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Egbin power plant may be forced to shut down as a result of the non-settlement of N110 billion debt and insufficient gas supply.

Dallas Peavey, managing director, Egbin Power Plc, on Wednesday warned that a nationwide blackout was imminent.

Speaking during an interactive session with energy correspondents in Lagos, Peavey said the government had refused to pay for power generation despite guarantees made to that effect.

He said the power plants needed funds to settle its debts to gas companies and banks.

“We owe the gas companies and have others like our technical partners (KEPCO) to pay, and importantly our lenders, the banks,” he said.

We have made massive investments in making the plant readily available to generate electricity sustainably. Unfortunately, we can’t break even due to the gross inefficiency in the value chain.

“The government guarantees to pay us for every megawatt we generate and sell to Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading, NBET, but they have not done that.

“We just got paid for the month of December, 2016, three months later and we were only paid a paltry 28 per cent of the total 100 percent of the verified and accepted invoice for that month. That is how the outstanding debts kept accumulating for three and half years now.

“That is the simple but bitter truth. Let me be honest, if Egbin fails, it’s going to be dark as Egbin provides close to 30 percent of Nigeria’s power, so let the required intervention be completed and urgently too.

“Egbin power plant is one of the biggest single power generating stations in Africa, with an installed capacity of 1320 MW, consisting of 6 units of 220MW each.”

BIG STORY

Revenue Growth Yet To Translate Into Better Living Conditions — Peter Obi To Tinubu

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Former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi has challenged President Bola Tinubu to ensure that the country’s recently achieved revenue growth delivers visible improvements in citizens’ lives.

Reacting to Tinubu’s announcement that Nigeria hit its 2025 revenue target by August, Obi congratulated the president but stressed: “If indeed the economy stabilises as you declared, then Nigerians must feel it in their daily lives.”

He added that economic stability must be reflected in tangible outcomes: “Borrowings must stop now. Huge contractors’ bills, which are still owed, should be paid, and critical underfunded projects must now be funded.”

Obi lamented the dire state of public services, noting: “True economic stability is not in figures announced at press conferences, but in classrooms where children learn, in well-equipped labs, and in hospitals where citizens can receive quality care.”

He called on the government to channel the surplus revenue transparently into priority sectors—particularly education, healthcare, and poverty reduction—within the remaining four months of the year.

Obi emphasised the need for measurable results, warning: “Anything less will mean that revenue growth has not translated into national growth. Nigerians deserve to see the impacts of this touted revenue growth.”

He concluded with a statement of hope: “A new Nigeria is possible.”

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BIG STORY

Oil Price Falls To $66 Per Barrel Ahead Of OPEC+ Meeting

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Oil prices declined to around $66 per barrel as traders grew concerned about potential increases in OPEC+ production, which could exacerbate a supply surplus, according to price watchers and analysts.

Market sentiment was weighed down by expectations that the upcoming OPEC+ meeting, scheduled for Sunday, may result in additional output increases. This possibility comes amid a trend of rising inventories in the U.S., including a recent unanticipated build of 622,000 barrels—contrary to forecasts of a 2 million barrel draw .

Brent crude slipped to approximately $67.14 per barrel, and U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) dropped to about $63.50, reflecting the mounting pressure on oil prices as the market braces for a shift toward oversupply .

A note from ANZ Research warned that any further increase in OPEC+ supply could deepen the already threatened surplus, especially during a demand-light season . HSBC analysts echoed the sentiment, suggesting that OPEC+ appears comfortable with oil prices trading in the $60–$65 per barrel range as part of a strategic move to reclaim market share.

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BIG STORY

Nigeria Now Respected Globally, Years Of Corruption Reversed By Reforms —- Tinubu

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President Bola Tinubu says the reforms implemented by his administration have restored Nigeria’s credibility abroad and curbed years of entrenched corruption.

Speaking on Tuesday at the State House while receiving the Soun of Ogbomosoland, Oba Ghandi Olaoye, and other traditional rulers, Tinubu said the country had regained global respect due to tough but necessary policy changes.

“Years of neglect, fake records, smuggling and other harmful practices denied Nigeria the revenue needed for development. The bleeding has stopped. The haemorrhage is gone. The patient is alive,” the president said.

Tinubu listed the removal of fuel subsidies and currency unification among reforms that he said were stabilising the economy and opening Nigeria to foreign investors. He added that the federal government would continue to focus on education, citing the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) as a tool to ensure no student drops out due to poverty.

The president insisted that the challenges facing the nation were not insurmountable, stressing that transparency and fiscal discipline would remain central to his government’s agenda.

Officials and foreign observers have in recent months echoed similar sentiments, with international rating agencies revising Nigeria’s outlook upwards and global institutions such as the World Bank commending the country’s policy direction.

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