General News
Elumelu Calls for End to Energy Poverty

Mr. Tony Elumelu, African businessman and philanthropist has said that providing access to electricity for schools, hospitals, businesses and industries is the single most impactful intervention that can be made to transform the continent. It has tremendous implications for job creation, health, food security, education, technological advancement and overall economic development.”
Elumelu who is the Chairman of Heirs Holdings and Founder of the Tony Elumelu Foundation joined African economic and political leaders in Abidjan on Tuesday to call for an end to energy poverty on the continent. The leaders came together in Abidjan under the umbrella of the African Energy Leaders Group (AELG).
The AELG was launched during the 2015 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. The group brings together political and business leaders at the highest level to drive the reforms and investment needed to end energy poverty and to ensure sustainable fuel supplies on the continent.
Elumelu is a founding partner and Co-chair of the AELG. Other founding partners of AELG include Ivoirian President Allasane Ouattara; Ghanaian President John Mahama; President, African Development Bank Dr Donald Kaberuka; President & CEO, The Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote; President ECOWAS Commission, Kadre Desire Ouedraogo; and President UEMOA Cheikhe Hadjibou Soumare.
Providing access for all Africans to reliable, affordable energy services and efficient appliances by 2030 is a key goal of AELG.
The AELG objective of ensuring universal access to modern energy is in line with those of the United Nations Sustainable Energy for All (SE4All) initiative run by the UN Secretary General’s Special Representative Kandeh Yumkella, one of the champions of the AELG. Mr. Elumelu pledged to support the work of AELG.
“I am making a pledge to provide $150,000 over the next three years to support the operations of the AELG secretariat,” he said. “I want to call on the governments of the member states of the ECOWAS region, and AELG members and partners to also step up with significant multi-year commitments to sustain the organization.”
Following Elumelu’s lead, pop superstar, Akon, who was also in attendance at the event to promote his Lighting Africa Initiative, pledged $200,000 to support the work of the AELG secretariat.
On the closing panel for the AELG meeting where Elumelu was joined by Akon, former presidents Obasanjo and Kufuor, Vice President Osinbajo, and the Prime Ministers of Cote D’Ivoire, Mali, Benin, Togo, and Niger, he challenged the public sector leaders to follow the lessons learned from the democratization of the telecoms sector to unlock growth in the power sector.
In 2013, Tony Elumelu committed to investing $2.5 billion in the power sector in Africa through President Obama’s Power Africa Initiative.
Transcorp Plc, Chaired by Elumelu, acquired the largest gas powered generating plant in Nigeria, located in Ughelli, Delta State in late 2013. By the end of this year, the Transcorp Ughelli plant will be generating 1,000 MW and the company is in discussions with GE to add an additional 1,000 MW soon after.
General News
Kenya Airways Pays NCAA Sanction over Passenger Rights Violation

Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has announced that Kenya Airways has paid the sanction fee imposed on the airline over the infraction on the rights of its Nigerian passenger, Gloria Omisore case and other passengers dating back to February 2025.
According to NCAA’s director of Public affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, the airline made the payment on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, after months of engagements between the NCAA, Kenya Airways, and the Kenyan High Commission in Nigeria.
According to Achimugu, the sanctions were a case-specific penalty and should not be seen as punitive, but rather a measure to ensure airlines strengthen compliance with passenger-handling protocols and safety standards.
NCAA noted, however, that while the airline has complied with payment, the time frame for resolving the underlying issues has already elapsed, stressing that fines alone do not bring such cases to a close.
The case traces back to a viral video in early February 2025, shared by the SA to the Aviation Minister, Tunde Moshood, showing a confrontation at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi. In the footage, Kenya Airways staff denied Ms Gloria Omisore boarding on her connecting flight to Lagos over a visa-related dispute, while the airline later described her as unruly.
The NCAA, however, faulted the handling of the incident, leading to the sanctions now settled.
General News
LASTMA Deploys Drones to Manage Traffic in Lagos

Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has deployed state-of-the-art Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to enhance traffic management, strengthen security surveillance and reinforce public safety across Lagos metropolis.
Mr Olalekan Bakare-Oki, general manager of the authority, made this known in a statement on Thursday in Lagos.
Bakare-Oki, said the transition from traditional analog method to advanced digital intelligence harmonised with the visionary mandate of the state government.
He added that “this accentuates the administration’s steadfast dedication to leveraging innovation in pursuit of sustainable urban mobility, heightened safety and operational excellence.
“Through aerial reconnaissance and high-definition monitoring capabilities, the UAVs will empower LASTMA to be proactive in traffic management and control across the state.
“The deployment of device signifies a watershed moment in Lagos’ traffic management ecosystem, seamlessly elevating the authority from conventional reactive enforcement to predictive, intelligence-driven operations.”
Bakare-Oki said the drones would provide real-time aerial oversight, enabling swifter interventions, improved safety outcomes, augmented emergency response coordination, bolstered security frameworks, and the cultivation of a more disciplined motoring culture.
He reassured the public that the deployment would be conducted under stringent adherence to privacy safeguards, ethical standards and regulatory compliance, thereby reinforcing public trust in the system’s transparency and integrity.
“The authority reaffirms its unwavering resolve to continuously innovate in traffic management, reduce travel times, curtail road traffic mishaps, and preserve lives and property throughout Lagos State,” he said.
“This milestone stands as yet another resounding testament to the THEMES+ Agenda of Gov. Sanwo-Olu, wherein technology and innovation serve as indispensable drivers of a safer, smarter, and more habitable Lagos.”
The LASTMA boss maintained that this modern technological intervention would complement LASTMA’s prompt responsiveness to emergencies, accidents and other traffic-related contingencies, in addition to existing LASTMA Toll-Free Hotline — 080000527862.
General News
Why Elon Musk Halted Sales of Starlink in Lagos, Abuja

Starlink, the satellite internet provider operated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, has stopped taking new orders for residential kits in parts of Lagos and in Abuja after network capacity was reached, the company’s online ordering page shows.
Neighborhoods listed as sold out include Victoria Island, Ikoyi, Lagos Island and Surulere.
Prospective customers in those areas can join a wait list by paying a deposit and will be notified when service space opens.
At Chevyville Estate in Lekki, one resident trying to subscribe was met with a message that read: “Starlink service is currently at capacity in your area. However, you can place a deposit now to reserve your spot on the waitlist and receive a notification as soon as service becomes available again.”
That experience mirrors what consumers in other busy districts are seeing.
A Starlink engineer who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal limits said the company temporarily closes new sales in zones where adding customers would degrade service for existing users.
“It happens when the area cannot take a new customer due to its designed capacity at the time,” the engineer said.
“This also helps preserve a steady connection for people already online.” Remedies can include adding more ground infrastructure, securing regulatory clearances, or expanding satellite coverage.
Since entering Nigeria, Starlink’s monthly fee has climbed: the service began at about N38,000 (roughly $25), rose to about N45,000 ($30) and — by 2025 — was charging roughly N56,000 ($37).
Starlink has cited naira depreciation, higher operating expenses and costs tied to meeting rules set by the Nigerian Communications Commission for the increases.
Those higher prices, and the service interruptions, appear to have affected subscription numbers. After a near eight-month pause that began in November 2024 and was tied to limited bandwidth and regulatory issues, orders resumed in late June 2025.
Still, data from the NCC show active Starlink users in Nigeria fell from 65,564 in the fourth quarter of 2024 to 59,509 in the first quarter of 2025, a decline of more than 6,000 users, or about 9 percent.
Analysts point to the price rises, service holds and economic pressure as key reasons for the drop; some customers have switched to cheaper alternatives or stopped service.
As Elon Musk maintains his position as the world’s richest individual, with a net worth of $429 billion (according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index), his commitment to global digital inclusion through Starlink remains a central focus.
Starlink’s activity in Nigeria is part of a wider push across Africa.
The company has recently moved to enter markets including Lesotho and Somalia and secured permission to operate in the Democratic Republic of Congo after earlier restrictions,
SpaceX is also working with operators such as Airtel Africa to reach rural areas where wired internet is scarce.
For many users in Nigeria, the appeal of Starlink remains clear: a reliable option where terrestrial networks falter.
But until the company expands capacity or adjusts pricing, consumers in dense urban pockets may have to wait for access or turn to other providers.
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