Tinubu

*** Says despite high availability of limestone, cement price hits high roof, sells between N12,000 to N13,000 per 50kg bag

***Commodity sells far cheaper in Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Egypt, Morocco, others than Nigeria

*** Commission summons Dangote, BUA, others

By Eze Nnadi

As Nigerians groan over high cost of cement and other buildings materials, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has alleged a possible manipulation of the prices of the commodity by manufacturers and dealers in the country

This is as the commission made public it’s investigation into the high host of cement in Nigeria, despite the high availability of it’s major production raw material, limestone

It would be recalled that the high prices of cement has drastically affected the capacity and strength of Nigerians to build houses. This is even as governments contractors, especially those constructing roads with cement , have at one point or the other, requested for reviewed of the contracts they signed with the federal Ministry of Works, following the rising cost of product

The request similarly led to a recent call by the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi for the federal government to hold a meeting with the majority producers of cement in the country, Dangote and BUA, to address the unending rising cost of the product

FCCPC in a statement on Tuesday, disclosed that it carried out a three-month investigation into the rising cost of the building material despite the country’s substantial production capacity and limestone deposits.

The commission stated in the statement issued by its Director of Corporate Affairs, Ondaje Ijagwu, that preliminary findings showed that the prevailing prices of cement could not be fully explained by market conditions, adding that it has opened a further investigation into possible anti-competitive practices in the sector.

FCCPC stayed further that it’s investigation to it to compare the prices of cement in Nigeria with that of other African countries, including Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria and Togo.

Accordingly to the commission, “Findings from an industry-wide investigation conducted by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission suggest possible manipulation of prices of cement in the Nigerian market.

“This is the preliminary summation of the 40-page field reports collated following a three-month cross-border study by the Anticompetitive Practices Department of the Commission, undertaken in response to widespread public complaints over the high cost of cement, a common staple in the country’s construction industry.”

The commission regretted that Nigeria, with a substantial concentration of limestone deposits and installed cement production capacity estimated at between 60 million and 65 million metric tonnes annually, compared with domestic consumption of about 25 million to 30 million metric tonnes.still sells cement at a price far higher that other African countries where limestone is at a lesser concentration

It added that the situation has become more worrisome, as the price has remained low even in countries where Nigerian manufacturers export the product to, adding that despite the reported excess capacity of the product and Nigeria’s position as a net exporter to neighbouring countries, domestic cement prices had continued to rise.

According to the commission, market intelligence showed that a 50kg bag of cement, which sold for between N9,300 and N9,700 in January, rose to between N10,500 and N13,000 by mid-year.

It regretted that the price jumped higher by July , when it rose to between N13,000 and N15,000 in some parts of the country, while it remained steadily at lower prices in some African markets.

According to the FCCPC, “In Kenya, for instance, the 58.6 million population (76% lower than Nigeria’s) has domestic cement demand of approximately 9.3m MTPA (metric tonne per annum) in 2025. Retail price in Nairobi is $5.40 (N7,344). Kenya is endowed with limestone. In Tanzania, with population of 66.3m (72% lower than Nigeria’s) and the domestic cement demand is 9.3m MTPA (2025), a bag of cement sells for $4.80 (N6,528). In Togo, a bag sells for $6.75 (N9,180). Significantly, Togo does not have limestone deposit.”

The commission raised concerns about the price disparity, adding that Nigeria’s significant production capacity and raw material endowment had not translated into greater downward pressure on prices.

It however noted that industry players had attributed the high prices to energy costs, naira depreciation, imported machinery and spare parts, transportation and logistics expenses.

However, the FCCPC said it was testing those explanations against verified information on production costs, pricing, capacity utilisation and other market conditions.

The commission has therefore issued a notice and summoned the major players in the nation’s cement sector, demanding records relating to pricing methodologies, production, capacity utilisation, exports and commercial relationships.

The FCCPC explained further that the probe would determine whether cement prices were being driven by legitimate costs and market conditions or by anti-competitive practices, adding that would examine possible coordinated conduct, abuse of market power, restriction of domestic supply and anti-competitive distribution practices.

