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‘Nigeria, Others Lagging Behind In Transition To Renewable Energy In Africa’

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Sub-Sahara Africa, Nigeria inclusive, is far behind in the ongoing global energy transition from fossil energy to renewable energy.
This conclusion was arrived after a two-day online training for African journalists tagged Reporting the Energy Transition in Africa.
The training which held online from Dec. 13 to 14, 2021 and attended by journalists from Nigeria, Kenya, Cameroon, Zimbabwe, Benin Republic, Uganda, Tanzania and other African countries, was organised by the Africa Coalition for Sustainable Energy and Access (ACSEA), the Pan-African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA) and the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF).
According to coordinator of ACSEA, Dr Augustine Njamnshi, while South Africa, Morocco and Egypt are doing well in the area of renewable energy in Africa, Sub-Sahara Africa still paying lip service to it.
“The transition will happen whether we like it or not and while some African countries have begun to move away from fossil fuel, Sub Sahara Africa is far behind. 80% of energy still comes from fossil fuel (coal, petrol and diesel etc), which is chiefly responsible for global warming and climate change.”
Global warming is a catalyst to excessive rain, flood, sea level rise, high temperature, prolonged drought, poor yield, malaria, cholera and other health issues. Only 16.7% comes from renewable energy and largely concentrated in South Africa.
Training facilitator, Eugene Nforngwa, Thematic Lead, Just Transition and Energy Access, PACJA/ACSEA, said a gradual investment redirection from fossil fuel and coal to renewable energy such as hydropower, geothermal, wind, solar and biomass will help Africa tap into the emerging second industrial revolution.
“Africa is blessed with renewable energy and that is the future of the world. Africa must not miss out.”
Thomas Opanda, WWF Regional Energy Hub, during his presentation, wondered why Nigeria, Gabon, Cameroon and other rich oil countries in Africa are not doing well economically.
“Oil has not contributed to the betterment of Africa. What is the current GDP of Nigeria and Gabon? Countries without oil are even doing better,” he concluded.
Currently, PACJA and WWF are implementing the “Africa Energy Transition” project in three countries namely: Kenya, Tanzania, and Madagascar. The project seeks to address the planned extensive use of coal in Africa’s energy mix, the inadequate planning and investment in non-hydro renewable energy (wind and solar), and the lack of energy access in rural communities.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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September 22, 2025

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Kenya made it a clean sweep at the Berlin Marathon with Sabastian Sawe winning the men’s race and Rosemary Wanjiru triumphing in the women’s.

Sawe finished in two hours, two minutes and 16 seconds to make it three wins in his first three marathons.

The 30-year-old, who was victorious at this year’s London Marathon, set a sizzling pace as he left the field behind and ran much of the race surrounded only by his pacesetters.

Japan’s Akasaki Akira came second after a powerful latter half of the race, finishing almost four minutes behind Sawe, while Ethiopia’s Chimdessa Debele followed in third.

“I did my best and I am happy for this performance,” said Sawe.

“I am so happy for this year. I felt well but you cannot change the weather. Next year will be better.”

Sawe had Kelvin Kiptum’s 2023 world record of 2:00:35 in his sights when he reached halfway in 1:00:12, but faded towards the end.

In the women’s race, Wanjiru sped away from the lead pack after 25 kilometers before finishing in 2:21:05.

Ethiopia’s Dera Dida followed three seconds behind Wanjiru, with Azmera Gebru, also of Ethiopia, coming third in 2:21:29.

Wanjiru’s time was 12 minutes slower than compatriot Ruth Chepng’etich’s world record of 2:09:56, which she set in Chicago in 2024.

 

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NIS Ends Decentralised Passport Production After 62 Years

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September 22, 2025

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The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has officially ended passport production at multiple centres, transitioning to a single, centralised system for the first time in 62 years.
Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made the disclosure during an inspection of the Nigeria’s new Centralised Passport Personalisation Centre at the NIS Headquarters in Abuja, last Thursday.
He stated that since the establishment of NIS in 1963, Nigeria had never operated a central passport production centre, until now, marking a major reform milestone.
“The project is 100 per cent ready. Nigeria can now be more productive and efficient in delivering passport services,” Tunji-Ojo said.
He explained that old machines could only produce 250 to 300 passports daily, but the new system had a capacity of 4,500 to 5,000 passports every day.
“With this, NIS can now meet daily demands within just four to five hours of operation,” he added, describing it as a game-changer for passport processing in Nigeria.
“We promised two-week delivery, and we’re now pushing for one week.
“Automation and optimisation are crucial for keeping this promise to Nigerians,” the minister said.
He noted that centralisation, in line with global standards, would improve uniformity and enhance the overall integrity of Nigerian travel documents worldwide.
Tunji-Ojo described the development as a step toward bringing services closer to Nigerians while driving a culture of efficiency and total passport system reform.
According to him, the centralised production system aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s reform agenda, boosting NIS capacity and changing the narrative for improved service delivery.
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FG To Roll Out Digital Public Infrastructure, Data Exchange, Next Year 

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September 22, 2025

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The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has announced plans to roll out Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and the Nigerian Data Exchange (NGDX) platforms across key sectors of the economy, starting in early 2026.
Director of E-Government and Digital Economy at NITDA, Dr. Salisu Kaka, made the disclosure in Abuja during a stakeholder review session of the DPI and NGDX drafts at the Digital Public Infrastructure Live Event.
The forum, themed “Advancing Nigeria’s Digital Public Infrastructure through Standards, Data Exchange and e-Government Transformation,” brought together regulators, state governments, and private sector stakeholders to harmonise inputs for building inclusive, secure, and interoperable systems for governance and service delivery.
According to Kaka, Nigeria already has several foundational elements in place, including national identity systems and digital payment platforms.
What remains is the establishment of the data exchange framework, which he said would be finalised by the end of 2025.
“Before the end of this year and by next year we will be fully ready with the foundational element, and we start dropping the use cases across sectors,” Kaka explained.
He stressed that the federal government recognises the autonomy of states urging them to align with national standards.
“If the states can model and reflect what happens at the national level, then we can have a 360-degree view of the whole data exchange across the country and drive all-of-government processes,” he added.
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