General
Sustainability Central to Our Operations, Long-term Strategy—IHS Nigeria
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Leading operator of shared communications infrastructure, IHS Nigeria, has reiterated its commitment to advancing sustainability, environmental stewardship, and community empowerment through responsible telecommunication infrastructure.
The company, through its Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Mr Kazeem Oladepo, emphasised that sustainability remains central to its operations and long-term strategy.
“Sustainability is at the heart of who we are. It is embedded within our corporate values and reflected in every aspect of our operations, from powering sites sustainably to nurturing the communities we serve and promoting sound ethical practices throughout our business,” Mr Oladepo said in his keynote address at the Sustainability Table Discourse Series (STS), where he was represented by the Director for Government and External Relations at IHS Nigeria, Mr Gimba Mohammed.
He added that, “At IHS Nigeria, we are deliberate about scaling impact through sustainable infrastructure. Our mission is to ensure that our assets not only connect people digitally but also empower them environmentally, economically, and socially.”
The summit themed Sustainability in Action: Scaling the Impact of a Thriving Future to Achieve the SDGs, brought together industry leaders, policymakers, and private sector players to discuss the role of collaboration, innovation, and circular economy models in achieving Nigeria’s sustainability goals.
Speaking further, Mr Oladepo, in his speech titled Sustainability in Action: Scaling Impact for a Thriving Future Through Sustainable Telecommunications Infrastructure – A Provider’s Perspective, described the Project Green initiative of IHS Group as a key step in the company’s carbon reduction roadmap.
“Through Project Green, IHS Towers continues to prioritize alternative energy sources to reduce dependency on diesel. Across our markets, we have reduced diesel consumption by nearly 50 million litres, and in Nigeria fitted over 6,000 power sites with hybrid energy solutions, and connected almost 4,000 sites to the grid,” he disclosed.
In addition to its clean energy initiatives, IHS Nigeria has made significant strides in community and environmental development, including planting 4,000 trees across eight states, installing solar streetlights in underserved communities, and collaborating with Green Hope Africa to launch the Climate Action Superheroes (CASH) initiative, an educational programme aimed at empowering students to become climate ambassadors.
The company’s efforts in e-waste management were also highlighted, following its partnership with the Electronic Producers Responsibility Organisation of Nigeria (EPRON).
“We trained 214 participants, including collectors and regulators, and supported the establishment of 69 waste collection centers across six states and the FCT. Our goal is to drive sustainable waste management practices through advocacy and strategic collaboration,” Mr Oladepo stated.
During the panel session, the Director for Engineering and Design at IHS Nigeria, Mr Ghaith Al Hasan, elaborated on the success of Project Green and the importance of strong partnerships in achieving scale.
“Our experience has shown that the right partnerships, technologies, and maintenance structures are essential for sustainability. Today, IHS operates renewable energy systems across more than 10,000 sites in Nigeria, demonstrating what is possible when innovation meets commitment,” he stated.
Adding a regulatory perspective, the Principal Environmentalist Scientist and Regulatory Specialist at the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), Ms Grace Majekodunmi, said, “Producers must now take responsibility for the entire lifecycle of their products, from production to disposal. The Extended Producer Responsibility framework ensures that manufacturers adopt cleaner technologies and minimize waste.”
Also commenting, the chief executive of Farmz2U, Ms Aisha Raheem-Bolarinwa, said, “We don’t have a production problem as much as we have a distribution problem. Technology can enable resilience, but without hard infrastructure and supportive policy, farmers cannot access the full benefits.”
An investment director at ARM-Harith Infrastructure Limited, Ms Adaobi Nnorukah,, noted that, “Successful climate projects require institutional investors at the table from the start. Early collaboration helps identify and manage risks, ensuring projects remain bankable and sustainable.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
The United Kingdom has reaffirmed its development partnership with Kano and Jigawa States, as part of its long-term commitment to development and reform in northern Nigeria.
The Head of Development Cooperation at the British High Commission Abuja, Ms Cynthia Rowe, recently completed high-level engagements with governors of both states as well as senior government officials and civil society leaders.
The discussions underscored the UK’s modern approach to development as a genuine partnership with Nigeria, which prioritises state-led ownership and sustainable development that delivers lasting impact through strengthening systems and partnerships grounded in investment, trade, climate financing, technical expertise and joint accountability.
According to a statement, the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, via the British High Commission, said Nigeria remains one of the UK’s most significant development partners, adding that the engagements underlined the strength and ambition of the bilateral relationship reaffirmed during the recent UK-Nigeria State Visit.
