General
Kwara Govt Denies Corruption at Harmony Holdings Ltd
By Dipo Olowookere
The Kwara State Government has denied social media claims purportedly attributed to the former Managing Director of Harmony Holdings Limited, (HHL), Dr Shehu Kuranga Mohammed, alleging corrupt practices concerning state government properties managed by the company.
In a statement, the state government said the claims of corruption at HHL involving management of state-owned property are creations of the fertile imagination of its authors.
It also absolved Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed and the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki of any involvement in the planned lease of a prime state-owned property located in Lagos or in any illegal transaction involving other state-owned assets.
Rather, the government maintained that transactions relating to the proposed lease followed due process and involved relevant state agencies.
The statement also denied the claim that Dr Mohammed resigned due to pressures from Government House to engage a particular company to manage the Victoria Island, Lagos property and to financially disadvantage the state in favour of a private company or individuals.
Instead, the government said Dr Mohammed was asked to review the companies shortlisted for managing the property, recommend one or come up with an alternative company but resigned before the process was completed.
The government stressed that Dr Mohammed was personally head-hunted by Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed based on the former incumbent’s corporate finance experience and capacity and not at the request of the Ilorin Emirate Descendants Progressive Union (IEDPU) as wrongly claimed.
It, therefore, urged the public to ignore the lies about HHL and warned those bent on playing politics with government-owned entities to have a rethink and be mindful of the long-term impact on the image of Kwara State as investors may be reluctant to partner the state if the negative atmosphere of needless controversy is allowed to persist.
The full statement reads thus:
“We have become aware of a social media post alleging corrupt practices at Harmony Holdings Limited, a company fully-owned by the Kwara State Government. For the avoidance of doubt and in the interest of the people of Kwara State who are the ultimate owners of HHL and the assets it is managing, we wish to state clearly that the allegations in the said post are lies concocted in a futile bid to embarrass the administration of Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed.
To restate, Harmony Holdings Limited is a product of the administration’s quest to innovate new funding sources for government programs in the light of a fragile global economy and unstable federal allocation.
To insulate the state from these uncertainties and keep it on a firm pedestal for the benefit of its people, reforms were necessary. One of them was HHL, especially given the existence of state assets which were constituting a drain on state resources rather than augmenting them.
In the light of the vast investment and revenue potentials of these state-owned assets, it was decided to recruit for HHL only those with the capacity and pedigree to successfully attract private partners to invest funds in the dormant assets, and significantly boost the state government’s revenue.
An essential skill in this regard was previous Corporate Finance and related management experience which was deemed necessary for the task of making HHL achieve its target of N50b in annual revenues and ranking as one of the top holding companies in the country. It is also reflected in the capacity, experience and pedigree of the previous board which was headed by a Professor of Public Finance and included credentialed individuals with a strong finance, business and academic backgrounds.
It remains the government’s understanding and resolve that the task of turning these state-owned assets to revenue generating ventures can only be achieved by management manned by technocrats with the necessary capacities.
This need for a Chief Executive with relevant requisite capacity for HHL was the spirit behind Dr Mohammed’s recruitment by the state government when the previous board’s tenure expired.
His mandate was to focus not on HHL’s ongoing concerns that were already contributing revenue but on turning high value but dormant assets into income generating ventures for the government. One of the assets was a state government-owned commercial property located at Victoria Island, Lagos. Before Dr Mohammed’s appointment, the said property was the subject of litigation.
Subsequently, the property was tied up for the duration of the court case which the state government eventually won. HHL was then instructed to review a shortlist of companies bidding for the lease, to recommend one or make new recommendations. Dr Mohammed resigned before the ongoing process to choose a preferred bidder with the required competence and capacity to manage the property, which followed necessary processes and involved other state agencies, was completed.
It is therefore untrue that Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed is involved in any corrupt deals at HHL or any effort to influence the selection of any company to manage government assets.
The state government also exonerates the former state governor and Senate President, His Excellency, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki of any involvement in any aspect of HHL’s operations, including the management and sale of any state government asset assigned to the company or indeed any other government property.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The World Bank’s financing arm, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), and the Norwegian investment fund (Norfund) have committed up to $83.2 million to expand solar hybrid mini-grids across Nigeria, in a move expected to connect nearly half a million new users to electricity.
The funding will support five renewable energy companies, Darway Coast Nigeria Limited, GVE Projects Limited, Prado Power Limited, PriVida Power Limited and StarTimes Energy, to build 315 mini-grid sites across underserved communities.
The projects are projected to deliver about 494,189 new electricity connections. Renewable energy solutions
IFC says the intervention is aimed at closing Nigeria’s massive electricity gap, noting that more than 85 million people in the country still live without access to power.
The institution said expanding distributed renewable energy will not only improve electricity access but also cut energy costs and support small businesses in rural areas.
According to IFC, “By supporting distributed renewable energy solutions, this initiative will help expand access to reliable electricity while reducing energy costs, strengthening local economies, and enabling income-generating activities.”
For operators already working in the sector, the new funding is expected to speed up expansion plans.
The chief executive of Darway Coast Nigeria Limited, Mr Henry Ureh, said the support will allow companies to scale faster and reach more communities that have remained off the national grid for years.
“Access to reliable electricity allows us to expand our operations, support local businesses, and create jobs in the communities we serve,” he said.
