Economy
Renewable Energy Can Uplift Nigerian Economy, Standard of Living—Obisesan
Today, it is widely known that for a nation like Nigeria, diversifying energy supply and reducing dependence on imported fuels, generating energy that produces no greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels will greatly spur economic growth, development, jobs, increase the living standard of the people and further help businesses reduce excessive cost.
Mr Mark Obisesan, a renewable energy expert and a public affairs analyst, recently shared his views and gleamed more light on the growth prospects of renewable energy for Nigeria and Nigerians.
What led your foray into renewable energy in Nigeria?
Several years ago, I tried to set up a small factory somewhere in Kwara State to produce bottled water. It was a tough experience as we had to run the factory on a diesel engine. This drove the cost of overheads so high that it swallowed up most of the profits.
It was that experience that opened my eyes to the importance of cheap and steady power supply. But while my business struggled from inadequate power supply, the host community were in a more difficult situation. They hardly had power to charge their phones or to even run small businesses. It was almost like they were completely shut out of the world. Their experience got me thinking about how we can solve the challenges of electricity in Nigeria. That was how I stumbled on how to use renewable energy to solve Nigeria’s electricity shortages after an extensive research.
What kind of opportunities exist with renewable energy in Nigeria?
The opportunities that renewable energy provides in Nigeria are limitless. You must first realize that over 80 million Nigerians lack access to electricity, according to a world bank report. Our ability to use renewable energy to provide affordable electricity for these 80 million Nigerians will drastically boost the productivity of millions of Nigerians.
This gap in supply also provides a market opportunity for entrepreneurs like me to create value and profit from such value creation.
Furthermore, we will need to create thousands of decent jobs to effectively take advantage of the opportunity. In other words, there will be employment opportunities for young Nigerians, opportunities for the government to raise more taxes and an enabling environment for more small businesses to thrive.
Are there any policy hurdles you envisage?
The biggest challenge currently facing the power sector is too much interference from the government. On one hand, the government claims it has privatized the power sector (GENCOS & DISCOS) but has continued to regulate the pricing. This makes it difficult for the Discos to profit from their investments which further discourages private capital from coming into the sector.
However, in terms of renewable energy, the absence of a robust policy from the federal government has been largely responsible for the slow pace of adoption. The initial costs (especial solar and wind) are quite high and the government may need to find areas of intervention to ensure that the cost of providing such electricity remains low.
The government may also seek to reduce the cost of land where large installations of solar panels are made so as to also drive down the cost of electricity. There are several other ways that the government, by way of policy, can support the development of renewable energy in Nigeria.
Is renewable energy sufficient to solve the current power challenges in the country?
The potential of renewable energy in Nigeria is limitless. Studies have shown that solar thermal power alone can potentially generate 427,000MW, whereas Nigeria currently generates less than 13,000MW. This does not mean renewable energy can solve all of Nigeria’s electricity challenges, it can, however, boost access to electricity for Nigerians especially those living in rural communities. Surely, renewable energy will help to complement our generating capacity and grant several more Nigeria access to electricity supply.
What does the future hold for renewable energy in Nigeria?
The future of renewable energy in Nigeria is filled with prospects. The growing demand for electricity in Nigeria is forcing citizens to seek alternatives and better options for electricity. This demand will certainly spur the need for renewable energy.
More so, the global clamour for clean energy and the funding available for investment in renewable energy will certainly make it attractive to entrepreneurs and policymakers in the near future.
For me, I’m taking a huge bet on the fact that the future of electricity supply in Nigeria is pointing towards renewable energy.
Economy
BNB Price Reflects Changing Dynamics in the Digital Asset Market
Economy
NASD Unlisted Security Index Crosses 4,000-point Benchmark Again
By Adedapo Adesanya
The NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange achieved a milestone on Friday, April 24, 2026, after five securities on the platform helped with a 1.85 per cent growth.
Data showed that the NASD Unlisted Security Index (NSI) again crossed the 4,000-point benchmark yesterday.
