General
Ambode Under Fire over Report on Secrecy in Govt. Spending
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Lagos State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, has come under sharp criticisms over a report by an online newspaper, Premium Times, alleging that his administration has not been transparent with taxes of residents.
Those who reacted to the piece said they find it hard to believe that the state government force residents of the state to pay their taxes and threaten to punish them if they fail to comply, but government do not see mandatory to explain how the funds were used.
“In Nigeria, govt compels you to pay up ur taxes, yet cannot be transparent as to how these monies are spent! Absolute nonsense!” a commenter said on Twitter.
Below is the report by Premium Times.
There were smiles on the faces of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode and the two men who sat on both sides inside the Lagos House, Ikeja, as cameras’ clicked while the governor signed the Lagos State government’s N813 billion Appropriation Bill for 2017 into Law.
Flanked by Akinyemi Ashade, the Commissioner for Finance, and Rotimi Olowo, the Chairman House Committee on Appropriation, Mr Ambode said his administration was committed to prudent financial management and would ensure proper fiscal discipline in the implementation of the Appropriation Law.
The budget, the biggest ever by the Lagos State government since its creation, was made up of N507.816 billion earmarked for capital expenditure and N305.182 billion set aside for recurrent expenditure, an aggregate ration of 62:38.
But a breakdown of the budget figures has been kept away from the cameras as well as the public, a marked departure from previous years where even a summary of expenditures and earnings were uploaded on the government’s official website.
“They (Lagos State government) are very tricky about it,” Stanley Achonu, Operations Lead at BudgIT, a civic organisation that helps Nigerians better understand government’s annual budgets.
“What they publish is the summary of the budget, you know, what went to what ministry, it doesn’t include details of the budget.”
For the 2017 fiscal year, both the summary and the detailed breakdown – which had never been publicly disclosed – of the budget is missing on the budget website of the Lagos State government.
Months of efforts to get a clarification from Steve Ayorinde, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, yielded no results as he neither answered phone calls nor replied text messages.
A silent government
While providing a sectoral breakdown of the state’s 2017 budget last January, Mr Ashade said roads and infrastructure would get N141.692 billion, almost 20 percent of the total budget.
Between February and July, Governor Ambode commissioned over a dozen infrastructural projects, including the Abule Egba and Ajah Fly Overs; the Aboru-Abesan Link Bridge; and the Ojodu Berger Pedestrian Bridge, Lay By, Slip Road and Segregated Bus Park.
Others include the Omotayo Banwo/Kola Iyamolere Street in Ogudu, Kosofe local council; the Admiralty/Freedom Road in Lekki; the pedestrian bridge in Ojota; and a walkway in Jakande, Lekki.
In August, PREMIUM TIMES submitted two requests to the Lagos State government – an official letter requesting information and a Freedom of Information request – seeking the cost of some of these projects, including that of the 20 patrol vehicles procured for the Rapid Response Squad of the Lagos State Police Command.
Although the state government acknowledged receipt of the two letters, there have been no responses two months after.
A similar FOI request months earlier asking for the cost of some projects undertaken by the state’s water corporation was also acknowledged but the information was not provided.
A Subnational Transparency Report published this year by BudgIT listed Lagos State among 16 states in Nigeria without a detailed public budget.
Sectoral allocations in the budget of Lagos State
On March 27, the state government held a “world press conference” where it rolled out activities lined up for the last 50 days of the Lagos@50 celebration – musical concerts, boat regatta, jazz and film festivals, comedy show and the governor’s banquet among dozens of other events – to commemorate the state’s 50th anniversary.
The state government did not also respond to PREMIUM TIMES enquiries about how much was spent on the year-long event.
But in an interview with Punch newspapers last May, Mr Ayorinde, responding to a question on how much the Lagos@50 celebration cost the state government said they received “more than N1 billion” in support from “sponsors.”
“Before the sponsors came, what Lagos did was to give seed money so that things could move. But from sponsors alone, we have raised more than N1bn which is not just going into celebration,” Mr Ayorinde said.
He did not provide details as to how much was the ‘seed money,’ who the sponsors were, and how the funds were disbursed.
Lanre Arogundade, Chairman of the International Press Centre, said the lack of access to public information in Lagos State is a concern for citizens and called for the issue to address urgently.
“Lagos is supposed to be the centre of excellence in everything but when the budget is not easily accessible, that’s worrisome,” Mr Arogundade said.
“We can only talk of high rate of transparency when FOI requests are responded to, when information are made readily available.”
In July, the Social Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) in conjunction with BudgIT wrote to the state’s procurement agency over the unavailability of public procurement journal to the public.
In a correspondence seen by PREMIUM TIMES, the agency said the governor had just inaugurated its governing board and had just requested to set a threshold for what it would consider as “major contracts.”
