The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has blamed the most recent national grid collapse on the explosion of a transformer at the Jebba Transmission station. 

Several parts of the country were thrown into a blackout in the early hours of the day, the third time in a week.

NERC said it is concerned by the “escalating incidence of grid disturbances” which is “reversing many of the gains recently achieved in reducing infrastructure deficit and improving grid stability”.

“Initial reports on the grid disturbance that occurred this morning indicate that today’s outage was triggered by an explosion of a current transformer at the Jebba transmission station at 0815hrs and an associated cascade of power plants shut down arising from the loss of load,” the NERC said in a Saturday statement. “However, efforts to restore supply have advanced with power significantly restored, as at 1300hrs, in 33 states and the FCT.”

NERC said it is working to ensure a more “discipline in grid management and optimised investment in infrastructure”.

“In pursuit of finding a permanent resolution to the challenges of the national grid, the Commission shall shortly conduct an investigative public hearing with a view to identifying immediate and remote causes of recurring incidences of grid disturbances and widespread outages,” it said.

“The date and venue of the public hearing will shortly be announced in the national dailies and stakeholders are encouraged to participate.”

Former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo, has lamented that the country has become a “burial ground for policies,” leading to more setbacks than progress.

Speaking on Saturday, Obasanjo criticized the nation’s inability to implement policies effectively, stating that while Nigeria has no shortage of ideas for advancement, the lack of execution has been a significant problem.

According to Obasanjo, policies alone are not enough to drive the country forward. He emphasized that meaningful progress is only achieved through decisive actions, not by making promises or announcements.

The former president stressed the importance of focusing on what can realistically be achieved, rather than trying to accomplish everything at once, advising against the “jack of all trades, master of none” approach.

Obasanjo said: “It is not enough for leaders to have policies or make statements. We are not short of policies in Nigeria. Unfortunately, Nigeria has become a burial ground of policies that are either unimplemented or unexecuted.

“Those who make progress achieved progress, not on the basis of wishing to make progress, but on taking actions. They do not take two steps forward and three steps backward.

“Regrettably this is what we are doing in every aspect of our national life. And as long as we are doing things this way, progress will elude us. Let us carry the ones we can carry, we cannot be jack of all trade and master of none.”

Obasanjo made these remarks as the Special Guest of Honour at the Olusegun Obasanjo Space Centre in Abuja during the 8th Engr Brig Gen (rtd) Micheal Agu Annual Distinguished Lecture and Awards.

The event, hosted by the Nigerian Institution of Space Engineers, focused on Nigeria’s achievements, challenges, and future prospects in space exploration over the past two decades, with the theme “Nigeria’s 21 years in space 2003-2024: Achievements, challenges and prospects.”

At the event, Obasanjo was honored with the title of Grand Commander of Nigerian Space Exploration.

He recounted his administration’s efforts in establishing the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) and sending over 100 engineers to China for specialized training.

His government had envisioned launching Nigeria’s first satellite in collaboration with China, followed by a second and third satellite with increasing Nigerian involvement.

However, he expressed disappointment over the lack of sustained progress, noting that the agency struggled at one point to even pay its workers.

The General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry, Pastor William Kumuyi, has urged Nigerian pastors to stop brainwashing their members with seed sowing for financial prosperity.

The clergyman appealed while preaching at a Christian meeting on Friday, October 18.

Kumuyi said the ideal thing is for poor church members, especially widows, to receive help from their pastors by providing solutions to their needs and not being exploited with seed sowing.

He also expressed concern about how church founders are getting richer at the expense of their members.

He said, “Elijah added value to the people that are low and those widows that cannot pay back that is what the anointing does in our lives. You add value to people; to those who are down raise them up, those who are poor.

There are preachers, they take the little that the widows have. In our nation here, they say if you sow this seed the Lord will multiply it a hundredfold. Let us be sincere, and if you are a preacher like that and you are here let’s talk; those widows have next to nothing, then we preachers we brainwash them and we tell them…and those poor widows what can they do?

They just believe every word we speak and all they have, inheritance from their late husbands they put at the apostles’ feet, and after they have done that ‘God bless you, God bless you’ everybody can say that, and they (widows) go back home.

Examine yourself, all those people that have given everything as their prophet told them in our land, where are they today, how are they feeling, how are their children doing, how are they sending their children to school instead of the prophet that has millions and millionaire already instead of him looking for the widows who their children are not in school and sponsor them just for God’s glory we don’t have that we only have those that take from the widows and render them poorer and they are getting richer and richer.

“The preachers of today are getting richer at the expense of the members of their church. Let somebody speak out, tell our prophets, preachers, and bishops that this ought not to be. In the case of Elisha in the transformation of the nation he added supernatural supply to the suffering widows.”

Umar Namadi, governor of Jigawa, has suspended Auwal Sankara, the state commissioner for special duties, over an alleged affair with a married woman.

On Friday, the Kano state Hisbah board said Sankara was arrested at an uncompleted building over an alleged illicit affair with a married woman in Kano.

Reacting to the allegation in a statement, the commissioner dismissed it as “false, malicious and baseless.”

