General News
Emirates Signs Historic $9.2Bn Order with Rolls-Royce for A380 Engines

Emirates, a global enabler of business and trade, on Friday announced an historic $9.2 billion (€8.7 billion) deal with Rolls-Royce for Trent 900 engines and a long-term TotalCare package.
The engines will be used to power 50 Airbus A380s ordered at the Dubai Air Show in 2013, which will begin entering service in 2016.
The deal, which is the largest ever for Rolls-Royce, and one of the largest ever export orders for a UK based company, is part of Emirates’ ongoing investment into the UK and Europe.
The partnership marks a significant milestone for aviation manufacturing in the region, securing jobs across Rolls-Royce’s supply chain, from Bristol to Scotland. It will further support trade ties between the UK and the United Arab Emirates, building on the estimated $13.4 billion (€12.7 billion) of bilateral trade recorded in 2013.
Sir Tim Clark, president, Emirates Airline, said: “Rolls-Royce is a key partner for Emirates and we have been impressed with its commitment to continual improvements in the economic and operational performance of the Trent 900. These improvements have been decisive factors in our selection of the product for 50 of our A380s. Today’s announcement is significant not only because it cements the partnership between Emirates and Rolls-Royce, but also because of the large and sustained economic impact that this will have on aviation manufacturing in the UK and Europe.”
On his part, John Rishton, chief executive officer, Rolls-Royce, said: “The success of Emirates over the last thirty years has been extraordinary. Rolls-Royce has been proud to have been part of this success, powering Emirates aircraft since 1996. We are delighted that Emirates has again placed its trust in our technology, with the biggest order in our history.”
“This year we are celebrating the 10th anniversary year of the A380’s first flight and we would like to congratulate Emirates for continuing to place the A380 at the centre of their future growth plans. This is exactly what this remarkable aircraft was designed for; helping leading worldwide airlines such as Emirates to develop and grow profitably,” said Fabrice Brégier, Airbus President and CEO. “As we continue to develop innovative solutions to further improve its already unbeatable economics, we see a long and bright future for the A380, which remains the best solution for enabling air traffic to grow.”
Emirates’ investment in the Airbus A380 programme has had a significant impact on the UK and wider European economies.
A recent Frontier Economics report identified that in 2013/14 Emirates’ investment in the A380 created 7,000 UK jobs, equating to a $630 million (€595 million) GDP contribution.
Across the EU, Emirates’ 140 A380 orders are estimated to have supported 41,000 jobs, equivalent to a massive $3.6 billion (€3.4 billion) GDP.
The A380 programme sits at the heart of Emirates’ growth strategy. 60 A380s are currently in operation, with a further 80 on order, making Emirates by far the largest purchaser of the aircraft. Since its introduction in 2008, over 36 million of the airline’s passengers have flown on the aircraft.
The aircraft has it made Emirates’ operations significantly more efficient, carrying more passengers to and from the world’s busiest and most slot constrained airports.
It has also helped Emirates deliver the level of excellence its customers have come to expect from the brand, through iconic differentiators like the On Board Lounge, purpose built in the UK
In addition to the important contribution that Emirates makes to the UK via its A380 programme, the airline continues to play a key role in providing valuable international connectivity for secondary cities.
Emirates provides unique direct services to Dubai, from Newcastle, Birmingham, Manchester and Glasgow and a further 83 unique one-stop connections between these cities and Africa, Asia and Australia.
These services facilitate trade and investment between the UK regions and key growing markets overseas, positively impacting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and supporting the development of regional centres.
Emirates currently operates 16 daily flights from the UK with nine of these operating as an A380; five daily from London Heathrow, two daily from London Gatwick and two daily A380s from Manchester.
Emirates airline operates 112 non-stop flights per week from the UK to Dubai – five services a day from Heathrow, three daily from London Gatwick and Manchester, two per day from Birmingham and Glasgow and a daily service from Newcastle.
In Dubai, passengers can connect to flights to Emirates’ global network which spans over 145 destinations across six continents in 84 countries.
The order announced on Friday will result in an increase in Rolls-Royce’s order book of $6.1bn, in accordance with Group accounting policy.
Rolls-Royce’s vision is to create better power for a changing world via two main business divisions, Aerospace and Land & Sea. These business divisions address markets with two strong technology platforms, gas turbines and reciprocating engines.
Aerospace comprises Civil Aerospace and Defence Aerospace. Land & Sea comprises Marine, Nuclear and Power Systems.
The Group has a strong commitment to apprentice and graduate recruitment and to further developing employee skills.
Globally, the Group has over 1,000 Rolls-Royce STEM ambassadors who are actively involved in education programmes and activities; we have set ourselves a target to reach 6 million people through our STEM outreach activities by 2020.
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General News
Indigenous Firm Deploys 400,000 Smart Electricity Meters in 2025

