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ECA Wants Policies On Renewable Energy

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The Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) has called on African leaders to develop strong policies to promote faster and more inclusive growth through hydropower and other sources of renewable energy.
A statement on the commission’s website yesterday said that the Acting Executive Secretary of ECA, Mr Abdalla Hamdok, made the call at the opening of the 6th World Hydropower Congress in Addis Ababa.
Hamdok said that more than 600 million people in Africa have no access to electricity, and households continued to rely on traditional biomass for cooking.
He said that it was pertinent for Africa to tap into its vast renewable energy sources.
”With clear vision coupled with strong and coherent policy action to promote faster and more inclusive growth, the continent has the potential to take the lead in innovation, technologies and business models that utilise hydropower optimally and efficiently.’’
He, however, said that it was equally important for the continent to guard against negative impacts of hydropower development and pay close attention to climate resilience and social inclusion.
”This is mostly linked to growing concerns regarding hydropower sustainability, including the over-reliance on hydropower which could possibly compromise energy security in many countries, especially in the context of drought.
”I am glad to note that the agenda of this congress include items of environmental and social impact in the context of hydropower development,’’ he added.
Hamdok also said it was important to develop an integrated approach to the management of water for irrigation and energy production.
He disclosed that the ECA and the African Union Commission (AUC) were working closely with key stakeholders on some initiatives.
The initiatives, according to him, will help to promote low carbon energy development and innovative financing regimes for clean energy infrastructure projects.
This, he noted would support the implementation of the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Agenda and the Africa Union’s Agenda, 2063.
The statement also quoted the Ethiopian Prime Minister, Hailemariam Desalegn in his opening remarks as saying “development is unthinkable in the absence of adequate and affordable energy’’.
Desalegn said that Africa would not achieve the 17 SDGs of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development without universal access to electricity.
“I would like to reiterate the need for collective efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change”, he said.
The Deputy Chairperson, AUC, Mr Quartey Kwesi said that the development and expansion of renewable energy provided one of the most effective strategies to simultaneously promote development.
Kwesi said that it would also enhance sustainable energy access and energy security, as well as climate change mitigation at global, continental and regional levels.
Liu Zhenya, the Chairman of the Global Energy Interconnection Development and Cooperation Organisation (GEIDCO) presented the concept of ‘global energy interconnection’ (GEI) as “the inevitable way out for clean and low-carbon energy transition.’’
”It is imperative for us to accelerate the green and low-carbon transition; the key to realising that is to bring forward a new energy supply system prioritised by clean energy development and power supply with large-scale optimal allocation of the GEI platform.
”Let’s work hand in hand for African energy interconnections with more communication and common consent, and make our due contribution to sustainable development,’’ he said.
Ken Adams, President, International Hydropower Association (IHA) said hydropower could be done in isolation.
”My message today is that achieving the SDGs will not be possible without breaking barriers and widening the scope of collaboration between all of our institutions.
“We must embrace the fact that one single technology will not resolve the challenges of our generation.
”We need more hydropower on the grid, as it plays a role as a flexible, sustainable generation source and we also need it to play the often unrecognised role of energy storage.”
The statement said that the congress seeks to build on a previous meeting held in 2015 in Beijing by bringing together leaders and experts.
This according to the statement is to examine how initiatives of governments, businesses, finance, Civil Society Organisations and academia could advance sustainable development.

