General
Schneider Electric Advocates Microgrids for Sustainable Energy Drive
By Adedapo Adesanya
As part of efforts to drive further adoption of energy alternatives, Schneider Electric, has shared sustainable approaches to providing resilient and clean energy in Nigeria and the world in general.
The digital energy multinational at a recent innovation summit held in Maryland, US, hosted top pioneer companies in the microgrid space to discuss the way forward in the industry.
Speaking at the event, Schneider Electric Group Chairman and CEO, Mr Jean-Pascal Tricoire, addressed how industry experts, through software and technologies, are making the digital, electric world a reality.
He also posed that organisations across the world can accelerate digital transformation by choosing the right technologies to achieve a wide range of sustainability goals, like microgrids.
Adding her input on Schneider’s aim for upscaling the energy world in Nigeria, Microgrids Expert, Schneider Electric, Ms Teina Teibowei, mentioned that carbon emissions from the power sector in the country reached around 11.7 million metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2020.
She stated that existing technologies could reduce these emissions by 70 per cent and engineer a healthier energy world for humans across the world.
In addition, she shared a core point for organisations wishing to adopt microgrids in Nigeria on the use of the Energy-as-a-service funding model for seamless project execution.
“The Energy-as-a-service model limits technical and operational risk while delivering on reliability and cost-effectiveness. Schneider Electric is strong with an extensive network of partners in West Africa to deliver on this solution.”
With the recent sustainability dilemma facing the world, rapid transformations in technology across all sectors, and the tripled advancement of cars, computers, phones, and daily technologies relied on, there is an ever-increasing demand for more energy than the 20th-century technology for technological power advancement.
Microgrids are self-contained electrical networks that draw from on-site energy sources and can operate independently of the grid. They offer straightforward solutions for elevating energy resilience and clean energy. Thus, they are a key 21st -century solution for powering 21st-century technologies.
According to, Mr Babajide Ogunlesi, Regional Product Application Engineer, Schneider Electric, the use of microgrids is participating in the resolution of the energy challenge in Nigeria by paving a sustainable path to electrification, as well as providing innovative energy solutions to drive cost-efficiency for homes and organisations.
He also mentioned a key point to note when building a microgrid, which is to start with a rightsized microgrid design to optimize cost efficiency as there is no one-size-fits-all microgrid.
“It is essential to right-size at the design phase of the microgrid for it to deliver measurable
energy-cost efficiency. Factors to consider are the specific load to power, the load requirements at any given time and the demand sources.
“Taking the time to design the solution properly avoids ending up with an under or over-sized microgrid. The goal is to tailor a solution that is just right for the user’s energy needs,” he added.
Schneider Electric has committed to providing energy and automated digital solutions for efficiency and sustainability in every home, industry, infrastructure, and data centre by combining energy technologies, real-time automation, software, and services.
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.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
No doubt, moving money among African markets remains a slow, fragmented process that relies on multiple intermediaries and prolonged settlement cycles.
To solve this issue and drive the development of stablecoin-enabled payment services for businesses across the continent, Onafriq has joined forces with a leading stablecoin infrastructure provider, Privy.
The collaboration will enable Onafriq to create and manage embedded digital asset solutions for its partners and, in time, institutional clients where regulation allows. The initial phase focuses on cross-chain stablecoin transfers and treasury and settlement workflows, creating the foundation for future cross-border payment and liquidity solutions.
Integrating Privy’s secure infrastructure enables Onafriq to build the capabilities required to support a new generation of efficient digital payment services for banks, fintechs, and mobile money operators.
This partnership is a key component of Onafriq’s broader strategy to modernise pan-African payment infrastructure, enabling secure multi-modal wallets and more efficient movement of value across the continent.
The outcome will support a range of future institutional use cases, including stablecoin-enabled settlement, treasury management and liquidity services, as it reflects Onafriq’s commitment to driving Africa’s digital transformation agenda by investing in technologies that make financial services more efficient, connected and accessible.
It was gathered that Onafriq selected Privy for its enterprise-grade infrastructure to enable the seamless integration of digital asset wallet capabilities into its products, subject to regulatory approval, and deliver a simple user experience while abstracting the complexity of blockchain technology.
“At Onafriq, we keep investing in technology that makes payments faster and more accessible. Privy gives us a building block for faster settlement and better liquidity management. As demand for digital asset services grows, our goal is to ensure Africa’s payment ecosystem benefits securely and in line with regulatory frameworks,” the Group Chief Product and Innovation Officer at Onafriq,” Mr Luke Kyohere, said.
The chief executive of Privy, Mr Henri Stern, said, “Stablecoins will play an increasingly important role in the future of global payments, but real-world adoption depends on infrastructure that is secure, scalable and simple to implement. Working with Onafriq allows us to help build that foundation across Africa and beyond.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Osun State Government has announced plans to institute legal action against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), following an alleged freezing of the state’s bank account, describing the action as unlawful and capable of disrupting governance.
The Governor of the state, Mr Ademola Adeleke, through the state’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Oluwole Jimi-Bada, made this disclosure on Wednesday.
According to the statement, Governor Adeleke has directed him to challenge the anti-graft agency’s decision at the Federal High Court.
It was widely reported that the anti-graft agency issued a “Post No Debit” directive to the management of First Bank, where the state’s accounts are domiciled, effectively restricting transactions.
He argued that while the commission has the authority to investigate financial records, it cannot freeze a state government’s accounts without first obtaining a court order.
“I have the mandate of the governor to proceed to the Federal High Court to challenge this move. EFCC can investigate the accounts, but it can’t freeze the accounts without an order of court.
“This step will affect government running, but we will challenge the move and ensure that the agency acts within the ambit of the law,” Mr Jimi-Bada said.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Finance, Mr Sola Ogungbile, alleged that police officers stormed the main branch of First Bank in Osogbo and arrested some members of the bank’s staff.
Mr Ogungbile maintained that Governor Adeleke was not deploying state resources for his re-election campaign and urged the EFCC to consider the potential impact of its actions on public services and the welfare of residents.
Governor Adeleke had earlier raised concerns over an alleged plan by the EFCC to freeze all Osun State Government accounts, including those of senior government officials.
In a statement issued by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Mr Kolapo Alimi, the governor described the reported move as unlawful and politically motivated.
He alleged that the planned freezing of the accounts was intended to cripple government operations ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
Governor Adeleke further insisted that there was no legal justification for freezing the state’s accounts, arguing that the EFCC lacks the authority to take such action against a state government without due legal process.
The EFCC had not issued an official response to the allegations as of the time of filing this report.