It further stated that the agency was working towards a holistic upgrade of its website in order to make it more interactive and advanced in line with international best practices.
“Upon completion of the said upgrade which we hope will be accommodated in the 2018 budget, the agency website will be better positioned to supply adequate responses to enquiries from stakeholders,” the agency stated in its response dated 11th July 2017.
Adetokunbo Mumuni, Executive Director at SERAP, said while his organisation had not had a “serious interaction” with the present government, it had had little success with Mr Ambode’s predecessor, Babatunde Fashola.
In December 2013, SERAP wrote to the Lagos State government requesting information and documents on spendings in public schools, following a $90 million World Bank loan, between 2009 and 2013.
The government did not respond.
In suit FHC/L/CS/57/2014 filed before a Lagos Division of the Federal High Court, SERAP urged the court to declare that by virtue of the provisions of Section 4(a) of the Freedom of Information Act, 2011, the governor is under a binding obligation to provide it with the information requested.
In its counter affidavit, the Lagos State government, represented by then Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Ade Ipaye, argued that the Freedom of Information Act was a federal legislation and, as a result, not binding on states.
“The public records of Lagos State government are generated and kept by various ministries, departments, agencies and personnel of the state government in execution of their functions and responsibility in the service of the state,” Mr Ipaye, who is now Chief of Staff to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, said.
“Such state government agencies and personnel are statutorily created or regulated by laws of the state House of Assembly and the handling of public of public records has serious security implications which are routinely handled by rules established by the state government.”
The court ruled in favour of Lagos State government.
“We’d sought information about the state of primary schools and what they have done; they refused, they insisted that the FOI must be domesticated,” Mr. Mumuni told PREMIUM TIMES.
“We reacted that that shouldn’t be and gave reasons why it shouldn’t be domesticated before such information is made available to us.
“We went to court but we lost. We are still appealing the case.”
In 2014, another division of the federal high court, in Enugu, ruled that the Freedom of Information Act is applicable in all states of the federation.
Hitting a brick wall
This year, Mr Arogundade’s IPC – in collaboration with BudgIT – sought to get a copy of the 2017 Lagos State government budget.
They hit a brick wall.
“I think it’s something worrisome and the issue needs to be taken up… because more can still be done by the government,” Mr Arogundade said.
Last February, a PREMIUM TIMES reporter seeking the Lagos State government’s response to claims by traders at the rebuilt Tejuosho Market in Yaba, was given the run-around by government officials.
First, the market officials directed the reporter to the Public Relations Officer at the state’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry at the Alausa secretariat, where an official redirected him to Lagos State Market Board.
At the Lagos State Market Board at the Old Secretariat in Ikeja GRA, a senior government official who declined to respond to questions directed the reporter back to Alausa, to the LGA Unit of state’s Ministry of Local Government Affairs, where he was referred to the Public Relations Officer.
Bisi Olufuwa, the ministry’s PRO, said she would direct the questions to her boss, the permanent secretary of the ministry.
“I am just seeing this (and you, too) for the first time and I promise to fix a session where you will meet my boss and discuss these issues,” said Ms Olufuwa.
The session was never fixed.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The sextet of Onlinebanker, Adetunji Films, More Branches TV, Wearegst, Iswellthecapitalist and The Republic have been selected for the Emerging News Voices Growth Lab organised by Google News Initiative (GNI).
The six Nigerian independent news creators are among roughly 20 emerging news creators from across the region taking part in the multi-month virtual programme, which runs through late September 2026.
Over the course of the programme, participants work directly with Google trainers and product experts across four areas:
AI in the newsroom: hands-on integration of Google’s AI tools, including Gemini, NotebookLM, Google Trends and SynthID, into daily workflows for research, transcription, translation and verification.
Video and audience growth: practical frameworks for building YouTube channels, using both Shorts and long-form video to reach new audiences.
Direct reader relationships: strengthening open web presence and newsletters to build first-party audiences the newsroom owns.
Sustainable revenue: sessions on monetisation strategy, product differentiation and audience growth models.
“Independent news creators and digital-native newsrooms are shaping how Africans, and Nigerians in particular, find and understand the news.
“The Growth Lab gives these creators what growing newsrooms need most: practical AI skills, a clear video and audience strategy, direct relationships with their readers and a path to sustainable revenue.
“When emerging voices build capability and financial independence, the whole news ecosystem becomes more resilient, diverse and sustainable,” the News Partnerships Lead for the Middle East and Africa at Google, Marianne Erasmus, stated.
Commenting on being part of the cohort, the Editor-in-Chief of The Republic, Mr Wale Lawal, said, “Google’s Emerging News Voices Growth Lab is giving us practical ways to combine audience insight, product thinking and the responsible use of AI as we build a more sustainable future for The Republic’s journalism.”
