General
Ikeja Electric Plans 24-Hour Supply to GRA Residents
**Opens Ultra-Modern Undertaking Office
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Plans are underway to provide 24-hour electricity to residents of GRA Ikeja, Lagos, Chief Executive Officer of Ikeja Electric, Dr Anthony Youdeowei, has revealed.
Mr Youdeowei made this disclosure at the launch of an ultra-modern PTC undertaking office in GRA Ikeja on Monday, October 22, 2018, which was attended by various stakeholders including the police, army, Lagos State government, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NECR), Ikeja GRA Residents Association amongst others.
The IE chief disclosed that the PTC undertaking office will provide customers with improved access to quality service, explaining that the newly unveiled office was an upgraded facility designed to deliver positive experience to customers and offering prompt attendance to clients’ queries with a highly effective Point-of-Sales self-service, fully automated Electronic Queue Management System (EQMS) and well-trained Executives Sales Representative.
“The promise of providing dedicated and premium power to GRA is already materializing. Customers in this vicinity will no doubt feel the positive impact of this state-of-the art office which has come to complement our efforts to boost power supply in Ikeja GRA.
“As I speak with you, the quality of supply and service has improved tremendously as envisaged. Looking into the nearest future, we are working towards ensuring a 24-hour supply for residents of Ikeja GRA,” he declared at the event to the admiration of those present.
Mr Youdeowei revealed that a dedicated team was created for prompt fault clearing and maintenance of Distribution Transformers, thereby reducing downtime and achieving optimization of installations. This, according to him, has also helped the company to sustain the efficiency required to boost service delivery in this community.
According to him, Ikeja Electric has achieved 95 percent metering deployment both on the distribution transformers as well as for individual customers. He said the company had increased the momentum in meter deployment across IE’s network.
Mr Youdeowei expressed optimism that the exercise will further bridge the metering gap and evidently reduce the incidence of estimated billing.
“Let me also use this medium to debunk some of the misinformation in the public space that we sell meters for N100,000. Please note that meters from Ikeja Electric are free and you do not have to pay for them. Based on business considerations, our strategy to metering is based on feeders and once it is the turn of your feeder, all customers on that feeder will be metered at no cost,” he clarified.
“I solicit the assistance of our friends from the media to help us cascade this news to the public and provide the clarity,” he appealled.
Ikeja Electric, Nigeria’s leading electricity distribution company, said it is progressively focused to improve operations and deliver customer-centric services.
The DisCo also enumerated some of its ongoing projects and plans aimed at scaling up supply across our network, these include the Mushin 1x15MVA Injection Substation and the New Oworo 15 MVA Injection Sub-Station billed for commissioning by the end of October 2018.
It plans to replace two obsolete high voltage switchgears at Agege Injection Substation in the first week of November 2018 while it had flagged off the construction work on Transformer Repair Workshop for immediate repairs of failed distribution transformer and also set up a Preventive Maintenance Team to prevent failure of equipment and guarantee stable power supply.
According to IE, its series of projects and upgrading of facilities will translate to improved services across its six business units; Oshodi, Somolu, Abule-Egba, Ikorodu, Ikeja and Akowonjo.
“This is in line with our commitment toward enriching lives by means of our quality service that guarantees customer’s satisfaction. We will not stop aiming for the best, so are poised to extend this upgrading to other facilities in our Undertakings,” the company noted.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
A platform to bring together critical stakeholders for the development of the South East region of Nigeria has been created by Afia Media, Nigeria’s only broadcaster dedicated to the South-East on DStv and GOtv.
The company, established by a foremost media and communications practitioner, Mr Emeka Mba, launched the Afia Annual Lecture and Awards for this purpose.
It is to bring together leaders from government, business, academia, culture and civil society to discuss the future of the South-East and celebrate excellence across the geo-political zone.
The initiative is expected to become an annual gathering focused on thought leadership, policy dialogue, regional development and the recognition of outstanding contributions to society.
The inaugural edition, themed Uwa Bu Afia: Trading Ideas for Development, is fixed for the fourth quarter of 2026 in Enugu.
Uwa Bu Afia was derived from the Igbo expression meaning the world is a marketplace. It was chosen to reflect the entrepreneurial spirit, resilience and innovative capacity that have long defined the people of the South-East.
The event will be broadcast live on Afia TV (DStv Channel 263 and GOtv), Afia 99.3 FM Enugu, and streamed digitally to audiences across Nigeria and the diaspora.
According to the organisers, the Annual Lecture and Awards are designed as a platform that will convene policymakers, business leaders, academics, innovators, creatives, development partners and other stakeholders to examine opportunities and challenges facing the South-East.
Mr Mba said the platform reflects the organisation’s commitment to amplifying the voices, aspirations and development priorities of the region, noting that, “The South East is one of Nigeria’s most entrepreneurial and culturally vibrant regions. The Afia Annual Lecture and Awards is designed to provide a credible platform for dialogue, recognition and collective action towards the region’s future.”
