General News
A Flawed Policy Draft, an Optimistic Johnson
By now Mrs. Omobola Johnson, minister of communication technology would have realized that the Nigerian ICT terrain is trodden with several booby-traps and uncertainty; such as can make a lily livered politician take the easy way out. And the easy could mean not hurting established order, especially technocrats in the system. Technocrats are basically made up of civil servants, and other public office holders (some like to brand them hangers-on) who have so perfected the art of sharetocracy that any talk of changing the existing order would mean do-or-die. These groups of persons understand the inner workings of government and they take charge of shielding every truth from a pragmatic leader. Public and civil service workers do not readily see opportunities of invention in the system, but they easily identify loopholes to exploit for personal gains. And it is this unholy practice that has dragged down good intentions of every successive government, and by extension the country’s lack of progress towards attainment of goals. On Friday, March 9, 2012 the minister hosted ICT stakeholders in Lagos to present the draft of the national information communication technology (ICT) policy. Since assumption of office, Johnson has made it a policy not be late for official engagement, a trait not readily found among Nigeria’s officialdom; and that was the initial signal she was a different breed. At 9.15am, the Lagos City Hall was less than a third full but with Johnson already in attendance, the programme commence. Uncharacteristically also there were no formalities of introduction of high and low tables. She commenced with a brief exposition of the policy process, following on Dr. Daudu, permanent secretary’s remarks. “This isn’t the final document yet, it is still a draft policy and the aim is to harmonise all existing policies in the information and communications technology sector into a single ICT policy,” she stated. Johnson noted that key performance indicators (KPIs) were deliberately omitted in the policy draft as they would form the second part of its evolution process. “KPIs will continue to grow along (with) the line of development,” said Johnson. But she didn’t fail to remind her audience that the administration was fully committed to the attainment of a converged regulatory ecosystem. With that she let the stakeholders have their say on the policy document. And one after the other, speakers picked holes in the policy draft beginning with the 9-member committee headed by Professor Raymond Akwule, which comprised only public servants including three of the minister’s personal aides. Mrs. Florence Seriki, chief executive of a leading OEM in Nigeria, Omatek Computers pointed out the flaws between policy set-up and implementation. As president of information technology association of Nigeria, (ITAN) Seriki noted that the country’s universal service provision fund (USPF) has not been used positively affect the industry. “We must redirect our IT mindset. We cannot achieve new policy without manufacturing. A small and medium enterprise (SMEs) fund should be set up to redirect this new framework. But as it is now, we must begin to ask ourselves: how many OEMs are still in operation in this country? The government policy is effectively directed against innovation and growth of local OEMs,” said Seriki. At the end of the day, it became apparent the committee had made several fundamental omissions. Interest groups such the Nigeria telecom consumers association pointed out the error of omitting a consumer’s protection clause. The document’s lack of clarity on direction for national PC penetration, broadband penetration and internet governance were all noted. Johnson also agreed with critics of the policy draft that harmonization and convergence would not come easy. As noted in section 7.14.2 (Strategies); it would take review and harmonization of existing national laws and creating new laws to drive the ICT sector. It would also mean amendment of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution to “permit the issuance of broadcasting licenses by the regulator.” As noted in the draft policy, the “reality of technological and market convergence implies that existing policies relating to the ICT sector in Nigeria are in need of a critical review. Most of the objectives in the existing policies have been overtaken by technological advancement and market transformation worldwide. A key requirement is the development of appropriate policies, as well as legal and regulatory framework that foster an enabling environment.” Some of the technological and market realities formed the core of challenge mounted by leaders of the courier industry against the continued existence of the Nigerian postal service (Nipost) as both a regulator and last mile service provider. Ralph Ozodu, managing director and chief executive of UPS Nigeria called it “unfair” trade practice to have Nipost regulator a market it is an active player. Sule Umar Bichi, managing director of FedEx Nigeria also branded it unfair competition. He noted that government has given Nipost undue advantage over competition.
Nigeria is experiencing a complex cybersecurity landscape where reported fraud incidents have decreased by nearly 46 percent over the past four years, yet financial losses from cybercrime are on the rise, according to Check Point Software.
