Business
RSG Targets 24hrs Power Supply Through IPP
Rivers State Government is targeting a 24hrs power supply in all communities of the state, through Independent Power Project (IPP) before the end of the first tenure of Governor Siminalaye Fubara.
Disclosing this to aviation correspondents at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, the state Commissioner for Power, Solomon Abel Eke, said efforts have reached an advanced stage in ensuring that all communities in Rivers State have 24hrs steady power.
“The state is leveraging on the power policy of President Bola Tinubu unbundling of power generation, where states are at liberty to generate and distribute power.
“We are already in advanced stage to making sure that we have steady power, and since I assumed office as the Commissioner for Power, you will notice that the power situation in the state has improved.
“We are introducing new sources of power such as the renewable energy in the hinter land and rural communities, in such places where the National Grid have not get to, so as to be able to electrify those areas”, he said.
According to the Commissioner, a pilot project is going on in one of the communities in Etche, where the government is partnering with the community to provide a 24hrs power supply.
“We are making a study on some communities that don’t have electricity, and we want to replicate what we have in that pilot communities to other communities.
“We want to connect them through these renewable Public Private Partnership power project, like Solar and Waste-to-Power. Private investors are willing and are coming to invest, and government will give them all the assistance needed”, Eke said.
The Commissioner also disclosed the readiness of the Federal Government to provide steady power supply to rural communities in the country through renewable independent investors, which was the major area of discuss in the seminar he had earlier attended in Abuja, were other commissioners of power were in attendance.
He said Private investors in partnership with the Federal and State Government will provide power to health centers in the rural areas, to enable them preserve their working tools, and will give out the remaining excess they generated to the community they operate.
According to him, the Federal Government will invest 60%, while state will invest 30%, and the private investor will have 10%, adding that the profit and return on investment will also be based on what was invested.
Corlins Walter
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The Federal Government has approved a whooping $1bn credit facility to support Nigerian exporters and small scale businesses to take advantage of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) in order to boost production, competitiveness and intra-African trade.
The $1bn AfCFTA Adjustment Fund Credit Facility is also expected to address some of the financing gap being faced by Nigerian exporters and enhance the competitiveness of African businesses within the continental market.
The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole, disclosed this during the second quarter 2026 meeting of the AfCFTA Central Coordination Committee held in Abuja.
According to a statement issued by the ministry’s Head of Press and Public Relations, Obilor-Duru Okechi, Oduwole said the financing facility represented a major opportunity for Nigerian businesses seeking to expand operations, modernise production processes and increase exports to African markets.
The statement partly read, “?The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to accelerating Nigeria’s export-led growth agenda under the African Continental Free Trade Area, unveiling opportunities for businesses to access a US$1 billion AfCFTA Adjustment Fund Credit Facility aimed at boosting production, competitiveness, and intra-African trade.”
She noted that despite the progress Nigeria had made in implementing the continental trade agreement, many local businesses continued to face obstacles that limited their ability to take advantage of the single African market.
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“Many businesses still face challenges relating to export documentation, certification, standards compliance and market access,” the minister said.
She explained that the Federal Government was addressing these bottlenecks through enhanced trade facilitation measures, simplified AfCFTA guidance tools, stakeholder engagement programmes and stronger collaboration with institutions such as the Nigeria Customs Service and the Nigerian Export Promotion Council.
Oduwole stressed the need to strengthen Nigeria’s legal and regulatory framework by domesticating key AfCFTA protocols, particularly the Digital Trade Protocol, to position the country as a major player in Africa’s growing digital economy.
The minister also highlighted some of the gains recorded in Nigeria’s AfCFTA implementation efforts.
According to her, the expansion of Nigeria’s Air Cargo Corridor Initiative to Rwanda, increased collaboration with development partners and private sector players, as well as sustained engagement with state governments, were helping to deepen awareness and participation in the continental market.
In her welcome address and first-quarter update, the National Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office, Mrs Patience Okala, provided details of the financing initiative.
Okala said the $1bn AfCFTA Adjustment Fund Credit Facility was targeted at large African businesses with a minimum financing capacity of $10m.
She revealed that the National AfCFTA Coordination Office was working closely with fund managers to facilitate access for eligible Nigerian companies and had begun assembling a pilot group of businesses to ensure that Nigeria maximised the opportunities provided by the facility.
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has advised Nigerians against boarding boats that require constant bailing of water in the interest of their safety.
NIWA Area Manager for Cross River and Ebonyi, Mr Stanley Onuoha gave this warning in an interview with Newsmen in Calabar.
Onuoha who spoke on waterway
safety, said that passengers should take responsibility for their safety by inspecting boats before embarking on any journey.
According to him, repeated scooping of water from a boat is a clear indication that the vessel may be leaking.
“If you are entering a boat and see people using a bailer to remove water, it is the first signal that the boat is leaking,” he said.
He urged passengers to check the integrity of boats, including seating arrangements and other visible safety features.
The Manager restated the importance of using safety jackets, saying that damaged jackets may fail during emergencies.
He further said that passengers should ensure that safety jackets were appropriate for their body sizes in order to guarantee effective flotation.
Onuoha reiterated the need for passengers to fill manifests before departure to aid accountability during emergencies.
The NIWA official further advised travellers to monitor weather conditions and avoid boarding boats when the weather is unfavourable.
According to him, poor weather conditions can trigger strong tidal waves capable of affecting small boats commonly used on inland waterways.
He said that waterway journeys should be embarked upon between 6.00a.m and 6.00p.m for clearer visibility.
Onuoha said the Authority had continued to sensitise riverine communities to the need for safety precautions during waterway journeys.
He stated that sustained awareness campaigns and enforcement measures had contributed to safety waterway safety in Cross River.
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