joeyswift: Believe anything the Govt says at your own peril. On the 3rd of Sept they said they had met 2025 forecasted income from crude oil sale and there is no need to borrow money. Two days later on the 5th of Sept we heard the Govt wants to borrow fresh 1.8 billion dollars from world bank.
There's nowhere the Govt said they are no longer borrowing externally, rather the President says the Govt no longer borrow from local banks. The President also confirmed that "non-oil revenue" target for the year has been met. He never said total revenue. It's just that your ears are tingling in hate and chose to hear what you what to hear. I wonder how you guys have been able to survive these years in this constant negativity and self-hate . I can't find myself surviving a day in negativity and hate, my lifespan would have been gravely affected. God bless Nigeria.
Of course, opposition will always spin the story to remain relevant and keep their supporters talking, that's the only way to keep their support base, otherwise, they lose it. Just throw anything at the supporters, keep them busy even if it doesn't make sense, even if it's a lie.
Louis Ojukwu as how?. He had to come to Lagos before he made his first one million naira. Ojukwu's father came to Lagos to work as a sales boy before he eventually began transport services exporting clothings from Lagos to SE.
iamfactor: When you are done typing sit back and read what you just wrote. Even the youngest at some time falls sick. When have you heard Obi is on leave or out of public space? Obi is receiving treatment in Anambra hospital. Let BAT do thesame by receiving treatment in Lagos hospital. I mean thesame Lagos he built other than running off to Macron's country to recharge his battery.
Peter Obi has always been traveling abroad for medical treatment.
My comments on a previous thread was deleted a few minutes ago without no rationale or explanation. Trust me, this is not the best way to drive traffic.
Pastor Reno continues to put the two legs on his neck, while I thought sometimes he wanted him to breathe a little but he comes back wriggling both legs on the neck even harder. Why hasn't Obi release any statement since the news of Ekpa's imprisonment broke?, Is he trying to avoid ipob's wrath?. Truly, if it was FG that had sentenced Ekpa to jail, Peter Obi would have condemned the Government, just as he said Nnamdi Kanu's trial makes no sense. In his words and mannerism, Peter Obi seems to be the godfather of Ipob.
Former presidential aide, Reno Omokri, has criticised Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, over his silence on the conviction of Simon Ekpa, a Nigerian-born Finnish separatist.
PUNCH Online had reported that the 40-year-old Ekpa, was on sentenced to six years in prison by the Päijät-Häme District Court in Finland for terrorism-related crimes, aggravated tax fraud, incitement to commit crimes for terrorist purposes, and violations of the Lawyers Act.
The court ruled that he remain in custody. According to the judgment, Ekpa attempted to promote the independence of the Biafra region in Nigeria’s South-East through illegal means between August 2021 and November 2024.
Reacting in a X post on Monday, the big-critic of Obi, accused the former governor of double standards, recalling how the former Anambra governor had previously demanded the arrest of Fuji star Wasiu Ayinde, popularly known as KWAM 1, over his altercation with airline ValueJet. Related News • FG to enrol 44 million in health
“With alacrity and gusto, Peter Obi called for the arrest and trial of King Wasiu Ayinde Marshall, AKA K1 De Ultimate, after his altercation with ValueJet.
“And the same Peter Obi said Nnamdi Kanu’s trial ‘doesn’t make sense.’ He wanted KWAM 1 in prison and Kanu free,” Omokri said.
Omokri further argued that if Ekpa had been convicted in Nigeria, Obi would have accused President Bola Tinubu of ethnic victimisation.
“If Simon Ekpa had been convicted in Nigeria, Peter Obi would have accused President Tinubu of intolerance and victimising him because of his ethnicity.
“Now, he refuses to comment on Simon Ekpa’s conviction in Finland. Maybe he is in mourning!,” Omokri concluded.