This trend is attributed to sophisticated schemes developed by cybercriminals who are increasingly targeting the nation’s rapidly digitizing economy, with further coverage provided by Dark Reading.
Nigeria’s digital transformation has made it a prime target for cybercriminals.
In June 2026, organizations in the country faced an average of 4,361 attempted attacks weekly, ranking it second in Africa for cyber threats.
While the volume of detected threats fluctuates, it consistently remains elevated, often double the global average.
The Nigerian government is developing a new cybersecurity framework, expected later this year, which will mandate incident reporting, set minimum cybersecurity investment levels, and foster public-private collaboration.
Despite a decrease in the number of reported fraud incidents, financial losses have escalated, with digital payment fraud reaching ₦25.85 billion (US$18.7 million) in 2025.
Insider threats, including SIM swap fraud and account compromise, are significant contributors to these losses. Many organizations, particularly smaller businesses, lack adequate training and resources, making them more vulnerable.
The country’s cybersecurity maturity is ranked at a moderate level, and effective enforcement of existing regulations, such as the Data Protection Act, will be crucial to combatting the growing financial impact of cyberattacks.
TotalEnergies, together with its partners Hydra Storage Holding and Reatile Renewables, inaugurates Hydra project, the largest hybrid renewable energy project in Africa, located in South Africa’s Northern Cape province.
The project combines a 216 MW solar photovoltaic plant with a 500 MWh battery energy storage system, marking a significant contribution to the country’s Just Energy Transition program that aims to decarbonise the economy thanks to renewable energy sources.
The facility will supply 75 MW of dispatchable renewable electricity to the national grid continuously between 5:00 a.m. and 9:30 p.m., under a 20-year power purchase agreement signed with Eskom. This represents more than 400 GWh of electricity per year, equivalent to the consumption of approximately 200,000 South African households.
“We are delighted, together with our partners Reatile Renewables and Hydra Storage Holding, to bring the Hydra project into operation. It enables us to supply dispatchable renewable power to the South African grid, thereby strengthening the country’s energy security while decarbonising its electricity generation.
This project reinforces our renewable production capacity in South Africa, the continent’s largest power market in terms of electricity consumption”, said Magali Pailhé, Managing Director of TotalEnergies Southern Africa.
Hydra project has been developed by a consortium composed of TotalEnergies (35%), Hydra Storage Holding (35%) and Reatile Renewables (30%). It is part of the South Africa’s Risk Mitigation Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme launched by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy.
General News
BOI Pledges to Drive Nigeria’s Cocoa and Dairy Sectors with 70% of its €85m EIB Facility
Bank of Industry (BOI) has secured a €60 million credit facility from the European Investment Bank to fund Nigeria’s cocoa and dairy value addition drive, with a focus on processing, ingredients and chocolate manufacturing.
Dr. Olasupo Olusi, Managing Director/CEO of BOI, disclosed this on Tuesday, during the Africa Cocoa Summit convened in Abuja by the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment with the aim of transitioning Africa from exporting raw beans to local processing and branding.
Also known as the Cocoa Value Addition Summit with the theme: ‘From Bean to Brand,’ it was attended by leaders and stakeholders from Nigeria, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, and Cameroon who signed the Abuja Declaration to establish the Cocoa Value Addition Alliance (CVAA).
According to Olusi, the €60 million forms part of the €85 million EIB–BOI facility, backed by the European Union under the Global Gateway initiative, and designed specifically to strengthen these critical sectors in Nigeria.
“This agreement reinforces the Bank of Industry’s commitment to unlocking long-term, affordable finance for priority sectors that drive inclusive growth. Approximately 70% of the €85 million financing facility will be channeled to Nigeria’s cocoa and dairy sectors, which BOI considers among the industries with the greatest potential to create jobs and retain foreign exchange earnings.”
“We are particularly focused on cocoa value chains, which provide livelihoods for thousands of Nigerians. Through this initiative, we aim to enhance productivity, value addition, and market linkages that will directly improve the incomes of farmers and processors,” he said.
