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Update : Tinubu Releases N5bn palliative for each state, “The money will not get to the people,” Says Labour
The organised labour has knocked the Federal Government for releasing a N180bn palliative package to states to cushion the impact of the fuel subsidy removal.
The Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress insisted that the governors could not be trusted, noting that politicians and not the poor would benefit from the N5bn largess given to each state government for disbursement to the citizens.
The Federal Government on Thursday announced an N5bn palliative for each state of the federation and 180 trucks of rice as part of measures to assuage the pains of the subsidy removal.
The policy, which led to sharp and multiple increases in fuel pump prices, has driven up the prices of goods and services, pushing millions of Nigerians into poverty and worsening the socio-economic situation in the country.
The development also triggered nationwide protests by organised labour which insisted on the repair of refineries as a precondition for the subsidy withdrawal.
But announcing the release of the palliative at the end of the 135th National Economic Council meeting presided over by Vice President Kashim Shettima in Abuja, the Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, disclosed that the N5bn was to enable the state governments to procure 100,000 bags of rice, 40,000 bags of maize and fertilizers to cushion the effect of food shortage across the country.
He added that considering the urgency in meeting the need to mitigate the skyrocketing food prices across the country, the Federal Government had last week released five trucks of rice to each state of the federation.
Shettima explained, “NEC met today and expressed serious concerns as regards increasing cost of food items, increasing cost of transportation amongst others as a result of subsidy removal. In order to cushion the effect of subsidy removal, the federal government released five trucks of rice to each state last week.
“Furthermore, in order to cushion the effect of food shortages across the country, the Federal Government has approved the sum of N5bn to be given to each state for the procurement of 100,000 bags of rice, 40,000 bags of maize, and fertilizers.
“This funding has to be shared with a formula as follows: 52 percent of this money is given to states as grants, while 48 per cent of the N5bn is to be paid back on an installment basis within a period of 20 months to the CBN by the states and the local government areas in Nigeria.
“The council commended the efforts of the Federal Government under the leadership of President Tinubu as well as the CBN. We have also commended the efforts of NEMA in cushioning the effects of the subsidy removal.
“Council has taken bold decisions in order to ensure speedy release of grains and other items in order to cushion the effects of subsidy removal on the less privileged in the society.’’
He noted that the council took bold decisions in order to ensure the speedy release of grains and other items for immediate distribution to the less privileged in society.
Shettima added, “The council has also taken note of the $800m loan and insists that it be strictly used for the intended purpose and based on an accurate and acceptable register. The $800m announced by the president will go to Nigerians in accordance with an accurate social register.
“Furthermore, the council has also noted the package that was announced by the President in order to cushion the effect of subsidy removal, amounting to about N500bn.
“This fund has to be distributed to the following sectors: MSMEs, industrial sector; about N125 billion will go for cash transfers, agricultural sector as well as gas expansion for buses.
“And because of the increasing cost of fossil fuel, the federal government intends to establish more gas stations in Nigeria and procure more gas-powered buses, CNG buses as well as electric buses.”
He said the council commended the efforts of the Federal Government and the CBN in addressing the current situation in the country.
In a bid to create a forum for dialogue towards resolving issues surrounding the petrol subsidy removal across the states, the NEC which is made up of governors of the 36 states, the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, and other government officials, constituted an ad hoc committee to engage with the leadership of labour unions.
According to a statement released by the Office of the Vice-President, the committee comprised the Nigerian Governors Forum Chairman, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq; Governor of Anambra State, Chukwuma Soludo; Chairman of Progressives Governors Forum, Hope Uzodinma of Imo State; PDP Governors Forum Chairman, Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, and Abia State Governor Alex Otti.
The VP said the committee would liaise with the leadership of labour unions in the country to find a way forward on the emerging issues in the interest of the nation.
The council also received progress reports on the ongoing nationwide distribution of rice, grains, fertilizer, and other items to states and N5bn financial support, provided by the Federal Government and commended the Central Bank of Nigeria and the National Emergency Management Agency for their interventions.
It also noted the various interventions by state governments and urged them to upscale the distribution of palliatives towards alleviating the suffering of citizens, especially vulnerable groups.
The statement read, ‘’During the meeting, details from some accounts of government were revealed such as Excess Crude Account from 19th July to 14th August 2023, $473,754.57; Stabilisation Account from 18th July to 14th August, N30,346,557,405.12 and Natural Resources Account from 18th July to 14th August 2023, N115,175,616,159.65.”
Similarly, the NEC assessed the state of the economy, particularly investment, and the forex crisis, among others.