“El-Rufai thrives in chaos. He relies on fear. He is intoxicated by power and allergic to progress he did not initiate. Stripped of relevance, he now seeks to make Kaduna ungovernable once more. This administration will not allow it,” the statement warned.
Everybody is saying the same thing about you. Why not have some shame, if at all, for the sake of your family rather than keep soiling your family reputation deeper in disrepute. How can one man be so famous as the Chaos-in-Chief yet he continues to validate the facts by his words and actions. What a shame.
The Kaduna State Government has issued a stern warning to former Governor Mallam Nasir El-Rufai over what it described as his deliberate attempts to incite violence and plunge the state back into crisis.
In a strongly worded statement signed by the Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Dr. Suleiman Shuaibu, the government accused El-Rufai of plotting to destabilise Kaduna through “overt provocation and covert manipulation” after “his political surrogates were roundly defeated in the August 16 by-elections”.
“The good people of Kaduna State have endured enough trauma, bloodshed, and division. This Government will not fold its arms and allow a discredited former leader, who left the state in ruins, to ignite chaos and plunge the state into another era of ethno-religious tension, insecurity, and economic stagnation,” the statement read.
The commissioner alleged that El-Rufai convened an “illegal and chaotic” political meeting on August 30, which descended into violence, including gunshots that endangered innocent citizens.
He added that the former governor falsely accused the government of sponsoring thugs to disrupt the gathering.
“Why would a governor who has just won the hearts of the people through credible elections need to disrupt a gathering of losers?” Shuaibu asked.
The government also took exception to El-Rufai’s recent appearance on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, where he alleged that federal and state authorities were bribing bandits to achieve peace.
“These are calculated, malicious lies designed to undermine security efforts, incite public anger, and legitimise criminality. They insult the sacrifices of our armed forces and the intelligence community,” the statement said, stressing that the Office of the National Security Adviser had already dismissed El-Rufai’s claim as false.
Highlighting what it called the “hard-won gains” under Governor Uba Sani, the government pointed to relative peace in areas such as Birnin Gwari, Giwa, Kajuru, Kauru, Kachia, and Igabi, where bandit leaders had been eliminated and Ansaru commanders apprehended.
“For a former governor to deny these victories, and in doing so insult the memory of officers who died in the line of duty, is beyond shameful. It is a deliberate act of sabotage,” Shuaibu declared.
The statement further contrasted El-Rufai’s alleged legacy of division and fear with Governor Uba Sani’s policies of inclusion, dialogue, and development, noting that Kaduna had recorded improvements in security, education, healthcare, and infrastructure over the past two years.
“El-Rufai thrives in chaos. He relies on fear. He is intoxicated by power and allergic to progress he did not initiate. Stripped of relevance, he now seeks to make Kaduna ungovernable once more. This administration will not allow it,” the statement warned.
The government urged residents to resist attempts to drag the state back into ethno-religious conflict, assuring that security agencies were on alert to prevent a breakdown of law and order.
“Let there be no doubt: Kaduna has the capacity, the resolve, and the legal backing to deal decisively with any individual or group that seeks to destabilise the state. The peace of Kaduna is non-negotiable. Anyone who dares to threaten it, be it Nasir El-Rufai or his accomplices, will be held accountable,” it concluded.
A very close call, I have had the opportunity of spending some time in both states and it's so beautiful. Beautiful foods and beautiful women too. As a man, there's nothing appealing than a peaceful atmosphere and beautiful women. However, since I can't separate them, I will slightly pick Akwa-Ibom as the most peaceful state because they don't terrorise 404, in Akwa-Ibom, ekuke dey get peace of mind unlike in Cross River.
Which one of these states takes the crown for the most peaceful state in Nigeria
Akwa-Ibom and Cross River are like siamese twins, shared boundary, close neighbors with cultural and tribal affinity. In the same vein, when it comes to being peaceful and boasting of the safest living environment, these two states are almost inseparable. Hardly do they make the news for terrorism, militancy, cultism, ritualism, baby factory, internet fraud, religious and tribal extremism, inter tribal clashes, land disputes, etc.