The BOI MD said that the bank would prioritise lending to processors, cooperatives, and MSMEs that add value locally, rather than only to traders exporting raw beans, adding that the era of celebrating volume of raw exports must end, as Nigeria loses billions by shipping beans and importing finished chocolate. According to him, the goal is to create factories around cocoa communities so that value, jobs, and taxes remain in Nigeria.
However, Olusi noted that financing alone is not enough, and as such, BOI will complement the loans with technical assistance on compliance, climate standards, and access to the EU market. BOI, he said, will also support farmers and processors to meet the EU Deforestation Regulation and other international environmental and social standards.
Citing BOI’s track record, Olusi said the bank disbursed over ₦164 billion in 2025 to more than 3,500 agro and food-processing businesses. The support financed factories, mills, packhouses, and cold chains, and linked nearly 48,000 smallholder farmers into industrial value chains.
He said the new financing would target the entire ecosystem, from nurseries and farmer cooperatives to grinding plants, ingredient factories, packaging lines, and chocolate manufacturers.
Speaking also at the summit, President Bola Tinubu called for a decisive shift from Africa’s long-standing dependence on exporting raw cocoa beans, urging producing countries to prioritise value addition and capture a larger share of the global chocolate industry’s wealth.
The President who was represented by the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, noted that although Africa accounts for about 70 per cent of global cocoa production, the continent retains only six cents of every dollar generated by the global chocolate industry.
He stressed that Nigeria was committed to processing more of its cocoa locally, expanding chocolate manufacturing, building indigenous brands and competing more effectively in international markets, rather than continuing to export raw cocoa beans.
According to the President, cocoa value addition remains a key component of the Renewed Hope Agenda and the country’s broader industrialisation strategy, and disclosed that investors are developing a 70,000-tonne cocoa processing facility in Shagamu, Ogun State, while Nigeria’s cocoa grinding capacity has already surpassed 120,000 tonnes annually.
Earlier, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, said the summit aligns with the Federal Government’s ambition of building a one-trillion-dollar economy by 2030.
She observed that despite Nigeria’s significant contribution to global cocoa production, the country continues to earn only a small fraction of the value created across the cocoa value chain.
According to Oduwole, the Federal Government is promoting greater value addition through manufacturing incentives, investment promotion and stronger collaboration among relevant institutions.
She added that the government would also deepen market access by leveraging existing trade partnerships and opportunities under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), while encouraging investors to take advantage of regional and global value chains to unlock the sector’s full economic potential.
Also speaking, the Minister of State for Industry, Senator John Owan Enoh, described the summit as another milestone in implementing Nigeria’s Industrial Policy, and announced plans for the establishment of the Cocoa Value Addition Alliance, bringing together Nigeria, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire and Cameroon, countries that collectively account for about 75 percent of global cocoa production.
According to Enoh, the alliance is designed to strengthen regional cooperation, promote local processing, and enable producing countries to capture greater value from the global cocoa market.
“We are not here to disrupt existing partnerships but to expand them,” he said.
Enoh urged African cocoa-producing nations to move beyond exporting raw beans and instead focus on developing branded cocoa products capable of competing successfully in global markets.
On his part, the Chief Executive of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Dr. Ransford Abbey, urged African cocoa-producing countries to deepen domestic processing.
“I am here to support the effort and commit to a joint effort towards increasing value for our hardworking cocoa farmers and our respective economies,” Abbey said.
He said Africa produced about 75 per cent of the world’s cocoa but earned less than 10 per cent of the global chocolate industry’s wealth.
“This system cannot continue. We must shift the paradigm from exporting raw poverty to creating refined wealth right here on the African continent,” he said, adding that stronger regional collaboration, investment and technology transfer will help African countries capture greater value from the global cocoa economy.
The Head of Cooperation of the European Union Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Mr. Massimo De Luca, reiterated the importance of value addition in the cocoa value chain. While expressing the support of the EU, he called on governments of the various countries to ensure they play their part in ensuring that proper framework necessary for the success of the initiative was established and clarified.
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