General News
Obasanjo Accuses Jonathan, Others of Destroying Power Sector
Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, former president has returned a damning indictment on his successors who he blamed for the rot in the power sector.
Obasanjo, after his second coming as a civilian president, handed over to the late former President Umaru Yar’Adua in 2007 while President Goodluck Jonathan assumed office after the death of Yar’Adua in May, 2010 and later won the presidential elections of 2011.
The former president, said that his successors abandoned the power sector which he claimed that he took steps to ensure stable power supply across the country when he was military Head of State and also when he returned to government in 1999 as elected civilian president but that his successors usually abandoned the sector as soon as he left office.
He said that the country needed to generate 2,000 megawatts every year for the citizens to enjoy stable electricity.
Obasanjo said this during a programme tagged, “First Green Legacy Moment with Chief Olusegun Obasanjo on Leadership and Human Security in Africa,” held at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library Complex in Abeokuta.
Noting that lack of political will on the part of Nigerian leaders was part of the problems facing the country, he warned that the nation’s power sector should not be handed over to friends under the guise of privatisation. According to him, “part of our problems is lack of political will on the part of the leaders. What does a leader understand about development? Any leader worth his salt should know that power is very important. It is the driver of all development – be it social, economic and even political.”
“When I was military Head of State, I developed the Jebba Dam, I developed Shirroro, I started Egbin. Shagari came and completed Egbin and commissioned Jebba and Shirroro. Between Shagari in 1983, and until I came back in 1999, there was no single dime invested in power generation. If anything, the ones that were there were allowed to go down.
“A country like Nigeria must be adding nothing less than 2000 mega watts if we are to be moving on the path of development. If you will remember, when I came back in 1999, my first Minister of Power was late Bola Ige. I won’t say Bola didn’t know what he was doing and he said publicly that he would fix the power problems in six months.
“After one year, Bola with his capacity couldn’t fathom what was wrong with power. It was riddled with corruption. Then we had no money, people have forgotten that in 1999/2000, the price of crude oil was $9 per barrel.
“When we started having money, we started the National Integrated Power Plant. When we said the money we had should be invested in power, my successor didn’t understand, he stopped it. If for almost 20 years we did not achieve anything in power generation, then we may not be able to get it again.
“Let me give you an example: the population of South Africa is 55 million and they generate 45,000 megga watts. Our population today is about 180 million people and we could not generate 4,000 megga watts. And South Africa is an industrialising country and not an industrialised nation.
“For us to say we are an industrialising country, we must be generating much more than what South Africa is generating, say 100,000 megga watts. What year will Nigeria get there if we are adding 2,000 megga watts each year? For us to get to 100,000 megga watts, I leave the mathematics to you. It sounds very discouraging but that is the reality.
“I believe that what we have done in the area of telecommunications can be achieved in the area of power but not by privatising the power sector to our friends and families,” he said.
On the problems facing African, Obasanjo said the continent which was blessed with resources and human capital had failed to utilise them.
“What we want to know is that we have the capacity, the material resources, the military resources to achieve greatness in Africa.
“I will give you two or three illustrations: what we need to achieve is the political will. When I became president of Nigeria, strictly speaking by what we are doing and what we have, we may be regarded as not deserving debt relief, but I believed we needed debt relief.
“I went all out for it as at that time. Nigeria was number six in oil production in the world but I knew what the world wanted.
“They wanted a reform that Nigeria is serious that the country will not be going in terms of business as usual and we went for it and we got it. The debt relief saved us over $20 billion. We paid only $12 billion and the rest was given as relief.
“What we are saying about African solutions to African problems is that let Africa spearhead its problems and others come to her rescue later. Let the solution be ours and they adopt it. That is what we did with NEPAD. NEPAD was a complete African homegrown and when we went to Canada, the G-8 said they supported it and said it was a good thing.
“What we need is first, the political will. Secondly, we need the resources that will make impact and we’ll ask the rest of the world to join us. We should be the architects of our own fortune and let others join us,” Obasanjo said.
National Orientation Agency (NOA) in Kwara has cautioned the public on fake N1000 notes circulating in the state.
Alhaji Abdulganiyu Dare, state director of NOA, disclosed this in a statement issued in Ilorin.
Dare emphasised the need for vigilance among residents and business owners in the state.
According to him, there is confirmed intelligence reports of syndicates flooding the area with counterfeit currency with batch numbers 364232 and 898248.
Dare said the counterfeit notes can be identified by their blurred portraits, watermarks, and irregular security features.
He urged the public to be cautious when handling large sums of money.
“The syndicates behind this crime exploit peak commercial hours in major local markets to carry out transactions with counterfeit notes.
“They target unsuspecting POS operators and merchants by defrauding them of their hard-earned money.
“NOA Kwara Directorate is committed to sensitising the public on the dangers of fake currency and the importance of verifying the authenticity of banknotes.
