Governor Nasir Idris of Kebbi State, on Tuesday, signed the 2026 Appropriation Bill of N642.9 billion into law following its passage by the Kebbi State House of Assembly.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the governor assented to the budget at Government House, Birnin Kebbi, after receiving the document from the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Alhaji Usman Muhammad-Zuru.
Idris expressed appreciation to the speaker, principal officers, and members of the assembly for the speedy passage of the 2026 budget.
He commended the legislators for their commitment to the welfare of the people and their responsiveness to legislative responsibilities.
“I am the happiest person. This government truly belongs to the people of the state. Whatever we do is done in the best interest of the people.
“We are working harmoniously with the State House of Assembly to move the state forward and take it to greater heights, in line with people-oriented governance.
“We will also work closely with the assembly to boost Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), given the fact that federal allocations alone are insufficient to meet the needs of our people.
“People should understand that a budget is not physical money at hand; rather, it is a projection of expected revenue, either from IGR or federal allocations,” he said.
The governor also described the assembly as a true representative of the people, noting that it had diligently considered and ratified several bills forwarded by the executive arm.
Earlier, Muhammad-Zuru described the signing of the budget as a significant milestone in the democratic journey of the state.
He said the budget was the outcome of extensive consultations, deliberations, and rigorous scrutiny by members of the assembly.
“You have so far assented to about 60 bills passed by the House, many of which have a direct bearing on the lives of the people of the state,” he said.
Muhammad-Zuru reaffirmed the legislature’s commitment to sustained collaboration with the executive arm to accelerate the development of the state for the benefit of its people.
He said the recurrent expenditure stood at N163.57 billion, representing 25 per cent of the total budget, while capital expenditure was N479.36 billion, accounting for 75 per cent.
The speaker reaffirmed the total 2026 budget size of N642.9 billion as presented by the governor and duly passed by the House of Assembly.
President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday night met with the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress amid plans by organised labour to stage a nationwide protest over unresolved demands.
The meeting, which took place at the State House, Abuja, followed growing tensions between the Federal Government and labour unions over issues bordering on workers’ welfare, rising cost of living and the implementation of previously agreed concessions.
Confirming the meeting in a statement issued on Tuesday night, the Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to the President, Bayo Onanuga, disclosed that key stakeholders were in attendance.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu met with the leadership of the NLC, along with the chairman of Progressive Governors Forum, Hope Uzodimma, Governor of Edo State, Monday Okpebholo and Governor of Kebbi State, Dr Nasir Idris and the Minister of State Labour, Honourable Nkeiruka Onyejeocha,” the statement partly read.
According to the statement, the Nigeria Labour Congress was led to the meeting by its national leadership.
“The chairman of the NLC, Comrade Joe Ajaero, led the labour leaders to the meeting on Tuesday night at the State House, Abuja,” it added.
PUNCH Online reports that the meeting comes against the backdrop of the NLC’s recent threat to embark on mass protests nationwide over what it described as the Federal Government’s failure to fully address workers’ demands, including relief measures to cushion the impact of economic reforms, wage-related concerns and broader socio-economic hardships faced by Nigerian workers.
Organised labour had accused the government of delaying the implementation of agreements reached in previous engagements, warning that failure to act decisively could trigger industrial unrest and street protests across major cities.
As of the time of filing this report, neither the Federal Government nor the leadership of the NLC had released details of the discussions or the outcome of the meeting.
President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed a Proclamation further restricting entry to the United States for nationals from countries deemed high-risk due to “demonstrated, persistent, and severe deficiencies in screening, vetting, and information-sharing” that threaten U.S. national security and public safety.
File photo: USA flag
Among the 15 additional countries newly subject to partial restrictions is Nigeria.
The announcement comes directly from the White House website, in a fact sheet titled “President Donald J. Trump Further Restricts and Limits the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the Security of the United States”, issued December 16, 2025.
Trump had earlier on October 31 declared Nigeria as a ‘country of particular concern’ in response to allegations of a Christian genocide in the country.
The African Union chief said there was no genocide in Nigeria’s volatile north. And so did ECOWAS addressing the recent surge in terrorist attacks across the region, including Nigeria, while firmly rejecting claims that these acts constitute genocide. Over and over, Tinubu, days ago, again dismissed claims that there is a Christian genocide in the country, insisting that neither Christians nor Muslims are being targeted for killing.
This had prompted series of back and forth and meeting among US Congress and individuals and the Nigerian delegation who have met both in Nigeria and US since. On December 13, a US congressman, Riley Moore, said the US and Nigeria were close to reaching a strategic security agreement aimed at addressing terrorism and sectarian violence in Nigeria.
Days earlier, he stated that the US had concluded its fact-finding mission to Nigeria over alleged genocide and is expected to brief Trump before the end of the month.
However, the latest in the series of ban on Tuesday had the White House described the action as “strengthening national security through common sense restrictions based on data.”
