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Akpabio commends Presidency, NASS, FEC for improvement in economy, security

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President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, on Saturday commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Vice president Kashim Shettima, members of the National Assembly and the Federal Executive Council for the transformation that has taken place in the country since 2023.
Akpabio gave the commendation while speaking at the funeral service of his late in-law, Elder Essien Pius Ubeng, conducted by the Methodist Church, Nigeria Ukanna Diocese of Essien Udim Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.
“Let me use this opportunity to on behalf of the people of Akwa Ibom State, thank President Bola Tinubu, his vice Kashim Shettima, members of the National Assembly and the Federal Executive Council for the development and transformation witnessed across and the length and breadth of this country since 2023.
“In the last three years, we have witnessed tremendous and positive changes in the economy, security and infrastructural development of this great country. We are not yet there, but we have since left where we used to be. With the support and prayers of Nigerians we will be there.
“I thank our vice president, my colleagues in the National Assembly and the Federal Executive Council for standing by our president to ensure that Nigerians sleep with their two eyes closed, “and deliver real democracy dividends to Nigerians without political, religious or ethnic considerations.”
In his tribute at the service, Akpabio said, “I had known Elder (Hon.) Essien Pius Ubeng long before our relationship evolved into a filial bond that pigeonholed us as in-laws. For further elucidation, the late Ubeng married my sister. Our upbringing was soused in sizzling love among us as siblings. When late Ubeng joined the family as an in-law, he was an easy blend because he shared the same values and understood the power of love and how it could advance the cause of a family.
“The family was blessed to have the late Ubeng. He did not only fit into the role of a good in-law, he fitted into the family matrix, taking the place of a big brother and executing the duties of that responsibility with warmth, love and care. He made all of us a part of him and we equally made him a part of us.
“It is argued that of all the manifestations of man, which are the physical, the spiritual, the mental and the emotional, the greatest weakness of man is the emotion. The late Essien Pius Ubeng was blessed with a balanced emotion. He always managed his emotion in a manner that was considered directly proportional to civilization. It was this equanimity that earned him respect at secular and ecclesiastic spheres as a community leader and Lay Preacher of the Methodist Church respectively.”
In his sermon, Most Rev (Dr) Etim Udo Ekong, charged the people to do good to all manner of people because that is what will outlive them and that is what they would be remembered when they have long gone.
“Death is the inevitable end of all mortals. It is the debt we must all pay. It is the time of departure that no one knows. Let us therefore live today as if we will not see tomorrow. “

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TTSWG set for telecom, tech stakeholders’ exhibitionn

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Oloruntoba

The Telecommunications and Technology Sustainability Working Group (TTSWG) has announced plans for the second edition of its annual conference and innovation exhibition, bringing together key stakeholders in Nigeria’s technology and telecommunications sectors.

The event, scheduled for Thursday, September 24, 2026, will be held at the Balmoral Convention Centre, Ahmadu Bello Way, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Tagged the IMC Conference and Innovation Exhibition, the event is sponsored by IHS Nigeria and is expected to attract policymakers, chief executives of leading technology firms, investors, development partners, financial institutions, innovators and thought leaders from Nigeria and beyond.

According to the organisers, the conference is designed to unlock opportunities in Nigeria’s technology and telecommunications sectors, with sustainability at the centre of discussions and innovations.

Other partners supporting the event include Hydrogen, Nigeria Climate Innovation Centre (NCIC), LBS Sustainability Centre (LBSSC) and MTN.
TTSWG said the IMC Conference and Exhibition has emerged as a major platform for innovation and sustainability, following the success of its inaugural edition.

The maiden edition attracted more than 300 physical participants and 759 registrants, while 17 innovative solutions were showcased, helping to promote sustainability-driven entrepreneurship within the technology ecosystem.

The organisers said the second edition would build on that momentum by providing stakeholders with opportunities to network, exchange ideas, showcase innovations and explore practical solutions for sustainable growth in Nigeria’s digital economy.

