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668,000 meters deployed, installed on customers’ premises – FG  

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The Federal Government has said roughly 60 per cent of active electricity customers in Nigeria have now been metered as it continues efforts to reduce the country’s electricity metering gap and end arbitrary estimated billing.

The disclosure was contained in a statement issued on Thursday by Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, Office of the Vice President, following the second meeting of the National Council on Privatisation for 2026, chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

According to the statement, the metering exercise is being carried out under Phase 1 of the $500m World Bank-financed Distribution Sector Recovery Programme, alongside initiatives such as the Presidential Metering Initiative.

The Director-General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises, Ayodeji Ariyo Gbeleyi, said 668,000 meters had so far been installed out of the 1,033,000 meters delivered under the programme.

“On various issues, we provided updates on meter deployment under Phase 1 of the World Bank-financed Distribution Sector Recovery Programme. We have implemented 60 percent of the meters that have been delivered in the country out of 1,033,000. So far, we have deployed and installed 668,000 meters on customers’ premises,” he said.

The government said the metering initiative was aimed at closing the electricity metering gap and eliminating arbitrary estimated billing for registered customers across the country.

The BPE boss also disclosed that about 17 states had established State Electricity Regulatory Commissions since April 2024, following the transition provided for under the Electricity Act.

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He said Akwa Ibom State became one of the latest states to establish its own electricity regulatory commission in July, but noted that some aspects of the implementation of the law still required adjustment.

“Some fine-tuning is required here and there in the implementation of that Act,” Gbeleyi said.

He added that the council had directed key stakeholders, including the Attorney-General of the Federation, Minister of Power, Special Adviser to the President on Power, NERC and BPE, to engage on proposed amendments to the law.

“Council has directed that stakeholders, led by the Attorney General of the Federation, the Honourable Minister of Power, the Special Adviser on Power, the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Oil and Gas, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, the BPE and all other critical stakeholders, should engage constructively so as to streamline and harmonise the Federal Government’s position in terms of the required amendments to fine-tune the Electricity Act,” he said.

Also speaking, the Minister of Power, Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe, said the government was working to ensure Nigerians derived greater value from electricity and other critical sectors of the economy.

“We are working concertedly and in a very collaborative manner to ensure that we give value, either in electricity or in telecoms—whichever area—to make sure that Nigerians benefit from this government,” Tegbe said.

The meeting was attended by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, the Minister of Power, the Attorney-General of the Federation’s representative, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment and private members of the council.

See also  Forbes: Aliko Dangote’s wealth surges by almost 100% to $23.9bn, now 86th richest in the world

Source: punchng.com

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TCN refutes Kaduna Electric’s claim on Jos power supply

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The Transmission Company of Nigeria has refuted claims by Kaduna Electric that a fault on the 330kV Jos transmission line contributed to reduced power supply across its franchise area.

In a statement on Thursday signed by the management of TCN, the company said all 330kV transmission lines connected to Jos were operational and transmitting bulk electricity.

TCN described Kaduna Electric’s claim as “false and a deliberate misrepresentation of facts,” saying there had been no disruption of bulk power transmission on any 330kV line supplying Jos since the restoration of the Jos–Lafia 330kV Line 2 circuit breaker.

The company explained that the circuit breaker was opened on August 23 for voltage control as part of a routine operation to maintain grid stability.

“For the avoidance of doubt, all 330kV transmission lines connected to Jos are in service and transmitting bulk power,” the statement said.

“TCN recorded a lone incident on 23rd August 2026 at 03:30hrs, when the Jos–Lafia 330kV Line 2 circuit breaker was opened for voltage control. This was a routine operational action to maintain grid stability.”

According to the transmission company, the line was restored at 11:59 pm on August 24 and had remained in service since then.

“There has been no outage or disruption of bulk electricity transmission on any 330kV line supplying Jos attributable to TCN since that restoration,” it added.

The development followed an announcement by Kaduna Electric on Wednesday attributing reduced power supply across its franchise area to lower load allocation.

The electricity distribution company had said the reduction was mainly due to an outage of one generating unit at the Shiroro Generating Station and a fault on the 330kV Jos transmission line.

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Kaduna Electric said the fault had resulted in Shiroro supplying Jos and its surrounding areas instead.

