By Modupe Gbadeyanka

From January 28 to 30, 2025, some creative professionals, policymakers, industry leaders, and thought influencers will be in Osun State to explore how the state can harness its cultural and artistic assets to advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

These critical stakeholders will gather at the SDG Skill Acquisition Centre in Iragbiji, Osun State for this event, supported by the administration of Governor Ademola Adeleke.

A statement by the Governor’s Special Adviser on Sustainable Development Goals, Mr Bamikole Omishore, disclosed that the programme seeks to position Osun State as a leading force in the creative economy.

According to him, particular focus will be placed on three SDGs: Goal 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth; Goal 9 – Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure; and Goal 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities.

Mr Omishore the theme of the event Innovate, Create, and Transform: Unlocking the Creative Economy for Sustainable Development was chosen to highlight the vital role creativity plays in driving economic growth, noting that the conference reflects the administration’s commitment to using creativity as a catalyst for economic development.

He said the gathering would feature a variety of interactive sessions, exhibitions, and cultural displays designed to inspire and empower participants.

Key themes will include unlocking creativity for global opportunities, exploring investment opportunities in Osun’s digital and creative sectors, and shaping narratives for change and influence, alongside a cultural and Adire exhibition, he stated.

“This event, with over 700 registered participants, is in line with Governor Adeleke’s agenda to stimulate economic growth by harnessing creativity and innovation.

“Through collaboration with the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, Culture and Tourism, Agency on Creativity, Entertainment and Arts, stakeholders, private sector leaders, and development partners, who have worked relentlessly to bring this groundbreaking conference to life,” Mr Omishore explained.

Also commenting on the forthcoming programme, the Chairman of the Osun State House of Assembly Committees on ICT and SDG, Mr Adewumi Adeyemi, said, “The Osun State SDG Creatives Conference 2025 highlights the essential role of creativity and culture in achieving sustainable development.

“By fostering innovation, entrepreneurship, and cultural preservation, this conference will help to build a more inclusive, resilient, and vibrant creative economy. We also hope this event will provide a sustainable framework to push Osun’s creative sector forward.”

On his part, the Special Adviser on Innovation, Science and Technology, Mr Azeez Badmus, said, “Through the Osun SDG Creatives Conference, innovators and creators will drive Osun’s digital future, inspiring the youth to uncover their talents, share their unique stories, and shape their futures through the power of technology.”

By Adedapo Adesanya

Transgrid Enerco Limited will take over Nigeria’s second-largest electricity distribution company, Eko Electricity Distribution Company (Eko Disco), after completing a 60 per cent equity stake acquisition.

Transgrid is a consortium which includes North South Power Company Limited (NSP), Axxela Limited, and the Stanbic IBTC Infrastructure Growth Fund (SIIF).

The share purchase agreement (SPA) for the proposed acquisition was signed on Tuesday, January 21, 2025, and the transaction will be completed in April 2025.

Earlier this month, West Power and Gas Ltd (WPG), the parent company of Eko DisCo, was reportedly close to selling its entire stake after the North-South Power, Axxela, and Stanbic Infrastructure Fund consortium won the bid to acquire it.

The monetary term of the deal was not disclosed but industry experts say it is over $200 million.

The play is a positive for the consortium as NSP and Axxela Limited are in the energy sector and Stanbic IBTC is making increased play to diversify its businesses.

NSP which owns Shiroro Dam will get direct control and insight into EKEDC’s operations enabling it to have a clear scope of the company’s cash flow distribution.

While Eko Disco meets remittance obligations to the market, the inability of other Discos to meet these obligations means that power-generating companies like NSP do not get their full payments.

This acquisition allows NSP to have better control of how the company collects payment.

This could also influence other Discos to employ more efficient payment collection tactics.

This extends the recent trend of electricity-generating companies buying distribution companies after a Transcorp-led Consortium, which owns the Ughelli Power Plant, acquired a 60 per cent majority stake in Abuja Disco in 2023.

By Adedapo Adesanya

Nigeria is looking to resume proper oil production in the largely contested Ogoniland in the oil-rich Niger Delta area of the country.

This was the core discussion on Tuesday when President Bola Tinubu received Ogoni leaders including Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State at the Aso Villa alongside Mr Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The President directed the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mr Nuhu Ribadu, to coordinate negotiations with various parties within to resume oil production in the area, emphasising that his administration will prioritise peace, justice, and sustainable development in the area.

Business Post reports that the contestation between locals and the government and other stakeholders over oil production in Ogoniland stems from a combination of environmental, socio-economic, political, and human rights issues that have persisted for decades.

At the meeting, Mr Tinubu called for unity and reconciliation, urging the Ogoni people to set aside historical grievances and work together to achieve peace, development, and a clean environment.

“We cannot in any way rewrite history, but we can correct some anomalies of the past going forward. We cannot heal the wounds if we continue to be angry,” Mr Tinubu said, according to a statement by his spokesman, Mr Bayo Onanuga.

“We must work together with mutual trust. Go back home, do more consultations, and embrace others. We must make this trip worthwhile by bringing peace, development, and a clean environment back to Ogoniland,” the President said.

He asked ministers, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, and the Rivers State Government to cooperate with the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) to achieve this mandate.

“It is a great honour for me to have this meeting, which is an opportunity to dialogue with the people of Ogoniland.

“It has been many years since your children and myself partnered to resist military dictatorship in this country. No one dreamt I would be in this chair as President, but we thank God.

“Many of your sons present here were my friends and co-travellers in the streets of Nigeria, Europe, and America.

“I know what to do in memory of our beloved ones so that their sacrifices will not be in vain,” the President said.

On his part, Governor Fubara thanked the President for his support of the Ogoni people and for welcoming an all-inclusive representation of the people to the Presidential Villa.

Emphasising the importance of resuming oil operations in Ogoniland, the governor pledged the delegation’s commitment to adhering to the President’s instructions and providing the necessary support to achieve the government’s objectives.

“What we are doing here today is to concretise the love and respect we have for the President for being behind this meeting and for him to tell us to go back and continue the consultations with a timeline so that the resumption of oil production in Ogoniland will commence,” he said.

Also, the NSA commended the Ogoni people for their trust in President Tinubu and for embracing dialogue as a path to meaningful progress and enduring solutions.

A representative of the Ogoni leadership, King Festus Babari Bagia Gberesaako XIII, the Gberemene of Gokana Kingdom, expressed the community leaders’ willingness to engage in the process of finding lasting solutions to the lingering challenges in Ogoniland.