By Sonny Aragba-Akpore.

By Wednesday December 11,2024 the National electricity grid had recorded 12 collapses within the year thus accounting for an average of one per month.

Apart from millions of customers whose homes and offices were cut off electricity supplies, many corporate organizations including telecommunications network providers, manufacturers among others had to cope with the situation making do with their more reliable alternatives which had become more regular than the national grid.
With a paltry 5,000 megawatts of electricity supply by the generating companies (gencos), for the nearly 250 million population, millions of people including corporate bodies have resigned to fate.
Resort to alternative sources of power supplies including renewable energy, solar and heavy duty generators have become a way of life.
Only recently, government officials announced that a tariff hike of upto 65% was underway,a situation the Manufacturing Association of Nigeria (MAN) frowns at saying this will further compound costs of doing business in general.
Director-General of MAN, Mr Segun Ajayi-Kadir, expressed serious concern in a statement issued in Lagos saying the frequent increases do not meet quality of service.

Ajayi-Kadir stressed that electricity is a crucial input in manufacturing, significantly affecting production costs and product prices.
He emphasised that no nation could achieve substantial industrial development without ensuring energy security.

According to him, any increase in tariff will harm the competitiveness of Nigerian products and businesses.

He warned that the such would worsen production costs, intensify inflationary pressure, and further reduce consumers’ disposable income.
Ajayi-Kadir added that it would increase manufacturers’ unsold inventory, erode profit margins, raise unemployment, and force more private businesses to shut down.

“It was due to the critical role of energy security in Nigeria’s industrial aspirations that the power sector was privatised in 2013. Unfortunately, this privatisation has not delivered the expected results.
But for telecommunications operators,it’s a tale of woes as power supplies account for about 40% of the operating expenditure (OPEX) as critical as equipment because even if equipment is available and no electricity supply to power them,quality of service suffers especially when there is down time.
Nigeria’s unstable electricity grid significantly contributes to telcos’ need for backup diesel generators, further increasing their energy expenses.
Recent reports indicate that Nigerian telecommunication companies (telcos) spend a significant amount on electricity, with estimates suggesting their monthly energy bill can reach up to N56 billion primarily due to reliance on diesel generators to power their network towers, as they often face unreliable grid access; many telcos are now actively exploring renewable energy options to reduce costs.

A major portion of telco electricity expenses is attributed to diesel consumption to power their base stations, with some reports stating that large operators like MTN can spend over N30 billion per month on diesel alone.
To mitigate high energy costs, many telcos are actively investigating and implementing renewable energy solutions like solar and wind power to reduce their reliance on diesel.

For telcos to be Successful and profitable there should be operational efficiency especially of the infrastructure companies or owned infrastructure.

About 40%, if not more , of the operational challenges of the infrastructure companies or operator owned and managed infrastructure is in the cost of energy : diesel or gas, or renewables.
Analysts reason that how the industry is able to survive the cost and access to energy supply, especially for the infracos in a safe and sustainable manner, is the solution that must be tackled in the long run for sustainability of the industry in its oprations, user experience and profitability.
One analyst said there are several generic intervention initiatives by government, local and foreign development agencies and financial institutions, including some commercial banks in the energy sector, especially aimed at promoting renewable energy supply and usage in support of the operational and cost efficiencies of the target sectors.

“These well-intentioned initiatives have been customised in some instances
such as the government policy of energy for the health sector (energise health) or energy for education (energise education) initiatives.”
“These commendable policies work to provide renewable energy solutions to institutions such as primary health centres, Universities, University Teaching Hospitals and Federal Medical Centres that are generally limited, discretionary, tied to yearly budgets of government, most times apply to federal institutions, and lack maintainance and sustainability instruments.”

Telecommunications sector contributes more than 15% to Nigeria’s GDP and is entirely private sector driven but has an impact on all growth and development direction of the country and because it is perceived as a private sector commercially profitable business there has never been any deliberate intervention to address the critical component of the cost and quality of energy supply to the sector.

