General
UN Counter-Terrorism Bodies End Joint Visit to Nigeria
By Dipo Olowookere
Mr Vladimir Voronkov, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), and Ms Michèle Coninsx, Assistant Secretary-General and Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), today concluded a joint visit to Nigeria at the invitation of the Government.
They were accompanied by Mr. Alexander Avanessov, Global Programme Manager and Special Advisor on Preventing Violent Extremism, UN Development Programme (UNDP), and a representative of the UN Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
The objective of the visit was to identify, in close consultation with the Government, concrete areas where the United Nations can provide technical assistance in order to enhance Nigeria’s efforts to address the threat posed by Boko Haram and other terrorist groups in the country and in the sub-region. The process took account of recommendations previously identified by the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Committee and endorsed by the Government.
The joint delegation met with high-ranking officials in Nigeria, including the Vice-President, Mr. Yemi Osinbajo, and key Ministers and heads of agencies, as well as the Chairman of the Human Rights Commission, civil society organizations, women’s groups, the United Nations Country Team and representatives of the diplomatic community.
Mr Voronkov complimented the Government for the strong cooperation with the United Nations and the adoption of the National Counter-Terrorism Strategy and Plan of Action. “The Government of Nigeria has a strong legal framework to combat terrorism. We want to do more to assist the Government to implement this framework in an inclusive manner and in accordance with international standards,” he said.
“The Government has made remarkable progress in countering terrorism and in addressing violent extremism in a challenging and complex environment. Despite the continuing asymmetric threat posed by Boko Haram, authorities have mobilized their capacities to develop rehabilitation and reintegration programmes with limited resources,” Ms Coninsx stated.
Pointing to the nexus between security and development, Ms Coninsx added that “addressing underlying conditions that may be conducive to terrorism and a cycle of violent extremism requires a long-term commitment, adequate resources, and coordinated support by the Government with all partners – from the military, to justice, to women’s affairs, including civil society.”
Mr Alexander Avanessov said that “the joint delegation witnessed the strong need and political will of national partners, including civil society, to focus on the prevention of violent extremism through development and local initiatives, with particular attention to youth and women, as well as reintegration and rehabilitation programmes.”
The joint delegation visited the Bulumkutu Transit Centre in Maiduguri, Borno State, where they met the Theater Commander and civil society organizations, as well as boys and girls participating in the rehabilitation programmes. They also visited Abuja international airport, where they were briefed on challenges related to aviation security and on the impact of the capacity-building programme provided to airport staff through the support of UNOCT.
At the conclusion of the visit, the joint delegation reiterated the strong commitment of the United Nations to support Nigeria and to provide technical assistance in seven priority areas. These include (i) the implementation of the National Action Plan in accordance with the UN Global Counter Terrorism Strategy; (ii) the prevention of violent extremism, and support to rehabilitation and reintegration processes; (iii) the provision of support to criminal justice processes, in compliance with the rule of law and human rights principles; (iv) the empowerment of women and girls to counter terrorism and violent extremism, (v) aviation and maritime security, (vi) border management; and (vii) strategic communication to prevent violent extremism.
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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