₦airaland Forum

This is exactly what I have been saying. I really don't like to talk about politics. We play too much politics in. Nigeria at the expense of governance issues I prefer to debate.

But this is the bottom line of all the wahala in the PDP since 2023. The move for an autocratic state masquerading as a so called government of national unity states here.

Wike has fought tooth and nail under the lead of the ruling APC and the Presidency to ensure that no presidential candidate is fielded by the PDP at the 2027 polls. Same way they have infiltrated other major parties and undermined them.

And the reason is simple.
The government is unpopular on the streets due to its reforms induced hardships and with the backend knowledge that it did not win the popular vote in 2023. So it needs every available card in the stack to win, state capture, state actors and all parties surrendering before the fight.

Is this not an overkill. Ordinarily yes.

But if you are planning something very, very sinister against the people (this coming year) you will truly need every trick in the book to survive politically.

Just like was saud about Mr. President when he was called to account by the CCB during the Jonathan regime, so called....'No Evidence'

... 'I know what you did last summer' things. Reminds me about one of my dad's famous re-quotes about the famous industrialist Henry Ford...

'I can account for every day of my life...but don't ask me how I made my first million..'

There is always a story.

According to Rob Dyrdek. That's a scorpion.

To complete the cycle those firearms should be crushed or shredded right in front of the press.

There is a trust deficit with security services in the land. There is no guarantee that those things will not find their way back into the hands of felons or reused for future press displays if returned to police lockups.

Just

SixSeven:
You cannot subtract projected revenue (₦34.33T) from capital expenditure (₦26.08T) as you wrote it here.
Revenue is income, capital expenditure is spending.
The breakdown is:
Total Expenditure: ₦58.18trn
Projected Revenue: ₦34.33trn
Budget Deficit = ₦23.85trn
If we spent less money than revenue, that is, if we swapped the figures, it will be called a budget surplus.

In simple English, Nigeria says it will earn ₦34.33trn this year. But plans to spend ₦58.18trn. That difference means we are borrowing almost ₦24trn to survive in 2026. We are spending more than we earn.

That alone should worry anyone paying attention but Nigeria is not the only country to run its budget on deficits. As long as the borrowing is for good use, it's generally okay but if it's to spend on wastage, that doesn't make sense

Recall how the money is shared:
• Capital projects (roads, rail, power): ₦26.08trn
• Recurrent expenditures (Salaries & running gov't): ₦15.25trn
• Debt servicing: ₦15.52trn

So again, we are spending almost the same amount on old debts as we spend on building the future.

Why some people may be angry are the following:

1. Budgets keep getting bigger, lives keep getting harder

In 2015 our budget was around ₦5trn.
• 2020: ₦10T
• 2023: ₦21T
• 2024: ₦27T
• Now: ₦58T
Today it’s ₦58tr. Is the increase commensurate with growth and development

2. We’ve seen this debt movie play out in our eyes before

Nigeria was once crushed by debt. We begged, negotiated, and finally got debt relief in 2005 under Obasanjo. One of the reasons we got the Paris Club debt forgiven was because we promised to do better and somehow blamed the military for the past debts We could hide under the cover that military are not supposed to be in government and can be financially irresponsible. We are back to it after 20 years. The irony of this premise is that people are referring to capital projects the Military did and saying they could see more of their work than now where you have to beg your government to provide you with basic infrastructure for survival.

If you love entertainment, that 2005 debt is one of the achievements of Ned Nwoko, the man Regina claimed she made He still claims some outstanding balance from the negotiations:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJyjj0GbDKA


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_w1uioBw1Q

3. Borrowing is not for growth but for survival

Borrowing to build factories, power plants, industries? Fine.
Borrowing to pay salaries and service old loans? Ugly.

When you borrow to survive, the bill always comes back to citizens through:
• Higher taxes
• Higher fuel prices
• Higher electricity tariffs
• More inflation

We are already seeing it. The reason why these things increase is because gov't needs money so it will get it back from you


4. Government keeps telling citizens to sacrifice, but never itself


Recurrent spending is still huge.
Same big government. Same inefficiencies. Same lifestyle at the top. Now they flash it in front of us, their luxurious lifestyle and yet they say we are poor, we should tighten our belts.

Past budgets promised refineries, power, roads, jobs. Most Nigerians never saw the results.
So no, this may not just be about Nigerians whining. Where's the light? Where's the hospital? Where's the healthcare? Where are the roads? Where are the jobs created by this budget? Why are they flying out of the country if the projects are implemented?

The anger could be about pattern. Big budgets. More debt. Little impact. Rinse and repeat.

If smaller budgets didn’t fix Nigeria, why will a ₦58trn budget funded by debt suddenly do magic? I don't speak for the Nairalanders, I am just doing an analysis.

