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Nigeria Must Build, Not Just Buy, Clean Energy Technologies – NASENI EVC
Mr. Khalil Suleiman Halilu, executive vice chairman of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), has called for a fundamental shift in Nigeria’s clean energy strategy, urging the country to move beyond deploying renewable energy technologies to manufacturing them locally.
NASENI
Speaking at the Mustapha Abdullahi Energy Leadership Fellowship in Abuja on the theme “Energy Infrastructure, Systems & Integration,” Halilu said Nigeria’s energy future depends on building an integrated ecosystem that combines innovation, manufacturing, research, policy, financing and human capital.
Commending the organisers, Dr. Mustapha Abdullahi, the Director-General of the Energy Commission of Nigeria, and the APC National Youth Leader, Hon. Dayo Israel, for investing in the next generation of energy leaders, the NASENI boss described visionary leadership as the foundation for building lasting national infrastructure.
Highlighting the scale of Africa’s energy challenge, Halilu noted that more than 600 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa still lack access to clean energy, while the continent requires an estimated $15 billion annually to close the energy access gap by 2035.
He added that although Africa now has over 20 gigawatts of installed solar capacity, with solar photovoltaic projects accounting for 62 per cent of renewable energy investments in 2024, the pace of implementation must accelerate.
Turning to Nigeria, Halilu expressed concern over the country’s growing dependence on imported renewable energy technologies. “In 2025 alone, Nigeria spent over ₦400 billion importing solar technologies. In just the first half of 2026, that figure had already exceeded ₦200 billion.
“These are not just import statistics; they represent factories that were never built, jobs that were never created, and opportunities that left our economy.”
He stressed that energy infrastructure alone cannot industrialise a nation, explaining that sustainable development requires an integrated system where technology creation, manufacturing, innovation, policy, financing and skilled manpower work together.
Halilu said this philosophy underpins NASENI’s transformation agenda, anchored on the Agency’s 3Cs Strategy—Creation, Collaboration and Commercialisation.
According to him, NASENI is creating technologies that solve local problems, collaborating with both local and international partners to accelerate technology transfer and capacity building, and commercialising innovation to ensure research translates into products that improve lives.
He highlighted several flagship initiatives driving Nigeria’s clean energy ecosystem, including the 40-hectare Solar Industrial Park in Gora, Nasarawa State, which is positioning Nigeria to localise the production of solar panels, batteries and other renewable energy components.
He also cited NASENI’s partnership with the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) under the Nigeria First Policy, which promotes the deployment of locally manufactured renewable energy technologies in electrification projects nationwide.
Other initiatives, he said, include solar-powered irrigation systems that boost agricultural productivity, clean cookstoves that reduce dependence on firewood, and decentralised renewable energy solutions for communities, schools and healthcare facilities.
Describing these interventions as interconnected rather than isolated projects, Halilu said they are designed to strengthen local manufacturing, create jobs, develop technical capacity and expand access to clean energy across Nigeria.
Addressing participants at the fellowship, he challenged young Nigerians to become systems thinkers capable of connecting technology with policy, innovation with investment and ideas with execution.
“Nigeria has the resources, the talent and the market to become Africa’s clean energy manufacturing hub. What we need are leaders who are prepared to build institutions, strengthen value chains and embrace collaboration,” he said.
Reaffirming NASENI’s commitment to Nigeria’s industrial transformation, Halilu said the Agency’s objective extends beyond increasing energy access to ensuring that the technologies powering Africa’s future are increasingly designed, manufactured and commercialised from Nigeria.
He concluded by posing a challenge to the audience. “When Africa’s clean energy future is fully realised, will Nigeria simply be a consumer of those technologies, or will we be among those who build them?”
According to him, NASENI has already chosen its path. “We are building the ecosystem that will make Nigeria a leader in clean energy manufacturing and innovation while unlocking Infinite Possibilities for generations to come.”
The need for Nigeria to think outside the box in its need to drive towards global relevance with innovations and scientific developments will be on the front burner at the NITRA Innovative & Scientific Conference scheduled to hold on Thursday July 23, 2026 in Ikeja, Lagos.
NITRA
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) will lead other delegates to discuss and take far-reaching decisions at the event, which has its theme as “Bridging Nigeria’s Digital Divide With Scientific Innovation”.
Other companies that have indicated interest in partnering with NITRA include mobile communications company, Tecno; Africa’s premier end-to-end AI solutions company, Hyperspace; and telecommunications data infrastructure company, Digital Realty.
Speaking on the proposed event, the Chairman, Nigeria Information Technology Reporters Association (NITRA), Chike Onwuegbuchi noted that the event will seek to create a platform for government and private organisations to deliberate on policies around scientific innovations in Nigeria, challenges, place of indigenous and foreign collaboration, roles of each stakeholder, and grassroots development in that regard, among others.
According to him: “The Federal government, with series of programmes and partnerships, has established the urgent need to create an ecosystem that thrives on scientific innovation, breeding institutions and individuals with a target of placing the country at the fore-front of Next-Gen development.
It is a known fact that digital and scientific innovations are crucial, not only to the survivability of a nation, but also to the sustainability of its growth and development, with significant effect on economic strength, global image, defense and security, government capabilities to function, and public health and safety, communication and digital footprint, among others.
