General
National Social Investment Programmes Not Marred by Fraud—Presidency
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Special Adviser to the President on Social Investments, Mrs Maryam Uwais, has denied reports that the National Social Investment Programmes have been hampered by fraud in some states of the federation.
In a statement personally signed by her, Mrs Uwais admitted that the scheme has a pocket of frauds in some states, but they were not enough to have marred the progress of the initiative.
According to her, some of the challenges being recorded in a few States are being tackled effectively and transparently.
She stressed that despite some limited process breaches recorded in some rural communities, the social investment programmes are recording profound successes and having the desired impact on lives, as envisaged by government, as designed and in implementation.
“The special interventions by the Federal Government continue to support the populace by addressing financial inclusion and supporting poor and vulnerable households around the country.
“We are indeed delighted that a total of 7,812,201 lives have been directly impacted by our programmes.
“This means that over seven million homes can testify to our efforts. Another set of 1,500,000 secondary beneficiaries comprising mainly farmers and cooks can also validate our claims to be true.
“We are encouraged by the unspeakable joy we see on the faces of the 297,973 poor and vulnerable beneficiaries of our National Cash Transfer Programme (NCTP) that is currently being implemented in the 217 local governments spread across the 20 States of the Federation,” she said.
Mrs Uwais clarified that the media chose to capitalise on her admittance of few breaches in some of the states, ignoring the successes the scheme has achived.
According to her, following the presentation made to the National Economic Council (NEC) on Thursday, 15, February 2018, she addressed State House Correspondents on the significant progress being made with the social investment initiatives of the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Mrs Uwais explained that in response to a specific question by a member of the State House Press Corps as to whether the instances of sharp practices being perpetrated at the State levels have impacted the quantum of funds available to the NSIO, she clarified that the amount involved in the identified sharp practices were insignificant to affect the desired social impact.
She went on to also state that the NSIO is working with security agencies to curb the breaches, as evidenced in a few minimal instances.
“It is rather curious therefore that several media reports towed the single lane of giving a negative slant to the bold efforts and successes of the National Social Investment Office by the sensational reporting,” she lamented.
However, the President’s aide appealed to the media to be much more circumspect in their reportage.
She said it was evident that the programmes have not been “hampered or marred” with the level of successes recorded around the country, witnessed by the numerous testimonials of beneficiaries on social media and elsewhere.
“Indeed, we encourage our media to engage the beneficiaries directly for a true picture of the impact of our efforts, around the country,” she further appealed.
According to her, “The NSIO will continue to drive the implementation of the SIPs with efficiency, diligence and transparency. And we call on Nigerians to be the true witnesses of the output of our activities.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has said that the average retail price of a litre of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), otherwise known as petrol, rose by 22.55 per cent or N237.07 per litre to N1,288.54 in March 2026 from N1,051.47 in February.
In the Premium Motor Spirit (Petrol) Price Watch for March released on Tuesday, the NBS said on a year-on-year basis, the average retail price of fuel also increased by 2.13 per cent from N1,261.65 recorded in March 2025.
This surge in fuel prices could be linked to global disruptions brought on by the US-Israel war on Iran, which triggered the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and sent prices of crude oil above $100 per barrel.
While the country was not heavily hit by the impact, it felt the ripple effect of crude prices increasing, particularly as Dangote Refinery imported crude from other markets to cover for local feedstock shortfalls.
The data noted that by state, Anambra recorded the highest average retail price of N1,441.22 per litre, followed by Sokoto at N1,377.55 and Borno at N1,375.16.
However, the price was cheapest in Lagos at N1,162.71, followed by Ogun at N1,169.78 and Kaduna state at N1,193.40.
By zone, it was most expensive in the North East at N1,336.50 last month, while the South-West recorded the lowest at N1,232.46.
A look at the Diesel Price Watch Report for March showed that the average retail price paid by users rose by 16.05 per cent on a month-on-month basis to N1,648.08 per litre from N1,420.17 per litre a month earlier.
“On state profiles analysis, the highest average price of diesel in March was recorded in Ebonyi at N2,262.29 per litre, followed by Akwa Ibom at N1,895.72 and Osun at N1,872.15.
“On the other hand, the lowest price was recorded in Kogi at N1,383.40 per litre, followed by Katsina State at N1,438.25 and Enugu at N1,480.06,” parts of the report said.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The vice-presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general elections, Mr Datti Baba-Ahmed, has left the party to join the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP).
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, the politician said he’s no longer interested in the way the Labour Party was being run.
He disclosed that there is no more peace in the political party he flew its flag in the last general elections because of greed.
He accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of destabilising opposition political parties to ensure President Bola Tinubu does not have a credible opponent in the 2027 presidential poll.
“What the Labour Party stood for is not the same now. We have a government of today which is interested in destroying other political parties,” he said.
“I am leaving the Labour Party tomorrow (today) by 12 midnight,” Mr Baba-Ahmed said when asked about his plans for next year.
I am leaving the Labour Party [at] midnight, and I am joining PRP. PRP is the new destination. PRP is the one with a history. It’s about 75 years old,” he further stated.
He further said, “When there was real peace in the Labour Party, someone was redeployed to the Labour Party and because of the antecedents of the person, [I don’t see things getting better].
PRP, a progressive Nigerian political party, was established in 1978 by Mallam Aminu Kano. It is rooted in social democratic principles and populist ideology, often focusing on the empowerment of the talakawa (common people).
Its current National Chairman, according to data obtained from the website of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), is Mr Falalu Bello, while the National Secretary is Mr Babatunde F. Alli.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Director General of the National Pension Commission (PenCom), Ms Omolola Oloworaran, has highlighted strategies deployed by her organisation to ensure pension coverage is deepened in Nigeria.
Speaking at the ISSA Technical Seminar in Abuja recently, she said the steps taken were to build a more inclusive, transparent, and responsive pension system, where communication serves not just as information, but as a bridge to trust, accessibility, and sustained industry growth.
According to her, the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) has, over more than two decades, built a strong institutional foundation, but true inclusion goes beyond coverage to require trust and clear communication.
For this reason, PenCom has prioritised the Personal Pension Plan, strengthened stakeholder engagement, and invested in digital channels that reach contributors in accessible and relatable ways, she stated.
Ms Oloworaran further stressed that, “Effective communication is not a soft complement to regulation; it is a core instrument of coverage expansion, compliance, and public confidence.
“Every circular we issue, every benefit we pay, and every reform we introduce ultimately succeeds or fails on whether our members can understand it and act on it.”
The ISSA Technical Seminar, themed Improving Inclusivity and Accessibility of Social Security Services Through Effective Communication, was organised in collaboration with the International Social Security Association (ISSA).
It brought together key stakeholders across West Africa to advance dialogue on strengthening social security systems through clearer, more inclusive engagement.
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