News
Anambra APC Hails Maintenance Work on First Niger Bridge
By Okey Maduforo, Awka
The Anambra State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has commended the Federal Government for the ongoing maintenance work on the First Niger Bridge, describing the intervention as a timely response that will avert a looming economic crisis in the South-East and South-South regions.
The party said the decision to temporarily close the bridge for repairs was necessary to prevent a possible collapse that could have severely affected commercial and economic activities across the two geopolitical zones.
Recall that the Minister of Works, Engr. Dave Umahi, during a working visit to Anambra, Delta and Edo states, had announced plans to temporarily close the bridge to enable the government to carry out urgent repairs, particularly following reported acts of vandalism around the facility.
The Federal Government subsequently announced the closure of the bridge for two weeks, with the closure taking effect on Sunday.
Reacting to the development, the Anambra State APC Chairman, Sen. Emma Anosike, in a statement, described the intervention as evidence of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s responsiveness to the socio-economic needs of the South-East and South-South regions.
Anosike said the maintenance work was particularly important given the strategic role of the Niger Bridge as a major commercial and economic link between the regions.
According to him, the intervention further demonstrated the administration’s commitment to protecting critical infrastructure and sustaining economic activities in the region.
“We, as a political party, are once again vindicated by the compassion and quick response shown by Mr President by embarking on the repair of that bridge without delay.
“People have gone to town, especially because of the election, to peddle rumours and falsehoods about Mr President, but today they are no longer saying anything in the face of what is happening.
“They claimed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is anti-Igbo, but what is happening now with the total overhaul of the old River Niger Bridge, which is our commercial and economic gateway?”
The APC chairman commended President Tinubu for what he described as “quality leadership and magnanimity” in approving the urgent intervention.
He also praised the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, for his efforts towards improving road infrastructure across the South-East and South-South.
“We in the APC, Anambra State, commend President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for this show of quality leadership and magnanimity.
“We also salute our able and hardworking Minister of Works, His Excellency Dave Umahi, for the beautiful job he is doing on road infrastructure in the South-East and South-South.”
Anosike further appealed to residents of the South-East to support President Tinubu’s re-election bid, arguing that the administration’s infrastructure projects in the region demonstrate its commitment to development.
“We also use this opportunity to once again urge our people in the South-East to re-elect President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a second term. In view of what he has done so far, we believe the next four years would be better,” he said.
At least 26 Nigerian states were unable to generate enough Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) to cover their personnel expenditure in 2025, highlighting the continued dependence of many state governments on allocations from the Federation Account.
An analysis of a 2026 BudgIT report showed that only eight of the 34 states covered by the study generated more IGR than they spent on personnel during the year.
The eight states were Lagos, Enugu, Ogun, Delta, Kaduna, Kwara, Abia and Anambra.
The remaining 26 states collectively generated about ₦1.16 trillion in IGR but spent approximately ₦1.91 trillion on personnel, leaving a shortfall of about ₦747 billion.
The figures were contained in BudgIT’s 2026 report, Nigeria’s Economic Reforms: What Has Changed Across Nigeria’s States? An Analysis of State Finances in the Post-Subsidy Years.
The report examined actual figures contained in states’ full-year budget implementation reports for 2022 and 2025. Akwa Ibom and Rivers states were excluded because of incomplete or unavailable data.
BudgIT clarified that the figures do not suggest that states are expected to finance salaries exclusively from internally generated revenue, since statutory allocations are a legitimate source of government income. However, the data illustrate the extent to which several states would struggle to meet their personnel obligations without federal transfers.
Dependence on federal allocations rises
The growing dependence on federal transfers has continued despite a significant increase in revenues available to state governments following the removal of the petrol subsidy, foreign exchange reforms and increased receipts into the Federation Account.
According to BudgIT, aggregate FAAC allocations to states rose from ₦3.43 trillion in 2022 to ₦11.38 trillion in 2025, representing a 232.06 per cent increase.
State IGR also increased substantially, rising from ₦1.57 trillion to ₦4.15 trillion during the same period.
