Nigeria’s Arnergy Solar Secures $18 Million Series B Round to Scale Solar Deployments, Expand Access in Key Sectors

Arnergy Solar, a leading Nigerian renewable energy company specializing in distributed solar power solutions, has successfully closed an $18 million Series B funding round to accelerate its solar deployment initiatives and expand its footprint across critical sectors.

The funding round was led by CardinalStone Capital Advisers Growth Fund (CCA-GF), with British International Investment (BII) joining as a new investor with a $3 million commitment. The round also drew continued backing from existing investors including Norfund (the Norwegian Investment Fund for Developing Countries), Breakthrough Energy Ventures (BEV)—founded by Bill Gates, EDFI Management Company (EDFI MC), and Shell-backed All On.

The $18 million raise includes a $15 million Series B extension and a previously closed $3 million Series B1 round led by All On. This brings Arnergy’s total capital raised to date to over $27 million, following its $9 million Series A in 2019 that included support from BEV, Norfund, ElectriFI, and All On.

The new capital is earmarked for deployment of 12,000 additional solar systems by 2029, expansion of Arnergy’s rent-to-own solar financing model, and sector-specific growth in healthcare, education, and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The company also plans to leverage strategic partnerships to strengthen its distribution network and increase energy access across Nigeria.

Legal advisory on the deal was provided by Aluko & Oyebode, with Partner Oludare Senbore leading the transaction, supported by Zacheus Akanni, Esther Yugbovwre, and Precious Odina.

Arnergy’s solar systems play a vital role in closing Nigeria’s energy access gap by offering clean, reliable, and affordable off-grid power to underserved communities and businesses. This latest investment underscores investor confidence in the company’s scalable model and its role in driving Nigeria’s energy transition.

By Kavitha, Solar Quarter

Nigeria cuts petrol imports as local production rises

The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) says the importation of premium motor spirit (PMS), also known as petrol, into Nigeria, reduced by 29.9 million litres in over eight months.Farouk Ahmed, chief executive officer (CEO), NMDPRA, spoke during a press briefing organised by the presidential communications team (PTC) at the State House in Abuja on Tuesday.
According to the NMDPRA CEO, the country’s daily petrol importation decreased from 44.6 million litres in August 2024 to 14.7 million litres as of April 13.
He attributed the drop in imports to increased contributions from local refineries.


Nigeria is making more of its own petrol

Nigeria is bringing in much less petrol from other countries because local refineries are making more. Daily imports dropped from 44.6 million litres last August to just 14.7 million litres by mid-April – that’s a huge decrease of 29.9 million litres.
At the same time, local petrol production has jumped by 670% – meaning Nigeria is now making about 7 times more of its own petrol than before. This big increase happened because the Port Harcourt Refinery started working again in November 2024, and small local refineries across the country are producing more.
Local refineries now make 26.2 million litres of petrol per day. This is a big change from August 2024, when they weren’t producing anything meaningful.

Even with fewer imports, Nigeria still has enough petrol. The government says the country needs about 50 million litres per day. The total supply (local production plus imports) has mostly stayed above this level, though it’s been dropping lately. In November 2024, supply reached 56 million litres per day, then 52.3 million litres in February 2025, followed by 51.5 million litres in March, and recently dropped to 40.9 million litres in early April 2025.

Mr. Ahmed called for everyone to help protect Nigeria’s oil and gas facilities. He said security agencies, political leaders, traditional rulers, young people, and oil companies all need to work together to keep these important assets safe.
“It takes all of us — government, traditional institutions, companies, and the youth—to collaborate and resist criminal activities that threaten our infrastructure,” he said.
He also stressed that the NMDPRA is committed to being transparent and accountable in how it regulates the oil industry.

By Oluwatosin Ogunjuyigbe, Business Day

How Starlink took over Africa’s largest internet market

In the sprawling electronic market of Lagos’ Computer Village, an item is flying off the shelves: the Starlink kit.

These satellite dishes, with their distinctive white faces and plug-and-play simplicity, represent more than just easy internet availability in Nigeria. They symbolize a technological coup in Africa’s most populous nation, where terrestrial broadband or wireless options are unreliable or inaccessible.

“I have about 20 pieces in the store, but I’m sure they will go before today ends or at the latest tomorrow morning,” Quadri AbdulFatai, a local electronics vendor who claims to have sold more than a thousand units in just 13 months, told Rest of World. “Starlink is very hot now.”

In January 2023, Nigeria became the first African market that Starlink entered. Two years later, it now ranks second among internet service providers, which are classified separately from large telecom players by the Nigerian authorities. With over 65,500 users at the end of the third quarter last year, Starlink is second only to 16-year-old Lagos-based ISP Spectranet, according to data from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the country’s telecom regulator.

At current growth rates, analysts predict Starlink will become Nigeria’s top internet service provider by mid-2026.

The secret to Starlink’s meteoric rise lies in a simple market reality: Nigerians are desperate for reliable, high-speed internet, which local providers have consistently failed to deliver, according to Temidayo Oniosun, managing director at Space in Africa, a market intelligence company focusing on the continent’s space and satellite industry.

Telecom companies and traditional ISPs in Nigeria suffer from frequent outages, sluggish speeds, and spotty coverage, especially in rural areas where terrestrial infrastructure is limited or nonexistent.

“Nigerians want high-speed and reliable internet, and Starlink’s technology offers that better than anyone else,” Oniosun told Rest of World. “That’s why it is growing at an incredible speed. While the services aren’t the cheapest, launching with different pricing in different African markets shows that Starlink understands the markets.”

Starlink has made investments in building infrastructure in Nigeria. It has built a base station in Lagos and plans to add facilities in neighboring Abeokuta and Port Harcourt, Nigeria’s oil hub. These stations will enable the company to beam low-latency internet directly to its rapidly growing user base throughout the country. Low latency is the ability of a network to respond with minimal delay.

Starlink’s success has unsettled competitors. When the company increased subscription prices last October, local operators cried foul, accusing regulator NCC of applying double standards by ignoring their requests for tariff reviews.

The regulator eventually granted local providers a 50% tariff increase in January, but customer perception had been damaged.

The regulator has fostered a fair and enabling environment that empowers all licensed operators, including Starlink, “to compete, innovate, and grow in response to market needs,” an NCC spokesperson told Rest of World.

The regulator has fostered a fair and enabling environment that empowers all licensed operators, including Starlink, “to compete, innovate, and grow in response to market needs,” an NCC spokesperson told Rest of World.

The regulator has licensed over 27 satellite-based communications services providers and issued over 90 landing rights to space segment operators, which include established providers like Eutelsat, SES, Viasat, and YahClick.

“In recent times, the commission has observed growing interest from both established global players and new entrants (especially those providing emerging satellite services) seeking to enter the Nigerian market,” the spokesperson said. “This level of engagement reflects growing investor confidence in Nigeria’s digital economy and the enabling environment provided by the commission.”

Nigeria has 241 licensed ISPs, of which only 124 had active users as of the third quarter of 2024, collectively serving more than 300,000 subscribers, according to NCC data.

