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FG plans additional 150MW to national grid by year-end -Minister

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The Federal Government on Wednesday revealed plans to boost Nigeria’s electric power supply by 150MW before 2024 ends.

The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, disclosed this to State House correspondents after a business session at the State House during the state visit of the German President, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, to President Bola Tinubu.

“So we believe that before the end of the year, an additional 150MW of capacity is going to be added upon completion of the entire pilot phase,” Adelabu said while explaining the implementation of the Presidential Power Initiative agreement.

On December 1, 2023, the Nigeria and Germany signed the Presidential Power Initiative agreement to inject 12,000 MegaWatts of electricity into the national grid.

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The signing was presided over by the leaders of both countries, President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, on the sidelines of the United Nations Climate Change Summit, COP28, in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates.

Managing Director of the Federal Government of Nigeria Power Company, Kenny Anuwe, and the Managing Director (Africa), Siemens AG, Nadja Haakansson, signed the agreement.

Adelabu, who attended the business session, said, “The game now is about cooperation, collaboration and partnership. The flagship of this bilateral relationship has to do with what we call the Siemens project, which is our Presidential Power Initiative where Siemens is implementing the Brownfield and Greenfield transmission substations of the Presidential Power initiative.

“Since signing the agreement in Dubai at COP 28 in December 2023, we have made significant progress. We have completed the pilot phase of this project, up to 80 per cent.

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“This involves the importation, installation and commissioning of 10 power transformers and 10 power mobile substations. They’ve been imported. They’ve been installed, and lots of them have been commissioned. We have just about two left to be commissioned before the end of the year.”

He added, “The project had added at least 750 megawatts to our transmission grid capacity, which is why the relative stability we are seeing in the grid today is the direct positive impact of the pilot stage completion.”

His comments came hours after the national grid collapsed for the 12th time in 2024.

Grid failures are not strange in one of Africa’s largest economies, whose power sector still suffers gross underinvestment, says the Special Adviser to the President on Energy, Olu Verheijen.

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Despite an installed capacity of about 13,000MW, Nigeria’s power grid transmits only 4000MW due to ageing infrastructure, the Minister of Power, Adelabu, revealed at a briefing on October 28.

However, that amount is grossly inadequate for over 200 million citizens, leaving many areas without reliable electricity as individuals and government entities struggle to pay mounting power bills.

In addition to weak infrastructure, Nigeria’s power grid has also been a target of sabotage.

In October, armed groups damaged the Shiroro-Kaduna transmission line, cutting electricity supply to 17 northern states.

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Following the incident, repair crews could not access the site due to security concerns. Repairs began only after President Bola Tinubu directed the National Security Adviser to work with the Army and Air Force to deploy adequate security personnel, including aerial cover, to protect the engineers fixing the damaged transmission line.

However, Adelabu is sure that the administration’s steps will the stabilise power supply.

“We are quite confident from the satisfaction that we got from the completion of the pilot stage. When we are done with the Phase One project in the transmission, the entire grid will not remain the same.

“That’s why we tell Nigerians this is a very old grid. It’s quite fragile, and it’s dilapidating.

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“We need to revamp the entire grid to ensure stability going forward. That is the presidential power initiative,” he stated.

Adelabu also announced that the FG is moving into the first phase of the project, which involves rehabilitating 14 existing substations and constructing 23 new ones nationwide.

He explained that the commercial aspects of the first phase have been concluded, and the next step involves securing a no-objection approval from the Bureau of Public Procurement.

Following this, the proposal will be presented to the Federal Executive Council. Once approved, the financing arrangements will be finalised, enabling the commencement of the project’s first phase.

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The minister highlighted the FG’s commitment to renewable energy as a key component of its energy transition plan to achieve net zero emissions by 2060.

He emphasised the need for collaboration and partnership with technologically advanced countries like Germany, leveraging their expertise to harness Nigeria’s abundant natural resources, including solar energy, with over 30 states receiving a minimum of 10 hours of sunshine daily.

“We also talked about renewable energy, which we believe is the way forward. We have an energy transition plan to achieve net zero emissions by 2060.

“To achieve this, we must collaborate. We must partner. We must cooperate with a country like Germany, which has the technology, and we have the sun. Over 30 states in Nigeria have a minimum of 10 hours of sunshine every day.

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“They have the technology. We have the wind. We have the desert wind up north and the coastal winds down south. The new highway from Lagos to Calabar is opening up our coastal offshore wind across the nine coastal states of Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Edo, Delta Rivers, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, and Cross River,” Adelabu explained.

Furthermore, the minister pointed out the untapped potential of over 300 dams for hydroelectric power, which could be accessed through developments like the new Badagry-Sokoto road.

