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Over 40% Of Nigerians Now Enjoy 20 Hours Of Daily Electricity Supply — Power Minister Adelabu

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Adebayo Adelabu, minister of power, says more than 40 percent of Nigerian electricity consumers now enjoy over 20 hours of regular supply daily.

The milestone was revealed during a review of the ministry’s achievements over the past year as part of the country’s Independence Day celebrations.

In a statement on Sunday, Adelabu attributed the progress to several “revolutionary measures” implemented with the support of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

He said the ministry’s initiatives are aligned with the president’s renewed hope agenda, which aims to enhance industrialisation through consistent power supply.

“The major achievement is the fact that today we generate over 5,500 megawatts of power, we transmit and distribute it, and over 40% of customers today enjoy over 20 hours of regular power supply across the nation,” Adelabu said.

“You can see that there is a significant improvement between when we came in and now, which we intend to improve further.”

Adelabu said the ministry is striving to enhance this achievement by the end of the year, as reliable power supply is one of the key campaign promises of the president.

He stressed the critical role of stable electricity in developed nations, linking it to economic success.

“This is why you see great economies like Korea, China, Europe, and North America industrialised today. Their stability in electricity supply has been instrumental to their economic growth and industrial development,” he said.

“That is why we say that we must achieve this for Nigeria as a country. We need to achieve the requisite economic growth and industrial development.”

Adelabu said the ministry’s vision is to provide reliable and affordable electricity to households, businesses, and institutions. This, he said, will enable the country achieve the desired economic growth and industrial development.

Reflecting on the ministry’s progress since the inception of the administration, the minister said the installed generation capacity has increased from 13,000 megawatts to over 14,000 megawatts. He said this was made possible by the addition of new hydroelectric power plants and improvements in existing facilities.

Adelabu outlined several key reforms, including the signing of the new Electricity Act 2023, which decentralises power generation, allowing subnational governments to participate in the electricity market. He said the liberalisation of the sector has paved the way for private sector to also participate in the electricity supply industry.

In the infrastructure space, the minister highlighted the successful commissioning of 10 power transformers and mobile substations under the presidential power initiative. He also acknowledged ongoing efforts to close the metering gap, noting that over 7 million Nigerian households are still without meters.

“Within a year, we completed the pilot phase of this project, which involved importing 10 power transformers and 10 power mobile substations. They have arrived; we have installed them, and we have commissioned them,” the minister said.

“Therefore, the electricity stability that we enjoy today is not by accident. It’s because of all these transformers and mobile substations that we commissioned and installed.”

“There is the issue of the meter gap that we have. We all know that out of almost 13 million customers that we have in the industry, over 7 million customers are still without meters and are on estimated billing.”

“We said this is not the way to go. We must correct this, which is why President Bola Ahmed Tinubu set up the Presidential Metering Initiative, which has the mandate of installing over 10 million meters within the next five years, at least 2 million meters on a yearly basis.”

“We are making progress on this. The funds are being provided, and we will soon go into the acquisition of these meters. This would reduce the meter gap.”

Adelabu also said the World Bank is supporting these efforts through the distribution recovery programme by procuring and installing 1.8 million meters. He said the contract of about 1.5 million meters has already been awarded and within the next two months, these meters will start arriving.

The minister also announced a special electricity supply initiative for the nation’s universities and other institutions aimed at preventing frequent power outages and ensuring they continue to benefit from lower tariffs.

“We have a program which we call the Nigerian electrification program, whereby we have about 34 universities to be energized through solar energy sources. I think we have completed about 13 now, and they are almost due for commissioning,” he said.

“We have plans to do this for some of the teaching hospitals and some of our military formations.”

“We have electrified over three million people through these mini-grids across the rural areas nationwide.”

“We also have what we call the solar home systems that we give to each household, providing them with some point of light, some point to charge their phones, and some points for farming.”

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JUST IN: Tinubu Directs Immediate Release Of Minors Facing Prosecution

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Nigeria’s President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has directed that all the minors arrested and facing prosecution in court over their alleged involvement in the #EndBadGovernance protest should immediately be released without prejudice to the law.