In Kano, Ms Rowe met with Deputy Governor Alhaji Murtala Sule Garo and senior officials, including the newly confirmed Head of Civil Service and Secretary to the State Government. The visit recognised Kano’s progress on climate finance, health system reform and private sector investment supported through UK technical assistance.
In Jigawa, she met with Governor Umar Namadi and heads of key ministries, departments and agencies. The meeting celebrated more than 25 years of UK-Jigawa partnership, one of the most longstanding bilateral development relationships at the subnational level in Nigeria. Discussions covered the state’s continued progress on health systems reform, agriculture, and governance and the path forward under UK technical assistance.
Since 2022, PLANE has supported Kano, Kaduna and Jigawa to strengthen state-led education delivery systems, working through Ministries of Education, SUBEB and key agencies. Its RANA+ foundational learning packages have reached 1.4 million pupils across the three states, alongside wider system strengthening.
Speaking on this, Ms Rowe said, “For more than 25 years, we have worked side by side with state governments, including Jigawa and Kano states, their communities, and civil society to build stronger health systems, improve learning outcomes for millions of children, support farmers to grow their businesses, and help states attract the investment they need to thrive.
These visits have reinforced our confidence in what this partnership can achieve. We are working together to deliver lasting change, and deepening a relationship built on genuine mutual respect and shared ambition for Nigeria’s growth and development.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on data sharing to enhance economic productivity.
This was done at a meeting at CBN Head Office in Abuja, where the weather body led by its Director General, Mr Charles Anosike, on Wednesday, highlighted the importance of integrating weather and climate data into economic research, especially in sectors such as agriculture, energy, and transportation.
He noted that extreme weather events can reduce agricultural productivity and threaten food security.
He added that the collaboration aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, which prioritises food security through major agricultural investment, including the cultivation of 10 million hectares of land and the distribution of mechanised equipment.
Mr Anosike cited a 2026 World Bank report that showed that extreme weather driven by climate change is significantly affecting global food security, with more than 87 million people facing hunger in East and Southern Africa and 52 million in West and Central Africa.
He also referenced the latest Berkeley Earth Report, which projects that 2026 is likely to be the fourth warmest year on record, a trend that continues to shape agricultural and energy market projections.
In his remarks, Mr Muhammad Sani Abdullahi, Deputy Governor, Economic Policy Directorate of the CBN, said the signing of the MoU marked an important step in strengthening the partnership between two key national institutions whose mandates intersect in data, research, and policy support.
He emphasised that, in an increasingly complex and dynamic economic environment, timely and reliable data remain essential for effective policy decisions.
According to him, the Economic Policy Directorate relies heavily on timely and credible statistical information from NiMet, saying that such data are critical for inflation monitoring, agricultural sector assessment, and broader economic policy advisory functions.
He described the initiative as both timely and important, adding that strong institutional partnerships are essential for strengthening evidence-based policymaking and improving the robustness of national data systems.
At the close of the event, Mr Anosike and Mr Sani Abdullahi signed the MoU on behalf of their respective institutions.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr Tunji Disu, has ordered an immediate nationwide ban prohibiting Point-of-Sale (POS) operators from running their businesses within a 200-metre radius of any police station, divisional headquarters, or police formation across Nigeria.
This directive, released via an internal police wireless message, addresses critical systemic challenges regarding extortion and corrupt financial practices within law enforcement facilities.
The order is to be strictly enforced nationwide, with senior officers overseeing various formations to be held accountable for any breach of the directive.
The Nigeria Police Force stated that the measure is intended to strengthen transparency, accountability, and public confidence in the policing system.
The decision comes after an alarming proliferation of POS businesses near police facilities, with investigations and public complaints revealing that some operators were actively complicit in facilitating extortion, bribery, and illegal cash transfers forced upon civilians or suspects during police encounters.
Under the directive, Assistant Inspectors-General of Police (AIGs), State Commissioners of Police (CPs), and heads of formations will be held vicariously liable for any breach within their jurisdictions.
The IGP’s order states: “Any officer or POS merchant found flouting the 200-metre operational boundary or colluding in illicit transactions will face immediate disciplinary and criminal actions under extant laws.
“If you are a POS agent or looking into regulatory compliance for financial services in Nigeria, let me know. I can provide details on current Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) radius registration guidelines or share methods to report officer misconduct directly to the Force Headquarters.”
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