The index chalked up 73.64 points during the trading day to close at 4,052.59 points compared with the preceding session’s 3,978.95 points, while the market capitalisation added N5.38 billion to finish at N2.424 trillion versus Thursday’s closing value of N2.380 trillion.
The price gainers were led by Okitipupa Plc, which grew by N25.00 to sell at N305.00 per share compared with the previous price of N280.00 per share. Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc gained N6.92 to close at N76.26 per unit versus N69.34 per unit, Afriland Properties Plc appreciated by N1.00 to N17.00 per share from N18.00 per share, FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria Plc improved by 55 Kobo to N99.55 per unit from N99.00 per unit, and Food Concepts Plc increased by 5 Kobo to N2.70 per share from N2.65 per share.
However, there was a price loser, MRS Oil, which dipped by N21.75 to N195.75 per unit from N217.50 per unit.
During the final session of the week, the value of securities jumped 75.2 per cent to N41.3 million from N23.6 million units, and the number of deals expanded by 62.9 per cent to 44 deals from 27 deals, while the volume of securities declined marginally by 0.9 per cent to 447,403 units from 451,522 units.
At the close of trades, Great Nigeria Insurance (GNI) Plc was the most traded stock by volume (year-to-date) with 3.4 billion units worth N8.4 billion, trailed by Resourcery Plc with 1.1 billion units valued at N415.7 million, and Infrastructure Guarantee Credit Plc with 400 million units traded for N1.2 billion.
GNI was also the most active stock by value (year-to-date) with 3.4 billion units sold for N8.4 billion, followed by CSCS Plc with 59.6 million units transacted for N4.0 billion, and Okitipupa Plc with 27.8 million units exchanged for N1.9 billion.
Economy
Naira Slips to N1,358/$1 as FX Reserves, Policy Uncertainty Concerns
By Adedapo Adesanya
It was not a good day for the Nigerian Naira in the currency market on Friday, April 24, as its value depreciated against the major foreign currencies at the close of transactions.
In the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEX), it lost N4.53 or 0.33 per cent against the United States Dollar yesterday to trade at N1,358.44/$1, in contrast to the N1,353.91/$1 it was exchanged on Thursday.
Equally, the domestic currency slipped against the Pound Sterling in the official market during the session by N8.14 to close at N1,834.02/£1, compared with the previous rate of N1,825.88/£1 and dropped N8.01 against the Euro to sell at N1,590.73/€1 versus N1,582.72/€1.
Also, the Naira depreciated against the US Dollar at the GTBank FX desk on Friday by N4 to quote at N1,370/$1 compared with the previous session’s N1,366/$1, and at the parallel market, it depleted by N5 to settle at N1,380/$1 versus the preceding day’s N1,375/$1.
Data published by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) indicated that NFEM interbank turnover surged to N43.562 million across 68 deals, up from N28.117 million the previous day.
Despite the CBN’s reassurance that the recent drop in external reserves is not worrisome, the market remains unsettled by persistent concerns over liquidity constraints, policy transparency, and weakening confidence in Nigeria’s FX market as gross reserves continue to decline to $48.4 billion.
The outlook for the Dollar appears supported by broader macro risks, including elevated oil prices tied to the tanker traffic disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and a continued US-Iran standoff over ceasefire negotiations.
A look at the digital currency market showed that investors are sitting on the edge as the US Dollar rebounded amid geopolitical and inflation risks despite continued inflows into US spot bitcoin Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs).
Solana (SOL) rose by 1.2 per cent to sell $86.45, Cardano (ADA) appreciated by 1.1 per cent to $0.2517, Dogecoin (DOGE) grew by 0.9 per cent to $0.0989, Ripple (XRP) improved by 0.3 per cent to $1.43, Ethereum (ETH) soared by 0.2 per cent to $2,316.83, and Binance Coin (BNB) chalked up 0.1 per cent to sell for $637.44.
However, TRON (TRX) depreciated by 1.3 per cent to $0.3235, and Bitcoin (BTC) lost 0.2 per cent to close at $77,562.27, while the US Dollar Tether (USDT) and the US Dollar Coin (USDC) closed flat at $1.00 each.
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