Nigeria’s off-grid power space has been growing steadily, but access remains uneven. Data from the Africa Solar Industry Association shows that the country currently has over 4.8 gigawatts of installed solar capacity, but only about 115 megawatts come from mini-grids serving rural communities.
The IFC has been one of the biggest institutional backers of this segment. Last year, it announced a separate $16 million financing package for Nigerian developer Virtuitis to build 97 mini-grids expected to serve over 140,000 off-grid consumers by 2027, showing a steady increase in international interest in decentralised power solutions.
With grid supply still unreliable in many parts of the country, mini-grids are increasingly becoming the most practical solution for rural electrification as they supply adequate but limited power for limited power consumption.
For many communities, the impact goes beyond electricity. Reliable power is expected to support trading activities, agro-processing, small manufacturing and education, all of which have struggled under years of unstable supply. But operators also warn that sustained policy support and stable regulation will be key to scaling beyond pilot-level projects.
As deployment begins across the 315 sites, observers are keen on understanding how quickly these projects can move from funding to actual connections to where they are needed.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
As part of efforts to ensure a cleaner and healthier environment, a daily environmental sanitation monitoring and enforcement system has been introduced by the Oyo State government.
At a press briefing to mark his first 100 days in office, the Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Mr Ademola Aderinto, explained that the government has shifted from the traditional monthly environmental sanitation exercise to a more proactive system that encourages residents to take responsibility for maintaining cleanliness on a daily basis.
He noted that this approach is being reinforced by continuous monitoring and enforcement by environmental health officers
“We are now enforcing daily environmental sanitation. Our officers are on the field every day to ensure compliance, and cleanliness must become a daily responsibility,” he stated.
According to him, to strengthen operations, the government has re-engaged 930 Environmental Vanguards, sweepers, and waste packers, while also procuring two brand new compactor trucks with the support of Governor Seyi Makinde to enhance waste evacuation.
Highlighting the ministry’s achievements, the Commissioner said the ministry has expanded its impact through strategic workforce deployment and innovation, adding that the 930 Environmental Personnel has been structured to improve enforcement and sanitation coverage.
Mr Aderinto hinted that with sweepers now operating twice daily to ensure cleaner roads across the state, while also benefiting from enrolment in the Oyo State Health Insurance Scheme.
The ministry also launched the Oyo Soro Soke (Oyo SSS) Environmental Whistleblower platform accessible via mobile applications and WhatsApp, empowering residents to report environmental violations and promote community participation in environmental governance.
In addition, the ministry strengthened operational capacity by introducing a first-of-its-kind waste segregation system across government offices, and initiated Public-Private Partnerships for the construction of modern public toilets.
The Commissioner expressed gratitude to the Governor for the opportunity to serve, assuring that the confidence reposed in him will not be misplaced, also appreciating members of the Executive Council for their strong inter-ministerial collaboration, as well as the Permanent Secretary, Dr Sunday Ojelabi, for his support.
Highlighting other achievements, he noted improved media engagement by the Ministry, with regular press briefings and public advisories on issues such as flooding, heat waves, cholera, and Lassa fever.
The Commissioner added that the Ministry has regulated charcoal production through a structured framework, commemorated World Earth Day with tree planting, intensified efforts to end open defecation, and strengthened interventions against diseases through inspections and environmental monitoring.
Reaffirming his commitment, Mr Aderinto assured residents that the Ministry will sustain and build on these gains, saying, “The future of our environment in Oyo State is bright. What we have achieved in 100 days is only the beginning.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) has urged the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) to prioritise policies that promote domestic gas utilisation.
The association recommended that NUPRC strengthen measures to ensure price stability and long-term energy security for Nigerians, as indicated in a statement by its national public relations officer, Mr Joseph Obele.
The call comes alongside PETROAN’s commendation of the choice of Mr Magnus Abe as NUPRC Board chairman.
PETROAN national president, Dr Billy Gillis-Harry, cited Mr Abe’s prior roles as a National Assembly lawmaker, Secretary to the Rivers State Government, and former board member of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, meaning he has extensive knowledge of Nigeria’s oil and gas sector and its operational dynamics.
PETROAN also lauded NUPRC’s collaboration with the Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG), which has committed 100 per cent of its LPG production to the domestic market.
Mr Gillis-Harry projected that this would reduce cooking gas prices and other gas-based products soon.
The association highlighted NUPRC’s efforts to remove regulatory bottlenecks, improve ease of doing business, and sustain stakeholder engagement to meet rising domestic gas demand and shield the market from global volatility.
PETROAN emphasises that a stable upstream sector will have far-reaching benefits across the petroleum value chain, including enhanced product availability, reduced energy costs, job creation, and overall economic growth, stating it would support policies and reforms in Nigeria’s petroleum industry.
Other PETROAN recommendations included sustaining regulatory reforms, accelerating gas infrastructure and distribution networks to ensure efficient delivery of gas to end-users nationwide; continuous and structured stakeholder engagement to promote transparency, policy consistency, and industry-wide collaboration; and maintaining structured stakeholder engagement.
It also urged collaborating with the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to activate government-owned refineries, expressing confidence in Abe’s leadership and reiterated its support for policies fostering a competitive and transparent petroleum industry.
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