Connect with us


BIG STORY

12.5kg Cooking Gas May Sell For N10,000 By Dec —- Marketers

Published

on

Marketers of Liquefied Petroleum Gas, well known as cooking gas, on Saturday, expressed worry over the supply shortage leading to a persistent increase in the price of the commodity.

They warned that 12.5kg of cooking gas currently selling between N7,500 and N8,000 could rise to N10,000 before December if nothing was done to address the crisis.

The marketers lamented that more Nigerians had resorted to using firewood, charcoal, sawdust, among other unrefined energy sources whose prices have also begun to rise.

The Executive Secretary of the National Association of LPG Marketers, Mr. Bassey Essien, disclosed this during the weekly e-discourse organized by a leading Pan-African forum, Platforms Africa, a statement on Saturday by the organization’s Team Lead, Adeola Yusuf, said.

Platforms Africa is the e-community of intellectuals, policy moulders, and opinion leaders on the continent.

Essien maintained that the government needed to review the recently introduced import charges and Value Added Tax, else “the price of cooking gas may as well reach N10,000 for a 12.5kg cylinder.”

He said, “Today (Saturday), the price has risen to N7,500 and N8,000. The skyrocketing price of gas is our fear and what we are trying to avoid. Early in the year, a 20-metric ton of gas was selling for below N5m but today, the same tonnage sells for N10.2m. As long as there is that supply shortage, the available quantity and the dynamics of supply-demand will keep pushing the price higher.”

Lamenting poor patronage of NALPGAM by customers due to the high price, Essien said the association was concerned that more Nigerians were being forced to return to coal, sawdust, kerosene, and other dirty fuel as “the price of the cooking gas has suddenly gone up.”

He, however, said the association was interfacing with the government, stakeholders, producers, and importers to see how the situation could be addressed.

Essien added, “We are also meeting with the marketers vide moral suasion not to capitalize on the situation to inflict more pains on citizens by increasing the cost of gas in their locations though they are equally expending huge cost to have cooking gas at their locations.”

NALPGAM secretary also decried the gradual rise in the cost of cylinders over the years, maintaining that all the raw materials used by the two-cylinder manufacturing plants in the country were imported.

He said despite Nigeria’s over 180 million population, the country barely had up to 10 million cylinders in circulation amid substandard cylinders in circulation.

He said, “The cylinder ownership structure in the country ensures that owners are in charge of their cylinders. Cylinders expire on the 15th year of usage from the manufacturing date. Because of the high replacement cost, consumers buy what they can afford. This has equally encouraged the proliferation of substandard cylinders in circulation. The regulators are working hard to monitor the standard of cylinders coming into the country.

“The progress in-cylinder acquisition still needs government input to ensure that the cost of materials for cylinder production get the necessary exemption from duties but however the state of our local currency still remains a major problem.”

Team Lead, Platforms Africa, Yusuf, however, urged the Federal Government to wade in and relieve Nigerians the pains of paying higher for gas.

BIG STORY

JUST IN: Super Eagles Legendary Goalkeeper Peter Rufai Dies At 60

Published

on

The Super Eagles have honoured former Nigerian goalkeeper and 1994 Africa Cup of Nations winner, Peter Rufai, following reports of his passing.

In a statement posted on Thursday via X, the national team referred to Rufai, popularly called “Dodo Mayana,” as an iconic figure in Nigerian football whose impact will always be remembered.

“Forever in our hearts, Dodo Mayana. We mourn the passing of legendary Super Eagles goalkeeper, Peter Rufai, a giant of Nigerian football and a 1994 AFCON champion,” the statement said.

The statement praised Rufai’s outstanding career, highlighting his remarkable performances and influence beyond football.

“Your legacy lives on between the sticks and beyond. Rest well, Peter Rufai,” it added.

Rufai was a key member of the celebrated Nigerian team that won the 1994 AFCON and qualified for the country’s first-ever FIFA World Cup in the same year.

Continue Reading

BIG STORY

When Lagos Drew The Line On Plastic Waste, It Chose The Harder, Better Path — By Babajide Fadoju

Published

on

On July 1, 2025, the Lagos State Government began full enforcement of its long-announced ban on single-use plastics less than 40 microns in thickness. These included styrofoam food packs, polystyrene cups, plastic straws, and thin carrier bags. This was not just another policy roll-out. It marked a significant environmental turning point for one of Africa’s most densely populated cities.

The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab, had spent months leading the charge. At every forum and press briefing, he maintained that the state would not shift the enforcement date. And when that date arrived, the government kept its word. What many had assumed would be delayed or softened became a reality across markets, food vendors, eateries, and shopping outlets. Lagos had drawn the line.

