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Lawan Urges FG To Reverse Privatisation Of Power Sector

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Senate President Ahmad Lawan on Tuesday called on the Federal Government to review or reverse the privatisation of the nation’s power sector.

Lawan made the call while contributing to a motion on the “Power Sector Recovery Plan and the Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic” sponsored by Senator Gabriel Suswam (Benue North East)

Lawan said: “We gave them our common patrimony and they still come back as DisCos and GenCos to look for money from the public.

“The time has come to review and probably reverse this privatisation, if we leave them for the next 10 years there would be no power in Nigeria.

“Like I said before this motion was taken, the privatisation has so far not been successful.

“We expected efficiency, effectiveness in power supplies but probably on both sides, maybe the purchase agreements were not adhered to on both sides.

“What is obvious is that the DisCos particularly have no capacity at the moment to supply us power.

“The GenCos have challenges too. It is not good that we give them money we sold – these are businesses.

“If there are areas we must intervene as a government must be seriously justified.

“The way it is I think there is need to review this privatisation to see what has happened. Something is certainly not right.

“In the event that this thing does not work properly, there will be need for the government to look into it.”

Meanwhile the Senate after its debate on the motion resolved to “Commend the Federal Government for the proactive initiative to establish the N1.7 trillion COVID-19 Crisis Intervention Fund to cater for issues that are critical to effective management of the Pandemic and to stimulate gradual return to normal socio-economic activities in the country.

“Urge the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Finance to include the Nigerian Electric Power Sector in the disbursement of the proposed N500 billion COVID-19 Crisis Intervention Fund.

“This was in order to ameliorate the financial hazards and operational challenges such as the enumeration of metering of actual consumers and recent problem arising from the pandemic.

“Urge the Federal Government to suspend the planned tariff increase which is scheduled to take effect from 1st of July, 2020 bearing in mind the increased hardship resulting from the COVID-19 Pandemic.

“Mandate the Senate Committee on Power to investigate all Federal Government interventions in the power sector since the privatization of the sector to date with a view to ascertaining the adequacy of such interventions and other desired impact, and to report back within four weeks.

“Mandate the Senate Committee on Power to investigate all market participants in the power value chain and ascertain the level of corporate governance compliance in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) and to report back within four weeks.

“Urge the Central Bank of Nigeria to allow operators in the power sector access to foreign exchange for procurement and materials like what is done in the aviation and oil industry.

“Urge the Federal Government to consider additional tariff support to cushion the effect of rate shock over a fixed period to allow time required for TCN and DisCos to access funds and implement performance improvements investments that will support increased tariffs to certain classes of customers especially during the pandemic.”

Senator Suswam in his lead debate said that the Senate is aware that at the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, “the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Finance intimated the leadership of the National Assembly of plans to establish a N1.7 trillion COVID-19 crisis intervention fund to be utilized to upgrade healthcare facilities across the country, stimulate agriculture, solid materials, power sector and also execute social intervention programmes that will benefit the masses.”

He noted that while the appropriate executive bill that will articulate the actual use of the fund is yet to be presented to the Senate for consideration, “the devastating impact of the pandemic on the power sector has necessitated the need for the Senate to draw the attention of the Federal Government to the need to include the sector in the disbursement of the proposed fund.”

He said that this is in view of “the vital role of stable electricity supply to current efforts towards jumpstarting the economy which is till groaning under the impact of the pandemic.”

Suswam added: “The stable and uninterrupted power supply is also a critical factor in the management of COVID-19 patients as well as in the implementation of the proposed upgrade of healthcare facilities across the country after the pandemic.

“Aware that prior to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) was already facing teething operational constraints including the absence of cost-reflective tariffs, inadequate enumeration and metering of consumers, limited access to funds for investment, poor revenue generation and high levels of aggregate technical, commercial and collection (ATC&C) losses.

“Generation Companies (GenCos) were owed 72 per cent of their revenue in 2019 while the Distribution Electricity Companies (DisCos) reported average ATC&C losses of about 41 per cent in the same year.