However, the growth in FAAC allocations outpaced the increase in IGR. As a result, FAAC accounted for 73.3 per cent of aggregate state revenue in 2025, compared with 68.7 per cent in 2022.
Conversely, the contribution of IGR declined from 31.4 per cent to 26.7 per cent over the same period.
BudgIT said stronger domestic revenue mobilisation would be essential to improving the long-term fiscal sustainability of state governments and reducing their dependence on federal transfers.
Yobe records widest personnel-to-IGR disparity
The state-by-state figures revealed significant differences in the ability of states to finance personnel costs from internally generated revenue.
Yobe recorded one of the widest gaps, generating only ₦15.42 billion in IGR in 2025 while spending ₦76.34 billion on personnel. Its personnel expenditure was therefore almost five times its IGR.
Taraba generated ₦17.89 billion against personnel expenditure of ₦55.60 billion, while Sokoto recorded IGR of ₦20.58 billion against personnel costs of ₦58.65 billion.
Adamawa generated ₦24.14 billion internally but spent ₦65.73 billion on personnel.
Jigawa’s personnel expenditure stood at ₦92.66 billion, compared with IGR of ₦35.27 billion, while Benue generated ₦29.38 billion but spent ₦73.94 billion on personnel.
Kogi generated ₦36.50 billion against personnel expenditure of ₦89.20 billion, while Kebbi recorded IGR of ₦18.41 billion, less than half of its ₦44.82 billion personnel expenditure.
Other states where personnel costs exceeded IGR included Bauchi, Bayelsa, Borno, Cross River, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Gombe, Imo, Kano, Katsina, Nasarawa, Niger, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau and Zamfara.
Oyo records largest absolute gap
In absolute terms, Oyo recorded the largest gap among the 26 states.
The state generated ₦102.52 billion in IGR but spent ₦170.04 billion on personnel, leaving a shortfall of approximately ₦67.51 billion.
Yobe followed with a gap of about ₦60.91 billion, while Jigawa recorded a shortfall of ₦57.39 billion.
Ondo generated ₦45.63 billion but spent ₦99.58 billion on personnel, creating a gap of ₦53.94 billion.
Kogi recorded a difference of ₦52.70 billion, while Bayelsa generated ₦52.15 billion against personnel expenditure of ₦98.75 billion, leaving a gap of ₦46.60 billion.
Some states, however, came close to covering their personnel costs through IGR.
Edo generated ₦98.45 billion and spent ₦99.27 billion on personnel, leaving a gap of less than ₦1 billion.
Gombe generated ₦36.36 billion compared with personnel expenditure of ₦53.95 billion, while Osun recorded ₦58.80 billion in IGR against personnel costs of ₦87.46 billion.
Slight improvement from 2022
The situation represented a modest improvement from 2022, when 28 of the 34 states covered by the report had personnel expenditure exceeding their IGR.
Abia, Delta, Enugu and Kwara moved from having IGR below personnel expenditure in 2022 to generating enough revenue to cover their personnel costs in 2025.
However, Ebonyi and Jigawa moved in the opposite direction.
Lagos and Enugu drive aggregate figures
The data also showed the enormous influence of Lagos on the overall IGR figures.
Lagos generated ₦1.85 trillion in IGR in 2025, up from ₦656.35 billion in 2022. Its revenue accounted for about 44 per cent of the ₦4.15 trillion generated by the 34 states covered by the report.
The state spent ₦333.67 billion on personnel, meaning its IGR was more than five times its personnel expenditure.
Enugu generated ₦406.77 billion compared with personnel expenditure of ₦56.40 billion, while Ogun recorded IGR of ₦237.65 billion against personnel costs of ₦151.27 billion.
Delta generated ₦206.44 billion in IGR and spent ₦197.81 billion on personnel.
Other states whose IGR exceeded personnel expenditure were Kaduna, with ₦86.72 billion in IGR against ₦77.63 billion in personnel costs; Kwara, ₦85.21 billion against ₦65.22 billion; Abia, ₦66.86 billion against ₦62.26 billion; and Anambra, ₦54.24 billion against ₦39.95 billion.
Excluding Lagos, the remaining 33 states generated about ₦2.30 trillion in IGR in 2025, while their combined personnel expenditure stood at roughly ₦2.56 trillion.
