By Adedapo Adesanya

The founder of WiSolar, Mr Tonye Irims, is leading efforts to increase access to clean energy across Africa. With operations in Nigeria and South Africa, Mr Irims is working to tackle one of the continent’s longstanding challenges—energy access—through innovation, mobile technology, and scalable solar solutions.

Starting his career in the telecoms and fintech sectors, Mr Irims developed a strong understanding of infrastructure, digital platforms, and customer engagement. These early experiences shaped the foundation for WiSolar, a company focused on democratising solar energy.

Under his leadership, WiSolar has expanded from a startup to a tech-driven platform offering direct-to-customer solar systems, lease-to-own options, and battery manufacturing. The company has built a model that connects partner merchants, provides solar financing, and uses a mobile app to make solar electricity more accessible.

WiSolar has recently taken a significant step by moving into lithium battery assembly in Nigeria, part of its commitment to local manufacturing and developing homegrown clean technology solutions. Mr Irims continues to invest in local talent and aims to create systems that directly address African energy needs.

His approach combines business growth with social impact. He remains focused on building African solutions for African problems and believes in supporting economic development through clean energy access.

WiSolar’s growth has not gone unnoticed. The company has been listed twice among Africa’s Fastest Growing Companies by the Financial Times. In South Africa, WiSolar (Wicorp (Pty) Ltd) was ranked 18th in the latest Growth Champions list, compiled by News24 and Statista. This ranking highlights businesses achieving strong revenue growth, primarily through organic expansion.

Beyond business operations, Mr Irims is recognised as a voice in discussions about sustainable development, clean technology financing, and energy equity. He continues to share insights on how Africa can move from energy scarcity to sustainable supply.

He lives between Lagos and Johannesburg, continuing to oversee WiSolar’s expansion and contribute to the continent’s clean energy future.

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Lagos State Government has officially launched its annual Medium-Term Sector Strategy (MTSS) Roll-Over Exercise for the 2026–2028 planning cycle.

According to a statement, this reaffirms its commitment to sustainable development and effective governance.

Speaking at the opening session of the workshop yesterday at the LCCI building, Ikeja, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget, Mrs Olayinka Ojo, welcomed stakeholders and emphasized the importance of the MTSS as a cornerstone in the State’s planning framework.

Mrs Ojo stated that the strategy is to ensure that all projects and programs initiated by Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) are not only well-prioritized and realistically costed but also aligned with the Lagos State Development Plan (LSDP) 2052.

Her words, “The vision of our dear State, under the dynamic leadership of Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, is to build Africa’s model megacity — a global economic and financial hub that is safe, secure, functional, and productive.”

“Achieving this vision requires deliberate planning, effective resource allocation, and a disciplined approach to project execution,” she said.

The roll-over session, which gathered representatives – economic planning officers and statisticians/statistical officers from various MDAs and development partners, aims to critically assess ongoing and proposed initiatives for their transformational impact, alignment with sectoral strategies, and responsiveness to current fiscal realities.

“We must ask ourselves: Are these projects truly transformational? Are they aligned with our long-term goals? Are they cost-effective and impactful?” the Permanent Secretary queried, urging participants to embrace openness and professionalism in their evaluations.

The event also underscored the need for flexibility and innovation in government planning amid global uncertainties. Officials called for future-proof and sustainable programs capable of delivering measurable benefits to Lagos residents.

The Economic Planning Department of the Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget was commended for its coordination of the exercise, with special appreciation extended to MDAs and development partners for their continued collaboration.

The roll-over exercise is expected to culminate in a refined set of priorities that will guide Lagos State’s development agenda for the years ahead.

By Adedapo Adesanya

The British Government has distanced itself from the actions of Mr Micah Polo, an alleged British army officer, who was recently apprehended in connection with arms procurement and an alleged plot to instigate unrest in Warri, Delta State.

The development has received widespread condemnation with many stakeholders demanding a thorough probe of the indicted soldier and alleging that the UK was fuelling instability in the country.

In a short statement shared with Business Post on Wednesday, the British High Commission acknowledged that the individual identified did serve as a junior rank in the UK Armed Forces Reserves but was later discharged. It didn’t provide further details.

According to a statement credited to an unnamed spokesperson, the British High Commission in the statement said, “The individual identified in recent Nigerian media reporting is not a serving member of the UK Armed Forces.”

The British High Commission added that whilst in the Reserves, Mr Polo was a junior rank not a commissioned officer. Many reports had ascribed him a Major.

This newspaper learnt that UK common law and Data Protection Act protects the personal details of current and former employees, hence why it was not able to release any additional information on the matter.

According to reports, Mr Polo, an Itsekiri by origin, was allegedly recruited by one Collins to procure weapons and ammunition intended to fuel tribal tensions in the oil-rich region.

However, operatives of the Department of State Security (DSS) from the Delta Command were said to have foiled the move on Friday night and arrested the arms supplier during a covert exchange near Asaba, Delta State.

During the operation, over 50 AK-47 rifles, six pump-action shotguns, and more than 3,000 rounds of ammunition were confiscated.

Mr Polo, on the other hand, was intercepted in Lagos as he attempted to board a flight to the United Kingdom, while his associates were apprehended in Asaba during the operation.