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Tariff hike: FG begs workers as electricity union insists on strike

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The Federal Government has appealed to members of the National Union of Electricity Employees not to down tools over the recent electricity tariff hike.

This is as the union insisted that they would withdraw their services should the government fail to rescind its decision on the removal of subsidy on the tariff payable by Band A customers.

The National President of the union, Adebiyi Adeyeye, in an interview with our correspondent on Sunday said the union stood by its warning to the Federal Government.

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission had on April 3 raised the electricity tariff for customers enjoying 20 hours of power supply daily.

Customers in this category were said to be under the Band A classification and the increase raised their tariff to N225 per kilowatt-hour, from N66KWh.

In its earlier reaction, the union had warned the government to reverse the tariff hike saying, “If the government fails to address the crippling cost of electricity, NUEE will not hesitate to take strong action, including the swift withdrawal of our members expected to be used by DisCos to impose the tariff hike on the good people, to protect the livelihood of our members.”

Adeyeye said the supply of 20 hours of electricity is not feasible with the current infrastructure.

“We just want the citizen to know that this thing is not possible, it is not feasible, you cannot give what you don’t have. When we don’t have the energy to give to the people and you ask our people to go out and collect such money, you know it is dangerous. Most times we don’t disclose what to do to the public because our sector is very critical to the nation,” he stated.

While saying that the union has yet to give any ultimatum on strike, he stressed the NUEE is advising the government to do the needful “before we will withdraw our services”.

He explained, “The reason why we are saying this is simple, you ask our members to go the the public to collect 20-hour tariff from people that are not even experiencing a four-hour supply of electricity. There is no way there won’t be crises between our staff and those customers.

“We’ve recorded a lot of attacks on our members, even with the present situation. And these guys have nothing to defend themselves. They have targets to meet where there is no supply. Our members are being threatened by the DisCos, even when they know that what they are promising Nigerians is not feasible”.

He disclosed that the union must save its members from daily attacks, saying the hike would aggravate the attacks.

“We told our members that they cannot go out and collect that kind of tariff from unmetered customers. More than 70 per cent of these Band A customers are not metered. The government is just promising what we don’t have. We are the ones working there, we know we don’t have the transformers to distribute such load. 20 hours of electricity is not possible except for those on eligible lines. We were not carried before the tariff hike,” the union leader emphasised.

Adeyeye, who said the union would not accept any threat from anyone said, “On the issue of strike, it is not what we normally do directly. We said it that we would withdraw our services if the government fails to do the needful, and we are still under that ‘if’. They still have time to do the needful. It is very difficult for us to collect such money. We don’t have the equipment to supply even 10 hours of electricity to the people.

“We stand on our point, and they can’t bring people from anywhere to come and do this work. We Nigerians will do this work ourselves and heaven will not fall. If they fail to do the needful, we will withdraw our members, and we will never accept any threat from anybody. Nigeria belongs to all of us”.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has urged the union not to withdraw its members.

In an interview, Adelabu, who spoke through his media aide, Bolaji Tunji, said the government was doing everything to improve supply in Nigeria and everybody will be happy at the end of the day.

“We just want to appeal to the labour union to understand what led to this. This is not about strike. it is about understanding; so that we can all work together. It is not anybody’s joy that there are blackouts all the time. These steps are being taken to solve the problems in the power sector. I beg the labour union to understand that this will galvanise the economy and create jobs.

“I want to appeal to the union to bear with us. It is for the good of the nation,” he stated.

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BREAKING: Uche Nnaji Resigns as Tinubu’s Minister

In a letter thanking President Bola Tinubu for having allowed him to serve Nigeria, Nnaji said that he has been a target of blackmail by political opponents, citing some allegations against him.

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Geoffrey Uche Nnaji resigned today as the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology.

In a letter thanking President Bola Tinubu for having allowed him to serve Nigeria, Nnaji said that he has been a target of blackmail by political opponents, citing some allegations against him.

In a statement signed by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, dated October 7, 2025 ,President Tinubu has accepted Nnaji ‘s resignation , thanks him for his service to the nation and wished him well in future endeavors.

President Tinubu appointed Nnaji in August 2023.

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President Tinubu Decorates INEC’s Mahmood Yakubu with “CON” National Honour

Yakubu was first appointed in November 2015 as the 14th chairman of the commission for an initial term of five years. The appointment, which was renewed in 2020, has now expired due to the passage of time.

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Tuesday conferred the honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) on Prof Mahmood Yakubu, the outgoing Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), saying that the award was in recognition of Yakubu’s dedicated service to the nation.

Yakubu was first appointed in November 2015 as the 14th chairman of the commission for an initial term of five years. The appointment, which was renewed in 2020, has now expired due to the passage of time.

President Tinubu thanked Professor Yakubu for his services to the nation and his efforts to sustain Nigeria’s democracy, particularly through the organisation of free and fair elections throughout his two-term tenure.

Consequent upon this, President Tinubu also directed that Professor Yakubu should hand over to the most senior national commissioner, May Agbamuche-Mbu, who will direct the affairs of the commission until the completion of the process to appoint a successor.

In the letter dated October 3, 2025, Professor Yakubu thanked the President for the opportunity to serve the nation as chairman of the commission since 2015.

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OpenAI’s Global Actors to Grace 2025 UNILAG International Week

Director of International Relations, Professor Ismail Ibraheem, emphasised the importance of the event in shaping Africa’s voice in the global tech space, stating that the week serves as a platform for practical collaborations between academia, industry, and government.

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Prominent figures, including Emmanuel Lubanzadio from OpenAI, Yvonne Ike of Bank of America, Nigeria’s Minister of Communications Dr. Bosun Tijani, and entrepreneur Iyinoluwa Aboyeji, are set to participate in the 2025 University of Lagos (UNILAG) International Week.

The event, themed “Equitable Partnerships and the Future of AI in Africa,” will take place from October 13 to 17, 2025, at UNILAG’s Akoka campus.

The week-long program will bring together government officials, global partners, academics, and tech innovators to discuss artificial intelligence and collaboration.

Keynote speakers will include Dr. Tijani, Mr. Lubanzadio, and Ms. Ike, while sessions on digital governance will feature Nigeria’s BPP boss, Dr. Adedokun.

Young innovators like Adeleke Eniola, who developed an AI-powered malaria diagnostic tool, will also be highlighted.

Plenary sessions will cover topics such as ethical AI, data governance, and educational innovation, aiming for actionable outcomes like policy recommendations and investment linkages.

Director of International Relations, Professor Ismail Ibraheem, emphasised the importance of the event in shaping Africa’s voice in the global tech space, stating that the week serves as a platform for practical collaborations between academia, industry, and government.

UNILAG continues to strengthen its international partnerships for research and skills development, reinforcing its role in global engagement.

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