The former Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai (Retired) has dismissed international and domestic assessments portraying Nigeria as a potential failed state, insisting the nation was rising through its challenges.

In a statement titled “Nigeria: An Unbreakable Nation Rising Through Challenges,” Buratai described such forecasts as inaccurate and disconnected from Nigeria’s history of endurance and institutional strength.

He cited past pessimistic analyses, including a 2011 U.S. report, arguing they consistently underestimated Nigeria’s leadership and the resolve of its citizens.

Buratai said “From independence to date, our leaders—civilian and military—have steered this country out of storms many nations would not survive.”

He added that “Nigeria cannot and will not fail, by the grace of God.”

He traced a tradition of national resilience from the foundational roles of Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, Sir Ahmadu Bello and Chief Obafemi Awolowo to the stabilising leadership of Generals Yakubu Gowon and Murtala Mohammed.

He credited former President Olusegun Obasanjo with strengthening democratic transitions.

Buratai argued that contemporary leadership across government, civil society and the private sector was more accountable and digitally connected to citizens, making national collapse inconceivable.

While acknowledging ongoing economic pressures, he said it was shortsighted to define Nigeria solely by present difficulties.

He highlighted Nigeria’s status as Africa’s largest economy and its expanding global influence in fintech, telecommunications and entertainment, noting that human capital, agriculture, solid minerals, renewable energy and the creative industry remained anchors for future strength.

He expressed confidence that diversification efforts would secure a transition to a post-oil, knowledge-driven economy.

On insecurity, Buratai described the situation as a renewal phase, citing enhanced military capabilities and the significantly degraded strength of Boko Haram compared with a decade earlier.

He pointed to national infrastructure projects—including railway rehabilitation, major highway construction, airport upgrades and the Dangote Refinery—as evidence of long-term development.

Buratai criticised Western analysts for what he called doomsday projections, urging global partners to shift from predicting Nigeria’s failure to investing in its growth.

He recommended fairer trade terms, genuine technology transfer, collaborative security frameworks and reforms to global financial systems, calling for Western investment and green finance over aid.

Domestically, he urged Nigerian leaders to strengthen patriotism, accelerate economic reforms and decentralise security structures.

For Africa, he advocated deeper integration under the African Continental Free Trade Area and a unified continental voice in global governance.

He concluded that “Our people innovate, adapt and support one another in ways that defy every prediction.”

PIAK

The House of Representatives Ad hoc Committee investigating Nigeria’s power sector reforms and expenditure from 2007 to 2024 has accused electricity distribution companies of crippling Nigeria’s power supply system through years of poor investment, inadequate expansion, and failure to meet obligations outlined in their original business plans.

The Chairman of the committee, Mr. Ibrahim Almustapha Aliyu, made the accusation during the committees hearing in Abuja.

He said that most distribution companies had misled the government at the point of acquisition, presenting impressive business plans but failing to deploy the required resources to upgrade substations, transformers, and distribution networks more than a decade after privatization.

He expressed shock that despite claims by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) that it can wheel up to 8,000 megawatts, the DisCos continue to take only about 4,000 megawatts due to limited infrastructure, a problem he said is self-inflicted.

According to him, the power distribution firms have “refused to invest, refused to expand, and refused franchising options,” thereby creating the conditions for energy theft, meter bypassing, and consumer apathy across the country.

“You have caused this problem because you could not expand from what you inherited,” he said. “For 13 to 14 years now, if you had made the necessary investments, substations, up-to-date transformers, proper network expansion, there would be no issue. You would uptake more energy, the cost would be lower, and Nigerians would be happy.”

He noted that many consumers resort to illegal connections because they are billed monthly for electricity that is either not supplied or grossly inadequate.

“How do you expect someone whose monthly bill equals his salary to keep paying? People will look for alternatives. And your refusal to invest has contributed to this unholy attitude of bypassing and stealing energy,” he said.

The committee chairman reminded the DisCos that Nigerians enjoyed better supply under the defunct NEPA/NITEL-era systems in some areas, and expected significant improvements after private investors took over the assets.

He further challenged the DisCos to reconcile their earlier claims of competence and financial capacity with their current inability to meet tariff obligations, network expansion expectations, and service delivery benchmarks.

Electricity Subsidy 

The Chief Regulatory and Compliance Officer of Kaduna Electric, Dr. Mahmood Abubakar said about 60 percent of electricity supplied nationwide is subsidised, a situation the company said has continued to weaken investor confidence and limit the ability of distribution companies (DisCos) to make the necessary capital investments.

He said during the hearing that only about 40 percent of electricity, largely consumed by B and A customers, is cost-reflective, while the rest depends heavily on government subsidy that is often delayed or unpaid.

According to him, the current subsidy structure distorts billing, revenue collection, and the ability of DisCos to expand infrastructure more than a decade after privatisation.

“If we go strictly by the multi-year tariff order, about 60 percent of the energy consumed in Nigeria is subsidised by the government. Only Band A pays the reflective tariff. Even then, we have Band A feeders recording up to 80 percent energy losses due to theft and bypasses, making full recovery impossible,” he said.

Abubakar explained that because DisCos cannot recover their full revenue requirement, they cannot secure investments or loans needed to upgrade their networks.

He added that the delay in the payment of subsidies affects the entire value chain, particularly affecting generation companies’ ability to pay for gas, thereby affecting power production.

“The subsidy is not forthcoming as and when due. It comes whenever government decides to pay. That is the reality, and it affects everyone. We cannot pay our market invoices fully, the Gencos cannot fulfil firm contracts with gas suppliers, and the whole chain is weakened,” he said.