By Aduragbemi Omiyale

A Google Search report has revealed that Nigerians are deploying the platform to make findings on how to get better in 2026 so as to navigate the year seamlessly.

Data showed that in the first two weeks of January, there has been a 40 per cent spike in searches related to self-improvement, entrepreneurial growth and “becoming better” as they search for the tools needed to succeed in every area of life.

A few of the most searches on Google by Nigerians this year have been Starting a blog, Launching a podcast, How to start a business, and Opening a YouTube channel, among others.

For example, How to start a business emerged as the top-searched how to start query this month, seeing a significant 80 per cent increase as Nigerians look to build new ventures and drive economic opportunity.

Investing in the Better Me

Personal growth is a top priority for Nigerians this year, with searches for how to be a good/better person increasing by 20 per cent. This desire for improvement extends into the heart of the home and community, with people searching for ways to be better partners, husbands, wives, and listeners.

A Healthy Start to 2026

Well-being is at the forefront of the national conversation. Nigerians are forming new habits to stay energized, with searches for how to eat healthy and healthy diet rising by 40 per cent. Mental wellness is also gaining momentum, as searches for “how to meditate” spiked by 40 per cent during the same period.

The Quest for Mastery

Whether it is professional development or personal hobbies, the quest for mastery is on. Top mind for many are searches on how to improve communication skills, memory, and even English proficiency. In the world of leisure and skill-based learning, Nigerians are looking to get better at everything from chess and running to singing and even Fortnite.

“These trends are a powerful reflection of Nigeria’s collective ambition and our shared desire to grow.

“We see Search as a cultural mirror that captures the pulse of the nation, and remain committed to ensuring our tools, from Search to Gemini, provide the relevant and helpful insights Nigerians need to navigate their daily journeys and build a more prosperous future,” the Communications and Public Affairs Manager for Google West Africa, Mr Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade, said.

The full list of Searches is below.

By Dipo Olowookere

About $1.222 billion in both equity financing and debt facility has been secured by a pan-European platform building an operating system for energy independence, Cloover.

The company, established in 2023 by Jodok Betschart, Peder Broms and Valentin Gönczy, recently received $22 million in Series A equity funding and a $1.2 billion loan to enable it build Artificial Intelligence (AI) operating system for its operations.

The globe is racing to secure its energy future as electricity demand rises, grids come under pressure, and households face growing uncertainty over costs and supply.

At the same time, demand for decentralized energy solutions like solar, batteries, heat pumps, and EV charging is surging. The missing piece has been infrastructure that can deliver these systems at scale.

Cloover is building the digital nervous system of the distributed energy economy. Its AI-powered platform integrates workflow management, financing, procurement, and energy optimization into one seamless operating system. It automates complex workflows, detects risks early, and empowers data-driven decisions from the first customer leading to long-term energy-management through Cloover’s EMS and dynamic tariffs.

Further, Cloover’s AI Finance co-pilot helps SME installers solve capital flow challenges along the whole value chain and improve liquidity to enable faster growth. By replacing disconnected tools and slow financing processes with one integrated system, Cloover enables installers to close more projects, move faster, and serve a broader customer base.

A statement from the energy firm disclosed that the equity round was led by MMC Ventures and QED Investors, with participation from Lowercarbon Capital, BNVT Capital, Bosch Ventures, Centrotec, and Earthshot Ventures. The debt facility was provided by a leading European bank to fund customer and installer financing on the platform.

Cloover also benefits from a €300 million guarantee from the European Investment Fund, which underpins its financing programs and enables scalable, low-cost capital for the energy transition. In total, Cloover has now raised more than $30 million in equity financing and secured over $1.3 billion in debt.

With the new capital, Cloover will expand into additional European markets and is considering France, Italy, the UK, and Austria, deepen its platform with further AI-driven workflow automation and financing products.

“With this $1.2 billion commitment, we’re enabling households to become energy independent, without the friction of upfront costs or complex loan applications. Our AI operating system connects stakeholders across the value chain and revolutionizes how energy independence becomes the new norm,” the chief executive of Cloover, Mr Betschart said.

Also, the chief product officer at Cloover, Valentin Gönczy, said, “Cloover is not just about financing – we’re building the backbone for energy independence. We are creating the Shopify of Energy: a platform that equips manufacturers, installers, households, and investors with the tools to grow, collaborate, and deliver distributed energy at scale.”

The General Partner at MMC Ventures, Oliver Richards, while commenting, said, “Cloover is tackling one of the largest and most structurally important opportunities in the European energy transition.

“What truly sets them apart is execution: in 2025 the team delivered outstanding commercial progress while building the foundations of a scalable platform business. Jodok, Peder and Valentin have assembled an exceptional team with deep expertise across energy, software, and credit, and we’re excited to back them as they scale Cloover into a category-defining company.”

By Adedapo Adesanya

Nigerians were plunged into a fresh electricity outage on Friday, January 23, as the national electricity grid suffered a total collapse, the first of such incident recorded in 2026.

Data from the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) indicates that power generation fell to zero megawatts, while electricity supply to all 11 distribution companies dropped completely by about 1 pm.

The affected distribution firms include Benin, Eko, Enugu, Ikeja, Jos, Kaduna, Kano, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Abuja and Yola, all of which recorded zero load allocation at the time of the collapse.

The incident comes months after a series of grid failures in 2025, with the most recent occurring on December 29.

According to reports, Nigeria’s grid collapsed a total of 12 times alone last year.

These repeated breakdowns have persisted despite ongoing efforts to strengthen and expand the country’s power infrastructure.

Part of such efforts came from NISO as it announced on November 9, 2025 that it has collaborated with the West African Power Pool Information and Coordination Centre to carry out a synchronisation test linking Nigeria’s grid with the broader West African electricity network.

Business Post observed that the grid collapse has led to a decline in economic productivity. A development which has the potential to affect the wider business environment, as many businesses have to resort to more expensive and environmentally unfriendly alternatives.