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FG to DisCos: You have failed, your days numbered
•Power Minister Mamman
The Federal Government, on Wednesday, declared that Distribution Companies (DisCos) have failed in distributing power across the country.
This is even as it has declared it will no longer subside the DisCos noting that despite doling out about N1.7 trillion to the companies in three years, they were only able to distribute 3,000mw out of about 10,000mw generated.
The Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, made this closure at the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Mamman who briefed alongside his colleagues from Ministries of Information and Culture, Water Resources, Industry Trade and Investment explained that while the DisCos were collecting the 3,000mw, they were only paying for 1,000mw.
The minister said the DisCos must show that they have the capacity to distribute power to Nigerians or surrender for more competent companies to be engaged.
Mamman said the government cannot continue to subside the companies without commensurate result.
The minister further disclosed that he presented the report before the council to decide immediately.
Recall that the governor of Kaduna State, Nasir el-Rufai, at the end of last month’s National Economic Council meeting disclosed that the Federal Government has spent N1.7 trillion on electricity in the last three years.
The governor who is the head of the ad-hoc committee on power had said: “What we have agreed on is that there are fundamental problems in the electronic supply industry, and that you cannot privatise an industry and then over three years since privatisation, you pump in N1.7 trillion of government into it. That is not privatisation.
“The Federal Government has supported the electricity sector with N1.7 trillion in the last three years and this is not sustainable. So, solutions must be found. Those solutions are not going to be nice. They may be painful, but the only way to solve the structural problems in the industry is to take some very difficult decisions.”
Giving details of what transpired at the council meeting, Mamman said: “We presented achievements right from the day we took the oath of office to date.
“We want to tell Nigerians what we achieved in the value chains. Nigeria can generate up to 13,000 megawatts of electricity but we cannot transmit all. So today, we presented to the council the solution to the problem of our generation. It is mainly distribution.
“We can transmit, we can generate 13,000 megawatts, we transmit 7,000 megawatts but can only distribute 3,000. There is a lot of work to be done in transmission companies and the government is now willing to take up the matter immediately.”
Asked what exactly the council has revolved to do, the minister said: “What I want to say is that most of the problem we are facing in this country that we cannot get electricity supplied adequately and efficiently is because we have a problem in distribution.
“Generation, no more problem. We can generate up to 13,006 megawatts but the transmission, those who are taking the electricity supply can only take 7,000 megawatts, even at that they are not taking the whole 7,000 megawatts but only 4,500 megawatts and then send to distribution, the distribution, in turn, receives only 3,000 megawatts. Because of the technical and commercial reasons, they cannot contain the whole power that has been generated.
“So, we have to correct the infrastructure. That is why I said that today, I submitted my observation to council and I believe the government is on it.
“One of the things I will tell you is that government has signed a memorandum of understanding with the German company, Siemen. They are to align between distribution and transmission and also generation.
“So that at the end of the day if we generate 13,000 megawatts, transmission will take the whole 13,000 and will distribute the same, that way Nigerians will be happy and everyone will have 24/7 electricity supply.”
On what will become of the DisCos, Mamman said: “The DisCos are the ones manning the distribution, that is why I have submitted my observations to the government; it is left for the government to decide.
“We just have to sit and see whether they are capable of – if they have the technical know-how because most of the problems we are having today are technical loss and commercial loss.
“They will give you power and may not collect your money or they will collect the money and pocket it, or they may send power and you may not have good sub-station that may collect this power and distribute it to customers. This has been our major problem and it is the responsibility of the DisCos to take care of that end.”
On what will now happen to the several financial interventions the government has made, Mamman said: “That is what we are saying, the government cannot continue subsiding because what they doing is that they collect 3,000 megawatts and pay for only 1,000 megawatts, that is 15 percent of what they are collecting; so government is the one completing the payment.