“Of particular concern to the Commission is that this level of production capacity has not resulted in the downward pressure on domestic prices that might ordinarily be expected in a competitive market with substantial excess capacity.

“Information provided by industry participants has identified energy costs, depreciation of the Naira and its effect on imported machinery and spare parts, as well as transportation and logistics costs, among the factors contributing to cement prices. The Commission is testing these explanations against verified information on costs, production, pricing and market conditions. However, the weight of preliminary findings provides sufficient grounds for the investigation to continue,” the statement stated further

The statement further quoted the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the FCCPC, Tunji Bello, as saying the probe was necessary because of cement’s strategic importance to the Nigerian economy.

“Cement occupies a strategic place in the Nigerian economy. Its price affects the cost of building a home, developing commercial property, delivering public infrastructure and, ultimately, the cost of doing business. When concerns persist about how such an important market is functioning, the Commission has a duty to look beyond assumptions and establish the fact

“Businesses are entitled to make legitimate commercial decisions and earn returns on their investments. Competition law does not prevent that. Its purpose is to protect the competitive process, so that prices, output and other market outcomes are determined by genuine competition rather than conduct that unlawfully restricts it,” Bello was quoted to have stated.

INEC Chairman

*** To deploy 1.4m ad-hoc staff in 176,000 polling units

*** Political parties earmark over N2.3bn for advertorials

*** APC to spend 70% of the total sum

By Williams Orji

As major political parties in Nigeria begin their political party campaigns today, Wednesday, August 18, 2026, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has announced plans to deploy approximately 1.4 million ad-hoc personnel across more than 176,000 polling units nationwide for the 2027 General Election, as the electoral body moves into full-scale preparations for what is expected to be one of the country’s largest and most logistically demanding elections.

INEC Chairman, Joash Amupitan, disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja when he received a Pre-Election Assessment Mission delegation of the International Republican Institute (IRI), led by former United States Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs and former U.S. Ambassador to South Africa, Jendayi Frazier.

Amupitan said the Commission had drawn important operational lessons from recent off-cycle elections, particularly the Ekiti and Osun governorship elections, as well as legislative by-elections, which he described as “live operational stress tests” for INEC’s technology, logistics and security coordination systems.

This is as economists and other stakeholders are worried on the estimated amount of money, alleged to be the money political parties had mapped out to spend as campaign funds, in their ability to convince and equally sway voters and potential voters to their sides come January 2027, when the presidential election is scheduled to hold in the country.

Amongst the major political parties that have billed to spend more funds for campaigns include the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), African Democratic Congress ADC and Nigeria Democratic Congress NDC, respectively, with other minor political parties also set to spend in small measures just to be noticed.

According to some political watchers, the kick off of the campaigns in major media platforms including door-to-door campaign and open campaign rallies will attract major chunk of the advert budget of the parties.

An economist based in Abuja, Dr.Ikenna Okwali, said this year’s campaigns and other related issues concerning wooing possible voters to their camps, will mark another milestone in political funding in the history of Nigeria.

“We are in an era where there are so much money in the hands of these politicians, especially those in the ruling party. This is neccesitated by some economic measures introduced by the present administration led by President Ahmed Bola Tinubu, which have seen many state governors, federal government agencies getting more allocations from the federal accounts. So, it is normal in Nigeria context to see a lot of money running into billions of naira being channeled to run the coming campaigns, especially that of the presidential election.”

He enthused that already the economic is beginning to affected by the amount of money being stacked away for the primary purpose of using such funds for advert and other campaigns.

Dr. Okwali, who spoke to our Reporter in his office said that already over N2.3trn have been set aside by these parties to canvass for votes as the campaigns start on Wednesday.

As we speak he ruling party like APC has all the financial capacity to run their campaigns seemlessly. They have the funds, they control the treasure. Almost all the governors are in their party. So, tell me how such party will not budgets huge sums of funds to execute their campaigns including buying the best advert spaces in the media landscape.