Starlink’s arrival has been nothing short of catastrophic for incumbents. Market leader Spectranet lost 8,428 subscribers between the last quarter of 2023 and the third quarter of 2024, while Tizeti lost about 700 in the same period.

While the losses appear modest, they are significant in the context of the small size of the market served by Nigeria’s ISPs. The internet landscape is more dominated by mobile network operators MTN, Airtel, Globacom, and 9mobile, which collectively serve 132.4 million subscribers, providing both internet access as well as traditional phone services.

The playing field is fundamentally uneven, said Temitope Osunrinde, chief marketing officer at Tizeti. The challenges for local operators include buying spectrum and building local capacity, hiring talent, and paying multiple taxes. If digging for fiber, they have to contend with multiple local government right-of-way permits and also area goons.

“You can’t compare Starlink with local companies because they don’t have to set up local capacity, nor hire and set up an office,” Osunrinde told Rest of World.

Gbenga Adebayo, chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), believes Starlink’s success reflects not a failure of local providers but “a challenging operating environment, which includes issues such as multiple taxes, multiple regulations, high right-of-way charges, infrastructure vandalism, and the rising cost of foreign exchange.”

Yet for ordinary Nigerians, these industry complaints hold little water compared with the tangible benefits of reliable connectivity. “For me, it was less speed and more concern about constant internet blackouts during meetings,” Olumide Lewis, a Lagos-based tech worker who recently installed Starlink, told Rest of World. “Since we bought our Starlink, we have had some peace of mind. We don’t spend our time thinking about the bad internet again because everything just works.”

Starlink’s march appears unstoppable. Besides direct distribution via its website, the company distributed its kits through Jumia, Africa’s largest e-commerce platform. By late 2024, it had reached full capacity in major Nigerian cities, including Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt, creating a flourishing secondary market of resellers who continue to import the coveted hardware at premium prices.

Starlink’s rapid growth has raised national security concerns.

“It’s very concerning if we allow a foreign company, knowing who owns it, to have that much power over critical communication infrastructure,” Oniosun said. “If Starlink continues at this pace, and, in a couple of years, they become the leading ISP, servicing hundreds of thousands of people and businesses, what happens when they decide to cut access?”

Starlink did not respond to Rest of World’s request for comment.

Nigerian officials appear cognizant of these risks, and critical institutions avoid using Starlink’s network, Yoosuf Temitope, technical adviser at state-owned Nigeria Communications Satellite Limited, told Rest of World. NigCommSat provides satellite internet to major government agencies and also serves private individuals and businesses.

“The military is not meant to ride on Starlink because its data would go to the United States, which can easily mine and cook the data,” he said. “Starlink has its business model and strategy, and we have ours.”

Nevertheless, Nigeria’s “open skies” policies continue to welcome foreign rivals. And as Starlink’s dishes enter more African homes, local providers face an existential choice: adapt or perish. Tizeti is responding by adding fiber internet to its wireless offering, which had been its mainstay for 11 of its 12 years of existence, joining other wireless brands like Spectranet that are pushing their fiber services more aggressively. Others may be forced to merge or exit the market entirely, Oniosun said.

By Damilare Dosunmu, Rest of World

Related stories: Starlink Surges To Become Nigeria’s Second-Largest Internet Service Provider

Nigeria launches drone surveying pilot project to map capital Abuja

Nigeria is set to launch a pioneering drone survey project, aimed at creating digital twin maps of the country's capital Abuja, marking one of the first such initiatives in Africa. The project will utilize drone technology to capture 3D representations of buildings, providing an accurate and real-time digital model of the city’s landscape.

The project, which will be carried out over a timespan of three weeks, aims to advance land surveying and geospatial capabilities. With the growing importance of accurate geospatial data, this initiative will help modernize surveying practices and support urban planning and development efforts.

Collaboration with international experts will provide the technical support needed to process the data, further enhancing the country’s ability to leverage the latest technologies in geospatial information management. The project is also aligned with the broader goals of sustainable development, as surveying plays a key role in achieving 14 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Geospatial modernization strategy

In addition to the ongoing project, Nigeria has experienced recent successes in staff development, including the training of over 100 personnel through collaborations with the United Nations. These trained staff will serve as focal points for the office’s continued modernization efforts. Furthermore, the office has made strides in creating a National Repository of Metadata for gathering and handling geospatial data and is working to support federal ministries with mapping and geo-spatial information services.

A review of the Survey Coordination Act of Nigeria may also be beneficial to ensure that the office operates with the most relevant and effective legal framework.

If successful, this project could pave the way for similar mapping initiatives in other Nigerian cities, while also serving as a model for other African countries. It would further enhance the country’s geospatial capabilities and support its urban development goals.

GIM International

Africa’s richest man to build Nigeria’s biggest port

The president of Nigerian conglomerate Dangote Group plans to build Nigeria’s biggest seaport at the Olokola Free Trade Zone in Ogun State.

He said it was because of an improved political climate in the state during a visit to its governor, Dapo Abiodun, Business News Nigeria reports.

“We earlier on abandoned our vision of investing in the Olokola Free Trade Zone, but because of Governor Dapo Abiodun’s policies and investor-friendly environment, we are back and … plans are under way to construct the largest port in the country,” he said.

He did not give any further details of the project.

He also said his company had restarted work on an $800m cement factory located on 533ha of land near the city of Itori, in Ogun State, north of Lagos.

The factory is expected to open by November 2026, with an annual output of up to 6 million tonnes.

Dangote attributed the interruption to opposition from former governor Ibikunle Amosun, despite the fact that Ogun State already has a 12 million tonne cement plant in Ibese.

When the Itori project is complete, Ogun will be the largest cement-producing region in Africa.

The Dangote group operates in 17 industrial and agricultural sectors.

Dangote himself is billed as “Africa’s richest man”. A recent article by Forbes magazine estimated his personal wealth at $24bn, due largely to his 92% stake in Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals.

By David Rogers, GCR

Bid by Nigeria's NNPC to halt Dangote refinery lawsuit rejected by judge

A Nigerian judge on Tuesday dismissed state oil company NNPC Ltd's objection to its inclusion in a lawsuit brought by Dangote Oil Refinery, which is seeking to halt imports of gasoline into the West African nation.

The 650,000-barrel-per-day refinery built by billionaire Aliko Dangote in Lagos has been touted as having the potential to secure energy independence for Nigeria, which, though a major oil producer, has long been forced to import refined products.

The refinery's lawsuit argues that sector regulator Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Agency (NMDPRA) is violating the law by continuing to issue gasoline import permits to NNPC and other fuel traders.

It says in its suit, filed at Nigeria's Federal High Court, that the law allows only imports in order to address production shortfalls. It is seeking 100 billion naira ($65 million) in damages from NMDPRA, NNPC and five smaller fuel marketers.

The Dangote refinery, which began processing crude into diesel, naphtha and jet fuel in January last year and gasoline in September, says its output is sufficient to meet domestic demand.

NNPC had objected to the suit that domestic consumption still outstrips the refinery's production and gasoline imports remain necessary.

