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Opinion: Is Corruption to Blame for Nigeria’s Rising Energy Prices?
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By Joel Popoola
Nigerians are paying more and more as energy bills, and getting less and less for their money.
The National Bureau of Statistics last week reported that inflation has reached an eye-watering 15.9 per cent, driven in part by rising energy costs.
The NBS figures suggest that electricity, gas and fuel costs are now almost 12.5% higher than it was this time last year.
One recent study has suggested that Nigerians are now paying 68% of their monthly income on utilities.
These price rises come against a backdrop of energy shortages described as “incessant”, even leading to protests in places like Oyero, where one community leader has been quoted as saying:
“They only bring electricity occasionally. We pay these bills, yet we barely get electricity for two hours a day.”
A system collapse of the national electricity grid on April 8 was the third in less than a month and the fifth this year, leaving both Abuja, and Lagos, the largest city in all of Africa, without power.
In less than our decade the grid has failed over 200 times. With our energy system so unreliable, many Nigerians and businesses rely instead on diesel-powered generators. But diesel prices too have more than doubled since the start of the year.
The government is to some extent at the mercy of events. A post-COVID-19 surge in energy demand has placed huge pressure on energy systems across the world. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has made things worse.
But that does not change that fact that in 2018, the World Bank approved $486 million to improve Nigeria’s Electricity Transmission Network and infrastructure.
Can anyone claim that this investment has made much difference?
As always, it is hard not to come to the conclusion that a (literally on this occasion) brighter future for Nigeria has been squandered because of corruption.
That is certainly the view of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), who have called for an investigation into government spending on energy.
The Deputy Director of the group, Kolawole Oluwadare, has claimed that N11 trillion ($26bn) intended for investment in our electricity supply has allegedly been squandered by governments since 1999.
Oluwadare has been quoted as saying: “Nigerians have for far too long been denied justice, and the opportunity to get to the bottom of why they continue to pay the price for corruption in the electricity sector, staying in darkness, but still made to pay crazy electricity bills.
“The staggering amounts of public funds alleged to have been stolen over the years in the electricity sector have had catastrophic effects on the lives of millions of Nigerians, akin to crimes against humanity and the Nigerian people.”
If just a fraction of that N11 trillion had been spent on improving the resilience of our energy network and increasing domestic energy production with an emphasis on renewable sources like solar power.
And even if that figure is inaccurate, it will feel accurate to most Nigerians who have little faith in our democratic institutions. That needs to change.
SERAP has requested publication of the names of companies and contractors paid by government since 1999 to carry out electricity projects across the country. This is exactly the kind of transparency our democracy needs, and digital technology makes it easy to achieve.
The digital democracy campaign I lead is attempting to improve democratic transparency with technology.
One of our projects is a free smartphone app called Rate Your Leader, which puts politicians and the people they elect in direct person-to-person contact. Think of it as being friends on Facebook with your local representative, except that unlike other social media platforms, Rate Your Leader insists both sides can prove they are who they say they are, and makes abusive communication impossible.
Rate Your Leader creates a direct line between electors and elected, helping both sides better understand each other, and collaborate to make our communities better. It encourages politicians to do everything out in the open, and rewards them in the form of positive feedback and ratings from the people they serve, improving their reputation amongst their contacts, friends, peers and neighbours – the people whose opinions they trust the most.
Building trust in the political process has to start person-to-person, and politician to voter. And digital technology can deliver that change at the touch of a button.
Both corruption and energy security must be at the heart of the 2023 presidential election campaign.
Candidates must heed the call of business leader, Tony Elumelu, who has called for energy to be a central plank of election manifestos, stating “Elections are coming – security and resources need to be everyone’s agenda – let’s be vocal for our nation’s priority.”
Voters need to be clear that this is their priority. And leaders need to listen.
Joel Popoola is a Nigerian tech entrepreneur, digital democracy campaigner and creator of the Rate Your Leader mobile app.
The Centre for Reform and Public Advocacy (CFRPA) has filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Kano seeking the disqualification of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu from the 2027 presidential election over allegations of certificate forgery.
According to court documents seen by Daily Trust, the plaintiff alleged that Tinubu presented forged academic certificates from Chicago State University and a fake National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) during the 2023 elections.
The suit, marked FHC/K/CS/312/2026, lists Tinubu, INEC, and Chicago State University as defendants.
The plaintiff contended that Tinubu never attended Government College Lagos as claimed, noting that the school was established in 1974, four years after Tinubu allegedly graduated.