Ola9ja23: Are you sad that we are getting it right under Tinubu administration?
If the previous administrations have started somewhere then we would have made advanced to more sophisticated rifles
You don't have to ask this kind of question, by their comments you shall know them. That's the goal, the goal is to pepper dem, put leg on their neck and leave it there, that's what good news does to them. God bless Nigeria.
This is what we're talking about. The countries producing their own weapons no get two head. While there's greater commitment towards the resuscitation of Ajaokuta steel. And particularly commendable that the Government is creating more ease for one or two investors that are already constructing their steel-making factories in the country.
Thank you Mr President for saving our shorelines. God bless you for putting a stop to this mess. These people do not even mind selling off our waters as long as there's someone who could pay for it, even the sands we walk on won't be spared. Leave the shorelines alone for us to enjoy the nature, just like the way it was growing up. How do we have to pay before seeing the beauty of nature at the beach?, a body of water behind my backyard, I have to pay to see it, why?, because some people bought it and erected some structures on it?. I salute Mr President for putting his feet down to sound a note of warning to all those concerned, all coastlines, Lagoons, waterways belongs to the FG and must not be turned into commercial transactions.
The Federal Government has suspended all previously approved, pending, and planned applications for land allocations and Certificates of Occupancy (C of O) on islands and lagoons, directing that they be resubmitted to the Office of the Surveyor-General of the Federation (OSGOF) for proper coordination.
The move follows a presidential directive issued on 30 July 2025 by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, placing a moratorium on shoreline, coastal road, island, lagoon, and other federal legacy infrastructure developments nationwide.
Surveyor-General of the Federation, Abduganiyu Adegbomehin, announced the suspension in a statement on Sunday, stressing that it was necessary to prevent distortions to the Federal Infrastructural Master Plan in line with the National Geospatial Data Infrastructure Policy (NGDI).
“All approved, pending, and intended requests for issuance of Allocations and Certificates of Occupancy on Island and Lagoon Developments are hereby suspended and must be submitted for proper survey coordination to the Presidency, through the Office of the Surveyor-General of the Federation,” the directive stated.
The government also warned that any developments encroaching on rights-of-way, or carried out without proper survey coordination, would be demolished.
It added that land approvals granted outside the Presidency or OSGOF — including backdated or irregular titles issued by other agencies — would be revoked.
The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), which had previously granted approvals for shoreline and lagoon projects, has now been ordered to submit all such approvals to the Presidency through OSGOF and desist from issuing new ones.
The statement reminded the public that, under the Survey Coordination Act, Cap S13, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, OSGOF is the sole body mandated to regulate, standardise, and harmonise all survey activities nationwide.
The latest order builds on earlier warnings. In December 2024, the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, decried unregulated developments along the Lagos shoreline and gave developers a one-month ultimatum to regularise projects or face demolition.
That warning laid the groundwork for President Tinubu’s July 2025 directive suspending all land allocations and reclamation activities on islands, lagoons, and coastal corridors across the country.
The new suspension now formalises the process by centralising approvals under OSGOF, reviewing past and pending allocations, and barring agencies such as NIWA from independently issuing land rights.
Words could be as powerful as " subsidy is gone " that changes the dynamics of the oil sector. Without that singular pronouncement accompanied with a political will, Dangote would not have invested so much. The last time we experienced fuel scarcity and scorching queues at filling stations was over two years ago but of course, we take it for granted. Just as we thought the economy was only meant for the rich when the telecommunication sector was opened up, we thought the average masses had been thrown under the bus. A few years down the line, that policy became one of the eleven wonders of the world in Nigeria.
Barring any last-minute change in plan, the Dangote Petroleum Refinery is expected to start its direct fuel distribution scheme soon, as 1,000 Compressed Natural Gas-powered trucks required for the exercise have arrived in Nigeria.