MOJEC International Limited has revealed that it deployed over 400,000 smart meters nationwide in 2025, representing a significant year-on-year growth for the indigenous smart meter manufacturer.

This performance reflected a 33.3 percent increase over the 300,000 meters deployed in 2024, highlighting the scale and acceleration of MOJEC’s metering operations.
Chantelle Abdul, group managing director, attributed the sustained impact to deliberate investments in infrastructure, people, and technology.
“MOJEC operates two state-of-the-art meter production facilities with a combined installed capacity of up to five million meters annually. This scale enables us not just to meet current demand, but to support Nigeria’s long-term metering and energy efficiency goals,” she said.
She further noted that MOJEC’s expansive installer ecosystem, comprising over 5,000 trained professionals nationwide, remains a critical enabler of its delivery advantage, ensuring speed, quality, and compliance across diverse terrains and markets.
The company stated that the deployment surge reflected growing confidence by Distribution Companies (DisCos) and sector stakeholders in MOJEC’s technical capacity, delivery speed, and end-to-end metering solutions.
According to Monday Ubogu, MOJEC’s head of installation, the scale and consistency of delivery set the company apart.
“Within the first three quarters of the year, MOJEC completed about 300,000 installations, accounting for roughly 40 percent of total installations nationwide during that period.
“The momentum continued into the final quarter with an additional 150,000 meters deployed, highlighting our operational depth and nationwide reach,” he said.
Ubogu added that MOJEC’s performance builds on decades of sector engagement, spanning key national metering initiatives including CAPMI, MAF, Vendor Financing, MAP Phases I & II, and NMMP 0, with the company having deployed nearly four million meters since the privatisation of NESI.
According to the company, a substantial portion of the deployment was driven by MOJEC Meter Asset Management Company (M3AC), the Group’s asset management subsidiary, which accounted for about 350,000 installations.
General News
Globacom Donates ₦1Bn to Lagos State Security Trust Fund

In its bid to contribute its quota to the consolidation of security in Nigeria’s commercial capital, Lagos, telecommunications giant, Globacom, has thrown its weight behind the Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF) with a donation of ₦1 billion.

The generous donation was announced at a Private Sector Breakfast Meeting with CEOs, convened at the instance of the Executive Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Friday, January 30, 2026 and shows the company’s commitment to fostering public safety which would in turn, culminate in enhanced prosperity and social re-engineering in the state.
The donation, which is the biggest private-sector intervention from the telecommunications sector to the Fund in recent years, again shows that Globacom is a responsible, responsive and people-oriented corporate citizen.
Globacom disclosed that the intervention emphasized deeper collaboration between government and the state’s business community especially in relation to security, innovation and economic resilience—an agenda which the digital solutions company has unabashedly supported through sustained social investments.
The Executive Secretary/CEO of the Fund, Dr. Ayo Ogunsan, in his display of appreciation described Globacom’s largesse as “a powerful demonstration of corporate citizenship and a strategic investment in the stability of Lagos State,” saying since LSSTF was established to bridge funding gaps in security infrastructure, it desired voluntary contributions from corporate bodies and well-meaning collaborators.
Dr. Ogunsan promised that the ₦1 billion donation will significantly enhance the Fund’s capacity to address critical priorities for 2026, including multipurpose security helicopters and drones, Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs), water cannons, digital communication equipment and Smart CCTV systems. These assets, he added, were germane to proactive policing, rapid response and intelligence-led operations across the state.
He therefore encouraged Lagosians to support businesses that invest in the safety and development of the state, saying, “When companies step forward to secure our environment, residents should reciprocate by patronizing them. Their support directly impacts the protection of lives, property and economic activity.”
A statement from Globacom explained that the donation was an expression of the company’s staunch belief in Nigeria’s future. “At Globacom, we see security not as a government burden alone, but as a shared responsibility. When people feel safe, enterprise grows, creativity flourishes and hope becomes practical. Our support for the LSSTF is about protecting the everyday dreams of millions of Lagosians,” he noted.
With this donation to the LSSTF, Globacom has furthered its tradition of investing directly in the conditions like safety, confidence and stability which help commerce to thrive. Consequent on the support, LSSTF is gingered to raise the bar of security thereby concretizing Lagos State’s position as Nigeria’s safest and most vibrant commercial hub.
This recent financial intervention from Globacom is in tandem with its avowed commitment to social responsibility that is practical, timely, scalable and aligned with national priorities.
The company’s interventions in the past decades have spanned relief efforts for flood-affected communities, support for displaced persons, advanced youth skills through structured training programmes, and investments in education, culture and digital inclusion.
General News
WIEG to host Nigeria’s first International Investment Summit in Lagos