It also said Dangote's filing cited a non-existent company, Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation.
The state oil firm officially changed its name to Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited in 2022 when it became a limited liability company.

Judge Inyang Ekwo, however, dismissed those objections, adjourning the case until May 6 when he is expected to weigh NMDPRA and NNPC's request that the suit be dismissed due to a lack of merit and their counter-argument that the refinery is seeking to create a monopoly.

NNPC, NMDPRA and Dangote Oil Refinery declined to comment on the case.

Nigeria has one of Africa's largest gasoline markets and last year spent 15.42 trillion naira ($10 billion) on imports, according to the statistics bureau.

The lawsuit is the latest row between Dangote, one of Africa's richest individuals, and Nigerian regulatory authorities.

The Dangote refinery has previously accused NMDPRA of allowing imports of substandard fuels and criticised the upstream regulator for not enforcing laws that mandate oil producers to prioritise crude to domestic refineries.

Both regulators have denied the accusations.

By Camillus Eboh, Reuters

Nigeria strikes $200 million deal to power rural areas with renewable mini grids

Nigeria has agreed to $200 million deal with WeLight, a pan-African Distributed Renewable Energy (DRE) company to deploy hundreds of renewable mini grids, aimed at bringing reliable electricity to millions in rural communities and those surrounding urban centres.

Africa's most populous country, seeking to increase its renewable energy share of its electricity mix from 22% to 50% and securing financing from private investments for this purpose, sees this deal as an important step in this regard.

The project backed by the World Bank and the African Development Bank will develop and operate 400 mini grids and 50 MetroGrids across Nigeria's mostly rural areas to improve electricity access to an estimated 1.5 to 2 million people and boost local economies.

WeLight, backed by major international players like Axian Group, Sagemcom, and Norfund said it signed on Monday a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Nigeria's Rural Electrification Agency (REA), a government agency tasked with helping millions of Nigerians without electricity.

“This MOU not only represents a leap toward providing clean electricity to millions in Nigeria but also supports WeLight’s ambition to become a truly pan-African company,” said Romain de Villeneuve, Chief Executive Officer of WeLight in a statement.

By Isaac Anyaogu, Reuters

Starlink Surges To Become Nigeria’s Second-Largest Internet Service Provider

As of Q3 2024, Starlink Internet Services Nig. Ltd has emerged as Nigeria’s second-largest internet service provider (ISP), amassing 65,564 subscribers. This achievement, evidenced by data from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), highlights Starlink’s rising prominence and competitive edge in one of Africa’s most dynamic internet markets.

Since entering the Nigerian market in January 2023, Starlink has seen remarkable growth in its subscriber base, climbing from 11,207 in Q3 2023 to 23,897 by Q4 2023. In the first three quarters of 2024 alone, the company added an impressive 41,667 subscribers, surpassing FiberOne Broadband Ltd, which previously held the second-largest position.

Although Starlink is rapidly gaining ground, Spectranet continues to lead as the top ISP in Nigeria, with 105,441 subscribers as of Q3 2024. However, it has faced a decline, losing 8,428 subscribers since Q4 2023. This shift illustrates the evolving dynamics of Nigeria’s internet market, where satellite connectivity is increasingly competing with traditional fixed wireless and fibre broadband services.

The NCC reports that 124 ISPs operate in Nigeria, serving 307,946 subscribers. This number, while indicative of growth in the sector, pales compared to the four major mobile network operators (MNOs)—MTN, Airtel, Globacom, and 9mobile—which collectively boast 132.4 million subscribers as of Q3 2024. This discrepancy underscores the ongoing dominance of mobile broadband as the primary connectivity choice for many Nigerians.

Despite this, the swift adoption of Starlink suggests that its high-speed, low-latency satellite broadband is drawing users away from fixed wireless access (FWA) and wireless-to-the-x (WTTx) services, which are often hampered by coverage issues and inconsistent performance, particularly in underserved areas.

Several elements contribute to Starlink’s growing popularity in Nigeria:Superior Performance: 

Starlink provides download speeds of 100–200 Mbps, significantly outpacing the 10–50 Mbps typically seen with FWA/WTTx networks.

Wider Coverage: Starlink’s technology can reach remote and underserved regions where fixed networks are unreliable or nonexistent, avoiding the extensive infrastructure challenges that fibre networks face.

Quick Installation: The DIY installation process of Starlink’s systems makes them an appealing option for consumers frustrated by the complexities often associated with traditional satellite internet services. This plug-and-play setup lowers barriers for mainstream consumers seeking reliable connectivity.

These features make Starlink especially attractive to businesses and high-income households that demand consistent, high-quality internet and are prepared to invest in reliable service.

Starlink is grappling with capacity challenges in Nigeria and other major African markets despite its impressive growth. Since October 2024, its terminals have sold out in key urban areas across five African countries, including Nigeria, limiting new subscriber registrations in major cities such as Abuja, Lagos, Kano, Port Harcourt, and Warri. This ongoing limitation—from regulatory issues rather than a decrease in demand—is anticipated to impact Starlink’s growth in Q4 2024 and Q1 2025.

If these regulatory hurdles are not addressed, Starlink’s momentum in Nigeria may slow, potentially hampering its expansion opportunities. However, given the sustained interest in high-speed satellite connectivity, demand will likely resume if these limitations are lifted.

Users currently experience latency issues ranging from 100ms to 200ms, primarily due to the location of Starlink’s ground infrastructure, called points of presence (PoPs). It’s important to note that merely launching additional satellites will not resolve these latency concerns; instead, enhancing the proximity of PoPs is crucial.

Starlink is actively developing new PoPs to respond to these challenges across Africa. A recently established PoP in Kenya has yielded positive results, reducing global customer latency from 57ms to 44ms. This strategic enhancement reflects Starlink’s commitment to optimizing its service and meeting the needs of its growing subscriber base in Nigeria and beyond.

Broadcast Media Africa

Related story: Starlink Increases Subscription Prices in Nigeria

Nigeria's Dangote Refinery to operate at full capacity in 30 days

Nigeria's Dangote Oil refinery, Africa's largest, could begin operating at full capacity in 30 days, the head of the refinery said on Monday.

The 650,000-barrel-per-day refinery built by Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote in Lagos began processing crude into products, including diesel, naphtha and jet fuel, in January last year and started processing petrol in September.

It aims to compete with European refiners when operating at full capacity but had been struggling to secure sufficient crude locally.

Edwin Devakumar, head of the Dangote oil refinery said it was currently operating at 85% capacity and "we can go 100 percent in 30 days."

Last year, the refinery turned to importing crude after it was unable to secure sufficient volumes despite an agreement with the Nigerian government to buy crude in the local naira currency.

It has asked for 550,000 bpd of crude for January-June this year from oil producers in Nigeria, according to the oil regulator, which has also said it would block export permits for oil cargoes from producers who fail to meet their stipulated supply quota to local refineries.

The Dangote Oil Refinery is exploring new markets for its refined products. Founder Aliko Dangote told a group of Nigerian professionals who visited last week that it was sending two cargoes of jet fuel to Saudi Aramco as part of its plans to expand.