With the 1,000 trucks, the refinery would start distributing fuel directly to marketers in Lagos, Ogun, and other South-West states, pending the delivery of the remaining 3,000 trucks.
Impeccable sources and officials at the $20bn Lekki-based plant, who did not want to be named due to a lack of authorisation to speak to the press, told our correspondent that more trucks have been coming into the country in batches. They expressed optimism that all the trucks would be delivered by the end of next month.
The PUNCH exclusively reported last week that the planned fuel distribution by the Dangote refinery with the 4,000 CNG-powered trucks could not start on August 15 due to logistics challenges in China.
The firm had earlier announced plans to kick off the direct fuel distribution exercise with the 4,000 CNG-powered trucks. The trucks were ordered from China to be delivered in Lagos for Dangote’s direct fuel distribution.
However, the plan could not materialise because the company was only able to receive 450 trucks as of last week, with 150 on the way, bringing the total to 600 trucks last week. But on Sunday, sources within the company said the number of trucks received had risen to 1,000, while the remaining 3,000 are expected to arrive before the end of September.
A very senior executive officer of the Dangote Group told our correspondent that there were not enough ships to transport the trucks to Nigeria from China. This challenge stalled the shipping of the trucks to Nigeria before August 15, when the scheme was supposed to commence.
“There are not enough ships coming from China to handle 4,000 trucks and 4,000 tankers,” the source stated last week. He gave further insights, saying the Dangote Group received 200 trucks in the first shipment and 250 in the second batch, while another 150 were on a vessel.
Meanwhile, sources told our correspondent on Sunday that more trucks were received in the previous week. According to the sources, all the trucks have been paid for and are ready to be conveyed to Nigeria, but this has been difficult due to insufficient ships to handle the logistics.
With 1,000 trucks in custody, the fuel distribution will commence in Lagos and the South West before the scheme spreads to other zones as the remaining trucks arrive at the Lagos port. “We have received up to 1,000 trucks. More are still coming, and we believe all will be delivered by the end of September,” an inner source said.
Another official stated, “We couldn’t start the fuel distribution scheme because of this logistics challenge in China. We didn’t expect that; we can only appeal to Nigerians to bear with us. However, we won’t wait until we receive all the trucks before we start. We will start the scheme soon with the available trucks. We will start with the South-West and extend it to other zones as we receive more trucks. By September, everything should be set. Nigerians should bear with us.”
A consultant to the Dangote Group corroborated this, saying, “With the schedule we have, by the end of September, we shall be in possession of all the trucks. All the trucks are actually available in China. The remaining 3,000 are waiting for vessels to bring them to Nigeria. The logistics issue in China is our major challenge.
“We’ve received 1,000 trucks in all, as of this weekend. We are likely going to start in Lagos and the South West. As more trucks come in, we will be moving to other regions. We are certain that before mid-September, we would have covered the major part of the country. As we receive all the trucks, the entire country will be covered.”
Earlier, the company said that it was expecting 60 shiploads of the trucks in six weeks. “Over the next six weeks, the refinery expects at least 60 shiploads of these trucks to arrive in the country,” Group Chief of Branding and Communication, Dangote Industries Limited, Mr Anthony Chiejina, said in a statement on August 10.
In June, the Dangote refinery revealed that it was investing over N720bn to deploy 4,000 CNG-powered trucks across Nigeria for the nationwide distribution of petroleum products. The company said the initiative would save Nigerians over N1.7tn annually in fuel distribution costs.
The privately owned refinery plans to absorb more than N1.07tn every year in fuel logistics expenses, saying the scheme is expected to significantly benefit over 42 million micro, small, and medium enterprises by lowering energy costs and improving profitability.
“This strategic programme is part of Dangote’s broader commitment to eliminating logistics bottlenecks, enhancing energy efficiency, promoting environmental sustainability, and supporting Nigeria’s economic development. Lower fuel distribution costs will reduce production expenses, alleviate inflationary pressures, and stimulate overall economic growth.