World International Economic Group (WIEG) Nigeria has announced plans to host its inaugural International Investment Summit on Feb. 25 and 26 at the Four Points by Sheraton Hotel, Oniru, Victoria Island, Lagos.

WIEG
The summit, themed “Nigeria’s Next Frontier: Unlocking Sustainable Investments for Economic Transformation,” is aimed at connecting investment-ready Nigerian enterprises with global capital while addressing long-standing challenges facing micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), cooperatives and women-led businesses.
Speaking at a pre-summit press conference on Friday at Compact Communications Ltd., GRA Ikeja, Lagos, Mr. Bassey Essien, WIEG’s Project & Event Consultant said the summit would serve as a structured platform linking policy, finance and enterprise growth.
Essien identified limited access to structured funding, poor investment readiness and weak documentation as major barriers confronting Nigerian businesses, despite the availability of domestic and international capital.
“Enterprises that succeed understand the importance of preparation. Some invest as much as N200 million in professional feasibility studies to meet the standards of banks and institutions such as the African Development Bank. That level of preparation enables access to collateral-free funding,” he said.
According to him, weak policy continuity, inadequate post-intervention monitoring and fragmented regulatory frameworks have continued to undermine business growth in the country.
“Policies often change with governments, and there is little tracking after interventions. More importantly, many businesses are not prepared in ways financiers require,” Essien noted.
He explained that the summit would convene policymakers, investors, development finance institutions and pre-screened MSMEs and SMEs operating in priority sectors, including the creative industry, agriculture, energy transition, finance and aviation.
Essien described the creative sector as a major contributor to Nigeria’s economy, accounting for about 2.5 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product, but said weak financing structures, piracy and poor intellectual property (IP) protection had limited its growth.
Highlighting the summit programme, he said Day One would feature conferences on macroeconomic issues, policy reforms and enterprise growth, while Day Two would focus on sector-specific deal-making roundtables.
“These deal rooms will be organised by sector — from aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) to renewable energy — with lawyers, financiers and policymakers present to fast-track transactions,” he said.
Essien added that the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) would be present to ensure post-event monitoring and tracking of investment deals concluded during the summit.
He disclosed that the creative economy segment would be supported through partnerships with the Association of Movie Producers of Nigeria (AMP) and financial institutions to fund viable projects in Nollywood, music and fashion.
“Intellectual property regularisation is critical. Once ideas are properly documented and protected, investors gain confidence,” he said.
On energy and aviation, Essien said the summit would spotlight renewable energy solutions to reduce dependence on generators and promote the establishment of commercial MRO facilities to curb the high cost of aircraft maintenance abroad.
He also announced the participation of B Lab Africa, a U.S.-certified organisation focused on environmental, social and governance (ESG), diversity, equity and inclusivity standards, noting that the initiative would help small businesses improve governance and access global funding.
Essien revealed that investment commitments estimated at about 500 million dollars were expected to emerge from the summit.
“This is a private-sector-led, non-partisan initiative that places no financial burden on government. It is focused on job creation, empowering women-owned enterprises and improving investor confidence through transparent and secure processes,” he said.
He urged Nigerian entrepreneurs and SMEs to prioritise proper documentation, professional advisory services and IP protection to position themselves for sustainable growth.
“We are creating a structured pathway from policy to capital to enterprise growth,” Essien added.
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