"We are looking at all the markets right now," said Devakumar.

By Isaac Anyaogu, Reuters

‘Over 400 Killed in 6 Months’: The Sorry Cases of Boat Mishaps in Nigeria

No fewer than 452 people have died from boat mishaps across various waterways in Nigeria. From July to Dec. 2024 alone, incidents were recorded in Niger, Kwara, Kogi, and Bayelsa States.

Over the years, boat mishaps have occurred with alarming regularity, each accompanied by tragic losses. According to the Marine Crafts Builders Association of Nigeria (MCBAN), Nigeria recorded over 3,000 boat accidents in just a decade.

The country’s waterways are estimated to be about 10,000 km, with over 3,000 km of navigable waterways. These waterways connect the country with five neighbouring states and provide access to 28 of the 36 states in Nigeria.

For many coastal communities surrounded by rivers, creeks, and other water bodies in Nigeria, boats are often the most viable means of transportation. Yet, these journeys are fraught with danger, as seen in the alarming frequency of boat mishaps claiming countless lives yearly.

A breakdown of the data collected between July and December 2024 revealed that most of the boat accidents resulted from inefficiency and the lack of proactive rescue measures to ensure the safety of water transport.

Captain Ahmed Hambali, a maritime expert, confirmed this, noting that common causes of such accidents often include poor operator experience, operational inefficiencies, lack of safety measures — such as life-saving appliances — overloading, inadequate boat maintenance, and weak regulatory oversight.

“These factors highlight the need for immediate and comprehensive action to restore safety and public confidence in waterways transportation,” he said.

The recurring issue of boat mishaps raises concern about the inefficiency of the measures taken by the National Inland Waterways Authority [NIWA]. To curb the menace of boat accidents in the country, NIWA’s waterways regulation stipulates a seven-year imprisonment for violators, but the problem persists.

Regional breakdown

When the Nigerian flag stood high for the independence celebration, tragedy knocked on the country’s door in the north-central region. A boat conveying over 300 passengers from the Mundi community in Mokwa Local Government Area of Niger State capsized, and about 150 of them died.

The victims were returning from an annual religious celebration. State authorities confirmed that local divers were swift to rescue 150 out of the 300 passengers alive.

Days later, a boat carrying over 200 passengers also drowned in the Gwajibo Mudi community in Kaima LGA of Kwara, leaving at least 169 passengers dead. Only 31 people were reportedly rescued when the boat struck a tree submerged by the rising water levels. Niger and Kwara States have been the most affected in Nigeria.

Another boat accident that occurred in Nov. 2024 resulted in the deaths of 22 commuters, mostly farmers and traders, who were sailing from Kogi State to Katcha weekly market in the Agaie area of Niger State.

In Benue State, about 20 people were killed in a boat accident that occurred in Agatu LGA when a boat conveying women and children capsized. Authorities confirmed that 76 passengers were onboard when the incident occurred.

A tragic boat accident in Lafia East LGA of Nasarawa State resulted in the deaths of four persons. The victims – a man and three women– were farmers travelling to the Ashange market from Alogami village when the overloaded boat sank with 25 passengers, four motorcycles, and bags of melon seeds.

Findings revealed that a lack of an efficient road network to connect commuters to these markets has compelled farmers and traders to adopt boats as a viable means of transportation.

The Northwest region recorded the second-highest fatalities. Data compiled by HumAngle revealed that Jigawa, Zamfara, and Sokoto States recorded 52 fatalities and 18 missing victims.

On July 7, two people died, and two others were reported missing in a boat accident in the Kwalgi village situated in the Auyo area of Jigawa State. The state revealed that the boat was travelling to Hadin village from Kwalgi when it drowned with 20 passengers onboard after a powerful wave hit the overloaded boat.

Another boat mishap at the Nahuce area in Taura LGA in Jigawa claimed five lives, leaving 15 others unaccounted for. Authorities confirmed that the boat was conveying 20 passengers crossing over the Gamoda River when it capsized.

An overloaded boat conveying over 50 passengers capsized in the Gummi LGA of Zamfara State, leaving 41 persons dead. Only 12 people were rescued alive.

In the Dundaye community in the Wamako area of Sokoto State, four people died when a boat conveying 24 passengers capsized. Nineteen of the passengers were rescued, but one of them was declared missing.

In the South-south, Bayelsa State recorded the highest number of fatalities with 21 deaths, followed by five deaths recorded in Delta. No fewer than 20 passengers were killed in a boat accident along the Ezetu I community in the southern Ijaw LGA of Bayelsa.

Reports indicated that the boat, conveying mostly women, had a faulty engine that exploded on its way to Swali in Yenagoa, which led to the deaths of passengers. A boat accident in the Okibie community of the Southern Ijaw in Bayelsa also resulted in the deaths of an individual when a 15-seater speedboat capsized.

Five people were killed in a boat mishap along Bennett Island in the Warri-South LGA of Delta State. The accident left six passengers injured, with one missing and 19 rescued. The recurrence of boat accidents prompted the Bayelsa State government to implement new safety measures, including the compulsory use of life jackets by passengers, among others, to curb the menace.

In the Northeast, however, four lives were lost after a boat mishap occurred in the Mayo Ranemo area in Taraba. The victims, over 30 of them, were in transit to Balengo town in Karin-Lamido when the engine boat capsized in the Benue River, leading to four fatalities.

As for the southwest, a boat collision in Lagos State claimed the lives of five passengers sailing from Ebutte Ero to Badagry when an ill-fated wooden boat collided with a fibre boat with 10 and 15 passengers onboard, respectively.

Ahmad Hambali, a maritime expert, said the frequent boat accidents occurring in the Nigerian waterways, especially in Northern Nigeria, are deeply concerning.

“Although I have not come across any investigation reports to determine the root causes of these incidents, it is important to note that boats, historically, have been regarded as a safe mode of transportation.”

“It is therefore alarming to witness the increasing frequency of these tragic incidents, which continue to claim so many lives. This calls for urgent intervention by the government to address this issue,” he said.

Hambali noted that the services of industry experts must be employed to conduct thorough investigations into these accidents, identify their root causes and implement effective preventive measures, or else the menace will persist.

“By addressing these issues systematically, lives can be saved, and waterways transportation can once again fulfil its vital role in the region’s economic and social life,” he added.

In October last year, while commiserating with the victims of the tragic boat mishap on Independence Day, President Bola Tinubu directed NIWA to investigate the spate of boat mishaps in the country and devise modalities to curtail the trend.

The president also urged them to expand their surveillance of inland waters to ensure safety and prosecute boat owners who violate the ban on night sailing.

However, HumAngle reached out to Bola Oyebamiji, the Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), to understand the latest modalities on the ground aimed at safeguarding the lives of Nigerians commuting via waterways, as per President Tinubu’s directive, but the message was met with silence.

Several calls made to him were unsuccessful because his number was unreachable.