The decision did not happen overnight. In January 2024, the government had announced the ban on styrofoam products, warning that other forms of non-biodegradable single-use plastics would follow. Manufacturers, food service businesses, and packaging companies were given an 18-month window to adapt. By January 2025, after multiple consultations with key industry players including the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), the Restaurants and Food Services Proprietors Association of Nigeria (RFSPAN), and the Food and Beverage Recycling Alliance (FBRA), the government granted a six-month extension. That grace period ended on June 30, 2025. The very next day, enforcement began.

Commissioner Wahab consistently emphasised that the decision was not driven by convenience or popularity, but by necessity. Lagos, with its coastal geography, had become especially vulnerable to the effects of plastic pollution. Thin plastics and styrofoam containers were not just littering the streets; they were choking the city’s drainage systems, causing repeated flooding, and disrupting the natural flow of water across low-lying areas. The government had been forced to spend billions clearing clogged drains, dredging canals, and evacuating waste. These were resources that could have supported education, housing, or healthcare. Continuing with the status quo would have been reckless.

Across the world, over 70 countries had adopted similar bans or restrictions. Some had introduced taxes on plastic bags. Others had outright prohibited the use of certain materials. Lagos joined that global conversation not to make a statement, but to solve a real problem. For years, markets like Mile 12 and Oyingbo had been overwhelmed by plastic waste. Waterways like the Ogun River and Lagos Lagoon had carried tonnes of microplastics downstream. With each rain, the damage multiplied.

The Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) played a central role in translating policy into action. In the weeks leading up to enforcement, LAWMA organised community outreach campaigns, market sensitisation, and stakeholder meetings. Waste collectors were briefed on how to spot banned items and how to separate recyclable materials. LAWMA officials worked directly with traders, waste vendors, and informal sector recyclers to ease the transition. Educational materials were printed in English, Yoruba, and Pidgin to reach as many residents as possible.

Despite all these efforts, resistance remained. Some business owners argued that alternatives were more expensive. Others claimed they had not received enough notice. But Wahab was unflinching. He stated clearly that any manufacturer or distributor who had failed to find a safer, eco-friendly alternative after 24 months was simply not ready to comply. The policy had been public knowledge since 2024. The time for excuses had passed.

There was also concern about job losses, especially in the plastic production and distribution chain. The government responded by highlighting the opportunity for innovation. Biodegradable packaging, paper alternatives, reusable food containers, and local compostable materials were now in demand. New jobs could be created in eco-friendly product design, waste sorting, and recycling infrastructure. Wahab noted that Lagos would support businesses willing to shift in this direction, but would no longer subsidise pollution in the name of economic convenience.

The path Lagos chose was not the easiest, but it was the most responsible. It took political will to push through a decision that affected thousands of daily transactions, from street food sales to major retail chains. It took environmental clarity to say no when delay would have been more comfortable. And it took administrative strength to follow through on enforcement, when doing nothing would have been easier.

Now, the hard part continues. Enforcement must be consistent. Public awareness must be sustained. And alternatives must remain within reach of ordinary citizens. But with this bold step, Lagos signalled that it would no longer be held hostage by harmful habits and unchecked commercial practices.

The story of July 1, 2025, was not just about plastic. It was about leadership. It was about vision. And it was about protecting a city that refuses to collapse under the weight of its own waste.

Continue Reading

BIG STORY

AMCON Sells Ibadan DisCo For N100bn

Published

on

The Asset Management Company of Nigeria has confirmed the sale of the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company.

Gbenga Alake, managing director and chief executive officer of AMCON, revealed the details of the transaction during a media briefing with journalists on Thursday.

In April 2024, the federal government announced plans to sell five electricity distribution companies managed by banks and AMCON.

Ibadan DisCo, which was under AMCON’s management, is among the five companies listed for sale. Others include the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, Benin Electricity Distribution Company, Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company, and Kano Electricity Distribution Company.

During the briefing, Alake stated that the company was sold for N100 billion.

He mentioned that AMCON would soon transfer the company to the preferred bidder.

“Today, I announce to you that Ibadan DisCo has been sold. When we came in, it has already been sold. It was sold for how much?” Alake said.

“We got in and said no, it cannot be. We said they should go and submit a new offer that we were not going to sell for that.

“At the end of the day, we got almost double of what Ibadan DisCos was going to be sold for.”

He explained that the sale has sparked legal disputes, with “so many interests now fighting and writing”.

Alake maintained that despite the matter being in court, AMCON remains confident that the process was properly handled.

“We have sold it… and whatever is still happening in court, we will face it,” he said.

On May 15, reports emerged that the African Initiative Against Abuse of Public Trust, a civil society group, had filed a suit at the federal high court in Abuja against AMCON, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, the Bureau of Public Enterprises, and Ibadan DisCo over an alleged planned sale of a 60 percent stake in the company for $62 million.

The civil society group, in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/866/2025, described the sale as “secretive and illegal,” claiming the price was “corruptly undervalued”.

The group also argued that the transaction would result in a $107 million loss compared to the $169 million paid for the same stake during the 2013 privatisation of Ibadan DisCo.

Continue Reading



 

Join Us On Facebook

Most Popular