General
COP28: Lagos Signs Waste Project Investment Deals
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Lagos State Government has signed two deals bordering on waste management at the ongoing 28th session of the Conference of Parties (COP28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
According to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, waste conversion initiatives, which the state pitched at the global climate summit, have attracted significant interest from investors. These are the Advanced Garbage Collection and Waste-to-Energy project and the building of a new sewage treatment plant.
Mr Sanwo-Olu confirmed the deals on Sunday at an event held at Nigeria Pavilion, where he also presented Phase Two of the Lagos State Climate Adaptation and Resilience Plan (LCARP) before global partners.
He said the two waste sector projects were at a pivotal stage, awaiting technical review by interested partners and disbursement of funds to transform the ideas into reality.
The development, the governor said, marked another step forward in Lagos’ journey towards environmental sustainability and resilience, noting that the projects, if successfully delivered, would turn what had been a burden into opportunities for the commercial capital.
Mr Sanwo-Olu said the investments represented his administration’s commitment to improving the lives of Lagosians and maintaining the status of the state as a beacon of progress.
“Two of our key initiatives, which are the Advanced Garbage Collection and Waste-to-Energy project, and Sewage Treatment Plant, have attracted significant investment interest. These projects are currently at a pivotal stage; we are waiting on the investors to conduct technical analysis and put in the funds to turn the ideas into reality.
“Given that all cities face a collective threat of climate change, bringing about solutions requires collaboration and partnership. Our participation at COP28 has been driven by the cardinal objective to have direct engagements on sustainability with committed partners who can collaborate with us to create sustainable solutions to our local environmental challenges. The global climate budget is reserved for sustainable development and for all of us to take action in mitigating impacts of environmental pollution and climate change,” he said.
Mr Sanwo-Olu said the state required a long-tenure investment exceeding $10 billion to build not just the required mitigation infrastructure, but also adequate redundancy to ensure sustainability. He added that 14 of the 30 projects were ideal for Public-Private Partnerships.
“As a committed government with dedicated leadership, we are not taking actions on our own; we are in conversations to ensure that real partners get involved. We are ready to lead from the front. We have a clear strategy of what we need to do and how we are going to achieve our climate mitigation objectives. Lagos’ success on this journey would not just be the success of Nigeria, but also an African and global success story,” Mr Sanwo-Olu said.
Mr Sanwo-Olu also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Sheikh Abdul Rahman Saif bin Saif Al Sharqi, chairman of the Nigerian-Arabian Gulf Chamber of Commerce (NAGCC), at JAFZA One Convention Centre in Dubai.
The agreement will facilitate, mutually undertake, and explore trade and investment opportunities between Lagos and Arabian Golf Chamber of Commerce (GCC) member countries.
The MoU will also provide a structured platform for dialogue, collaboration, and exchange of innovative ideas between the business communities of Lagos and Arabian GCC.
On his part, the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr Tokunbo Wahab, said Lagos was desirous of environmental sustainability, because of the threat posed by the observed rise in sea level and extreme temperatures.
The Commissioner pointed out that the LCARP document was the second of four planned frameworks designed by the State Government as a strategic response to climate change.
“If we fail to seek the required investment and build resilient infrastructure towards mitigating the consequences now, Lagos will need $33 billion by 2050 to fight the threat. Our strategy involves tapping into a variety of blended financial sources.”
Managing Director of Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Mr Muyiwa Gbadegesin, said Lagos faced escalating waste management issues, leading to flooding during extreme weather events.
He said the Waste-to-Energy plants would facilitate improved waste collection and treatment while reducing land demand for landfills. The project, he said, will be sited in the Epe area of Lagos and it is expected to process 760-kilo tonnes of municipal solid waste per year.
By Dipo Olowookere
A $15 million debt facility has been obtained by Watt Renewable Corporation from the AfriGreen Debt Impact Fund to finance hybrid solar power plants to be built and operated by the former, especially in Nigeria.
WATT intends to use the projects to serve commercial and industrial clients in Nigeria, particularly in the telecommunication and financial services sectors.
By integrating solar hybrid solutions, the firm aims to significantly reduce diesel consumption and CO2 emissions, enabling its clients to achieve substantial energy cost savings while promoting environmental sustainability.
