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DisCos Raise Alarm Over 20 State Governments Owing Electricity Bills

Electricity distribution companies in Nigeria have lamented that no fewer than 20 of the 36 state governments in the country have refused to pay their electricity bills racked up by Government House, and office complexes.

The Executive Director of Research and Advocacy, Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors, Sunday Oduntan, while speaking with journalists on Monday, said most government agencies were used to free electricity before privatization, saying they have refused to adjust since the sector was privatized.

Oduntan, the spokesman of the Discos, recalled that the Aso Rock villa owed electricity bills before President Bola Tinubu ordered that it be paid.

“But does it have to get to the President for people that work there to know that they have to pay their bill? We shouldn’t get to the point where we have to threaten a state government or a state house, a ministry, a department or an agency with disconnection,” he stated

Oduntan declared, “If you look at all our states right now, at least 20 states are seen to be owing electricity bills in either the government house or MDAs.”

Oduntan regretted that when the Discos attempted to recover the debts from the state governments, they would have their offices sealed over claims of unpaid taxes to the states.

“When the Discos now go to demand for money to be paid, the next day they (government agents) will go and seal off the Discos’ offices, saying they’re owing them some taxes,” he noted.

The spokesman advised Discos to always pay their taxes but warned that states should not be mischievous.

“The Discos should pay their taxes, but the states should not be mischievous and be blackmailing the Discos every time we ask them to pay us.

“There is a state governor who is known for that kind of act. And one day, I hope to be able to come forward face-to-face with him and say, ‘Your Excellency, you have not been excellent. Paying your bill is something that you should know that you should do because when you run your generator in your government house, it costs you a lot more,” he asserted.

“I don’t want to mention the name of that governor or the state. But I will get outstanding debts from all states. I will need to get the information from the Discos. I will not waste time on it,” he stated

The Kaduna Disco had its office sealed after it disconnected the power supply to the Kaduna State Government House and other state government offices over unpaid bills amounting to N2.9bn. The Kaduna Electric headquarters was sealed off by the Kaduna Internal Revenue Service over what it called unpaid taxes of over N600m.

Similarly, the Federal Inland Revenue Service in July sealed the headquarters of the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, barely a month after the AEDC last published the FIRS as one of its debtors. Its debt was put at N362m as of January.

In 2022, the offices of the Oyo State Government were disconnected by the Ibadan Disco over N450m debt. The government, in return, sealed off IBEDC offices, saying the power company was owing N400m in debt – N139.44m in harmonized bills, N122.59m in infrastructure bills, N116.51m in tax audit bills, and N22m in signage bills.

Last month, the IBEDC said the Ayede transmission station was locked down by the Oyo State Government, impacting its ability to supply power to some areas in the state.

A few days after it issued disconnection notices over unpaid electricity debt, the corporate headquarters of the Enugu Disco and its offices were sealed off in June by the Enugu State Government. EEDC said the Enugu government alone was indebted to it to the tune of N1bn, out of a total of N1.8bn unpaid electricity debt in the region.

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Retail Fuel price drops nationwide At MRS Stations

MRS Oil Nigeria Plc has announced a reduction in the retail price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, across its stations nationwide.
The oil marketing firm disclosed on Monday, February 10, through its official X (formerly Twitter) account, that its stations in Lagos will now sell petrol at ₦925 per liter.

The move follows a similar price adjustment by its partner, Dangote Refinery, which recently lowered the ex-depot price to ₦890 per liter.

Beyond Lagos, MRS outlined region-specific pricing, with petrol selling at ₦935 per liter in the South West, ₦945 in the North, and ₦955 in the East.

The company assured consumers that the reduction would not compromise fuel quality.

“The prices may vary, but one thing stays the same—we give you high-quality fuel that keeps your engine running at its best,” the statement read.

MRS also urged customers to remain vigilant and report any stations selling above the new price.

“We are just a call or email away. Let us know if you notice any discrepancies,” the company added.

The price cut is expected to relieve motorists and businesses struggling with high fuel costs.

However, industry analysts say sustained reductions will depend on global crude prices and domestic refining capacity.

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Dominion City’s David Ogbueli Sets Up 1 Billion Naira Entrepreneurship Support Fund

David Ogbueli

Dominion City at its recently concluded 2025 Lagos Executive Leadership Retreat for Entrepreneurs & Career Professionals has set aside N1 billion to empower entrepreneurs. President of Dominion City Global, Dr. David Ogbueli made this public at the church’s Lagos headquarters.