Sankara vowed to take legal action against those behind the allegations, adding that their aim was to damage his reputation.

In a statement on Saturday, Bala Ibrahim, secretary to the Jigawa state government, said the commissioner would be suspended pending an investigation into the allegations.

“The suspension is a precautionary measure intended to facilitate a fair investigation,” Ibrahim said.

“We take all allegations seriously and are dedicated to upholding the trust of Jigawa citizens in the government.”

THE FIVE-MEMBER PANEL

In another statement, the state government announced that it has constituted a five-member committee to investigate the allegations against the commissioner.

The committee is to be chaired by the secretary to the Jigawa state government.

Other members are Sagir Ahmed, commissioner for information; Lawal Danzomo, commissioner for basic education; Usman Jahun, special adviser on security matters; and Adamu Garin, private secretary to the governor.

The committee is to submit its report in two weeks time.

The state government said the allegations led to “significant embarrassment and degradation to the reputation” of the government.

Nearly two months after President Bola Tinubu signed the new minimum wage into law, findings revealed that only two states, Edo and Adamawa, have commenced payment of N70,000 to the least-paid workers in their various states.

Eight states, Lagos, Rivers, Ondo Ogun, Kogi, Gombe and Bauchi said they would be paying a different amount.

This came as Organised Labour gave all governors an October deadline to implement the new wage or face industrial unrest.

Of note is that while Edo State started paying its workers N70,000 in June, two months before it was signed into law, Adamawa State started implementing the N70,000 new minimum wage in August.
States where wages have been announced

Lagos

Among states that have displayed preparedness to pay the new wage is Lagos.

Recall that Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu on October 16, said his administration was ready to pay N85,000 as minimum wage.

The decision was said to have been made unilaterally without negotiations or agreement with Organised Labour in the state.

However, Sunday Vanguard learnt the leadership of Labour in the state would begin negotiation with government on October 21, 2024.

Meanwhile, Sanwo-Olu, in an interview, said: “I just want to let you know that the minimum wage in Lagos as we discussed with our workers’ union is N85,000 as of today. It is not a competition. I’m not saying that we are paying more than other states. It is a function of affordability and the function of capacity.

“I would like to come back in January to say that I have been able to increase the minimum wage of Lagos’ public workers to N100,000, not because I want to make anybody look bad, but because I want my people to have a living wage.”

However, a statement jointly signed by the Chairman and Secretary of Lagos State Public Service Joint Negotiating Council, NJIC, Olusegun Balogun and Toba Odumosu, confirmed the planned negotiation meeting with government.

Ondo

Ondo State government agreed to pay N73,000 minimum wage to its workers.

This is N3,000 more than the N70,000 benchmark signed into law.

Like his Lagos State counterpart, it appeared Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa announced the amount without negotiations and agreement with Organised Labour in the state.

The government made its position known during the flag-off of Ondo Central Senatorial District leg of the gubernatorial campaign of All Progressives Congress, APC, in Ondo City.

In a chat, Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Ebenezer Adeniyan, said a committee is already working on the template after which the state government will commence payment.

Ogun

In Ogun State, Governor Dapo Abiodun agreed to pay N77,000 to the lowest worker.
He said payment would begin this month.

The amount is also N7,000 above the baseline of N70,000 at the federal.

Nevertheless, it was gathered that the decision to peg it at N77,000 was after a meeting with the leadership of the Organized Labour in Ogun State.

Edo

Edo State blazed the trail with the payment of N70,000 minimum wage in the country in June 2024.
This was before the Federal Government agreed to pay N70,000 following bitting hardship in the country.

Rivers

Also, in Rivers State, Governor Siminalayi Fubara approved the payment of N85,000.00 to civil servants in the state, starting from November 2024.

However, reports said an agreement was reached during a closed-door meeting presided over by the governor and attended by representatives of Organised Labour under the auspices of the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council.

Delta

In Delta State, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori approved the payment of new minimum wage to workers with effect from October.

However, there is no report on the amount to be paid.

Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Dr. Kingsley Emu, disclosed the governor’s approval during a meeting of the Minimum Wage Committee with the leadership of Organised Labour in Delta State.

Emu said the meeting was at the instance of Governor Oborevwori, who directed immediate payment of the new minimum wage starting in October.

Kogi

Governor Ahmed Ododo of Kogi State, on October 7, approved N72, 500 as minimum wage for the least-paid workers.

The N72,500 wage is N2,500 higher than the amount approved in July by Governor Ododo also approved tax relief for all workers in the state.

Gombe

In Gombe State, Governor Inuwa Yahaya approved N71,500 as minimum wage for civil servants effective October 2024.

Chairman of NLC in the state, Yusuf Aish-Bello, disclosed this after the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, on the new national minimum wage in Gombe on October 14, 2024.

Aish-Bello said a worker on grade level 1, step 1, would be receiving N71,551.

According to him, “Today, we have reached an agreement on what will be paid to civil servants in the state.

“It has been agreed that the minimum standard of paying in Gombe State will be N71,551.15 that is for Grade Level 1 step 1.

