Angelus Blog

Toll Gate is a well-known landmark in Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria. The area got its name from the toll gate that once existed there during the democratic presidency of Olusegun Obasanjo from 1999 to 2007. It is strategically located at the boundary between Lagos State and Ogun State along the Lagos–Abeokuta Expressway. In addition to generating revenue for road maintenance and infrastructure development, the toll gate also helped regulate and monitor traffic moving between the two states. In 2012, during the administration of Ibikunle Amosun, the construction of the Ilo Awela Road was awarded to Julius Berger Nigeria. The project was aimed at linking Ota with inner parts of the city, including Oju Ore, Osi, Command, Ogba Ayo, AIT, and Iyana Iyesi. The road was rehabilitated and expanded into a dual carriageway to ease movement and improve connectivity within the city. However, the topography of the area presents a serious safety challenge. The road was constructed in such a way that it sl...

Dangote Refinery, Lagos Nigeria   With the Dangote Refinery poised to start selling fuel directly to consumers—especially Nigerians—the pressing question is whether the government should simply relax and depend solely on this refinery to satisfy the country’s fuel demands. If the answer is no, what strategic steps should follow? Before exploring the path forward, it is essential to acknowledge the widespread dissatisfaction among Nigerians regarding both petrol pricing and the distribution framework currently in place. The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has effectively established a monopoly over the purchase and distribution of Dangote Refinery’s products. Under this system, independent marketers and private oil sector operators are barred from buying directly from the refinery. Instead, they must procure fuel through NNPCL at a fixed price and then resell it to consumers with their own margins. This arrangement has eliminated the price uniformity Nigerians ...

Dangote Refinery   It is no longer news that the highly anticipated Dangote Refinery has been completed and is now ready to supply products to the market. Given the current fuel scarcity and rising petrol prices in Nigeria, many expected the refinery to start operations immediately after completion. However, this has not happened due to bureaucratic hurdles. Reports indicate that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd (NNPCL), currently the sole importer of refined petroleum products in Nigeria, is restricting Dangote from selling petrol to independent marketers or other petrol merchants, allowing only NNPCL and its affiliates to distribute the products. While some sources deny that NNPCL plans to monopolize Dangote’s products, conflicting reports continue to emerge, creating uncertainty and instability that is detrimental to the country. If there is no conflict between NNPCL and Dangote Refinery, why has petrol sales not commenced days after the refinery’s completion? Alik...

Nigeria Labour Congress protesting fuel price increase   On Tuesday, September 3, 2024, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd (NNPCL) announced a significant increase in the price of Petroleum Motor Spirit (petrol). The new price now ranges between N897 and N930 per litre nationwide, marking approximately a 50% rise from the previous price of N617 per litre. This development has sparked widespread concern and criticism among Nigerians, who fear the negative repercussions on their daily lives. One of the most immediate impacts of the fuel price hike will be on transportation costs. Commercial vehicle operators are expected to raise their fares to offset the increased fuel expenses, placing additional financial burdens on the average Nigerian worker. Fuel is a critical input for many sectors of the economy, including manufacturing, banking, and the informal sector—such as vulcanizers, barbers, and small business centers—largely because electricity supply remains unreliable, m...

  A typical Lagos Motor Park  In Lagos, motor park touts, commonly known as Agberos or Alayees, are predominantly men—and occasionally women—who have taken it upon themselves to act as informal managers of motor parks. Some operate under the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), while others are affiliated with the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN). The Agberos linked to the NURTW generally represent the lower tier of touts, whereas those associated with RTEAN occupy senior positions. Beyond these two groups, there exists a third category of touts who are unaffiliated with any union. These operate mainly at night, do not issue receipts for the levies they collect, and are notorious for their aggressive enforcement tactics. Motorists who resist their demands often face severe consequences. For years, the activities of these touts have been a source of distress for commercial drivers, motorists, and private vehicle owners in Lagos. Instead of co...

Picture: protesters in Lagos, Nigeria . Between August 1 and 10, 2024, during the #ENDBADGOVERNANCE and Hunger Protests in Nigeria, an online campaign emerged in Lagos State calling for Igbos to vacate the city. The campaign, tagged #IgbosMustGo, was driven by unidentified individuals who announced that their efforts would be “intensified” between August 20 and 30, 2024. The use of the word intensified suggests that the campaign had been quietly ongoing but was now being openly promoted. Its message was clear: Igbos from the Eastern region residing in Lagos should leave the state. Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu strongly condemned the campaign, describing it as reckless and senseless. He urged law enforcement agencies to identify and prosecute those behind it. At the time of writing, however, there has been no official statement confirming whether the perpetrators have been apprehended. Yet, the focus here is not on arrests or prosecutions, but on how diverse groups within a geopolitical ...

Organizations and individuals establish businesses in environments they believe will foster growth, sustainability, and progress. While operating in these locations, these entities have the opportunity to contribute positively to the social and economic well-being of the surrounding communities. This practice is known as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), also referred to as Corporate Impact. In several African countries, particularly Nigeria, the contributions of many organizations to the economic and social development of their host communities often fall short of local expectations. This article highlights some critical areas that have been largely neglected, including road maintenance, rural and urban electrification, environmental sanitation, and scholarships for indigent students. Road Maintenance : Feeder roads, which organizations frequently use to transport raw materials and finished goods, often suffer from poor maintenance. Although it is not the direct responsibility...

Video: Sharing of Palliatives at Madara Ward of FCE Kontagora Nige State    During his inaugural speech on May 29, 2023, Nigeria’s newly elected President Bola Ahmed Tinubu announced the removal of the petrol subsidy. He explained that the subsidy had already been quietly removed by former President Muhammadu Buhari early in his second term, and as such, the 2023 budget made no provision for it. Nigerians appeared largely indifferent to this covert removal, focusing instead on price stability and product availability. The previous administration had repeatedly explained that the high cost of subsidizing petrol was a major cause of frequent fuel shortages in the country. They accused a few wealthy importers—who held licenses to bring in petrol—of benefiting disproportionately from the subsidy, while the poor, the intended beneficiaries, saw little advantage. The government alleged that these so-called “subsidy thieves” inflated importation costs and diverted petrol to neighbori...

For the first time in many years, Nigerians are facing severe fuel scarcity nationwide in January 2023. While fuel shortages have been a recurring issue, it has never persisted for such an extended period—from November through January—until now. Historically, fuel scarcity in Nigeria has often been preceded by strikes from tanker drivers, particularly those affiliated with the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG). These strikes were usually coordinated with the Nigerian Labour Congress, which would present demands to the government. Failure to meet these demands within a set timeframe typically led to indefinite strike actions, triggering fuel shortages. However, this time, no such warnings or strikes occurred, catching everyone off guard. Adding to the surprise is the fact that Nigeria is currently in an election period, with the presidential election scheduled for January 25, 2023. During such times, economic activities are generally expected to be stable or...

This video explains the true name, origin and meaning of the market situated at Ogbenmudein, Agbor Obi in Ika South Local Government Area of Delta State, Nigeria.  Before now, there has been misconceptions about the existence of that popular market, which draws sellers and buyers not only from within the community, but also from the neighbouring communities. The major misconception is centered around the name of the market. Some say ÁFIÃ OGBOMÃ is the real name of the market because it derives the name from the fact that witches and wizards used to meet where the market is presently located, hence it is called by the name ÃFIÃ OGBOMÃ. However, after careful and diligent enquiry, we have discovered that the real name of the market is ÃFUÃ OGBÈ MÃI. The video here explains it all