that success would be judged by improved enrolment, stronger learning outcomes, and community engagement.

The other partners in the financing structure include the Islamic Development Bank, which is contributing a $10.5m loan; the Global Partnership for Education, offering a $15.45m grant; the Education Above All Foundation, with a $10m grant; and Save the Children International, which is providing $0.5m in technical assistance. Kaduna State’s contribution stands at $1m.

The Federal Ministry of Finance is expected to oversee the programme’s fiduciary processes and coordinate results reporting in collaboration with the state and partner organisations.
This will involve routine joint assessments covering enrolment rates, teacher training metrics, and academic performance indicators to ensure the programme delivers measurable and sustainable impact.

youngsahito:
if she didn't find her way to Christianity, drag her into it. Why not go and preach to those monk on China and Hindu india to accept Christianity.

maxxx:
Walahi we for kukuma leave Nigeria for PDP hand.Those guys were not saints in any way but they sure had direction, Spread, nationalistic ,internal and external structure etc....Not this anyhowness we are seeing now. We have never had it so bad since 2015.

Nigeria can only be saved by Nigerians.

The Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has said that 2027 Igbo presidency is not achievable, adding that the South-East zone will resist any “darkening counsel” without knowledge to deceive the people into believing that Igbo presidency is achievable in 2027.

Umahi called for the total support of the South-East zone towards the reelection of President Bola Tinubu in 2027, saying it is the only panacea to consolidating the chances of the zone to produce the president of the country in the future.

This is contained in a statement personally signed by the minister and made available to journalists on Monday.

The minister called on the people of the South-East to rise in support of President Tinubu, adding, “because he has demonstrated unwavering love and fairness to the people of the South-East.”

He commended the leaders of the zone and the governors for their support and the great work they are doing for the people, urging the people to support them, along with the President, for their second term in their respective offices.

The statement said, “We must not be deceived again. Mr. President must have the votes of the Southeast up to 90 per cent to cement this relationship. Enough of darkening counsel without knowledge in the South East.

“We must rise to educate our people. If we want to be president, we must avoid the politics of hate, misinformation, and sentiments.

“We must support other regions, and with God, one day, other regions will support us. Mr. President must be supported to complete his tenure of eight years, which all regions are benefitting from.

“One day, we will be number one, but not in 2027. I will vocally continue to stand against any mischief to deceive our people. We are known for hard work and love and not hate.

“I commend our leaders, who are the South East Governors, for their support and the great works they are doing for our people. I want our people to please support them along with our dear President for their second tenure in their respective offices.”

Fresh data from the downstream regulator of the oil sector has revealed that marketers have resumed large-scale importation of refined petroleum products, choosing not to patronise local refineries.

Findings by The PUNCH, based on the latest fuel supply data obtained from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, showed that a staggering 71.38 per cent of Nigeria’s daily petrol consumption in May and June 2025 was met through imports.

The remaining 28.62 per cent was sourced from the $20bn Lekki-based Dangote Petroleum Refinery. This indicates that marketers, who are expected to access products locally with ease in the country, are instead spending the country’s scarce foreign exchange to import refined petroleum products.

The NMDPRA disclosed this during a presentation to the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee for the month of June 2025. Our correspondent obtained a copy of the presentation on Sunday.


An analysis of the FAAC document revealed that out of a combined total of 3.25 billion litres of Premium Motor Spirit consumed during the two months, 2.32 billion litres were imported, while only 927 million litres came from local refineries.

A comparative analysis of petroleum product supply and distribution showed that June’s PMS import stood at 34.10 million litres per day, making a total of 1.023 billion litres, while local production contributed just 15.2 million litres daily and 455,188,512 litres within the period.

In May, imported PMS averaged 43.22 million litres daily, totalling 1.297 billion, with local refining accounting for 15.74 million litres, totalling 472.07 million per month.


Further analysis disclosed that 455.2 million litres of PMS were trucked out from refineries, while depots accounted for 985.6 million litres, representing an 18.55 per cent increase from the 1.22 billion litres recorded in May. The average daily distribution was 48 million litres in June, from 54 million litres, with the number of trucks rising from about 37,000 in May and 32,000 in June.

