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.
The United States will begin a partial suspension of visa issuance to Nigerians from January 1, 2026, following a new presidential proclamation aimed at strengthening border and national security.
The US Mission in Nigeria announced on Monday that the restriction will take effect at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Standard Time in accordance with Presidential Proclamation 10998, titled ‘Restricting and Limiting the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the Security of the United States.’
According to the mission, Nigeria is one of 19 countries affected by the measure.
Others listed are Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burundi, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Venezuela, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The proclamation provides for a partial suspension of visa issuance covering nonimmigrant B-1/B-2 visitor visas, as well as F, M and J student and exchange visitor visas.
It also applies to immigrant visas, though with limited exceptions.
The statement read in part, “Effective January 1, 2026, at 12:01 a.m. EST, in line with Presidential Proclamation 10998 on “Restricting and Limiting the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the Security of the United States,” the Department of State is partially suspending visa issuance to nationals of 19 countries – Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burundi, Cote D’Ivoire, Cuba, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Venezuela, Zambia, and Zimbabwe – for nonimmigrant B-1/B-2 visitor visas and F, M, J student and exchange visitor visas, and all immigrant visas with limited exceptions.”
US officials clarified that the policy does not apply to all travellers. Exemptions include immigrant visas for ethnic and religious minorities facing persecution in Iran, dual nationals applying with passports from countries not affected by the suspension, and Special Immigrant Visas for eligible US government employees.
Other exempted categories include lawful permanent residents of the United States and participants in certain major international sporting events.
The US government emphasised that the proclamation applies only to foreign nationals who are outside the United States on the effective date and who do not hold a valid US visa as of January 1, 2026.
“Foreign nationals, even those outside the United States, who hold valid visas as of the effective date are not subject to Presidential Proclamation 10998. No visas issued before January 1, 2026, at 12:01 a.m. EST, have been or will be revoked pursuant to the Proclamation,” the statement added.
Visa applicants from affected countries may continue to submit applications and attend interviews. However, the US Mission noted that such applicants “may be ineligible for visa issuance or admission to the US” under the new rules.
The announcement comes amid a series of recent US policy decisions that have raised concerns among Nigerians seeking to travel, study or migrate to the country.
In October, the United States added Nigeria back to its list of countries accused of violating religious freedom, citing persistent insecurity and attacks on Christian communities. This was followed by Nigeria’s inclusion on a revised US travel ban list that imposed partial entry restrictions on Nigerians.
The US has also tightened immigration and visa policies affecting Nigerians. Earlier this year, the validity of most non-immigrant visas issued to Nigerians was reduced to single-entry visas with a three-month duration.
The pre-action notice was signed by Emmanuel Okpara, Esq., Litigation and Compliance Director, and Mus’ab Awwal Mu’az, Esq., secretary of the Association’s Steering Committee.
The dispute stemmed from a consent judgment delivered on November 3, 2025, by Justice J.K. Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, in Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CC/355/2025 between Meta Platforms, Inc. and the NDPC.
Following investigations conducted under the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA), 2023, the NDPC had issued a Final Order against Meta Platforms, Inc., finding “widespread violations of the data protection and privacy rights of approximately 61 million Nigerians,” and imposing a remedial fine of USD 32,800,000.
The pre-action notice was signed by Emmanuel Okpara, Esq., Litigation and Compliance Director, and Mus’ab Awwal Mu’az, Esq., Secretary of the Association’s Steering Committee.
The dispute stemmed from a consent judgment delivered on November 3, 2025, by Justice J.K. Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, in Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CC/355/2025 between Meta Platforms, Inc. and the NDPC.
Following investigations conducted under the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA), 2023, the NDPC had issued a Final Order against Meta Platforms, Inc., finding “widespread violations of the data protection and privacy rights of approximately 61 million Nigerians,” and imposing a remedial fine of USD 32,800,000.
The NDPC investigation stemmed from a petition filed at the commission on August 14, 2023, against Meta Platforms Inc. by the convener of Personal Data Protection Awareness Initiative, Ozoemena Nwogbo, regarding violation of the Nigeria Data Protection Act.
After its investigation, NDPC found Meta Platforms Inc. wanting and, on February 18, 2025, issued nine Final Orders against Meta Platforms Inc.
NDPC’s Order
The NDPC’s order nine reads, “Meta shall pay the naira equivalent of 32,800,000 USD (Thirty-two million, eight-hundred thousand United States Dollars) as a remedial fee. The naira equivalent shall be at the rate determined by the Central Bank of Nigeria.
“The details of the account for payment of the remedial fee are as follows: Account Name: Nigeria Data Protection Commission Fund Account. Account Number: 0020331265048 (300131267). Use RTGS for payment.”
