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FG Initiates Business Match-Making Data Platform

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Nigerian Government has disclosed plans to establish a match-making data base for international business interconnectivity and stress-free investments.

Geoffrey Onyeama, foreign affairs Minister, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Monday that the 119 Nigeria missions abroad would serve as one-stop shops to spur investments through information sharing and elimination of bottlenecks.

He said the initiative would enable Nigeria’s products and investors to access the world market easily and also enable foreign investors have unfettered access to informed and genuine information concerning business opportunities in Nigeria.

The minister explained that the scheme would be implemented through a matching-making data base aimed at promoting exports and enhancing the country’s Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).

According to Onyeama, the design is an economic diplomacy which is a framework to address the severe economic challenges facing Nigeria.

He said that Nigeria has representations in 119 countries and the ministry could leverage on the advantage to deliver concrete economic benefit to the nation.

“It is a pet project. It is a matching making data base for our Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and export promotion.

“So this data base will essentially enable any Nigerian business to upload to our data base that could be managed from Foreign Affairs together with the ministry of trade and investment,” he said.

He said all the information needed about what they want to export and investment types would be readily available in all the119 countries where Nigeria has presence.

“I felt that when we have presence in 119 countries it is fantastic advantage to push Nigerian products and businesses in 119 countries.

“So we would like to present a one-stop shop to export Nigerian goods.

“And that whenever any business is uploaded in each of their countries they have to seek for partners and match that business person with a partner in that country to put in places a business agreement,” he explained.

The minister said he would like same be done in inversely and conversely, so that any foreigner who wants to get involve in business in Nigeria not knowing the country can also upload on the data base.

According to him, such people can access all the information about what they might want to deal in and we together with ministry of trade we match them with Nigerian businesses.

Besides, he said the scheme would also save Nigerian businessmen from going through all kinds of bottlenecks and paying all kinds of fees in foreign countries.

“We feel it that way because we have a lot bottlenecks in a lot of Nigerian businessmen trying to do business outside the country, so many bottlenecks.

“So if we can provide them a very simple access what we call it is market access.

“We have the markets in all these countries, so that our business people and traders have the world at their finger-tips,” he said.

Onyeama said that his ministry was also looking at how to utilise the same method to attract more FDI into Nigeria.

He said that Nigerians in the Diaspora would also be able to utilise the data base to search for partners in Nigeria and other countries.

 


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InfraCredit, AMDA Sign Partnership to Unlock Local Financing for Africa’s Mini-grid Sector

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InfraCredit, a specialised infrastructure credit guarantee institution, has entered into a strategic partnership with the Africa Minigrid Developers Association (AMDA) to boost access to long-term local currency financing for mini-grid and distributed renewable energy (DRE) projects across Africa.

The agreement aims to strengthen market development and address long-standing financing barriers in the mini-grid sector, especially in Nigeria and other underserved African markets.

The collaboration is aligned with InfraCredit’s Clean Energy Funding Programme (CEFP), which offers credit enhancement, due diligence support, and technical assistance to renewable energy developers.

“With an estimated 86 million Nigerians, alongside hundreds of millions across Africa—still living without electricity, bridging this energy access gap demands a pipeline of investment-ready, well-prepared projects that can unlock scalable capital and accelerate financial close,” said Chinua Azubike, CEO of InfraCredit.

“This partnership creates a practical pathway to scale the impact of our Clean Energy Funding Programme by equipping more developers to structure commercially viable mini-grid and DRE projects that qualify for long-term local currency finance,” Azubike added.

Through the agreement, both InfraCredit and AMDA will work together to facilitate technical assistance, share toolkits, and deploy credit modelling frameworks, including InfraCredit’s Distributed Renewable Energy Lending Toolkit (DRELT) and DRE Credit Rating Model. These tools aim to enhance the bankability of projects and improve developers’ ability to secure patient capital in local currency.

AMDA, which represents mini-grid developers operating in over 20 African countries, brings deep sector expertise and a strong network of DRE operators to the partnership.

According to Lamide Niyi-Afuye, CEO of AMDA, the collaboration addresses one of the most persistent challenges in the sector.

“We are pleased to collaborate with InfraCredit to address one of the most persistent barriers in the minigrid sector, access to affordable, long-term local currency finance,” said Niyi-Afuye.

“By aligning AMDA’s advocacy and technical support efforts with InfraCredit’s proven models and tools, we aim to accelerate the deployment of resilient, decentralised energy solutions that deliver tangible socioeconomic benefits in Africa. We view this partnership as a blueprint that will be used beyond borders, paving the way for broader regional impact,” he added.