Perhaps because of its ubiquitous nature and lack of knowledge of the structure of the sector, there was never an attempt to isolate and address this subject.

Yet the ability of the sector to continue its impact on national growth and development is tied to availability and affordability of energy sustainably.
The country’s telecoms sector, with around 154 mobile subscribers, needs a significant amount of energy. It relies on over 40 million litres of diesel per month, and 34,862 towers in 2022 were dependent on diesel generators due to unreliable grid power.

As more people come online, telcos need more power. Monthly internet usage increased by 579.39 percent from 125,149.86 terabytes (TB) in December 2019 to 850,249.09 TB in September 2024. The amount of energy needed to power data traffic is around 0.17 kWh globally.

However, GSMA noted that it is 0.24 kWh per GB, reflecting the lower energy efficiency of networks on the continent.
According to the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), diesel accounts for 35 percent of telecoms’ operating expenses. In October, the average cost of a litre of diesel was N1441.28, meaning telcos spent at least N57.65 billion.
As of the end of 2022, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) said there were 34,862 towers and 127,294 base stations in the country. According to industry sources, each base station has two generators. The telecoms industry spent N2.09 trillion on operational costs in 2022, based on the last data uploaded by the NCC.

Gbenga Adebayo, Chairman of ALTON, confirmed the current diesel consumption, stating, “It will be over that now.” According to Harmanpreet Dhillon, Airtel Nigeria’s chief technical officer, the telco spent N28 billion on diesel in May 2024.

During a media roundtable, Dhillon said that the company was exploring hybrid solutions—lithium batteries and solar—to lower its energy bill.
Experts recently noted that companies could save up to 30 percent on energy costs by adopting renewable energy solutions and other technologies.

“The biggest constraint in the telecom industry is high energy cost. If the government had continued to fulfill its part of the bargain it made in the early 2,000s to provide 18 hours of electricity, the heavy logistics and the capital we spend today from powering sites would not be there,” said Adebayo of ALTON.
By January 13, 2025, Nigeria could boast of 23 power-generating plants that are connected to the national grid. These plants are known as generation companies (GenCos).

Some examples of GenCos in Nigeria include Egbin Power Plc: Located at Egbin Power Station, Egbin Town, Ikorodu, Lagos State
First Independent Power Limited: Located in Trans-Amadi Port-Harcourt, Afam, Omoku, and Eleme
Geregu Power Plc: Located on Itobe Ajaokuta expressway, Kogi State
Other power companies in Nigeria are Mainstream Energy Solutions Limited, Sapele Power Plc (SPP), and Transcorp Power Limited.

They are managed by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) a body responsible for managing the electricity transmission network in Nigeria. The TCN is fully owned and operated by the government.

In 2024, the power generation capacity in Nigeria was 5,528 megawatts (MW). This was an increase of 30% from the average generation capacity of 4,100 MW in 2023.

There are 11 distribution companies in Nigeria.These include Enugu Electricity Distribution Plc. (EEDC): One of the 11 distribution companies in Nigeria
Jos Electricity Distribution Company Plc: An indigenous electricity company that distributes and sells electricity ,
Kano Electricity Distribution Plc (KEDCO): A distribution company in the north-western geopolitical zone of Nigeria ,
Yola Electricity Distribution Company Plc (YEDC): A distribution company that supplies energy to Adamawa, Taraba, Borno, and Yobe states
BEDC Electricity PLC is a distribution company that supplies electricity to a wide range of customers in Southern Nigeria

These companies are supplied with electric energy by the transmission companies on a daily basis.

By Sonny Aragba-Akpore.

While the American ban of Tik Tok is on hold for 75 days beginning from January 20,2025,the European Commission is currently scrutinizing Tik Tok,s practices regarding data protection,advertising transparency and potential addictive design features,particularly concerning young users.

African countries have high usage in general in some countries with Kenya being at the forefront.But some have frowned at its usage.

The restrictions in Europe on the app, are particularly on government employee devices due to security concerns, while in Africa, some nations have completely banned TikTok due to worries about inappropriate content and potential political misuse, with Kenya being a notable exception where usage is high.