“The initiative is also expected to revitalise dormant filling stations, creating over 15,000 direct jobs across the logistics value chain, including positions for drivers, station managers, and attendants at the new CNG stations,” the company stated.
Moreover, the refinery said that the programme would help curb cross-border smuggling of petroleum products while supporting a more efficient and environmentally friendly distribution system. When the scheme was announced in March, the Dangote refinery planned to deliver fuel directly to filling stations, telecommunication companies, and other bulk users, eliminating the roles of middlemen.
This caused panic among tanker drivers and members of the Natural Oil and Gas Suppliers Association of Nigeria over fears that they might lose their livelihoods.
In reaction, NOGASA members warned that the refinery’s plan to bypass existing distribution channels and supply refined petroleum products directly to end users would lead to a nationwide disruption, long-term product scarcity, and the collapse of existing supply networks.
The oil and gas suppliers called on the refinery to halt its plan and seek further dialogue before commencing the distribution of products to end users, urging it to learn from the failures of refineries previously managed by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.
Much as the electricity law has come to stay, the Governors are still slow to fully executing it. Much of what they are doing is largely implementing the distribution segment while they have shown less interest in the generation segment, partly because it is capital intensive. We don't really expect them to do it all by themselves, the law empowers them to attract private investors as parrners which makes it much easier. But as we speak, they rather the FG bears the burden of generating and transmitting while they only distribute in their states. However, to whom much is given, much is expected, Governors should be doing better.
The Federal Government has commenced Phase Two of the Siemens power project, a flagship initiative under the Presidential Power Initiative, designed to overhaul Nigeria’s electricity transmission system and ultimately inject 12,000 megawatts of power into the national grid.
The project stems from an agreement signed on December 1, 2023, between the Governments of Nigeria and Germany, which laid the foundation for a partnership aimed at ending years of chronic instability in the power sector.
Confirming the development, the Media Adviser to the Minister of Power, Mr Bolaji Tunji, told The PUNCH on Sunday that work under the second phase had officially begun following the successful conclusion of financing arrangements with Siemens Energy.
“Phase 2 of the Siemens projects is now underway, following the successful finalisation of financing,” Tunji said. “This phase will deliver seven upgraded existing power lines and ten new ones, covering 544 kilometres and capable of carrying 7,140 megawatts of power.”
He explained that the upgrades were a critical component of the PPI, which aims to raise transmission capacity in stages to achieve the long-term target of 12,000MW agreed under the bilateral pact.
The media aide emphasised that the groundwork for the project had already been laid through the delivery of key equipment during the pilot stage.
The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, had informed the National Assembly earlier this year that the project would commence within the first three months of 2025.
The media aide also underscored the milestones recorded during the first and pilot phase, highlighting key achievements that demonstrated the project’s potential for wider impact and sustainability.
He said, “FGN Power Company, the special purpose vehicle for the PPI, successfully received 10 power transformers and 10 mobile substations from Siemens Energy under the pilot stage. This is to significantly improve the nation’s transmission capacity by over 1,300MW,” Tunji explained, noting that installation was at an advanced stage. “Installation is over 80 per cent completed, hence the beginning of Phase 2.”
He added that the equipment had been strategically deployed across the country to strengthen weak points in the grid and reduce the frequency of system collapses.
“These critical assets have been strategically deployed at key sites nationwide, such as Okene, Amukpe, Potiskum, Apo, Ihovbor, Birnin Kebbi, Ajah, Nike Lake, Kwanar Dangora, Maryland, Omouaran, Ojo, Saapade, University of Ibadan, Federal University of Technology Owerri, and Eleyele in Ibadan.”
On financing for the second phase, Tunji confirmed that Nigeria would contribute domestic funds alongside the international facility secured with Siemens.
“There would be counterpart funding from Nigeria,” he stated. “I do not have that figure immediately.”
