Economy - Abia ThinkTank News

May

2026

Abia Pension Reforms: Setting The Record Straight- By Ambassador Dr. Osita Offor (De Ultimate Commander)

Abia State, Columns/Opinions/Letters, Economy, Good Governance

Abia Pension Reforms: Setting the Record Straight - By Ambassador Dr. Osita Offor (De Ultimate Commander) The ongoing conversation around pensions in Abia State has once again drawn public attention, but it is important that this discussion is anchored on truth, context, and a sincere understanding of history. Much of what is being said today ignores the depth of the crisis that existed long before the emergence of Governor Alex Chioma Otti as Governor. For years, Abia’s pension system was a tragic example of neglect and systemic collapse. Retirees who had given their productive years to the service of the…

May

2026

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By Abia ThinkTank

How Abia Secured Access To $700m World Bank SURWASH Fund – By Ebere Uzoukwa, Ph.D( SSA To Governor Otti On Public Affairs)

Abia State, Columns/Opinions/Letters, Economy, Good Governance

How Abia Secured Access to $700M World Bank SURWASH Fund By Ebere Uzoukwa, PhD Abia State’s qualification for the 700 million dollar World Bank supported SURWASH programme stands as a defining moment in its development trajectory. It signals a clear endorsement of the state’s governance direction under Governor Alex Chioma Otti. Far from being incidental, this achievement reflects a disciplined commitment to transparency, accountability and prudent management of public resources; qualities that have steadily restored confidence in Abia’s institutions and leadership. Abia State’s emergence as one of the six beneficiaries of the programme is neither accidental nor politically convenient, rather…

May

2026

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By Abia ThinkTank

Workers’ Day And The Tale Of ‘Baboon Dey Work, Monkey Dey Chop’ – By Ebenezer Ogundele

Economy, Columns/Opinions/Letters, Labour

Workers’ Day And The Tale Of ‘Baboon Dey Work, Monkey Dey Chop’ || By Ebenezer Ogundele There is an old Nigerian saying: Baboon dey work, monkey dey chop. It was meant for the forest, but it now sits perfectly in Abuja. The baboons are the workers, the laborers, the civil servants, the teachers, the nurses, the men and women who wake at 4am to beat traffic and return home at 9pm to meet NEPA darkness. While the monkeys are the politicians — tailored agbada, SUV convoys, foreign medical trips — who harvest where they did not plant. Today, as we…

May

2026

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By Abia ThinkTank

2026 Budget: Nigeria Service Debts With N15.81 Trillion

FGN, Economy, News Flash

2026 Budget: Nigeria Service Debts With N15.81 Trillion Nigeria will spend about ₦15.81 trillion on servicing its public debt in 2026, one of the largest components of a record ₦68.32 trillion budget, according to data from civic tech organisation BudgIT and official government figures. The spending plan, recently approved by lawmakers and signed by President Bola Tinubu, outlines total expenditure of ₦68.32 trillion, with debt servicing accounting for a significant share alongside capital and recurrent spending. BudgIT, in its analysis of the budget, said the allocation highlights the growing burden of debt obligations on Africa’s largest economy, warning that public…

Apr

2026

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By Abia ThinkTank

Dangote’s Net Worth Hits $34 Billion, Gains $216 Million In A Day

Business, Economy, Personality

Dangote’s Net Worth Hits $34 Billion, Gains $216 Million In A Day Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man, has seen his net worth rise to $34 billion, according to the latest update on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, reflecting continued valuation gains across his industrial empire. The increase represents a $216 million daily gain (+0.6%) and brings his year-to-date wealth growth to $34 billion, or 13.3%, showing sustained investor confidence in assets tied to his conglomerate, Dangote Industries. The latest valuation places the Nigerian industrialist firmly at the top of Africa’s wealth rankings, driven largely by the performance of his core holdings…

Mar

2026

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By Abia ThinkTank

Relief As Dangote Refinery Slashes Petrol Gantry Price

Economy, News Flash, Oil & Gas

Relief As Dangote Refinery Slashes Petrol Gantry Price The Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals has reduced its gantry price for Premium Motor Spirit to N1,200 per litre, while pegging its coastal price at N1,153 per litre, a development expected to reshape fuel supply costs across Nigeria’s downstream distribution chain. According to the spokesperson for the Dangote Group, Anthony Chiejina, the price adjustment represents a downward review in the refinery’s pricing template and comes at a time of heightened uncertainty in the global oil market driven by geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. “Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals has reduced its…

Mar

2026

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By Abia ThinkTank

We Are Hungry To Harness The Full Potential Of Abia State – Gov Otti, As He Welcomes Zenco Group To Abia

Abia State, Business, Economy, Good Governance, News Flash

WE ARE HUNGRY TO HARNESS THE FULL POTENTIAL OF ABIA STATE - GOV. OTTI, AS HE WELCOMES ZENCO GROUP TO ABIA. Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti, OFR, says his administration is hungry to see that Abia's potential is fully harnessed, hence, will continue to create conducive environment for investors and businesses in Abia State. Governor Otti stated this in his Office when he received in audience a delegation of Zenco Group led by its Chief Executive Officer, Chief Cletus Oragwa to see things for themselves and explore possible areas of investment. Gov. Otti reiterated that Abia State is open…

Mar

2026

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Iran War: NLC Demands Tax Relief, Cost Of Living Allowance

Economy, Labour, News Flash

Iran War: NLC Demands Tax Relief, Cost Of Living Allowance The Nigeria Labour Congress on Sunday demanded urgent intervention from the Federal Government to cushion the effects of the recent spike in petrol prices, calling for a cost-of-living allowance, a wage award for workers, tax relief, and immediate steps to revive the country’s public refineries. The labour body said the sharp rise in fuel prices—now selling between N1,170 and N1,300 per litre—has worsened the economic hardship facing Nigerian workers and citizens, warning that the nation risks severe social unrest if urgent measures are not taken. The NLC also accused the…

Mar

2026

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Relief As Dangote Refinery Slashes Petrol Price By N100

News Flash, Economy, Oil & Gas

Relief As Dangote Refinery Slashes Petrol Price By N100 The Dangote Refinery has reduced its ex-gantry price of petrol by ₦100 per litre, offering a slight relief to fuel marketers and motorists after recent increases triggered by volatility in global oil prices. According to the refinery’s latest pricing template released on Tuesday, petrol will now sell at ₦1,075 per litre, down from the previous rate of ₦1,175. The facility also announced that petrol supplied through coastal distribution channels will cost ₦1,050 per litre. The company also adjusted its diesel price downward, cutting it to ₦1,430 per litre. This represents a…

Mar

2026

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We’ve Survived, Governors No Longer Borrow For Salaries- President Tinubu

Abuja, Economy, FGN, News Flash

We’ve Survived, Governors No Longer Borrow For Salaries – Tinubu President Bola Tinubu has said that Nigeria has overcome economic challenges under his administration, stressing that state governors no longer run to banks for loans to pay salaries. The President made the remarks on Monday while hosting religious and traditional leaders for an interfaith breaking of the fast at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, according to a statement by his spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga. President Tinubu promised to continue making the most of the opportunity given to him to lead the country by sustaining the trajectory of economic growth and prosperity. “I…