Some African governments have banned TikTok due to concerns about the spread of inappropriate content, political rhetoric, and others.

Despite concerns, many African creators use TikTok to showcase their culture and creativity.
The ban in the USA could affect American companies like Apple, Google, and Oracle.

The ban could chill certain types of investment and create a slippery slope that applies to other companies.

A TikTok ban in the United States could have several implications, including:

App store removal where TikTok would be removed from app stores like Apple and Google.
Updates would no longer be available as users are unable to update the app, which could lead to performance issues and compatibility problems.

The app could eventually become unusable without updates.
Data security stands risks of inability to associate with a TikTok ban.

There will be Geopolitical consequences as the ban could raise concerns about the government targeting individual companies.

The ban could send a message that the U.S. government is afraid of the Chinese government influencing Americans.

The ban could make online experiences more insular and inconsistent from country to country.
As the future of the social media platform remains murky, plans for an American entity to purchase TikTok appear to be narrowing in scope.

While several individuals and companies have thrown their hats into the ring with interest, President Donald Trump recently expressed his support of two tech giants: Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, and Larry Ellison, co-founder of Oracle. Oracle, a software company, houses most of TikTok’s U.S. servers.

Plans are already on to meet the 75-day window to stabilize Tik Tok.
General Atlantic CEO Bill Ford said last week that a deal would get done to save TikTok in the U.S. after President Donald Trump signed an executive order that halted a ban on the app for 75 days.

“It’s in everybody’s interest,” Ford told journalists at an event in Davos, Switzerland. Ford is on the board of directors for ByteDance, Tiktok’s Chinese parent company.

“We’ll get on with it, as soon as maybe the end of the week in terms of negotiating what might work … The Chinese government, the U.S. government and the company and the board all have to be involved in this conversation,” Ford added.

Trump’s executive order paused the enforcement of a bipartisan law passed by Congress last year that required ByteDance to sell TikTok’s U.S. assets by Sunday for the app to continue functioning in the country. It was passed amid national security concerns that the Chinese government could get access to Americans’ personal information through the app.

Tik Tok was taken down for 24 hours after the Supreme Court ruling for its ban before President Trump,s Executive Order for a 75-day stay of enforcement.

But the service interruption TikTok instituted hours earlier caught most users by surprise. Experts had said the law as written did not require TikTok to take down its platform, only for app stores to remove it.

Current users were expected to continue to have access to videos until the app stopped working due to a lack of updates.
The company’s app also was removed from prominent app stores, including the ones operated by Apple and Google. Apple told customers with its devices that it also took down other apps developed by TikTok’s China-based parent company, ByteDance including one that some social media influencers had promoted as an alternative.

Under the federal legislation, which remains in place despite Trump’s order, companies could be fined $5,000 per users they help access TikTok. For Google and Apple, this could mean a $5,000 fine for each user who downloads or updates TikTok. For internet hosting services like Oracle, it could mean a $5,000 fine for each user that accesses TikTok using their services.

To break that down, if reportedly 170 million Americans use TikTok and companies could be charged $5,000 per user, that amounts to about $850 billion in fines, spread across different types of tech companies.

Even for tech giants like Google, Apple and Oracle, these are “hefty fines” they could be facing, according to agency reports.
> Apple and Google will be mostly hit by the ban .App Store specifically listed Tik Tok apps including

TikTok,TikTok Studio,
TikTok ,Shop Seller Center,CapCut,Lemon8,
Hypic,Lark – Team Collaboration
Lark – Rooms Display
Lark Rooms Controller will be affected.

Apple said if a user already has the apps on their device, they will remain there but can’t be redownloaded and won’t provide updates. The apps also won’t allow in-app purchases or new subscriptions during the ban.

Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and Triller are similar to TikTok in functionality but with some minor differences. Reels allows videos up to 90 seconds, Shorts up to 60 seconds, and Triller supports longer videos (up to 3 minutes) with advanced editing tools, ideal for music videos. For more editing flexibility, use Movavi Video Editor to customize your clips before posting.

