President Tinubu Approves Payment Plan To Settle N3.3trn Power Sector Debt

President Bola Tinubu has approved a payment plan to settle the N3.3 trillion outstanding debt in the power sector under the presidential power sector financial reforms programme.

Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to the president on information and strategy, announced the approval in a statement on Sunday.

The approval comes almost four weeks after the Association of Power Generation Companies (APGC) said gas firms are planning to stop supply to thermal power plants over an estimated N3.3 trillion debt owed by generation companies (GenCos).

On February 19, APGC said the federal government owes GenCos about N6.5 trillion.

According to Onanuga, the repayment plan followed the final review of the legacy debts that have impacted the power sector for more than a decade.

“The long-standing debts accumulated between February 2015 and March 2025. Following verification, ₦3.3 trillion has been agreed as a full and final settlement, ensuring a fair and transparent resolution,” he said.

“Implementation has begun, with 15 power plants signing settlement agreements totalling ₦2.3 trillion. The Federal Government has already raised ₦501 billion to fund these payments. Out of the amount, N223 billion has been disbursed, with further payments underway.”

The spokesperson said generation will be more stable with payments reaching the power value chain, and with power plants supported, electricity reliability will improve.

Onanuga said as the power sector stabilises, more investment, more jobs, and better service will follow.

Also, Tinubu commended all stakeholders who supported efforts to resolve the legacy issues in the power sector.

The president also said the next phase (Series II) will begin this quarter.

Speaking on the approval, Olu Arowolo-Verheijen, special adviser on energy to the president, said the programme is not just about settling legacy debts, but also about restoring confidence across the power sector, and ensuring gas suppliers are paid.

Arowolo-Verheijen said it will ensure gas suppliers are paid, power plants keep running, and the system begins to work more reliably.

Tinubu

“It is part of a broader set of reforms already underway — including better metering and service-based tariffs that link what you pay to the quality of electricity you receive,” the special adviser said.

“The government is also prioritising power supply to businesses, industries, and small enterprises — because reliable electricity is critical to creating jobs, supporting livelihoods, and growing the economy.”

Arowolo-Verheijen said the goal of the programme is to provide “more reliable power for homes, stronger support for businesses, and a system that works better for all Nigerians”.

President Tinubu Unveils Ogun Airport

President Bola Tinubu on Saturday arrived in Ogun State to commission the Gateway International Airport in Iperu and unveil a new state-owned airline, Gateway Air, marking a significant milestone in the state’s ongoing infrastructure development agenda.

The inauguration ceremony, broadcast live on TVC, highlighted the federal and state collaboration in advancing transportation and economic growth in the region.

The President is also scheduled to commission and inspect several other key projects across sectors, including transportation, energy, agriculture, and security, reflecting the government’s commitment to comprehensive development and investment in the state’s economy.

Gateway International Airport. Photo credit: TVC
According to a statement released by PBAT Media Centre, the projects slated for commissioning include the “unveiling of newly acquired aircraft under Gateway Air, the commissioning of a cargo facility at the airport, the 30MW Independent Power Plant at Onijanganjangan near Ewekoro, and major road projects such as the Ilishan–Iperu Road, the Sagamu–Iperu–Ode Remo–Sapade Road, and the Gateway International Airport Road.”

Other initiatives slated for commissioning include the “reconstructed Old Ibadan Road, to be renamed Bola Ahmed Tinubu Expressway, distribution of electric bikes, agricultural equipment such as tractors, security vehicles, ambulances, and the Nigeria Customs Service Village and Forward Operating Base.”

In an earlier statement, Governor Dapo Abiodun, in welcoming the President on behalf of the state, said the visit underscores a shared commitment to development across multiple sectors.

The governor explained that the projects reflect efforts to improve infrastructure, mobility, security, emergency response, agriculture, and energy support.

President Tinubu Unveils Ogun Airport

Abiodun said the initiatives also demonstrate a partnership between the Ogun State Government and the Federal Government’s development agenda.

“These projects reflect our shared commitment to infrastructure development, improved mobility, enhanced security, emergency response, agricultural advancement, energy support, and economic transformation,” he said.

The governor further explained that the projects stand as evidence of a resolve to build a “more prosperous Ogun State while contributing meaningfully to the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Federal Government.”

President Tinubu Complains Of Blackout At Plateau Airport During Condolence Visit

Blackout at Plateau airport. Amnesty International berated Mr Tinubu for failing to protect lives.

President Bola Tinubu, on Thursday, lamented the blackout at Plateau airport during a condolence visit to the state over the Palm Sunday attack that left at least 30 people dead.

“Please be seated,” Mr Tinubu said. “You have no light at the airport, and I have to fly back within the next 10 minutes.”

The president, who limited his visit to just the airport, met with the families of Anguwan Rukuba attack victims and other political stakeholders in the state.

“To the victims, there’s nothing I can give you, whether money in billion, but promise you this experience will not repeat itself,” Mr Tinubu said.

Against the backdrop of the attack on Anguwan Rukuba, People Gazette reported that at least 119 people have been k1lled in various coordinated attacks in Plateau State.

Frequent attacks and the surging death toll have sparked reactions and public outrage from within and outside Nigeria, with many berating Mr Tinubu’s government for failing in its core responsibility of protecting life and property.

Citing the Palm Sunday attack and others recorded in Plateau State in recent times, Amnesty International berated Mr Tinubu for “failing to protect lives.”

Electricity

“With the death toll from the Palm Sunday attack in central Nigeria surpassing 30 people, the Nigerian authorities must investigate the inexcusable security lapses that enabled the horrific attack by gunmen on motorbikes on Anguwan Rukuba community of Jos North LGA of Plateau State.

“The area, nature of the attack and timing show how increasingly vulnerable people are to being k1lled anywhere and anytime. More dead bodies are still being found and conveyed to the morgue. Plateau State is increasingly becoming unsafe,” Amnesty International said in a statement on Tuesday.