“All these constraints prevented the NESI from performing optimally across the power value chain.

“Alarmed that the COVID-19 pandemic has further impacted negatively on NESI as the DisCos reported a 50% loss of their average monthly revenue collection for the months of March and April 2020 respectively even as the Federal Government continues to harp on the need for a stable electricity supply.”

Lawmakers in their contributions supported the motion.

Senator Francis Fadahunsi in his contribution lamented that even though the Federal Government spent huge sums of money between 2006 till date, it has only been able to generate 6000 megawatts of power.

On his part, Senator Abubakar Kyari said: “I am not comfortable with the term cost effective tariff when no one has been able to say how much is spent in producing a megawatt so as to determine how much to charge. Everything is based on assumptions and something must be done about it.”

“The data that is being used to take decisions in the sector are incorrect, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi said.

Senator Uche Ekwunife noted that “There is no difference between NEPA and DisCos as power is hardly available in the rural areas.”

“I commend the initiative of the Federal Government for a stimulus package of N1.7 trillion in the COVID-19 intervention fund,” Senator Adamu Aliero said.

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NIA Strives To Simplify Claims Payment

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By Sola Alabadan

The Nigerian Insurers Association (NIA) is working to simplify the claims payment process and enhance customer service, with a focus on prompt payment of claims and ease of onboarding insurance customers

NIA Chairman, Mr. Kunle Ahmed, stated this in Lagos during the maiden Insurance Week, with a call to action for Nigerians to embrace insurance.

The week-long event with the theme, “Insurance For All: Securing Nigeria’s Future,” was organised by the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN) under the leadership of the Institute’s President, Mrs. Yetunde Ilori, to create awareness about the various services and products offered by insurance companies.

The NIA boss said that the insurance week is for the insuring public and intending clients, hence insurers have come up with new products for their customers.

He said: “this week, all insurance practitioners are focused on activities that will further create awareness for the insurance industry, including prompt claims payment, insurance products, ease of onboarding insurance customers and general awareness.

The NIA Chairman also urged Nigerians to consider purchasing insurance products to secure their future.

He added that all arms of the industry is fully partcipating in the Insurance Week programme to increase insurance penetration and provide Nigerians with the protection they needed.

The NIA Chairman, cited the industry’s payment of N622 billion claims to customers in 2024 as an testament of its effectiveness and reliability.

Ahmed advised those with issues with insurance companies to reach out to the NIA or the CIIN for assistance.

He assured the public that the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) is committed to protecting the rights and interests of clients.

“With a vibrant regulatory framework in place, the industry is working to ensure that insurance companies operate efficiently and effectively,”the NIA Chairman said.

Other dignitaries at the event included : Mr. Olusegun Omosehin, Commissioner For Insurance, Mr Eddie Efekoha, Chairman, Organising Planning Committee of the maiden Insurance Week, Prince Babatunde Oguntade, President, NCRIB, Mr Tope Smart, Chairman, NEM Insurance,among others.

The Insurance Week which began on Saturday, June 28, 2025 with the Insurance Awareness Walk, would continue on Tuesday with the Insurance Awareness Campaigns at Secondary Schools and MSMEs.

An Insurance Outreach would take place on Wednesday at major markets and stores, while an Hackathon competition would hold at CIFM, Asese on Thursday, where young minds, students, and professionals will come together to develop bespoke insurance products that meet the needs of customers.

On Friday would be the grand finale of the programme to recognise and award practitioners in the industry who have contributed significantly to promoting insurance in Nigeria.

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CIIN Takes Insurance Education To Markets, Malls In Lagos

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The Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN) recently organised Community Outreach and Roadshow in Lagos, as part of its broader mission to deepen insurance awareness and improve financial literacy among everyday Nigerians.

Held across key commercial hubs in Lagos, the roadshow made impactful stops at Sabo, Bariga, Oyingbo Market, Shoprite Ikeja, and SPAR Tejuosho, where the public was engaged on the relevance of insurance in everyday life.
Through vibrant street activations, interactive sessions, and one-on-one engagements, the initiative focused on demystifying insurance and breaking down its benefits in relatable terms.

