The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has announced that Nigerians will need to pay for the newly introduced multipurpose national identity cards due to limited government revenue.

Peter Iwegbu, head of card management services at NIMC, disclosed this during a two-day press conference in Lagos on Thursday.

He explained that the payment model aims to ensure that only those who genuinely need the cards will apply for them, avoiding the inefficiencies of past initiatives where physical cards were issued for free but largely uncollected.

Iwegbu emphasized that introducing a paid model would streamline production and distribution, ensuring better management of resources.

The new multipurpose ID cards are expected to serve various functions, including identification, financial transactions, and accessing government services.

Iwegbu said, “Before we stopped due to funding, we produced more than two million cards but a lot of them are still in our office, people were not able to pick them up because they didn’t need it.”

Aside from low collection, Iwegbu said the government could not fund the production of ID cards due to limited revenue.

“The government’s limited revenue is also a major factor in the decision to make Nigerians pay for the new ID card,” he added.

He said NIMC is also working with banks across the country, which will make it possible for people to walk into any bank closest to them and request the card.

Also speaking, Lanre Yusuf, director of information technology at NIMC, said the idea of a free national ID card did not turn out well in the past.

Yusuf described the new ID card as a post-paid identity card, which means that individuals must need the card before initiating a request for it.

The director said, “To get the new national ID card, Nigerians will need to make a payment, select a pickup location, and then collect their card from the chosen location.

“The government has implemented programmes to make the card accessible to the less privileged Nigerians who cannot afford it but require it to access government support.

“This initiative demonstrates the government’s commitment to inclusivity and equality.”

Yusuf also said the multipurpose ID cards are expected to launch soon, with sample test cards already received.

“The new national ID card is a multipurpose card that can serve the purpose of identity verification, payments, and even government services,” he said.

Notorious armed bandit leader Jiya Turji has reportedly received a ransom payment of ₦6 million from residents of Sardauna village in Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State.

This was disclosed on Friday by counterterrorism and insurgency expert Zagazola Makama in a post on his X handle.

Makama revealed, citing intelligence sources, that the villagers paid the ransom to secure the release of five community members abducted by Turji’s gang during an earlier attack.

“The ransom negotiations were intense, with the bandits initially demanding a much higher sum before agreeing to settle for ₦6 million,” Makama said, quoting locals.

The five abductees were reportedly freed after the payment was made, though the incident has heightened fears among residents of Sabon Birni over recurring attacks by Turji’s gang.

“The victims, who have been in captivity for several weeks, were reportedly freed after the payment was made,” he added.

Local leaders have repeatedly called on security agencies to intensify efforts to curb banditry in the region, which has seen an alarming rise in kidnappings, extortion, and violent attacks.

As of press time, neither the Sokoto State Government nor security agencies have commented on the ransom payment. The incident underscores the ongoing challenges in combating insecurity in Northern Nigeria.

All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Jesutega Onokpasa, has called on President Bola Tinubu, to cancel the appointment of Daniel Bwala, a former campaign director to the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar.

Recall that Daniel Bwala  was recently appointed Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication, was on Monday night redesignated as Special Adviser on Policy Communication.

In an interview on Arise TV, Onokpasa said some of Tinubu’s supporters have claimed that Bwala’s appointment was a strategy, but he thinks it is ‘stupidity’.

According to him, Bwala’s appointment hurts, noting that Tinubu’s failure to revoke the appointment will lead to his defeat in the 2027 presidential election.

He said, “The manner in which President Bola Tinubu stabbed his supporters in the back is absolutely ridiculous, meaningless and inexplicable appointment. I am a Tinubu supporter and not a sycophant; his apologists are calling his appointment of Bwala strategy, but I think it is stupidity.

“We won this election with the lowest margin since 1999. Every other president has won with more than 50 percent of the votes but we won with less than 40 percent. How do you call a president a drug dealer, Bwala is a lawyer. He had no evidence, he called Tinubu a drug baron. How do the president now appoint such a person? No everyone is interested in getting appointment.

“I am only bothered about the insults from Bwala. Tinubu seemed to take us for granted, he does not feed us, I have never gone to Tinubu’s house to seek for anything, there are do who do that not everyone. I just like the President like he is a family member, that is why, it really hurt me, he thinks he can behave anyhow, just stab us in the back, I don’t trust him anymore.

