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FG, States, LGs Share N1.578 Trillion Federation Revenue for March

By
Gladys Phillip
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***FAAC Disburses N931.3bn Statutory Revenue, N593.7bn VAT

The Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) has shared a total sum of N1.578 trillion as March 2025 federation revenue to the Federal Government, 36 states, and the 774 local government councils.

This was disclosed in a statement issued by Mr. Bawa Mokwa, Director of Press and Public Relations in the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, following the FAAC meeting held on Tuesday in Abuja.

The shared revenue comprised N931.325 billion from statutory allocations, N593.750 billion from Value Added Tax (VAT), N24.971 billion from the Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL), and N28.711 billion from Exchange Difference revenue.

According to the FAAC communiqué, total gross revenue available in March stood at N2.411 trillion, higher than February’s N2.308 trillion. Deductions for the cost of collection totalled N85.376 billion, while N747.180 billion was earmarked for transfers, interventions, and refunds.

Revenue Breakdown

From the total distributable revenue of N1.578 trillion, the Federal Government received N528.696 billion, the State Governments N530.448 billion, and the Local Government Councils N387.002 billion. Additionally, N132.611 billion was disbursed to oil-producing states as 13% derivation revenue.

Under the N931.325 billion statutory revenue, the Federal Government received N422.485 billion, States N214.290 billion, and LGAs N165.209 billion, while N129.341 billion was allocated as derivation revenue.

For the N593.750 billion VAT pool, the Federal Government received N89.063 billion, State Governments N296.875 billion, and LGAs N207.813 billion.

From the N24.971 billion EMTL, the Federal Government got N3.746 billion, States N12.485 billion, and LGAs N8.740 billion.

The N28.711 billion Exchange Difference revenue was shared as follows: Federal Government — N13.402 billion, States — N6.798 billion, LGAs — N5.241 billion, and N3.270 billion as derivation revenue.

Trends in Revenue Sources

FAAC reported a significant increase in collections from Petroleum Profit Tax (PPT) and Companies Income Tax (CIT) for March 2025. However, revenue from Oil and Gas Royalties, VAT, EMTL, Excise Duty, Import Duty, and CET Levies experienced declines.

FCCPC Seals Five Shops in Abuja Over Fake Foreign Rice Scam

By
Gladys Phillip
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0

*** Locally produced rice re-bagged as imported brands, says Commission

In a major clampdown on food fraud, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) on Tuesday sealed five wholesale shops in Utako Market, Abuja, for allegedly re-bagging and selling locally produced rice as imported brands such as Royal Stallion and Mama Gold.

The enforcement exercise, led by Mrs. Boladale Adeyinka, Director of Surveillance and Investigations at the FCCPC, followed credible intelligence gathered by the Commission. The operation was carried out in collaboration with officers of the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies.

“Our investigation revealed that locally milled rice is being deceitfully packaged in bags of well-known foreign brands, which are no longer officially imported into Nigeria,” Adeyinka said during the raid. “This practice is not only deceptive but exploitative, as traders are taking advantage of consumers’ preference for foreign brands to hike prices.”

According to her, brands like Mama Gold ceased export activities as far back as 2015. “Yet, in 2025, these bags are still flooding our markets. The traders admit to knowing these products are no longer imported, yet they continue to sell them,” she said.

The Commission has confiscated the offending products and invited the shop owners for further investigation. Administrative penalties and fines are expected to be applied in accordance with the FCCPC Act.

Adeyinka urged consumers to verify the source of rice they purchase, especially when seeking foreign brands, and to patronize only recognized importers and distributors to avoid deception.

Some traders affected by the raid claimed ignorance. Mr. Emmanuel Nneji, one of the shop owners, said he was unaware that Stallion had discontinued production and that he sourced his goods from Kaduna and Kano. “If I had known, I wouldn’t have bought the product. I don’t want to suffer losses,” he said.

Another trader, who declined to be named, admitted the rice was re-bagged but said he sold it at a cheaper price of N18,000 for a 10kg bag—much lower than the N25,000 to N28,000 typically charged for authentic imported rice.

Mr. Alex Igwemma, Secretary of the Utako Market Traders Association, criticised the Commission’s unannounced visit but acknowledged that traders should have known the brands were no longer available. He urged members to ensure the authenticity of goods sold to consumers.

The FCCPC reaffirmed its commitment to protecting consumers from unfair trade practices and warned that more enforcement actions would follow in other markets across the country.

Abubakar Holds Operational Brief With Chief Of Defence Staff , Service Chiefs To Address National Security Situation

By
Victor Obabunmi
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0

The Honourable Minister of Defence, Muhammad Badaru Abubakar, today, 15 April 2025, held his operational briefing with the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) alongside the Service Chiefs at the Ministry of Defence in Abuja.The high-level meeting was convened to provide the Honourable Minister with a comprehensive appraisal of the prevailing security landscape across the country.

