News
Nigeria Faces Shutdown as Energy Crisis Worsens
Nigeria faces a shutdown as fuel becomes increasingly unavailable nationwide and prices doubled or tripled in some places.
Petrol, diesel and even kerosene are longer being sold in 80% of fuel stations across Nigeria, according to reports by Daily Trust correspondents.
The situation is so critical that motorists are stranded at filling stations for a whole day.
As a result transport fares have shot up sharply – in some places rising by 100% or more.
Airlines have also cut flights by half, leaving passengers stranded and some angry for being forced to miss crucial business trips.
All these are compounded by power generation which has dropped to all time low forcing critical services like hospitals, banks and telecoms to depend ever more on generator plants.
But Daily Trust correspondents report that even such alternative services are themselves threatened by the current fuel shortages.
Telecom operators have warned that the nation faces shutdown if the situation does not improve immediately.
A few hospitals have also expressed concerns that they will no longer be able to carry out operations should the situation continue for a day or two.
The fuel crisis is coming at a time when about 50 foreign leaders are due in the country for the inauguration of a new president on Friday.
Fuel scarcity in Lagos and some western parts of the country weekend worsened as most filling stations remained closed.
Our correspondent gathered that some of the black marketers got supply of the product from burst pipelines in the outskirt of Ikorodu area of the Lagos and sell to motorists at N250 per litre against the official price of N87.
Commercial bus drivers have hiked transport fare by over 150 percent margin in order to enable them make returns on the cost of fuelling their vehicles.
A transport fare from Ajah to Obalende, which was N300 days ago was N 700 yesterday. Also Yaba fare to Obalende goes as high as N400 and N500 as against N100 per trip last week.
Inter state buses also jerked transport fares for over 100 percent, leaving cost of movement to Ibadan and Abeokuta at N3500 and N3000 respectively as against N2000 and N1500 last week.
Meanwhile, the Executive Secretary of the Major Oil Marketers of Nigeria (MOMAN), Mr Obafemi Lawore has expressed concern over the worsening fuel scarcity.
MOMAN and other importers are scheduled to meet the Senate in Abuja today.
Two of the major telecoms operators, Airtel and MTN Nigeria have warned of imminent network degradation if the fuel scarcity is not addressed.
MTN said in a statement posted on its twitter handle, that its reserve diesel was running out fast and the network might suffer imminent degradation if it did not manage to procure diesel supplies within the next 24 hours.
The statement read, “MTN’s available reserves of diesel are running low and the company must source for a significant quantity of diesel in the near future to prevent a shutdown of services across Nigeria.”
Corporate Services Executive Akinwale Goodluck said: “Most of our base stations and switches are powered round-the-clock by Diesel Generators and the current fuel shortage has drastically reduced the availability of diesel fuel supply to key locations”
In the same vein, Airtel Networks Limited also in a statement said the situation is impacting negatively on its commitments to delivering best-in-class quality of service and seamless telephony experience to all Nigerians.”
An official, Mr. Erhumu Bayagbon said: “While we are currently doing everything within our means as well as going the extra mile to ensure that all our base stations and switches are up and running, it is sad to note that it is becoming increasingly difficult to replenish current stock of diesel due to the lingering scarcity of the products.”
He said, “We are also concerned that, if the situation persists, it may have adverse effects on our network, impacting both voice and data services. Airtel, therefore wishes to assure all customers that we will continue working with all our partners and stakeholders to mitigate any negative impact as we remain committed to our promise of providing exceptional services.”
A 2014 slide-deck presented to foreign investors revealed that MTN Nigeria spends at least 70 percent of operating expenditure on diesel, while the Chief Executive Officer of Airtel Nigeria, Segun Ogunsanya also gave an estimated amount of N10billion as annual spending on diesel.
The fuel crisis is forcing businesses to close their doors and if MTN’s grim forecast comes to pass, not only voice and calls will be affected, but also internet services, banks, health, education as well as other sectors of the economy.
The persistent acute power outage coupled with the hot weather being experienced in Kano State has exposed residents to untold hardship, our correspondent reports.
For weeks power supply in Kano State has worsened as residents battle with many days of blackout. This is not helped by the weather condition which has been fluctuating between 39 and 40 degrees.
A civil servant, Aminu Mohammed said his son had been admitted at the Nasarawa hospital as a result of the hot weather and the power outage.
“For the past five days now I have been at the hospital, my son is suffering from high fever which doctors said was caused by the hot weather. I thank God that his is high fever but cases of meningitis have been recorded at the hospital,” he said.
A factory worker in Sharada phase 2, Ibrahim Suleiman said the management of the carpet company he is working with had cancelled overtime because of the power outage.
News
PalmPay, Jumia Reward Users in Festive Campaign
This holiday season just got a whole lot more exciting! PalmPay, one of Africa’s leading fintech platforms, operates Nigeria’s most used mobile wallet and has teamed up with Jumia, the continent’s e-commerce giant, to launch a festive campaign that’s all about convenience, rewards, and enhancing your shopping experience.
Running from December 11th to 28th, 2024, this holiday campaign is set to reward shoppers who use the new “Pay with PalmPay” feature on Jumia with cash prizes. Every purchase made using the direct payment method automatically enters participants into a draw, giving them a chance to win exciting cash rewards while enjoying the seamless shopping and payment process.
A Strategic Partnership To Enhance Digital Payments
The integration of the “Pay with PalmPay Wallet” feature on Jumia marks a major milestone in the partnership between the two industry leaders.