As a pioneer in renewable energy solutions, WATT continues to drive innovation in Nigeria’s energy sector.
The company’s robust roll-out plan includes deploying hundreds of hybrid solar power sites nationwide to meet the growing energy demands of commercial & industrial clients.
This strategic expansion aligns with WATT’s vision to revolutionize energy access across Africa, enabling sustainable development and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
The funds from AfriGreen provide the critical capital needed to accelerate WATT’s ambitious projects, strengthening its market position and empowering businesses with reliable and affordable energy solutions.
Business Post gathered that to mitigate the currency risk for WATT in the event of devaluation of the Nigerian Naira, AfriGreen is offering a local currency facility that matches the payment structure of the power purchase agreements.
“We are thrilled to partner with AFRIGREEN on this transformative journey to expand reliable and sustainable energy solutions across Africa.
“With this support, it enables us to accelerate our shared mission of providing hybrid solar power to businesses, reducing carbon emissions, and supporting economic growth while enhancing energy security for our clients,” the Managing Director of WATT, Mr Oluwole Eweje, said.
“We are delighted to support WATT in rolling out hundreds of hybrid sites across the country.
“This represents another key transaction for AFRIGREEN in Nigeria. The combination of high energy prices, good solar irradiation, and strong demand from industrial and commercial energy users makes this market particularly attractive for companies like WATT.
“By leveraging these favourable market conditions alongside WATT’s exceptional operational performance and a well-structured financing solution, we are setting the stage for a strong and lasting business partnership,” the Managing Director of AfriGreen, Mr Alexandre Gilles, stated.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has denied issuing a directive that gas supply to power generating companies (GenCos) be halted.
In a statement on Wednesday, the authority also denied instructing wholesale gas suppliers to stop further supply of gas to companies due to failure in payment obligations.
The NMDPRA described reports stating that it has directed the stoppage of gas supply to GenCos over N2 trillion debt as “false and completely unfounded”.
“It has absolutely no bearing on the information shared at a recent stakeholders’ engagement held in Lagos between the Authority, the OPTS, IPPG and other stakeholders in the oil and gas industry,” the NMDPRA said.
“The purpose of the engagement was to sensitise stakeholders on the requirements, opportunities and benefits associated with the implementation of the wholesale supply license as provided by sections 142 and 197 of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021.
“It was a follow-up to an earlier stakeholder engagement held at the NMDPRA corporate headquarters in Abuja on November 27, 2024.
“The Authority wishes to reassure all our stakeholders and indeed the general public that at no time was the false statement made at that event and anywhere else, and are advised to completely disregard the publication as every effort is being made to ensure that the supply and distribution of natural gas and petroleum products to end users is seamless and unabated as we head into the festive season and indeed all through the coming year 2025.”
Recall that Nigeria’s national grid experienced another collapse on Wednesday, the 11th time in 2024 as Gencos couldn’t generate enough power, compounding issues facing the Nigerian power sector.
This was the first time in over a month as the last time the nation witnessed a nationwide shutdown in electricity supply was on November 7, 2024.
Before then, the country was experiencing an incessant collapse of the grid, which prompted the federal government to set up a team to address the issue.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
Nigeria is currently experience a cut in power supply after the national grid collapsed for the 11th time in 2024.
This is the first time in over a month as the last time the nation witnessed a nationwide shut down in electricity supply was on November 7, 2024.
Before then, the country was experiencing an incessant collapse of the grid, which prompted the federal government to set up a team to address the issue.
However, just when Nigerians were thinking they will not witnessed another national grid collapse in the year, it issue reared its ugly head again.
On Wednesday afternoon, most of the energy distribution companies suffered power outage, prompting them to inform their customers of the situation.
One of the DisCos, Ikeja Electric Plc, in a message to electricity consumers under its franchise area, said, “Please be informed that we experienced a system outage today, December 11, 2024, at about 13:32 hours affecting supply within our network.
“Restoration of supply is ongoing in collaboration with our critical stakeholders. Kindly bear with us.”
Recall that on Tuesday, in a report, Google listed national grid as one of the top trending searches by Nigerians this year.
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