This follows the national outrage and international consternation that trailed the trial of the minors.

President Tinubu also directed the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction to see to the welfare of the minors.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, disclosed this while briefing State House correspondents, in Abuja.

The Minister said that the President said all the law enforcement agents involved in the arrest, detention and prosecution of the minors be investigated and anyone found culpable, would face appropriate disciplinary action.

 

More to come…

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Court Orders Arrest Of Dana Airline MD, Hathiramani Ranesh, Over Alleged N1.3 Billion Fraud

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A Federal High Court in Abuja has issued an arrest warrant for the Managing Director of Dana Air, Mr. Hathiramani Ranesh, due to his alleged failure to appear in court.

The Attorney General of the Federation had filed a six-count charge against Ranesh and two others.

In count one, Ranesh and the two companies, alongside others at large, were alleged to have committed a felony between September and December 2018 within the premises of DANA Steel Rolling Factory in Katsina. They were accused of conspiring to remove, convert, and sell four units of industrial generators “i.e. three (3) units Ht of 9,000 KVA and 1 unit of 1,000 KVA; all valued at over N450 million, which form part of the Deed of Asset Debenture that were charged as collateral security for a bond issued in your favour, which Deed is still subsisting at all material times.”

In count three, the defendants and others at large at House No. 116, Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, Isolo-Lagos between April 7th and 8th, 2014, were alleged to have conspired to fraudulently divert the sum of N864 million.

This amount was said to be part of the bond proceeds from Ecobank meant for the resuscitation of production at Dana Steel Rolling Factory in Katsina for other unapproved uses.

In count five, the defendants and others at large were alleged to have “conspired to fraudulently remove and transfer to one Atlantic Shrimpers Account No: 0001633175 with Access Bank and divert the sum of N60,300,000 (Sixty Million Three Hundred Thousand Naira).”

The total amount involved in the charges is N1,374,300,000.

Justice Obiora Egwuatu ruled that Ranesh’s arrest was necessary after he was served with charges and failed to attend multiple court proceedings.

The judge noted that according to Section 184 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015, the court is authorized to issue an arrest warrant for any defendant who does not show up.

Justice Egwuatu stated, “The 1st defendant is bound to appear before the court, and if he does not, the court can issue a warrant for his arrest.” Consequently, he issued a warrant for Ranesh’s arrest, requiring him to appear in court on January 13, 2025, before any objections can be addressed. The case has been adjourned until that date for further hearing.

The Federal Government’s attorney, Mojisola-Okeya Esho, had previously requested the bench warrant, citing Ranesh’s absence in connection with a N1.3 billion fraud case against him.

However, defense lawyer B. Ademola-Bello contended that they had filed a preliminary objection regarding the court’s jurisdiction to hear the case, which had already been served to the prosecution.

Esho opposed the preliminary objection, asserting that the defendants should be present. Justice Egwuatu, who gave his ruling, ordered that Ranesh be arrested and brought to court on the nexta djourned date.

 

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JUST IN: President Tinubu Swears In Seven Ministers

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Nigeria’s President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has sworn in seven ministers-designates.

The ceremony was held in the council chamber of the Aso Rock villa on Monday.

The ministers-designate were confirmed by the senate in the committee of the whole after a screening exercise last week.

The senators spent hours asking them questions on portfolios assigned to them by the president.

The upper legislative chamber confirmed Nentawe Yilwatda as minister of humanitarian affairs and poverty alleviation, Muhammadu Maigari Dingyadi as minister of labour and employment, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu as minister of state for foreign affairs, and Yusuf Abdullahi Ata as minister of state for housing and urban development.

Others are Idi Mukhtar Maiha as minister of livestock development, Jumoke Oduwole as minister of trade and investment, and Suwaiba Said Ahmad as the minister of state for education.

About two weeks ago, Tinubu sacked five ministers and asked the senate to screen and confirm these new ones to fill vacant and new portfolios in his cabinet.

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