By Adedapo Adesanya

The presidential candidate of Labour Party in the 2023 general elections, Mr Peter Obi, has queried the decision of President Bola Tinubu to write-off about N8 trillion in debts owed by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited despite unresolved audit queries running into trillions of Naira.

Mr Obi, in a statement titled Era of Financial Recklessness, described the reported debt forgiveness as alarming, especially at a time Nigerians are grappling with rising energy costs, inflation and heavier tax burdens.

“Just last week, it was alarmingly reported that the President approved the write-off of N5.57 trillion and $1.42 billion, approximately N8 trillion, in debts owed by NNPC, a company that recently announced profits and claimed it had turned a new leaf,” Mr Obi said in the statement on X, formerly Twitter.

He noted that the development comes amid ongoing audit investigations into NNPC over an alleged failure to account for N210 trillion, a figure he said exceeds Nigeria’s combined federal budgets between 2023 and 2026.

“For context, the total federal government budgets from 2023 to 2026 amount to about N178.56 trillion. Nigerians are still waiting for the outcome of the National Assembly investigation into the missing trillions,” Mr Obi stated.

The former Anambra State governor questioned the rationale behind the debt write-off, pointing out that NNPC is also under scrutiny over trillions of naira spent on non-functional refineries.

“This is the same agency facing serious audit inquiries and yet the President, who also serves as the Minister in charge, has approved the write-off of about N8 trillion in NNPC debts,” he said.

Mr Obi argued that the debt forgiveness effectively shifts the revenue burden to ordinary Nigerians, who are already reeling from the removal of fuel and electricity subsidies.

“Nigerians, already enduring severe hardships, are now confronted with this unexplained debt forgiveness. The nearly N8 trillion write-off will effectively replace revenue that the government is now seeking through unfair taxation,” he said.

Mr Obi stressed that the amount written off could have significantly strengthened key sectors of the economy.

“This almost N8 trillion exceeds the combined 2025 federal budget allocations for education, health and agriculture, which total N7.1 trillion,” he noted, adding that it is also “nearly twice the 2025 federal security budget of N4.9 trillion.”

He maintained that such resources could have been deployed to stimulate productivity, create jobs and reduce poverty, particularly in an economy struggling with unemployment and weak growth.

“The President owes Nigerians clear answers. Citizens deserve honesty, fiscal discipline and governance that protects their interests, not the interests of mismanaged corporations or political elites,” Mr Obi said.

He called for transparency around the reported write-off, warning that unchecked fiscal decisions in the energy sector could further undermine public trust and economic stability.

“This betrayal of the people must be stopped,” Mr Obi concluded.

By Adedapo Adesanya

Three international customers owe Nigeria $17.8 million for electricity supplied under bilateral arrangements, according to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).

The electricity regulator in its Third Quarter 2025 report, noted that Togo, Niger, and Benin Republic were invoiced a total of $18.69 million by the Market Operator for electricity supplied during the period, but only remitted only $7.125 million, leaving an outstanding balance of $11.56 million.

The regulator identified the international offtakers as Compagnie Énergie Électrique du Togo, Société Béninoise d’Énergie Électrique of the Republic of Benin, and Société Nigérienne d’Électricité of the Republic of Niger.

Electricity supplied to the three countries was generated by grid-connected Nigerian generation companies (GenCos) and delivered through bilateral cross-border power arrangements.

According to the report, the three international customers had legacy invoices of $14.7 million, out of which they paid $7.84 million, leaving a balance of $6.2 million.

The debt incurred from the previous quarters and that of Q3 2025 amounted to $17.76 million.

NERC’s report stated that the remittance level represented a 38.09 per cent remittance performance, with more than half of the invoices remaining unpaid at the end of the quarter.

“The three international bilateral customers being supplied by GenCos in the NESI made a payment of $7.12 million against the cumulative invoice of $18.69 million issued by the MO for services rendered in 2025/Q3, translating to a remittance performance of 38.09 per cent.”

The commission explained that some bilateral customers paid for power purchased in the quarters before the one being reviewed.

“It is noteworthy that some bilateral customers also made payments for outstanding MO invoices from previous quarters, as follows: the MO received $7.84 million from the international bilateral customers and N1.3 billion from the domestic bilateral customers,” the report added.

In contrast, NERC said domestic bilateral customers performed better, remitting N3.19 billion out of the N3.64 billion invoiced to them during the quarter, representing a remittance rate of 87.61 per cent.

“The domestic bilateral customers made a cumulative payment of N3.19 billion against the invoice of N3.64 billion issued to them by the MO for services rendered in 2025/Q3, translating to 87.61 per cent remittance performance,” it added.

The commission further disclosed that Nigeria’s 11 electricity distribution companies remitted a combined N381.29 billion to the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading (NBET) Plc and the Market Operator in Q3 2025, out of a total invoice of N400.48 billion, translating to a remittance performance of 95.21 per cent.

As part of its statutory assessment of the commercial performance of the electricity market, the regulator noted that the figures were based on reconciled market settlements submitted to the commission as of December 18, 2025.

Nigeria supplies electricity to neighboring, however, faces significant challenges with unpaid bills data showing millions unpaid in arrears from these customers, despite NERC capping exports to prioritise domestic needs due to generation shortfalls and payment indiscipline.

These exports utilise Nigeria’s surplus power but highlight issues with consistent payment and balancing regional obligations with local demand, leading to reduced export levels.

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has said it would continue the probe of a former Managing Director of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Mr Ahmed Farouk, despite the withdrawal of the petition by Mr Aliko Dangote.

The agency said it had received a “notice of withdrawal” of the petition against Mr Ahmed, submitted by a legal counsel to the petitioner.

Recall that Mr Dangote had alleged that Mr Ahmed, a public servant, spent over $7 million in public funds on the education of his four children in different schools in Switzerland, allegedly paying fees upfront for a period of six years.

In December, the businessman demanded the arrest, investigation, and prosecution of the former MD for allegedly living above his means as a public servant.

In the petition, Mr Dangote listed the children and their schools in Switzerland, including the amount paid for each of them to establish his allegations and verification by the anti-graft agency.

Mr Ahmed denied the allegations, describing them as “wild and spurious”.

The ex-NMDPRA boss has since resigned from his position, prompting a withdrawal of the petition by the businessman.

However, the ICPC said in line with the provisions of sections 3(14) and 27(3) of its enabling law, it would continue to investigate the matter in line with its statutory mandate and in the interest of transparency, accountability, and the fight against corruption for the benefit of Nigeria.

“The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) is in receipt of a letter dated January 5, 2026, titled “Notice of Withdrawal of Petition against Engineer Farouk Ahmed,” submitted to the Commission by Dr. O.J. Onoja, SAN and Associates, legal counsel to Alhaji Aliko Dangote,” a statement by the spokesperson of the commission, Mr J. Okor Odey, partly read.

“The letter from O. J. Onoja SAN, states that the petitioner has withdrawn the petition dated 16 December, 2025, submitted against Engineer Farouk Ahmed, the immediate past ACE/CEO of the NMDPRA, in its entirety, and that another law enforcement agency has taken over.

“The ICPC wishes to state categorically that, in line with the provisions of sections 3(14) and 27(3) of its enabling Act, the investigations in the interest of the Nigerian people and the Nigerian state have already commenced and are presently ongoing,” the statement added.