General
Ogun Governor Announces Full Implementation of Contributory Pension Scheme
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Ogun State Government says it has commenced full implementation of the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) in a bid to resolve the ongoing industrial action that has disrupted public services across.
Speaking with labour leaders, the governor of the state, Mr Dapo Abiodun, said the scheme commenced on July 2, 2025, describing the move as a decisive step toward restoring trust between the state and its workforce.
“This is not just a policy adjustment, it is a commitment to ensuring that our workers are not deprived of what is rightfully theirs,” the governor said.
He also said the state government has also rolled out a 10-year framework to clear outstanding pension liabilities in two five-year tranches, scheduled for completion by 2035.
Mr Abiodun promised that the arrangement would be codified into law to ensure continuity beyond his administration, revealing that in addition to the pension reform, his administration will implement long-delayed promotions from 2023 and 2024.
Workers promoted in 2023 will begin receiving salary increases reflective of their new ranks in September 2025 while those promoted in 2024 will see theirs by December, three months earlier than the initial March 2026 timeline, he promised.
The Organised labour under the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Ogun State commenced an indefinite strike over the government’s failure to remit pension deductions, implement the national minimum wage, and address other unresolved issues.
Speaking on Monday, the Ogun State Chairman of NLC, Mr Demola Hameed-Benco, said this followed a resolution reached at a statewide congress of civil service workers in Abeokuta, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
The statement directed all civil and public servants to withdraw their services immediately, citing the government’s alleged non-compliance with the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) established under the Ogun State Pension Reform Law of 2008, amended in 2013.
At the time, Mr Abiodun said the strike was unnecessary and avoidable.
“There was no need for industrial action when we could have sat down to iron out the issues,” he said, urging union leaders to prioritize dialogue moving forward.
The governor further emphasized that structural measures had been put in place to ensure a seamless rollout of the CPS, aimed at guaranteeing retirement security for civil servants.
On their part, the labour leaders said the strike was not intended to paralyze the state’s economy or undermine its peace, but rather to safeguard the rights of workers.
They thanked the Ogun governor and pledged to continue cooperating with the government, reaffirming their commitment to maintaining the state’s reputation.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF) and the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at improving the generation, validation, sharing and analysis of agricultural data to support evidence-based financing, policymaking and investment in the country’s agricultural sector.
The agreement was signed on Thursday at the NADF headquarters in Abuja, marking the beginning of a strategic partnership designed to strengthen the quality and use of agricultural statistics for planning, programme implementation and impact assessment.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, the chief executive of NADF, Mr Mohammed Ibrahim, described reliable data as the foundation of effective agricultural development, saying the partnership would enable the fund to make better-informed investment decisions and deliver more impactful interventions across the country’s agricultural value chain.
He noted that although NADF was established by an Act of Parliament in 2022, the Fund has continued to build strategic partnerships that will enhance the delivery of its mandate.
According to him, the collaboration with the National Bureau of Statistics comes at a critical time as the Fund expands its support for agricultural financing, research, donor coordination and sub-national agricultural development.
“Data is our chief enabler. We want every intervention and every investment we make to be guided by credible evidence. Working with the National Bureau of Statistics will strengthen our ability to design programmes that respond to real needs and deliver measurable results,” Mr Ibrahim said.
On his part, the Statistician-General of the Federation and chief executive of NBS, Mr Adeyemi Adeniran, said the agreement represents a practical commitment by both institutions to strengthen Nigeria’s agricultural sector through better statistics and closer institutional collaboration.
He explained that the partnership would create a common framework for agricultural data exchange, validation and harmonisation, ensuring that policymakers and investors have access to reliable information.
“Agriculture deserves better data, and together we intend to build it. Reliable statistics remain the foundation of good governance, sound planning and effective investment,” Mr Adeniran said.
He added that the partnership would improve monitoring of agricultural programmes, support investment decisions and contribute to national food security by ensuring that critical decisions are driven by evidence rather than assumptions.
The Statistician-General also assured stakeholders that both organisations would maintain the highest standards of data governance and confidentiality throughout the implementation of the agreement.
