ABUJA — The Federal Government has warned petroleum marketers against profiteering and called for an immediate reduction in pump prices, amid growing public frustration over fuel costs.

What the FG said
The government said current margins being charged by some marketers are “unjustifiable” given recent developments in supply and distribution. It urged depot owners and filling stations to reflect market realities and avoid actions that worsen hardship for Nigerians.

Officials stressed that government is working to stabilize supply and improve distribution networks. They warned that regulatory agencies will step up monitoring and sanctions against any operator found hoarding or arbitrarily hiking prices.

Market context
The warning comes as transport and food costs remain high, with many Nigerians still adjusting to deregulated fuel pricing. Last week, the Nigerian stock market saw heavy selloffs, with investors losing over ₦2.4 trillion amid broader economic concerns.

The three tiers of government received about ₦53.3 trillion from FAAC over the past three years, but states and citizens continue to feel pressure from inflation and cost of living.

What happens next
The FG said it will engage with the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria, MOMAN, and the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, to ensure compliance. The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, NMDPRA, is expected to begin market surveillance this week.

Marketers have not formally responded as of press time. Analysts say any price reduction would depend on forex stability, landing costs, and distribution margins.

BVI channel one

ABUJA — The Senate says the 2026 State Police Bill represents a broad national consensus and not political expediency, as debate over decentralized policing intensifies ahead of the 2027 general elections.

What the Senate said
Speaking at the weekend, the Senate maintained that the bill, which seeks to establish state police across the federation, is driven by the need to address Nigeria’s security challenges. Lawmakers argued that the legislation has the backing of most stakeholders and should not be dismissed as a political move.

Obi questions the speed
Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, has questioned the pace at which the bill is moving through the National Assembly. He called for wider consultations, warning against rushing a constitutional amendment of such magnitude without deep public engagement.

Why it’s trending now
The bill has resurfaced as a major talking point amid persistent security issues — from insurgency in the northeast to armed banditry in the northwest and separatist unrest in the southeast. Proponents argue that state police would bring security closer to communities and improve response times.

Critics, however, cite fears of abuse by state governors and the financial burden on states already struggling with allocations.

What’s next
The bill is part of ongoing constitutional amendment efforts. For it to become law, it must pass both chambers of the National Assembly and secure approval from at least 24 state Houses of Assembly.

The debate comes as parties gear up for 2027, with security and restructuring expected to be key campaign issues.

President Bola Tinubu has approved a comprehensive overhaul of the National Youth Service Corps, with the Federal Government saying the 52-year-old scheme must be redesigned to address unemployment, funding gaps, and manpower needs.

The reform plan moves away from the 1993 framework.

Key changes in the draft reforms include a three-tier system at national, state, and local levels, with decentralized funding to reduce reliance on federal allocations described as fragile and unsustainable. Corps members will be posted to priority areas including teaching, health, agriculture, the digital economy, climate resilience, and public infrastructure to match national manpower needs.

The plan also includes post-service credit access for entrepreneurs and skill acquisition programs, with the goal of producing job creators rather than only job seekers. A proposed ₦2 billion fund will finance digital systems, seed grants, and governance reforms.

An additional 50,000 graduates have been approved for 2026, bringing planned mobilisation to 418,000. The scheme now mobilizes about 400,000 corps members yearly, compared to 2,364 in 1973. The ₦77,000 monthly allowance is already in place, and the reforms will also tackle corps member rejection and welfare gaps.

Officials said the scheme cannot run on a 1993 framework in a 2025 economy and must be redesigned to be modern, fiscally sustainable, digitally enabled, and aligned with sectoral manpower needs.

ABUJA — President Bola Tinubu on Friday announced a sweeping overhaul of Nigeria’s military leadership, appointing new service chiefs in a bid to strengthen the country’s security architecture amid persistent threats.