Bwala helped Atiku Abubakar to fail in 2023 and he would help Tinubu to fail in 2027. The President has the right to hire who he wants, and we have the right to rire a President. Tinubu has to rescind his appointment of Daniel Bwala. He has to respect us in the APC. “

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission has directed electricity distribution companies to immediately downgrade customers in the Band A category if they fail to provide the promised 20 hours of electricity supply.

The Commissioner of Licensing and Legal for NERC, Dafe Apkeneye, stated this on Channels Television’s Morning Brief on Friday.

He said, “If the Discos cannot meet the promised 20 hours to Band A customers, the customers are to immediately be downgraded to the level for which the discos can meet supplies.

“With regards to the migration order, it is not elective to the instance of the customer. The disco needs to make an application and ensure that they can supply power to customers in Band A.

“If Discos can’t supply such customers, the discos have to downgrade such customers to meet what they can provide.

“The distribution can distribute what is only available on the grid. So when there is no supply to the grid, the Discos can’t meet those supply commitments.

“But the grid has been resolved, and we hope supply can improve, and when they can’t, the Discos have to downgrade such customers.”

With regards to NERC transferring regulatory oversight to states, Apkeneye said states have been empowered by the constitution to generate, transmit, and distribute power.

“States can now establish electricity markets and regulate them by the Nigerian constitution. States now have powers for electricity generation, transmission, and distribution within the states without restrictions.

“We should bear in mind that Nigeria is a country of laws. The Nigerian law states that the states have the power to establish and regulate electricity markets. The states also now have exclusive powers over distribution as seen in the concurrent list.

“With the states having such powers, it is of the states to exercise. Every Nigerian comes from a state. The states have the capacity, and as we speak, the team from Oyo State has issued us a notice, and they are currently spending a week in the commission, understudying what we do. Before coming to the commission, they have been to Ghana. They have also had an intensive 11-week training session with an international regulatory body. So the states are going to build capacity, learn and grow,” he said.

On customers seeking redress on complaints, NERC said the commission has a customer protection regulation which we consolidated and codified last year, to protect customers.

“Before a customer can have their complaints addressed by NERC, they first have to lodge a complaint at the Discos. If the Disco doesn’t respond at a specific time, you can now approach a small mediatory group called the consumer forum of NERC for redress.

“The complaint process has gone on well. We have seen situations where complaints don’t get resolved by the discos and get escalated to NERC and they get resolved. We always ensure that customers get a fair resolution.

“Where a customer has been overbilled, they get fair redress. But when customers bypass meters, we also make sure the case gets addressed appropriately,” he said.

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bode George, has appealed to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, to end his loggerheads with the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara.

Naija News reports that Bode George, while addressing journalists at a news conference in Lagos on Thursday to mark his 79th birthday, slammed members and leaders of the party for refusing to call Wike to order.

According to him, Wike cannot be in Abuja and control Rivers State, stressing that Fubara will not become a ‘slave’ because the Minister contributed to his emergence as state governor.

George also questioned the leadership of the party on why Wike had not been sanctioned for instigating crisis in PDP, adding that nobody is bigger than the political party or should be allowed to hold the party to ransom.

He said, “May I ask those at the helm of affairs of our party today, what exactly is the offense of Governor Fubara of Rivers State?

“What exactly is going on that party members don’t feel bothered about the happenings in the state. Governor Wike helped Fubara to become the number one citizen of the oil-bearing state.

“The governor himself acknowledged this on many occasions. Will the governor now behave like a slave? Why are some party members encouraging his predecessor to bring down the state?

“He lives in Abuja and wants to control what goes on in Rivers State…. did the governors before him behave this way? This cannot continue like this. Why can’t we learn from our past mistakes?

“Why can’t we tell all this trouble makers to go and sit down if we want this party to move forward. The other day, Wike boasted openly, threatening Governors saying ‘I’ll put fire in your states’ but the APC Government he’s working for refused to sanction him.

“Why can’t PDP sanction him? … instead of instigating crisis in our party, why are they not courageous enough to defect to the APC? If they fear God at all. Nobody is big enough to hold the party to ransom. My advice to Wike is very simple: you are my son, a political son.

“I am appealing to him to cool off immediately. I know he was injured by friends during the last PDP Presidential contest. Take it easy. Nobody is bigger than any party. Forget what happened in the past. Let us work together for the interest of our political party.”

Nigerian Afrobeats superstar, David Adeleke, better known as Davido, has warned black Americans about the growing interest in relocating to Africa.

Naija News reports that Davido, during an interview on ‘The Big Homies House’ podcast, expressed scepticism about the trend, citing the current challenges facing the continent, particularly in his home country, Nigeria.