“You know the salary structure has its intricacies, the N18,000 and N30,000 is nothing to write home about.’’

Adamawa

Adamawa State government, like its counterpart in Edo State, pays the new wage.

Gombe began the payment of the N70, 000 minimum wage in August 2024 to all categories of civil servants.

It was however gathered that the implementation of the new wage at the Local government councils is expected to commence this October.

Bauchi

Bauchi State NLC Chairman, Dauda Shu’aibu, confirmed that a minimum wage of N70,000 has been agreed upon.
He noted that the committee on implementation began work on October 7, 2024.

However, the commencement date has not been made public.

It was gathered that government had earlier inaugurated a tripartite technical committee tasked with arriving at the modalities for the payment of the new wage.

The committee included representatives from state government, NLC, and the TUC.

Borno

In Borno State, Governor, Babagana Zulum convened a meeting with the state minimum wage implementation committee during which he directed that civil servants be paid the new national wage this month.

The meeting was held in Maiduguri in October 2024 at the council chamber of the Government House.

States yet-to-announce

Meanwhile, most of the states appear not to have shown readiness to pay the new wage.

Oyo

In Oyo State, Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Dr. Sulaimon Olanrewaju, said: “The current administration under His Excellency, Governor Seyi Makinde, has not yet decided on the new minimum wage for state workers.

“It is important to note that this decision is not solely at the discretion of the governor. He plans to meet with relevant stakeholders to discuss the matter.

“Following these discussions, a new wage policy will be announced. In the meantime, Oyo State workers have been benefiting from the initiatives of the current government. At the appropriate time, we will communicate the details of the new wage policy after consultations with labour unions in the state. “

Bayelsa

Similarly, Bayelsa State government is yet to announce any date for the commencement of payment of the new minimum wage.

But the Chairman of the state chapter of TUC, Julius Laye, said: “The committee set up by His Excellency, the Governor is working on the various templates for the various salary structures based on the percentage released by the National Salary, Wage and Income Commission. Once that is concluded, the state and labour will go through it and a presentation will be made to the governor.”

In Cross River

In Cross River State, Gill Nsabasi, Chief Press Secretary, CPS, to the governor, Senator Bassey Otu, said the state is still paying the N40,000 the governor announced on May Day this year.

According to him, “Negotiations are ongoing on the N70,000 agreed by the Federal Government with labour. Once negotiations are concluded, payment of the new minimum wage will be done.”

Akwa Ibom

In the same vein, nothing has been heard about the implementation of the new minimum wage in Akwa Ibom.
It would be recalled that while the negotiations were still ongoing at the federal level, Governor Umo Eno said his administration would wait on the federal government to come up with modalities before Akwa Ibom makes a pronouncement.

Imo

In Imo State, Governor, Hope Uzodimma said the state government and the state leadership of Labour are working out modalities for the payment of N70,000.

The governor, through his CPS, Oguike Nwachukwu, in a statement, said: “Since the new minimum wage figure of N70,000 is already known to everyone, what is needed is to work out the modalities on the consequential adjustments to trickle it down to the senior staff cadre because it is not for the junior workers alone.

“Governor Uzodimma said but for limited resources at the disposal of government, he was committed to immediate implementation.’’

Benue

In Benue State, Governor Hyacinth Alia promised that his administration would pay the N70,000 wage to the state workforce.

His words: “I understand that things are difficult and the economy is stagnated. With all the plans and arrangements that are in place, things are moving and even our Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, has increased.

“It is now left to us to block all the loopholes and see how we can cash in to do other things including the payment of salaries. We can pay, I am focused with all my purposes and intentions.’’

Sokoto

In Sokoto State, nothing has been done to implement the new minimum wage.

Governor Ahmed Aliyu had initially promised that his administration would be among the first states to pay the new minimum when NLC and the federal government reached an agreement.

Since an agreement was reached on the N70,000 new minimum wage, his government has kept mute.

Commissioner for Information, Sambo Bello Danchadi, while speaking to Sunday Vanguard, said: “Please, there is no cause for alarm. The minimum wage will be paid to our workforce.”

Kaduna

Special Adviser to Governor Uba Sani on Labour Matters, Adamu Sama’ila, said the governor has set up a committee on Minimum Wage.

But the state Chairman of NLC, Ayuba Suleiman, earlier said negotiations for the implementation had not started.

According to him, “There is no basis yet to begin the negotiations, as the National Salary and Wages Commission is yet to come up with the new salary table.

“The table we have presently is based on N30,000 minimum wage and it is the responsibility of the National Salary, Income and Wages Commission to determine the new table for the salary structures.”

Niger

In Niger State, nothing has been done on the implementation of the new minimum wage.

Though government had agreed in principle to pay, there seems to be nothing on the ground in that regard.
It would be recalled the state Deputy Governor, Yakubu Garba, during May Day celebration this year, said the state government would implement the new minimum wage.

He did not, however, give the implementation time.

Sunday Vanguard’s findings show that no committee has been set up for negotiations.