The briefing focused on the operational engagements, challenges, and strategic efforts of the Armed Forces of Nigeria in combating insecurity and restoring peace to troubled regions.In particular, the Minister was briefed on the current security situation in the North East, Plateau State, North West, North Central and South East regions, being the areas most affected by insurgency, banditry and communal unrest.

The discussions centred on how to boost ongoing military operations, intelligence coordination, inter-agency collaboration and resource allocation to achieve sustainable peace and national stability.

The security situation in Borno and Plateau states were extensively discussed.
Accordingly, viable strategies were developed to effectively counter them and restore normalcy in the affected areas.The Minister further stressed his firm commitment to working collaboratively with the Armed Forces to evolve effective strategies that will bring lasting solutions to Nigeria’s security challenges.

He also reaffirmed the unwavering support of the President for the Armed Forces and emphasises the need for a proactive, intelligence-driven, and community-engaged approach to national defence.At the end, the Minister pointed out that the briefing has given a clearer picture of the operational realities on the ground in addition to what he witnessed during his visits.

The briefing has also afforded the Armed Forces to reel out their efforts and strategies to ensure the protection of lives and property of Nigerians as mandated in the constitution. He added that. “We are determined to support our gallant troops with the necessary tools and policies needed to win the fight against insecurity and ensure that every Nigerian lives in safety and dignity.”

Nigeria And EU To Enhance Defence and Security Partnership – Badaru

By
Toyin Adebayo
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The Honourable Minister of Defence H.E Mohammed Badaru Abubakar has said that we need to work deeply on our security and defence collaboration and relationship. He stated this when Mr Casmin Dirban, the Director Peace Partnership and Crisis Management Department of the European External Action Service in Brussel paid him a courtesy visit in Ship House ,Abuja .

Furthermore, the meeting discussed on the improvement of cooperation on security to fight terrorism and banditry.
Badaru called for a deliberate effort to look for more areas of collaboration with Nigeria on defence and security matters.

Earlier, Mr Casmin Dirban accompanied by the European union Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ambassador Gautier Mignot, noted the existing bilateral cooperation between the two countries and expressed a desire for stronger relations.

EU Targets Nigeria’s Solid Minerals Sector for Trade Expansion — Alake

By
Toyin Adebayo
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***Highlights Over $700bn Investment Potential

The European Union (EU) has expressed strong interest in deepening trade and investment ties with Nigeria through the solid minerals sector, as it looks to diversify its global economic partnerships.

This was disclosed by the EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, H.E. Gautier Mignot, during a courtesy visit to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, in Abuja.

Ambassador Mignot lauded the Federal Government’s ongoing reforms in the mining sector and said the EU delegation was in Nigeria to better understand the industry and explore areas of mutual interest.

“We see Nigeria as a key partner in our efforts to strengthen sustainable and strategic trade relations, and the solid minerals sector presents a promising frontier,” the envoy stated.

In his remarks, Dr. Alake welcomed the EU’s interest, assuring that Nigeria is open to strategic collaborations that will unlock the full potential of its vast mineral resources.

“With our longstanding ties and the renewed drive for economic cooperation, now is the time to move from dialogue to implementation. The solid minerals sector holds enormous potential, and we are ready to work with credible investors to actualize it,” Alake said.

He revealed that Nigeria is richly endowed with critical minerals essential to the global energy transition, including lithium, cobalt, and copper—all available in commercially viable quantities.

“Even with limited exploration so far, we’re already looking at mineral deposits valued at over $700 billion

Just In: FG Has Not Imported Fuel Since January 2025 – NMDPRA

By
Uche Kingsley
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0

*** Local Production Up 670%, Fuel Demand Drops Sharply Post-Subsidy

The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has disclosed that the Federal Government has not imported any petrol since January 2025, a direct impact of the post-subsidy reform and increased domestic refining capacity.

Chief Executive Officer of NMDPRA, Farouk Ahmed, made this revelation during the Meet the Press session, an interactive engagement between State House correspondents and Presidential media aides, held on Tuesday in Abuja.

Ahmed noted that local fuel supply has surged by 670 percent between August 2024 and April 2025, largely due to the gradual revival of the Port Harcourt Refinery and increased output from modular refineries across the country.

He explained that following the fuel subsidy removal announced by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on May 29, 2023, daily demand for petrol dropped significantly—from 44.6 million litres in August 2024 to just 14.7 million litres as of April 13, 2025. This represents a dramatic decline of 67 percent.

“After contributing virtually nothing in August, local refineries ramped up output to 26.2 million litres per day by early April,” Ahmed said. “This is a major leap from just 3.4 million litres in September, when local refining first showed measurable results.”