Responding to the show host’s question about black Americans seeking to return to the motherland, Davido responded, “Leave America and go where?”

He stressed the economic difficulties and systemic issues affecting African countries.

Speaking further from experience as someone raised in Nigeria after being born in Atlanta, Georgia, the singer added, “It’s not cool back home…The economy now is in shambles.”

Watch the video below:

The National Economic Council (NEC) has resolved to reinforce the implementation of the National Electrification Strategy in a bid to end the collapse of the nation’s power grid.

Vice President Kashim Shettima, chairman of NEC, told members of the Council that access to energy is a fundamental right and not a privilege because electricity is the oxygen of economic growth.

The Council has constituted a committee on National Electrification to help address the challenges in the power sector.

The committee’s formation was among decisions NEC took at the end of its 146th meeting on Thursday chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The committee headed by Cross River State Governor, Bassey Otu, is to work towards deepening states’ engagements within the Electricity Reform Act 2023 and the National Electrification Strategy and Implementation Plan.

Following a presentation by the Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), NEC observed that Nigeria needs a reformed and diversified electricity system, noting that by empowering states, accessibility and affordability of electricity can be enabled, ensuring that all regions effectively meet their specific energy needs.

Members of the committee include Governors Dikko Radda of Katsina, Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe, Ademola Adeleke of Osun, Hope Uzodimma of Imo, and Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau.

Others are Ministers of Finance, Mr Wale Edun; Budget and Economic Planning, Sen. Atiku Bagudu; Power, Mr Adebayo Adelabu; Special Adviser to the President on NEC and Climate Change; Special Adviser to the President on Power; Managing Director, Rural Electrification Agency (REA), and Managing Director, Niger Delta Power Holding Company.

Shettima outlined issues before the Council that require urgent attention including energy infrastructure, human capital development, creative industries, fiscal strategy, industrial innovation, and long-term development planning, describing them as foundational to the transformation Nigeria needs.

He explained that it is for this that experts and stakeholders from some of the critical sectors have been invited to share their insights and contributions.

“The past few months of collapses in our national power grid compel us to reinforce the pace with which we are adopting and implementing the National Electrification Strategy. Energy access is a fundamental right, not a privilege. It is the oxygen of economic growth.

“Our blueprints must, therefore, strive to expand access, empower rural communities, and drive productivity, especially for MSMEs. I hope that our discussions today will inspire solutions to light up homes, power businesses, and fuel Nigeria’s industrial future.

“Whatever path we agree upon, it is clear that a private-sector-led distributed renewable energy generation approach is essential to increasing electricity access for households and small enterprises alike,” he said.

The Vice President also urged the Council to take Nigeria’s creative industry seriously, saying it presents an avenue to redefine the nation’s economic trajectory.

According to him, “new technologies have not only amplified the global appeal of our arts, crafts, and culture but also opened up revenue streams and job opportunities for Nigerians.

“Our music, films, art, and cultural heritage are not just global symbols of Nigeria’s soft power but also vital engines of economic growth. We cannot afford to relegate the promise of turning creativity into wealth, empowering our youth, and positioning Nigeria as a hub of innovation and cultural excellence,” he added.

Meanwhile, the position of states on state police will be ready by the next NEC meeting.

Deliberating on the updated submission on the establishment of state police, Council mandated states that were yet to make their submissions on the subject matter should comply within the next one week to enable NEC to come up with a unanimous position on state police at the next meeting.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has reignited conversations around the urgent need for electoral reform in Nigeria, calling for a complete restructuring of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Speaking via a recorded address at the Chinua Achebe Leadership Forum held at Yale University, Obasanjo urged the dismissal of INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu and other officials, emphasizing the necessity of vetting and appointing credible individuals to rebuild trust in Nigeria’s electoral process.

Obasanjo criticized INEC’s performance in the 2023 general elections, accusing the commission of failing to implement key technologies such as the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Election Result Viewing Portal (IReV).

He argued that this failure was not due to technical glitches but deliberate inaction, which led to widespread irregularities.

“These technologies were touted by the INEC chairman himself. In the end, these technologies did not fail.

“INEC wilfully failed to use or implement them which resulted in widespread voting irregularities. It was a case of inviting the fox into the hen house,” Obasanjo stated.

The former President stressed the need for short tenures for INEC officials to prevent corruption and undue political influence, adding that credible leadership at all levels—federal, state, and local—was critical to restoring electoral integrity.