Taraba

In Taraba State, N30,000 minimum wage is still in force.

However, after the announcement of the new minimum wage in June, Governor Agbu Kefas, said his administration would pay.

He said: “My administration is fully committed to implementing federal government’s decision on the minimum wage.’’

Kwara

Kwara State government and labour leadership have yet to agree on the template for implementation of the N70,000 new minimum wage for civil servants in the state.

Commissioner for Communications, Bola Olukoju, told Sunday Vanguard that stakeholders were still meeting on the issue.

She said: “We have not concluded on the minimum wage in Kwara State. We are still meeting with stakeholders on it. I will let you know as soon as we conclude on the amount to pay as minimum wage .”

Plateau

Government said it would pay the new minimum wage without indicating when it would commence.

Commissioner for Information and Communication, Musa Ashoms, said: “Plateau State is having an interface with the unions to look at the reality of our purse so that we do not announce figures for sensationalism. We will announce what we can pay.

“We had a session with the unions recently. Our purse is different from others and we are looking at things holistically.”

Labour fumes

Reacting to the issue, Organised Labour said it is not taking the situation lightly.

This newspaper had reported that governors’ unwillingness or slow pace in implementation was a major issue during last Wednesday’s meeting with the federal government.

Recall that Vanguard had exclusively reported that at the meeting held in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of Federation, SFG, there was an agreement to summon a meeting with state governors to ensure implementation.

A Labour leader who pleaded anonymity, said: ”We are waiting for the federal government to meet the state governors on the matter since the federal government has agreed to meet with the governors over it.
We resolved to wait till the end of October before deciding what next steps to take. If at the end of October, the situation remains as it is today, then we shall take appropriate action.

The N70,000 minimum wage is a law duly legislated by the National Assembly and signed into law by the President of the country. There are consequences for those who decide to breach the law. We shall also handle such people whether public or private in our own ways within the ambit of the law.

One other issue we are discussing with the federal government is the commencement date. The amendment done by the National Assembly and signed into law by the President did not affect or change the principal act, which stipulates that minimum wage commenced on April 18. The government is aware of that. So, when the discussion is concluded, arrears will be paid across the board nationwide and in all sectors.”

Meanwhile, there is disquiet in federal MDAs over the use of the old minimum wage template for payments.

President Bola Tinubu has returned to Nigeria after spending two weeks in the United Kingdom (UK) for vacation.

The president arrived at the nation’s capital, Abuja, on Saturday evening.

Olusegun Dada, special assistant to the president on social media, announced Tinubu’s arrival in a post on his X page.

“The eagle has landed. Welcome home Mr President,” he wrote.

On October 2, the presidency announced the president’s departure from Abuja for a two-week vacation in the UK.

Ten days later, Kabir Masari, the senior special assistant on political matters to the president, said Tinubu had left the UK for France.

Tinubu has embarked on a series of trips to the UK and France since he was elected president in March 2023

On Wednesday, Vice-President Kashim Shettima also left the country for a two-day working visit to Sweden.

Nigerians have raised concerns over their absence, claiming that no one is in charge of the country’s affairs.

The presidency had stated that the absence of the country’s first and second citizens does not translate to a vacuum in the nation’s leadership.

The Federal Government has proposed a five per cent excise duty on telecommunications services, gaming, and betting activities as part of a new bill to overhaul Nigeria’s tax framework.

The bill, titled, “A Bill for an Act to Repeal Certain Acts on Taxation and Consolidate the Legal Frameworks relating to Taxation and Enact the Nigeria Tax Act to Provide for Taxation of Income, Transactions, and Instruments, and Related Matters,” was dated October 4, 2024, and obtained from the National Assembly.

An analysis of the proposed legislation on Friday showed that it seeks to introduce excise duties on services such as telecoms, gaming, gambling, lotteries, and betting provided in Nigeria.

A section of the bill read, “The amount of an excisable transaction is the amount chargeable for the service by the service provider, both in money or money’s worth.

“Services, including telecommunications, gaming, gambling, betting, and lotteries however described, provided in Nigeria shall be charged with duties of excise at the rates specified under the Tenth Schedule to this Act in a manner as may be prescribed by the Service.”

A breakdown of the excise duty structure in the bill indicates that telecoms services, including postpaid and prepaid services regulated by the Nigerian Communications Commission, will attract a five per cent duty.

The same rate will apply to gaming, gambling, betting, and lottery services.

The bill also introduces guidelines on currency transactions, specifying that any difference between the prevailing Central Bank of Nigeria exchange rate and the actual transaction rate will be subject to excise duty.

The new tax regime forms part of the government’s strategy to boost non-oil revenue amidst fiscal pressures.

With rapid growth in the telecoms and betting sectors, authorities are looking to widen the revenue base.

The bill also aims to ensure that currency exchanges align with official CBN rates, with any excess payable as excise duty under a self-assessment model.

Electricity consumers have decried the repeated collapse of the national grid, which happened again on Saturday. They described it as an embarrassment to the nation.

Sunday PUNCH reports that the national grid collapsed around 8.16am on Saturday, the third time in one week, with its attendant blackout across the nation.

