News
Huawei Launches $1.5B Fund to Help Build Africa’s Smart City Ecosystem
Huawei has confirmed the introduction of a US$1.5 billion global financing program, with capital from IOT/ smart solutions focused funding company Smart City Solutions, to fuel the development of smart city infrastructure – with specific attention to increasing activity in Africa.
Lauren Fan, president of the public sector at Huawei, announced the safe city funding programme in Shenzhen, China and said it was established to help governments and smart city builders construct IOT, Command & Control for critical communications and Intelligent Video Surveillance.
Huawei executives believe safe city programmes are now a top priority for city authorities, including those based across Africa, but budget constraints remains a challenge and impacts on efforts to intensify safe city initiatives.
With the fund in place, it is envisaged that the conventional siloed approach to projects, where finance analyses budget and it takes time and further resources to move from one phase to another, all stakeholders determine the entire spectrum of the project simultaneously and link deliverables with finance options immediately.
Edwin Diender, VP – Government & Public Utility Sector, Huawei Enterprise Business Group said budget availability is one issue, but there are others including the impact of a largely traditional approach to digital projects and capital investment, and the growing need for flexibility.
“‘What can we do and when can we start’ is usually the beginning of a discussion (with government) … but the end of the discussion will be ‘what will be the budget?’ or ‘where are the budget constraints?’ or ‘we do not have any budget’. Especially if you look at how smart cities and digital transformation is being formalised and established, it is still very much in the old fashioned way.”
Diender explains that this way is based on projects with a clear beginning and ending, and clear outline.
In other words, there is a request for proposal, there is a public tender, there is a range of technical requirements that vendor/ responder must comply with and there is constraint in terms of what budget available.
“That would mean if you want to move forward to something that was very high up, either you would have to find a technology partner that, for the same budget, has a whole bunch of more functionality and features…. or if you want to be more cost effective, you could say that for the amount of functions and for the number of features that you are actually looking for, you can do that for less than your budget.”
These are really the only two options and both represent a challenge because they require effective savings, a review of dispositional income, taxes etc.
“On top of that there are other elements or other possibilities where you can move forward when you come to things like a loan, or lease / financial services – but also that would be limited to the parts that are described within a very closed inwards looking item or issue or component, like a public tender or a request for proposal… because again that is very siloed, it’s very ‘on its own’ – what it’s not doing by itself (because that is not what the principle is about) it doesn’t look at ‘what is this project for’ , is this a first step in a number of projects alongside each other or the one after each other that indeed is going to help pull the nation higher up a value chain, yes or no,” Diender continues.
This is why Huawei has taken a step away from political processes and a siloed approach on the road to digital transformation.
When it comes to budget plans, governments have to make provision for upgrades, migrations or acquisitions such as additional technology – and the global financing program represents an effective vehicle to help manage these processes.
Diender did acknowledge that some people may describe the announcement as merely a strategic means by which Huawei can secure projects/jobs going forward.
“It’s a fair statement, but it’s not necessarily the case that it will only run where a government does not have a budget. If a government has a budget, there are a number of ways how they can use the budget…”
And that includes investing in a PPI-driven ecosystem where there is value-add through collaboration and engagement to smart city development and digital transformation.
Diender says the PPI-model is certainly one engagement option and one that is highly successful. “Because it’s not a government-driven item alone, it is also not a private sector driven item alone… when you talk about smart cities, when they are working together as one, of course create a nation, because that is what cities by nature already do. ”
The Chartered Institute of Bankers (CIBN) and the Association of Corporate Communication and Marketing Professionals in Banks (ACAMB) have enjoined banks to further deepen and prioritize financial inclusion, women’s empowerment and sustained growth through strategic mandates and frameworks, aimed at closing the financial gap and empowering more small, and medium enterprise (MSME) owners.
Both organisations made this call during a courtesy visit to the newly invested 24th President and Chairman of Council of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), Dr. Dele Alabi, Ph.D, FCIB, as part of plans to congratulate him on his investiture as well as seek a stronger alliance between both bodies.
The visit followed Alabi’s investiture where he unveiled his “IMPACT” Vision, themed “Consolidating Our Local Impact, Enhancing Our Global Relevance.”
The vision rests on six pillars: Inclusion across geographic, gender, and generational lines; Membership growth and quality; Professionalism and ethics; Accountability; Competencies and skills development; Technology, automation, and innovation. Other areas of shared interest, include women empowerment, financial inclusion and literacy, as well as MSME clinics, all of which are top on his agenda.
