Here is Wednesday’s roundup of some Nigeria news headlines, where we call the government’s attention to the concerns and needs of the people.
1. Vanguard: 2027: Reps cave in, back Senate on Electoral Act amendment
So, the House of Representatives yesterday decided to audition for Gangs of Lagos by staging walkouts, shouting matches and, just to spice things up, teargassing citizens who dared to demand transparent elections.
After all the noise, the house finally caved and adopted the Senate’s flexible-but-dangerous Clause 60(3). Yes, the same clause that says ‘we will transmit election results electronically… unless network is having mood swings’.
This is the legislative equivalent of installing a home CCTV that works perfectly, except on the day thieves come. This amendment weakens the process, as it reopens the door for manipulation. And honestly, they’re not wrong.
Our Take: Dear lawmakers, Nigerians are tired. We are tired of elections where results travel slower than 2G network. We want elections where the will of the people is not changed with tippex and prayers. Citizens should keep the pressure. Call your reps, tag them, email them, demand explanations. This is your vote they are tampering with.
2. The Guardian: FG to tighten crude accountability as NUPRC opens gravimetric facility
Over to Akwa Ibom, where the federal government has launched a gravimetric metering facility, which is fancy grammar for ‘a machine that finally helps us know how much crude oil is entering and leaving Nigeria’.
If you are wondering why this matters, remember that for years Nigeria has had oil so rich that nobody can agree on how much we actually produce. Some say 1.2 million barrels, others say 1.8 million, and those in the ‘oil cabal WhatsApp group’ say ‘let’s not stress ourselves’.
Our Take: Now we have a local, first-of-its-kind-in-West-Africa calibration centre. This means fewer excuses, fewer revenue leakages, and hopefully, fewer “mysterious disappearances” of crude oil that nobody wants to talk about. The government must now publish transparent crude measurement data monthly.
Nigerians deserve to know how much oil we produce and where revenue is going. Let’s demand open-access dashboards and independent audits. If we can measure it, we can manage it, and we can monitor those managing it.
3. The Guardian: Towards a lasting ceasefire, industrial harmony in health sector
And now to the health sector, where every week brings a new strike, a new threat of a strike, or a press conference explaining why someone is about to strike.
Every health worker is frustrated over salary arrears, crumbling infrastructure, unpaid allowances, and governments that sign Collective Bargaining Agreements only to file them under ‘Things We Will Ignore Later’.
And the most painful part is that this cycle has been happening for decades. If strikes had a loyalty card, Nigeria’s health sector would have earned platinum status.
Our Take: The Federal Ministry of Health must implement existing CBAs, upgrade infrastructure, and depoliticise hospital leadership structures. Healthcare workers deserve dignity, stable pay, and a functioning system. Citizens must demand timelines and public scorecards.