Burrowing to survive?
Survive how..?
Is the budget not filled with all sorts of useless projects.

Is the highly expensive coastal highway a survival strategy..? Is it critical infrastructure...? Will it bring trillions of naira to the economy in future to repay itself...?

The ICC Wike renovated for billions of naira. How much has it generated to repay that amount...

The budget is just one huge money grab through all sorts of spendings on shady contractors and consultants.

The government should provide a separate list of all the projects it intends to fund through this budget and let Nigerians decide what is a priority, what we need for SURVIVAL and what is NOT and can wait till the economy gets better. (Actually this is the work of the NA, to cast off waste till the budget balances)

The priority should be the people. Getting them out of poverty so they can lend more to government out of their productivity so we don't have to burden the foreign taxpayer for funds at ridiculous repayment rates.

How many trillions did China borrow from global lenders to becoming a super economic power. Why can't we adopt their own model.

lilsmart:
Governor achievement commissioning busses.

Even God is Good motor. No dey commission busses wey him buy.

Exactly. This is private sector level investment. The government can partner, organise and 'incentify' key transport companies and transport unions to deploy these. But this is not where it should be putting it's resources.

Another governor that in my opinion should rather be investing in more durable and resilient transport infrastructure. Leave buses, taxis, trikes and bikes for the private sector. Invest in trams and railway.

Masterplan connections between the key city centres and to the borders with Enugu, Imo, Akwa Ibom and Rivers for an integrated national network.

Agreed that states are independent but can take development ideas from the centre towards effective transport infrastructure which is terribly lacking.

The advantage government has over the populace is that it is resourced to think hard, plan far and execute bigger, riskier things. It should not be playing local league.

PS. As an Abuja resident I call on Mr Wike to start the process of providing rail infrastructure from the three key satellite towns into Abuja city. This is a more impactful infrastructure than all the roads and bridges be could ever build in the FCT.

Location, location, location.

Sahad stores is not a prime facility so attention and maintenance is likely lax. Coupled with the fact that as a 'store' the elevators are likely to be frequently overloaded with passengers bearing goods. The images of a cramped cabin show exactly that. It may have been an overload sensor just kicking in mid flight.

Hope they all had a bath before shopping....yuck

And where is all this money going.
To things that will generate 54 trillion and more for interest payments or on big, fat white elephants that will eat a kings ransome and leave you with a huge pile of steamy dung.

kaludestiny10:
All the long distance transport company drivers do warm their buses before embarking on their journey even with new buses as recommended by the company's mechanic.

The question you should ask is why they do that.

E

grandstar:
It is because your racist and xenophobic president foes not want people from sheethole countries coming into HIS country.

Those peasants should stay home.

No Nigerian has ever conducted a terror attack on US soil. Simply looking for an excuse.

Have you forgotten so soon Mr. Mutallab....

Inspiration2017:
This situation reveals several important insights about Nigeria's economic structure and trade policy:

Tax burden distortion: The cumulative tax load (30% income tax + 2% education + 1% health + 7.5% VAT + 10% withholding tax = roughly 50.5%) significantly inflates domestic prices. This makes locally-produced goods less affordable to local consumers than to foreign buyers who don't bear these costs.

Perverse incentive structure: The tax system inadvertently encourages manufacturers to prioritize exports over domestic sales. When it's more profitable to sell abroad than at home, it undermines the goal of making locally-produced essentials affordable and accessible to Nigerians.

Structural economic challenges: This goes beyond Dangote's cement business—it reflects broader issues with Nigeria's fiscal framework. The country appears to be taxing domestic consumption heavily while subsidizing exports through tax exemptions, which is unusual for a developing economy still building infrastructure.

Policy misalignment: If the government's goal is to make basic goods like cement affordable for national development (roads, housing, infrastructure), the current tax structure works against that objective. High domestic prices limit construction activity and economic growth.

Competitiveness paradox: While Nigeria can compete internationally by waiving taxes on exports, its own citizens pay premium prices. This suggests the tax system needs reform to balance revenue generation with domestic affordability and economic development.

The fundamental question this raises: Should a country's tax policy make it cheaper for its own producers to serve foreign markets than to serve their own people?

Good take. Couldn't articulate it like this on the move. But the question to ask is simple. Where do all these taxes go.

I did give a simple analogy of a farmer whose primary investment from the revenues he gets is to his business viz, expansion, efficiency, diversity, etc so he can be more productive.

Similarly revenues from taxing industry should primarily go to industrialization. Making more Dangotes so that not only will revenues be increased in the long term but so that revenue risks on the part of government is reduced and tax burden on the few large industries are equally reduced over the long term.

