Across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, these are the five top news stories you shouldn’t miss: 

FG to stop payment for unused electricity

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) Chairman, Sanusi Garba, has said the Federal Government will soon stop paying for unused electricity.

Garba told reporters in Abuja that issues surrounding the ₦1.6 trillion debt which electricity Generating Companies (GenCos) are demanding its payment, were technical.

He said that “it will be reckless to sign agreement for the generation plants for capacity that has not been delivered.”

He queried why “Nigeria will be paying for the capacity that has not been useful to Nigerians” when “the  infrastructure” that ought to be provided by the firms “ is not there.”

Fuji music stakeholders say the genre is not for touts

Some stakeholders in the Fuji music industry have faulted claims in some quarters that the genre of music was for touts.

They said this in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday at the late Sikiru Ayinde Barrister First Colloquium, at Radisson Blu Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos.

Alhaji Rasaq Balogun, the first son of late Sikiru Ayinde Barrister, told NAN that the impression of touts being the fan base of Fuji musicians was laughable.

“Fuji is for elites, look at the people that my dad sing the praise of, check their pedigrees, they are not touts, these are prominent people.

“If you say people fight after shows, people fight at Davido’s and Wizkid’s show too, so it is not peculiar to any genre of music, we have respectable people listening to Fuji,” Balogun said.

Buhari apologises to Nigerians over petrol scarcity, power outage

According to a statement issued on Wednesday by presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, Buhari said the federal government is taking steps to address the situation.

“The administration knows the fuel shortage has placed a strain on Nigerian citizens and businesses, but relief is on the way. I especially apologise to all sections of society for this,” he was quoted as saying.

On epileptic power supply, Buhari said “the blackouts seen in the national grid are also being addressed”.

“A dip in hydroelectric generation due to seasonal pressures has coincided with technical and supply problems at thermal stations,” he added.

Meanwhile, Abubakar Aliyu, minister of power, says the recent collapse of the national power grid has been restored.

35m Nigerians don’t have access to telecoms, digital financial services

“As many as 35 million Nigerians are yet to have access to telecommunications services, and by implication, they lack access to digital financial services,” Umar Danbatta, the executive vice-chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), said.

“This situation denies these Nigerians access to digital financial inclusion. It is a challenge that is attributable to the inadequacy of both wireless and fibre connectivity infrastructure.

“The fact remains that more citizens will embrace the digital financial culture when they have access to telecom services in the distant, isolated, unserved and underserved communities where they dwell.”

NUPENG cries out as cooking gas price rises again

The Liquefied Petroleum Gas Retailers Branch of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas workers on Wednesday raised the alarm over the recent rise in the price of Liquefied Petroleum Gas, popularly called cooking gas.

It said the cost of the commodity had been on the increase in the last two weeks and urged the government to intervene considering the current energy crisis in Nigeria as seen in the drop in power supply and petrol scarcity.

The NUPENG LPG retailers’ branch Chairman, Chika Umudu, said, “The branch union decries the return of LPG price rise which has led to an increment of up to ₦1,000 for 12.5kg size within the last two weeks throughout the country.

“Consequently, the price of the average size cylinder (12.5kg) is now being sold at about ₦8,500 from ₦7,500 two weeks ago in Lagos and neighbouring states.

“Similarly, in parts of Northern Nigeria, South-East and South-South, the price has risen to ₦9,000/₦9,500 from ₦8,000/₦8,500. Prices at the depots have similarly risen to about ₦11 million for 20 metric tonnes from ₦10 million and less sold about two weeks ago.”