“The agency is working tirelessly to ensure that residents of Kwara are protected from financial scams,” he said.
While describing the crime as unpatriotic and capable of distorting the Nigerian economy, Dare said NOA would work closely with security agencies to bring the culprits to book.
The director advised residents to report any suspicious transactions or individuals to the authorities immediately.
“Together, we can build a safer and more secure financial environment for all residents of Kwara.
“By working together, the NOA and the public can prevent the circulation of fake currency and protect the financial interests of Kwara residents,” he said.
General News
NCC, IHS Towers Lead Others To NITRA-ALTON CNII & Telecom Sustainability Conference 2025
Telecom industry regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and other industry operators, including IHS Towers, Digital Realty and 9mobile Nigeria, have joined the line of partners that will chart the way forward as stakeholders gather for the Maiden Edition of the CNII & Telecom Sustainability Conference 2025 being organized as a collaboration between media body, the Nigeria Information Technology Association (NITRA) and Industry advocacy group, the Association of Licenced Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON).
Scheduled for August 7, 2025 in Lagos, the event, which is expected to host the Minister of Communication, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, will also bring stakeholders from Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Peace Corps Nigeria, to discuss the security of infrastructure, stakeholders’ roles, and the practical implementation of the Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) Presidential Order.
Headlining the event, with its theme as “Telecoms Industry Sustainability and the CNII Act – Way Forward”, IHS Towers will throw light on the state of infrastructure in the country, while the Panel Session will discuss the “Role expectations of stakeholders in the implementation of the CNII Act”
Keynote speeches will come from the NCC EVC, Dr. Aminu Maida and the President of the Association of Telecommunication Companies of Nigeria (ATCON).
The Nigerian Designation and Protection of Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) Order, 2024, aims to safeguard critical infrastructure like telecommunications networks, financial systems, and power grids by designating them as CNII and outlining measures for their protection. This order, signed in June 2024, is an extension of the Cybercrimes Act of 2015 and seeks to reduce disruptions to these vital systems.
Some of the questions stakeholders will give answers to at the Panel Discussion include:
- How do we ensure that this Order is implemented to the letter?
- What are the roles of each stakeholder in the industry – Federal, States, Operators, Consumers, and other actors?
- Are telecom companies keying into the CNII provisions, and how?
- Are there areas worth looking into once more, or is the Order perfect as it is?
- What is the role of regulators in ensuring public compliance to the Bill?
- How do we ensure security?
- What is the place of collaboration?
- Publicity: how much of the CNII provisions are the public aware of?
- How can we sustain the growth and development of telecommunications in Nigeria?
According to the General Secretary of NITRA, Mr. Chidiebere Nwankwo, this industry collaborative event will afford stakeholders in the public and private sectors the opportunity to sit back together and review how well the CNII Order has thus far been implemented, and to re-strategise, if need be, on the way forward.
“This event is key because it will bring Stakeholders to the CNII plan to a roundtable to re-evaluate the decision, make amends and continue the journey. This has to be a periodic gathering to make the goals of this order achievable,” he said.
ALTON is the official private sector industry body for all providers of telecommunications and subsidiary services in Nigeria.
The Chairman of ALTON, Engr. Gbenga Adebayo and the Chairman of NITRA, Mr. Chike Onwuegbuchi will be on hand to welcome industry stakeholders.
Fearless Freedom, a bold new global advocacy initiative focused on ending economic inequality and expanding economic opportunity, officially launches today, 2nd August, 2025.
Backed by the founder of Fearless Fund, the first venture capital fund in the U.S. built by women of color for women of color, this new chapter builds on a legacy of breaking barriers and driving inclusive progress.
The launch of Fearless Freedom comes nearly one year after the dismissal of a federal lawsuit that challenged the organization’s efforts to empower underrepresented communities. The case, which drew national attention, was filed on August 2, 2023, and dismissed permanently on September 11, 2024.
Fearless Freedom is not just an advocacy; it is a global movement for visibility, justice, and financial equity. Through storytelling, policy conversations, and creative programming, Fearless Freedom is reclaiming space, spotlighting the real challenges, and championing the people building powerful solutions.
“Fearless Freedom is our global declaration, a refusal to be silenced, erased, or sidelined,“ said HM Queen Wa Arian Simone, CEO of Fearless Fund. “We’re not just funding change anymore, we’re amplifying the voices that have always driven it. This initiative is about power, presence, and rewriting the rules of who gets seen, supported, and heard.”
“August 2nd was once about legal resistance. From now on, it marks something else: a day of fearless expression and global visibility,” she added.
As a global advocacy initiative, Fearless Freedom will spark meaningful dialogue around economic inclusion, inviting communities to reflect, learn, and speak out against financial inequality, all through creative expression and powerful storytelling.
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