A media consultant, Chief Aheghigbe Omehie mentioned major social media platforms, major television and radio stations as would-be major beneficiaries of the funds to be expensed by these parties, with APC dolling more funds to oil their campaigns machinery.

“I tell you, APC will outsmart others in campaign spending. When you look at the caliber of politicians in their camp, of course you will know that the election is already won, if that will determine the success or otherwise of the election outcome.”

To Aminu Umar, a chieftain of APC, ” our great party is fully prepared to seal smoothly as these campaigns start tomorrow (today). We have the financial warchest to withstand any challenge that may come up during the campaigns.

” APC has the financial muscles to match even the opposition parties combined. Our finances are running in billions in readiness for the campaign kick-off.”

An opposition politician from ADC Shuaibu Mohammad opined that his party, the APC is equally fully prepared to fund its campaigns using all the available medium including the social media. He said that ADC will march APC in all fronts interns of all advert campaigns including door-to-door campaign.

However, the INEC chairman said the Commission is now directing its full institutional attention towards the 2027 elections, with preparations focused on strengthening voter registration and verification, improving logistics, expanding accessibility and deploying technology to protect the integrity of the electoral process.

He noted that INEC’s experience in recent elections has demonstrated the increasing reliability of its technological systems, particularly the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the electronic transmission and public display of polling-unit results through the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal.

Amupitan added that the real-time public display of Polling Unit Result Sheets, Form EC8A, had achieved upload rates of more than 98 per cent in recent off-cycle elections.
“Technology has permanently closed the door on legacy voting vulnerabilities, ensuring that the ballot box alone determines electoral outcomes,” the INEC chairman declared.

The assertion represents one of the strongest indications yet of the Commission’s confidence in the technological architecture that will underpin the 2027 elections, following years of controversies surrounding election result management, accreditation and transmission.

He said, ” On behalf of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), it gives me great pleasure to warmly welcome Ambassador Dr. Jendayi Frazier and the distinguished members of the International Republican Institute’s (IRI) Pre-Election Assessment Mission (PEAM) to the Commission’s Headquarters. For decades, the IRI has remained a dependable global partner in strengthening democratic institutions, fostering electoral integrity, and supporting electoral management bodies across Africa. We deeply appreciate your sustained interest and constructive engagement with Nigeria’s democratic journey

“Your visit from August 11 to 21, 2026, comes at a uniquely pivotal moment in our electoral calendar. Just three days ago, on Saturday, 15th August 2026, the Commission successfully conducted the Osun State Off-Cycle Governorship Election. Furthermore, tomorrow, Wednesday, 19th August 2026, marks the official statutory commencement of public campaigns and rallies for the 2027 General Election. Therefore, your mission is both timely and strategic, providing an independent lens on our operational environment as we transition into full-scale national preparations”

He noted further that the Commission has utilised off-cycle gubernatorial elections (including recent polls in Ekiti and Osun, as well as several legislative by-elections) as live operational stress tests for its technological architecture, field logistics, and security coordination frameworks.

“The performance of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) for dual biometric verification and the real-time public display of Polling Unit result sheets (Form EC8A) on the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal continues to demonstrate high operational reliability, achieving upload rates above 98% in recent off-cycle contests. Technology has permanently closed the door on legacy voting vulnerabilities, ensuring that the ballot box alone determines electoral outcomes.

“As we turn our full institutional focus toward the 2027 General Election, the Commission is scaling its administrative capacity to manage an unprecedented logistical operation. In 2027, INEC will deploy a workforce of approximately 1.4 million ad-hoc personnel across more than 176,000 Polling Units nationwide.

Our ongoing operational roadmap includes:

“Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) & Register Audit: Utilising the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) to eliminate duplicate records and maintain a clean, verified voter roll.

“We are equally clear-eyed regarding the systemic challenges confronting our democratic space. Security risks, localised electoral violence, vote-buying, and the rapid proliferation of hate speech, disinformation, and Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI) pose direct threats to voter confidence. To mitigate these risks, INEC works closely with security agencies under the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), alongside anti-graft agencies (EFCC and ICPC), to enforce election laws, monitor campaign finance violations, and prosecute electoral offenders.”