He stressed that these opportunities create immense potential for expanded energy access in collaboration with Germany.

Adelabu argued, “Then, talking about our hydroelectric power plants, we have over 300 dams we have not utilised for hydroelectric power because of poor access.

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“With the new road of Badagry to Sokoto, a lot of these dams will also be opened up. So we have so many opportunities and potentials on what we can do with Germany to achieve expanded energy access to our people going forward.”

The power minister also reiterated that an off-grid system is the key to addressing Nigeria’s energy challenges, emphasising the need to implement a distributed power model.

This approach would allow each of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory to develop their power-generating plants embedded within their states.

Such a model, he explained, would shield states from disruptions on the national grid, providing backup power in case of national grid failures.

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“The off-grid system is the solution. Still, we must implement a distributed power model whereby each of our 36 states and FCT will have their own generating plants within the state.

“This network will be embedded within the states, and they will be shielded from any problem on the national grid. When there is a problem on the national grid, they will all have a backup.

“We have a preponderance of rural areas. We must electrify our rural areas and have isolated tertiary health and education institutions that we must use. So, that is the use of renewable energy for off-grid solutions,” he said.

He highlighted Germany’s role in this effort, particularly through its development agency, GIZ, which has supported grid extensions and renewable energy initiatives.

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Additionally, he revealed that several German companies and private investors have shown interest in renewable energy projects in Nigeria, including solar, wind, and hydropower.

While no new agreements were signed at the meeting, discussions focused on accelerating the implementation of existing agreements.

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FG terminates Visa-on-Arrival policy, says Nigeria not a haven for criminals

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The Federal Government has ended the Visa-on-Arrival policy, saying that Nigeria is not a destination for criminals

The Minister of Interior Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo who made the announcement, said the policy was not effective.

He disclosed that government had noticed a pattern where people avoid travelling into the country directly by air, only to land at neighbouring countries and complete their journeys through land borders.

He described the scenario as unacceptable, saying the Federal Government would unveil a multi-faceted solution by March or April to take care of grey areas on entry into and exit out of the country.

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Tunji-Ojo said in place of Visa-on-Arrival, landing and exit cards will be introduced and integrated into the solutions for travelers to complete before arriving in Nigeria.

The Visa-on-Arrival policy was introduced in 2020 as a short-stay visa issued at entry points, but the Minister said the policy failed to meet global standards and best practices as it was not done anywhere in the world.

Tunji-Ojo spoke at the headquarters of the Nigeria Immigration Service, (NIS) on Friday during the closing ceremony of the five-day training and capacity building programmes on Advanced Passenger Information-Passenger Name Record, API/PNR System for NIS officers.

The capacity building for 100 Officers was organised by the Nigeria Immigration Service under the leadership of the Comptroller-General of the Service, Mrs Kemi Nanna Nandap.

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Tunji-Ojo said:” The Visa-on-Arrival issue is one of the core policy issues because I always tell people the visa is not just an approval of entry, it is a migration management device.

“It is a security device to manage migration into your country. So the way it is at the moment is very subjective. We are not really too objective and that is why we are automating the whole process end-to-end.

“And the e-visa solution, we are working hard to be able to meet the first of March or peradventure if we are unable, the first of April, we will hit it live.

“We will automate the system. People apply online and we will do what we need to do. That solution will be integrated with the Interpol system, the criminal records system, so that we can be able to take decisions.

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“We do not want foreign attachés approving and issuing visas. It is not going to be that any more, we want to be able to screen people. This country cannot be a destination for wanted criminals in the world. Nigeria is not a safe haven for any criminal and it will never be.”

The Minister who said about 60 of the border solutions are being completed in Nigeria various borders, land maritime and air, insisted that the security of the country and her citizens remained sacrosanct under the present administration.

He said: ”Today, we have had, we have sorted the API across all of our five international airports and we are looking at working with you more on the issue of adapting some of these into our land borders because it is also very key.

“Because we realised the pattern, of recent, I think, over the last couple of weeks, that a lot of people would rather fly to neighbouring countries and come into Nigeria through the land borders to evade the API PNR system. So we have seen that pattern.”

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Tunji-Ojo assured that when all the e-solutions are deployed it would be linked not only with all security agencies at home but also globally, and especially with interpol so that persons of interests can be arrested at anywhere.

Nandap commended President Bola Tinubu and the Minister for their commitment to the ongoing reforms in the NIS, saying that the reforms have changed the narratives for the better.