The Proclamation continues full restrictions and entry limitations on nationals from the original 12 high-risk countries under Proclamation 10949: Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
It also adds full restrictions and entry limitations on five additional countries: Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, and Syria, along with individuals holding Palestinian-Authority-issued travel documents. Laos and Sierra Leone, previously subject to partial restrictions, now face full restrictions.
Nationals from Burundi, Cuba, Togo, and Venezuela remain under partial restrictions.
The Proclamation adds partial restrictions and entry limitations on 15 additional countries, including Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
The fact sheet notes that “exceptions for lawful permanent residents, existing visa holders, certain visa categories like athletes and diplomats, and individuals whose entry serves U.S. national interests” are included.
It also states that family-based immigrant visa carve-outs that carry “demonstrated fraud risks” have been narrowed, while case-by-case waivers remain possible.
In explaining the rationale, the White House fact sheet emphasizes that the Proclamation is necessary “to prevent the entry of foreign nationals about whom the United States lacks sufficient information to assess the risks they pose, garner cooperation from foreign governments, enforce our immigration laws, and advance other important foreign policy, national security, and counterterrorism objectives.”
The fact sheet quotes Trump directly: “It is the President’s duty to take action to ensure that those seeking to enter our country will not harm the American people.”
It adds that, after consultations with cabinet officials and assessments based on Executive Order 14161, Proclamation 10949, and country-specific information, “President Trump has determined that the entry of nationals from additional countries must be restricted or limited to protect U.S. national security and public safety interests.”
The restrictions are country-specific “in order to encourage cooperation with the subject countries in recognition of each country’s unique circumstances,” the fact sheet says, highlighting challenges such as “widespread corruption, fraudulent or unreliable civil documents and criminal records, and nonexistent birth-registration systems—systemically preventing accurate vetting.”
Some countries, it notes, “refuse to share passport exemplars or law-enforcement data,” while others allow Citizenship-by-Investment schemes that conceal identity and bypass vetting requirements.
The fact sheet also cites “high visa-overstay rates and refusal to repatriate removable nationals” and the presence of “terrorist, criminal, and extremist activity” in several restricted countries.
The White House fact sheet frames the move as part of President Trump’s ongoing national security agenda: “President Trump is keeping his promise to restore travel restrictions on dangerous countries and to secure our borders.”
It references the Supreme Court’s prior ruling on similar restrictions, noting that the Court found the policy “is squarely within the scope of Presidential authority” and that it is “expressly premised on legitimate purposes”—specifically “preventing entry of nationals who cannot be adequately vetted and inducing other nations to improve their practices.”
Finally, the fact sheet notes that Turkmenistan, which previously faced restrictions, has made progress in cooperation with the U.S., prompting the new Proclamation to lift the ban on its nonimmigrant visas while maintaining the suspension of entry for Turkmen nationals as immigrants.
From June 5 ban to national guard shooting
Two US National Guard soldiers were shot in November near the White House, officials said, and police said a suspect was detained in an extraordinary security drama likely to fuel controversy over President Donald Trump’s crime crackdown.
Reacting, Trump said that he would suspend migration from what the US leader called “third world countries”, a day after an Afghan national allegedly shot two National Guard soldiers in Washington, killing one.
His angry post, which also threatened to reverse “millions” of admissions granted under his predecessor, Joe Biden, marked a new escalation in the anti-migration stance of a second term that has been dominated by Trump’s mass deportation campaign.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration announced in the first week of December that it would review the immigration status of all permanent residents, or “Green Card” holders, from Afghanistan and 18 other countries following the attack.
U.S. officials identified the suspect in the shooting as a 29-year-old Afghan national who previously worked alongside American forces in Afghanistan.
The individual was granted asylum earlier this year, not permanent residency, according to AfghanEvac, an organisation that assists Afghans resettled in the United States after the Taliban takeover in 2021.
The review follows a June executive order from President Trump classifying 19 countries as “of Identified Concern.”
The order banned entry for nearly all nationals from 12 countries, including Afghanistan. The full list of these countries include: Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo-Brazzaville, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
Barely two weeks after in June, Trump commenced plans to place a general visa ban on Nigerians.
According to a report by the Washington Post, an internal memo signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio outlined a proposal that could impose visa restrictions or entry bans on up to 36 additional nations.
These countries were expected to comply with newly established requirements from the U.S. State Department within a 60-day timeframe or face potential travel restrictions.
However, PUNCH Online reports that the timeframe elapsed in August 2025, and it was not until four months later that the new proclamation was issued.
What “Full” and “Partial” Restrictions Mean
Full bans/suspensions generally bar citizens of specified countries from entering the U.S. and block the issuance of most new immigrant and non-immigrant visas. Exceptions may still exist for lawful permanent residents, diplomats, or specific exempt categories.
