Electricity: Niger, Togo, others fail to pay $14.19m Q1 debt owed Nigeria – Newstrends
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Electricity: Niger, Togo, others fail to pay $14.19m Q1 debt owed Nigeria

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Electricity: Niger, Togo, others fail to pay $14.19m Q1 debt owed Nigeria

Nigeria’s financial challenges have taken another hit as international customers failed to settle a whopping $14.19 million electricity bill for the first quarter of 2024.

The alarming revelation sprang from the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission’s (NERC) Q1 2024 report, which highlighted the persistent non-payment by all four of Nigeria’s international electricity customers.

The customers, comprising neighbouring countries such as Benin Republic, Niger, and Togo, have left Nigeria’s Market Operator (MO) with a substantial unpaid debt.

Analysts noted that the worrisome development remains a lingering issue that must be urgently addressed, as international clients’ repeated failure to honour their financial obligations would continually drain Nigeria’s purse.

The NERC report also shed light on a similar pattern within Nigeria. Domestic bilateral customers, who were billed a total of N1.86 billion for the same period, have also defaulted on their payments. The report clearly states, “In 2024/Q1, none of the four (4) international bilateral customers serviced by the MO made any payment against the $14.19 million invoice issued to them by the MO for services rendered in 2024/Q1. Similarly, none of the bilateral customers within the country made any payment against the cumulative invoice of N1,860.11 million issued to them by the MO for services rendered in 2024/Q1.”

However, the report does note some progress in clearing previous debts. Two international customers managed to pay approximately $5.19 million, while eight domestic customers settled about N505.71 million from past quarters. Although this is a step forward, the recurring failure to meet current payment obligations continues to strain Nigeria’s already troubled financial landscape.

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On the domestic front, Nigeria’s Distribution Companies (DisCos) were billed a staggering N114.12 billion for upstream services in Q1 2024. This amount covers N65.96 billion for generation costs and N48.16 billion for transmission and administrative services. Despite this significant billing, the DisCos managed to remit N110.62 billion, leaving a shortfall of N3.50 billion. Nevertheless, their remittance performance of 96.93 per cent marks a notable improvement from the 69.88 per cent recorded in the previous quarter, reflecting a more concerted effort to address the financial bottlenecks within the sector.

Yet, the problem of unpaid international electricity debts looms large. In 2023, the federal government reported an outstanding $51.26 million owed by international customers for electricity exported from Nigeria.

To mitigate this, the government in May 2024 issued a directive limiting the supply of electricity to international customers to no more than 6 per cent of the total grid generation per hour.

In addition, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has criticized the ongoing practice of prioritizing international customers over local distribution companies (DisCos) during grid imbalances. The commission called this approach both inefficient and unfair, demanding a recalibration of priorities. Under a new order, electricity generation companies are now required to allocate no more than 10 per cent of their generation capacity to international off-takers over the next six months.

As Nigeria navigates these turbulent waters, the unresolved debts, both international and domestic, threaten to undermine the stability of the nation’s electricity sector, further exacerbating the country’s broader financial woes.

Electricity: Niger, Togo, others fail to pay $14.19m Q1 debt owed Nigeria

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Tinubu extremely wealthy, can’t loot Nigeria’s treasury, says minister

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu

Tinubu extremely wealthy, can’t loot Nigeria’s treasury, says minister

The Minister of State for Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, has described President Bola Tinubu as an epitome of wealth with no interest to loot Nigeria’s resources.

Olawande stated this while speaking at the Joint Union Negotiating Council’s week of the Federal Ministry of Youth Development branch in Abuja.

The minister also appealed to Nigerians to be patient with the president, noting that in no distant time there will be positive changes.

He said, “I urge you to be patient with this administration. In no distant time, the country will take good shape and the lives of the citizens will be transformed.

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“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is not a pauper; he is an acknowledged epitome of wealth and so it cannot be said of him that he desires to loot the treasury of Nigeria.”

