• Telecoms fault low investment for weak services
• Tinubu reveals 30 hybrid CNG-powered buses for public use
• Nigerians hopeful for naira stability as foreign reserves increase to $4 billion
• IPMAN hopeful Dangote petrol sells at ₦600/litre
• WAEC withholds 215,267 2024 SSCE results due to exam malpractices

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

Telecoms fault low investment for weak services

Telecommunication providers have complained about the quality of their services being less than satisfactory due to the low investment in the telecommunication sector, leading to subscribers complaining of weak and poor networks.

The leading telecommunication providers in Nigeria (MTN, Airtel, Glo, 9Mobile) revealed that maintaining the industry with company finances and very little investment has been complex, resulting in slow data speeds, unreliable network coverage and constant call drops.

The Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria, Gbenga Adebayor, stated that the issue as experienced on August 1, the first day of the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria nationwide protest, was but the tip of the iceberg as the issue could grow more harmful for Nigerians who depend on these telecommunication providers.

Tinubu reveals 30 hybrid CNG-powered buses for public use

The President of Nigeria has unveiled one of his many solutions to curbing the dependence on petrol in Nigeria by introducing CNG-powered vehicles—which are much more affordable—as modes of transportation in the country.

For this Presidential initiative, the President unveiled 30 hybrid CNG-powered buses on August 12 in Abuja.

According to reports, each bus is estimated to accommodate 100 passengers. Though the buses have not yet been released commercially, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company Ltd., Mr Innocent Chukwuma, revealed that the President would soon release the vehicles.

Nigerians hopeful for naira stability as foreign reserves increase to $4 billion

Nigeria’s foreign exchange reserves have reportedly increased by over $4 billion, building up the total reserve to $36.8 billion, marking its highest record in over a year.

In addition, the naira has seen a stable appreciation in value against the US dollar, as the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEM) recorded the naira appreciating to ₦1,570/$.

The forex reserves were recorded to have closed at $32.9 billion in 2023; however, in a stroke of luck and due to the practical measures taken by the CBN, has remained on a growing streak.

IPMAN hopeful Dangote petrol sells at ₦600/litre

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) have aired their expectations of Dangote Petroleum Refinery, as they hope the refinery sells its petrol at the rate of ₦600 or ₦650 per litre when it is released in the market.

The oil marketers believe that Dangote Refinery will once again crash the price of petrol as it did with diesel earlier this year, taking down the cost of diesel from ₦1,600 to ₦1,000.

The IPMAN stated that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), the only PMS importer, sells its petrol at ₦570/litre. Still, most IPMAN members purchase from private depots at ₦700/litre and with the emergence of Dangote petrol, it can only be hoped that it sells at ₦600 or ₦650 per litre.

WAEC withholds 215,267 2024 SSCE results due to exam malpractices

The West African Examination Council (WAEC) has withdrawn 215,267 2024 Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSCE) results due to the high number of examination malpractices.

In 2024, there were a total of 1.8 million students who sat for the SSCE exams, which were held between April and June 2024, and of the 1,814,736 registered candidates, only 1,805,216 candidates wrote the exams.

The examination malpractices displayed in the SSCE led to the withholding of 11.92% (215,267) of the results after much investigation of reported malpractice cases.