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NPA Assures On Staff Welfare 

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The Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, has said the management will continue to accompany its port infrastructure  and equipment  modernization drive  with the development of the welfare of its personnel.
Dantsoho made the disclosure recently while responding to the commendation by the Maritime Workers Union (MWUN) and the senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government-Owned Companies (SSASGOC) on the  clearing  of the age-long problem of employee stagnation, when the union paid him a courtesy visit at the Authority’s headquarters in Lagos.
A Statement by NPA’s General Manager Corporate & Strategic Communications, Mr. Ikechukwu Onyemekara, quoted Dantsoho as saying,  “our Port infrastructure and equipment modernization drive will go hand-in-hand with continuous staff welfare improvement”.
The NPA MD disclosed that human capital development constitutes the key strategy for creating and sustaining superior performance under his watch, adding that “talent development constitutes a critical success factor for the actualization of the big hairy audacious goals we have set for ourselves especially in the area of Port competitiveness.
“The only way we can meet and indeed exceed stakeholders’ expectations is to deepen the competencies of our human resources assets and boosting their morale.”
Speaking further, Dantsoho commended the Honourable Minister of Marine & Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, for approving the strategic proposal of the Dantsoho-led Management team that solved the over a decade-long problem of lack of promotion that had fuelled industrial disharmony.
“I must specially appreciate our amiable Minister for graciously approving the multi-pronged stratagem we deployed that cleared all outstanding cases of employee stagnation by conducting examinations in one fell swoop and instituted timelines to forestall a recurrence of such anomaly”, he sad.
Speaking on behalf of the joint maritime labour unions, the President  of Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations & Government-Owned Companies (SSASCGOC), Comrade Bodunde stated, “In addition to clearance of the backlog of stagnated promotions, we also wish to express our appreciation for the increase in productivity bonuses, provision of end-of-year welfare packages for staff, and the revision of the Financial Guide to the Condition of Service, which now addresses our members’ concerns about inflationary pressures.”
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
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ANLCA Chieftain Emerges FELCBA’s VP

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National Secretary of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Elder Olumide Fakanlu, has been elected Vice President of the Federation of ECOWAS Licensed Customs Brokers Association (FELCBA).
The election took place during the FELCBA Congress, held from Tuesday, June 17th to Thursday, June 19th, 2025, in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Fakanlu’s emergence as Vice President marks a significant achievement for Nigeria within the regional customs brokerage community.
Apart from Fakanlu, Secretary of the Seme Chapter of ANLCA, Austin Nwosu, was also elected, securing the role of Secretary of Relations with Institutions.
The Nigerian delegation played an active role in the congress, with Michael Ebeatu nominated as a member of the electoral officer team, ensuring a fair and transparent election process.
The three-day congress concluded with delegates undertaking a visit to the Sierra Leone Port, offering insights into the host nation’s maritime operations, followed by a recreational trip to the Tokeh Beach.
The newly elected executives are expected to lead FELCBA in its efforts to harmonize customs brokerage practices, promote trade facilitation, and advocate for the interests of licensed customs brokers across the ECOWAS sub-region.
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
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NSC, Police Boost Partnership On Port Enforcement 

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In a bid to enhance more enforcement in the nation’s Port, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has reaffirmed its commitment to stronger inter-agency collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
The Council said the collaboration is aimed at enhancing stronger enforcement, compliance and improve operational efficiency across Nigeria’s ports.
Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of  NSC, Dr. Pius Akutah, made this known during a visit to the  Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, at the Force Headquarters, Abuja.
The visit, which he said, focused on strengthening institutional synergy, comes in the wake of growing responsibilities for the NSC under the newly created Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.
Akutah emphasized the critical role of security agencies in supporting port operations and ensuring regulatory compliance.
He called for the posting of police officers to assist the Council’s monitoring and enforcement teams at key port locations including Lagos, Warri, Onne, Port Harcourt, and Calabar.
“The posting will complement the activities of our revived task teams and enhance our ability to enforce standards across the maritime logistics chain”, he said.
Earlier, the Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Egbetokun, assured the Council of the Force’s readiness to continue supporting the growth of the maritime sector.
The IGP acknowledged that compliance enforcement is essential to the successful implementation of Nigeria’s Blue Economy objectives.
“The NSC and NPF are expected to deepen collaboration in the months ahead, with a shared focus on building a secure, efficient, and competitive port environment”, to the IGP emphasized.
Chinedu Wosu
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