The Association of Mobile Money and Bank Agents in Nigeria, AMMBAN, has warned that its members might be forced to raise service charges due to the recent telecommunications tariff hike.

Ogungbayi Ganiyu, the National Public Relations Officer of AMMBAN, made this statement on Monday, January 20, in response to the Federal Government’s approval of a 50 percent increase in telecom services tariffs.

Ganiyu explained that AMMBAN members primarily rely on telecom services, particularly data, for their operations, and will therefore be significantly affected by the hike.

However, he mentioned that POS operators may attempt to absorb the increased cost of telecom tariffs themselves.

“The telecom tariff hike will impact the operations of our members. I am afraid this may also have a multiplier effect on service charges.

“We have not sat down and looked at the latest tariff hike,” he stated.

On Monday, the National Association of Telecoms Subscribers, NATCOMS, pledged to take legal action against the Federal Government over the 50 percent increase in telecoms tariffs.

It is worth noting that the last time telecoms tariffs were raised was in 2013.

Just two days after over 90 people were burnt to death in a tanker explosion that also left scores injured in Niger State, residents massed around another fallen truck in another community.

The fresh incident occurred in Bida town on Monday.

In a widely circulated video online, young persons were seen milling around the broken down truck.

While some managed to scoop, others fled in different directions, apparently to prevent being caught up in an unfortunate situation.

Premium Times quoted a resident, Yinusa Jiya, as saying, “The people were not even afraid despite earlier assumption that it was petrol.”

Another eyewitness, Fatimah Mohammed, told the newspaper that the tanker was carrying groundnut oil.

“It fell around AYM Shafa filling station yesterday (Monday) and residents stole huge amounts of the groundnut oil dripping from the tanker”, she added.

The development came two days after the deadly tanker explosion that killed about 98 people around Dikko Junction, Gurara LGA, Niger State.

Daily Trust reports that the death toll from the deadly explosion has been on the rise as some persons who sustained injuries died in the hospitals where they were being treated.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu while reacting to the situation, mandated the National Orientation Agency (NOA) to step up a campaign against scooping during such a situation.

The Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) said it was worried by the casualty figures and magnitude of burns.

The Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) said 86 bodies were mass-buried on Sunday.

Several other injured victims are still receiving treatment for first degree burns in various hospitals.

Authorities have blamed citizens for the devastating loss of lives and injuries in the explosion, saying the fire was ignited by those trying to scoop fuel.

Niger State has suffered several incidents in the past which resulted in several loss of lives.

More than 50 travellers died in a midnight tanker explosion along the Agaie-Badeggi road on September 8, 2024.

Watch video below:

https://twitter.com/i/status/1881656404005822674

President Bola Tinubu‘s government has granted a license to establish a new refinery through the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).

This license has been awarded to MRO Energy Limited, an energy firm, for the construction of a refinery with a capacity of 10,000 Barrels Per Stream Day to be located in Imode, Ughelli, Delta State.

Naija News reports that this announcement follows the previous issuance of a license to Process Design and Development Limited two months ago, allowing for the creation of a new refinery with a capacity of 27,000 barrels per day in the Dole-Wure area of Akko, Gombe State.

In a statement posted on its official X account on Tuesday, the authority noted, “The Authority Chief Executive, Engr. Farouk Ahmed, presented a License To Establish a 10,000 Barrels Per Stream Day Refinery at Imode in Ughelli, Delta State, to MRO Energy Limited.”

This recent development indicates that Nigeria now officially possesses approximately 11 modular and conventional refineries, thereby enhancing the nation’s refining capabilities.

Earlier this month, the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria announced a partnership aimed at establishing a new refinery with an initial capacity of 50,000 barrels per day.

Nevertheless, despite the increase in the number of refineries, many remain inactive, with several not operating at full capacity or efficiency.

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission has set a target of 770,500 barrels of oil per day for domestic refineries.