The company also said that, based on the National Control Centre Daily Load Allocation for August 25, it received 104 megawatts, comprising 54MW from the Mando 330kV Transmission Station and 50MW from the Birnin-Kebbi axis.

It said it was working with TCN on the equitable distribution of available power and monitoring efforts to restore supply.

However, TCN urged Kaduna Electric and other stakeholders to verify information with the transmission company before making public statements on transmission-related issues.

“We urge Kaduna Electric and other stakeholders to verify facts with TCN before issuing statements that misinform the public and create unnecessary anxiety,” it said.

TCN also advised electricity customers in Jos and its environs to disregard what it described as the misleading information, assuring that it remained committed to ensuring stable and reliable bulk power transmission to distribution companies nationwide.

Source: punchng.com

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Dangote raises petrol to N1,200/l despite crude price decline

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Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals FZE has increased the gantry price of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) from N1,185 to N1,200 per litre, effective August 26, 2026.

In an official communication to customers issued on Tuesday, the refinery’s Group Commercial Operations announced revised depot prices for gantry and coastal deliveries.

The email, titled ‘PMS Price Change Communication (N1,185 per Litre To N1,200 Per Litre)’, asked customers to take note of the revised DPRP PMS gantry and coastal price, which is effective 26th August 2026.

According to the table contained in the notice, the coastal price rose from N1,562,265 per metric tonne to N1,582,380, while the gantry price increased from N1,185 to N1,200 per litre.

The refinery further directed customers to return all Authorisation to Collect documents for repricing, adding that a new volume contract would be issued for immediate loading resumption.

“You are advised to return all ATCs for repricing, and a new volume contract will be issued for immediate loading resumption. Should you require any further clarification, please do not hesitate to contact us,” the notice said.

The latest adjustment represents a N15 per litre increase in the gantry price and comes barely days after the refinery raised the price from N1,165 to N1,185 per litre. The previous increase took effect from midnight on August 21, 2026, according to industry trackers.

However, the latest hike comes against a backdrop of falling international crude oil prices. Data from oilprice.com on Tuesday showed West Texas Intermediate crude trading at $82.13 per barrel, down $2.88 or 3.39 per cent, while Brent crude stood at $88.37 per barrel, declining by $3.80 or 4.12 per cent. Murban crude also fell to $92.71 per barrel, shedding $8.73 or 8.61 per cent.

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Our correspondent gathered that marketers and depot operators who received the circular might have begun returning existing ATCs for repricing in line with the refinery’s directive.

The N15 increase could result in higher pump prices as oil marketers factor in transportation, landing and other downstream costs. Petrol is expected to return to an average of N1,250 per litre.

The Dangote Group has yet to respond to messages from our correspondent.

The price increase comes at a time of renewed volatility in the international oil market amid the ongoing US-Iran conflict. Reuters reported that oil prices fell as investors viewed the latest US sanctions against Iran as less threatening to global oil supplies than a military escalation. However, analysts warned that the decline could be an overreaction, noting that prices could rise sharply if Iran retaliates militarily.

Reuters also reported that supply disruption risks remained, with only two commodity vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, the lowest daily tally since early May. The waterway handled about one-fifth of global oil consumption before the conflict began, leaving the market vulnerable to further disruptions.

Source: punchng.com

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States’ IGR soars 34% to N2.43tn despite economic hardship

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The Internally Generated Revenue of Nigerian states rose by 34 per cent to N2.43tn in the first half of 2026, up from N1.815tn recorded in the comparable period of 2024, as sub-national governments gained access to more funds despite worsening economic pressures on households.

Findings by The PUNCH showed that 35 states, excluding Rivers State, generated a combined N2.43tn in IGR during the six-month period. Data for H1 2025 IGR for many states are not available.

The IGR growth underscores the expanding revenue base of state governments at a time when they face mounting financial obligations, including infrastructure development, social services, workers’ salaries and other recurrent expenditures.

However, the increase in revenue has intensified questions about how state governments are deploying the additional funds, particularly as they benefit from higher Federation Account allocations and savings from the removal of petrol subsidies.

The scrutiny has also shifted to the estimated N10.4tn in subsidy savings allocated to states and local governments, with stakeholders demanding evidence of how much of the additional resources is being converted into projects and programmes that improve citizens’ welfare.

