General
O.B. Lulu-Briggs Foundation Delights 3,000 Pupils, 800 Teachers at Christmas
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
It was a sweet Christmas for over 3,000 pupils and 800 teachers in 16 primary schools in three local government areas of Rivers State as the O.B. Lulu-Briggs Foundation shared some items with them.
The organisation distributed backpacks, books and bags of rice to them from December 14 to 16, 2023.
Business Post gathered that the pupils received 3,030 school bags, 3,500 books, and 3,897 bags of 5kg rice. The Foundation ensured every teacher, headteacher, and worker also took a bag of rice home.
The beneficiaries could not hide their joy as they all beamed with smiles, while most burst into spontaneous applause for the leading NGO after receiving their gifts.
Some of the pupils serenaded the Foundation’s team. They prayed for the continued good health and prosperity of the Chairman, Dr Seinye O.B. Lulu-Briggs-Briggs, who explained that the distribution of gifts was in place of the annual Christmas party the group usually organized for children every December 25, but had been unable to hold since 2019.
“Christmas, the joyful season during which Christians honour and celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, on December 25, has always been marked with a mega-Christmas Party for children by the O.B. Lulu-Briggs Foundation in Abonnema, Rivers State.
“However, since 2019, we have not been granted permission to host the party. But this has not stopped the Foundation from celebrating this season of gratitude and joy by bringing light, love and laughter into homes through children.
“Children are at the centre of our homes, and they, more than anyone else enjoy the cheer which families share because of Christmas Day- a day when the world honours and celebrates the priceless gifts of love, light and eternal life which Jesus Christ represents.
“This year, the Foundation has noted that families are struggling because of the cost-of-living crisis. We hope these gifts from the Foundation will bring light, joy and peace to the children’s homes as they remember and pay homage to our precious Lord and Saviour- Jesus Christ,” she said.
It was learned that the items were also given to other selected schools from Akuku Toru, Asari Toru and Port Harcourt Local Government Areas.
The beneficiary schools were Model Primary School, Universal Primary Education School, Baptist Schools 1 & 2, Our Saviour School, St. Michael Schools 1 & 2, UNICEF Primary School, Asalga Primary School and Bishop Crowther Memorial Primary School, in Buguma, Asari Toru local council.
The five beneficiary schools in Akuku Toru council included Universal Primary Education Model School, Nyemoni State School, St. Joseph State School, and St. Augustine’s Nursery and Primary School, all in Abonnema, Akuku Toru and State School, Obonoma.
In addition to the gifts, St. Augustine’s Nursery and Primary School, which is supported by the O.B. Lulu-Briggs Foundation, also received chairs, tables and shelves, while Mary Slessor Primary School was the only beneficiary school in Port Harcourt Local Government Area.
“We are very excited because this is not the first time she has done this. We are happy that they are coming within the shortest notice given to us; here they are with these tremendous Christmas gifts.
“We love Dr Seinye O. B. Lulu-Briggs, and we pray God to continue to bless and strengthen her. The good Lord will continue to empower her and fight all her battles. God is the only one that will reward these acts of benevolence,” one of the beneficiaries and Chaplain of St. Augustine’s Nursery and Primary School, Abonnema, Reverend Mpaka Long-John, said.
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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