He stressed that the Phase 2 projects were not only about kilometres of lines or megawatts of capacity but about addressing the longstanding frustrations of Nigerian households and businesses.
“These Phase 2 projects will significantly increase electricity reliability and accessibility for millions of Nigerians. The Federal Government is upgrading the transmission network through this project,” he said.
On December 1, 2023, the Governments of Nigeria and Germany signed the Presidential Power Initiative agreement to inject 12,000 MegaWatts of electricity into the national grid.
The signing was presided over by the leaders of both countries, President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, on the sidelines of the United Nations Climate Change Summit, COP28, in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates.
Managing Director of the Federal Government of Nigeria Power Company, Kenny Anuwe, and the Managing Director (Africa), Siemens AG, Nadja Haakansson, signed the agreement. However, the contracts date back to the tenure of former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2018.
The Director-General of the Bureau of Public Procurement, Adebowale Adedokun, earlier said the bureau negotiated a $115,000 savings on the Presidential Power Initiative, otherwise known as the Siemens project. Adebowale said the savings demonstrate the BPP’s role in safeguarding government interests through due diligence.
He said, “One of the things that we have done is to look at the Siemens project. We went through negotiation. We scrutinised the request and learned that the government has saved about $115,000 through a negotiation. So that is a plus already; in just two weeks, we went into deep review and negotiation, and they saw the benefit.
“That money would naturally have gone into that contract without anybody doing anything about it. But we have been able to say, ‘No, we are working for the interest of Nigeria. You must come down from your initial price based on our price intelligence. BPP is that fulcrum that can defend the government regarding how much a contract should be when we do our proper due diligence.”
The Federal Executive Council had earlier approved N262.75bn (€161.33) for the first Phase of the Siemens Project. The project involves the engineering, procurement, construction, and financing for 330/132 KV and 132/33 KV substations in Onitsha, Offa, Abeokuta, Ayede, and Sokoto.
Following the approval by the FEC, the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, said Phase I of the Siemens project relates to the transmission, upgrade, and expansion, including 14 brownfield substations that need upgrade and revamping, and 21 Greenfield substations, which are new substations to be built across the country to improve the transmission segment.
“The first batch of this Phase I project includes Onitsha, 330/133 KV substation under the Enugu electricity distribution company; two, Offa 132/33 KV substation under the Ibadan electricity company.
“There is the new Abeokuta 330/132 KV substation. We have the Ayede 330/132 KV substation. And lastly, the Sokoto 132/33 KV substation. Those are the five substations to be worked upon under the first batch of Phase I of the Siemens project. And we expect that this will further improve and stabilise the transmission segment of the power sector value chain in the not-too-distant future on completion,” the power minister explained.
The Nigerian Army has freed 27 passengers abducted by armed men in Amoda community, Ohimini Local Government Area of Benue State.
The rescue followed a coordinated operation by troops of Operation Whirl Stroke, who stormed the kidnappers’ hideout and overpowered them, leading to the safe recovery of the victims.
According to the Army, the breakthrough in Benue formed part of its wider nationwide counter-terrorism and anti-crime operations, which also resulted in 15 terrorists killed, 42 suspects arrested, and 30 kidnapped victims rescued across the country.
In the North East, troops engaged Boko Haram and ISWAP insurgents in Dikwa, Gwoza, Bama, Banki, and Gujba, killing 15 fighters and recovering rifles, grenades, explosives, motorcycles, and communication equipment.
Elsewhere, security forces arrested 15 suspects in Kaduna for possession of illicit drugs, 25 others for oil theft in Bayelsa, and two in Delta. In the South South, illegal crude oil bunkering sites were destroyed in Imo, Rivers, and Delta states.
Politics › Re: Nigeria Secures $60 Billion Dollar Chinese Bullet Train Deal (Video) by TimeManager(m): 8:29am On Sep 08, 2025
Maybe 22 more characters go tell us.