He commended NADF for its growing role in agricultural development and expressed confidence that the partnership would deliver tangible benefits for farmers, policymakers and investors.
Also speaking, a representative of NADF’s Partnership and Investor Relations Department, Mr Nasir Ingawa, described the signing of the MoU as the culmination of a productive relationship between the two organisations.
He said the formal partnership would deepen collaboration and ensure that agricultural interventions are supported by credible and fit-for-purpose data.
The ceremony ended with the formal signing of the Memorandum of Understanding by the leadership of both organisations after legal representatives confirmed that the document reflected the agreed terms.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Senate Committee on Public Accounts has announced a special legislative oversight and public hearing on the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) audit reports for the oil and gas sector covering the 2021, 2022 and 2023 fiscal years.
In a notice issued by the committee, its Chairman, Mr Ibrahim Dankwambo, disclosed that the exercise forms part of the committee’s constitutional oversight responsibilities under Sections 88, 89 and 85(5) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), as well as Order 95(5)(d) of the Senate Standing Orders, 2026.
Mr Dankwambo stated that the NEITI audit reports contain detailed information on the operations, revenues, payments, remittances and financial obligations of stakeholders in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
According to him, the public hearing is aimed at assessing the level of compliance by ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), government-owned enterprises, regulatory bodies and operators in the oil and gas sector with the provisions of the Constitution, the NEITI Act, Financial Regulations, the Fiscal Responsibility Act and other applicable laws governing the extractive industry.
He added that the committee would also examine issues raised in the audit reports to strengthen transparency, accountability, revenue assurance and the prudent management of public resources.
The committee has invited more than 50 public institutions and oil and gas companies to appear before it during the hearing, which is scheduled to be held in the month of August.
NEITI conducts independent audits of the extractive industries, monitors compliance with transparency standards, publishes reports on revenues, production, licensing, and financial flows, identifies discrepancies, and recommends policy reforms to strengthen accountability. It functions to improve governance and curb corruption in the management of the nation’s natural resource wealth.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Minister of Power, Mr Joseph Tegbe, has declared that the federal government does not intend to increase electricity tariff at the moment, stressing that the priority remains improving supply to consumers across the country.
Speaking at a stakeholders’ session in Lagos on Friday, Mr Tegbe noted that, “Our objective is clear. To make electricity more available, make the grid more reliable, make the market financially sustainable and restore investor confidence. Ultimately, we want to ensure that electricity becomes a catalyst for national productivity rather than a constraint to economic growth.”
He stated that through the Presidential Metering Initiative, Nigeria is moving decisively towards universal metering because consumers deserve transparency, fairness and confidence that they only pay for the electricity they actually consume.
“This administration has also prioritised investment in transmission infrastructure, expanded rural electrification, strengthened institutional coordination across the electricity value chain, and continued to pursue reforms that encourage private capital while preserving the public interest,” the Minister said.
He affirmed the government’s commitment to improving electricity for Nigerians, having put in place adequate measures to achieve positive results in line with its renewed hope agenda.
According to him, resetting the sector does not imply that nothing has been achieved; it means building decisively upon the unprecedented reforms already initiated by President Bola Tinubu, whilst addressing long-standing structural deficiencies that have prevented the sector from reaching its full potential.
He disclosed that this administration has demonstrated strong political commitment to electricity sector reform since the liberalisation of the industry.
Mr Tegbe said the ministry has immediately commenced several significant interventions, including the inauguration of the Power Force. This initiative brings together 5,000 Nigerian Youths for meter installation across the country. This is to close the metering gap and also develop a strong, skilled pool of young Nigerians in the electricity field (NAPTIN).
Other interventions include significant progress in resolving the age-long challenges surrounding meter procurement, and encouraging improvements in electricity generation, as over the course of the last 2 weeks, the sector has consistently crossed the 5000MW mark.
“Our ambition is clear. Reliable electricity that powers our homes. Competitive electricity that powers our industries. Sustainable electricity that attracts investment. Inclusive electricity that reaches every Nigerian,” he stated.