It stated, “Investment inflows have dwindled since 2019, likewise the country’s investment/GDP ratio; Crude Oil exports and refined petroleum products imports dominate Nigeria’s trade structure; Nigeria’s Naira position against major trading currencies deteriorated; Weak FX supply and heightened demand for imports remains core drivers of exchange rate instability; market volatility persists despite recent FX alignment, driven by pressure on FX demand that widens the gap between official and parallel market rates due to inadequate supply and speculative tendencies; external reserves remain under pressure as external reserves fell by 8.3 percent from 37.1bn in January 2023 to 33.9 billion in July 2023.”
But reacting to the government’s interventions, the Assistant National Secretary-General of the NLC, Mr Chris Onyeka, wondered why the FG was releasing money to governors, many of whom he said had refused to pay the minimum wage.
He dismissed the palliative fund as paltry, noting that it would not get to the intended beneficiaries.
“The money will not get to the people, let them share the money as they want but what the NLC agreed with them were certain milestones. The NLC will close its eyes to what the Federal Government is trying to give to the governors.
“To us as far as we are concerned, NLC will still stick to the milestones that we have agreed on, we will insist that those things are discussed and implemented to the letter.’’
“When the Federal Government wants to subvert the instrument of dialogue, it intentionally creates problems. The Federal Government had already started engaging using this instrument when they engaged the NLC; for them now to go and sit down at the level of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and to go and pretend to give them money is a subversion of social dialogue, subversion of peace, and a subversion of democracy because it is not democratic.”
Speaking in the same vein, the TUC Deputy National President, Tommy Etim stressed that governors could not be trusted with the implementation of the palliative funds.
“It is one thing to make pronouncements, implementation is another thing. I am sure you remember what happened to the COVID-19 palliatives in 2020 when foodstuffs were stored in warehouses and kept from hungry citizens. Same thing with the issue of the Paris Club relief fund that some governors went to hide in the bank so that they could get some from it while citizens were starving.
“We need a body that will follow up on the implementation because left to the state governors, the palliatives may not get to places where it should get. We need a body that will make them accountable. We need the citizens to be aware. The body should let everyone know when each state gets its own relief (package). Everyone should know the details that are received by each state, how the packages were distributed,’’ he suggested.
Also, the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, said the Federal Government was about sharing N2,000 and a cup of rice to poor people across the country.
He also stated that the governors could not be trusted, as most of them were not paying minimum wage, adding that no committee was established to ensure the successful implementation of the initiative.
Ajaero said, “N5bn multiplied by 36 states is going to give you N180bn. So if you divide that with the official figures from the National Bureau of Statistics, which says that 133 million Nigerians are multi-dimensionally poor, and calculate it, you will get about N2,000 each for those who are poor.
“That is the official statistics of the government, but you and I know that the actual figure is more than that. So is that what to celebrate? And then, five trucks or there about, of rice to a state. The poor people of these states cannot get one cup of rice. It will not go round.
“Even if you pick them from the poverty bracket, it will be difficult for them to get one cup of rice. Is that the best we can do? Is that the best approach to governance? So do we look at our people as people we should give one cup of rice and N2,000? Is that palliative?”
He said the government should be serious with governance that served the interest of the people.
“Who are governors you are giving it to? Is the governors who have not paid minimum wage? Is there any committee to ensure the effective disbursement of that which is very insufficient?.
The Deputy Secretary General of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, Mr Erazua Oniha, was opposed to release of money to the states, pointing out that rehabilitating the refinery was a better idea.
He added, ‘’We feel repairing the refineries will be a better deal for all of us. The promise by the government to ensure that the Port Harcourt refinery is working is a deal for all of us, for me as an individual and a concerned citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria because when you multiply the amount by the number of states, it can repair some of the refineries and solve all these problems.’’
The Nigeria Governors Forum could not be reached for comment on the allegations that state governors would frustrate the palliative programme made by the organised labour. Its spokesperson, Abduleazaque Bello-Barkindo, did not respond to calls and he had yet to reply to a text message on the issue as of the time of filing this report last night.
In acknowledgment of the current hardship brought about by his policy, the President has again appealed to Nigerians to bear the pains caused by the removal of petroleum subsidy, saying ’’the hardship of today will give way to a better tomorrow.’’
The Commander-in-Chief stated this at the public presentation of the autobiography of elder statesman, Edwin Clark, in Abuja on Thursday.
Represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, Tinubu urged Nigerians to be patient saying the palliatives being rolled out by the Federal Government would soon cushion the effect of the hardship.
He said, “Solutions to the challenges of subsidy removal are being churned out daily but they are not immediate. The hardship is but for a moment. Palliatives have been rolled out and more are still being rolled out and there is hope that tomorrow will be better than today.”