Also speaking, his counterpart at MoreBranches, Mr Nasir Achile Ahmed, said, “The program has been valuable to our newsroom, providing information that validates observations we’d made previously, as well as access to tools and the knowledge to use them effectively. Beyond that, engaging with experts and fellow journalists has created a supportive environment that is helping us strengthen our storytelling.”
Creator-led digital journalism is changing how Nigerians, especially younger audiences, find and consume news. Social-first channels and digital-native platforms increasingly drive news discovery, yet the newsrooms behind them often run lean, with limited access to the tools, training and revenue expertise available to established publishers. The GNI Growth Lab is built to close that gap.
The Growth Lab grew out of the Global News Gap Project, a continent-wide mapping of independent African news creators conducted with Project Oasis and Code for Africa, which identified where emerging newsrooms most need support.
The Growth Lab is the latest step in Google’s continued support for Nigerian media. Since 2018, Google has funded newsroom transformation projects through the GNI, helped publishers grow advertising revenue through the Ad Manager Academy, and shared ad revenue with Nigerian publishers through Google AdSense and Google Ad Manager.
Since 2024 alone, Google has trained more than 1,500 Nigerian journalists and editors in online safety, advanced Search, digital verification and audience analytics. Google also supports media skilling through its collaboration with the MTN Media Innovation Programme, where fellows receive hands-on sessions on AI as a productivity partner and on newsroom technology, from News Consumer Insights to Gemini.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has dissolved the board of Kaduna Electricity Distribution Plc over the company’s cumulative market obligations of N456.5billion and prolonged financial and operational challenges.
The regulator also appointed an interim board of special directors and directed the commencement of a transparent process for selecting a new core investor for the electricity distribution company.
The decisions were contained in Order No. NERC/2026/086, titled Order on the Regulatory Intervention in Kaduna Electricity Distribution Plc Pursuant to the Electricity Act 2023, which took effect on Monday, August 10, 2026.
NERC said the intervention followed an inquiry and consultations with key industry stakeholders, including the Bureau of Public Enterprises, and was necessitated by KAEDC’s prolonged regulatory and market defaults, inadequate investment and weak operational and commercial performance.
The commission said KAEDC’s cumulative market obligation since privatisation stood at approximately N456.5 billion as of May 2026, comprising N415.5 billion owed to the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading (NBET) Plc and N41 billion due to the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO)
The company also had other non-market statutory and third-party obligations amounting to N14.26billion, according to the regulator.
NERC said that since ASI Engineering Limited took over operations of KAEDC in June 2024, the company had accrued additional market debt of more than N118.6 billion as of May 2026.
The Commission described the company’s situation as grave, citing prolonged regulatory and market defaults, inadequate investment, weak operational and commercial performance, insufficient assets relative to liabilities and the absence of a credible pathway to sustainable recovery.
NERC said KAEDC paid only 41.93 per cent of its adjusted market invoices in 2025, resulting in a market shortfall of approximately N46.71bn during the year.
It linked the poor remittance performance to the company’s high aggregate technical, commercial and collection losses, which stood at 71.88 per cent in 2025.
The regulator explained that the losses meant KAEDC could account for only 28.2 per cent of the electricity received and delivered to end-use customers during the review period.
NERC also said ASI failed to meet its capital injection commitments towards recapitalising the utility.
According to the commission, KAEDC’s actual capital expenditure in 2025 was approximately N2.48 billion, against a minimum provision of N24.51 billion, representing only 10 per cent performance.
The regulator further noted that KAEDC’s meter coverage had remained between 33.26 per cent and 35.54 per cent since ASI took over the company, despite several interventions aimed at supporting meter deployment across distribution companies.
NERC said the company’s financial difficulties persisted despite approximately N6.58billion in regulatory derogations granted between January 2024 and May 2026 and aggregate Federal Government intervention disbursements of approximately N53.79 billion since July 2018.
It warned that the continued underperformance posed a material risk to electricity consumers, creditors, market stability and the continuity of electricity services.
NERC said it had previously notified KAEDC’s major shareholders and Afreximbank of the imminent intervention and required them to present a credible plan to address the company’s financial situation.
Representatives of ASI, NERC, BPE, Afreximbank and Fidelity Bank subsequently met on June 11, 2026, to discuss proposals for rescuing the company.
According to the commission, the parties agreed that ASI had not complied with conditions prescribed for its acquisition of a 60 per cent majority shareholding in KAEDC and had also failed to comply with BPE requirements for finalising the shareholding arrangements.
NERC said ASI subsequently requested an extension of up to 24 months to stabilise KAEDC’s cash flow, prioritise critical investments and deliver measurable performance improvements, including a pathway to full market remittance.