For adult content creators seeking creative freedom, Triller offers advanced editing tools and music-powered features that turn basic videos into pro-level content, while Likee provides a wide range of effects to make your videos more engaging. When you need even greater flexibility and control, try Movavi Video Editor to fine-tune clips, adjust audio, add special effects, and create smooth transitions.

Prior to the Supreme Court ruling in more than two-hour appearance before a panel of three judges at a federal appeals court in Washington, attorneys for the two sides – and content creators – were pressed on their best arguments for and against the law that forces TikTok and its China-based parent company ByteDance to break ties by mid-January 2025 or lose one of their biggest markets in the world.
Andrew Pincus, a veteran attorney representing the two companies, argued in court that the law unfairly targets the company and runs foul of the First Amendment because TikTok Inc. – the U.S. arm of TikTok – is an American entity. After his remarks, another attorney representing content creators who are also challenging the law argued it violates the rights of U.S. speakers and is akin to prohibiting Americans from publishing on foreign-owned media outlets, such as Politico, Al Jazeera or Spotify.

On Monday September 16,2024,ByteDance and it’s short video platform,Tik Tok appeared at a crowded court in Washington DC,the United States of America (USA) before a panel of three judges to appeal against a law that was likely to ban the company from doing business in the USA by January 2025 if it does not divest its operations.

While this legal tussle was ongoing,Nigerian content creators appeared to be the first victims of this long drawn battle between Tik Tok and the American government.
While the content creators wondered what becomes of their trade,Facebook and Instagram were also making things more difficult for them.

Tik Tok ,Facebook and Instagram may have strong reasons for their actions but not as much as we know.

Meta Group,owners of Facebook,Instagram and WhatsApp last week deleted over 1,600 users in Nigeria for alleged scamming activities.
The deleted 1,600 Facebook groups are allegedly linked to Yahoo Boys.

BY BOLAJI AFOLABI

Immediately after the declaration of Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu as winner of the February 2023 Presidential election by the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC), there were vivacious and spontaneous celebrations among supporters, party members, and other people. For some members of the All Progressives Congress, (APC), the party’s victory signalled rays of hope for possible appointments in the in-coming government.

Following his inauguration as the President and Commander in Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; the 5th in the 4th Republic, on May 29, 2023, party members and loyalists were brewing with enthusiasm and excitement about getting positive look-in for appointments in the new government.

True, there was nothing abstract, and unreasonable about this. As is common in politics, every member of the victorious party in any political battle, always desire to savour some slice of the “spoils of war.” Even in the United States of America, the United Kingdom, and other democracies in different climes, it is the same practice. Perhaps, politicians have better understanding of “labourer is worthy of his wages” as elucidated in the Good Book. For many, having toiled and traversed within space and spans across the country, campaigning and marketing the party’s candidate, it is not out of place to benefit from the many offices to be filled.

Days, and weeks into the commencement of his government, President Tinubu made some appointments. In quick successions, the offices of the Secretary to Government of the Federation, (SGF); Chief of Staff, (CoS); Security Adviser (which later became National Security Adviser, NSA); and few others were filled. To underscore his commitment to governance, and the enthronement of focused leadership, list of ministerial-nominees were made public, and sent to the Senate for necessary legislative inquisition. After successful vetting, and screening, the nominees took oath of office as Ministers, and Members of the Federal Executive Council, (FEC) in August 2023. Thereafter, few appointments were made as Heads of Agencies, and other Parastatals. These appointments, as expected, elicited the commendation of party members; particularly those who had eyes on Board appointments. Some made bold conjectures and calculations that with the speed and pace at which the appointments were done, Tinubu, in no time, would enlist more people to serve, in various capacities in his government.

However, from the first to the third quarter of 2024, the sweet melodies from prospective, and expectant appointees to the Boards of Federal Government agencies began to drift.Though more executive appointments were made by Tinubu, in some ways, it did not entirely boost the morale and expectations of many Boards-applicants. A school of thought argues that the long delays of Board appointments may affect party loyalty, and confidence building of members; particularly those who worked assiduously for the February elections victory.