New Service Chiefs Named
The Presidency said all appointments take immediate effect. The changes are:

Chief of Defence Staff: General Olufemi Oluyede replaces General Christopher Musa
Chief of Army Staff: Major-General W. Shaibu
Chief of Air Staff: Air Vice Marshal S.K. Aneke
Chief of Naval Staff: Rear Admiral I. Abbas replaces Emmanuel Ogalla
Chief of Defence Intelligence: Major-General E.A.P. Undiendeye retains his position

Presidency: Move Aimed at ‘New Direction’
President Tinubu said the reshuffle was necessary to “further strengthen Nigeria’s national security architecture” in the face of evolving challenges. He thanked the outgoing chiefs for their “selfless service and dedicated leadership” and charged the new team to deepen professionalism, vigilance, and unity.

Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said the action was to “inject new direction, energy, and focus” into the security sector, and dismissed claims that it was linked to coup rumours.

Security Context
The shake-up comes as Nigeria continues to battle Islamist insurgencies in the northeast, armed banditry in the northwest, and separatist unrest in the southeast. It is Tinubu’s second major security leadership overhaul since taking office in 2023.

Analysts say the changes reflect Tinubu’s push for intelligence-driven operations, better inter-agency coordination, and modernization of defence infrastructure. Retired officers described the timing as “timely” and consistent with two-year tenure rotations.

ABUJA — President Bola Tinubu on Friday signed the National Identity Management Commission Act 2026 into law at the State House, Abuja, marking a major overhaul of Nigeria’s digital identity system.

President Tinubu said the legislation replaces a nearly 20-year-old framework with a modern, fully digital identity infrastructure. The Act makes NIMC Nigeria’s Root Certification Authority for the National Public Key Infrastructure and Digital Public Infrastructure. According to the President, this means NIMC “holds the keys to trust in our digital economy: every digital signature, every secure transaction, and every verified identity”.

The law also aligns the country’s identity management system with the Nigerian Data Protection Act. Tinubu said personal information “cannot be accessed without your consent… cannot be used beyond the purpose for which you gave it”. The Act introduces a five-year jail term and other penalties for identity-related offences, and it reinforces the National Identification Number as the cornerstone of identity verification and the “One Person, One Identity” principle.

Tinubu said the law will position Nigeria’s identity system to support the $1 trillion economy ambition. Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo said NIMC’s integrated database helped arrest 7 suspected Boko Haram and ISWAP commanders at Katsina Airport last week, and noted that passport and driver’s licence processing are now linked to NIMC data.

The signing was witnessed by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, AGF Lateef Fagbemi, and NIMC DG Abisoye Coker-Odusote. NIMC described it as a “landmark reform” to strengthen cybersecurity, data protection, financial inclusion, and digital transformation.

ABUJA — Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, is trending after urging Nigerians to consider small-scale businesses like selling akara, roasted corn, and kuli-kuli, saying they “don’t take a lot of money to start.”

Speaking to State House Correspondents on Wednesday after the Renewed Hope Initiative’s second-quarter meeting with wives of state governors, Mrs. Tinubu highlighted the administration’s grant interventions for vulnerable citizens.

> “We’re trying to give hope, and to start Akara business doesn’t take a lot of money. To start roasting corn, or somebody even said kuli kuli doesn’t take much. We didn’t give them a loan; we gave it to them as a grant.
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> So we’ve encouraged Nigerians as best as we could. What is within our hands, I have given, and I keep giving,” she said.

She added that the Renewed Hope Initiative has also supported healthcare, agriculture, education, and social investment, citing N2bn donated to tackle tuberculosis, N1bn for breast cancer, and N500m for malnutrition. A video of the remarks was shared Friday by News Channel 247.

The comments immediately went viral on X, TikTok, and YouTube, with many describing them as “out of touch” with current economic realities. Users said the remarks ignore inflation, fuel prices, and rising cost of living. One post read: “exactly how disconnected Nigeria’s ruling class has become from the reality of ordinary citizens”. Another comment said: “nobody’s mocking akara. They’re mourning a government that seems to have no bigger answer than bean cakes”.

Some users pushed back, arguing that akara is “one of the most lucrative businesses in Nigeria” and that the grants provided were actual support, not loans.

The backlash comes months after Atiku Abubakar’s aide criticized Mrs. Tinubu’s N1.2bn rice palliative for the North, accusing her of “politicising hardship”.

The First Lady urged Nigerians not to lose hope despite economic challenges and said the initiative would continue supporting health, education, and agriculture.