Checks by our correspondent confirmed that power generation was 3,042 megawatts at 8am. It peaked at 3,968MW at 7am. However, it dropped to 47MW around 9am. It later rose marginally as the system operator made efforts to restore normalcy.

The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, had promised that Nigeria would attain 6,000 megawatts by the end of the year.
Adelabu assured Nigerians of improvement in power supply by next year, adding that the government was doing its best to enhance power generation and transmission.

But incessant collapses of the grid are threatening the achievement of the 6,000 megawatts target.

Meanwhile, the TCN spokesperson, Ndidi Mbah, did not answer calls to her phone or reply to a message seeking information about the grid collapse.

In an interview with our correspondent, the Convener of the Electricity Consumer Protection Advocacy Centre, Princewill Okorie, expressed worry that electricity customers, especially those on estimated billing, continued to pay for darkness as the grid kept collapsing.

He alleged that substandard equipment must have been used for power infrastructure.

According to him, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission and the Ministry of Power pay more attention to the distribution companies and their revenue, ignoring the rights of the consumers, especially in the area of metering.

He challenged the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, asking what it had been doing to protect electricity consumers.

Okorie said, “Consumers don’t have electricity supply after you’ve raised their bill to over N200 per kilowatt-hour as Band A customers. Then, those who are not metered will be billed as if they have a power supply for 24 hours. The consumers are at the receiving end in all of these; their businesses have collapsed. How will they make money? The same consumer that is funding infrastructure; the same consumer that is funding metering, the same consumer that is paying the bill.

“What is the quality of materials used in building the grid? Who are the professionals building the grid? How can the grid be stable when transformers are connected to the grid at the weekend and at night without supervision? When substandard materials are being used all over, how can you build a grid that is stable?”

NERC blames explosion

The NERC said the grid collapse was a result of a current transformer explosion.

In a statement on its social media handles, the NERC said it “notes with concern the recent escalating incidence of grid disturbances often leading to marked outage in several states thus reversing many of the gains recently achieved in reducing infrastructure deficit and improving grid stability.”

The statement reads, “Initial reports on the grid disturbance that occurred this morning indicate that today’s outage was triggered by an explosion of a current transformer at the Jebba transmission station at 0815hrs and an associated cascade of power plants shutdowning from the loss of load.”

The commission stated, however, that efforts to restore supply had advanced “with power significantly restored, as at 1300hrs, in 33 states and the FCT.”

It added, “In line with the provisions of the Electricity Act 2023, the unbundling of the System Operator function out of Transmission Company of Nigeria Plc is ongoing with the expectation that an independent System Operator would engender more discipline in grid management and optimised investment in infrastructure.”

Adelabu had said during the week that there was the need to have power grids in different regions or states to put an end to incessant grid collapses.

The minister, who spoke when he unveiled Hexing Livoltek in Lagos, said grid collapse was almost inevitable in Nigeria given the deplorable state of the country’s power infrastructure.

According to him, having multiple power grids in each region and state would ensure stability.

Nigeria’s food crisis is taking its toll on vulnerable pregnant women, as they share how difficult it is for them to eat daily and meet the dietary requirements expected of persons in their state to avert poor pregnancy outcomes. JANET OGUNDEPO reports

At 1 pm, a three-month-old pregnant mother, who wants to be identified as Mummy Ifeoluwa, was just cooking her first meal of the day.

Bent over three-stoned firewood with an aluminum pot set up in a corner of her shop, the mother of one, stood up wearily to speak with our correspondent.

“This is my first meal for the day. I am just cooking now because there has been no money to get food. My next meal is until night time and I have to pray to make sales or that my husband comes home with some money so we can eat,” she said resignedly. 

Although Mummy Ifeoluwa’s husband works as a mechanic, the irregularity of work makes it hard to feed his growing family.

Consequently, the 25-year-old pregnant mother said that she eats only twice a day and bears the hunger pangs until the next meal is available.

“I eat fruits sometimes once a week and no more,” she said. 

Mummy Ifeoluwa, who is in her first trimester, has lost count of when she had to approach her friends for food.

“Sometimes, when all hope of getting money for food has been exhausted, I have no choice but to beg for money from my friends so I can get food,” she said, worried lines dotting her forehead.

Biting economy

With the skyrocketing prices of food, transportation and goods and services, the artisan said she has discarded thoughts of buying her baby clothes as her daily concern was to get food on her table.

Nigeria’s economy has been heading towards a downward slope since the decision by the Central Bank of Nigeria to allow a free float of the naira to other currencies.

Consequently, Nigeria, which is an importing and dollar-dependent economy, as said by an economist, Prof Ken Ife, began to witness inflation and a weak currency.

The fuel subsidy removal in May 2023 further deepened Nigeria’s economic woes.

PUNCH Healthwise reports that the fuel subsidy removal, further depreciation of the naira, increase in electricity tariff, and the introduction of Value Added Tax on diesel, amid an already battered economy, have further worsened the cost of living, pushing many Nigerians into untold hardship.