Enugu records dramatic IGR increase
Enugu recorded the most significant increase in IGR during the period, rising from ₦25.12 billion in 2022 to ₦406.77 billion in 2025.
The increase of approximately ₦381.66 billion represented a compound annual growth rate of 153.01 per cent.
BudgIT, however, noted that much of the increase was linked to proceeds collected by the Enugu State Housing Development Corporation following the state government’s intervention in the landed property market.
The organisation expressed reservations about the classification of the receipts and warned about their potentially cyclical nature.
Niger recorded the second-fastest IGR growth, with collections increasing from ₦12.11 billion to ₦66.37 billion, while Abia’s IGR rose from ₦14.67 billion to ₦66.86 billion.
Not all states recorded growth. Jigawa experienced the sharpest decline, with IGR falling from ₦59.40 billion in 2022 to ₦35.27 billion in 2025.
Sokoto’s IGR dropped from ₦23.60 billion to ₦20.58 billion, while Ebonyi recorded a marginal decline from ₦23.89 billion to ₦23.25 billion.
Jigawa’s situation was particularly concerning because its personnel expenditure increased from ₦52.37 billion to ₦92.66 billion during the same period, even as its IGR declined.
FG urges states to increase revenue
The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, recently called for stronger fiscal federalism, improved revenue generation and economic diversification.
Speaking at the 2026 National Council on Finance and Economic Development Retreat in Owerri, Imo State, Oyedele urged stakeholders to review existing allocation and derivation principles while promoting greater fiscal responsibility and accountability among the three tiers of government.
He also urged state governments to improve their IGR, attract investments and create jobs rather than rely heavily on federal allocations.
Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, represented at the event by his deputy, Chinyere Ekomaru, said states must be empowered to generate more revenue and efficiently manage available resources.
Economist and former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Uyo, Prof. Akpan Ekpo, also called on states to explore new ways of increasing IGR, particularly by improving service delivery and creating conditions capable of attracting more revenue.
Similarly, Muda Yusuf, Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise, warned that many states remained financially unsustainable and could face serious fiscal challenges without increased investment.
He also urged governors to address bloated bureaucracies, excessive overheads and the large number of political appointees on state payrolls.
The findings underline the growing need for Nigerian states to strengthen their internally generated revenue, attract private investment and control recurrent expenditure if they are to reduce their dependence on federal allocations.
Our Reporter
Five people have been killed and 18 others injured in a multiple-vehicle crash at the Ugwu Onyeama axis of the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway in Enugu State.
The crash occurred on Thursday at about 3:18 p.m. near the Liquefied Natural Gas plant at Ugwu Onyeama, according to the Federal Road Safety Corps.
FRSC Route Commander, Theophilus Okoduwa, who confirmed the incident in Enugu, said 25 people were involved in the crash, comprising 13 males and 12 females.
He said 18 victims—seven males and 11 females—sustained various degrees of injuries, while five others, comprising four males and one female, died.
The vehicles involved were identified as a Dongfeng trailer, a Mitsubishi L300 commercial bus and a Honda car.
Okoduwa said FRSC personnel arrived at the scene within nine minutes of receiving the report and immediately commenced rescue and traffic management operations.
The injured victims were evacuated to Tex Hospital at 9th Mile Corner for medical treatment, while the bodies of the deceased were deposited at Ekochin Morgue, 9th Mile, after they were confirmed dead by medical personnel.
He added that traffic was diverted while efforts were made to remove the wreckage and restore normal movement along the expressway.
According to the FRSC official, preliminary findings suggested that wrongful overtaking and speeding may have contributed to the crash.
ENUGU — Excitement is building across Enugu State as the maiden edition of Peter Eze Youth Connect 2026 enters its final week, with young people looking forward to a programme designed to provide direct access to information, networks and opportunities.
The event is scheduled for Thursday, September 10, 2026, at the International Conference Centre (ICC), Enugu, under the theme: “Beyond Quotas: Unlocking Opportunities for Enugu Youths Through the Federal Character Commission.”