By Isah Ismaila, HumAngle

Related stories: At least 20 feared dead in Nigeria boat accident

Video - 17 bodies recovered after boat capsizes in eastern Nigeria

The Nigerian family who have spent five decades as volunteer grave-diggers

For more than 50 years, one family has dedicated itself to caring for the biggest graveyard in Nigeria's northern city of Kaduna - much to the gratitude of other residents who do not fancy the job of dealing with the dead.

Until a few weeks ago, they did it for no formal pay - digging graves, washing corpses and tending to the vast cemetery, receiving only small donations from mourners for their labour.

The vast Tudun Wada Cemetery was set aside for the Muslim residents of the city by the authorities a century ago.

The Abdullahi family became involved in the 1970s when two brothers - Ibrahim and Adamu - began working there.

The two siblings now lie beneath the soil in the graveyard, and their sons have become the cemetery's main custodians.

"Their teachings to us, their children, was that God loves the service and would reward us for it even if we don't get any worldly gains," Ibrahim Abdullahi's oldest son Magaji told the BBC when asked why they had chosen to continue as unpaid undertakers.

The 58-year-old is now in charge at Tudun Wada - shepherding operations and the 18 members of staff or until recently - volunteers.

He and his two younger cousins - Abdullahi, 50, and Aliyu, 40, (Adamu Abdullahi's sons) - are the three full-time workers, all reporting in by 07:00 for a 12-hour shift, seven days a week.

They always need to be on call because, according to Muslim rites, a burial must be organised within a few hours of someone's death.

Magaji tends to get the call on his mobile, either directly from a relative or an imam - all religious clerics in the city have his number.

"A lot of people have our numbers and as soon as someone dies, we get a call and immediately we get to work," he says.

One of the trio goes to tend to the corpse, which may include washing it and wrapping it in a shroud.

The body is measured and those details are texted back to the others so that a grave can be dug.

This can take around an hour - with two people taking it in turns to dig down 6ft (1.8m) into the earth - sometimes longer when it is in a stony area of the graveyard.

They can dig around a dozen graves in a day - hard work in the Kaduna heat.

"Today alone we have dug eight graves and it's not even noon, some days are like that," says Abdullahi, who began work at the cemetery when he was aged 20.

The cousins have experienced very stressful times - especially during religious violence when tensions flare between the city's Christian and Muslim residents. The two communities tend to live on opposite sides of the Kaduna River.

"We have had a couple of religious clashes in Kaduna but the one that sticks the most for me was one in the early 1990s. A lot of people were killed," says Magaji.

"We went round gathering the corpses and taking them off the streets."

Muslims were taken to Tudun Wada in the north of the city and Christians to graveyards in the southern suburbs.

"It was such a troubling time personally and I wasn't long in the job then but that helped enhance my resolve to continue," he says.

Usually, while the team digs a grave, at the local mosque the imam announces during one of the five daily prayers that a funeral will be taking place.

Many of the worshippers then go to where the body has been prepared for prayers - it is then transported to the graveyard for burial, often thronged by the mourners.

Once by the graveside, the shrouded body is lowered - it is covered with a layer of sticks and broken clay pots as a mark of respect. The grave is then filled to form a slightly raised bed.

After the rituals are complete and before the mourners leave, the graveyard keepers appeal for donations.

This is usually done by 72-year-old Inuwa Mohammed, the oldest worker at the cemetery, who explains the importance of Abdullahi family to the community.

He used to work with the cousins' fathers: "They were amazing people who loved what they did and have imbibed their children with this altruistic behaviour."

The little money collected will sometimes buy lunch for the crew - but is never enough for anything else. In order to survive, the family also has a small farm where they grow food.

The graves are recycled after 40 years, meaning land is not a big issue - but maintenance is.

"There is a lot that is lacking at the moment - we don't have enough equipment to work with, or good security," says Aliyu, the youngest of the cousins and who has worked there for 10 years.

He explains how part of the wall has collapsed, allowing those on the look-out for scrap metal to steal the grave markers.

Some of the graves have metal plates inscribed with a name and date of birth and death – though many do not as Islamic clerics do not encourage ostentation. Most are just outlined by stones and bricks or with a stick.

Either way, the cousins remember the location of everyone buried at the cemetery and can direct people if they have forgotten the location of a relative's grave.

Following the BBC's recent visit to the graveyard, they have seen a dramatic change in fortune.

The new local council chairman, whose office oversees the site, has decided to put them on the payroll.

"They deserve it, given the massive work they do every day," Rayyan Hussain tells the BBC.

"Graves are the final homes for us all and people who do this kind of hard work deserve to be paid, so my office would pay them as long as I am chairman."

Magaji confirms that the staff have started receiving a monthly salary for the first time:

.The five oldest, including himself, are getting 43,000 naira ($28; £22.50)
. The others, including Abdullahi and Aliyu, are receiving 20,000 naira ($13; £10.50).

This is well below the national minimum wage of $45 a month, but Mr Hussain says he hopes to increase their allowance "with time".

He says it is regrettable that the graveyard was abandoned for years by previous local council heads.

He has plans to repair parts of the fencing, install solar lights and add security, the chairman adds.

"I am also building a room in the graveyard where corpses could be washed and prepared for burials, before now all of this had to be done from homes."

For the Abdullahi family, it is all welcome investment - and Magaji hopes it will ensure that one of his 23 children will one day become a custodian of the cemetery.

By Mansur Abubakar, BBC

Why Nigeria’s ‘Danfo’ Bus Drivers Might Be The Craziest And Most Skilled Drivers On The Planet

I recently woke up to learn that the Oxford English Dictionary has expanded its lexicon in the latest update to include 20 Nigerian words. One of those words is “Danfo,” the most popular–albeit unofficial–mass transit in Lagos. It’s about time. These minibusses have been around for as long as I can remember. I already knew about them before actually seeing one. Scratch that, before seeing trillions of them on my first visit to Lagos.

They originally came in the form of Volkswagen Kombi vans during the 1960s and quickly took over the city’s narrow streets and high-traffic areas. It didn’t take long for the thing to become a staple of Lagos and its de facto public transport system.

Danfo’s resilience in the face of existential threats underscores its indispensability. This resilience mirrors the unkillable nature of the T3 Volkswagen Transporters that are used as Danfo. Yep, you’re right to wonder how an approximately five-decade-old German machine maintains a tenacious grip on Nigeria’s most advanced metropolitan area.

The Transporter Came, Saw, And Conquered

The Lagos State government has never been one to be overwhelmed by anything, except when it comes to the Danfo’s stubborn, ubiquitous presence in the state.

We’re talking about a government that manages a population of around 21 million people, which grows by roughly 3,000 daily. A government that sent waves of protesting youths scurrying back to their homes by shooting them dead in the open. This microbus, painted yellow with black stripes, somehow manages to tame the powers that be.

They are everywhere and ply routes far beyond where the bigger buses make berth. It’s a colorful symbol of the persistence, tenacity, and resilience that defines the hotheaded people who live in Lagos. Before Danfo’s arrival, there were bigger buses that took forever to get a full passenger load. This matters because those buses never left their terminals until every seat was filled or something close to that, wasting commuters’ time.

