Here is a roundup of the top stories making headlines in major Nigerian newspapers on Monday, 06 January, 2025, along with our key advocacy asks.

1. ‘N2trn power projects installed’ – Daily Trust

An investigation by Daily Trust has revealed that Nigeria boasts over N2 trillion worth of power projects that are either abandoned, perpetually ‘in progress’, or stuck in the never-never land of paperwork.

Our Take: Honourable Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, it’s time to flip the switch on the endless cycle of abandoned power projects and unfulfilled promises. With over N2 trillion tied up in projects that seem to exist only on paper, Nigerians are tired of holding their breath and their candles. We urge you to ensure these projects see the light of day and take decisive steps to make power grid collapses a thing of the past. After all, it’s hard to build a 21st-century economy in perpetual darkness.

2. ‘Nigerians decry high transport fares despite fuel price reduction’ – Punch

Nigerians are scratching their heads in frustration as transporters seem to have missed the memo on the recent petrol price reduction. Instead of cutting fares, they appear to be defying gravity by raising prices even higher, proving once again that in Nigeria, what goes up doesn’t always come down.

Our Take: Dear Heineken Lokpobiri, as Nigeria’s Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), it’s time to pump some fairness into the system. Nigerians can’t fuel their hopes on price reductions that mysteriously vanish before reaching the transport sector. Perhaps a masterclass in price transmission is in order for our dear transporters? We urge you to enforce policies that ensure fuel price cuts translate to tangible relief for citizens.

3. ‘Insurgencies, insecurity to end in 2025, CDS tells personnel’ – The Guardian

Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, has boldly marked 2025 as the expiration date for banditry, terrorism, and all forms of insecurity in Nigeria.

Our take: While it’s heartening to hear another ambitious timeline for ending insecurity in Nigeria, the CDS should remember that lofty declarations won’t stop bullets or bandits. If 2025 is truly the magic year, we eagerly await more than just words; let’s see the plans, the funding, and the boots on the ground to back them up. After all, promises alone can’t patrol forests or rescue kidnapped schoolgirls.