“As a matter of urgency, we must make sure the INEC chairperson and his or her staff are thoroughly vetted. The vetting exercise should yield dispassionate, non-partisan, actors with impeccable reputations.

“Nigeria must ensure the appointment of new credible INEC leadership at the federal, state, local government and municipal – city, town, and village levels – with short tenures – to prevent undesirable political influence and corruption, and re-establish trust in the electoral systems by its citizens.

“The INEC chairperson must not only be absolutely above board, he must also be transparently independent and incorruptible,” Obasanjo stated.

The Presidency, however, dismissed Obasanjo’s remarks as hypocritical.

Earlier on Monday, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Public Communication and Orientation, Sunday Dare, described Obasanjo as a man with “a tremendous capacity for mischief.”

Similarly, Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to President Tinubu, accused Obasanjo of presiding over some of Nigeria’s most fraudulent elections during his tenure.

Onanuga described the ex-president’s call for INEC leadership overhaul as ironic, given his administration’s controversial electoral history.

“After wasting billions of naira on a failed third-term project in 2007, Chief Obasanjo hurriedly organised a sham electoral process that would go down in history as the most fraudulent election held in Nigeria since 1960.

“The beneficiary of the sham election, Umaru Yar’adua, admitted that the election was seriously flawed and, as Justice Muhammed Uwais’s panel recommended, worked towards electoral reforms.

“It is hypocrisy writ large when a man who presided over the worst election in Nigeria demands the sack of the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission,” Onanuga wrote.

This renewed debate comes amid lingering dissatisfaction with the 2023 elections and off-cycle gubernatorial polls in states like Kogi, Imo, and Edo.

The alleged non-compliance with the 2022 Electoral Act by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) formed a key argument in the legal challenges filed by Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) against the declaration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the winner of the February 25 presidential election.

Despite losing at both the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) and the Supreme Court, Atiku and Obi insisted that INEC failed to adhere to the provisions of the electoral law and its own regulations during the election.

They argued that the commission violated its guidelines by failing to deploy required technological tools for voter accreditation and result verification.

The Supreme Court acknowledged these concerns, noting that the malfunction of INEC’s Result Viewing (IReV) portal undermines public confidence in the electoral process.

Justice John Okoro, delivering the lead judgment in Atiku’s appeal, remarked, “Truth must be told, the non-functioning of the IReV may also reduce the confidence of the voting public in the electoral process.”

Adding to the discourse, Sam Amadi, Director of the Abuja School of Social and Political Thoughts, highlighted the need for sweeping electoral reforms.

He criticised the “gross flaws” and “manipulations” observed during the Edo State governorship election, which he said were enough to warrant a complete overhaul of the electoral system.

Amadi also suggested on X.com that anyone aspiring for the presidency in 2027 must prioritise disbanding INEC.

“Anyone thinking of being the President of Nigeria in 2027 and not thinking of disbanding this @inecnigeria is not serious,” he posted on X.

At a recent press briefing in Abuja, Amadi expressed doubts about INEC’s ability to deliver credible elections in the future, citing inconsistencies between results declared by the commission and those uploaded on the IReV platform during the Edo polls.

He called for greater transparency and accountability in result collation and certification processes, stressing that INEC’s performance in Edo had failed to inspire trust ahead of subsequent elections.

“There were allegations that election results were manipulated.

“The INEC leadership has assured that they will avoid the mistakes of Edo.

“There is no reason to trust that they would act honestly to uphold electoral integrity in Ondo.

“The second issue is the procedure of result collation in Edo. We have read reports of forensic reviews of observer groups. We see clearly that the result declared by INEC differs materially from the results uploaded in the IREV.

“This inconsistency is damaging to the integrity of the elections. Furthermore, INEC is issuing certified copies of results that are different from what it has uploaded on the IREV.

“This is alarming. It does not assure us of the integrity of future elections,” he said.

Similarly, Nduka Odo, a Public Affairs Analyst from Peaceland University, Enugu, criticised INEC’s lack of accountability and failure to ensure free and fair elections.

Speaking to DAILY POST, Odo described the commission’s excuses regarding infrastructure challenges as “unconvincing” and called for immediate reforms to restore integrity in the electoral process.

He echoed former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s concerns about INEC’s integrity, particularly in its handling of electronic result transmission.

Odo said, “INEC’s integrity is once again under fire, and I’m fed up with their constant failures.