The initiative is being convened by the Federal Commissioner representing Enugu State at the Federal Character Commission, Hon. Peter Ogbonna Eze.
The programme is expected to bring together young people from across the 17 Local Government Areas of the state, including students, graduates, entrepreneurs, job seekers and young professionals seeking opportunities for career advancement, entrepreneurship and personal development.
Eze said the initiative was conceived in response to one of the major challenges facing young people, not necessarily a lack of opportunities, but difficulty accessing reliable information about where those opportunities exist and how to take advantage of them.
According to him, the programme will focus on helping participants understand how to identify legitimate opportunities, meet application requirements and properly position themselves for success.
“Our objective is to help young people understand where legitimate opportunities exist, how to identify them, how to apply, what is required, and how to position themselves for success,” Eze said.
He noted that many young Nigerians have the qualifications, talent and determination required to succeed but are disadvantaged by limited access to timely and accurate information.
He said Peter Eze Youth Connect would seek to bridge that gap by creating a platform where young people can learn about and connect with opportunities at both national and international levels.
The areas expected to feature prominently at the programme include employment, scholarships, grants, fellowships, internships, government programmes, private-sector opportunities, digital careers, entrepreneurship, career development and leadership.
Unlike conventional youth gatherings that often centre mainly on speeches and motivational messages, the organisers say the initiative is intended to emphasise access, practical information, guidance and meaningful connections.
Eze urged young people across the state to take advantage of the programme and approach it with seriousness, preparation and an open mind.
He also encouraged youths to move beyond waiting for opportunities to come to them, stressing the importance of developing the skills and knowledge required to identify, pursue and secure available opportunities.
With just one week to the event, anticipation is growing among young people in Enugu, with expectations that the initiative could help stimulate a broader conversation about youth development and access to opportunities in the state.
For the organisers, the central message is clear: the challenge is not only about creating opportunities, but also ensuring that young people know where to find them, how to access them and how to turn them into meaningful outcomes.
The Nigerian Defence Academy has released the list of successful and reserve candidates for admission into the 78 Regular Combatant Course.
The Academy said the Armed Forces Selection Board exercise for the 78 Regular Course was conducted between July 4 and August 19, 2026, after which successful candidates were offered admission.
According to a statement issued by the Academy Registrar, Brigadier General OA Ogunleye, successful candidates are required to report to the NDA Ribadu Campus (Old Site), Kaduna, on Saturday, September 12, 2026.
The Academy warned that candidates who fail to report by Monday, September 14, 2026, will forfeit their admission.
It said only candidates who were offered admission are expected to report, adding that they would be received at the Drill Shed, NDA Old Site, Ribadu Cantonment.
Candidates on the reserve list, according to the Academy, may be offered admission as vacancies arise. Such candidates will be contacted through their registered email addresses and telephone numbers.
Successful candidates have been directed to report with the original copies of their credentials, including their First School Leaving Certificate, Primary School Testimonial, WAEC or NECO results, Senior Secondary School Testimonial, Birth Certificate or Declaration of Age, and Letter of State of Origin.
They are also required to present the original, duly endorsed Parent/Guardian Consent Form. The Academy stressed that photocopies of the required documents would not be accepted.
“Any candidate who fails to present originals of the stated documents will not be accepted into the Academy,” the notice stated.
In addition to their academic and personal documents, candidates are expected to come with specified clothing, footwear, sportswear, bedding and other personal items.
The required items include black and white trousers, a dark-coloured lounge suit, national dress, black cover shoes, white and brown canvas shoes, football boots, a hockey stick, white shirts, socks, bed sheets and a pressing iron.
Female candidates are additionally required to bring black low-heel cover shoes, dark-coloured lounge skirts, black or blue short tights and trouser suits.
The NDA also directed all selected candidates to upload their O’Level results on the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board portal before reporting to the Academy.
Candidates who were not offered their preferred academic departments are required to log into the JAMB portal and effect the necessary change.
The Academy further instructed all successful candidates to accept their admission through the JAMB Central Admissions Processing System before reporting to the institution.
It warned that newly admitted candidates would not be permitted to receive visitors or leave the Academy during the first three months of their training.