“So we cannot continue like that. So if they are ready to continue, fine but if they are not ready to continue maybe they should give way to whoever that is ready to come and invest. So, we are asking government to review and see if they are capable. Fine, but if they are not capable they should give way.”
On how the government will address the debts between DisCos and GenCos, between GenCos and gas producers, he said: “Well, we have come up with a plan, that issue of willing buyer, willing seller. You know there is the ardent capacity of generating electricity that we cannot pick at all.
“So we are now asking the GenCos…you can imagine we are only paying them 15 percent out of 100 so where do we take the remaining 85 percent? Even if Embet is collecting 100 percent, gas alone is taking 60 percent, only 15 percent is used for their overheads.
“So if they cannot week outside the agreement with the Embet you can see how they are struggling to get their money back. Embet buys electricity from DisCos, supplies to GenCos and collect money from DisCos and pay the GenCos, that is why we have the gaps and that is why we have to do something to correct these gaps. It is now government’s decision.”
Meanwhile, the FEC meeting has approved additional N6.9billion for the completion of the Tada Shonga Irrigation Project.
The project is located in Shonga, Kwara State.
The Minister of Water Resources, Mr Suleiman Adamu explained that the additional approval brought the total project cost to N10.18 billion.
The minister explained that the project was first awarded in 2010 but was later abandoned due to a lack of funds.
He said the decision to do augmentation and variation on the project and complete was in line with the Buhari regime’s stance to complete viable projects previously awarded.
The minster stated that the variation increased the size of the project from 1,500 hectares to 2,300 hectares of irrigation.
He added: “For that purpose, we sought for the augmentation and variation in the sum of N6.9 billion, raising the project from the original sum of N3.26 billion to N10.18 billion, with the completion period of 36 months.”
(L-R): Founder of Tinubu Support Group, James Faleke; APC National Organising Secretary, Suleiman Argungu; and other APC officials during the presentation of nomination and expression of interest forms to Faleke for President Bola Tinubu in Abuja on Tuesday.
The lawmaker representing Ikeja Federal Constituency, James Faleke, has picked up the All Progressives Congress Expression of Interest and Nomination forms on behalf of President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
The APC National Organising Secretary, Suleiman Argungu, on Tuesday in Abuja, declared the process open and presented the Expression of Interest and Nomination forms to Faleke, who also serves as the founder of the Tinubu Support Groups.
Faleke’s collection and payment for the forms, valued at N100 million on behalf of the President, formally signal the commencement of Tinubu’s bid for re-election.
The Independent National Electoral Commission has scheduled the Presidential and National Assembly elections for Saturday, January 16, 2027, while governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections will hold on Saturday, February 6, 2027.
The commission also announced that party primaries, including the resolution of related disputes, will run from April 23, 2026, to May 30, 2026.
INEC further stated that campaigns for the presidential and National Assembly elections will begin on August 19, 2026, while those for governorship and state assembly elections will commence on September 9, 2026
The Chief of Staff to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, has assured Lagos State Deputy Governor, Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, of his support in securing the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship ticket ahead of the 2027 election.
Gbajabiamila, a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, gave the assurance on Sunday, describing Hamzat as competent and well-suited to lead Lagos State.
He stated that the state would be in safe hands under Hamzat’s leadership.
Hamzat had visited Gbajabiamila at his Surulere residence in Lagos as part of consultations with party stakeholders over his governorship ambition.
Responding, Gbajabiamila commended Hamzat’s capacity and approach, expressing confidence in his ability to govern the state effectively.
“Dr Hamzat, you are a man of honour, and it shows in your approach to consultations. But I say this publicly—you can take my support for granted because I have full confidence in your ability and capacity. My constituency, Surulere, is for you, and Lagos is for you,” he said.
In his remarks, Musiliu Obanikoro, a member of the Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC), briefed the host on the extent of consultations carried out so far.
“I can confidently inform the Chief of Staff that the level of endorsement has been overwhelming,” he said.