Akume noted that Dave Umahi’s appointment as the Minister for Works was an indication that “the President is a rewarder of those who work diligently in service to their people.’’
The Rural Electrification Agency (REA) has unveiled plans to establish 3.7 gigawatts (GW) of local solar photovoltaic (PV) panel manufacturing capacity by the end of 2027 as Nigeria intensifies efforts to expand electricity access and reduce dependence on imported renewable energy equipment.
Managing Director of the agency, Engr. Abba Aliyu, disclosed the initiative in Abuja during a benchmarking visit by officials of the Zanzibar Utilities Regulatory Authority (ZURA).
He said the agency is encouraging Chinese solar manufacturers to establish production facilities in Nigeria, noting that locally assembled solar panels are already being exported from Lagos to neighbouring Ghana.
According to him, the planned manufacturing expansion will significantly reduce imports while strengthening Nigeria’s renewable energy value chain. Aliyu attributed the rapid global growth of renewable energy to falling prices of solar panels and lithium batteries, saying technological innovation has made off-grid electricity the most cost-effective solution for millions of underserved communities.
He said Nigeria’s electricity access rate currently stands at 61.2 per cent, leaving about 80 million people without reliable power supply.
To address the challenge, REA has adopted a least-cost electrification strategy that determines the most suitable technology for each community rather than relying solely on national grid expansion.
The agency has mapped more than 700,000 communities nationwide, with plans to serve about 45 per cent through solar home systems, 31 per cent through mini-grids and the remaining 24 per cent through grid extension.
Aliyu added that REA has developed one of Africa’s most extensive geospatial electricity databases, covering more than 51,000 health facilities, 11,000 markets, thousands of schools, factories, dams, electricity feeders and existing mini-grids to support investment planning.
He noted that the agency’s interventions also target underserved communities receiving less than six hours of electricity daily. The REA boss warned that electricity demand would continue to rise sharply as Nigeria’s population grows, more sectors become electrified and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and data centres consume increasing amounts of power.
•Explains how PFIPC was allocated money in the budget.
The Budget Office of the Federation (BOF) yesterday explained that the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), which the presidency declared as fake and is currently being investigated by the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, ICPC, had its origin in the last administration of late President Muhammadu Buhari.
The Director-General of the Budget Office, Mr. Tanimu Yakubu who provided the explanation in a statement, after appearing before members of the House of Representatives, in Abuja said the PFIPC’s institutional origin was premised on the Presidential Economic Advisory Council inaugurated by President Muhammadu Buhari on October 9, 2019. He also explained how the fake agency was allocated money in the 2026 budget.
His words, “PEAC/PFIPC did not enter the 2026 Budget merely because it asked for funds. The Council had its origin in the Presidential Economic Advisory Council inaugurated during the administration of the late President Muhammadu Buhari on October 9, 2019. By the time preparation of the 2026 Budget began, official instruments had already been issued by the institutions charged with those functions.
“The Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation had assigned an administrative code to the PFIPC. The Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation had approved an authorised establishment and a recruitment waiver. The applicable public-service salary structure also existed. These instruments did not come from the Budget Office. They came to it.
“The Budget Office did not create the Council. It did not assign its code. It did not approve its establishment. It did not grant its recruitment waiver. It received official instruments and did what the law required of it: it measured their fiscal effect.”
Mr. Tanimu further explained that the Council submitted a personnel estimate of N3.850 billion for the 2026 Fiscal Year and that his Office had to reduce that figure to N802.978 million, using the authorised establishment, the approved recruitment waiver, the applicable public-service salary structure and the extant costing methodology
According to the D-G, “Council later submitted a personnel estimate of N3,850,935,000.00. That estimate did not form the basis of the Budget Office’s recommendation. The Budget Office disregarded it and made an independent calculation using only the authorised establishment, the approved recruitment waiver, the applicable public-service salary structure and the extant costing methodology.
“That calculation produced N802,978,783.00. This was not a concession to the Council. It was the Budget Office’s own fiscal judgment. It was the amount placed in the Executive Budget proposal and later appropriated.
Mr Yakubu said that the Council could not receive the approved funds for personnel because its promoter, Prince Adeyemi Adeniyi could not secure Financial Clearance, an instrument that confirms that necessary fiscal and regulatory had been met.
He said, “Financial Clearance is the point at which a personnel provision may begin to acquire legal force as expenditure. It is not a routine letter. It is the confirmation that the fiscal and regulatory conditions for recruitment have been met. Until it is issued, the figure remains in the budget. It does not create staff. It does not open payroll. It does not produce salary. The Budget Office did not issue Financial Clearance for PEAC/PFIPC because the conditions were incomplete.
