By Our Reporter with agency report

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has advised Nigeria against restoring broad petrol subsidy, recommending targeted support for vulnerable households to cushion the impact of rising energy costs.

IMF said blanket petrol subsidies were expensive, often benefited higher-income consumers disproportionately and could worsen fiscal pressures amid rising borrowing costs.

Rodrigo Valdés, director of the IMF’s fiscal affairs department, spoke during a press briefing on the fund’s fiscal monitor at the 2026 annual meetings of the IMF and World Bank in Bangkok, Thailand, on Wednesday.

His comments followed a question on how the fund could recommend allowing energy prices to reflect scarcity when higher fuel prices in Nigeria could raise transport costs, worsen inflation and deepen poverty, particularly when the government was facing calls to restore petrol subsidy ahead of an election year.

“Protecting people is not the same as protecting the price of fuels,” Valdés said.

He said fuel subsidies or measures preventing prices from adjusting fully to an energy shock had cost countries between 1 percent and 1.5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2026.

“It’s first fiscally very costly, and second, if you look at the pattern of consumption, it’s easy to see that that subsidy is readily regressive in many places,” he said.

Valdés said governments should instead use social safety nets and household data to identify people who need assistance.

“There are better tools to deal with this,” he said.

The federal government recently announced a 30-day petrol discount at Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited retail stations, with priority for public transport operators, to cushion the impact of rising fuel prices.

Taiwo Oyedele, minister of finance, said NNPC retail would sell petrol at cost by foregoing its retail profit margin, describing the measure as temporary relief rather than a return to petrol subsidy.

The government also proposed negotiating a ceiling of N1,350 per litre on petrol’s ex-gantry or landing cost, subject to monthly reviews

IMF URGES FG TO REDIRECT SUBSIDY GAINS TOWARDS VULNERABLE PEOPLE

The IMF also recommended targeted interventions to cushion the effect of higher fuel prices on transportation costs.

Davide Furceri, a division chief in the fund’s fiscal affairs department, said governments could redirect some of the resources spent on blanket subsidies towards vulnerable consumers.

“For example, you mentioned transportation costs. Yeah, gasoline could go up, and perhaps bus fees may be subsidised in a way that is a much better policy at the end of the day than just a blanket subsidy for everybody,” Furceri said.

He also suggested alternatives such as school feeding programmes, geographical targeting and assistance for vulnerable farmers.

READ ALSO: Atiku accuses Tinubu of copying his fuel subsidy proposal

Furceri acknowledged that some countries lacked household registries and digital payment systems needed to deliver targeted support effectively.

However, he said governments could adopt alternative approaches in the short term while developing stronger systems.

He recommended that assistance should be limited, targeted and temporary.

Valdés explained that fuel subsidies could worsen global energy pressures by preventing demand from adjusting when supplies were constrained.

“When you subsidise, you don’t allow, at the end of the day, demand to adjust,” he said.

“And reality is that we have less fuels in the world economy. That means that someone else has to adjust more, and the market produces a higher price for that.”

The IMF official said subsidies were not only costly and regressive but could also have spillover effects on the global economy.

TheCable

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) the telecoms industry regulator, has commended Globacom on  its outstanding performance in consumer complaint management and resolution.

In a letter to the company, which was signed by Kabiru S. Haruna, Principal Manager, Consumer Protection & Advocacy

Consumer Affairs Bureau (CAB), the Commission expressed happiness at Globacom’s treatment and resolution of customer issues during the month of August, 2026.

The letter read in part: “We are pleased to note that your organization achieved and surpassed the Commission’s complaint resolution thresholds of 90% and 97% for Level 2 (L2) complaints. This accomplishment reflects your commitment to regulatory compliance, consumer satisfaction, and the continuous improvement of service delivery.”

NCC noted that Globacom’s dedication to timely complaint resolution and adherence to established Service Level Agreements (SLAs) put in place by the Commission has contributed significantly to enhancing consumer confidence and promoting a positive customer experience within the telecommunications sector.

The Commission further encouraged Globacom to sustain this level of outstanding performance while continuing to implement measures aimed at further improving service quality and consumer satisfaction.

Globacom noted that constant training of its customer-interfacing staff and investment in the latest technology were  responsible for observed improvement. The company promised not to relent in this regard.

By Chidera Orji

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Kano Region, has held a coordinating meeting with Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO), Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO), project contractors, and Kano State Ministry of Works, aimed at discussing a proposed outage and load diversion for the elongation of Towers 27 and 28 on the Kumbotso–Dan Agundi 132kV Transmission Line.

The meeting, which was held on Monday, October 5, , at the Regional Conference Room, Kano, was chaired by General Manager (Transmission), Kano Region, Engr. M. K. Bello, according to press statement made available to DISCLOSURE News by the Management of Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), yesterday.

In his opening remarks, Engr. Bello expressed confidence in the contractors’ competence but emphasized that they must thoroughly assess all proposed technical connections and switching arrangements before implementation to ensure operational safety and network reliability.

Also speaking at the meeting, the NISO Regional Operations Coordinator (ROC), Engr. Kunle Egbedinni, stressed the need for strict Grid Code compliance, particularly the requirement to submit planned outage applications at least 14 days in advance for approval.

The Head, Operations and Maintenance, KEDCO, Engr. Sabiu Haruna proposed diverting the load served by Dan Agundi 132kV Substation to alternative substations, including Dakata 132kV, Tamburawa 132kV, Rimin Zakara 330kV, Kumbotso 330kV, and Wudil 132kV substations, within a proposed two-day outage window.

Participants reviewed network capacity and alternative supply arrangements for the exercise. They observed that Hadejia 132kV Substation could not absorb the full 60MW load earmarked for diversion, and assessed supply options from the Tamburawa, Rimin Zakara and Dakata substations. They also emphasised the need to ensure the safety of personnel and equipment.

The meeting concluded with all stakeholders committing to strengthen inter-agency coordination, ensure regulatory compliance, and facilitate timely project execution.