As a result, a litre of fuel that once sold for N185 per litre before May 29, 2023, rose to over N500 per litre, N700 per litre and now N1,030 in some states.

PUNCH Healthwise also reports that the Association of Nigerian Private Medical Practitioners noted that there has been a rise in high blood pressure cases in the hospitals.

Pregnant women and children, who are Nigeria’s most vulnerable group, are grossly affected as experts and the United Nations Children’s Fund warned of rising malnutrition in the country.

Handicapped by economic situation

Before the rising prices of food and services, a 30-year-old pregnant mother, Mrs Ayomide Oladapo, could boast of eating three to four times a day.

In her previous pregnancies, she recounted to our correspondent, she ensured she satisfied her cravings and ate to her fill whenever hungry.

But Oladapo, who is in her first trimester, now struggles to eat three times a day.

Her sales of foodstuff are no longer booming as the prices have limited the purchasing power of the populace to buy as much as they did.

Oladapo hoped the prices of foodstuff would reduce so she could have enough to eat and stop the constant weakness caused by hunger pangs.

Begging to eat

Another pregnant woman in her second trimester, identified as Mrs Igbinedion, could go on and on about the rise in food prices.

The 26-year-old seamstress told our correspondent that the food prices had affected her ability to eat the required quantity of food she desired.

Sometimes, to silence the hunger pangs, the six-month pregnant mother would munch on anything she could, whether it was nutritious or not.

“The prices of food are so high. Fruits are now gold and there is no money to buy it. I go countless times to request food or money to buy food if I don’t make sales. I do this to cover my secret and so I can eat.

“If there is no money, I drink water and go to bed hungry. This has sometimes made me think about my life and the situation but again, I stop it so I don’t develop a high blood pressure,” Igbinedion said.

The cloth and bag maker is not alone in this situation.

Our correspondent spoke to another six-month pregnant woman, Mrs Chioma Igwe, who now rations her meals.

The businesswoman said whenever she was pregnant she couldn’t eat the food she cooked and had to visit local restaurants for her meals.

But the plate of food she bought for N500, three years ago when she was pregnant with her second child, could no longer fill her now.

“I can’t eat my food so I eat from one buka to another until I give birth. Now, if I manage to spend N1,000 for one meal, I will still be hungry. Now, I only eat twice a day. I love fruits but can no longer eat them as much as I should. I am tired of the situation,” Igwe said.

The 36-year-old, whose husband is a hotelier, shared that there were times she went to bed without food or survived on a few biscuits to ease her hunger pangs.

Increased risk of anaemia

However,  nutritionists, gynaecologists and paediatricians who spoke to PUNCH Healthwisementioned that these pregnant women were at risk of anaemia and giving birth to babies with low birth weight.

They noted that being malnourished came with dire consequences for both the mother, the child and the future of the child.

They fear an increased risk in Nigeria’s 39 deaths per 1,000 live births of neonatal deaths and 67 deaths per 1,000 live births of infant mortality.

The experts, in exclusive interviews with PUNCH Healthwise, were wary of an increased maternal mortality rate currently at 512 per 100,000 live births.

A professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto State, Abubakar Panti, said that poor nutrition during pregnancy had serious consequences for both the mother and the baby.

The physician noted that such pregnant mothers were at an increased risk of anaemia.

“It could also lead to preeclampsia, which is high blood pressure during pregnancy. It could also lead to gestational diabetes, because poor dietary habits, particularly excessive intake of processed foods and sugars can lead to gestational diabetes, which can lead to increased complications during pregnancy. It could also lead to osteoporosis, which is due to insufficient intake of calcium and vitamin D, which is less mineral content of the bone, which can lead to fracture. Then you can also have other postpartum complications,” Panti said.

The don further noted that pregnant mothers who had poor nutrition had slow recovery after childbirth and were at high risk of infections, prolonged recovery time and of course postpartum depression.

He said, “You could also have difficulty in breastfeeding because of poor nutrition during pregnancy, which can affect milk production and the quality of breast milk, which can potentially impact the baby’s early nutrition.”

The gynaecologist further noted that such babies suffered restricted growth, which is called intrauterine growth restriction and developmental delays later in life.

The doctor asserted that such women were at risk of preterm labour and giving birth to babies with neural deformities.

Poor baby development

“Deficiency of certain nutrients, such as folic acid, can lead to neural tube defects or spinal bifida, which means the brain and the spinal cord cannot develop properly. You can also have premature births because of poor nutrition.

“The mother can go into labour before her time because once the baby senses danger in utero, it will want to come out. This can also be linked to preterm birth, which can also result in complications like respiratory problems. Of course, you have low birth weight, because of inadequate maternal nutrition and the mother may deliver a baby less than 2.5 kg, which can also have an increased risk of health issues and cognitive and behavioural issues later in life.

“Because of this poor nutrition, the baby’s brain did not develop properly, so it could lead to cognitive delays, learning difficulties, and behavioural problems. That is why in developed countries, they pay a lot of emphasis to mother and child because the future of the country lies in the children,” Panti said.