So, when the smaller VW Kombi showed up with a mere 14-passenger capacity, it immediately got nicknamed “Kiakia Bus” (which means ‘Quick Bus’ in Yoruba) because it filled faster, and moved faster, too. “Kiakia” evolved into “Danfo” around the time Volkswagen introduced the T3 (third generation) during the 1980s.

Yup, Lagos is probably the only place where the Type 2 “Splitscreen” expanded from 9 passengers to a 14-passenger capacity. It’s been over six decades since the Danfo came, saw, and conquered Lagos against many odds.

Why 14 seats? The drivers rearranged and added extra seats to maximize profit, with four passengers for each seat. They even squeeze two passengers in the front passenger seat when LASTMA (Lagos State Traffic Management Agency) officials aren’t looking.

Like “Kiakia,” “Danfo” is Yoruba for “floating” or “flying.” Whoever came up with that nickname understood, like every Lagosian does, that speed, impatience, and aggressiveness are the prerequisites for being a Danfo driver.

It only has around 112 horsepower but you can hear the wailing of the engine from afar because the driver literally flattens the pedal to the metal at all times. You’d think that a reputation for stripping stark naked in public and getting violent when stopped for traffic offenses would make people think twice about trusting such drivers with their lives.

The Man Behind The Wheel

On graduating high school in 2004, Aridunnuoluwa Adeola Emmanuel moved to Lagos where he started off working as a busboy (known in the country as bus conductors). His job entailed collecting fares from passengers, assisting with boarding and disembarking, and fighting said passengers, fighting other agberos (fare collectors), and even crossing swords with his own driver when the occasion called for it.

He did this for two solid years and would have probably never graduated to “driver” had the boss not gotten ill, leaving him no choice but to muster the courage to hit the road behind the wheel of a Danfo. “I was scared at first,” he says, “but I took the courage to start driving.”

For context, Aridunnuoluwa did not need the courage to drive a van. He needed the courage to drive a Danfo – in Lagos, the sort of courage you’d need to compete in Death Race. You’d think this an exaggeration, but the condition of these buses says otherwise. Just look at them. The typical Danfo is a war rig and it seems there’s no better model for this Mad Max-worthy madness than the T3 Transporter.

“Let me explain one thing to you,” Aridunnuoluwa tells me, “Driving Danfo in Lagos is one of the craziest professions. If you see any man driving Danfo in Lagos, he can drive anywhere in the world. If you can drive a Danfo, I can assure you that you can drive any vehicle anywhere in the whole world.”

When asked what motivates Danfo drivers to strip butt-naked when confronted by traffic officials, Aridunnuoluwa says simply, “It’s really a form of protest but also not a form of protest.” If this sounds crazy, then I guess he’s vindicated.

It’s The T3 Or Nothing

It’s not like the Type 2 Volkswagen Transporter had no worthy competitors or that it was the best Lagos could do. It just so happened that the T3 had become as iconic as the black cab in London or New York’s Ford “yellow medallion” Crown Victoria. New kids are free to show up as long as they don’t mind sharing the block with the old hand. The Danfo is T3 and T3 is Danfo.

The state government and private entities introduced numerous alternatives they hoped would retire or at least help phase out the ugly, embarrassing “old hand.” Instead, the T3 remains the king of Lagos roads.

Sure, there are the Mercedes-Benz Marcopolo buses used for the state’s BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) system, complete with airconditioned cabins (in some models), dedicated lanes, and digital payment solutions. Still, the 55,000-strong BRT fleet hasn’t been able to tame the Danfo tide. Not even the ID. Buzz, which is an evolutionary model of the classic Volkswagen Kombi, can wear the Danfo’s hat.

The T3, produced from 1979 to 1992, is nearly fifty years old and offers virtually zero modern safety features. Not even a driver or passenger airbag to speak of. The interior is reduced to nothing but metal and you’d be hard-pressed to find one in new enough condition to still have any protective rubber or plastic claddings in the cabin. You see junk; I see a diehard transporter.

It’s possible to live in Lagos for a year and never meet a Danfo with the headrests or roof paddings still intact. In some cases, you could observe the driveshaft through the hole from which the gear shifter protrudes.
The ache you feel in your rear barely five minutes after boarding the vehicle is because the factory-installed chairs (in some models) have been stripped and replaced with bench-style slabs of wood lined with metal. Heck, I’ve seen a Danfo with standalone plastic chairs for seats.

All this to say that the Danfo does not dominate Lagos because it is cutting-edge or particularly competitive on its own merit but because it’s a cultural symbol deeply ingrained in Lagos consciousness. Music videos and commercial ads celebrate the Danfo over nicer, more modern alternatives for this reason.

The Heart Of An Icon

The T3 Transporter comes with a variety of engines, including the 1.6-liter / 1.9-liter / 2.0-liter air-cooled H4, 2.1-liter water-cooled inline-5, and even a 1.6-liter turbocharged diesel inline-4. These engines are easy to maintain and the lack of electronics means fewer expensive components to break and need expensive repairs.

I was lucky that Aridunnuoluwa talked to me because the others wouldn’t. Not unless there was cash involved.

Thankfully, Ari is a goldmine of information. “Danfo motor (vehicle) problems are mostly carburetor issues,” he tells me. “If you’re driving any vehicle, you’re supposed to be the first mechanic.”

Don’t I know it.

VW did offer the T3 with options like air-conditioning, radio, and cassette player. The thing is most of these buses on Lagos roads don’t have such luxuries as a radio and certainly none has air-conditioning. Nonetheless, Dnfo rules Lagos because it is the cheapest and most accessible of all the integrated public transport systems. Their discomfitingly crowded cabins offer a unique glimpse into the Nigerian way of life.

Adapt Or Face Obsolescence?

The natural order stipulates evolution or obsolescence, but there’s no such ultimatum for the Danfo because it is an icon representing something far greater than itself. Like a visual shorthand for broader concepts and movements. It’s been a while since the Danfo has weathered multiple existential storms from multiple fronts.

It is at the center of the Lagos State Government’s Bus Reform Initiative. Its aim of phasing out the outdated Volkswagen T3 Transporters in favor of more modern and regulated mass transit options like the Lagos Light Rail, BRT, and e-ticketing systems has largely failed.

Apparently, it’s not the Danfo that needs to evolve to meet modern demands, it’s the demand that needs to evolve. The novelty of rail mass transit and e-ticketing is lost on Lagosians who are highly distrustful of change and incredibly resistant to the same. More so, the people care more about omnipresence and affordability than airconditioned cabins.

Throughout history, gentrification has always been the enemy of tradition. What might seem like the incidental next volley in the government’s arsenal is the Lagos State Transport Sector Reform Law, 2018 prohibiting the use of slogans, stickers, and photos on commercial vehicles.

On the surface, this law targets advertisements on vehicles without a permit, but there’s no telling how the enforcers choose to interpret a photo or slogan on a vehicle. Aridunnuoluwa tells me there’s no such law. Which means no one is bothering Danfo drivers about it.

It may not seem like it, but a law like this, inspired by gentrification, can have a better chance of killing the Danfo over time than trying to forcefully replace them with modern models.

