General
Egbin Power to Host FG’s National Data Park, Compute Infrastructure
In a significant move aimed at accelerating Nigeria’s digital economy, Egbin Power, Nigeria’s leading power generation company, has been identified as the ideal location to host the nation’s first National Data Park and Compute Infrastructure.
The Minister for Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, made this announcement during his visit to the power Plant, where he was received by Group Managing Director, Sahara Power Group, Dr Kola Adesina and the CEO of Egbin Power, Mokhtar Bounour, among others.
The groundbreaking initiative, spearheaded by the Federal Government, aims to harness the power of reliable energy and cutting-edge technology to drive Nigeria’s digital economy forward. The collaboration between Egbin Power and the FG underscores a shared vision to enhance the nation’s technological capabilities and foster innovation in the digital sector.
Dr Tijani was given an overview of the plant and later accompanied by the management team on a tour of the facility. During the discussion, the Minister expressed confidence that Egbin Power has the right environment to host the Data Park, enabling the GenCo to play a crucial role in powering the digital economy.
He stated, “Without a digital economy, the growth we seek cannot be realized. Everything we need to truly power the digital economy exists here in Egbin Power—not only in terms of energy and water, but also in the excellence of the team that runs this facility. That is what is required to fuel the digital economy.”
The Minister highlighted the global advancement in artificial intelligence, emphasizing the need for Africa to catch up with this momentum. He stressed the importance of finding innovative ways to participate in this digital phenomenon. He further noted that Nigeria’s digital economy significantly contributes to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), emphasizing that an efficient data centre is vital for harnessing the capabilities of AI and data processing.
Commenting on the strategic collaboration, Dr Adesina said, “There is a nexus between the digital economy and power. Reliable power enhances the functionality of the digital economy, whether in terms of the Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), data utilization, and more.”
He expressed commitment to supporting the establishment of a National Data Park and Compute Centre and other IT infrastructure required for the digital economy. He highlighted Egbin Power’s reliable energy, available land for expansion, and a conducive environment for such digital infrastructure.
“We are here to support the idea of building the Data Park or other IT infrastructure required within the digital economy. We have reliable power, the land and the right environment needed,” he said. Adesina also noted that, since the takeover, significant investments and technological innovations have been done to revitalise the plant, while expansion plans are in the pipeline to double its capacity.
Egbin Power’s CEO, Mokhtar Bounour, reiterated the plant’s dedication to consistent power generation for the national grid in spite of the challenges inherent in the power sector. “We are open to collaborations that will drive Nigeria’s growth and success. We will continue to push boundaries to deliver reliable power to the nation, facilitating socio-economic progress and ensuring our communities and stakeholders thrive,” Bounour stated.
The Minister also toured the Bright Gyimah Innovation Centre, located within Powerfields Schools, owned by Egbin Power. The Innovation Centre serves as a facility for students to acquire skills in Information Technology (IT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and to explore their creativity in arts, music, and culinary/hospitality fields.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Mr Bosun Tijani, has announced that Nigeria will launch a new alphanumeric postcode system on October 1, 2026, with every home expected to have a unique postcode.
Mr Tijani disclosed the development in a video post on X, describing the new system as a more precise and digitally oriented approach to addressing locations across the country.
He said the initiative would mark a significant shift in Nigeria’s postal addressing system by assigning unique postcodes to individual homes.
The initiative marks a major step in Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda. By replacing the outdated numeric-only system, the alphanumeric codes provide a more flexible and scalable framework that can accommodate the country’s rapid urban growth and diverse settlement patterns.
For emphasis, an alphanumeric postcode system is a postal indexing system that uses a combination of both letters (alpha) and numbers (numeric), along with spaces or punctuation, to identify specific geographic locations, streets, or individual buildings for mail delivery.
Unlike purely numeric postcode systems (such as the 5-digit US ZIP Code or 5-digit codes used in some European countries), alphanumeric codes offer a much higher number of unique combinations using fewer total characters. This flexibility allows postal authorities to pinpoint locations with incredible precision, often down to a single side of a street or a specific large building.
“On October 1st 2026 Nigeria’s new Alphanumeric Postcode System goes live,” Mr Tijani said.
“For the first time, every home will be assigned a unique postcode that’s simple, precise and built for a digital future,” he added.
The minister urged Nigerians to prepare to generate their individual postcodes ahead of the launch.
The new system is expected to strengthen Nigeria’s digital addressing infrastructure and improve the identification and location of homes and properties for postal and other location-based services.
The initiative is being implemented in collaboration with the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) as part of broader efforts to modernise the country’s addressing and digital infrastructure.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Taiwo Oyedele, has been directed to give an account to Nigerians on how the current government has fared since its inception on May 29, 2023.
This directive was given by President Bola Tinubu in a message posted on his verified social media handles on Wednesday.
This coincides with the commencement of campaigns for the 2027 presidential election scheduled for January 16.
According to the timetable of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), candidates seeking to become the country’s president are eligible to kick off their campaigns from today, Wednesday, August 19, 2026.
In his message today, Mr Tinubu said, “When we began this journey of reform in 2023, I promised that the difficult decisions we were making would serve the purpose of building an economy that works better for you and a country that is stronger for our children.
“Today, your government presents The Reforms Scorecard. It sets out what our reforms have achieved, what they have cost us, and the greater costs and harms we have prevented by acting when we did.
“I have therefore directed the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, to give an account to Nigerians, to explain the numbers, the choices we have made, the progress recorded, and the work that remains.
“You deserve to see the numbers. You deserve to know what has changed and what these reforms mean for you, your family, your business and our country.
“This is your government. This is your country. This is our account to you.”
Shortly after he took the oath of office over three years ago, President Tinubu declared that subsidies on petroleum products were gone. He later approved foreign exchange (FX) reforms, which devalued the Nigerian Naira, shooting from about N800 per Dollar to nearly N2,000 per Dollar. However, it is currently slightly above N1,340 per Dollar in the official market.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited and the Nigerian Agip Exploration (NAE) Limited are advancing discussions on the development of deepwater assets estimated to hold 500 million barrels of oil reserves.
The development followed a meeting between the chief executive of the state oil company, Mr Bayo Ojulari, and Agip’s Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Mr Maurizio Pinna, in Abuja.
The talks focused on ongoing work on deepwater acreage jointly held by NNPC, NAE and Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo) as well as plans to bring the associated resources into production.
According to NNPC, the acreage comprises the Zabazaba and Etan deepwater fields, with estimated reserves of about 500 million barrels.
The fields are located in Nigeria’s deepwater terrain and are considered significant to the country’s efforts to expand its upstream oil production base, particularly as operators seek to advance projects capable of delivering additional barrels over the medium to long term.
While details of the expected production timeline were not disclosed, the meeting underscores renewed industry focus on unlocking Nigeria’s deepwater resources and growing crude oil production.
The acreage comprises licences converted from OPL 245 and is operated by NAE in partnership with NNPC Limited and SNEPCo.
Mr Ojulari and Mr Pinna also reviewed the work currently underway on the assets and the expected production outlook, with the discussions centred on advancing deepwater development.
The engagement comes amid renewed efforts to attract investment into Nigeria’s offshore petroleum resources and increase national oil production.