He emphasize that INEC views international election observation missions not as critics, but as invaluable institutional partners. The objective insights, risk analyses, and recommendations provided by pre-election missions like yours help us refine our operational strategies, identify blind spots, and build public trust. You can be assured of the Commission’s unreserved transparency, open door policy, and full cooperation throughout your engagement in Nigeria and ahead of your International Election Observation Mission (IEOM) for the 2027 General Election.

“As an electoral management body, INEC holds no preference for any political party or candidate. Our sole mandate is to serve as an uncompromising, impartial umpire dedicated to delivering a free, fair, credible, transparent, and inclusive election that reflects the sovereign will of the Nigerian people,” he reaffirmed

In another development, INEC said it has projected that Nigeria’s registered voting population will surpass 100 million ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The INEC national commissioner and chairman of Information and Voter Education Committee , Mallam Mohammed Haruna,disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja.

Haruna, who spoke at INEC “Joint Implementation Meeting of the Departments of Voter Education and Publicity (VEP) and Gender and Inclusivity (G&I) for the 2027 General Elections,” explained that with the previous voter register standing at over 93 million, it is expected to cross 100-million when the just concluded nationwide Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) is finalised, placing Nigeria as the largest electoral democracy in Africa.

The meeting was to draft the communication and inclusivity roadmap for the 2027 General Election, to ensure the elections were free, fair, credible, peaceful, and inclusive.

He tasked INEC information officers with delivering effective publicity to mobilise all eligible citizens.

“Our job is to give the widest and most effective publicity to all five sets of elections to mobilise all Nigerians of voting age to choose their leaders. This job is at once simple and complex,” he said.

He noted that managing communication for over 100 million voters requires high professional standards, urging information officers to equip themselves with relevant skills and basic legal frameworks.

“We must also be well-informed on other relevant legislation like the Freedom of Information and Data Protection Acts,” Haruna said.
He added that building on the success of recent off-cycle elections including Osun demanded harder work to deliver the freest and most credible general elections in the country’s history.

In his remarks, Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Mr Adedayo Oketola, reiterated the commission’s commitment under Prof. Joash Amupitan to credible and inclusive elections, as well as implementation of the outcome of the meeting.
Oketola described the joint meeting as timely and vital for drafting an actionable communication and inclusivity roadmap.

He said that while technological infrastructure and operational logistics form the backbone of electoral administration, the two departments constituted the human face and voice of the INEC.

“You build public trust, simplify complex procedures, and ensure that no eligible citizen is left behind,” Oketola said.

He, however, warned that the communication landscape leading into 2027 presents threats such as misinformation and disinformation aim to undermine voter confidence and fuel apathy.

“The antidote to disinformation is proactive, factual, and continuous public engagement.
“Our messaging must move beyond traditional announcement-style publicity into aggressive, daily civic education that demystifies our technology, such as the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and INEC Results Viewing (IReV), and reinforces the integrity of the open secret ballot system,” he said.

On gender and inclusivity, he reiterated that electoral access for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), women, youths, and elderly voters remained a constitutional right.
“From the deployment of Braille ballot guides and magnifying glasses to prioritising vulnerable queues and expanding youth participation through Continuous Voter Registration (CVR), 2027 must set a new benchmark for electoral access in Nigeria,” he said

The Director of VEP, GVictoria Eta-Messi, said that INEC grassroots reach with regard to voter sensitisation and enlightenment depends largely on the capacity and efficiency of the heads of department, VEP who were expected to be drivers of the programmes in their respective states.

Eta-Messi said that the implementation meeting provides clarity and direction for uniformity in task execution.
“The off-cycle governorship elections are out of the way, and what lies ahead is the 2027 general election, and going by the line of activities of both departments, this meeting takes precedence and sets the tone for what lies ahead.

“This meeting will therefore provide a platform for both departments to walk participants through the commission approved activities, highlight the strategies for implementation, and ensure that the timelines and expectations are clearly understood.
At the meeting were heads of departments of of VEP and G&I across the 36 states and the FCT.