Despite stronger revenue inflows, analysts said many states continue to grapple with inadequate infrastructure, weak social services, widespread poverty and limited economic opportunities.

A World Bank report cited showed that the proportion of Nigerians living below the poverty line rose from 56 per cent in 2023 to 61 per cent in 2024 and further to 63 per cent in 2025, representing about 140 million people.

The widening gap between increased government revenues and citizens’ living conditions has consequently raised concerns over the spending priorities of governors and local government chairmen. Analysts have accused some political office holders of maintaining lavish lifestyles while residents struggle with elevated living costs and declining purchasing power.

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Experts argued that higher public revenue must be matched by greater transparency, stronger fiscal accountability and a significant increase in productive capital investment.

They said states should channel the additional resources into projects and programmes that expand economic activity, create jobs, improve productivity and reduce the financial burden on households.

According to the analysts, higher FAAC allocations and IGR would have limited impact on citizens unless governments strengthen fiscal discipline and ensure that public funds are deployed efficiently towards sustainable development.

Rising states’ earnings

The 35 states earned N2.43tn from IGR from January to June 2026, representing a 34 per cent increase from N1.815tn obtained in H1 2024.

FAAC allocations jumped 26 per cent to N4.54tn in the first half of 2026 from N3.61tn obtained in the corresponding period of 2025. In the first half of 2026, about 11 oil-producing states shared a total of N321.90bn under the 13 per cent derivation formula. Funds were heavily concentrated, with Delta, Bayelsa, and Akwa Ibom receiving roughly 75.4 per cent or N242.63bn of the total pool.

Between June 2023 and December 2025, states and local governments received about N10.4tn out of N15.8tn in total cumulative subsidy savings, lifting combined state revenues significantly. The PUNCH reported that 36 states and 774 local governments shared a cumulative N93.216tn as revenue from the Federation Account between 2017 and 2025.

Abandoned projects in states

The BudgIT service delivery monitoring platform, Tracka, uncovered widespread cases of unexecuted, abandoned and fraudulently delivered public projects across several states in Nigeria in February 2026, amounting to about N24bn.

See also  Domestic refiners dump $3.13bn crude over pricing disputes

The report showed that Benue State (40 per cent), Ondo State (32.4 per cent), Kwara State (30.4 per cent), Akwa Ibom State (27.3 per cent), and Sokoto State (25.6 per cent) recorded the highest proportions of projects that were not executed at all.

Chief Executive Officer of Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise, Muda Yusuf, said the effect of states’ rising revenues must be felt at the subnational level by the citizens.

“States have more to do with all the resources going to them now. We should hold them more accountable. The reforms have significantly expanded the fiscal space of state governments through higher statutory allocations and, in many cases, stronger internally generated revenues.

“This should translate into a much larger development role for the states. Citizens should demand measurable outcomes in roads, healthcare, public transportation, education, agricultural infrastructure, security, power and enterprise support.”

Yusuf noted that higher revenues must produce visible development and welfare dividends, rather than simply finance higher recurrent expenditure and prestige projects.

Director of Deals Advisory at PwC, Wale Olusi, said states must begin to pull their weight to reduce the rising level of hardship across the nation.

“Local governments, in particular, are doing little or nothing. We should be making them do more. States should invest the money they are getting in infrastructure, in transport to move farm produce from rural areas to urban centres, in security to protect the people. A state like Lagos should invest in beneficiation: plant trees and flowers.”

He said subnational governments should be propelled to drive growth, noting that now is the right time to deploy their resources from subsidy removal and taxes to give the people a good life.

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Professor of International Economics, Jonathan Aremu, however, cautioned that though states are earning more money in nominal terms, the value of what is earned has depreciated.

“What they were using N1m to get before costs N3m today. The exchange rate has gone up, and things are very expensive, especially when imported content is part of what they consume. We need to appreciate that the value of what they are getting has actually gone down. When you look at the purchasing power parity, you will see that the value of what they get has actually gone down.”

Nevertheless, he agreed that the lifestyles of governors must change. “States are extravagant. Not everything they are buying has substantial import content. As a result, people should feel the impact of what they are doing. Currently, people are not feeling the impact, and it is sad.”

Source: punchng.com

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