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President Tinubu might let go of some of his ministers

Apr 30, 2025

Good morning, Big Brains. Please rejoice with me. My pumping machine has been fixed, and the rain is finally falling heavily in Lagos. I can’t even explain how happy these things make me feel. I’m not sure the ministers in Abuja can relate to this level of happiness today and honestly, they probably don’t deserve to.

- Margaret

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Reading time ~ 5 mins

Let’s get into today’s edition:

President Tinubu might let go of some of his ministers
Australia might no longer be the object of your japa affections

The Big Deal

President Tinubu might let go of some of his ministers

We’re just four months into the year and President Tinubu is already pissed at some of his ministers. This time, he has a good reason to be mad.

Word on the street is that the president may soon punish some ministers and heads of government agencies for not following proper rules when awarding contracts and spending public money.

Ironically, some Ministers are currently asking the President to allow them to spend more money independently without going through all the usual checks, especially before the 2025 budget takes effect in June. In case you missed it, Tinubu previously ordered that Nigeria’s biggest budget yet will not be implemented until June 2025.

Their request has been falling on deaf ears, though, because asking for more independence when there are corruption allegations against them is definitely a choice.

Some ministers also want the president to raise their spending limits, but people close to Tinubu say he’s not interested in changing anything because the current rules are already being abused.

Right now, there are strict rules about how much government officials can approve without needing special permission. For example, ministers can approve contracts up to ₦1.5 billion for construction work, and ₦300 million for buying goods and services. Heads of agencies can only approve up to ₦100 million. Permanent secretaries are allowed ₦20 million for goods and ₦30 million for work. Directors Generals are allowed ₦20 million for work and ₦10 million for other things.

Why is this a big deal?

President Tinubu might not be the most righteous man to call out corruption, but these ministers and agency heads are lowkey cheating the system. Instead of following the proper procedures and checks (which involve authorised agencies, not lobbying) before spending public money, they’re slicing big contracts into smaller ones for their benefit. Now, the same people dodging accountability are the ones begging Tinubu to let them spend more money on their own terms.

If you think this is just Abuja drama, you’re wrong. These contracts concern your roads, hospitals, schools and public services.

When government officials bend the rules to award contracts however they like, it creates room for ghost projects, inflated costs, or substandard work that nobody can question. These bad spending habits manifest in things like ridiculous bridges that cannot survive any heavy touch and roads that have been under construction for years on end. These spending habits also mess with the budget because when people at the top mismanage funds or delay due processes, the rest of the system slows down.

So yes, it’s a big deal. When the people in charge of fixing the country start playing games with the rules, it’s every day Nigerians who get played. We’ll love to see President Tinubu put his money where his mouth is because this publicised anger isn’t going to fix anything.

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Australia might no longer be the object of your japa affections

Japa aspirants have somehow made their way to the top of God’s strongest soldiers list again. From Trump’s love-hate relationship with immigrants to funding cuts in top schools, these guys have really been through it. Now, Australia has decided to add something extra to that pain.

Starting 2025, the fee for an international student visa in Australia is expected to jump from A$1,600 to A$2,000 (about USD 1,279).

According to the country’s Treasurer, Jim Chalmers and its Finance Minister, Katy Gallagher, this A$400 increase will help Australia cash out A$760 million over the next four years. Gallagher even said it’s a “sensible measure that prizes the value of studying here.” Translation: If you want premium education, prepare to drop premium bars.

This isn’t the first time Australia has hiked its prices. In July 2024, they increased the visa fee from A$710 to A$1,600. If the ruling Party returns to power, the 2025 hike will result in two major increases in two years.

The US currently charges just $185 and Canada charges 150 CAD. So Australia is definitely reaching with this proposed hike.

If you think the country’s ruling party is the only one you need to pray against, dead the idea because the opposition’s proposal is even worse— they’re proposing A$2,500 as the minimum visa fee.

They are also trying to limit the number of student visas they will be issuing each year. If Australia is your dream country, you are probably better off using the money you’ve saved to buy suya.

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