Speaking at the media announcement, Mr. Chika Nwosu, Managing Director of PalmPay, highlighted the broader mission driving this collaboration: “We are thrilled to join forces with Jumia to redefine convenience for shoppers. At PalmPay, our mission has always been to drive economic empowerment through accessible and user-friendly financial services. This partnership is a natural step forward in achieving that goal.”
Beyond the holidays, this partnership with Jumia m,k is a signal of bigger things to come. Mr. Chika added: “This is more than just about payments—it’s about creating value for our customers. We are excited about the opportunities this partnership will unlock in 2025, including campaigns and innovative initiatives that will further transform the online shopping landscape.”
Sunil Natraj, CEO of Jumia Nigeria, highlighted the shared vision between both companies, stating: “At Jumia, we are dedicated to creating value for our customers by ensuring a convenient, reliable, and secure shopping experience. This partnership with PalmPay strengthens our commitment to enhancing the digital payments within our platform. By integrating PalmPay, we are providing more options for customers to access affordable and quality goods with the convenience of cashless transactions.”
How to Join the Holiday Fun
Participating in the campaign is simple. When shopping on Jumia, select the “Pay with PalmPay” option at checkout, and your entry into the draw is automatic. It’s that easy!
Bonus Entry: Share a screenshot of your purchase on X (formerly Twitter) using the hashtag #PalmPayXJumia to increase your chances of winning. Additional winners will be selected from participants engaging with the campaign on Twitter.
Whether you are shopping for gifts, or gadgets this festive season, PalmPay and Jumia are making sure your experience is not only seamless but also rewarding.
To learn more about the campaign, stay tuned to the official X accounts (formerly Twitter) of @palmpay_ng and @JumiaNigeria. for updates, announcements, and more chances to win.
News
Corruption: ICPC Threatens Sanctions as 330 MDAs Fail Financial, Governance Tests
Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission (ICPC), has revealed that none of the Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), in the country complied fully with ethical standards, policies, and anti-corruption measures in the passing year.
This was following the findings from the Commission’s Ethics and Integrity Compliance Scorecard (EICS) for the MDAs.
The Commission warned that henceforth, non-compliant MDAs will face necessary actions, including enforcement, to ensure adherence to government directives.
According to the EICS scorecard released on Thursday in Abuja by Demola Bakare, ICPC spokesperson, no MDA out of 330 MDAs that were assessed through physical deployment by ICPC teams achieved full compliance.
The EICS serves as a preventive tool used to assess and enhance the compliance of MDAs with ethical standards, policies, and anti-corruption measures.
Findings from the report indicated that no MDA achieved full compliance, while 29.55 per cent of MDAs captured attained substantial compliance, and 51.62 per cent had partial compliance.
The report also observed that 15.91 per cent showed poor compliance, while 292 per cent were non-compliant.
According to the report, common gaps included a lack of whistle-blower policies, strategic plans, and effective stock verification units, adding that many MDAs failed to conduct any forms of system studies or render financial and audit reports.
Commenting on the report, Bakare noted: “This year, 2024, the tool covered 323 responsive MDAs, with 15 MDAs non-responsive and categorised as high corruption risk.
“It is imperative to inform you that this initiative has yielded some positive and value-driven impacts, and these are, but not limited to, increased awareness and compliance with anti-corruption measures, enhanced competition among MDAs to meet criteria, and improved procurement processes and data reliability.
“The Commission recognises the MDAs with substantial compliance and will continue deploying these tools to promote integrity and accountability.
“Non-compliant MDAs will face necessary actions, including enforcement, to ensure adherence to government directives. We are certain that these efforts will continue to underline ICPC’s dedication to enhancing good governance and preventing corruption.”
News
Dangote Refinery Denies Liquidity Challenges, Dismisses NNPCL’s $1Bn Loan Claim
Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals (DPRP) has dismissed claims that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) used a $1 billion loan secured through a crude forward sale agreement to support the refinery during a liquidity crisis.
In a statement on Wednesday, Anthony Chiejina, company’s chief branding and communications officer, said the NNPCL’s stance was a distortion of the facts.
“We would like to clarify that this is a misrepresentation of the situation as $1bn is just about 5% of the investment that went into building the Dangote Refinery,” Chiejina said.
Chiejina stated that the refinery’s decision to enter into a partnership with the NNPCL was based on the recognition of “their strategic position in the industry as the largest offtaker of Nigerian crude” and at the time, the sole supplier of petrol into Nigeria.
“We agreed on the sale of a 20% stake at a value of $2.76 billion. Of this, we agreed that they will only pay $1 billion while the balance will be recovered over a period of 5 years through deductions on crude oil that they supply to us and from dividends due to them,” Chiejina said.
“If we were struggling with liquidity challenges we wouldn’t have given them such generous payment terms. As at 2021 when the agreement was signed, the refinery was at the pre-commission stage.”
According to the statement, the agreement would have been cash-based rather than credit-driven if the refinery struggled with liquidity issues.
The refinery’s spokesman said the NNPCL was subsequently unable to supply the agreed 300,000 barrels a day of crude (bpd).
He stated that the shortfall was because the NNPPC “had committed a greater part of their crude cargoes to financiers with the expectation of higher production which they were unable to achieve”.
“We subsequently gave them a 12-month period for them to pay cash for the balance of their equity given their inability to supply the agreed crude oil volume,” he said.
“NNPCL failed to meet this deadline which expired on June 30th 2024. As a result, their equity share was revised down to 7.24%. These events have been widely reported by both parties,” he said.
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