The fertility expert also stated that the babies had a higher risk of conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and obesity later in life.

The maternal expert further noted that the economic hardship was likely to increase Nigeria’s maternal mortality rate.

He added that it could also limit access to health care, cause poor nutrition, and lack of social support, significantly impacting maternal health and contributing to higher mortality rates.

“So, with the current hardship, I’m very sure we will expect a rise in maternal mortality. For example, if we have limited access to quality health care due to hardship, there could be inadequate prenatal care, because women may not be able to afford regular prenatal visits or specialised medical services. And lack of consistent care increases the risk of complications during pregnancy and childbirth. You know, a lot of things can go undetected or untreated, which may lead to death.

“Then you also have poor access to skilled birth attendants. Women giving birth without skilled birth attendants, like doctors, nurses, and midwives have an increased risk of complications, such as postpartum haemorrhage, eclampsia, and sepsis, which are the leading causes of maternal mortality,” the don said.

He added that the lack of funds would increase the delay in decision-making to access medical care, noting that persons in economically disadvantaged areas had transportation problems and inability to afford emergency services.

“Inadequate nutrition, due to economic hardship, often leads to food insecurity, which can result in malnutrition during pregnancy. So, poor nutrition, especially deficiencies in iron, folic acid, and minerals like calcium, increases conditions like anaemia, and preeclampsia, which are contributors to maternal mortality.”

“Poor economic conditions often coincide with limited access to preventive care and early treatment for chronic diseases like hypertension and diabetes, which are dangerous during pregnancy if not properly managed. Also, there would be an increased risk of infections. Due to unhygienic living conditions, economic hardship is also associated with poor living conditions, including lack of clean water, inadequate sanitation, and overcrowding, which increases the risk of infections like malaria, and HIV, which are indirect causes of maternal mortality, especially in low-resource settings,” the don said.

Promote maternal feeding

Panti called on the government to strengthen the healthcare system by ensuring affordable accessible and quality maternity care.

“They also have to promote maternal nutrition through food assistance programs. In countries where they know what they are doing, they don’t joke with mothers and children.

“Expanding the family planning services and access to contraceptives will also help in the face of hardship. If people can access things that can prevent pregnancy, of course, they could face themselves and the few children they can.

“Also, we can improve social safety nets for vulnerable populations to ensure that women can access healthcare regardless of the economic situation,” he said.

Prone to infections

Also, a Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Kwara State, Prof Adegboyega Fawole, asserted that poor nutrition during pregnancy could cause anaemia, low birth weight, stillbirths, haemorrhage, pre-eclampsia and death in mothers.

He added that malnourished pregnant women were predisposed to poor weight gain, molar pregnancy (carotene deficiency), preterm labour, and infectious diseases.

The don noted that unborn babies of malnourished pregnant women would be affected.

The gynaecologist further hinted at the likely rise in maternal mortality due to economic hardship.

To further avoid the malnutrition caused by the economic hardship, Fawole advised pregnant women to “engage in small scale businesses, by encouraging the partner to engage in farming.”

Reduce growth, malnourished babies

Not only are the pregnant mothers affected, but the unborn babies are at risk of low birth weight, malnourished at birth, prone to infections and at risk of infant deaths.

A paediatrician, Dr Peter Ubane, confirmed that poor nutrition in pregnancy had an intergenerational impact on the unborn child.

He noted that deficiency in macronutrients affected the growth of the baby, such that the overall growth potentials of the baby and organs within the womb are hindered, leading to low birth weight and increased risk of diabetes and hypertension in the future.

The child expert added, “When we look at the other aspects of maternal nutrition, a mother may be taking adequate quantities of food, but quality is not adequate. Eating enough, maybe even carbohydrates and fats and proteins, but if they are deficient in certain minerals or vitamins, which we call micronutrients, that itself is also a form of malnutrition and it would affect the baby. A major example of that is what we call folic acid deficiency, which is associated with what we call neural tube defects.

“These are congenital abnormalities of the central nervous system, the spinal cord and the brain so that there’s no complete formation. So, that’s one way the nutrition of the mother can affect the baby. And when a baby is born with such a problem, it’s a lifelong thing. Yes, we need surgery to correct the defects and all that but it tends to lead to some form of disability, lifelong disability.”

Ubane further noted that vitamin and calcium deficiency were other micronutrient deficiencies that could affect a baby in the womb.

The paediatrician stated that the mother, family, society, and the government were responsible for ensuring adequate nutrition for pregnant women and unborn children.

The physician asserted that babies born to malnourished and nutrient-deficient mothers had their health compromised and were at risk of dying shortly after birth, further increasing the infant mortality rate.

He also noted that such babies would be malnourished after birth and have weaker immune systems, making them at risk of newborn infection, called neonatal sepsis.

Cleveland Clinic explains neonatal sepsis as a serious medical condition that occurs when a baby younger than 28 days old has a life-threatening response to an infection.

Continuing, Ubane said that malnourished babies at birth who were still deprived of adequate nutrition could be shorter than their genetic potential.