Despite this progress, he acknowledged that domestic production only exceeded the government’s 50 million litres/day consumption benchmark twice—in November 2024 (56 million litres) and February 2025 (52.3 million litres). March saw a slight dip to 51.5 million litres, and as of mid-April, it had fallen further to 40.9 million litres.

The NMDPRA boss clarified that while import licenses remain in place, they are issued strictly in alignment with the country’s supply needs.

Responding to concerns about oil market volatility and its potential impact on Nigeria’s 2025 budget, Ahmed dismissed fears, insisting that ongoing reforms and increased local capacity will cushion external shocks.

More details to follow…

Nigeria’s Inflation Rises to 24.23% in March — First Surge Since CPI Rebasing

By
Roland Edet
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0

*** Food Prices, Transport, and Accommodation Services Drive Increase

Nigeria’s inflation rate rose to 24.23 percent in March 2025, marking the first upward movement in the headline figure since the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) rebased the Consumer Price Index (CPI) earlier in the year.

According to the NBS report released on Wednesday, the March figure represents a 1.05 percentage point jump from the 23.18 percent recorded in February.

“Looking at the movement, the March 2025 Headline inflation rate showed an increase of 1.05% compared to the February 2025 rate,” the NBS stated. “On a month-on-month basis, the Headline inflation rate in March 2025 was 3.90%, which was 1.85% higher than the rate recorded in February 2025 (2.04%).”

The bureau explained that this means average prices rose faster in March than they did in February, further squeezing household incomes already strained by rising costs of essential goods and services.

Key Drivers of Inflation

Items contributing most to the inflationary pressure were food and non-alcoholic beverages (9.28%), restaurants and accommodation services (2.99%), transport (2.47%), housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels (1.95%), education (1.44%), and health services (1.40%).

Food inflation alone stood at 21.79 percent year-on-year in March. On a month-on-month basis, food inflation climbed to 2.18 percent, up by 0.50 percentage points from the 1.67 percent recorded in February.

According to the report, the increase in food prices was driven by rising costs of ginger (fresh), yellow garri, ofada rice, natural honey, crabs, potatoes, plantain flour, unshelled periwinkle, and fresh pepper, among others.

The fresh surge is likely to heighten concerns among policymakers and the public, as inflation continues to outpace wage growth, eroding the purchasing power of millions of Nigerians.

Analysts say the uptick may prompt further interventions from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), which has already implemented a series of monetary tightening measures in a bid to rein in inflation and stabilize the naira.

The March data highlights the continuing challenge facing Africa’s largest economy, as it struggles with exchange rate volatility, high food prices, and lingering supply chain disruptions.

Wike Orders Correction of Finishing Work at Mabushi Bus Terminal, Moves to End Land Speculation in FCT

By
Toyin Adebayo
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0

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Barr. Nyesom Wike, has ordered the contractor handling the Mabushi Bus Terminal project back to site, insisting that the current level of finishing is unacceptable and must be corrected before the facility can be commissioned.

Wike, who gave the directive during an inspection of ongoing infrastructure projects across the capital city, emphasized that quality finishing is a non-negotiable requirement for all public structures under his watch.

“We are now in the bus terminal which is almost ready, but I have told the Secretary of Transport, a lot of work still has to be done. I will not accept the finishing because finishing is key,” the Minister said. “The contractor must come back here to do what he is supposed to do so that we can invite Mr. President to inaugurate the Mabushi Bus Terminal.”

He said while the pace of work was commendable, aesthetic and structural precision must not be compromised. “We are happy with what we are seeing, but the finishing of structures like this is key. I have pointed out some of the things I thought should be corrected.”

Key Road Projects Progressing Steadily

Wike also inspected several road projects and gave updates on their timelines. He expressed satisfaction with the work on the Apo-Wassa road being executed by CGC, assuring residents that it would soon be completed.

“The one from Apo to Wassa—you can see that CGC is doing a very good job, and by the grace of God, that’ll be ready,” he said.

He also commended the progress on the interchange along the Kubwa Expressway, handled by Gilmor. “They have also assured us that it will be ready.”

However, he expressed cautious optimism regarding the Jabi-Mabushi road link. “The one we have doubts about is the one that has to join Jabi and Mabushi. But they still believe that by the second week of June, they will have rounded it up. So let’s believe what they have said.”

Clarification on New Land Allocation Policy

The Minister also clarified the rationale behind the FCTA’s new land allocation policy, which requires beneficiaries to pay for their Certificates of Occupancy (C-of-O) within 21 days and develop allocated plots within two years.

“We are trying to stop land speculators. Somebody who says they want land in Abuja and cannot develop it in two years—that is simply land speculation,” he said.

Wike noted that many individuals acquire land only to hold onto it for years without development, hoping to resell at a profit. “So many people will get R-of-O and keep it for four years, looking for who will buy the land. We don’t want to allow that anymore.”

