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Thursday, 29 October 2026Lagos · LondonUpdated 15:04 GMT

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State police moves closer as 30 state assemblies reportedly back constitution change

A Nigeria Police armoured vehicle
Stock image: theglobalpanorama / Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0

The plan to allow Nigerian states to run their own police forces has crossed a major hurdle. Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to the President and chairman of the Presidential Working Group on the reform, said 30 state Houses of Assembly have now endorsed the constitutional amendment, comfortably above the 24 required.

What happened

Gbajabiamila gave the update at the Nigerian Economic Summit in Abuja. He said 24 assemblies had approved the proposal by 23 October, and six more have since joined. Lagos, Niger, Kogi and Ebonyi were among the latest to vote in favour. A full list of the 30 states has not been published.

What happens next

The National Assembly must now collect the state resolutions and send the amendment bill to President Bola Tinubu for his signature. Separately, a draft National Policing Bill and 29 related amendment bills were sent to the Ministry of Justice on 19 October for review. After that review they will go to the President and then to the National Assembly.

The money question

Gbajabiamila stressed that states wanting their own police must show they can pay for it over time, including salaries, training and maintenance, and not just vehicles and equipment. States that are not ready will continue to rely on federal policing. He asked business groups to suggest ways of supporting funding, but warned that private donations must never buy influence over an investigation. Responding to fears that governors could misuse state police against opponents, he said a citizen's right to protection must not depend on who they support or where they come from.

Background

Calls for state police have grown for years amid kidnapping, banditry and communal attacks in many parts of the country. Senate President Godswill Akpabio also defended the reform this week. Earlier in October, only a handful of assemblies had voted, which made the recent rush of approvals a surprise to many observers.

More gist

Naija newsReported
A telecom mast above a building in Nigeria
Stock image: Rotimi8 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Reps threaten arrest warrants for MTN, Airtel and Glo bosses over poor network

A House of Representatives committee investigating poor telecom services says the heads of MTN, Airtel, Globacom and other operators must appear in person by 4 November or face arrest warrants. Lawmakers rejected a request for an industry body to speak on their behalf.

Read more

The House of Representatives has threatened to issue arrest warrants against the chief executives of Nigeria's major telecom companies if they fail to appear before a committee investigating poor network services.

What happened

The ad hoc committee, chaired by Olumide Osoba of Ogun State, invited MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria, Globacom, Mafab Communications and other licensed operators to explain persistent dropped calls, slow internet, failed airtime and data purchases, and poor coverage in many communities. When the companies again failed to send their top executives, lawmakers adjourned the hearing to 4 November 2026 and insisted the chief executives appear in person.

What lawmakers said

Lawmaker Sunday Umeha said the committee had considered seeking arrests at an earlier sitting but decided to give the executives another chance. He noted that invitations had been sent directly to the CEOs through the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), and a representative of the regulator confirmed this at the hearing. The committee also rejected a request for the chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Gbenga Adebayo, to speak for the companies. Umeha's motion requiring each CEO to appear was adopted by voice vote.

Background

Complaints about network quality have grown since telecom tariffs went up last year, with many subscribers saying they now pay more for worse service. Operators have blamed vandalism of fibre cables, power supply problems and the high cost of running sites.

What happens next

If the CEOs do not appear on 4 November, the committee says it will seek warrants to compel their attendance.

Naija newsReported
A high-voltage transmission tower and power lines
Stock image: Ron Clausen / Wikimedia Commons, CC0

FEC approves East and West super grids to lift power transmission to 19,000MW

The Federal Executive Council has approved procurement for new East and West super grids, which the Minister of Power says should raise transmission capacity from about 5,000MW to 19,000MW within two years. Tinubu has also ordered the clearing of more than 300 containers of power equipment stuck at the ports.

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The Federal Government has approved the start of procurement for two new high-capacity power lines, known as the East and West super grids, in a bid to fix the weak transmission network that stops much of Nigeria's electricity from reaching homes and businesses.

What happened

The decision was taken at the Federal Executive Council meeting chaired by President Bola Tinubu in Abuja on Wednesday, 28 October 2026. Minister of Power Joseph Tegbe told State House correspondents that the goal is to raise transmission capacity from about 5,000MW to 19,000MW within two years. He said Nigeria already has more than 13,000MW of available generation, but much of it is stranded because the grid cannot carry it.

The routes

The corridors are planned to run from Sokoto through Abuja into parts of the South. The government will start with the Lagos–Ogun, Benin–Port Harcourt and Abuja–Kaduna–Kano corridors. Tegbe said Lagos and Ogun alone account for about half of national electricity demand. The council also approved new transformers for the Ikeja West substation, a new line at the Katampe substation in Abuja and the upgrade of the Itumola–Shagamu line. The cost of the projects was not disclosed.

Other measures

Tegbe said a four-week technical audit is under way to make sure money goes to projects with real impact. The government has paid ₦1.23 trillion of about ₦3.3 trillion owed to gas suppliers and other power-sector players. Tinubu also ordered the ports and customs to clear more than 300 containers of electricity equipment, some of which have been stuck for up to 20 years. Work has started on a new National Control Centre in Osogbo to replace a facility that is 64 years old.

What happens next

Nigerians, used to frequent grid collapses, will be watching for results. The minister said the Lagos and Ikeja projects would show quickly whether power reaches consumers.

Naija newsReported
Two cooking gas cylinders against a wall
Stock image: Evil Monkey / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5

Cooking gas now sells for up to ₦1,600 per kg as demand rises

Cooking gas prices range from about ₦1,200 to ₦1,600 per kg across Nigeria, with Bauchi the most expensive, according to regulator data. Daily consumption rose to 5.2 kilotonnes in September, ahead of supply, and stocks cover only about 16 days.

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Nigerian households are paying between about ₦1,200 and ₦1,600 for a kilogramme of cooking gas, according to the latest data from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) for September 2026.

The prices

The regulator's survey found the highest price in Bauchi, at ₦1,600 per kg, and the lowest in Abuja, at about ₦1,200. In Lagos, prices ranged from ₦1,250 to ₦1,400. That means refilling a 12.5kg cylinder now costs roughly ₦15,000 to ₦20,000 depending on location.

Demand and supply

Daily consumption of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) rose by about 8 per cent to 5.2 kilotonnes in September, well above the official benchmark of 3.9 kilotonnes. Supply also rose, to about 4.7 kilotonnes a day, but still fell short of consumption by roughly 500 tonnes daily. Local production now provides almost all the gas, with NLNG and Seplat supplying more than half, while imports fell sharply. The Dangote Refinery supplied about 15 per cent. Stocks were enough for about 16 days, against a required 30, although the regulator said the figures did not point to a nationwide shortage.

Background

Gas prices rose by up to ₦75 per kg in two days earlier this month as international crude prices climbed, with some suppliers raising their rates from around ₦1,175 to ₦1,250 per kg. More families have switched to gas from kerosene and charcoal in recent years, pushing up demand.

What it means

For many families already under pressure from food and transport costs, the price of a refill has become another monthly worry. The regulator says the rise in local supply has helped shield buyers from sharper swings in world prices.

Naija newsReported
The Lagos skyline seen from the water
Stock image: kopee15 / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain

Senate passes bill raising penalties for oil polluters

The Senate has passed a bill to strengthen the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency, with heavier fines and criminal penalties for polluters. It now moves to the next stage of the legislative process.