Another school of thought wondered why Board appointments; which represents huge gamut of offices, was not filled. Yet, a different school of thought posited that if appointments into Boards were not emplaced in good time, it may breed murmurs, and complaints among party members. Perhaps, prognosis by the last group may have some believability. It is argued that few of the rising criticisms of Tinubu; in measured tunes may have been addressed if some party members benefitted as Board Members and Chairmen. Few political commentators believe that the prolonged silence about Board appointments may open the flanks of some impatient APC members to join the bandwagon of emerging coterie and collage of opponents of government across the country.

Few weeks back, Tinubu approved appointments into the Boards of various FG agencies. This came as a positive shock to many people, especially party members. Some described the action as a master stroke by the political aficionado. Though in the last few months of 2024, the rumour mills were filled about the possibility of making appointments into few agencies, many people never believed. In spite the rife speculations, many in the political class chose to imbibe the “spirit of doubting Thomas.” Few, expressed cautious optimism. The Presidency, through a press statement by Mr. Bayo Onanuga on January 24, 2025, confirmed the appointments of over 1,000 Nigerians into the Boards of about 45 agencies, spanning over 12 federal ministries. The list comprised political heavyweights, former governors, former legislators, APC officials and members. Worthy of mention is the inclusion of few apolitical and distinguished personalities like Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, emeritus diplomat, former foreign affairs minister, and global affairs cognoscente.

One of the names that made the list is Durosinmi Meseko, the APC Deputy National Publicity Secretary. The Kogi-born politician was appointed Chairman, Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute (NBRRI). Given his multi-tasking capabilities, commanding competencies, and enthralling capacities, Meseko’s appointment is deserving. From verified records of conscientious service in the private sector, public service, and politics, he has consistently shown unbridled resourcefulness, unflinching commitment, undeniable dependability, and unparalleled loyalty in interactions and assignments. In all his past and present positions, he has exhibited unusual fecundity, uncommon grit, and unequivocal resilience in the realization of objectives, and targets. His profile reels consistency, character, and confidence. With over two decades broad-based experiences as a quintessential journalist, former legislators, presidential salesman, corporate communications specialist, and political party sales-person, Meseko’s appointment is a fitting round peg in a round hole.

From the Kano state owned Triumph Newspapers to The News, Tempo, TELL, and ThisDay publications, Meseko made his mark as a daring, courageous, and hard-hitting reporter, writer, and editor at various stages. As the Media Adviser to the presidential aspiration of former Senate Leader, and one of Nigeria’s most profound politician and humanist; Late Senator Olusola Saraki, he brought fresh perspectives to political salesmanship.

Meseko, who by the way was unarguably one of the first person to occupy such position in the 4th Republic deployed verve, gusto, fervency, and fervour in marketing his principal.

As the pioneer Public Relations Manager of Albarka Airlines, promoted by Brigadier-General Mohammed Buba (Rtd); former Military Administrator of Lagos state; and presently Chairman, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, (NDLEA), he built the image and profile of the company that, within few months the Airline became the preferred choice of frequent air-flyers, and household name in the aviation sector. As the representative of Kabba-Bunu/Ijumu Federal Constituency between 2003 and 2007 in the House of Representatives, Meseko who was Chairman, Committee on Gas contributed his quota to legislation, oversight, and representation. An unapologetic fighter for equity, social justice, and fairness, Meseko who contested for the Kogi governorship seat in 2007 under the platform of Peoples Progressives Alliance, (PPA) is reputed for being humane, and empathetic to people, not minding tribal, ethnic, religious and gender differences.

The writer cannot claim to be a close friend of Meseko; whom we fondly called Mexico. Those who fit into this category includes Femi Oladele, a Deputy Corps Marshall of the Federal Roads Safety Corps, (FRSC); David Yusuf, an Abuja-based property development entrepreneur; Ade-Ralph Olamife, Deputy Governorship candidate at the last Kogi state elections; Kola Ologbondiyan, former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), and few others.