Alabi explained that under him, the institute will be prioritising financial inclusion and women empowerment, because of its realisation that women are often the primary financial managers and caregivers in families. Access to savings, micro-credit, and insurance acts as a safety net during crisis and allows them to significantly improve living conditions.
He added that CIBN would be happy to drive joint knowledge sharing and exchange sessions with CBN and ACAMB across various platforms. “Educating the public through public awareness programmes, with ACAMB as the rallying point, is central to what we do,” he noted.
ACAMB President, Jide Sipe, who led the delegation, spoke in unison with the CIBN president, as he noted that, closing the inbalances in financial access help economies grow faster, reduces inequality, and encourages greater civic participation by all.
Lagos State has become the first sub-national government in Nigeria to establish a comprehensive Greenhouse Gas Registry, a move aimed at strengthening climate governance, improving emissions accountability and accelerating the state’s transition to a low-carbon economy.
The Lagos State Greenhouse Gas Registry (LGHGR) was unveiled at the Central Business District, Alausa, Ikeja, at a ceremony attended by Prof. Akin Abayomi, commissioner for Health, members of the State Executive Council, representatives of the Federal Ministry of Environment, development partners, TPHG Technologies, the diplomatic and business communities, academics, civil society organisations and the media.
Describing the initiative as a landmark achievement in the state’s environmental sustainability drive, Dr. Babatunde Ajayi, general manager of the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), said the Registry marks a defining moment in Lagos’ climate action journey and reflects Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s commitment to building a resilient, climate-smart and environmentally sustainable economy.
According to Ajayi, the digital platform will enable the state to accurately measure, monitor, report and verify greenhouse gas emissions across key sectors, providing credible data to guide environmental policies and climate interventions.
He said the Registry would strengthen evidence-based decision-making, improve transparency and accountability, support national and international climate reporting obligations, unlock carbon market opportunities and boost investor confidence in Lagos’ environmental initiatives.
Ajayi also commended TPHG Technologies for providing the technical expertise that made the pioneering project possible.
Delivering the keynote address, Prof. Abayomi described the Registry as a major milestone that positions Lagos at the forefront of climate governance and emissions accountability in both Nigeria and Africa.
He noted that climate change has evolved into a significant public health and governance challenge, stressing that access to reliable emissions data would enable the state to formulate evidence-based policies, attract climate financing, strengthen resilience and accelerate its transition to a low-carbon economy.
Providing insights into the technical framework of the project, Dr. Mofoluso Fagbeja, lead consultant and chief executive officer, TPHG Technologies, explained that the Registry was developed from the greenhouse gas inventory jointly undertaken by LASEPA and TPHG Technologies in 2022, using 2019 as the baseline year for emissions assessment.
He said the platform is designed to close critical emissions data gaps, particularly within the industrial sector, while supporting effective climate policy implementation, emissions management and sustainable development.
Fagbeja also disclosed that the greenhouse gas inventory estimated that poor air quality contributes to about 35,000 premature deaths annually in Lagos, underscoring the urgent need for stronger emissions control measures and cleaner environmental practices.
In a goodwill message, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, minister of Environment, represented by Mrs. Adenaike Olunimpe Oludunni, federal controller of Environment in Lagos, commended Lagos State for pioneering the initiative, describing it as a significant contribution to Nigeria’s climate commitments.
He said the Registry aligns with the country’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement and supports the Federal Government’s Energy Transition Plan, while reaffirming the ministry’s commitment to deeper collaboration with Lagos State on climate governance and environmental sustainability.
A recently released Henley Passport Index 2026, showed that Nigerian citizens can travel to at least 20 destinations outside the African continent where entry is allowed either visa-free, with a visa on arrival (VOA) at no extra cost, or via an e-visa.
This expanded access opens doors for Nigerian travellers to experience countries in the Caribbean, Asia, and beyond with greater ease.
Below is a comprehensive guide to countries outside Africa which Nigerian passport holders can visit without a traditional visa.
Visa-Free Countries outside Africa for Nigerian Passport Holders:
Barbados
Cambodia – Visa on arrival
Comoros Islands – Visa on arrival
Cook Islands
Dominica
Fiji
Haiti
Iran – Visa on arrival
Kiribati
Lebanon
Maldives – Visa on arrival
Micronesia
Montserrat
Niue – Visa on arrival
Palau Islands – Visa on arrival
Samoa – Visa on arrival
St. Kitts and Nevis
Timor-Leste – Visa on arrival
Tuvalu
Vanuatuul
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