“For a girl, what it means is that the girl is going to be shorter. She has a critical period within which she needs to grow, in height, width, bone length and all that.

“If this malnutrition persists and she doesn’t catch up adequately, what it means for that girl is that she is likely to remain shorter than her genetic potential. It also means that that girl, her pelvis is going to be narrower than it should be and when she becomes a lady and begins to get pregnant, she is more likely to have a narrow pelvis that is more likely to be obstructed during labour. So the risk of her having to depend on an operation to give birth is high,” the doctor explained.

He emphasised that nutrition and immunity were strongly linked and the lack of improved nutrition for malnourished children would result in a high risk of having bacterial infections, viral infections, infections like pneumonia, diarrhoea and deaths.

The paediatrician asserted the nutrition of an unborn child was an inalienable right, adding that “to deprive an unborn child of adequate nutrition is to kill that child while the child is living. It’s to burn the child with a sort of half-life.”

He emphasised the need for the economic protection of the vulnerable population in society.

The child expert also advocated adequate education on nutrition for women of reproductive age and pregnant women.

“A balanced diet that contains adequate and appropriate amounts of the different classes of foods, including nutrients, adequate nutrients, and then supplementation with vitamin, vitamin tablets and all that, as recommended by nutritionists or by healthcare professionals is recommended,” Ubane said.

Undernourished, at risk of fainting

Pregnant women deprived of adequate diets due to the unavailability of food or the purchasing power to buy them are at risk of fainting.

A Chief Dietitian-Nutritionist, Olufunmilola Ogunmiluyi, stated that pregnant women incapable of adequate diet and essential minerals and vitamins were at risk of fainting.

She, however, noted that the main causes of dizziness and fainting during pregnancy were hormonal changes due to a drop in blood pressure which allows less blood to get to the brain.

She further explained that undernutrition in pregnancy was a maternal nutritional state in which nutrient storage and macronutrient and micronutrient intake are less than that needed to achieve optimal maternal, foetal and newborn outcomes.

“During pregnancy, poor diets lacking in key nutrients – like iodine, iron, folate, calcium and zinc – can cause anaemia, pre-eclampsia, haemorrhage and death in mothers. They can also lead to stillbirth, low birth weight, wasting and developmental delays for children.

“Malnutrition affects every system in the body and results in increased vulnerability to illness, increased complications and in extreme cases even death,” the nutritionist said.

She further noted that babies with low birth weight had a risk of developing several diseases later in life.

Ogunmiluyi also said that babies born to malnourished pregnant women could have infant micronutrient deficiencies, short-term health risks such as hearing/visual impairment or delays in neurological development among other diseases.

The dietitian warned that malnourished pregnant women in the first few weeks of pregnancy suffered deficiency in certain nutrients, minerals and vitamins, which would affect the child’s immune system and increase the likelihood of viral and bacterial infections.

She urged expectant mothers to ensure their diets contained key nutrients such as iodine, iron, folate, calcium and zinc and refrain from consuming lots of calories.

…Atiku is preoccupied with genuine issues affecting Nigerians

A former Vice President of Nigeria and Peoples Democratic Party 2023 Presidential Candidate Alhaji Atiku Abubakar on Saturday, described the ex-Rivers State Governor, Nyesome Wike, and his collaborators as more concerned with self-interest than addressing the real challenges faced by Nigerians.

Atiku said Wike’s self-absorption is evident in his preoccupation with domestic affairs in Rivers rather than his ministerial responsibilities.

Vanguard reported that Minister of FCT, Wike in Rivers earlier today said the former Vice President, Atiku has been rejected by Nigerians after losing the Presidential election many times, urging him to pack and go home.

Reacting, in a statement signed on Saturday, by Paul Ibe, Media Adviser to Atiku Abubakar, noted that “Wike’s comments are nothing more than a string of inanities, lacking substance and driven by personal grievances.”

“Our attention has been drawn to the recent remarks made by Mr. Nyesom Wike, which can only be described as another of his theatrical outbursts. Ordinarily, we would not respond, but we recognize that silence might be misinterpreted.

“However, we remain calm, knowing that Nigerians are well acquainted with his antics, a lingering symptom of the bitterness he harbours from his defeat to the Wazirin Adamawa at the 2022 party presidential primaries.

“Wike’s comments are nothing more than a string of inanities, lacking substance and driven by personal grievances. If he truly believes Nigerians are content with the current state of affairs under the government he serves, it reveals a deeper truth: his priorities lie not with the people but with himself. This self-absorption is evident in his preoccupation with domestic affairs in Rivers rather than his ministerial responsibilities.

“While he may seek to divert attention with his baseless rants, we remain focused on the genuine issues affecting Nigerians. Wike is more concerned with self-interest than addressing the real challenges faced by the nation. In contrast, our commitment remains unwavering, centred on the welfare and progress of the people.

“Wike delights in conjuring fantasies, indulging in his imagination, and paying for live TV coverage to launch tirades against whomever he pleases. However, we shall not descend into the gutters where he feels at home. Instead, we prefer to rise above, maintaining our dignity while others revel in the mud.”