The programme will feature two major segments: the Afia Annual Lecture, bringing together public and private sector leaders, policymakers and development stakeholders for high-level conversations on the future of the region, and the Afia Awards Gala, celebrating individuals and institutions making significant contributions to society.
Organisers said the event is expected to attract more than 1,000 participants physically, while millions more are projected to follow proceedings through television, radio and online broadcasts.
A director at Afia Media, Mrs Ijeoma Ezeasor, said the region must take ownership of its narrative in an increasingly digital and AI-driven world.
“If we do not tell our own story, others will tell it for us. We are entering an era where artificial intelligence is shaping conversations, interpreting history and influencing decisions based on the information available to it.
“If the South-East does not deliberately document its achievements, define its aspirations and contribute its perspective to global conversations, others will define us on our behalf.
“Uwa Bu Afia is therefore a call to think critically about our future, confront our challenges honestly and shape the narrative of our region in a rapidly changing world,” she stated.
The platform will serve as an annual opportunity to evaluate regional progress, stimulate policy conversations, encourage investment, promote innovation and strengthen collaboration between the public and private sectors.
The Afia Awards will recognise individuals and institutions making outstanding contributions to regional development, across categories including Governance, Business Leadership, Technology and Innovation, Cultural Excellence, Diaspora Impact, Civic and Humanitarian, Leadership in Education, and Youth.
Nominations, partnership opportunities and additional programme details will be announced in the coming months.
Afia Media said it intends for the initiative to evolve into a lasting institution that promotes regional storytelling, celebrates achievement and contributes to the long-term development of the South-East.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has dismissed reports linking the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Mrs Kemi Nandap, to an ongoing investigation into alleged visa racketeering involving some immigration officers.
The anti-graft agency said Mrs Nandap was not under investigation and had no connection whatsoever with the cases currently being handled by the commission.
The clarification was contained in a statement posted on the EFCC’s official X handle, noting that the clarification became necessary to address media reports and insinuations suggesting that the NIS Comptroller General was being investigated over the alleged visa fraud.
“The commission wishes to state unequivocally that it has no case with the Immigration CG,” the EFCC said.
However, the agency confirmed that it’s prosecuting some immigration officers over alleged visa fraud, adding that investigations remain ongoing.
“There are subsisting cases of alleged visa fraud against some immigration officers at the Federal High Court. Further investigations are ongoing with the possibility that more NIS officers could be arraigned for alleged fraudulent practices in the near future,” the statement read.
The EFCC stressed that despite the ongoing investigations and court cases involving some officers of the Nigeria Immigration Service, the Comptroller General was not linked to the matter.
“However, the Immigration CG is not remotely connected to these investigations,” the organisation stated.
The anti-corruption agency also urged journalists and media organisations to verify information relating to its activities before publication to prevent the dissemination of inaccurate reports, appealing to the media “to always seek clarifications on the activities of the EFCC to avoid misrepresentation of facts.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has granted bail to the former Managing Director of the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company Limited, Mr Jimoh Yisawu, in the sum of N500 million.
Mr Yisawu is standing trial on an eight-count charge bordering on alleged money laundering.
He pleaded not guilty to all eight counts after they were read to him. The charge, dated and filed on June 22, 2026, was brought by the Federal Government.
The prosecution, led by Mr Ekele Iheanacho, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), told the court that the defendant allegedly committed offences contrary to the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
In the first count, the Federal Government alleged that Mr Yisawu “indirectly converted the aggregate sum of over $789,950… being proceeds of unlawful activity”, contrary to Section 18(2)(b) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the Act.
In the second count, the prosecution alleged that he made cash payments exceeding $789,950 to one Samaila Bala without using a financial institution, contrary to the provisions of the anti-money laundering law.
In the fourth count, the government further alleged that Yisawu made cash payments totalling $122,600 through one Rasheed Olaitan Yusuf outside the banking system and due process, in violation of the anti-money laundering law.
Following the defendant’s plea, Iheanacho applied for a trial date.
Counsel for the defendant, Wale Balogun (SAN), informed the court that he had filed a bail application.
Responding, Mr Iheanacho said the prosecution had filed a counter-affidavit opposing the application and urged the court to refuse bail.
Balogun, however, argued that the prosecution had earlier granted Mr Yisawu administrative bail and had already seized his international passport. He urged the court to maintain the existing bail terms.
After adopting their respective processes, both counsel argued for their applications.
In a ruling, Justice Ekwo held that the defendant was entitled to bail.
The judge said, “Going by Section 162 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (2015)… I therefore grant bail in the sum of ₦500m with one surety in like sum.”
Justice Ekwo ordered that the surety must be a responsible Nigerian with landed property in Abuja and must submit proof of ownership to the court registrar.
The judge also directed the defendant to deposit his international passport with the court and barred him from travelling outside Nigeria without the court’s permission.
Pending the perfection of the bail conditions, the court ordered that Mr Yisawu should remain in the custody of the prosecution.
The case was adjourned until October 25, 26, and 27, 2026, for trial.
