The Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Investment has announced plans to conduct a nationwide census of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises in 2025, as part of its economic growth and industrial transformation strategy.

The Minister of Industry, Trade, and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, revealed this in the FMITI 2025 outlook document which outlined the ministry’s key priorities for the new year.

Oduwole, along with the Minister of State for Industry, Senator John Enoh, described the census as a critical step toward “conducting a nationwide census to establish a precise, data-driven roadmap for empowering MSMEs.”

Oduwole described 2025 as a pivotal year for the country’s economic diversification efforts, promising measurable impacts through policy reforms and strategic initiatives.

“The Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Investment has commenced a new chapter in driving Nigeria’s economic diversification by implementing targeted policies and reforms to accelerate industrialisation, digitisation, creative arts, manufacturing, and innovation,” Oduwole said.

She added that the ministry will remain focused on strengthening trade policy implementation, fostering private-sector competitiveness, and ensuring businesses thrive in local and global markets. “Our goal is to facilitate the creation of wealth, productive jobs, and shared prosperity for all Nigerians,” she noted.

Highlighting the ministry’s 2025 outlook, Oduwole stated that FMITI’s initiatives will focus on three critical areas: economic diversification, trade revenue growth, and investment mobilisation.

FMITI will accelerate industrialisation by engaging initiatives including rehabilitating export processing zones, prioritising intellectual property protection, and promoting tech and artificial intelligence for trade and investment.

According to the FMITI 2025 outlook, the ministry aims to ensure exportable food products meet international safety standards in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture.

Further, the ministry noted it plans to revise the country’s trade and investment strategies to support an export-led economy.

Oduwole emphasised the African Continental Free Trade Area to champion trade and enter preferential trade agreements with key countries to boost foreign exchange earnings.

She stated that the ministry’s efforts will focus on retaining domestic investors, modernising the regulatory framework, establishing sub-national One-Stop Investment Centers and launching an investment portal to track and promote investment flows holistically.

Oduwole assured stakeholders of the ministry’s commitment to transparent communication and collaboration, adding “FMITI will share periodic updates on its performance, as independently verified by the Central Delivery Coordinating Unit.”

Moreover, the Minister of State for Industry, Enoh, shared his vision for the industrial sector, focusing on competitiveness, innovation, and sustainable growth.

Among the ministry’s priorities is unlocking the potential of the Nigerian Automotive Industry Development Plan to foster local manufacturing.

Enoh also highlighted plans to expand the Special Agro-Processing Zones and revitalise the Cotton, Textile, and Garment sectors to enhance exports creating millions of jobs.

Additionally, the ministry noted it plans to advance the country’s self-sufficiency in petrochemical, chemical, and pharmaceutical manufacturing through strategic investments.

Senator Enoh emphasised the importance of the Industrial Revolution Work Group, a task force dedicated to reengineering the Nigeria Industrial Revolution Plan for sustainable industrialisation.

The Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company is under fire for raising its minimum energy credit purchase requirement for Band A customers to N5,000.

The Disco also capped the minimum energy credit for customers on other bands at N2,000, sparking outrage and condemnation from various consumer groups.

In a message to its customers, the IBEDC said, “Please be informed of a recent update regarding IBEDC electricity recharge. Users on Band A must now make a minimum recharge purchase of N5,000. Users in other bands must make a minimum purchase of N2,000.

“Kindly note that this new payment structure is effective already and applies exclusively to IBEDC customers.”

The PUNCH reports that before now, customers were allowed to purchase energy credit of any amount and this still operates in other Discos except the IBEDC.

The spokesperson of the Ibadan Disco, Busolami Tunwase, said this new policy was to curb energy theft, but she did not give further details about how this will be achieved.

“It’s part of efforts at curbing energy theft,” she tersely replied when our correspondent contacted her.

Defending the initiative, a top official of the company who did not want to be mentioned, said currently, while reviewing the vending platform, it was discovered that some customers were vending low amounts which they use for a whole month, wondering if this could be possible.

“If a Band A customer vends 50 units, the amount to pay is N10,450 exclusive of VAT. So, this means the customer is using less than two units a day for one month? We think this is practically impossible,” the official stated.

He noted that some customers were engaging in meter bypass, thereby paying little to enjoy a stable power supply.

