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FG develops renewable energy policy to add 30,000MW of electricity

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The Federal Government said it had developed a National Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Policy with accompanying Vision 30:30:30 to add 30,000MW of electricity by the year 2030.

Minister of Power, Mr Abubakar Aliyu said this in Abuja at the 5th National Council on Power (NACOP) with the theme“ Sustaining and Improving Electricity Supply through the Power Sector Value Chain for Socio-Economic’’.

Aliyu said that renewable energy would contribute 30 per cent of the energy mix to the policy.

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He said that renewable energy was taking the centre stage of the ongoing reforms in the power sector as it is visible from the ongoing and completed projects in the Zungeru Hydroelectricity Power Project which is at 97 per cent completion.

“ It is expected to provide 700 Megawatts to the national grid while Kashimbila Hydroelectricity Project will be providing 40 Megawatts to the grid.

“And Dadin-kowa dam is also providing 40 Megawatts to the national grid among others, ‘’ he said.

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According to him, the power sector is undergoing various reforms aimed at improving the sector, adding that the government is presently investing in power infrastructures.

He said that these investments were especially in the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) through various interventions.

READ ALSO:Man in court for allegedly stealing N3.27m

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The minister said that the projects were funded by International Organisations like the World Bank, African Development Bank and a host of others to strengthen the national grid.

“Government to Government collaboration between Nigeria and Germany resulted in a loan agreement which was provided on concessionary terms through Siemens Company to rehabilitate the Nigeria Electricity Industry (NESI) and the value chain in the industry.

“Through the agreement with Siemens, orders had been made for the purchase of 10 morbid power transformers and 10 mobile substations.

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“The 10 morbid power transformers to be situated across the country have started arriving, ‘’ he said.

Aliyu urged participants to appraise recommendations of the technical experts’ submission on various memoranda carefully to enable NACOP arrive at objective conclusion that will improve the activities in the power sector.

He said that forums such as NACOP were necessary towards building synergy in policy formulation and implementation for the provision of adequate and reliable power supply.

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“To drive the socio-economic development of the nation that will catapult the nation to the next level of industrial development, ‘’ he said.

On his part, Chairman, Senate Committee on Power, Sen. Gabriel Suswam said the challenges of NESI since the completion of privatisation in 2013 were well known to all the stakeholders and participants present.

These challenges which are mainly operational in nature or manifest as a result of lapses in extant policies or statutory framework include absence of cost reflective tariff and inadequate enumeration.

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“ Metering of consumers limited access to funds for investment inadequate supply amongst others.

“As you deliberate on the theme of the 5th edition of NACOP, you ponder on these aforementioned challenges.

“I would like to assure NACOP of the support of the National Assembly, especially committees on power, to always give legislative backing to resolutions and policy recommendations of NACOP towards improving electricity supply in the country, ‘’ he said.
Minister of FCT, Mohammed Bello said that the theme of the conference speaks in no uncertain terms, to the importance of the electricity value chain to the socio economic development of the country.

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The minister, represented by Mr Shehu Ahmad, Executive Secretary, Federal Capital Development Authority(FCDA) said that the importance of value chain to economic development calls for synergy between operators and players within the power sector.

“ There is the need therefore for increased investment in the power sector value chain especially by the organised private sector, working together in line with the vision and policies of the government cannot be over emphasised.

“It is thus our expectations that the 2022 NACOP will evolve policies that will sustain and build on the gains made in the power sector over the last few years.

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“ While bearing in mind that reviving the Nigerian economy and sustaining growth depends to a large extent on an efficient and functional energy sector, ‘’ he said .(NAN)

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Noble Ladies Champion Women’s Financial Independence at Grand Inauguration in Abuja

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Women from diverse backgrounds across Nigeria and beyond gathered at the Art and Culture Auditorium, Abuja, for the inauguration and convention of the Noble Ladies Association. The event, led by the association’s Founder and “visionary and polished Queen Mother,” Mrs. Margaret Chigozie Mkpuma, was a colourful display of feminine elegance, empowerment, and ambition.

The highly anticipated gathering, attended by over 700 members and counting, reflected the association’s mission to help women realise their potential while shifting mindsets away from dependency and over-glamorization of the ‘white collar job.’ According to the group, progress can be better achieved through innovation and creativity. “When a woman is able to earn and blossom on her own she has no reason to look at herself as a second fiddle,” the association stated.

One of the association’s standout initiatives is its women-only investment platform, which currently offers a minimum entry of ₦100,000 with a return of ₦130,000 over 30 days—an interest rate of 30 percent. Some members invest as much as ₦1 million, enjoying the same return rate. Mrs. Mkpuma explained that the scheme focuses on women because “women bear the greater brunt of poverty” and the platform seeks “to offer equity in the absence of economic equality.”

