• MTN reveals Telcos might suspend USSD services over ₦50 billion debt
• Jeff Bezos and Rockefeller offer $25M for mini-grid developers in Nigeria
• Dangote Refinery fails to deliver 1.065 billion litres
• NIS arrests Bobrisky at the Sémé border in an attempt to leave Nigeria
• UK agrees to discuss slot allocation to Air Peace at Heathrow Airport

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

MTN reveals Telcos might suspend USSD services over ₦50 billion debt

MTN has revealed that if the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) do not produce a way to address the enormous debt of ₦250 billion owed to mobile network operators (MNOs) due to the use of the Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD).

According to reports, mobile operators are considering suspending the USSD services on the network for banking operations. The CEO of MTN, Karl Toriola expressed his thoughts about the debt, saying it only continued to rise and has become unmanageable. He also hinted at a change in tariff plans on the network.

“MTN and the entire industry are in a dire situation. MTN is making losses because of the naira devaluation. The fundamentals need to change. Tariffs have to be changed,” he said.

Jeff Bezos and Rockefeller offer $25M for mini-grid developers in Nigeria

The Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP), founded by the Bezos Earth Fund, the Rockefeller Foundation, and the Ikea Foundation, is launching a solar mini-grid program in Nigeria to tackle unreliable electricity and significantly enhance productivity.

According to Bloomberg reports, GEAPP operates the Demand Aggregation for Renewable Technology (DART) program, effectively reducing solar equipment costs by consolidating developers’ needs. Furthermore, it offers a $25 million financing facility for equipment imports, repayable in naira.

GEAPP’s country delivery lead, Muhammad Wakil, said GEAPP provides grants, loans, and technical assistance to mini-grid developers, taking advantage of a government rule introduced last year that allows mini-grids to operate alongside national grids. The programme’s success has led the World Bank to pledge $130 million for similar facilities.

Dangote Refinery fails to deliver 1.065 billion litres

Dangote Refinery has fallen short of its delivery expectations to provide 1.065 billion litres of petrol to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).

The NNPCL released a statement announcing that the refinery had failed to supply the expected amount of petrol as earlier requested. Dangote Refinery had delivered 317 million litres of oil instead.

The plant first supplied 103 million litres in September and then produced 214 million litres, making it 32% of the expected amount.

NIS arrests Bobrisky at the Sémé border in an attempt to leave Nigeria

The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) has arrested the Nigerian influencer and socialite Idris Okuneye, also known as Bobrisky, at the Nigeria-Sémé border in an attempt to leave the country.

The NIS released a statement that Bobrisky was undergoing interrogation and had been handed to the proper agencies for further action.

“In keeping with its commitment to securing the borders, Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) intercepted Okuneye Idris Olanrewaju, otherwise known as Bobrisky, at the Seme Border over an attempt to Exit the Country,” the statement read.

UK agrees to discuss slot allocation to Air Peace at Heathrow Airport 

The United Kingdom authorities have agreed to discuss slot allocation at Heathrow Airport for Nigerian airline Air Peace, which now has the licence to operate between Nigeria and the UK.

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo had earlier demanded that UK aviation consider providing a slot allocation for Air Peace at Heathrow Airport as Air Peace was forced to make a base at Gatwick Airport whenever it arrived in England.

In September 2024, Festus Keyamo threatened to deny slot allocations to UK flagship carriers in Lagos and Abuja airports if the UK authorities refused Air Peace an allocation in Heathrow.