The five-day retreat was geared towards equipping participants with the tools and mindset to improve their economic standing through wealth creation and innovation. At the retreat, participants—both onsite and online—numbering more than 1,000 were trained and fully exposed to addressing food security via pastoral farming, shifting agriculture, subsistence farming, and commercial agriculture; economic empowerment, discipleship, and spiritual growth; job creation; global migration and expansion; resource mobilization for business funding; and healthcare, among other topics.

The President of Dominion City Global, Dr. Ogbueli, who proposed a N1 billion support fund for entrepreneurs, stated that one of the goals of the empowerment retreat is to equip congregants with the skills, resources, and support necessary to succeed in business and their careers, thereby preparing them to further empower their immediate communities.

ALSO READ: Five Myths About CNG Cars Demystified

He emphasized the potential for exponential growth in businesses, calling for participants to achieve a 10-fold progression while advancing God’s kingdom. According to him, Dominion City is empowering God’s children to be problem-solvers and solution-givers, enabling them to turn societal problems into opportunities. Dr. Ogbueli also urged the church to embrace God’s principles and consistently provide solutions to societal problems to prosper.

“You have to give God something to work with. God’s blessings has to rest on something. You plant the seed, and God sends the rain, which brings the harvest. You are not going to prosper if you cannot find solutions to people’s problems. It is your information that will plant the seed. No amount of prophecy will guarantee the outcome if you don’t add your part to it. No matter what is prophesied to you, your choices determine the outcome,” he advised.

Meanwhile, Dr. Ogbueli called on churches to actively engage in structural economic development by empowering their members through entrepreneurship, ultimately contributing to the prosperity and well-being of society.

Some professionals addressed salient topics affecting the congregants and the nation’s economy, including Dr. Austine Maduka: “Kingdom Wealth Using Agriculture”; Mark Osang: “Discipleship and Spiritual Growth”; Alioha-Emmanuel Ihechi: “Cassava Farming and Processing”; Chidinma Okebalaman: “Global Migration/Positioning/Expansion”; and Dr. Jackie Ikeotuonye, CEO of BFA Integrative Health & Wellness Clinic: “Health and Cure.”

Others included Uzoma Ayodeji: “Attracting Grants for Social Enterprises: Practical Steps for Success”; John David: “Strategic Creativity: Organic Innovation for Accelerated Productivity in Business and Career Optimization”; and various other topics such as “Epidemiology and Control of Lassa Fever” and “Seeing and Owning the Future: The Future of Work.”

It will be recalled that Dr. David Ogbueli in December 2024 at his Abuja Headquarters personally disbursed N100,000 to over 100 church members while providing hundreds more with substantial cash gifts and food items.

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Communications Minister Hints At Upcoming Call and Data Tariff Increase

Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani has announced that prices are expected to rise by 30-60 percent.

The revelation comes days after Tijani confirmed that telecom services tariffs would increase, but not by the proposed 100 percent.

Tijani says the telecommunications sector relies heavily on investment to drive Nigeria’s economic growth. He said investors in the sector must continually invest in equipment to remain relevant, despite the challenges posed by inflation.

“The sector is about investment in infrastructure; the technologies are changing, so you have to keep investing in technology. Things like 3G will be decommissioned at some point because you have higher technology, so they have to keep investing in equipment. And we all know that there is inflation. For us, as we are protecting them, we want to keep importing capital in the sector. The foreign direct investment in our sector in the first quarter of 2024, driven by telcos, was close to $199 million; this is bigger than the entire inflow in 2023. We can’t get to a $1 trillion economy if mobile network operators are investing at a snail’s pace,” he stated.

Telecommunication operators have been advocating for approval to increase service tariffs, citing the rising inflation in the country. The implementation of key policies by the present administration, such as the removal of fuel subsidies and the unification of exchange rates, has significantly contributed to the increase in economic inflation across Nigeria.

Rejecting telecom operators’ calls for a 100% hike, Dr. Tijani emphasized that a moderate increase would balance affordability and sector growth.

“The telecommunications sector contributes over 16% to our GDP, employs thousands of Nigerians, and is vital to the digital economy. However, we must ensure services remain accessible while sustaining the sector’s viability,” Dr. Tijani explained.

He highlighted that the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is leading a data-driven tariff review process, prioritizing consumer interests and long-term sector sustainability.

Addressing rural connectivity, the minister announced plans to deploy 90,000 kilometers of fiber-optic cables and construct telecom towers in remote areas through Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs). He also noted Nigeria’s leadership in managing telecommunications infrastructure resilience, particularly in mitigating submarine cable disruptions.

Dr. Tijani reaffirmed the government’s commitment to harmonizing taxes, declaring telecom infrastructure a critical national asset, and holding operators accountable for service interruptions.

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