General
Fashola Seeks More Effort for Economic Growth
By Adedapo Adesanya
Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), has called for the need to increase the output in the ministry in order to achieve the mandate of the Federal Government for economic growth and development as well as job creation in the country expressing his resolve to provide the needed leadership.
This was made known in a statement released by the Special Adviser, Communications to the Minister, Mr Hakeem Bello, noting that the need to achieve the mandate aligned with the clear mandate of President Muhammadu Buhari who in his speech, while swearing in the ministers on Wednesday, wanted the Ministers to further grow and stabilize the nation’s economy.
Speaking to the senior management staff of the Ministry at the Conference Room in Mabushi soon after the inauguration at the State House, Mr Fashola expressed joy that the staff had remained faithful to some of the works left behind by his team during the last administration but warned that there was still work to be done.
The minister who was the immediate past Minister for Power, Works, and Housing said, “I am happy to see that some of the works we left you have remained faithful and that is in spirit of continuity and development which is what the nation needs”
He added, “There is still a lot of work ahead of us in spite of what we have done before and I offer myself ready and willing to do my part by providing leadership and I trust that all of you are ready as well.”
According to the Minister, the President was clear about the need to sustain the growth already experienced in the economy adding, “The economy has grown from recession and out of recession it has grown for consecutive eight quarters. But we need to double that growth and even multiply it, but that will depend on how we work this time. The central purpose is to create prosperity and to create jobs and I think this is possible.”
Mr Fashola declared that the ministry would be working on a budget in the next two weeks and called upon all the departments of the ministry to produce a budget worthy of note.
“One of the first things we have to do is quickly work out the budget for the Ministry of Works and Housing and we have to do that in the next two weeks”, the Minister was quoted.
Mr Fashola then pointed out that the leadership of the National Assembly has expressed commitment to conduct all the budget defenses in the month of October, calling for all leaves, travels, and other less compelling engagements to be put aside to make room for the budget preparation.
He then used the meeting to welcome the new minister of State, Works and Housing, Engineer Aliyu Abubakar and expressed joy with working with him again following the fact that both as served as governors of their states (Lagos and Yobe) and during the formative years of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The Minister noted that Engineer Abubakar would be bringing a lot of experience that would be beneficial to the ministry due to his civil engineering background.
The inaugural meeting with the management staff of the Ministry was attended by the Permanent Secretary Works, Directors, heads of departments and agencies of the Ministry as well as Special Advisers and other top government functionaries.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Three African subsidiaries of global advisory firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), have been debarred by the World Bank Group for 21 months after being found guilty of manipulating procurement processes for a major cross-border electricity project.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Washington-based multilateral lender said PricewaterhouseCoopers Associates Africa Ltd, based in Mauritius, along with its Kenyan and Rwandan affiliates, engaged in “collusive and fraudulent practices” linked to the Eastern Electricity Highway Project, a flagship initiative to transmit hydropower from Ethiopia to Kenya.
The decision sidelines PwC from lucrative World Bank-funded projects on the continent, dealing a blow to one of the region’s most influential audit and advisory firms.
This development could reshape competition for high-value consulting work across emerging markets, potentially disrupting startups and tech firms reliant on World Bank funding, as scrutiny over governance and compliance tightens.
The World Bank, through its private sector arm, International Finance Corporation (IFC), offers grants and low-interest loans to startups across emerging markets.
Earlier this week, the IFC committed $20 million to invest in high-growth startups in Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa.
“The debarment makes PwC Associates, PwC Kenya, PwC Rwanda, and any affiliates they control ineligible to participate in Bank Group-financed projects and operations,” the World Bank said. “It is part of a settlement agreement under which the three companies admit culpability for sanctionable practices.”
The determination was based on the company’s conduct between 2019 and the award of contracts for consultancy services and asset valuation work for the Ethiopian state power utilities.
According to the World Bank statement, the firm obtained confidential procurement documents to improperly influence the award of a contract for the implementation of International Financial Reporting Standards at the Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation.
They also attempted to steer a separate contract for a fixed asset inventory and revaluation for the power utility towards PwC Associates. During the bidding and execution of that contract, the bank found that the company misrepresented the availability and qualifications of key experts and failed to disclose the full list of subconsultants involved.
According to the World Bank, the debarment is shorter than would otherwise apply because PwC admitted misconduct. The advisory firm also agreed to a series of remedial measures, including internal investigations, disciplinary action against responsible staff, terminating relationships with all subconsultants involved, and additional staff training.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
A Federal High Court in Warri, Delta State, has affirmed the right of Nigerians to film personnel of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) on duty.
The judgment was given by Justice H. A. Nganjiwa on Tuesday in a case filed by Mr Maxwell Uwaifo in suit number FHC/WR/CS/87/2025.
The court held that Nigerians have the constitutional right to use any device to record police officers executing their official duties in public.
It was ruled that police officers must wear visible name tags, display their force numbers, and must not harass, intimidate, arrest, or seize devices from citizens documenting their activities.
The court awarded the applicant N5 million in damages for the violation of his fundamental rights and N2 million for the cost of litigation.
Business Post reports that the respondents in the case were the Inspector General of Police (IGP), the NPF, the Police Service Commission (PSC), and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF).
The lawyer filed the case in accordance with Sections 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, and 41 of the Constitution of Nigeria and others.
“This judgement has significant implications for policing standards, civil liberties, and public accountability across Nigeria,” Mr Uwaifo said after the judgement.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The General Manager in charge of Transmission for Lagos Region of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Mr Adeshina Adeonipekun, has stressed the critical role of Lagos in the national grid.
While receiving the chief executive of Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC), Ms Wola Joseph Condotti, at his office on Monday, he said the Lagos region accounts for about 30 per cent of total power off-take in Nigeria.
He stated that TCN was implementing strategic expansion and project upgrades aimed at enhancing grid stability and operational efficiency in response to rising demand.
Mr Adeonipekun highlighted recent key milestones achieved in the region, including the commissioning of a 100MVA power transformer at the Ijora 132/33kV Transmission Substation, a 300MVA transformer at the Lekki 330/132kV Transmission Substation, and a 125MVA unit at the Agbara 132/33kV Substation, among others.
According to him, these additions have further increased the region’s installed capacity to 5,470MVA on the 132/33kV network and 4,110MVA on the 330/132kV network.
He further said that there were several ongoing rehabilitations at key substations within the region, including Amuwo GIS, Akoka 132/33kV, and Itire 132/33kV Transmission Substations, all geared towards further improving reliability, reducing system constraints, and enhancing the overall efficiency of power delivery.
In her remarks, Ms Condotti expressed appreciation for TCN’s continued partnership and support, underscoring the importance of sustained collaboration between transmission and distribution companies in building a more stable and efficient electricity transmission and supply network.
Both parties explored ways to strengthen collaboration and ensure a more stable and efficient power supply in Lagos, the nation’s commercial hub.
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