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President Tinubu commissions 180MW  power project in Rivers

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday recorded a milestone as he commissioned 180MW of power at the Afam 11 power generating plant in Port Harcourt to boost electricity generation in the country. Describing the project as a “key achievement emanating from the enterprising Nigerian spirit”, the President Tinubu, who commissioned the facility virtually, said the completion of the power plant reinforces the capacity “we have to overcome our challenges – through collaboration, tenacity and renewed hope.” President Tinubu commended the Rivers State Government for envisioning and enabiling the project in pursuit of energy sustainability in Nigeria.  “I equally commend the private sector partners—Sahara Power Group, First Independent Power Limited, and Crescendough Nigeria Limited for their investments and expertise. You have transformed this great vision into reality. Nigeria salutes you,” he added.
The President noted that the 180MW added to the national grid through will ignite and drive economic development. “Let me emphasize that under my administration, achieving stable power remains an unwavering goal. We will continue to enforce policies that protect investments and prioritize ease of doing business,” the President stated. Tinubu commended the Africa’s largest private power business, Sahara Power Group (SPG) in partnership with Crescendough Nigeria Limited (CNL) for successfully completing the 180MW Afam II Power Plant in Rivers State, reinforcing the critical role of private-sector collaboration in driving sustainable energy solutions in Nigeria. Sahara Power Group, a subsidiary of global energy and infrastructure conglomerate, Sahara Group and Crescendough completed the project which was conceived, managed, and delivered in 16 months by predominantly Nigerian expertise. Hailed as an important addition to the national grid and the quest for promoting energy access, the plant is now fully operational and set to boost supply towards powering homes, businesses, industries, and economic growth.  
Kola Adesina, Group Managing Director, Sahara Power Group, said Sahara had for almost three decades, been a foremost stakeholder in Africa’s energy and infrastructure landscape, leveraging the power of collaboration and cohesion of shared aspirations to deliver sustainable energy solutions.  Adesina said the Afam II project will catalyse productivity in Nigeria, powering job creation, industrial growth, and sustainable development. “This milestone for us is more than the 180MW of additional power; we are celebrating impact, transformed lives, and the privilege we have as an organisation to bring energy to life responsibly.”
He said “Nothing will give Sahara Group more pleasure than its continuing leadership of efforts geared towards uninterrupted and reliable power supply through long-term strategic investments, operational excellence, and collaboration with like-minded stakeholders.” Adesina stated that Sahara Power is the largest power business in Nigeria, contributing over 20 percent of the power generated in Nigeria through Egbin Power and First Independent Power Limited. “This translates to powering over 50 million homes, businesses, and industries, making a difference in spurring economic prosperity in the nation. However, this is only a fraction of our vision. Sahara has its sights on a Nigeria wholly transformed and globally competitive, enabled by the wings of sustainable power solutions,” he said.
Adesina said that with ongoing expansion plans in Egbin Power, the largest private thermal plant in sub-Saharan Africa, innovative upgrades and transformation at Ikeja Electric, the largest power distribution company in Sub-Saharan Africa, tech-driven generation in First Independent Power Limited and planned investments in alternative and renewable energy solutions to support environmental sustainability, “Sahara Power is unwaveringly committed to lighting up Nigeria and Africa responsibly and sustainably.” Adesina extended gratitude to the Presidency and Federal Ministry of Power for policy leadership, the Rivers State Government for its pioneering role in the project, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), and the Afam host communities for their unwavering support towards bringing the Afam II project to fruition.
The Sole Administrator, Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas (retd) lauded the impressive completion of this plant within a record time of 16 months, describing the feat as a testament to President Tinubu’s commitment to promoting home-grown solutions “To Sahara Group and its partners, I say a hearty congratulation. You have demonstrated that indigenous enterprise is alive, capable, and resilient. Your investment here speaks volumes of your confidence in our economy, and in Rivers State as a viable destination for large-scale, high-impact ventures,” he said. The Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu said the project was a significant milestone, adding, “Sahara Energy’s investment in Afam 2 is a testament to the fruitful collaboration between public reforms and private sector and stands as a beacon of progress and innovation in our nation’s quest for energy security.” Also speaking, Honourable Minister of State, Petroleum Resources (Gas), Rt Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo said his ministry would collaborate with the power ministry to address gas hurdles towards boosting power sustainability in Nigeria.

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Cardano rises as midnight launch triggers rally

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Cardano (ADAUSD) climbed amidst tight trading activities in the crypto market, up by 1.05% in the past 24 hours, showing resilience near key support.

The price ticked up on Sunday amidst negative movements in the global crypto market. The gain has reduced its negative movement in the week to 1%. Cardano is showing strength with a $70 million ADA treasury push and a bullish December setup, but it faces key resistance amidst competing traders.  

The token is trading at $0.4165 at the time of filing the report on Sunday, gaining more than 1% on the day as volume traded reached $359.252 million. The token is in a notable correction from its November highs. Recent trading activity reflects pronounced investor caution. Over a 30-day period, ADA has declined approximately 15%, mirroring the broader pressure on risk assets from macroeconomic uncertainties.

Sentiment trades mixed, as retail and mid-sized investors are accumulating at lows, but large holders remain sceptical. Cardano’s privacy-centric Midnight Network went live after years of development, introducing NIGHT – the first native asset on Cardano.

