By Adedapo Adesanya

The Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) says the four-year N300 billion debt dispute with Nigerian banks over Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) services has been resolved.

Chairman of ALTON, Mr Gbenga Adebayo, confirmed this on Thursday during an official visit to the Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Mr Idris Olorunnimbe.

He lauded the intervention of the NCC, led by its Vice Chairman, Mr Aminu Maida, in bringing the long-standing dispute to a close.

“When Dr Maida assumed office, he inherited significant industry challenges,” Mr Adebayo said. “One of the most difficult was the USSD debt crisis, a debt burden that grew over four years to nearly N300 billion. It had become a systemic risk to our sector and the digital financial ecosystem.”

He praised the NCC helmsman for his leadership, structured engagement, and decisive coordination to see a resolution to the dispute.

“There is no outstanding USSD debt. The ecosystem has fully migrated to end-user billing. What was once a looming crisis has been converted into a sustainable framework,” he said, describing the resolution of the debt crisis as a milestone for the telecom and digital finance ecosystem, ensuring sustainability and predictability for operators and service providers.

Nigeria’s telco and banking sectors switched to an End-User Billing (EUB) model for USSD services in August 2025. Under the new system, customers are now charged directly from their mobile airtime instead of their bank accounts, with telcos deducting the fees.

The change ended a long-running dispute between telcos such as MTN and Airtel and commercial banks over unpaid USSD charges. By 2024, banks’ outstanding debts to operators had risen to between N250 billion and N300 billion.

The NCC, working with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), introduced the EUB framework to standardise billing, improve transparency, and strengthen financial inclusion, especially for unbanked Nigerians who depend heavily on USSD services.

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Association of Power Generation Companies (APGC), an umbrella body for power generation companies (GenCos), have traded words over the N6.5 trillion in power debt.

The labour union attacked the association over the payment of the N6 trillion as well as a proposed N3 trillion federal bailout, describing the move as a “heist” and an attempt to loot public funds.

The NLC accused the power firms of attempting to transfer the burden of their operational failures to Nigerians, insisting that electricity consumers and taxpayers must not be made to pay for what it called the “collapse of a flawed privatisation model.”

In a rebuttal, the APGC has warned the NLC to stop victimising the GenCos and refuted the allegation that the power sector has “institutionalised extortion.”

The chief executive of APGC, Mrs Joy Ogaji, said the group firmly rejects the NLC’s characterisation of the sector’s challenges, adding that labelling the legitimate operations of power firms as “robbery” and a “grand deception” is a simplistic and inflammatory narrative that ignores the complex realities of the industry.

“We view these allegations, which include claims of “institutionalised extortion” and a phantom subsidy, as a misrepresentation of the facts and a disservice to the ongoing efforts to stabilise Nigeria’s electricity supply industry,” said Mrs Ogaji.

The association also strongly refutes the insinuation that the proposed government support for the sector is a clandestine plan to “settle the boys” ahead of elections.

In a statement reacting to the recent press release by the APGC, the NLC rejected allegations that it lacked the competence to speak on power sector matters, maintaining that its members work within the industry and understand its dynamics.

“We categorically reject their self-serving narrative and misleading characterisation of our position. First, the NLC stands firmly by every word of its earlier statement. The privatisation of the power sector was, and remains, a grand deception that has shortchanged the Nigerian people. The APGC’s claims of “victimisation” cannot conceal the persistent failure that has defined the sector since privatisation.

“The core issue is simple and troubling. The entire power sector assets were reportedly sold for approximately N400 billion. Yet today, GENCOs are demanding N6 trillion, while the Federal Government is said to be considering a N3 trillion bailout for companies that have not demonstrably increased generation capacity beyond pre-privatisation levels.

“This contradiction raises fundamental questions. How can assets purchased for N400 billion become the basis for a bailout running into trillions of naira? It is neither sound economics nor responsible governance to socialise losses while privatising profits. Public funds belonging to workers, pensioners, and ordinary Nigerians must not be diverted to rescue private investors from the consequences of their own operational shortcomings. We challenge the APGC to address this contradiction transparently.”

“The NLC is not a bystander in the power sector. Our members work in generation plants across the country. Our affiliate, the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), operates daily within the system. The NLC played a leading role in the national debate around privatisation and consistently warned that, without proper safeguards and capacity, the exercise would fail. Those warnings appear increasingly justified.

“Regarding our reference to “settling the boys,” our position remains clear: public funds must not be used to enrich a select few under the guise of policy intervention. Nigerians deserve transparency and accountability, not opaque financial arrangements.
“In the interest of openness, we call on the APGC to publish a comprehensive list of the beneficial owners of all GENCOs and associated power assets. Nigerians have a right to know who stands to benefit from this N6 trillion demand,” parts of the statement said.

It also criticised Nigeria’s power sector privatisation for failing to significantly improve electricity generation or service delivery despite rising tariffs, questioned the lack of measurable returns and dividends to the government, raised concerns over labour rights violations, and firmly rejected the proposed N6 trillion bailout as unjustified and contrary to public interest.

Business Post reports that the federal government disclosed plans in December to raise N1.23 trillion by the first quarter (Q1) of 2026 to settle verified arrears owed to generation companies and gas suppliers. On January 27, the government said it had successfully issued a N501 billion inaugural bond under the presidential power sector debt reduction programme (PPSDRP).

However, the APGC has said that this is inadequate, comparing the debt to “garri soaked in water.”

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

The Governor of Abia State, Mr Alex Otti, has been urged not to be carried away by the media attention he is enjoying or be tempted to exaggerate his achievements.

This advice was given by a public affairs analyst and legal practitioner, Mr Ope Banwo, who pointed out that a government that is truly focused on reform and service delivery should allow facts and independent assessments to define its legacy.

He argued that exaggeration, even when intended to inspire confidence, often weakens public trust and exposes the administration to unnecessary scrutiny, stressing that genuine performance speaks for itself without the need for propaganda.

The serial entrepreneur disclosed that while visible progress has been recorded by the Governor in some areas, governance must be anchored on verifiable data, transparency and measurable outcomes rather than inflated narratives.

‎‎“A serious government does not need to exaggerate results. When projects are real, impactful and properly executed, citizens will feel the difference without being told,” Mr Banwo said, acknowledging that the administration of Mr Otti inherited significant structural and financial challenges.

However, he warned that over-celebration of modest gains could blur the line between genuine reform and political messaging, urging him to prioritise sustainability, institutional reforms and long-term economic planning over headline-grabbing claims.

In his view, the true test of the current administration would lie in its ability to strengthen public institutions, attract credible investment and improve the daily lives of ordinary Abians.

‎The public commentator also advised the government to embrace constructive criticism rather than dismissing dissenting voices, noting that feedback is essential for democratic accountability. He maintained that open engagement with critics would ultimately strengthen the administration’s credibility.

‎‎Responding to supporters of the government who argue that positive messaging is necessary to counter years of decline, Mr Banwo said optimism should be grounded in reality, adding that, “There is nothing wrong with communicating achievements, but communication must not cross into exaggeration. Nigerians are smarter than that.”

The US-based lawyer urged Mr Otti’s administration to focus on consolidating its reforms, allowing independent institutions, civil society and the media to objectively assess its performance over time.

‎