The issue is always about expenditure. And this country is not very wise about it. I expect every naira government collects from his refinery and it's products for the next ten years should deliberately be reinvested in the midstream and downstream sector to get more refineries up and running, investing in pipelines and depots around the country and venturing into exportable petrochemicals.

This is the only way to reduce the burden in he public. There is too little production to make goods relatively cheap in this country.

Two things here.

Finally he has admitted there is a price discrepancy between his products across borders. Not new. I think the oil wars have resulted in a new level of scrutiny by the public not only of the government but of Dangote himself. His outbursts have turned the search lights firmly on his business practices which is a good thing.

Secondly this has brought to the fore the whole issue of the economy and governance. The impact of taxation on the citizen, the lack of accountability, government spending efficiency and the failure of government to industrialize this country.

For one. If there were a hundred Dangotes', a thousand Dangotes' the revenue burden on the few key industrialists would be significantly less and result in their cheaper market offerings.

So exactly what is the government doing with the enormous taxes generated from Dangote. I for one have a philosophy that a farmer sells his produce primarily to raise resources for the 'improvement' of his business.

Government should be using Dangote's taxes primarily to industrialize this country. To create the physical environment to better Dangote's businesses first then spur allied industries.

Mrexcell:
For this to become realistic the mindset of the people living there in Onitsha must have to be recreated and renewed which is almost impossible right now the govt can't do everything.

The only mindset change required is to ensure that government which is a 'custodian' of common wealth and an 'organiser' of society (that is all what government is about, no more) is up and doing, ensuring wealth is created and as evenly distributed as possible.

If government prospers people it will reap ever bigger contributions (taxes) by which it does communal work while the people can afford to do their part and tidy up their properties.

But what you see represented in the 'real images is government far away from the people so the environment takes the natural course of the least resourced persons in that area.

No one is asking government to do 'everything'. But the one thing government should be doing, it is not unfortunately.

ufotunang:
Corruption will not allow politicians to construct something beautiful like this

It is beyond government constructing things. No matter what you construct, if the people are down trodden everything will turn to dust in a short time.

If not for foreigners and their interest in archeology there will be nothing left of the great treasures of Egypt. Everything will have been looted by the poor and the greedy citizens because such empires did not prosper the people but the kings and emperors of the day.

That is why in Abuja today as Mr. Wike is installing street lights down the street, up the street they are being stolen. If the government cannot create wealth for the people, it simply cannot create a sustainable picturesque environment.

Unfortunately all these are functions of a prosperous economy. When an economy fails, HSE is immediately impacted and it shows.

When people.are all about th basics of survival 'E' for Environment suffers. When the economy booms again urban renewal naturally happens.

Nigerians are familiar with this. You build a house and construct a functional rainwater drain in front of it. There is no way it is going to work of your neighbour is wretchedly poor and cannot do same and the neighbour after him and after him.

At the end of the day the environment will take the shape of the average resourcefulness. So to get a country looking good and moving forward there has to be a deliberate plan to lift everyone's standard of living.

Scandinavian countries know this and are very good at it so have built for themselves the most livable countries on earth.

keemsleek:
6


How many people will pay money for ticket to enter train in borno? LLol hmmmm

What he is doing is just tokenism fit for local governments. At state level leadership should be visionary and project development.

The governor should have a comprehensive plan for transport in his state, not this. Create a masterplan , start somewhere and subsequent governments will add to it until everyone is served.

I can bet that before his tenure is over all these things donated will be in a state of disrepair. Just a waste of resources if you ask me.

Just like in Abuja where Wike is doing practically nothing about transport. Just roads and bridges and little green fences all over the place.

If he gave attention to tram lines running from the three major satellite towns into city centre he will have dramatically cut the cost of living in Abuja. Imagine trams running from Kubwa, Gwagwalada and Nyanya into a vast station at the CBD the roads and highways will be virtually empty and rents will be affected as demand for city centre housing will fall.

GanagiBitrus:
Congrats Villa.

Any of the current Top5 can still win the Title...

No. Yon can't lose 5 or 6 games and win the league.

Oga Zulum, you are learned. Spend the money on proper transport Infrastructure, the kind that will benefit the highest number of people.

Even if you cannot realise total state wide coverage in your tenure go the distance you can with rail lines linking the local governments and trams in the city centres.

How many people will 3,000 bikes serve and for how long. 4 years and they are all scrap. Do something that is enduring, long term, sustainable and a better legacy.

We blacks are not just blessed with the virtues of horizontal relationships. We find it extremely difficult to do communal things. It must have an individual's name on it for it to work.

Christmas carol in fatigues....haba....
Even if they were expecting deployment to a conflict zone any minute...this is not good.

He kinda has a point on this AJ's nationality paradox. I feel people can have different origins but if you must change that or have that changed on your behalf, embrace it fully.