The regulator, however, rejected the request, saying ASI had been in effective control of KAEDC since June 2024 without a corresponding improvement in its financial and operational performance.
NERC subsequently resolved to exercise its powers under Sections 75 to 79 of the Electricity Act 2023 to dissolve the KAEDC board, preserve the company as a going concern and facilitate a transparent transition to a credible core investor within 12 months.
Consequently, the commission ordered the dissolution of KAEDC’s board and removal of all its directors from office.
“KAEDC’s board of directors is HEREBY DISSOLVED. All directors of KAEDC are removed from office, and the existing board stands dissolved pursuant to section 75 of the EA,” the order stated.
NERC appointed seven special directors to constitute the interim board for the transition period, with Dr Abdullahi Garba as chairman. Other members are Engineer Francis Agoha, Mr Aliyy Aliyu, retired Major General Henry Ayamasaowei, Dr Haliru Dikko, Mr Ayodeji Gbeleyi, representing the BPE, and Dr Abubakar Umar Hashidu.
The commission also appointed the incumbent Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dr Abubakar Umar Hashidu, as administrator for an initial six-month term, subject to review.
NERC said the administrator would oversee the company’s day-to-day operations, ensure continuity of electricity services, implement interim board resolutions, comply with regulatory directives and safeguard the company’s assets and records.
The commission also withdrew the Know-Your-Licensee approvals issued to members of KAEDC’s management team and directed affected management staff to present themselves for revalidation.
Meanwhile, NERC directed Afreximbank to coordinate an open, competitive and transparent process for securing a replacement core investor for KAEDC.
The preferred investor is to be presented to NERC for approval, with the process expected to be completed within 12 months from the commencement of the order, unless the commission grants a written extension.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The federal government has unveiled the Tinubu Light Initiative, a presidency-backed renewable energy programme designed to provide affordable clean electricity to one million Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises across Nigeria.
The initiative, unveiled by the National Board for Technology Incubation during the National Showcase of the NextGen Innovation Challenge 2026 in Abuja, is also expected to create more than 50,000 direct jobs while supporting local manufacturing and accelerating the adoption of renewable energy.
The programme is targeted at reducing the high cost of energy that continues to constrain businesses, particularly MSMEs that rely heavily on petrol and diesel generators amid persistent gaps in grid electricity supply.
Speaking at the event, the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the NBTI, Mr Kazeem Raji, said the initiative was developed in response to the growing energy burden faced by Nigerian businesses.
Mr Raji said the Tinubu Light Initiative would deploy innovative financing models, strategic partnerships and renewable energy technologies to provide cleaner and more affordable electricity to MSMEs nationwide.
“The Tinubu Light Initiative seeks to change this narrative. Through innovative financing models, strategic partnerships, renewable energy technologies and nationwide implementation, this initiative will provide affordable clean energy solutions to one million Nigerian MSMEs,” he said.
According to him, lowering the energy costs of one million businesses would enable them to redirect resources towards expansion, investment and job creation, while strengthening the competitiveness of locally produced goods.
Mr Raji said the initiative would also go beyond electricity access by supporting the local assembly and production of renewable energy equipment, reducing carbon emissions and expanding access to digital financing, with particular opportunities for women and young entrepreneurs.
“This initiative goes beyond electrification. It is an industrial policy. It is an employment strategy. It is a poverty reduction programme. It is a climate action initiative. It is a national productivity agenda,” he said.
The initiative comes against the backdrop of rising energy costs for Nigerian businesses, with many MSMEs increasingly dependent on self-generation to sustain operations. The cost of petrol and diesel used to power generators has become a significant component of operating expenses, limiting production capacity and putting pressure on jobs.
Mr Raji said the Tinubu Light Initiative was aligned with the Federal Government’s broader economic strategy of leveraging technology, innovation and entrepreneurship to boost domestic production and create sustainable employment.
At the event, he also highlighted the NextGen Innovation Challenge, which attracted thousands of applications from innovators across sectors including renewable energy, agriculture, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, healthcare, manufacturing, education, fintech, climate technology and industrial engineering.
He said the challenge was increasingly becoming a platform for connecting Nigerian innovators with investors and supporting the transition of promising technologies from research and development to commercial applications.
Mr Raji disclosed that an innovator who participated in the inaugural 2025 edition secured a £1.5 million investment commitment, while agricultural technologies developed through the programme are being deployed in Kaduna, Bauchi and other states to improve productivity and reduce post-harvest losses.
He said the NBTI would continue to leverage its network of Technology Incubation Centres to identify innovators, provide mentorship, facilitate technology transfer and support the commercialisation of indigenous technologies.
Mr Raji further announced that the NextGen Innovation Challenge had secured the support of the Commonwealth Secretariat, which would enable the programme to expand beyond Nigeria into a Commonwealth-wide initiative involving all 56 member countries.