The Academy urged all selected candidates and their parents or guardians to comply strictly with the admission requirements and reporting instructions.
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has defended the inclusion of a person under investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in President Bola Tinubu’s campaign structure for the 2027 presidential election.
Wike argued that being investigated by the EFCC does not automatically bar an individual from participating in political activities or canvassing votes for a candidate.
The minister spoke on Wednesday during a media parley he hosted, which was aired on Channels Television.
His comments followed controversy over the inclusion of former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, in the campaign structure for Tinubu’s re-election bid.
Edu was listed as the Director of Women Mobilisation in the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council. She was suspended by President Tinubu in January 2024 following allegations of financial impropriety and was subsequently investigated by the EFCC.
Wike questioned the criticism surrounding her appointment, arguing that an ongoing investigation should not be equated with a conviction.
“You (the media) were asking the moral justification of putting someone who has an EFCC case to be in a campaign council,” Wike said.
He added that it would be inconsistent to prevent someone under investigation from campaigning while people who had faced criminal cases were allowed to contest elections.
“Now, somebody cannot be in a campaign to canvass for votes for a particular person, but somebody who has an EFCC case can contest an election and win an election?” he asked.
Wike noted that there had been instances where individuals facing criminal allegations contested elections and eventually won.
“This person had an EFCC case in court, charged to court. He contested an election and became a governor,” he said, without identifying the person.
The former Rivers State governor further argued that even a person serving a prison sentence could express political support for a candidate.
“Even a prisoner… maybe they have somebody in prison. I go and visit the person. The person can tell me, ‘My brother, I want you to support so-and-so candidate.’ A prisoner has canvassed for vote,” he said.
Wike also referred to an unnamed individual allegedly linked to a coup plot, saying that the person had similarly participated in political mobilisation.
He questioned why someone being investigated by the EFCC should be barred from campaigning for a political candidate.
“I was watching, when Channels, when Sunrise, who came up to say, ‘Ah, how can somebody who’s being looked for as a coup plotter is now canvassing for votes for so-and-so government?’ Somebody EFCC is looking for is now canvassing for votes for so-and-so person,” Wike said.
He added, “But… a party, or a candidate cannot, simply because EFCC is investigating the person, cannot be a member of the campaign council to campaign for votes.”
APC Defends Edu
The controversy over Edu’s inclusion had earlier prompted the APC campaign council to defend her participation.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Morning Brief on Monday, a spokesperson for the campaign council, Kemi Asekun-Shittu, said it would be unfair to prevent Edu from participating in political activities simply because she was under investigation.
She stressed that Edu had not been found guilty of any offence.
“I’d like to say that for Betta Edu, for example, she has not been found guilty. And it will be unfair to ask that she leaves her life or refuses to live her life until the EFCC declares her,” Asekun-Shittu said.
She added that the former minister deserved an opportunity to re-engage with the party while awaiting the outcome of the investigation.
“We believe that there is very likely the issue that she may not be found guilty,” she said.
Asekun-Shittu further argued that every Nigerian was entitled to participate in politics, adding that the campaign council was an internal party structure and that the APC had the authority to determine who would serve on it.
She, however, noted that the list was not final and could still be reviewed.
Edu has not been publicly declared guilty of any offence in connection with the EFCC investigation.
-
News5 days ago
Wike: EFCC Probe Not Enough to Stop Anyone From Campaigning
-
News5 days agoNDA Releases Admission List for 78 Regular Combatant Course
-
News4 days agoONE WEEK TO GO: Peter Eze Youth Connect 2026 Builds Momentum in Enugu
-
Foreign5 days ago‘My Nigerian Husband Vanished After Getting UK Visa’ — British Woman
-
Politics5 days agoEbonyi Governor, Family May Face Travel Restrictions Over Alleged Political Intimidation — Group
-
Crime4 days agoReps Panel Uncovers 12 Alleged Fake Agencies, 58 Bank Accounts Linked to PFIPC DG
-
News3 days ago
Five Killed, 18 Injured in Another Ugwu Onyeama Road Crash
-
Crime3 days agoTwo Rivers Policemen Remanded Over Killing of UNIPORT Graduate