General
Nigeria to Establish Renewable Asset Management Company
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Rural Electrification Agency (REA) said it has received approval to establish a renewable asset management company in Nigeria as it seeks to drive the alternative energy source in the country.
Speaking on Monday, the Managing Director of REA, Mr Abba Aliyu, said the move is to sustain its electrification interventions and ensure long-term infrastructure viability.
Electricity challenges have made it difficult to distribute electricity to rural areas. With an installed capacity of 12,000 megawatts, the country has struggled to keep output at half of that with a peak of around 6,000 megawatts on record. To tackle this, the country has explored alternative energy sources like renewables.
According to Mr Aliyu, the new asset management company is expected to oversee and maintain assets that include the renewable energy infrastructure worth nearly $500 million, already deployed to universities across Nigeria.
“This company will warehouse these assets and REA will leverage on the assets to raise close to N1 trillion, so that we will continue to intervene even if there is no availability of loans and grants. The country will be standing on its own to continue to drive electricity access and infrastructure in many years to come,” Mr Aliyu stated, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
He emphasised that the initiative will enable Nigeria to independently drive electricity access and infrastructure development for years to come.
According to him, REA is committed to ensuring that the company becomes operational before the end of the year.
He also revealed that President Bola Tinubu has approved N100 billion for REA to implement the National Public Sector Solarisation Project, a strategic initiative aimed at reducing the cost of governance by transitioning public institutions to solar energy.
“The analysis that we have seen of budget implementation shows that a number of public institutions spend a lot of money to buy diesel or to pay for electricity. To reduce the cost of governance, REA secured the project, which will start in the next few weeks,” he said.
Mr Aliyu also confirmed that discussions were ongoing with the Japanese International Development Corporation to secure an additional $200 million in co-financing have reached an advanced stage.
The fund will be merged with the existing $750 million Distributed Access through Renewable Energy (DARE) funding, bringing the total available financing to $950 million.
“Three weeks ago, we were in Japan with the Minister of Power, Mr Adebayo Adelabu. The discussions are almost concluded, and we expect the funds to be available soon,” he noted.
REA formalized agreements with eight Renewable Energy Service Companies (RESCOs) to accelerate Nigeria’s renewable energy expansion.
The companies include: Ashipa Electric Limited, De-Janees Concept Limited, Fax Power Limited, M&BH Power Limited, Okra Solar PTY Limited, Oando Clean Energy, Sosai Renewable Energy Limited, and Weight Nigeria Limited.
Mr Aliyu reiterated that these partnerships align with REA’s goal of increasing access to clean and sustainable electricity for Nigerian homes and businesses.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The presidency has reacted to speculations that Mr Femi Gbajabiamila has been removed as the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu.
It was alleged that Mr Gbajabiamila has been replaced with the President’s Principal Private Secretary, Mr Hakeem Muri-Okunola.
Mr Muri-Okunola went to Abuja to take up this role after leaving as the Head of Service of the Lagos State Civil Service.
Reacting to the reports on social media on the purported removal of Mr Gbajabiamila, a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, the presidency said no such change has been made.
In a statement signed on Thursday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, members of the public were advised to disregard the report as “there is absolutely no truth to this story.”
“The Chief of Staff remains in his position. The Principal Private Secretary likewise remains in his role. Hakeem Muri-Okunola has not replaced Femi Gbajabiamila as Chief of Staff.
“The viral claim is a fabrication by mischievous purveyors of fake news whose sole aim is to create disharmony within the government.
“We reiterate that news media should always verify their information before publishing or sharing on social media,” the statement said.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The new chief executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Mrs Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, has assumed office with a clear message to advance the country’s upstream oil and gas sector in line with the mandate of the commission as enshrined in the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021.
According to a statement signed by Mr Eniola Akinkuotu, the Head of Media & Strategic Communications at the upstream regulator, the NUPRC boss made this assertation during her first town hall meeting with management and staff on Tuesday December 23, 2025.
She further disclosed plans to make the commission a business enabler and re-ignite investments in the upstream sector.
Recall that President Tinubu nominated Mrs Eyesan to take over the NUPRC after the abrupt resignation of her predecessor, Mr Gbenga Komolafe as well as his counterpart in the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Mr Farouk Ahmed.
In her new capacity, Mrs Eyesan also set a firm production ambition of growing Nigeria’s output and increasing gas production.
“The goal is that we must enable the industry, we are regulators. We must enable the industry from our interactions with the stakeholders, from our interactions with everybody.
“My main objective is to ensure that we make a difference. I believe the NUPRC is at the Center of the industry,” she said.
The commission boss who has served for over three decades in the oil and gas sector, promised to entrench digitisation, transparency and efficiency in operations.
The NUPRC head said with the support of staff and management, the NUPRC will become the gold-standard regulator in Africa. She also promised capacity development, stronger technical depth and sustained engagement with stakeholders, unions and professional teams.
On leadership style, Mrs Eyesan promised an open-door policy and frequent staff engagement, while also soliciting for support and cooperation as the industry embarks on the next phase of transformation.
“If we work together we can unleash opportunities, I don’t see impediments only opportunities,” she added.
By Adedapo Adesanya
President Bola Tinubu has called on Nigerians to embrace religious tolerance, peace, and unity, urging citizens of all faiths to reject violence and intolerance amid ongoing security challenges across the country.
In his 2025 Christmas goodwill message issued on Wednesday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr Mr Bayo Onanuga, the President emphasised that no Nigerian should suffer discrimination or violence because of their religious beliefs, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to safeguarding freedom of worship and national cohesion.
“As your President, I remain committed to doing everything within my power to enshrine religious freedom in Nigeria and to protect all people of different faiths from violence,” Mr Tinubu said, noting that all Nigerians have the constitutional right to live, worship, and pursue their aspirations in safety and dignity.
The President acknowledged growing concerns around religious intolerance and insecurity, revealing that he had engaged extensively throughout the year with leaders of Nigeria’s two major faiths.
In the last few months, the country faced a spate of attacks including kidnapping of school children and armed terror, involving the death of a high ranking army personnel.
He also said the government would continue to build on these engagements to strengthen collaboration with religious institutions, prevent conflict, and promote peaceful coexistence.
President Tinubu described Christmas as a period for reflection on the message of Jesus Christ as the Prince of Peace, urging Nigerians to draw inspiration from values of love, compassion, and goodwill that cut across all major religions.
He commended Christians in Nigeria for their contributions to national development, particularly their role in caring for the vulnerable and promoting harmony within communities.
“The love for God and love for humanity is at the heart of all the great faiths. These shared values must continue to bind us together as one indivisible and resilient people,” he said.
Reiterating his administration’s stance on security, the President said the government’s commitment to protecting Nigeria’s unity and stability has remained unwavering since he assumed office in 2023. He stressed that the state would not tolerate violence targeted at any group on the basis of ethnicity or belief.
President Tinubu also appealed to Nigerians travelling during the festive season to exercise patience and discipline on the roads, wishing them safe journeys and returns.
Expressing optimism about the country’s future, the President said that with faith in God and collective resolve, Nigeria would overcome its challenges and build a nation that future generations would be proud of.
He concluded by wishing Christians in Nigeria and around the world a Merry Christmas and Nigerians a happy New Year in advance.
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