Why? Banning the stickers and colorful slogans with which drivers decorate their buses eats away at the very heart of what makes the Danfo culture unique. It has the power to gradually erode what the Danfo represents besides conveying people and goods from point A to point B cheaply and in familiar maximum discomfort.

The thing is, irrespective of the government’s intentional and unwitting moves to strangle the Danfo just so the city can look less embarrassing to visitors, the transition hasn’t been as smooth as the government hoped.

That’s thanks to high demand and the deep-rooted presence of the yellow bus in the city’s transport ecosystem.

It’s not that gentrification is a dirty word. What’s at stake here is a complex issue balancing modernization with the practical needs of everyone who calls Lagos home.

By Philip Uwaoma, The Autopian

Starlink Increases Subscription Prices in Nigeria

Starlink will implement its revised pricing structure in Nigeria, following regulatory approval from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). This move follows an earlier attempt by the provider to adjust tariffs on October 1, 2024, which was halted due to regulatory concerns by the NCC.

The NCC had expressed concerns over Starlink’s unilateral decision to increase subscription fees without prior regulatory approval. The NCC noted that the October 2024 adjustment violated established protocols. Following this Starlink had suspended the changes temporarily.

In an email to subscribers, the company once again announced the revised pricing model effective immediately. Residential subscriptions have been increased from NGN 38,000 ($24.6) to NGN 75,000 ($48.6). Mobile regional plan (Roam Unlimited) will now cost NGN 167,000 ($108.3) per month, instead of NGN 49,000 ($31.8). Mobile global roaming service isnow priced at NGN 717,000 ($464.8) monthly.

The revised tariffs mirror those proposed in the October 2024 announcement and follow proper regulatory channels, addressing concerns raised by NCC. The structured implementation allows immediate application for new subscribers while giving existing customers a transition period until their next billing cycle.

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Related story: Starlink suspends new orders across Nigeria

West African bloc pins hopes on ambitious superhighway from Ivory Coast to Nigeria

West African leaders are holding a crucial summit in Nigeria's capital Abuja, focusing on the morale-sapping departure of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger from their 15-member bloc Ecowas.

Few think the military rulers of the three dissident states can be persuaded to pause or reverse their decision.

While faced with this blow to regional unity, West Africa is also poised to start work on a 1,028km (689 miles) highway from Ivory Coast's main city Abidjan - through Ghana, Togo and Benin - to Nigeria's biggest city Lagos.

Construction is supposed to start in 2026 and pledges of $15.6bn (£12.3bn) have already been mobilised from a range of funders and investors.

Just as Western Europe matched the Soviet-led communist bloc with a "Common Market" that later evolved into today's trading powerhouse, the European Union (EU), so Ecowas may find that a drive for prosperity and growth proves to be its most effective response to the wave of military coups and nationalism that have swept across the region since 2020.

The plan to build a modern transport corridor along the West African coast was originally approved eight years ago - long before the coups that have overturned civilian rule in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.

Preparatory studies, led by the African Development Bank, were commissioned.

But when these were presented last month, the timing could hardly have come at a better moment for reinvigorating the battered self-confidence of Ecowas (Economic Community of West African States).

Neither traditional diplomacy, nor sanctions, nor even the threat of military intervention in Niger, had managed to push the juntas into organising elections and restoring civilian government, as required by Ecowas governance rules.

The defiant regimes declared they would leave the 15-member bloc altogether.

They have subsequently spurned the remaining members' efforts to persuade them to stay, although the Ecowas envoy, Senegal's new, young President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, who shares their nationalistic outlook, is still trying.

Until this crisis, Ecowas was Africa's most cohesive and politically integrated regional grouping, with a creditable record of crisis management and even the deployment of peacekeepers in troubled member states.

With the departure of Mali, Burkina and Niger, the bloc will lose 76 million of its 446 million people and more than half its total geographical land area, with the loss of vast tracts of the Sahara – a painful blow to prestige and self-belief.

The shock of the three countries' withdrawal may boost those pushing for tougher governance and democracy rules.

Meanwhile, the ambitious coastal transport corridor project, conceived to support economic development, will also serve a political purpose - demonstrating the remaining member countries' capacity to work together and accelerating the trade growth and investment attraction of coastal urban West Africa, already the most prosperous part of this vast region.

And just as the EU's wealth and dynamism proved a powerful attraction for former communist states, perhaps rising prosperity across Ecowas will eventually entice the now disenchanted further north states into rejoining the bloc.

Construction of the proposed four-to-six lane motorway is forecast to create 70,000 jobs, with completion ambitiously targeted for 2030.

And the plan is to acquire a sufficiently broad strip of land along the route to later accommodate a new railway line, linking the big port cities along the Gulf of Guinea. Existing rail routes extend inland, but there is no rail line along the coast.

The road will connect many of West Africa's largest cities - Abidjan, with 8.3 million people, Accra (4 million), Lomé (2 million), Cotonou (2.6 million) and Lagos, estimated at close to 20 million or perhaps even more.

Several of the cities are key gateway ports for the flow of trade in and out of the region.

Already the bureaucratic hassles and risks of petty corruption that have so often complicated life for drivers passing from one country to the next are beginning to wane.

At many border crossings, modern one-stop frontier posts, where officials from both countries work side by side to check passports and transit documents, have replaced the assorted huts where drivers and passengers queued at a succession of counters while one set of border police and customs officers after another laboriously worked their way through the formalities.

And now the proposed highway and rail line promise to further speed the flow of trade and travel between the coastal economies, boosting competitiveness and integration and transforming the region's attraction for investors - just as the EU transformed trade and development across the European continent.

And that process of economic and administrative integration of course had enormous political consequences.

It acted as a powerful incentive for countries still outside the bloc to improve economic governance, strengthen democracy and tackle corruption, in the hope of qualifying for membership.

Perhaps Ecowas can emulate this precedent, and lure the dissident states into re-joining, particularly if flagship projects such as the transport corridor give a real fillip to growth.

For not only do Mali, Niger and Burkina face severe development and security challenges, but they are also all landlocked, and heavily dependent on their coastal neighbours, through transport, trade and labour migration.

Huge volumes of trade, formal and informal, flow across the borders.

Livestock from the three countries in the Sahel is exported on the hoof to feed city dwellers in Dakar, Abidjan and Lagos.

Onions and potatoes grown in Niger's arid climate are prized by coastal household shoppers, while Ivorian, Ghanaian and Nigerian manufactured goods are exported in the opposite direction.

Millions of Burkinabès and Malians are settled in Ivory Coast, a mainstay of the workforce for its cocoa plantations.

Moreover, the coup leaders are not pulling out of the West African CFA franc, an eight-country single currency, backed by France, that hampers competitiveness but provides a solid defence against inflation and monetary instability.

Yet these deep ties between the Sahelian countries and coastal West Africa were not sufficient to deter the military regimes in Mali, Burkina and Niger from announcing their withdrawal from Ecowas.