You can't have a nation where everyone waves the flag of another particularly when they become prominent That is no more a nation.

You can imagine the Super Eagles winning the world cup and the players adorning themselves with flags of Nigeria, Chad, Cameroun or Benin Republic. It can cause tensions and create hostilities for instance the next time they venture and fail.

AJ should tone the Nigeria love affair down a bit.

This will increase it's value.
Players will take it more seriously when they know their careers will not accommodate more than 4 or 5 tournaments.

Just like some Eagles players will never feature in the World Cup.

walozanga:
Tinubu's dangerous actions will backfire soon. Je will never be their for ever. Without knowing it, he is creating a tool that will hunt all of them when they are no more in aso rock.

No, I think he is creating a precedent that ALL elected leaders will eagerly emulate in the future. The limit of tyranny is the forbearance of the oppressed. As long as it is tolerated future Presidents will do same or even worse. Everyone loves power and more power.

They will get into office, capture the state, whittle down political opposition, stampede civil opposition and rule maximally.

It is the future sane folks are most worried about, not even 2027. Once a precedent is set, particularly a bad one, Nigerians know how to escalate such to extreme limits. And just hope that someone very, very sinister does not make several copies.

higgs:
Now that the forgery has been exposed,how will they enforce the "law"?

Who will enforce laws in Nigeria today when everyone authority is in the President's camp. People thought the capture of state was for the winning of elections only. Now they can see that it is also a tool for subverting laws. Now there is no limit to which one man can go to entrench his interests and rule the country in his own image no matter the consequences.

When an inserted clause gives extra judicial power to the state to seize property on account of taxes then this country has returned to a medieval state. It means the contentious talk about the state deducting taxes directly from accounts was no wolf cry.

Can someone actually sit in his office, decide what taxes I should pay and march straight into my account to collect it or pick up my tee-vee instead...?

We are operating a full blown autocracy. There are no more checks and no more balances. The Presidency is free to do whatsoever it wishes. The Nigerian landscape is now a game reserve with one lion and 200 million sheep.

When farmers want to start a new 'planting' season they clear the farm and 'burn' the chaff. It is called 'slash and burn' technique. According to google this annual practice 'temporarily improves soil nutrients'...

I guess agricultural practices have found universal application in Nigerian public finances.

crazygod:
Klopp has already said he is not coaching any other English team apart from Liverpool

Oh...too bad.
Spurs is not lucky when it comes to coaches.
Even the world class ones just don't seem to be able to replicate their performances at the club....Conte, Mou...

This Spurs team is too big for Thomas Frank. He is not improving the team. I hope the rumour about Klopp proves more than that.

Who is going to call him to order on this impeachable offence....no one.

Nigerians have handed him full authority over the Legislature and the Judiciary.

I hope we can see what the 'cooperation' instead of 'confrontation' is achieving for the governance of this country over the past six years.

Nigerians will learn the hard way by worked examples since we don't like the theory of a working democracy.

Will a Saraki led Senate have allowed this slide.

That is it.

Experts at winning elections and retaining power.
But look at the quality of governance on offer since 2015....exceptionally poor.

In the future Nigerians will need to decide how they select their leadership in relation to what their priorities are.

Whether they elected people to.serve themselves or to meet the demands of the larger citizenry.

I still cannot see how this government is headed in the direction near where they took over in 2015 in almost all indices of life and decent living.

Their score card will be the major issue next year.

owobokiri:
If we had an effective government in Nigeria, I think that the best way to keep these Western countries in check on matters like this, is to pretend to make a law that bars foreigners from most oil related jobs in the petroleum industry. Including banning them from contracts awarded to western countries in the oil industry.

Tell them tgat these jobs are about to be reserved for Nigerians to curtail the net effects of all the j9blessness occasioned by the deportations from the western world, and watch them squirm. You can even go ahead and pretend you will only focus on Nigerias oil companies in the next rounds of oil/gas fields auction/bazaar.

They will come around. They make a kill from that area of Nigerias economy more than most Nigerians know..

Now you got the point.
Fight for your country and it's people like Trump is doing for his.

Today our borders are essentially open to every terrorist element operating in west Africa.

Go to any city in Nigeria and it's foreigners elbowing out Nigerians of menial jobs.

Go to any large city and it is foreigners executing the biggest projects. As a matter of fact foreign and multinational companies in construction, engineering and the extractive industry dominated our national Infrastructure and commercial budget expenditure. And with that comes huge capital flight.

So essentially just as foreigners push into the country, Nigerians are pushed out. Meaning that as foreign doors across the world are being shut against us so we should respond and shut them out too.

We cannot have professionals leave the country for lack of opportunities that are given to foreigners here in Nigeria.