“Like former President Obasanjo’s criticism, I agree that INEC’s lack of integrity, especially in electronic transmission of results, is alarming.

“The recent governorship election in Edo State was a critical test for INEC, and from what I’ve seen, they’ve failed miserably.

“Their inability to ensure transparency and fairness in the electoral process is appalling. The manipulation of results and lack of accountability among INEC officials are serious concerns that need to be addressed.

“The fact that some parties didn’t even submit polling and collation agents, yet they’re participating in the election, is a joke.

“The electronic transmission of results is not rocket science, but INEC has made it seem like an insurmountable task.

“Their excuses about national infrastructure and readiness are tired and unconvincing. It’s time for INEC to take responsibility for their failures and ensure that future elections are credible and transparent.

“INEC must get its act together: No more excuses, no more failures. INEC needs to demonstrate its commitment to free and fair elections.

“Accountability is key: INEC officials involved in electoral malpractices must be held accountable. Transparency is essential: Electronic transmission of results must be implemented effectively to prevent manipulation.

“It’s time for INEC to redeem its integrity and ensure that the people’s votes count. Anything less is unacceptable.”

On his part, Onyebuchi Igboke, Project Manager of Advocacy Partnership for Good Governance, advocated for a reform of Nigeria’s electoral system, starting with the removal of the president’s power to appoint the INEC chairman.

According to Igboke, INEC should be led by individuals with unquestionable integrity, a standard he claimed was not met by the current chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, who failed to deliver on promises of real-time electronic result transmission during the 2023 elections.

Igboke further argued that elections are crucial for selecting leaders who manage resources and solve societal problems, stressing the need for a transparent and accountable process. He called for significant reforms to ensure future elections truly reflect the will of the people.

He said: “INEC as an institution should be manned only by persons who have integrity. From what was observed from the last election, the INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu dashed the hope of Nigerians, especially young Nigerians.

“He made a promise severally before the 2023 presidential election to transmit results electronically, not just the transmission of results but in real time.

“However, everyone was disappointed how the results for the presidential election weren’t transmitted as he promised.

“I totally agree with what the former President Olusegun Obasanjo said about the institution lacking in integrity. In a sane clime, the INEC chairman should have resigned after the event of the 2022 general election.

“In the recent off-cycle elections in Kogi, Imo, Ondo, and Edo states, we saw what happened. Is that what we wish to have as an election?

“Election is a serious business because it gives people the opportunity to recruit individuals who will manage their resources, lead them into prosperity, and solve their problems.

“Electioneering in Nigeria should be reformed. This should begin by removing the power of the President to even appoint the INEC chairman.”

Households experience 6.7 weekly power blackouts

In an apparent reflection of the multidimensional poverty in the country and the impact of continuous reduction in the purchasing power of Nigerians due to rising prices of goods and services, two-thirds of households in the country lack money to eat healthy, nutritious food, a survey by the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS has revealed.

The survey also showed that households in the country experience 6.7 power blackouts every week.
The NBS survey titled, “Nigeria General Household Survey – Panel (GHS-Panel) Wave 5 (2023/2024). examines demographics, education, and health trends in Nigeria, comparing data from Wave 4 (2018/19) and Wave 5 (2023/24).

On food insecurity, the survey report stated: “Approximately two out of three households indicated being unable to eat healthy, nutritious or preferred foods because of lack of money in the last 30 days.

Similarly, 63.8 per cent of households ate only a few kinds of food due to lack of money, 62.4 percent were worried about not having enough food to eat, and 60.5 percent ate less than they thought they should.

“Between Waves 4 and 5, the proportion of households that reported being worried about not having enough food to eat because of lack of money increased significantly, from 36.9 percent to 62.4 percent.”

On access to energy, the NBS survey revealed that “82.2 percent of urban households have electricity, compared to 40.4 per cent in rural areas.

Nigerian households face an average of 6.7 power blackouts weekly.

“Cooking typically involves traditional three-stone stoves (65.0 percent), primarily using wood as fuel (70.2 per cent), but with use of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) rising significantly.

“Many households lack toilet facilities and rely on tube wells or boreholes for drinking water. Waste disposal is mostly informal, with 45.6 percent of households using bushes or streets.”

On asset ownership, the survey revealed that, “Overall asset ownership has declined since 2018/19. However, two-thirds of households have mobile phones, and about 21.3 percent access the Internet.

“The survey shows that 70.4 percent of households own their homes, with rural ownership at 80.1 percent, compared to 49.1 per cent in urban areas.