Hostility to the bloc, which they portray as bullying and arrogant, has paid political dividends, boosting their popularity at home. And Morocco talks of opening up an alternative trade corridor to its Atlantic ports, which could broaden the options.

But if the remaining Ecowas countries can accelerate their own drive for prosperity, pruning back trade barriers and pressing forward with breakthrough projects such as the coastal highway and rail line, then gradually they may salve today's political bruises and mistrusts and draw the Sahel states back into a reunified West African regional identity.

By Paul Melly, BBC

Video - Port Harcourt and Dangote refineries expected to help meet local consumption needs

Nigeria's state-owned Port Harcourt refinery is finally back up and running. It is hoped that, along with recent launch of the privately-owned Dangote refinery, Nigeria will soon be able to supply the petrol products needed domestically while positioning Nigeria as a petroleum product exporter.

CGTN

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Starlink suspends new orders across Nigeria

Elon Musk’s Starlink says it has suspended orders for its residential kits across Nigeria with a note that the suspension will be lifted after securing approval from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) for its recently announced price increment.

The company, however, allows orders for its high-end Business Plan, in which it is allowed to charge N159,000 for a monthly subscription compared with the Residential Plan which costs N38,000 per month.

“We’re committed to providing high-speed internet in Nigeria and are working closely with regulators to make adjustments that will improve the customer experience.

“Until these changes are approved, we are placing new Residential orders on hold,” the company stated in response to an attempt to order its kits.

Starlink sold out in some cities

Earlier, Starlink had stopped new orders in five major cities including Lagos, Abuja, Port-Harcourt, Benin City and Warri because it was at capacity in those areas.

However, the current suspension cuts across Nigeria and it is hinged on the need to increase prices; a move that the regulator had frowned at.

Demand for Starlink services in Nigeria has soared since the Space X-linked company officially launched in the country in January last year.

Starlink had on the last day of September announced a 97% price increase for its monthly subscription from N38,000 to N75,000.

For new users, the company also increased the Starlink kits (hardware) by 34% from N440,000 to N590,000.

The company in a message to its customers in Nigeria cited “excessive inflation” as the reason for the increment.

The announcement had sparked controversy in the Nigerian telecom sector as local operators accused the NCC of double standard for allowing Starlink to increase price, which they are not allowed to do despite years of appeal to the regulator.

The NCC, however, responded saying it did not approve Starlink’s price increment.

The telecom regulator pointed out that Starlink’s action contravened sections 108 and 111 of the Nigerian Communications Act 2003, and its license conditions regarding tariffs.

NCC’s Director of Public Affairs, Dr Reuben Muoka, later announced that the commission had commenced pre-enforcement actions against Starlink for implementing price increments without the approval of the regulator.

With the rebuttal from the telecoms regulator, Starlink suspended the announced increment with a warning that “without these approvals, our ability to continue delivering service is at risk.”

The company noted that while it is committed to providing high-speed internet in Nigeria, it would need regulatory support to make the improvements necessary for a better customer experience.

By Philip Shimnom Clement, Daily Trust

Nigeria signs $1.2 billion deal to revamp gas plant for aluminium smelter

Nigeria has signed a $1.2 billion contract with Chinese state-owned engineering firm CNCEC to revamp a gas processing plant crucial for the country's aluminium production, its Petroleum Ministry said.

The contract signed between CNCEC and BFI Group - the core investor in the Aluminum Smelter Company of Nigeria - is the first step towards reviving the dormant smelter, which has been plagued by years of inactivity due to legal disputes and financial issues.

The Petroleum Ministry said late on Monday that the deal would see CNCEC resuscitate the 135 million standard cubic feet per day gas processing plant at the dormant smelter, which can produce around 300,000 tons of aluminium annually.

Minister of State for Gas Epkerikpe Ekpo said the plant's restart would allow Nigeria to develop multiple stages of the aluminium production process and position it "as a major producer of aluminium in Africa and globally".

The plant is expected to produce around one million tons of aluminium annually and generate up to 540 megawatts of electricity, Ekpo said.

By Camillus Eboh, Reuters

Video - Power shortages, rising fuel costs accelerate shift to solar in Nigeria

Many small businesses now rely on solar for their energy needs after public electricity costs surged. Solar companies are easing adoption by offering installment payment options, making it more accessible.

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Peter Obi Urges FG To Resolve Power Crisis Challenges

Former presidential candidate Peter Obi has called on the federal government to proffer lasting solutions to the power crisis in the country.

Obi made the call on his X handle while raising concerns about the ongoing power crisis following another collapse of the national grid.

The call came after Nigerians were plunged into a fresh round of darkness following another collapse of the national power grid.

Since January 2024 till date, the grid has collapsed 10 times, and three times in October alone.

Speaking on the issue via a statement on Wednesday via X, Obi contrasted Nigeria’s struggles with power supply to South Africa’s recent success in achieving seven months of uninterrupted electricity.

He said, “Again, yesterday the now regular news came that the National Grid had collapsed once again. Just a few days ago, on the 25th of October, South Africa that was the second-largest economy in Africa behind Nigeria until recently, with a quarter of our population, celebrated seven months of uninterrupted power supply.

“South Africa generates and distributes about 40,000 MW of electricity, while Nigeria struggles to generate and distribute just 10% of that.”

“Is there any tribe in Nigeria that enjoys uninterrupted power supply like South Africa? I am labelled a tribal bigot. When I ask if any religion enjoys special privileges in this crisis, I am called a religious bigot. But I will continue to speak the truth about our situation today,” he said.

“The fact remains that we are all suffering equally from this failure,” he said.

Obi urged Nigerians to move past “primordial sentiments” and instead focus on electing leaders who can drive the country towards development.

He said, “The fact remains that we are all suffering equally from this failure. The solution lies not in tribal or religious affiliations but in visionary leadership and a shared commitment to progress.

“We must set aside these primordial sentiments and elect leaders who are competent, capable, and have the vision to transform our nation from a consumer-driven economy to a productive one by investing our meagre resources in critical areas of development like health and education, lifting our people out of poverty, and ensuring increased electricity production and distribution.”

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Related story: Nigeria's power grid partially collapses again, causing blackouts

Nigeria's power grid partially collapses again, causing blackouts

Nigeria's national grid suffered a partial collapse on Tuesday, the state power transmitter said, marking the ninth incident this year to have caused power outages across the country.

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) said the grid experienced a disturbance at around 1252 GMT, triggered by a series of line and generator trips destabilising the system.

While some regions, including the capital Abuja, regained power about an hour after the collapse, outages continued elsewhere.

"TCN engineers are already working to quickly restore bulk power supply to the states affected by the partial disturbance," spokesperson Ndidi Mbah said.

Blackouts are frequent in Nigeria, Africa's most populous country with over 200 million people, due to ageing power infrastructure, vandalism and inadequate gas supply for its thermal plants, which account for over 75% of output.

Although Nigeria has the infrastructure to generate about 13,000 megawatts of power, its creaking grid can only distribute a third of it, forcing businesses and households to run costly fuel generators. 

By Camillus Eboh, Reuters 

Related story: Nigeria's state transmission company restoring power after grid collapse