“The 2026 Appropriation Bill did not become law until Presidential Assent on 31 March 2026. Before that date, the Budget Office could cost the proposal. It could not grant final Financial Clearance against a bill that had not yet become law.
“After assent, a further condition remained outstanding. The National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission had not confirmed that the proposed staffing and remuneration arrangements complied with its prescribed template and the approved public-service compensation framework.
“The Budget Office could calculate the cost. It could not open the gate. There was therefore no Financial Clearance. There was no lawful recruitment. There was no payroll enrollment. There was no salary payment.”
The D-G added, “The personnel provision was N802,978,783.00. It represented 61.63 per cent of the total appropriation of N1,302,978,783.00. It has sometimes been described as though the Council could have received the whole amount and spent it at will. That description is false.
“Personnel appropriations are not paid to agencies as lump sums. After every legal condition has been met, salaries are paid month by month. The money moves electronically into the designated bank accounts of verified employees enrolled on the Federal Government payroll.
“The institution does not receive the annual personnel provision as cash under its control. Even in a lawful process, the Council would not have received N802,978,783.00 in one payment. The money would have gone over twelve months to individual employees. That process never began. No Financial Clearance was issued. No recruitment took place. No payroll record was created. No salary became due. Not one kobo of the personnel provision could lawfully have been drawn. Not one kobo was drawn. There is no personnel expenditure to recover because there was no personnel expenditure.”
The PFIPC controversy became public on June 11, 2026, when the Chief of Staff to the president, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, declared the Council as fake and petitioned the law enforcement agencies.
However, at a press conference on June 26, the Director General of the PFIPC, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi faulted the presidency’s disclaimer. He alleged that Gbajabiamila received N400 million through a proxy and demanded an additional N200 million to secure his appointment — an allegation which the Chief of Staff denied and has sued him to court claiming N15b as damages for defamation. Adeyemi is currently in custody after he was arrested by the police in connection with the PFIPC scandal and alleged forgery.
Before his arrest, Adeyemi claimed he personally approached officials of the budget office to seek the inclusion of the Council in the federal government’s budget.
Recently, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) confirmed that it opened two domiciliary accounts linked to the PFIPC on the directive of the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF).
The apex bank, however, said the accounts, one denominated in United States dollars and the other in British pounds sterling, were never funded or operated.
United States President Donald Trump has commended President Bola Tinubu for what he described as his decisive leadership in tackling terrorism and insecurity in Nigeria, particularly attacks targeting Christian communities.
Trump conveyed the praise in a letter dated July 6, 2026, the contents of which were made public on Wednesday in a statement issued by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
In the letter, titled “President Trump lauds President Tinubu’s decisive leadership against terrorists,” the US President applauded Tinubu’s efforts to confront security challenges and reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s counter-terrorism operations.
“Thank you for your thoughtful letter. Your kind words mean a great deal to me, and I appreciate your decisive leadership on behalf of the Nigerian people.
“I applaud your resolve to tackle the issues plaguing your nation, especially the violence affecting Christian communities, and it is a true honour to stand with you in the fight against terrorists and to make the Federal Republic of Nigeria stronger and more prosperous,” Trump wrote.
Trump described the relationship between the United States and Nigeria as increasingly important amid growing security challenges across West Africa.
“The United States-Nigeria relationship is crucial at a time when conflict has spread across West Africa and around the world. We both share a mutual goal of confronting terrorism in all its forms, and our historic US-Nigeria 2026 Defence Cooperation Roadmap has established a robust framework to accomplish this feat,” he stated.
The US President also highlighted ongoing defence cooperation between both countries, noting that American Special Operations Forces had been deployed to assist Nigeria’s military.
“I am proud to have deployed the United States Special Operations Forces—among the most elite military units anywhere in the world—to equip the brave men and women in the Armed Forces of Nigeria with the skills, tools and intelligence they need to protect your homeland and ensure the safety and security of citizens, particularly those of faith who have been under attack.
“I look forward to our continued discussions over the course of my Presidency,” Trump added.
According to the Presidency, Nigeria and the United States have expanded security cooperation in recent months following the establishment of a Joint Working Group co-chaired by the National Security Advisers of both countries.
The collaboration has centred on intelligence sharing, military training and coordinated operations against terrorist groups.
The statement noted that one of the key outcomes of the partnership was the joint operation carried out on May 16 against ISIS hideouts in the Lake Chad region, which reportedly led to the killing of the group’s senior leader, Abubakar Al-Minoki, along with several of his lieutenants.
The Presidency also disclosed that the US Assistant Secretary of State for Africa, Frank Garcia, visited Abuja last week, where he held talks with senior Nigerian officials and pledged to deepen bilateral cooperation in security and other strategic sectors.
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