Partial restrictions limit or suspend certain classes of visas (e.g., tourist, student, exchange), impose stricter vetting and shorter visa validity, and often require more rigorous screening before entry is permitted.
– Gas pipeline vandalism cuts power generation – NISO
Nigerians may celebrate the Yuletide in darkness if the Federal Government takes no further steps to defray the gas-to-power debt, as gas companies have begun cutting supplies to power plants, a development already affecting electricity generation nationwide.
On Tuesday, the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company informed customers across the South-East of the situation in a statement issued by its Group Head, Corporate Communications, Emeka Ezeh.
According to EEDC, the drop in power supply availability is due to low system frequency, said to have been occasioned by gas constraints affecting generation companies. The DisCo disclosed that the situation had necessitated load shedding of available energy by the Transmission Company of Nigeria.
As a result, EEDC said the development had impacted energy allocation to it and reduced the daily service level to customers served by its subsidiary companies — MainPower, TransPower, FirstPower, NewEra, and EastLand.
The statement read, “The Enugu Electricity Distribution Company PLC wishes to inform electricity customers across the South-East region that the recent drop in power supply availability is due to low system frequency, occasioned by gas constraints affecting the generation companies. This development has necessitated the load shedding of available energy by the Transmission Company of Nigeria.
“As a result, this development has impacted energy allocation to EEDC and the daily service level to customers served by its subsidiary companies, namely MainPower, TransPower, FirstPower, NewEra, and EastLand.
“Efforts are currently being made by critical stakeholders in the electricity supply industry to address this challenge and restore normal power distribution. EEDC sincerely apologises for the inconvenience this situation has caused its esteemed customers and appreciates their patience and understanding.”
Earlier, the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company also issued a notice to customers, stating, “Dear esteemed customer, Kindly be informed that the current load shedding being experienced in all our franchise areas is a result of poor generation and allocation from the generation company and NCC.
“We appeal to our esteemed customers to exercise patience as the GenCo team is working assiduously to improve generation and allocation. All inconveniences are regretted.”
In an interview with our correspondent, generation companies confirmed that gas constraints were affecting their operations. The Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Power Generation Companies, Joy Ogaji, confirmed that gas producers had begun cutting supplies due to debts owed to them.
Recall that Nigerians experienced months of darkness in the first quarter of 2024 after gas companies stopped supplying feedstock to thermal power plants over unpaid debts. Although government intervention resolved the crisis at the time, gas producers said they have continued supplying gas without payment.
On December 4, 2025, the Federal Government announced the approval of N185bn for the payment of outstanding debts owed to natural gas suppliers in a bid to ease liquidity constraints and boost electricity generation nationwide.
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, disclosed this in a statement issued by his media aide, Louis Ibah, noting that the approval was granted a day earlier by the National Economic Council, chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima.
However, the decision by gas companies to cut supplies despite the payment approval remains unclear. Bolaji Tunji, spokesman for the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, had yet to respond to messages sent to him as of the time of filing this report.
With gas supplies constrained and power generation yet to recover, electricity distribution across several parts of the country remains under pressure, raising concerns over sustained outages unless the liquidity issues in the gas-to-power chain are urgently resolved.
Gas pipeline vandalism
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Independent System Operator stated on Tuesday that electricity generation on the national grid dropped following gas supply constraints caused by a reported vandalism incident within the upstream gas pipeline network.
NISO disclosed that the incident disrupted gas supply to several gas-fired power plants, leading to a sharp decline in available generation capacity on the grid. In a statement signed by its management, the system operator explained that the reduced gas availability forced multiple thermal power stations to operate at significantly lower output, affecting overall electricity supply nationwide.
It noted that the development once again exposed the vulnerability of Nigeria’s power sector to gas supply disruptions, given that more than 80 per cent of grid-connected power plants rely on natural gas. The clarification followed the recent drop in power supply across the country, attributed to gas supply constraints affecting optimal output and the general operational frequency of the generating companies.
NISO stated, “The Nigerian Independent System Operator wishes to inform the general public and sector stakeholders that electricity generation on the National Grid has dropped due to gas supply constraints arising from the reported incident of gas pipeline vandalisation within the upstream gas supply network.
“The incident affected gas availability to several power generation facilities. Consequently, several gas-fired power stations recorded low output, which resulted in reduced available generation capacity on the national grid. In response to the situation, NISO promptly activated established contingency measures to maintain system stability and reliability.”
According to the operator, emergency actions included increased dispatch from available hydroelectric power stations, continuous generation re-dispatch, voltage control interventions, and other operational adjustments aimed at balancing electricity supply with demand.
NISO added that it was closely monitoring grid conditions, including system frequency and voltage profiles, while working with key stakeholders across the electricity value chain to mitigate the impact of the disruption.
The operator also warned that the timing of the incident was particularly concerning, as the festive season typically places additional pressure on the national grid due to higher electricity demand.
