News
National Grid Collapses Again, Throws Nigerians Into Blackout
Published
1 year agoon
By
Editor
Nigeria has witnessed its sixth power grid collapse of 2024, as electricity generation on the system collapsed from 2,583.77MW at 2am on Monday to 64.7MW around 3 am.
Nigeria generates an average of 4,000MW of electricity for an estimated 200 million citizens across the country.
But this is hardly sustainable, as the grid continues to record incessant collapse due to gas supply constraints, transmission infrastructure vandalism, and liquidity crisis, among others.
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Data from the Independent System Operator, an arm of the Transmission Company of Nigeria, showed that only one electricity generation company, Ibom Power, was active at the time of the grid collapse on Monday morning.
Power generation on the grid crashed further to 44.5MW around 4am, before rising to 132.29MW an hour later.
The grid collapse was confirmed by Jos Electricity Distribution Company.
The Head, Corporate Affairs, JEDC, Dr Friday Elijah, in a notice to customers, said, “The current outage being experienced within our franchise states is a result of loss of power supply from the national grid.
“The loss of power supply from the national grid occurred in the early hours at about 0242hours of today, Monday, April 15, 2024, hence the loss of power supply on all our feeders.”
READ ALSO: I’m Sorry For Treating You Badly – Oshiomhole Apologises To APC Defector
Elijah, however, expressed hope that the grid would be restored for normal power supply to electricity consumers.
On February 5, 2024, The PUNCH reported that power generation on the national grid crashed to 59.9MW around 12 pm on February 4, 2024, as the country’s grid witnessed a nationwide collapse.
The report stated that data obtained from the Federal Ministry of Power showed that electricity generation on the grid plunged from 2,658.75MW at 11 am to 59.9MW by 12 noon on February 4, 2024, as power distributors lost supply from the grid.
This led to widespread blackouts across the country, as power distribution companies blamed it on the collapse of the grid managed by the Transmission Company of Nigeria, an agency of the Federal Government.
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News
JUST IN: Finnish Court Jails Simon Ekpa Six Years For Terrorism Offences
Published
45 minutes agoon
September 1, 2025By
Editor
The Päijät-Häme District Court on Monday sentenced Nigerian-born Finnish, Simon Ekpa, to six years in prison for terrorism-related crimes and other offences, according to official court documents seen by BBC News Pidgin on Monday.
The 40-year-old former municipal politician from Lahti was convicted on multiple charges, including participation in the activities of a terrorist organisation, incitement to commit crimes for terrorist purposes, aggravated tax fraud, and violations of the Lawyers Act.
The court ordered that Ekpa remain in custody.
According to the judgment, between August 2021 and November 2024, Ekpa attempted to promote the independence of the so-called Biafra region in southeastern Nigeria through illegal means.
READ ALSO:Obi Disowns Photo-shopped Pictures With Simon Ekpa
“He used social media to gain a politically influential position and took advantage of the confusion within a key separatist movement in Nigeria to play a significant role in it,” the court statement stated as reported by BBC News pidgin.
Ekpa denied all the charges against him.
The court also found that Ekpa was instrumental in founding and developing the separatist movement into a more organised structure, working alongside others.
It was revealed during the trial that armed groups were established under the movement, which the court classified as terrorist organisations.
READ ALSO:Biafra: Simon Ekpa Released By Finnish Police After Hours Of Questioning
“Ekpa equipped the groups with weapons, explosives and ammunition through his contact network. He also urged and enticed his followers on X (formerly Twitter) to commit crimes in Nigeria,” the court said.
The trial was conducted over 12 sessions between May 30 and June 25, 2025, with a panel of three judges unanimously delivering the verdict.
Finnish authorities arrested Ekpa in December 2024 on charges linked to terrorism.
He was held on probable cause and suspicion of publicly inciting people to commit crimes with terrorist intent.
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The alleged offences were said to have occurred between August 23, 2021, and November 2024, primarily in the city of Lahti.
The Finnish National Bureau of Investigation also initially arrested four other men in connection with the case. However, charges against them were later dropped due to insufficient evidence.
Ekpa, who previously served as a municipal councillor in Lahti, is widely known for his controversial role in the Biafran separatist movement.
His online broadcasts and social media activity have drawn both support and condemnation within and outside Nigeria.
News
JUST IN: Doctors Issue 10-day Ultimatum, Threaten Strike
Published
2 hours agoon
September 1, 2025By
Editor
The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors issued a 10-day ultimatum to all relevant government agencies on Monday, warning that its members would embark on a nationwide strike if the demands were not met.
NARD disclosed this in a communiqué signed by its President, Dr. Tope Osundara; the General Secretary, Dr. Oluwasola Odunbaku; and Publicity and the Social Secretary, Omoha Amobi, issued after its Extraordinary National Executive Council meeting, which was held virtually on Sunday.
In July, NARD had issued a three-week ultimatum, but in the interest of industrial harmony, the NEC granted the National Officers’ Committee an additional three weeks to engage with all relevant stakeholders, after which it would reconvene to reassess the extent of implementation of its demands.