He described the 21-day payment window as both realistic and necessary for revenue generation. “You cannot apply for land and then say you don’t have money to pay for the C-of-O. It doesn’t make sense. Twenty-one days is enough,” he maintained.

Minister Defends Legality of the Policy

When asked whether there was a legal framework backing the new policy, Wike responded confidently: “You don’t need a law. It’s a regulation, and the Minister has the power to carry out administrative reform.”

He reiterated the FCTA’s commitment to driving infrastructural development and urban renewal through transparent land administration and timely execution of capital projects.

Lassa Fever Claims 127 Lives as NCDC Raises Alarm Over Rising Fatality Rate

By
Toyin Adebayo
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0

— Ondo, Bauchi, Edo account for 71% of confirmed cases

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has confirmed 127 deaths from Lassa fever in 2025 as of the 14th epidemiological week, with the Director-General, Dr. Jide Idris, warning that late presentation of cases and poor sanitary conditions are driving the fatality rate higher.

“Despite ongoing efforts, we’re still seeing avoidable deaths. The case fatality rate stands at 18.8% this year—slightly higher than the 18.5% recorded during the same period in 2024,” Dr. Idris said.

According to the NCDC’s latest situation report, a total of 674 cases have been confirmed from 4,025 suspected cases across 18 states and 93 local government areas. In the most recent week under review (March 31 – April 6), 15 new cases and five deaths were reported from six states: Ondo, Bauchi, Edo, Taraba, Ebonyi, and Gombe.

Ondo, Bauchi, and Edo States remain the epicentres of the outbreak, jointly accounting for 71% of all confirmed cases. Ondo alone contributed 30%, while Bauchi and Edo recorded 25% and 16% respectively.

“The data shows a disturbing trend,” Dr. Idris noted. “Most of the confirmed cases are among young people aged 21 to 30 years. Poor awareness and environmental sanitation, along with the high cost of treatment, are serious barriers.”

The NCDC said no new health worker infections were recorded in the reporting week—a positive development amid concerns for frontline responders. However, it acknowledged persistent challenges, including limited community awareness and poor healthcare-seeking behaviour.

To tackle the spread, the NCDC has activated a multi-partner, multi-sectoral Incident Management System (IMS) at the national level, deployed rapid response teams to high-burden areas, and intensified community engagement.

The Centre also confirmed that essential medical supplies, including personal protective equipment and antiviral drugs like Ribavirin, have been distributed to states and treatment centres. Surveillance, risk communication, and infection control measures are also ongoing.

Dr. Idris called on Nigerians to take preventive measures seriously: “Avoid contact with rodents, maintain clean environments, and report to a health facility promptly if you have symptoms like fever, headache, or unexplained bleeding.”

The public is encouraged to stay informed via the official NCDC website (www.ncdc.gov.ng) or call the toll-free line 6232.

Rivers Sole Administrator Demands N300m Refund From NBA Over 2025 Conference Relocation

By
Nnenna Nwankwo
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0

The Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Rtd.), has demanded a refund of ₦300 million from the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), following the association’s recent decision to relocate its 2025 Annual General Conference from Port Harcourt to Enugu.

In a statement signed by Hector Igbikiowubo, Senior Special Assistant on Media to the Sole Administrator, Ibas criticized the NBA’s justification for moving the event despite having accepted the state’s payment for hosting rights.

> “While we respect the NBA’s right to choose its conference venues, we find it curious that the association, despite its ‘principled position,’ failed to address the refund of the ₦300 million already paid by the Rivers State Government,” the statement read.

He urged the NBA to demonstrate integrity by promptly refunding the amount, arguing that it was unethical to benefit from a state the association now publicly discredits.

The NBA had cited alleged breaches of democratic norms and the rule of law under the sole administration as part of its reasons for the relocation. However, Ibas dismissed those claims as misleading, uncharitable, and unbecoming of a legal body that prides itself on fairness and justice.

Defending the legality of his administration, Ibas stated that the state of emergency declared in Rivers was a constitutional necessity, responding to a breakdown of public order. He emphasized that President Tinubu acted within his constitutional authority by appointing a Sole Administrator to stabilize the state.

> “The Sole Administrator’s mandate is clear: to oversee a transitional period that ensures the return of full democratic governance,” Ibas said, referencing the Supreme Court ruling in Suit No. SC/CV/1176/2024 which invalidated elections held in violation of the Electoral Act.

He added that the NBA’s position ignores judicial precedent and oversimplifies a complex constitutional issue for political gain.

> “Rather than contributing to unnecessary tension, we expect the NBA—as a critical stakeholder in Nigeria’s democracy—to engage constructively, offering solutions instead of amplifying divisive narratives,” the statement concluded.

The Sole Administrator reaffirmed his commitment to restoring democratic institutions and upholding constitutional rights across Rivers State.

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