By Patrick Idowu

Several agencies and institutions under the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), have remained without electricity for over a month following their disconnection by the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC), over unpaid bills.

The Director of the Department of Facilities Maintenance and Management (DFMM), Engr. Ayuba Usman, confirmed the development, saying efforts were ongoing to resolve the issue.

Among the worst affected is the FCT Water Board, raising concerns over possible water shortages in Abuja. Power supply has been cut to its headquarters in Garki and the Usuma Dam water treatment plant in Bwari Area Council.

Also affected are Asokoro District Hospital, Bwari General Hospital and Government Girls Secondary School, Dutse.

Usman said the exercise was carried out by AEDC area managers, noting that some agencies were spared due to mutual understanding between both parties.

Reports indicate that the water treatment plant owes about N600 million, while Bwari General Hospital is indebted to the tune of N400 million.

Findings also show that only 30 per cent of electricity bills covering November 2024 to April 2025 were paid, leaving a 70 per cent outstanding balance.

In a January 12, 2026 letter to the Nigeria Civil Service Union, the FCT Water Board protested what it described as persistent power disconnections, warning that the action had disrupted water production and posed public health risks.

Confirming the disconnections, AEDC’s Head of Brand Marketing and Corporate Communication, Omede Odekina, said the company could not continue supplying electricity without payment, stressing that disconnection becomes inevitable when negotiations fail.

By Onyeanya Ebere Immaculata

The Nigerian Navy has pledged support for the Federal Government’s plan to achieve 2.5 million barrels per day (mbpd) of crude oil production by 2027, vowing to combat oil theft, pipeline vandalism, and other security threats in the Niger Delta and offshore areas.
Rear Admiral Suleiman Ibrahim, Flag Officer Commanding Central Naval Command, announced the commitment at the launch of Operation Delta Sentinel at the Navy Ship Pathfinder Jetty in Port Harcourt on Tuesday. The operation, a revamped version of Operation Delta Sanity, will strengthen maritime and riverine security over an initial one-year period, with 90-day renewals.
Ibrahim said the Navy’s efforts will include intelligence-led missions, closer coordination with regulators, security agencies, state governments, and host communities, and the deployment of Maritime Domain Awareness infrastructure, new maritime platforms, and manned and unmanned air assets. He noted that crude oil losses had dropped from 102,900 barrels per day in 2021 to about 9,600 bpd by September 2025, a 90% reduction.
Rear Admiral Chiedozie Okehie, Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Naval Command, highlighted the successes of Operation Delta Sanity II in 2025, reporting 203 arrests, 324 illegal refining sites deactivated, and millions of litres of stolen petroleum products seized, valued at over ₦3.65 billion.
The Navy confirmed that Operation Delta Sentinel will deploy 10 gunboats, three drones, and other security assets to protect national oil infrastructure and support increased production.

By Onyeanya Ebere Immaculata

The Federal Government has inaugurated a high-purity gold refinery in Lagos and is set to commission a $600 million lithium processing plant in Nasarawa State, as part of efforts to boost local mineral processing and value addition. Three more gold refineries are also under development across the country.
Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, described the projects as key outcomes of Nigeria’s value-addition policy, aimed at positioning the country as Africa’s leading minerals hub and a strategic supplier of critical minerals for the global energy transition.
Alake spoke on Tuesday during a meeting with Saudi Arabian Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources, Ibrahim Al-Khorayef, ahead of the Future Minerals Forum in Riyadh. The discussion focused on deepening bilateral cooperation in mineral development, technology transfer, capacity building, and sustainable mining practices.
The minister highlighted that the new facilities reflect Nigeria’s commitment to stop exporting raw minerals and instead process them locally. He added that a joint Nigeria-Saudi working group had been reviewing priority areas such as mineral traceability, ESG compliance, and mine remediation, with a possible MoU expected from the forum.
Al-Khorayef praised Nigeria’s mining potential and encouraged the country to showcase investment opportunities to Saudi investors, noting the benefits of adopting advanced mining technologies.
Nigeria’s recent reforms aim to curb illegal mining, strengthen regulation, and attract investment, with lithium, gold, and other critical minerals seen as central to economic diversification and global clean-energy supply chains.