In Sunday’s meeting, the E-NEC condemned the failure of the Federal Government to fulfil its promises, noting with dismay that a substantial number of resident doctors remain unpaid for their 2025 Medical Residency Training Fund, and the refusal to pay the outstanding five months’ arrears arising from the 25 per cent/35 per cent Consolidated Medical Salary Structure review, as well as other longstanding salary arrears.
READ ALSO:Lagos Doctors To Begin 3-day Warning Strike
It also condemned the government’s failure to pay the arrears of the 2024 Accoutrement Allowance.
“The E-NEC expressed displeasure over the unjust downgrading of the membership certificates of the West African Colleges of Physicians and Surgeons by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, as well as the persistent non-issuance of membership certificates by the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria.
“The E-NEC condemned in strong terms the failure of the Kaduna State Government to honour its commitments to members under ARD Kaduna and Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital, despite earlier agreements and signed Memoranda of Understanding. The E-NEC condemned the failure of the Oyo State Government to address the challenges faced by members of ARD LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, Ogbomosho, despite an ongoing indefinite strike action in the hospital,” it noted.
It, however, commended state governors who have demonstrated commitment to the welfare of doctors by paying the 2025 MRTF.
READ ALSO:FG Suspends Circular On Doctors’ Allowances
Meanwhile, the doctors said that if their demands are not met by September 10, 2025, they would embark on a nationwide strike.
E-NEC, however, demands the immediate payment of the outstanding 2025 MRTF to all eligible resident doctors by the Federal Government, as well as the settlement of the outstanding five months’ arrears of CONMESS, alongside other longstanding salary arrears.
The Council also demands, “The immediate payment of the arrears of the 2024 Accoutrement Allowance. The E-NEC demands the commencement of payment of specialist allowances to all doctors without further delay, given their indispensable role in delivering specialist medical care across the nation. The E-NEC demands that the MDCN immediately restore the recognition of the West African postgraduate membership certificates to their rightful status and calls on the NPMCN to commence without delay the issuance of membership certificates to all deserving candidates, in line with international best practices.
READ ALSO:FCT Doctors Begin Warning Strike Over Sack Of Health Workers
“The E-NEC demands the immediate implementation of the 2024 CONMESS and resolution of all outstanding welfare concerns in Kaduna State, noting that the indefinite strike by our members has already resumed and will continue until these demands are met. The E-NEC demands that the Governor of Oyo State, His Excellency Governor Seyi Makinde, immediately resolve the welfare concerns of resident doctors under the employment of the state government, particularly those at LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, Ogbomosho.
“The E-NEC urges all State Governors to prioritise the welfare of doctors in their state-owned hospitals and training institutions, ensure the timely payment of MRTF to their resident doctors, and take proactive steps to curb emigration while maintaining industrial harmony.
“The E-NEC extends the ultimatum by a final 10 days to all relevant government agencies to meet these demands. Failure to do so within this period (expiring on Wednesday, 10th September 2025) will leave the NEC with no other option than to embark on a nationwide strike action.”
News
FG Unveils Revised Curriculum For Basic, Secondary, Technical Education
Published
17 hours agoon
August 31, 2025By
Editor
The Federal Government said it completed a comprehensive review of school curricula for basic, senior secondary and technical education aimed to make Nigerian learners “future-ready.”
The Ministry of Education disclosed this in a statement signed on Friday by its Director of Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade, and made available to newsmen on Sunday.
Folasade said the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Said Ahmad announced the curriculum on behalf of the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Alausa, while speaking in Abuja.
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According to the minister, the review was carried out in collaboration with key education stakeholders, including the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council, the Universal Basic Education Commission, the National Senior Secondary Education Commission and the National Board for Technical Education.
The new framework is designed to reduce content overload, improve learning outcomes, and ensure Nigerian students are equipped with skills relevant to today’s global demands.
Prof. Ahmad said the exercise went beyond merely trimming subjects, stressing it focused on improving content to promote deeper learning and reduce overload for pupils and students.
“Under the revised structure, pupils in Primary 1–3 will study a minimum of nine and a maximum of 10 subjects; pupils in Primary 4–6 will take 10 to 12 subjects. Junior secondary students may offer 12 to 14 subjects, senior secondary students will take eight to nine subjects, and technical schools will offer nine to 11 subjects,” the statement read.
READ ALSO:FG To Disburse Interest-free Loans To Farmers, Small Businesses – GEEP
“The revised curricula will reduce content overload and create more learning time for students,” Prof. Ahmad said, adding that the changes reflect the government’s commitment to delivering quality, practical and relevant education in a rapidly changing world.
The Ministry of Education commended stakeholders for their role in the review and said implementation will be accompanied by strict monitoring to ensure a smooth transition across schools nationwide.
The ministry did not give an exact date for rollout, but said the new curricula will be phased in with oversight from relevant agencies to guarantee effective adoption.
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