At each location, insurance practitioners were on hand to share insights, answer questions, and distribute informative materials that addressed common misconceptions about insurance and highlighted the ease of access to insurance products tailored for individuals, traders, and small businesses.

The community outreach was part of the programmes lined up for the Insurance Week with the theme, “Insurance For All: Securing Nigeria’s Future”.
The one week long event was organised by the CIIN under the leadership of the Institute’s President, Mrs. Yetunde Ilori, to create awareness about the various services and products offered by insurance companies.

Speaking on the initiative, the Head of Brands and Event, Rex Insurance, Emmanuel Ndoh noted: “Insurance is not a luxury; it’s a necessity. We are proud to be part of this collaborative effort with CIIN to take insurance education directly to the people—where they live, shop, and work. Our goal is to build trust and show that with Rex Insurance, you’re not alone.”

This outreach effort is part of the programmes of the Insurance Week organised by the nation’s insurance industry to make insurance simpler, more accessible, inclusive and become a household name in the country.

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Universal Insurance, NHIA, PTAD, Rite Foods, Sponsor NAIPE 2025 AGM

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The Universal Insurance Plc, National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), as well as Rite Foods Limited, will be sponsoring the 2025 Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Nigerian Association of Insurance and Pension Editors (NAIPE) on July 8 in Lagos.
NAIPE is the umbrella body for journalists covering insurance and pension sectors in Nigeria.
Companies that sponsor the AGM have the unique opportunity to market their products and services to NAIPE members during the event who will in-turn push out the information to the general public through publication of stories and analysis in their mediums and platforms.
Stories generated from the event will be in the media for over one month.
The Universal Insurance Plc is one of the nation’s largest personal lines insurer with over N8 billion in assets, selling eight major lines of insurance, including auto, property and commercial.
Universal Insurance offers a broad spectrum of insurance products for all types of businesses, corporate and individuals with unique services delivery.
According to Universal Insurance Plc, “Our vision is to be a dominant, specialised non life insurer in Nigeria, creating and delivering value to stakeholders while our mission is to offer specialised non life insurance protection to clients inspired by innovation, efficiency and prompt claims settlement.”
The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) was established under the National Health Insurance Act which was signed into law on 19 May 2022, replacing the National Health Insurance Scheme Act of 1999.
As of today, data shows that about 20 million Nigerians are covered by the scheme.
NHIA offers several benefits, including financial protection against high medical costs, access to quality healthcare services, and a comprehensive benefits package that covers a wide range of medical needs.
Meanwhile, the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) was established in 2013 and drawing its mandate from the Pension Reform Act of 2014, PTAD was tasked with consolidating and managing pensions under the Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS) for pensioners who retired on or before June 30, 2007 and did not transit to the Contributory Pension scheme.
PTAD has marked a significant milestone of revolutionising Nigeria’s public sector pension administrative system.
When the Directorate was created, it inherited a host of challenges that had long plagued the legacy pension offices. These offices, comprising the Police, Customs, Immigration, Prisons, and the Civil Service, as well as the Boards of Trustees of Treasury funded Parastatals, Universities and Research Institutions and Agencies, were historically managed in a fragmented, inefficient, and underfunded manner. By 2004, this mismanagement had culminated in pension liabilities exceeding N2 trillion.
At the helm of affairs of the Directorate is the Executive Secretary, Tolulope Abiodun Odunaiya, a dynamic and results-oriented professional with a proven track record of managing complex workflows and consistently driving measurable outcomes. She was appointed to the position in November 2024, by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Rite Foods Limited is the producer of Bigi Drinks, Fearless Energy Drinks, Sosa Fruit Drinks, and Rite and Bigi Sausage Rolls.
The company ably led by managing director/CEO, Mr. Seleem Adegunwa, believes in the power of innovation and its potential to change the recycling business.
As Nigeria’s top food and beverage manufacturer, it said: “we are committed to helping recyclers to adopt cutting-edge techniques to recycling plastic trash, particularly in coastal areas, among other Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives.”

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