General
Lagos Signs 60MW Power Purchase Deals with Fenchurch, Mainland Power, Viathan
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Lagos State Government has signed Power Purchase Agreements (PPA) with three firms- Fenchurch Power, Mainland Power, and Viathan for about 60MW of generation.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, in a statement, noted that plans to scale capacity to 200–400MW within two to three years through market-driven investments under the Lagos State Electricity Law 2024, aligned with the Nigerian Electricity Act.
He noted that the agreements were executed on behalf of the state by Mr Abiodun Ogunleye, the state’s commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, alongside representatives of the three firms at Lagos House, Marina.
According to Mr Sanwo-Olu, the signing of three power purchase agreements is designed to build on existing capacity and address what has not been working.
He said Fenchurch Power will support the state’s major water facilities in Adiyan and Iju, while Mainland Power will continue serving Ikeja, Oshodi, and Anthony, with room for expansion.
“Viathan will maintain a stable power supply to key facilities on the Island as we strengthen its integration with the distribution network,” he said.
The Governor insisted that the government will no longer pay for power that is not delivered, explaining that the commercial capital has updated those agreements to reflect current market realities.
“Payments are now tied to actual, metered supply, helping the government to reduce waste and manage costs more effectively,” he added.
He emphasised that the agreement means more reliable power for public infrastructure, better use of state resources, and a clear path to scale capacity over the next few years.
On his part, the Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Mr Ogunleye, stated that development is an attempt to expand generation and revive dormant assets to support a sustainable energy supply.
He noted that the power companies at the moment operate a combined generating capacity of about 60MW and plan to scale up to between 200MW and 400MW within two to three years through market-based investments rather than public spending.
Providing a further breakdown of the network, Mr Ogunleye revealed that Mainland Power, with an installed capacity of 8.8MW, located in the Ikeja GRA axis, has a contracted capacity of 5.8MW, supplying power to strategic public facilities, including the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital and other substations within the state’s network.
He also noted that the Akute Independent Power Plant, now operated by Fenchurch Power, has a contracted capacity of 26MW and is being repositioned as a major energy hub.
The commissioner said the plant, which had been dormant for about five years, is undergoing rehabilitation and upgrades under a long-term operational agreement and is expected to serve surrounding communities, including Adiyan Water Works.
Viathan Engineering, according to him, is expected to service the Island/Lekki corridor, overseeing the Peninsula Integrated Power Project with a combined installed capacity of 21MW — 6MW in Lekki and 15MW in Marina.
Both facilities are expected to supply electricity to major government and health facilities, including Lagos Government House, Lagos Island General Hospital, and Lagos Island Maternity Hospital.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
President Bola Tinubu on Thursday directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to vacate the court ordering the freezing of the bank account of the Osun Srate government.
In a statement today by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, the President said he’s “deeply embarrassed not by the EFCC’s exercise of its mandate backed by a court order” because of its timing, which is just a few days to the governorship election in the state next Saturday.
According to him, actions of an institution of State, especially at the Federal level, is always credited to me, as the President, even when I may not have had any prior knowledge of the action.
“Since assuming office, I have consistently maintained that anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies must be allowed to discharge their statutory responsibilities independently, professionally, without fear or favour, or political interference. I have therefore deliberately refrained from directing or interfering in the operational activities of the EFCC or any other investigative or prosecutorial agency because I firmly believe that strong democratic institutions, operating within the confines of the law, are indispensable to democratic good governance and the rule of law.
“As President, I am committed to allowing institutions of State to function and take any action they consider necessary in the interest of proper governance without the need for any prior approval. Indeed, that is why institutions are set up by law with clearly defined powers. While I am yet to be fully apprised of the facts which informed the action of EFCC in approaching the court to obtain the said order freezing the Osun State Government account, I am not in the slightest doubt that the timing of the action of EFCC is inauspicious, and therefore I feel compelled to intervene.
“Osun State is only a few days away from its gubernatorial election. Therefore, nothing ought to be done to give an impression that the EFCC or indeed any other agency of the federal government is being used to interfere with the election.
“Based on the foregoing premise, I am duty-bound to issue a directive on this issue in consonance with the overriding public interest in preserving public confidence and the integrity, credibility, and fairness of our democratic process.
“Accordingly, I have directed the EFCC to immediately proceed to the court to vacate the order and discontinue whatever action it has instituted against the Osun State Government in this regard,” the statement stated.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has explained why it initiated a move to freeze the bank account of the Osun State government.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Governor of Osun State, Mr Ademola Adeleke, claimed that the anti-money laundering agency asked one of its bankers, First Bank, not to release funds to the state government.
According to the Governor, this was part of the strategies to frustrate his administration ahead of the August 15, 2026, governorship election in the state.
Reacting to the issue on Wednesday night, the EFCC, in a statement, said it has been investigating the state government since March 2026 over an alleged “fraudulent handling of Ecology Funds, Intervention Funds and Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) account to the tune of N11.0 billion.
The organisation noted that some officials of the state government, especially the Accountant General of the State, have had interview sessions with investigators of the EFCC.
“These ongoing investigations of the state government would not have warranted any placement of Post No Debit order on its account but for the precipitate and unwarranted movement of funds from the accounts to different suspicious accounts since August 2, 2026.
“The commission noticed huge transfers of funds into different corporate entities and had to swiftly halt the trend by freezing the accounts from which such heavy funds are being moved,” parts of the statement said.
In the disclosure, the agency noted that its preventive mandate is a public-inclined framework of safeguarding public funds, assets and resources, stressing that it cannot “watch idly while a state government’s account is being pillaged.”
“While the commission is fully aware of the impending governorship election in Osun State, it has a responsibility to act in defence of the sanctity of the funds of the state. It will be uncharitable for the commission to allow an excuse of an upcoming election to fold its arms to perform its legally-assigned functions,” it pointed out.
The EFCC disclosed that it is “keeping watch over the finances of other states like Osun State. Many of these states are on the investigative radar of the commission to ensure accountability and probity. The commission has always pointed out that it is non-partisan and non-sectarian but always working in the overall interests of Nigerians. The Osun State government account was frozen to save public funds from being looted.”
The organisation urged the public “to ignore false narratives and deliberate demonisation of the works of the EFCC. The interests of all Nigerians are greater and will always be protected by the commission.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has launched a mobile application designed to monitor fuel consumption patterns in real time across retail outlets nationwide.
The NMDPRA, established under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, is responsible for the technical and commercial regulation of Nigeria’s midstream and downstream petroleum operations. The deployment of the mobile application aligns with the authority’s broader efforts to leverage technology to improve regulatory compliance and strengthen accountability.
The pilot phase of the project began on August 1 in Abuja and its six Area Councils, the authority said in a statement published on X.
As part of the rollout, the Executive Director for Distribution Systems, Storage and Retailing Infrastructure (DSSRI), Mr Ogbugo Ukoha, led a team alongside officials from the Abuja Regional Office to assess the readiness and operational performance of the digital platform at participating retail outlets.
According to the NMDPRA, the application captures inventory and compliance data in real time, enabling regulators to monitor fuel distribution more effectively while improving operational efficiency across the sector.
The authority said the platform would generate reliable, data-driven insights to support evidence-based decision-making, strengthen national energy security planning and enhance transparency in the downstream petroleum industry.
It added that the initiative is expected to provide significant value to government, investors, operators and other stakeholders by improving access to accurate fuel consumption and compliance data.
Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector has undergone significant changes since the deregulation of the petrol market and the removal of fuel subsidies, with regulators placing greater emphasis on data-driven supervision to ensure product availability, prevent supply disruptions and discourage sharp regional disparities in distribution.
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