Though prodigious, Meseko and the writer first met about 30 years ago at the School of Basic Studies, Ilorin. He accompanied Debo Moshood; one of my roommates to K8.

The room, which had Samson Tukur, Oluwafemi Joseph, Bala Danjuma, and Garba Abubakar as other occupants was self-named “court of no appeal” became very popular, and largely noted for numerous social pastimes, and youthful actions.

From that visit, one discovered Meseko’s friendly disposition, intelligence, and expressive views about positions he believed in. Given the absence of real-time communication services, unlike what we have now, we lost contacts.

Sometimes in the ’80s, on a Friday, which was a usual all-evening rendezvous for many in Lagos, the writer and group assembled at the Tafawa Balewa Square office of Olamife; which by the way was our usual take-off point for the weekend’s social activities. As the writer, Thaddeus Ibitomuhi, Adeogun Francis, Samuel Jimoh sat comfortably in the navy blue-coloured Peugeot 504 SR, having beautiful thoughts about the evening, Olamife, who was behind the wheels had other ideas. Having just taken delivery of the vehicle as his official car being the Special Adviser to NITEL’s Sole Administrator, Olamife meandered through the early evening Lagos Island traffic build-up, and made it to the popular 3rd Mainland Bridge. Concerned about his unusual speed, and obvious excitement, Thaddeus; being the eldest enquired to know the reasons for this upbeat conduct. Smiling heartily, Olamife declared, “my very good friend is waiting for me at home …he’s been there for about two hours now.” After over one hour of commuting from Lagos Island to the Alausa, Ikeja residence of Olamife, the writer, Thaddeus, and Jimoh were pleasantly surprised that the “mystery friend” was Meseko. For unending minutes, the backslaps, hugs, screaming, and exchange of pleasantries was electrifying, and almost contagious. Typical of Meseko, he was at home at his friend’s abode. As they say in local parlance, he was in charge. He ensured that cousins, brothers, and friends of Olamife were robustly entertained with plates of Turkey peppersoup, liquor and beverages of their choice. Blessed with high degrees of empathy, humanness, and altruism, Meseko is extremely accessible, and accommodating.

Happily, after the Lagos re-union, the writer has been in almost-regular association with Meseko. From when he was at Albarka Airlines, This Day newspapers, and National Assembly, together with Oladele, now and again, Meseko has remained his old self. With no airs, he remains friendly, simple, generous and genial.

That he veered and ventured into the murky waters of politics was not surprising to many who knew him. As an innate bridge-builder, and effervescent personality with limpid characteristics, it was necessary that he needed a bigger space where these attributes can be better leveraged for common good. That he was (and still) a peoples man came to the fore when he formally joined PDP early 2000s. Many people including friends, classmates, and colleagues from Abuja, Lagos, Ilorin, Port Harcourt, Kano, and other major cities in the country converged at his Odo Ape Ward in Kabba-Bunu LGA to witness the occasion. Arguably, the quality, and quantum of visitors to the peaceful community was unprecedented. After the event, as the entourage embarked on motorcade from the community to Kabba, the number of people that joined at various interactions was breath taking. Little wonder, Meseko won his party primaries, and subsequent elections for the House of Representatives seat where he represented the good people of Kabba-Bunu/Ijumu Federal Constituency between 2003 and 2007.

Given Meseko’s credentials as an intellectual, deep thinker, forthright leader, and hardworking personality with capacity for efficiency, it is obvious that he will galvanize the NBRRI towards contributing to the realization of Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope” agenda. As a man who knows his onions, blessed with superlative administrative competencies, organisational capacities, and results-yielding communication skills, many people are confident that the NBRRI will experience national recognition, and global endorsements. More importantly, it is expected that he will deplore his serially-proven and time-tested attributes to engage and dialogue with all strata of stakeholders, within and without the NBRRI to achieve and surpass the goals and timelines set for the Board, and management of the agency by the Tinubu administration.

BOLAJI AFOLABI, a Development Communications specialist, was with the Office of Public Affairs, The Presidency, Abuja.