Speaking on the matter, the National Coordinator of All Electricity Consumers Forum, Adeola Samuel-Ilori, noted that the policy has to be reversed to avoid backslashes.

Samuel-Ilori said it is against consumers’ right to choice and this may trigger litigations.

“It’s unacceptable to take away the right of people to choose what their purchasing power can afford. Electricity is not a privilege but a right under the constitution and power sector law of operation. A reversal will be required in my official letter to the IBEDC this week. And after the ultimatum, we may engage litigations to compel reversal,” he told The PUNCH.

Also, the Convener of PowerUp Nigeria, Adetayo Adegbemle, remarked, “I don’t think there’s anything in the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission’s regulation that supports such limitations from IBEDC. I understand IBEDC is trying to raise its collections, but it needs to be careful not to incur further penalties from the regulators.”

Adegbemle maintained that the policy will not curb energy theft, but it will rather encourage it if people are not able to vend according to their pockets.

The President of the Nigeria Consumer Protection Network, Kola Olubiyo, told our correspondent that the Federal Competition And Consumer Protection Commission and the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission are already investigating the allegations.

He said, “The very essence of promoting a competitive electricity market and the right to choice and freedom of the end-user customers in these particular circumstances are being undermined.

“It is an absurdity and an unthinkable monopolistic conscription of the demand side of the market.”

Similarly, the Executive Director of the Electricity Consumer Protection Advocacy Centre, Princewill Okorie, lamented that the power sector is increasingly becoming oppressive and anti-consumer friendly, reeling out policies that are not in line with realities.

Okorie wondered why a customer would be compelled to buy the quantity of product he is not ready for.

Okorie stressed, “The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission should be approached to do its job of protecting consumers in line with the provisions of their Act.

“Why will a consumer be forced to buy the quantity of product he is not ready for? This administration needs to explain if they are here to protect the welfare and security of the people or to oppress them. Civil liberty and civil rights need to be protected.”

Credit: PUNCH

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has introduced a mock Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination for candidates below the age of 16.

JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, explained that the mock UTME is not for the purpose of tertiary institution admission but for underage seeking to test their ability.

Oloyede spoke on Sunday at a meeting with media executives in Lagos, where he also announced that this year’s UTME will hold on March 8, 2025.

“We are starting the sale of forms on the 31st of January till 5th of March. There will be a mock exam on the 23rd of February and on the 8th of March there will be UTME,” the JAMB Registrar said.

Oloyede mentioned that JAMB would be introducing a mock for trial-testing examination only this year.

He explained that the mock-trial-testing examination is for individuals who would not qualify for admission into universities, polytechnics or colleges of education because they are below the age of 16 years.

He added that to qualify to write UTME and secure admission into universities, polytechnics or colleges of education, candidates must be 16 years old on or before September 30.

According to the don, candidates who do not desire admission for 2025 but wish to have CBT experience could register for mock only for trial testing.

He noted that the sale of Direct Entry application documents and e-PIN vending would commence on March 10 and April 7.

Oloyede explained that those wishing to write UTME with mock would pay N8,200, UTME only (without mock) N7,200, trial-testing mock only (for underage or testing only) and direct entry candidate N5,700.

The JAMB registrar explained that the board would be enforcing the 16-year age limit for this year’s UTME registration, noting that only gifted candidates below 15 years old be allowed to register.

He added that to qualify to secure admission as an underage, the candidate must score not less than 280 marks in UTME and perform exceptionally in its senior secondary certificate and post-UTME examinations.

“The policy meeting on admission adopted 16 years as the minimum for 2024 admission. JAMB tried to assist by extending the date to accommodate more candidates, but we were taken to court to reverse the extension to 16 years,” he explained.

Former Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, announced last year that only candidates aged 18 and above would be admitted into tertiary institutions in the country.

The declaration attracted a lot of criticisms from Nigerians, which forced the Federal Government to reverse the decision.

Mamman’s successor, Dr Tunji Alausa, suspended the 18-year admission benchmark for tertiary institutions in the country in November 2024.

Meanwhile, Oloyede disclosed that 870 computer-based test centres had been screened and provisionally listed for the 2025 UTME compared to 747 approved last year.