It also showed a monthly supply variance of -16.42 per cent between May and June, dropping from 1.77 billion litres in May to 1.48 billion litres in June. With an average pump price of N905 per litre, marketers spent a total of N2.1tn on imports within the review period.

A state-by-state breakdown of truck out figures showed that Lagos State alone accounted for 205.66 million litres, the highest among the 36 states and the FCT. Ogun State followed with 88.69 million litres, while the Federal Capital Territory came third with 77.5 million litres.

Other top-consuming states included Oyo (72.8 million litres), Delta (68.5 million litres), and Kano (68.2 million litres). The data suggests that the southwestern and north-central regions continue to lead in fuel demand, a trend analysts attribute to higher population densities, economic activities, and increased vehicular movement in urban centres.

In contrast, states such as Yobe (11.7 million litres), Jigawa (9.4 million litres), and Ekiti (15.3 million litres) recorded the least volumes of PMS dispatched during the same period.

Apart from PMS, similar reliance on importation was seen in the supply of Aviation Turbine Kerosene and Household Kerosene, where over 99 per cent of total volumes were imported. ATK recorded a daily average of 1.89 million litres in June, up from 1.80 million litres in May, while HHK’s daily supply declined from 1.25 million litres in May to 0.86 million litres in June.

For Automotive Gas Oil (diesel) used predominantly by industries and logistics firms, imported diesel rose from 7.3 million litres daily in May to 8.7 million litres in June, despite local production also increasing slightly.


The report also disclosed that Liquefied Petroleum Gas was entirely imported, with zero local production recorded in both months. A total of 116.4 million litres was imported in May, but no LPG was supplied in June.

This development comes against the background of renewed agitation by the President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, requesting President Bola Tinubu to include refined petroleum products in the list of items banned under the ‘Nigeria First’ policy of the Federal Government.

Speaking at the just concluded Global Commodity Insights Conference on West African Refined Fuel Markets hosted by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority in partnership with S&P Global Insights, Dangote requested in clear terms that petrol, diesel, and other refined petroleum products be added to the items banned by the policy.

According to him, fuel importation into Nigeria is killing local refining and discouraging further investments in the sector and even the economy. To remain viable, he urged governments across Africa to take deliberate steps as the United States, Canada, and the European Union have done to protect domestic producers from what he called unfair competition.

“The Nigeria First policy announced by His Excellency, President Bola Tinubu, should apply to the petroleum product sector and all other sectors,” he stated.

But this was unanimously rejected by oil marketers and industry analysts. Recall that daily fuel imports into the country had significantly declined to just 14 million litres per day in April, marking one of the lowest volumes recorded since the deregulation of the downstream sector.

Speaking in an interview, the National Publicity Secretary of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Chinedu Ukadike, warned that any move to ban the importation of petroleum products could cripple the industry and hurt the Nigerian economy.


He noted that calls to outlaw fuel importation in favour of domestic refining, particularly by the Dangote refinery, were premature and could entrench a monopoly with dire consequences for independent marketers and consumers.

“We fear monopoly. The fear of monopoly is the beginning of wisdom,” Ukadike said. “We have been battling with pricing for a very long time. Most of our marketers have lost millions of naira because of a pricing template that was once controlled by NNPC, and now seems to have shifted to Dangote,” Ukadike stated.


He added that IPMAN was not against the success of the Dangote refinery but stressed that cheaper prices, rather than legislation, should be the tool to phase out imports.

“If Dangote wants to monopolise, let him do it with lower prices. Compete on price, not by pushing for policies that eliminate competition.” He stated that despite being locally refined, Dangote’s PMS was not the cheapest on the market.

Ukadike said independent marketers were under immense financial pressure and relied heavily on bank loans to sustain operations. He warned that any attempt to restrict their supply sources would threaten their survival and reduce consumer options.