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FG deploys 668,000 meters, moves to end estimated billing

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Electric metres

In a move aimed at reducing estimated billing and closing the country’s metering gap, the Federal Government has deployed 668,000 electricity meters under Phase One of the $500 million World Bank-financed Distribution Sector Recovery Programme (DISREP).

The figure represents about 60 per cent of the 1,033,000 meters delivered under the programme, as the government intensifies efforts to ensure that registered electricity consumers are accurately metered.

The development was disclosed at the second 2026 meeting of the National Council on Privatisation (NCP), chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Briefing journalists after the meeting, the Director-General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Ayodeji Ariyo Gbeleyi, said the council received updates on the implementation of various initiatives designed to improve service delivery and strengthen the electricity sector.

He said the metering initiative remained a key component of ongoing efforts to address challenges in the power sector and improve transparency in electricity billing.

“On various issues, we provided updates on meter deployment under Phase 1 of the World Bank-financed Distribution Sector Recovery Programme. We have implemented 60 percent of the meters that have been delivered in the country out of 1,033,000. So far, we have deployed and installed 668,000 meters on customers’ premises,” Gbeleyi said.

He said the metering initiative, alongside programmes such as the Presidential Metering Initiative, was designed to address the metering deficit and eliminate estimated billing for electricity customers.

Gbeleyi also disclosed that about 17 states had established their own State Electricity Regulatory Commissions since April 2024 as part of the implementation of the Electricity Act.

He noted that Akwa Ibom State became the latest state to establish its own electricity regulatory commission in July.
According to him, some aspects of the implementation of the Electricity Act require further clarification and harmonisation among relevant stakeholders.

He said the NCP had directed the Attorney-General of the Federation, Minister of Power, Special Adviser to the President on Power, Special Adviser to the President on Oil and Gas, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), BPE and other stakeholders to engage on the necessary amendments to the law. “Some fine-tuning is required here and there in the implementation of that Act,” Gbeleyi said.

“Council has directed those stakeholders, led by the Attorney General of the Federation, the Honourable Minister of Power, the Special Adviser on Power, the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Oil and Gas, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, the BPE and all other critical stakeholders, should engage constructively so as to streamline and harmonize the Federal Government’s position in terms of the required amendments to fine-tune the Electricity Act.”

Also speaking, the Minister of Power, Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe, said the Federal Government was working collaboratively to ensure Nigerians derive greater value from electricity and other critical sectors of the economy.

“We are working concertedly and in a very collaborative manner to ensure that we give value, either in electricity or in telecoms—whichever area—to make sure that Nigerians benefit from this government,” Tegbe said.

The meeting was attended by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, who is the Vice Chairman of the council; the Minister of Power; the Solicitor-General, representing the Attorney-General of the Federation; the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment; and private members of the council.

The NCP meeting formed part of ongoing efforts by the Federal Government to strengthen reforms in the power and other critical sectors of the economy.

 

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DataPro to host international credit rating webinar in October

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DataPro Management, a licensed and regulated credit rating agency, has announced plans to host its 2026 International Rating Webinar in October.
The webinar, scheduled for October 8, 2026, at 2 p.m. West Africa Time, will focus on the theme, “Sovereign Credit Rating: Africa’s Roadmap to Investment Grade Status.”
The event will bring together experts and stakeholders in the credit rating and public finance sectors to examine Africa’s sovereign credit outlook and strategies for achieving investment-grade status.
Panelists for the webinar include Torsten Schmidt, Head of Macroeconomics and Public Finance Research, RWI; Daniel Cash, Founder, Credit Rating Research Initiative; Oluwakemi Babalogbon, Executive Director, Risk Management, Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI); Kai Gehring, Professor of Political Economy, University of Bern; and Misheck Mutize, Lead Expert on Credit Rating Agencies, African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM).
Oladele Adeyemi, Chief Rating Officer, DataPro, will moderate the session.
Stakeholders in the credit rating industry, financial sector and the media are expected to participate in the webinar, which is free to attend.
The organisers said the event would provide participants with an opportunity to gain insights into sovereign credit ratings and the steps African economies can take to attract investment and improve their credit standing.

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