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Suspended Ogun monarch  meet bail conditions after two weeks in jail

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Oba Abdulsemiu Ogunjobi, the suspended Olorile of Orile-Ifo in Ogun State, has been freed from prison in Ilaro, two weeks after being charged with the alleged public assault of a septuagenarian.

He was brought before a Magistrate’s Court in Ifo by law enforcement, where he was granted bail but subsequently held at the Nigeria Correctional Service in Ilaro, within the Yewa South Local Government Area, until he fulfilled the requirements of his bail.

The spokesperson of Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS), Mr. Odukoya Owolola Olayinka, a Superintendent of NCoS, told The Nation that Oba Ogunjobi had gone home about three days ago after meeting his bail terms.

“He (Oba Ogunjobi) has gone home about three days ago,” Olayinka said.

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Oba Ogunjobi was arraigned on a three-count charge of conspiracy, assault, and conduct likely to lead to a breach of peace.

Force spokesman, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Muyiwa Adejobi, disclosed the arraignment in his social media post, stating that the monarch was charged to court.

“The Kabiyesi Abdulsemiu Ogunjobi, who assaulted one elderly man in a viral video, in Ifo Ogun State, has been charged to court  February 4, 2025, on three-count charges of conspiracy, assault and conduct likely to lead to a breach of peace.

“He was granted bail while the case was adjourned to 06/03/2025. The police will continue to uphold the rule of law and the core values of the noble profession,” Adejobi stated.

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Oba Ogunjobi who was arraigned before Magistrate F.A Iroko, pleaded not guilty to all the charges against him.

The Magistrate granted him bail of N5m, with two sureties in like sum, and he must be a resident within the court jurisdiction.

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Court jails Cooperative Society CEO over N2bn fraud in Calabar

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Justice Rosemary Dugbo Oghoghorie of the Federal High Court in Calabar has convicted and sentenced the Chief Executive Officer, Micheno Multi-purpose Cooperative Society, Uno Michael Eke to one year imprisonment for conspiracy, obtaining property by false pretence and money laundering to the tune of N2billion.

He was jailed after pleading guilty to four-count amended charge preferred against him by the Uyo Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Count One reads “That you, Uno Michael Eke (being the President/Chief Executive Officer of Micheno Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society); Registered Trustees of Micheno Multi Purpose Cooperative Society, MMCS, Aya Kanu Aya, (Alias Mbakara) being the Vice President of Micheno Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society (now at large), sometime between June and August 2018 in Calabar within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, conspired among yourselves to commit an offence to wit: obtaining property by false pretence and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8 (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act’.

Count two reads “That you, Uno Michael Eke (being the President/Chief Executive Officer of Micheno Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society), Registered Trustees of Micheno Multi Purpose Cooperative Society, MMCS, Aya Kanu Aya (Alias Mbakara) being the Vice President of Micheno Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society (now at large), on or about the 12th day of July, 2018 in Calabar within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud, did obtain the sum of Two Million Naira (N2,000,000.00) from one Kubnse Ogar Ebute by inducing her to invest the money into your Swiss golden packages through your Micheno Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society ltd under the false pretence of paying her 80% as return on investment on her principal sum on the 40th day of his investment, which you knew to be false and thereby committed an Offence contrary to Section 1 (1) (b) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act”.

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When the charge was read to Eke, he pleaded guilty to the criminal offence.

In view of his guilty plea, the prosecuting EFCC’s lawyer, Joshua Abolarin prayed the court to convict the defendant based on the charges before the court. The defence lawyer , Ime Umanah informed the court of a plea bargain agreement before the court and prayed for a lighter jail term for his client.

The judge, after considering the plea of the convict and evidence before the court, convicted and sentenced Eke to one year imprisonment with an option of fine of N2m Also, the convict was ordered to forfeit the following to the Federal Government of Nigeria:

Twelve wflats of 2 bedrooms each located by Goodluck Jonathan bypass, Calabar River State, two (2) plots of land (4.162 hectares and 3.391 hectares) both located at Adiabo Ikot Mboout Community Land, Odupkpani LocAl Government Area, Cross River State, two (2) plots of land located at Akai Effa, Calabar Municipality, Cross River State and eighteen (18) self-contained flats (storey building), located beside University of Calabar, Ita-Agbor, Calabar, Cross River State and N10,000.000( Ten Million Naira) recovered during investigation. The judge ordered that all monies recovered from the convict should be restituted to victims listed in all the charges.

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Eke’s road to the Correctional Centre began when he was arrested for collecting huge sums of money from different unsuspecting victims with a promise of 80% return on investment within 40 days. Investigations showed that he opened different bank accounts in his name and company’s where he raked in the sum of N2 billion from his victims. The funds were used to acquire landed properties and houses in Calabar, Cross River State.

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