Other members of the delegation included the Secretary of the GAC, Alhaji Muti Are, Senator Ganiyu Olanrewaju Solomon, Hon. Bode Oyedele, Engineer Adekunle Olayinka, Dr. Hakeem Shittu, Hon. Saheed Kekereekun, Dr. Jebe, and Hon. Rasaq Ajala, among others.
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KOGI STATE STRENGTHENS CHINA PARTNERSHIP FOR AGRO-INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AND SAPZ IMPLEMENTATION
Kogi State has taken a significant step in advancing its international partnerships aimed at accelerating the implementation of its Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone (SAPZ) programme.
The SAPZ initiative is a strategic agro-industrial platform designed to boost food production, enhance processing capacity, create employment opportunities, attract private sector investment, and position Kogi State as a leading agricultural and industrial hub in Nigeria.
Central to the engagement is the development of a modern agricultural science and technology industrial park in Kogi State. The project aligns with the broader SAPZ framework and is expected to drive agro-processing, facilitate agricultural technology transfer, support equipment deployment, promote enterprise incubation, strengthen logistics and cold chain systems, enhance export infrastructure, and provide sustainable power solutions.
The Kogi SAPZ structure comprises the Ajaokuta Agro-Industrial Hub, alongside Agricultural Transformation Centres in Anyigba, Alape, and Osara, as well as the Zariagi Agro-Air Hub. The programme is designed to integrate existing farmer clusters with an additional 150,000 hectares of farmland per zone, creating opportunities for large-scale, tenant-driven agricultural production.
Priority value chains under the SAPZ include rice, maize, cassava, livestock and poultry, sesame, cashew, oil palm, and greenhouse farming. The programme also incorporates critical support systems such as warehousing, cold chain logistics, power solutions, compressed natural gas (CNG), agricultural technology, equipment deployment, and agro-export infrastructure.
As part of this effort, Kogi State entered into a strategic cooperation agreement with Hezheng Holdings Group and Hezheng Digital Technology (Hezheng Innovation Valley) Co., Ltd. The agreement marks a transition from conceptual planning to implementation and reflects the State’s deliberate strategy to attract credible technical partners, industrial park operators, investors, and global business platforms into the SAPZ ecosystem.
The Kogi State delegation was led by Alhaji Yakubu Okala, FCA, Auditor General of Kogi State and Project Investment Adviser, who represented His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Kogi State. Other members of the delegation included the Honourable Commissioner for Agriculture, Hon. Ojomah Timothy; Technical Adviser to the Governor’s Office, Dr. Abdullahi Ozomata; Chief Economic Adviser to the State, Alhaji Aliyu Inda Salami; and Project Consultant/Managing Director of Pulse Engineering and Consulting Limited, Mr. David Lekan Obatolu.
During the visit, the delegation toured key Hezheng facilities, including its investment promotion centre, agricultural industry exhibition hall, global launch hall, and live-streaming incubation base. The tour provided valuable insights into Hezheng’s industrial park management model, enterprise support systems, agricultural technology integration, and cross-border market development strategies.
Deliberations between both parties focused on actionable implementation areas such as industrial park development, technology transfer, processing infrastructure, enterprise incubation, park management systems, investment mobilisation, and equipment deployment. Discussions also explored frameworks for establishing a structured and sustainable China–Kogi industrial cooperation platform.
Both sides expressed strong alignment on the project vision and implementation roadmap. In the coming months, technical and commercial workstreams will be advanced towards full project mobilisation, including preparatory activities for groundbreaking and the establishment of coordination offices in China, Kogi State, and Abuja.
This engagement underscores the commitment of the Kogi State Government to transitioning the SAPZ programme from planning to execution, while positioning the State as a competitive destination for agro-industrial investment.
Kogi State remains resolute in its vision to build a bankable and investment-ready agro-industrial ecosystem that will enhance food security, promote value addition, create jobs, strengthen farmer-market linkages, support export growth, and unlock new economic opportunities for its people.
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