The federal government is actively driving scientific innovation to foster economic diversification and build a $1 trillion economy by 2030. Efforts are heavily focused on commercializing research, establishing massive research funds, and funding strategic infrastructure, particularly in technology, biotechnology, and healthcare. Core government initiatives and policies include the newly instituted National Research and Innovation Development Fund (NRIDF), which aims to mobilize about $500 million annually to support research and the commercialization of scientific outputs; and the Nigeria Genomic City, a multi-ministerial initiative aimed at transforming Nigeria into a leading hub for genomics, precision medicine, and biotechnology. It is designed to protect indigenous data, stimulate artificial intelligence in health, and develop a highly skilled scientific workforce.
According to the General Secretary of NITRA, Mr. Chidiebere Nwankwo, the forum will also be a vehicle to propagating the views of decision makers to the public, thereby furthering the cause of public awareness and information dissemination on the topic.
The focus, he said will be on how Nigeria can sustain digital innovative growth and scientific development in Nigeria
The board of global payments company, PayPal, says a 53 billion dollars takeover offer from financial technology firm, Stripe, and private equity company, Advent International, does not adequately reflect the company’s long-term value.
PayPal
According to reports, the proposed acquisition, valued at 60.50 dollars per share, remains under consideration, with the board yet to formally respond to the offer.
The directors are said to be evaluating not only the financial value of the proposal but also the structure of the financing, the timeline for completing the transaction and the likelihood of obtaining regulatory approvals.
They are also considering the possibility of competing bids emerging.
Although the offer represents a premium of about 28 per cent above PayPal’s recent share price, the board believes the company could deliver greater value to shareholders if its ongoing turnaround strategy succeeds.
Following reports of the bid, PayPal shares gained about two per cent to close at 56.73 dollars.
Sources familiar with the discussions said Stripe and Advent have secured approximately 50 billion dollars in debt financing from JPMorgan and Morgan Stanley, while both firms would jointly contribute 17 billion dollars in equity.
Under the proposal, the two companies would jointly own PayPal instead of dividing its operations.
PayPal, Stripe, Advent International, JPMorgan and Morgan Stanley have all declined to comment on the proposed transaction.
The discussions come as PayPal seeks to strengthen its business after years of increasing competition from rivals including Apple Pay, Google Pay and emerging financial technology firms.
The company, which was valued at about 360 billion dollars in 2021, now has a market capitalisation of approximately 36 billion dollars.
Since assuming office as Chief Executive Officer in March 2026, Enrique Lores has embarked on a restructuring programme aimed at improving operational efficiency and restoring growth.
The restructuring includes the creation of three business divisions comprising Checkout, Venmo and Consumer Financial Services, and Payments and Crypto.
The company is also targeting 1.5 billion dollars in cost savings through the deployment of artificial intelligence technologies.
PayPal’s latest financial results indicated signs of recovery, with first-quarter revenue rising seven per cent year-on-year to 8.35 billion dollars, while total payment volume increased by eight per cent to 464 billion dollars.
If approved, the transaction would combine two of the world’s largest digital payments companies.
The combined business would process an estimated 3.7 trillion dollars in annual payment volume, significantly strengthening its position in the global online payments market.
However, analysts expect the proposed acquisition to face intense regulatory scrutiny because of the companies’ combined market share in merchant payment services.
To address possible antitrust concerns, the bidders have reportedly considered options, including separating PayPal’s Braintree business or other assets if required by regulators.
Sources said Stripe and Advent remain interested in pursuing the acquisition despite the board’s reservations, although negotiations are expected to continue.
Market observers are also awaiting PayPal’s earnings report scheduled for July 28 for further indications of the company’s financial recovery and future growth prospects.
Concerns over network reliability and its impact on Nigeria’s growing creator economy took centre stage at MTN Nigeria’s Data on Trial event, where content creator and streamer, Jarvis, challenged telecommunications operators to improve connectivity for digital creators.
Speaking during the event, Jarvis asked whether there were locations in Nigeria where uninterrupted internet connectivity could support real-life (IRL) streaming without network disruptions.
“Are there places where there is no breakage when streaming IRL?” she asked.
Her question highlighted the challenges faced by content creators who depend on stable internet services for live streaming, content uploads and real-time engagement with audiences.
Responding, MTN Nigeria’s Chief Technical Officer, Mr Yahaya Ibrahim, said network performance depends on several factors, including location, network coverage, device capability and the number of users connected to a particular base station.
He noted that operators continue to invest in expanding network capacity to meet the growing demand for data services.
Earlier, MTN’s General Manager, Network Performance and Quality Assurance, Mr Michael Ndukwe, explained the evolution of mobile network technology in Nigeria, from first-generation (1G) services to the current fifth-generation (5G) technology.
According to him, each phase of technological advancement has significantly increased network capacity and enabled new digital services.
Ndukwe cited Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) data showing that Nigerians consumed about 13.2 million terabytes of data in 2025.
He added that data usage reached approximately 4.06 million terabytes in the first quarter of 2026, reflecting the country’s increasing reliance on digital platforms and online services.
According to him, the growth is being driven by wider adoption of 4G and 5G networks, increased smartphone penetration, the proliferation of smart devices and expanding use of social media platforms.
Participants at the event noted that as more Nigerians build businesses and careers around digital content, access to reliable and high-speed internet has become critical to sustaining the country’s digital economy and creator ecosystem.
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