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Education is also central to the Noble Ladies’ mission, regardless of age. Their mantra, “start again from where you stopped,” encourages women to return to school or upgrade their skills at any stage in life. The association believes that financial stability is vital in protecting women from cultural practices that dispossess widows of their late husbands’ assets, while also enabling them to raise morally and socially grounded families.

Founded on the vision of enhancing women’s skills and achieving financial stability, the association rests on a value system that discourages pity and promotes purpose. “You have a purpose and you build on that purpose to achieve great potentials and emancipation,” Mrs. Mkpuma said.

A criminologist by training and entrepreneur by practice, she cautions against idleness while waiting for formal employment. “There are billions in the informal and non-formal sectors waiting to be made,” she said, rejecting the “new normal of begging” and urging people to “be more introspective to find their purpose in life and hold on to it.”

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Mrs. Mkpuma’s management style keeps members actively engaged, focusing on vocational skills and training to prepare them for competitive markets. She is exploring “innovative integration of uncommon technologies” and is already in talks with international franchises to invest in Nigeria, with Noble Ladies as first beneficiaries.

The association’s core values include mutual respect, innovation, forward-thinking, equal opportunity, and financial emancipation. With plans underway to establish a secretariat in the heart of Abuja, the group aims to expand its impact.

The event drew high-profile guests, including former Inspector General of Police, Mike Okiro, and a host of VIPs, marking a significant milestone in the association’s drive for women’s empowerment.

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NEPZA, FCT agree to create world-class FTZ environment

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NEPZA, FCT agree to create world-class FTZ environment

The Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) has stepped in to resolve the dispute between the Federal Capital Territory Administration and the Abuja Technology Village (ATV), a licensed Free Trade Zone, over the potential revocation of the zone’s land title.
Dr. Olufemi Ogunyemi, the Managing Director of NEPZA, urged ATV operators and investors to withdraw the lawsuit filed against the FCT administration immediately to facilitate a roundtable negotiation.
Dr. Ogunyemi delivered the charge during a courtesy visit to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Barrister Nyesom Wike, on Thursday in Abuja.
You will recall that the ATV operators responded to the revocation notice issued by the FCT administration with a lawsuit.
Dr. Ogunyemi stated that the continued support for the growth of the Free Trade Zones Scheme would benefit the nation’s economy and the FCT’s development, emphasizing that the FCT administration recognized the scheme’s potential to accelerate industrialisation.
Dr. Ogunyemi, also the Chief Executive Officer of NEPZA, expressed his delight at the steps taken by the FCT minister to expand the economic frontier of the FCT through the proposed Abuja City Walk (ACW) project.
Dr. Ogunyemi further explained that the Authority was preparing to assess all the 63 licensed Free Trade Zones across the country with the view to vetting their functionality and contributions to the nation’s Foreign Direct Investment and export drives.
“I have come to discuss with His Excellency, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory on the importance of supporting the ATV to succeed while also promoting the development of the Abuja City Walk project. We must work together to achieve this for the good of our nation,” he said.
On his part, the FCT Minister reiterated his unflinching determination to work towards President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda by bringing FDI to the FCT.
“We must fulfil Mr. President’s promises regarding industrialization, trade, and investment. In this context, the FCT will collaborate with NEPZA to review the future of ATV, a zone that was sponsored and supported by the FCT administration,” Wike said.
Barrister Wike also said that efforts were underway to fast-track the industrialisation process of the territory with the construction of the Abuja City Walk.
The minister further said the Abuja City Walk project was planned to cover over 200 hectares in the Abuja Technology Village corridor along Airport Road.
According to him, the business ecosystem aimed to create a lively, mixed-use urban center with residential, commercial, retail, hospitality, medical, and institutional facilities.
He added that the ACW would turn out to be a high-definition and world-class project that would give this administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda true meaning in the North-Central Region of the country.
Barrister Wike also indicated his continued pursuit of land and property owners who failed to fulfil their obligations to the FCT in his determination to develop the territory.

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Benue IDPs block highway, demand return to ancestral homes

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Vehicular movement along the Yelwata axis of the Benue–Nasarawa highway was brought to a standstill on Wednesday as Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, staged a protest, demanding immediate return to their ancestral homes.

The protesters, believed to be victims of persistent attacks by suspected herdsmen, blocked both lanes of the busy highway for several hours, chanting “We want to go back home”.

The protest caused disruption, leaving hundreds of motorists and passengers stranded.

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Eyewitnesses said the displaced persons, many of whom have spent years in overcrowded IDP camps, are expressing deep frustration over the government’s delay in restoring security to their communities.

“We have suffered enough. We want to return to our homes and farms,” one of the protesters told reporters at the scene.

Security personnel were reportedly deployed to monitor the situation and prevent any escalation, though tensions remained high as of press time.

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Efforts to reach the Benue State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, and other relevant authorities for comment were unsuccessful.

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