*** Kogi, Enugu benefit from gas derivation revenues

By Williams Orji

Nigeria’s elected officers are to earn more despite the biting economic situation in the country.

This follows the review of the revenue allocation formula as well as the remuneration of their salaries and others, by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC). Also to benefit from the review are public and judicial office holders.

Chairman of the commission, Dr Mohammed Shehu, disclosed this in Abuja on Saturday while presenting an overview of RMAFC’s achievements and institutional developments from 2023 to date.

The disclosure was contained in a statement issued by Hajia Maryam Yusuf, Head of the Information and Public Relations Unit of the commission.

Shehu said the proposals arising from the revenue allocation and remuneration reviews had reached advanced stages and were awaiting consideration by the relevant authorities.

He said the commission’s activities over the period had been driven by fiscal reforms aimed at strengthening its constitutional responsibilities.

“This mandate is on revenue monitoring, derivation verification and fiscal coordination.

“The commission has improved data integrity, enhanced inter-agency collaboration and promoted equitable distribution of national revenue among the three tiers of government.”

According to him, RMAFC had stepped up its monitoring of oil and gas production data to ensure the proper implementation of the 13 per cent derivation principle.

He explained that verification exercises, geospatial mapping and cooperation among relevant agencies had helped resolve longstanding disputes over the attribution of oil wells.

“Also, 17 oil wells were reallocated from Imo to Rivers in compliance with a Supreme Court judgment.

“Similar interventions had been undertaken in Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Imo and Anambra states.

“The improved gas production reporting had enabled Enugu and Kogi states to benefit from derivation revenues,” he said.

Shehu said RMAFC had also expanded its cooperation with key institutions in the petroleum sector, including the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd. and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority.

He added that the commission was working with the National Boundary Commission and the Office of the Surveyor-General to improve revenue monitoring and fiscal coordination.

“The RMAFC has also strengthened collaboration with the National Boundary Commission (NBC) and the Office of the Surveyor-General.

“The RMAFC is engaging with the Ministry of Defence to address crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism and production losses,” he said.

Beyond the oil and gas sector, the RMAFC chairman said the commission was seeking alternative revenue sources through partnerships with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria and the National Space Research and Development Agency.

He said satellite imagery and geospatial technology were among the tools being explored to identify additional revenue opportunities.

On the remuneration of public office holders, Shehu said the commission had concluded the review covering judicial officers, resulting in the Judicial Office Holders Salaries and Allowances Act, 2025.

He added that the review of salaries and allowances for executive and legislative office holders had also reached an advanced stage.

According to him, an executive bill on the Political and Public Office Holders (Salaries and Allowances) Act, 2026, would be forwarded to the National Assembly.

“The remuneration reforms must be matched with accountability and performance. Improved pay should translate into improved service delivery,” he said.

Shehu described the review of the revenue allocation formula as one of the commission’s major responsibilities, noting that the exercise involved consultations with the three tiers of government, technical stakeholders and Nigerians across the country.

He said issues including fiscal responsibilities, revenue patterns and practices in other federal systems were considered during the exercise.

According to him, the consultations culminated in a harmonised report and legislative proposals that are now ready for submission to the appropriate authorities.

“The objective is to establish a more equitable and sustainable revenue-sharing framework reflecting current economic and governance realities.”

The chairman also disclosed that the commission had upgraded some of its infrastructure through the rehabilitation of key facilities, installation of improved security systems and ongoing renovation of its headquarters.

He said staff welfare had received attention through enhanced healthcare services, training and capacity-building programmes aimed at improving the technical competence of personnel.

Shehu said the commission’s engagement with the Nigerian Guild of Editors was part of its broader strategy to promote transparency and improve public understanding of its constitutional responsibilities.

He reaffirmed RMAFC’s commitment to proactive communication, data-driven reforms and closer cooperation with the media, stressing that effective engagement was important for strengthening accountability in public finance.

Chairman of the Public Affairs and Communication Committee of RMAFC, Mr Ismail Agaka, also commended the media for its contribution to democratic accountability.

He reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to maintaining regular engagement with stakeholders.