“Dangote has openly stated that he is not in the retail business. So how do we sustain retail operations when the only supplier is offering higher prices and we have no room to negotiate?”

He further urged the Federal Government to address the high levies and port charges faced by marketers when lifting products from Dangote’s refinery in Lagos.


Ukadike said, “Marketers are currently burdened by multiple charges from NPA, NIMASA, and others, many of them denominated in dollars. How can you talk about reducing pressure on forex while asking indigenous businesses to pay port charges in foreign currency?”

Also, the National President of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria, Billy Gillis-Harry, kicked against the call to ban fuel Importation. He said no one company should be allowed to dominate the downstream sector in a free economy.

While admitting that there is a need to ban the importation of some goods, he said these should not include fuel, stressing that Nigeria needs multiple sources of energy. “I don’t agree with Dangote. We are running a free economy. There’s no reason why any one company should have an overarching value on the entire industry.

“Importation is not killing the economy. Importation is stabilising the sources of petroleum products. Importation of all products is useful,” he stated.

Reacting, the Chief Executive Officer of PetroleumPrice.ng, Jeremiah Olatide, attributed the trend to importers’ ability to secure cheaper landing costs for petrol, in contrast to the coastal price structure used by Dangote Petroleum Refinery.

He said the sharp pricing competition is currently rattling Nigeria’s downstream oil sector, with over 80 per cent of petroleum importers and private depots in Lagos selling petrol at rates lower than Dangote Refinery’s ex-depot price.

The analyst disclosed this in an exclusive interview with The PUNCH on Sunday. Olatide said the development has significantly affected sales volumes at the $20bn Dangote Refinery, which only recently began phased distribution of refined petrol.

“Looking at the price trajectory in July, 80 per cent of importers and private depots in Lagos priced petrol cheaper than Dangote’s ex-depot rate because importation gives them the opportunity to get cheaper landing cost against Dangote’s coastal price,” he said.

“This has brought about a complete decline in sales at the refinery, while importers experienced a sharp rise in sales. The private depots have been responding swiftly to Dangote’s pricing strategy lately, and this clearly shows that importers are strategically positioning themselves for the August 15 roll-out by Dangote.”

While the Dangote refinery is expected to ramp up supply of petrol to the domestic market by mid-August, market players are already bracing for a wave of policy changes and market realignments that could follow.

“August 15 is going to spring up surprises. The downstream sector will experience some policy shifts and power tussle,” Olatide added.

He explained that importers, aware of the stiff competition ahead, ramped up cargo volumes in June to cushion any potential supply squeeze from the local refining giant.

“They are aware that the only way to fight back is through competitive pricing, and it can only be achieved through sourcing cheaper products abroad. That’s the reason for the uptick of petrol imports in June,” he said.

An energy expert at the University of Lagos, Prof Dayo Ayoade, also warned against banning fuel Importation, saying this would promote monopolistic tendencies.


“No, we cannot have a ban on petroleum imports. It’s not a legal ban. That would not be acceptable because we don’t have diverse sources for petroleum products. We can’t rely solely on the Dangote refineries. That would give a monopoly to a private individual.

“And for the reasons of energy security and national security, that would be completely unacceptable. The government should continue to encourage, liberalise, and ensure that other refineries come upstream. NNPC may want to privatise or sell off its refineries, then that’s fine. But we need to have a better base of product market before we now start to say we want to ban imports,” he said.

He queried what the local and international laws say about banning products.

“And you know, when we talk about bans, we have to look at international trade. International trade law does not really sit well with banning things. So, we have to be clever about how we do it. But if the market is ripe, it will be more expensive to bring in things from other countries than our own products, provided they are of sufficient quantity and the quality is fine,” the don submitted.

surgical:
you are not informed or not well educated if you don't know the importance of government in a nation,if you don't know a government can make or mar the citizens, if you don't know the actions of government can ruine a nation or make it prosperous
APC is populated by not too smart people, mediocre leaders and supporters
Reason for their inability to provide good governance since 2015 to date
You supporters don't know more than insults