- Cooking gas prices drop for the first time in four months
- Ekiti and Ondo States suffer two-month power outage over TCN repairs
- Cholera strikes Kirikiri prison as 25 cases are reported
- FG’s Consumer Credits Scheme scheduled to launch with ₦180 trillion
- NGF complain about the possibility of a new minimum wage pushing states into bankruptcy
Across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, these are the five top Nigerian news stories you shouldn’t miss.
Cooking gas prices drop for the first time in four months
The cooking gas prices have significantly reduced, recording a new rate for the first time in four months, as it is now sold at ₦1,066/kg.
Dealers of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) have attributed the crash in the prices to several actions undertaken by the government, such as the removal of Value Added Tax (VAT) and import duty on LPG to increase local supplies.
Cooking gas is now sold at ₦1,066/kg as dealers have explained that the foreign exchange rate plays a decisive role in predicting the price at which it will be sold locally.
Ekiti and Ondo States suffer two-month power outage over TCN repairs
Ekiti and Ondo States are set to experience a two-month blackout due to the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) executing significant maintenance work on the 132KV Akure Osogbo transmission line.
The Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) released a public announcement stating that the upgrade would disrupt power usage within both states for two months.
The affected residents have lamented that the two-month blackout would critically affect multiple businesses as the power outage will begin from July 1 to August 31.
Cholera strikes Kirikiri prison as 25 cases are reported
The cholera outbreak in Nigeria is gradually spreading to all corners of the nation as new reports reveal that the virus, which has claimed several lives, has now invaded Kirikiri Medium Security Prison with 25 cases of gastroenteritis confirmed.
This new development goes against the previous report submitted by the Nigerian Correctional Service on June 26, claiming that there were signs of cholera infiltrating any of its systems nationwide.
Alongside the 25 cases reported in Kirikiri, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has also reported 118 new suspected cases of cholera in Katsina State.
FG’s Consumer Credits Scheme is scheduled to launch with ₦180 trillion
The Consumer Credit Scheme is set to launch with ₦180 trillion made available as loans for eligible beneficiaries.
The Consumer Credit Corporation (CreditCorp) revealed that over two million Nigerians have applied for the credit scheme through the agency’s website. Still, the program is set to begin with 500,000 applicants by the end of 2025.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of CreditCorp, Uzoma Nwagba, stated that the agency was close to completion of the programme, promising that “with a consumer credit facility, if you have a modest income, you should be able to have access to a vehicle, solar panel, cell phone, laptop, education, house, and other things that improve the quality of your life, and you can pay for it over a prolonged period.”
NGF complain about the possibility of a new minimum wage pushing states into bankruptcy
While the country awaits the announcement of the new minimum wage by the President, the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) has aired its opinion on the possibility of each state going bankrupt by implementing the new minimum wage.
Organised Labour has reacted to the federal government ignoring the minimum wage issue each time it has been brought up in meetings such as the Federal Executive Council (FEC) and National Economic Council (NEC).
At the Southern Governors Forum meeting held last week, the governors released a memorandum requesting that each state be granted autonomy to suggest and approve new minimum wage.