The partnership will also support the development of transaction-ready pipelines, capacity-building initiatives, and investor-developer forums aimed at improving market transparency and accelerating the roll-out of commercially viable mini-grids.

By facilitating access to domestic blended finance and strengthening project preparation, the partnership hopes to unlock greater private sector participation, mobilise local capital, and expand clean energy access across unserved and underserved communities in Africa.


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Transcorp Power Posts Strong Half-Year Profit, Declares ₦11.25Bn Dividend

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Transcorp Power Plc, one of Nigeria’s foremost electricity generating companies and a key subsidiary of Transnational Corporation Plc, has reported a robust financial performance for the half-year ended June 30, 2025.

Transnational Corporation Plc

In a statement issued on Sunday in Delta, the company disclosed a significant revenue growth of 52 per cent year-on-year, rising to ₦205.8 billion from ₦135.4 billion recorded in the corresponding period of 2024.

The company said that its gross profit surged to ₦77.6 billion, with a gross margin of 23 per cent, while profit before tax grew to ₦58.7 billion, representing a 15 per cent increase compared to ₦51 billion in H1 2024.

It attributed the improved performance to increased generation capacity, strategic investment in infrastructure, and enhanced operational efficiency.

Speaking on the development, the Chairman of Transcorp Power, Mr Emmanuel Nnorom, said the half-year results reflect the company’s commitment to disciplined cost management and sustainable value creation.

“Our resilient performance despite economic headwinds reaffirms investor confidence in our long-term prospects,” he said.

The company also declared an interim dividend of ₦11.25 billion, amounting to ₦1.50 for every 50 kobo ordinary share, subject to withholding tax.

Commenting on the operational gains, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Mr Peter Ikenga, said Transcorp Power increased its generation capacity by 100MW within the period.

“We remain focused on powering Nigeria and Africa, as we build on our momentum into the second half of the year,” Ikenga said.

Transcorp Power is a listed entity on the Nigerian Exchange and operates as one of the country’s leading power generation companies, with a track record of driving economic growth through reliable electricity supply.


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Lawyers Drags NLS to Court for Alleged Election Fraud, Data Violation

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Two Nigerian lawyers have sued promoters of the Nigerian Law Society (NLS) over allegations of electoral fraud and unlawful use of personal data.

Lawyers Drags NLS to Court for Alleged Election Fraud, Data Violation

The legal actions follow the recent election conducted by the NLS, a breakaway association formed as an alternative to the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), to elect its national officers.

In one of the suits, marked FHC/ABJ/05/1506/2025 and filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja, a lawyer, Timothy Tersugh Ahua, is challenging the conduct of the election and the legitimacy of the electoral process.

Ahua named several NLS promoters, including prominent lawyers, as defendants.

They include Senior Advocates, Chief Mela Audu Nunghe, Dr. Ugoji Eze, Secretary of the NLS Electoral Committee, and Chief Bolaji, Chairman of the NLS.

Others named in the suit are Ferguson Chioma Blessing, Chief Emeka Ichoku, and Tejumola Adigun.

Citing provisions of the Federal High Court Civil Procedure Rules, Ahua is asking the court to declare that the NLS electoral process violated its constitution.

He is seeking a declaration that all unopposed candidates, including himself, be declared elected, as published by Dr. Tonye Clinton Jaja, the alternate Chairman of the NLS Electoral Committee.

Ahua claims he was duly nominated for the position of Secretary General but was unjustly excluded, accusing the defendants of hand-picking candidates in breach of the rules.

He further alleged that the exclusion caused him financial loss, reputational damage, and personal hardship, urging the court to correct what he described as a grave injustice.

In a separate suit before the Federal High Court in Abeokuta, another lawyer, Oluwadare Thomas, sued Chief Mela Nunghe, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Dr. Ugoji Eze, the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), and the Nigerian Data Protection Commission (NDPC), over alleged violation of his data privacy rights.

Thomas is asking the court to determine whether the use and publication of his personal data by NLS election officials without his consent amounts to a breach of Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution and the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023.

He also wants the court to consider whether the use of the NLS name for the election, despite a CAC notice and a pending suit, constitutes contempt of court and abuse of legal process.

He is seeking several declaratory and injunctive reliefs, including a court order restraining the continued use of his personal data and an order compelling NITDA and NDPC to investigate and sanction the respondents.

Thomas is also demanding N50m in compensation for the alleged unlawful processing and exposure of his personal information.


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