Olawande continued, “He has seen money and as a result of this, he is not interested in looting the nation’s treasury.”

He emphasized that the administration is putting in efforts to transform the lives of Nigerians through various policies of the federal government.

Olawande thanked the staff of the ministry for being supportive of the government policies and assured them that their welfare will not be compromised.

Tinubu extremely wealthy, can’t loot Nigeria’s treasury, says minister

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BREAKING: Nigeria’s inflation rate slows for second consecutive month to 32.15% – NBS

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BREAKING: Nigeria’s inflation rate slows for second consecutive month to 32.15% – NBS

Nigeria’s headline inflation rate eased to 32.15% in August 2024 down from the 33.40% recorded in July 2024, reflecting a decrease of 1.25 percentage points.

This represents the second consecutive monthly slowdown in inflation after easing in the previous month.

This is according to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) report published by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

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However, on a year-on-year basis, the August 2024 inflation rate was 6.35 percentage points higher than the 25.80% rate recorded in August 2023, indicating a significant increase over the past year.

On a month-on-month basis, the inflation rate in August 2024 stood at 2.22%, slightly lower than July’s rate of 2.28%, signaling a slower pace in the increase of the average price level compared to the previous month.

BREAKING: Nigeria’s inflation rate slows for second consecutive month to 32.15% – NBS

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Edo poll: Six persons arrested in Benin hotel with fake PDP letterheads, forged signatures

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Edo poll: Six persons arrested in Benin hotel with fake PDP letterheads, forged signatures

Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force have arrested six young men in a hotel located in the Government Reserved Area (GRA) of Benin City with fake letterheads, stamps, and forged signatures belonging to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its chieftains.

The young men, who were apprehended with incriminating materials such as printers, mobile phones, power banks, laptops, and a photocopy machine, are believed to have been involved in drafting and circulating fake PDP letters and statements.

Their objective was to paint the PDP as instigators of unrest ahead of the forthcoming Edo governorship election, scheduled for Saturday, September 21, 2024.

The arrest, which was made following a tip-off, uncovered an elaborate scheme allegedly designed to discredit the PDP and its leaders by sending fabricated documents to unsuspecting journalists.

These fake letters and statements, according to police sources, were intended to portray the party as warmongers and troublemakers in the run-up to the critical election.

A police officer involved in the operation, who asked to remain anonymous, revealed that the suspects had been using the hotel as their base of operations for weeks.

“We found that these individuals were using forged PDP letterheads, stamps, and signatures to create fake documents.

“Their goal was to send out these documents to journalists in an attempt to misrepresent the PDP and create an atmosphere of tension ahead of the elections,” the officer said.

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In addition to the counterfeit materials, the police discovered that the young men had several technological devices, including laptops and printers, which they used to produce and disseminate the fraudulent documents.

“Their setup was sophisticated. They had everything they needed to make the documents appear legitimate, from forged letterheads to printers.

“We also found power banks, mobile phones, and a photocopy machine, which they used to mass-produce the fake letters,” the officer added.

Further investigation has revealed that the six young men were funded by a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.

Meanwhile, another police source disclosed that the Nigeria Police Force, Edo State Command, has come under intense pressure from senior APC figures, who are reportedly pushing for the release of the arrested men.

“Since the arrest, there has been immense pressure on us from certain chieftains within the APC, urging the command to release these individuals.

“We believe that their involvement with these young men is being covered up, and they are worried about the potential fallout from this arrest,” the source noted.

A journalist with one of the prominent national newspapers, who had been unknowingly receiving fake statements from the group, expressed shock upon hearing about the arrests.

“It’s alarming to think that we’ve been receiving statements from people who were impersonating the PDP. This shows how low some people will go to try and sabotage the other party. The integrity of this election is now under serious question,” the journalist stated.

The Edo State Police Command has yet to issue an official statement on the matter, but sources within the command say investigations are ongoing, and the suspects remain in custody.

Edo poll: Six persons arrested in Benin hotel with fake PDP letterheads, forged signatures

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