General
SMEDAN to Hold Special Fair for People With Disabilities
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) has announced that it would hold a special opportunity fair for People With Disabilities (PWDs) as part of its efforts to encourage socio-economic inclusion for PWDs entrepreneurs in Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
The Director General of SMEDAN, Mr Olawale Fasanya, during a capacity-building programme titled Grant and Growth Support for Business Membership Organisations and Trade Associations that was targeted at PWDs said the programme will pilot in Lagos.
Mr Fasanya said: “We are going to organise Special Opportunity Fairs for the PWDs and we are going to start it in Lagos. This will bring government personalities and agencies like National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), and the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) to the fair that will be special for the PWDs.
“We will brainstorm to see how we can provide market linkages for you so that your products can be off taken. We will also try at the federal level to play an advocacy role for people that are physically challenged because, as far as we are concerned, you are people with special abilities and not disabilities. We will not just train you and leave you but will provide some support to you.”
He noted that “today, people with special abilities are making in-roads and redefining entrepreneurship as a route to socio-economic development,” adding that “they have accepted the challenge and are making a tremendous impact towards employment generation and wealth creation. They have demonstrated that there is ability in disability and process the tremendous potential for entrepreneurship.”
In her remark during the workshop, the Chairlady, Lagos State Chapter of Nigeria Association of the Blind, Mrs Christiana Akinrimade, requested that government should assist the PWDs in business to secure access to markets for their products through the provision of shops in notable markets in the country.
She said: “We want SMEDAN to assist us and empower us to be on our feet so that we can be able to convince others to join us.”
On her part, the Chief Executive Officer of The Eastern Star Care Foundation, Mrs Upright M. Wonders, who is also a physically challenged entrepreneur, called on governments in the country to patronise their products, saying, “I want to see our products in Aso Rock.”
Mrs Wonders told the SMEDAN DG that the PWDs are faced with the challenge of where to display their products. “Please encourage the federal government to be buying our products.
“Personally I have one of the best liquid soap products in this nation. But the state and federal governments are not patronising us enough. I want to see the products of PWDs in Sheraton and NICON Hotel,” she said.
By Dipo Olowookere
A $15 million debt facility has been obtained by Watt Renewable Corporation from the AfriGreen Debt Impact Fund to finance hybrid solar power plants to be built and operated by the former, especially in Nigeria.
WATT intends to use the projects to serve commercial and industrial clients in Nigeria, particularly in the telecommunication and financial services sectors.
By integrating solar hybrid solutions, the firm aims to significantly reduce diesel consumption and CO2 emissions, enabling its clients to achieve substantial energy cost savings while promoting environmental sustainability.
As a pioneer in renewable energy solutions, WATT continues to drive innovation in Nigeria’s energy sector.
The company’s robust roll-out plan includes deploying hundreds of hybrid solar power sites nationwide to meet the growing energy demands of commercial & industrial clients.
This strategic expansion aligns with WATT’s vision to revolutionize energy access across Africa, enabling sustainable development and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
The funds from AfriGreen provide the critical capital needed to accelerate WATT’s ambitious projects, strengthening its market position and empowering businesses with reliable and affordable energy solutions.
Business Post gathered that to mitigate the currency risk for WATT in the event of devaluation of the Nigerian Naira, AfriGreen is offering a local currency facility that matches the payment structure of the power purchase agreements.
“We are thrilled to partner with AFRIGREEN on this transformative journey to expand reliable and sustainable energy solutions across Africa.
“With this support, it enables us to accelerate our shared mission of providing hybrid solar power to businesses, reducing carbon emissions, and supporting economic growth while enhancing energy security for our clients,” the Managing Director of WATT, Mr Oluwole Eweje, said.
“We are delighted to support WATT in rolling out hundreds of hybrid sites across the country.
“This represents another key transaction for AFRIGREEN in Nigeria. The combination of high energy prices, good solar irradiation, and strong demand from industrial and commercial energy users makes this market particularly attractive for companies like WATT.
“By leveraging these favourable market conditions alongside WATT’s exceptional operational performance and a well-structured financing solution, we are setting the stage for a strong and lasting business partnership,” the Managing Director of AfriGreen, Mr Alexandre Gilles, stated.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has denied issuing a directive that gas supply to power generating companies (GenCos) be halted.
In a statement on Wednesday, the authority also denied instructing wholesale gas suppliers to stop further supply of gas to companies due to failure in payment obligations.
The NMDPRA described reports stating that it has directed the stoppage of gas supply to GenCos over N2 trillion debt as “false and completely unfounded”.
“It has absolutely no bearing on the information shared at a recent stakeholders’ engagement held in Lagos between the Authority, the OPTS, IPPG and other stakeholders in the oil and gas industry,” the NMDPRA said.
“The purpose of the engagement was to sensitise stakeholders on the requirements, opportunities and benefits associated with the implementation of the wholesale supply license as provided by sections 142 and 197 of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021.
“It was a follow-up to an earlier stakeholder engagement held at the NMDPRA corporate headquarters in Abuja on November 27, 2024.
“The Authority wishes to reassure all our stakeholders and indeed the general public that at no time was the false statement made at that event and anywhere else, and are advised to completely disregard the publication as every effort is being made to ensure that the supply and distribution of natural gas and petroleum products to end users is seamless and unabated as we head into the festive season and indeed all through the coming year 2025.”
Recall that Nigeria’s national grid experienced another collapse on Wednesday, the 11th time in 2024 as Gencos couldn’t generate enough power, compounding issues facing the Nigerian power sector.
This was the first time in over a month as the last time the nation witnessed a nationwide shutdown in electricity supply was on November 7, 2024.
Before then, the country was experiencing an incessant collapse of the grid, which prompted the federal government to set up a team to address the issue.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
Nigeria is currently experience a cut in power supply after the national grid collapsed for the 11th time in 2024.
This is the first time in over a month as the last time the nation witnessed a nationwide shut down in electricity supply was on November 7, 2024.
Before then, the country was experiencing an incessant collapse of the grid, which prompted the federal government to set up a team to address the issue.
However, just when Nigerians were thinking they will not witnessed another national grid collapse in the year, it issue reared its ugly head again.
On Wednesday afternoon, most of the energy distribution companies suffered power outage, prompting them to inform their customers of the situation.
One of the DisCos, Ikeja Electric Plc, in a message to electricity consumers under its franchise area, said, “Please be informed that we experienced a system outage today, December 11, 2024, at about 13:32 hours affecting supply within our network.
“Restoration of supply is ongoing in collaboration with our critical stakeholders. Kindly bear with us.”
Recall that on Tuesday, in a report, Google listed national grid as one of the top trending searches by Nigerians this year.
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