The NDPC added, “Note that Meta has a right to seek a judicial review of this decision. The Commission will closely monitor Meta’s remediation process and its impact on data subjects for upwards of six months.”
However, the Final Order was subsequently set aside through Terms of Settlement, which were adopted by the court as a consent judgment on November 3, 2025, following a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/355/2025, filed by Meta Platforms Inc. against the NDPC.
Part of the Terms of Settlement entered between NDPC and Meta Platforms Inc. reads, “The applicant (Meta Platforms Inc.) and the respondent (NDPC) have come to a mutual settlement agreement that resolves the dispute underlying the applicant’s originating Summons.
“Pursuant to this agreement: (I) the applicant has agreed to provide specific remedial consideration to the respondent in support of protecting the rights of data subjects in Nigeria; and (II) the respondent has inter alia agreed to set aside and waive any rights to enforce or take steps to enforce the Final Orders against the applicant.”
The settlement terms specifically read, “In the light of the foregoing: The applicant wholly and completely terminates, abandons, withdraws, and discontinues the Originating Summons as well as any and all claims against the respondent connected to or arising from the matters or the subject matter thereof, except as the parties have otherwise agreed.
“The respondent: (I) sets aside the Final Orders against Meta; and (II) save and except as the parties have otherwise agreed, fully and firmly releases and discharges Meta from any and all claims, demands, actions, causes of action, contracts, obligations, suits, debts, costs, liabilities, which the respondent ever had, may now have, or May hereafter claim to have against Meta in respect of the matters.”
Association Alleges Illegality In Settlement
But the Data Privacy Lawyers Association contended that the consent judgment was entered into unlawfully, arguing that it was done without lawful statutory authority, in violation of the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023, and in derogation of the constitutional right to privacy guaranteed under Section 37 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).
The Association further said the action was taken “to the grave prejudice of millions of affected Nigerians and the public interest, as well as the Federal Government of Nigeria.”
In the notice, the Association warned that unless the issues raised are urgently addressed within the statutory notice period, it would approach the Federal High Court to seek multiple reliefs.
These include an order setting aside, vacating, and nullifying the consent judgment on grounds of fraud, collusion, material non-disclosure, lack of statutory authority, and violation of the NDPA, 2023.
It is also seeking a declaration that the consent judgment is “null, void, unconstitutional, and of no legal effect,” as well as a declaration that the NDPC lacks statutory authority to waive, compro
Other reliefs sought include an order restoring and reviving the Final Order against Meta Platforms, including the $32.8 million fine, and an order restraining any further reliance on or enforcement of the consent judgment.
The Association also asked the court for other orders the Court may deem fit in the interest of justice, public accountability, and the protection of constitutional rights.
In the interest of transparency and accountability, the Association urged the NDPC to provide a written explanation of the legal basis for entering into the Terms of Settlement, clarify the statutory authority relied upon to waive the remedial fine and set aside the Final Order, and take steps to remedy the issues raised.
The letter, the Association said, constitutes the requisite pre-action notice under applicable law.
It warned that unless the concerns are satisfactorily addressed within 30 days of receipt of the notice, it will proceed to institute legal proceedings without further recourse.
mise, or extinguish liabilities, sanctions, or remedial fines arising from established violations of the Act.
As Christians in Nigeria and around the world mark the birth of Jesus Christ, Globacom has extended warm Christmas greetings, describing the season as one of goodwill and togetherness.
Reflecting on the significance of Christmas in a message released on Tuesday, the technology company said the period offers an opportunity for renewal, calling on Christians to uphold the values embodied by Jesus Christ, including love, humility and compassion for humanity.
Globacom noted that the circumstances of Christ’s birth continue to offer timeless guidance for society. “The noble yet humble birth of Jesus teaches virtues such as obedience to God, humility, love for mankind and a strong commitment to the common good. We encourage Christians to consciously practise these virtues as true followers of Christ,” the company stated.
Against the backdrop of today’s social and economic challenges, the company emphasized the shared responsibility of people of goodwill to care for others and to give generously, pointing to Christ’s acts of compassion, including his feeding of multitudes as recorded in the Bible.
Beyond the celebrations, Globacom urged Nigerians to sustain the true spirit of Christmas by consistently demonstrating love, promoting peace and fostering harmony—values that defined Christ’s life and teachings.
The company also wished its customers and Nigerians at large a joyful Christmas, while reaffirming its commitment to delivering reliable, high-quality services throughout the festive period and beyond, urging customers to take advantage of its wide range of innovative products and services to stay connected and share the joy of the season with loved ones.
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