According to crypto analysts, Short-term speculation around NIGHT airdrops and interoperability boosted ADA demand. ADA rebounded from $0.371–$0.416 after testing an ascending trend line connecting 2023–2025 lows. Traders interpreted the bounce as a bullish divergence, but ADA remains below critical resistance of $0.5113 and its 200-day EMA of $0.68.

ADA’s minor rally reflects optimism around Midnight’s launch and oversold technicals, but scepticism about its ecosystem impact and whale selling caps upside. While the price surges, analysts stated that Cardano balances technical hope against macroeconomic headwinds, with Midnight’s adoption trajectory and $0.51 resistance serving as critical watch points.

While governance upgrades signal maturing decentralisation, crypto analysts are still querying whether ADA can leverage these developments to reverse its 2025 underperformance.

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NDLEA intercepts 7.6m tramadol pills, 76,273kg Colorado

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The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has recovered over 7.6 million pills of tramadol and a total of 76,273.4 kilograms of different strains of cannabis.

The agency’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi, said this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja. Mr Babafemi said that the drugs, including Colorado, Loud and Skunks, had several members of drug trafficking organisations linked to the seizures arrested.

He said that out of the total opioids seized during the raids, not less than 3,874,000 pills of tramadol, 225mg and 100mg, and others, as well as 252.2litres of codeine syrup were recovered. He said that they were recovered from a warehouse at Oko market, Asaba, Delta, on Saturday. He also said that no fewer than 1.2 million tablets of tramadol 225mg were seized from a suspect on December 3.

This, he said, was when NDLEA operatives on patrol at Orogwe, along the Onitsha-Owerri road, Imo, intercepted his vehicle conveying the consignment, which was loaded at Aba, Abia, and heading to Onitsha, Anambra. Meanwhile, in Adamawa, NDLEA officers on December 1 intercepted a Toyota Hiace bus marked MGU 554 XB along Maraba-Mubi, coming from Jos, Plateau state, and heading to Mubi, with a total of 1,577,112 capsules of tramadol.

“Other drugs intercepted were Exol-5 tablets, all concealed inside jumbo bags mixed with new rubber sandals and slippers. Two suspects were arrested in connection with the seizure. Similarly, another 27-year-old suspect was nabbed along Zaria-Kano road, Kano state, with 197,000 pills of exol-5,” he said.

The NDLEA chairman, Buba Marwa, commended the officers and men of the SOU commands in Delta, Adamawa, Imo, Ondo, Lagos, and Kano for the arrests and seizures. Mr Marwa said that their operational successes, along with those of their compatriots across the country, especially their balanced approach to drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction, were well appreciated. NAN

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Lagos, Kaduna, Oyo, FCT, Ogun top 2025 subnational ease of doing business report  

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The Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) has released the 2025 Subnational Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) Report, with Lagos emerging as the best-performing state, scoring  85.6 per cent.

The report released by the director-general of PEBEC, Zahrah Mustapha-Audu, has Kaduna in second position with  65.1 per cent. Oyo, FCT, and Ogun rounded up the top five with scores of 62.7 per cent, 61.0 per cent, and 59.9 per cent, respectively. Others include Enugu (56.2 per cent) in sixth position, with Plateau (56.2 per cent), Ekiti (55.8 per cent), Kano (54.8 per cent), and Nasarawa (53.4 per cent) rounding out the top 10 states.

The EoDB report is a comprehensive data-driven assessment of how Nigeria’s 36 states and the FCT are shaping business competitiveness through regulation, infrastructure, and administrative efficiency.
The report assesses performance across 16 indicators and 36 sub-metrics covering electricity, infrastructure, digital connectivity, land administration, taxation, trade logistics, justice delivery, investor support and skilled labour readiness.

According to the DG, these states distinguished themselves through consistent reform momentum, improved digital processes, and more predictable regulatory environments. “The 2025 Report also highlights five priority interventions states can implement immediately. These include establishing investor aftercare systems, strengthening MSME credit enablement, harmonising interstate trade rules, upgrading commercial justice processes, and improving power reliability for industrial clusters,” she said.

According to her, PEBEC  will continue to support state-led reform adoption, particularly under the $750 million State Action on Business Enabling Reforms (SABER) programme. She added that “the 2025 Subnational EoDB Report provides a critical foundation for policy action, investment decisions, and long-term competitiveness across Nigeria.”
The DG said the  Subnational Ease of Doing Business Report is available for download at www.pebec.gov.ng/reports

PEBEC had earlier released its 2025 Business Facilitation Act (BFA) Performance Report, covering MDAs’ performance from January to October. This performance report is part of the council’s  effort to track and measure the compliance of federal government MDAs with the BFA’s requirements on promoting Transparency and Efficiency of government-delivered services to the  business community.

The report presents a data-driven assessment of 69 priority MDAs, drawing on monthly compliance submissions, independent mystery shopping, website audits, ReportGov analytics, and targeted process-verification exercises.

According to the report, the top five performing MDAs include the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), with an impressive 90.6 per cent score, followed by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at 89 per cent. The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), ranks third with 86.6percent, the  Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) secured the fourth and fifth positions, scoring 85.3 per cent and 84.2 per cent, respectively.

PEBEC, currently chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima, was established in July 2016 by the federal government to oversee Nigeria’s business environment intervention. It has a dual mandate of removing bureaucratic and legislative constraints to doing business and improving the perception of the ease of doing business in Nigeria. NAN

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