The CSO further argued that Tinubu does not possess a valid secondary school certificate, which is the minimum constitutional requirement to contest for the presidency.
It claimed that INEC had failed to act on its petition dated June 19, 2026, demanding clarification on Tinubu’s eligibility.
In its statement of claims, the group referenced a 2023 U.S. court ruling in In Re: Application of Atiku Abubakar (No. 23 CV 05099), which compelled Chicago State University to release Tinubu’s academic records.
The plaintiff insisted those records revealed false entries and inconsistencies, including a forged University of Cambridge General Certificate of Education.
The prayers asked by the plaintiff included declaration of forgery against Tinubu’s Chicago State University certificate, issuance of an order directing INEC to disqualify him from the 2027 presidential election, directing CSU to strike Tinubu’s name from its records and perpetual injunction restraining INEC from uploading Tinubu’s name as a candidate.
The plaintiff also submitted affidavits of non-multiplicity of action, witness statements, and letters to the NYSC and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, demanding disclaimers on the alleged fake NYSC certificate.
Following the abduction of yet-to-be-determined number of students writing the National Examinations Council examinations at Government Day Secondary School, in Lassa Town, Askira/Uba LGA of Borno state, the state police command has reportedly deployed security operatives to comb the forest in the area.
The aredevil terrorists stormed the school on Monday morning, killed one teacher and abducted many students.
The state command spokesperson, Nahum Daso, said security operatives confronted the attackers, preventing a larger-scale abduction.
“Around 9 a.m. in the morning, ISWAP attacked Lassa Day Secondary School. They shot sporadically. An unspecified number of students have been abducted.
“Security forces confronted them. For now, we have an unspecified number of students who were abducted. The CP deployed the Area Commander in Askira/Uba. They are currently combing the bush,” Daso said.
Also, President of the Borno South Youth Alliance, Samaila Kaigama, said the attackers wore military and forest guard uniforms.
“Yes. There was an attack on students writing NECO exams. The terrorists came around past nine. They passed the military checkpoint. They wore military and forest guard attire. They shot sporadically,” he said.
Kaigama said one teacher was killed while another sustained gunshot injuries.
“They killed one teacher from Chibok. They shot another, but not dead yet. They also kidnapped some students and women selling on the school premises. The numbers are not yet out,” he said
The African Democratic Congress (ADC), on Saturday, alleged that the Federal High Court ruling nullifying the recognition of the National Democratic Coalition (NDC) as a political party is part of a growing assault on Nigeria’s democracy.
The opposition party warned that the Lokoja court’s decision reflects a broader pattern of legal and administrative actions aimed at weakening opposition parties and shrinking the democratic space ahead of the 2027 general election.
In a statement, its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said the cumulative effect of such actions would be to undermine political competition and entrench those already in power.
“The cumulative effect of these attacks is unmistakable: they weaken the opposition, narrow the democratic space and strengthen the hands of those already in power. This is not how a healthy democracy functions,” the statement said.
The party argued that the ruling’s implications extend beyond the NDC, warning that prolonged legal battles involving opposition parties could deny Nigerians meaningful political choices.
It also accused the President Bola Tinubu administration of failing to provide a level playing field for all political parties, insisting that democracy can only flourish where institutions remain impartial and political actors are treated fairly.
“This has not been the case under the Bola Tinubu administration,” the ADC alleged.
The party urged the judiciary to safeguard its independence as the country approaches another election cycle, stressing that public confidence in the courts is critical to the credibility of the democratic process.
“The judiciary remains one of the last lines of defence for our democracy and must never be perceived as an arena where political battles are settled on behalf of those who wield executive power. Justice must not only be done; it must be seen to be done,” Abdullahi said.
The ADC further warned that any perception of judicial bias in politically sensitive cases could erode public trust in constitutional democracy and the electoral process.
It called on opposition parties, civil society organisations, organised labour, the media, legal practitioners and Nigerians to unite in defending democratic institutions and protecting the country’s multi-party system.
According to the party, attempts to intimidate or weaken opposition voices threaten constitutional rights, including freedom of association and political participation.
“Yesterday’s target was the NDC. Tomorrow, it could be anyone who dares to offer Nigerians an alternative. We must not wait until the democratic space has been completely suffocated before we act,” the statement added.
The ADC reaffirmed its commitment to defending Nigeria’s democratic values and preserving a competitive multi-party political system.
