Business
Electricity Firms Urged to Borrow to Improve Service
Following the low performance rating of electricity distribution firms in the country, the Acting Director General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Dr. Vincent Onome Akpotaire, has advised the owners of the successor companies of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) to borrow from both local and international funding sources to improve their operations.
The BPE Acting Director General who gave the advice during the flag-off of the agency’s periodic post-privatisation monitoring exercise at the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) in Ibadan, reminded Distribution Companies (Discos) in the country that they won the bid of their respective companies based on the Aggregate Technical Commercial and Collection (ATC&C) they submitted.
According to him, they could only achieve that if they consciously expand and improve their network operation because if the network is not improved and metering not aggressively pursued they cannot reduce technical and collection losses.
Akpotaire noted the impressive investments and progress the IBEDC has made especially with the embedded generation project in collaboration with British America Tobacco (BAT) and admonished that it is still not enough because any investment it makes is in perpetuity. “You need to find answers to the liquidity challenge,” he said.
He informed owners of the IBEDC that the Vice President and Chairman of National Council on Privatisation (NCP), Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, and the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, were working assiduously to ensure that the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) debts were paid as soon as possible and enjoined the power owners to work to improve power efficiency in view of the effort the government was making to get electric power to the people and to get them pay for it. He said the general impression was that the Discos were not performing.
The BPE Acting Director General commended the company for its effort at upgrading facilities and urged the management to make conscious effort to meet, if not exceed, the agreed Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). He tasked them on the need to have a team of professional staff to drive the new technology they had deployed in information technology and other areas.
The BPE monitoring team was received by the IBEDC Managing Director, Mr. John Donnachie, who briefed the team on the company’s operations, progress, challenges and prospects. He later took the team to the company’s various facilities and the embedded plant at Nampak Properties, which is being built for the company’s captive market for industrial clusters at Oba Otudeko Avenue in Ibadan.
Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation opens applications for 6th Cohort Programme
The Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation is pleased to announce that applications are now open for the sixth cohort of its transformative AIG Public Leaders Programme (AIG PLP).
This flagship six-month executive education initiative, delivered by the University of Oxford’s Blavatnik School of Government, is designed to empower high-potential public sector leaders across Africa with the tools, networks, and strategic insight required to deliver meaningful reform across African public institutions.
Applications are now open to qualified public servants from all English-speaking African countries and will close on Sunday, April 12, 2026. The programme commences in October 2026.
Since its inception in 2021, the AIG PLP has built a formidable reputation for creating tangible impact.
Alumni from the programme have gone on to design and implement more than 230 reform projects within their ministries, departments, and agencies across Africa.
An impact survey revealed that 62% of alumni have earned promotions or assumed expanded leadership roles post-training, demonstrating the programme’s direct effect on career advancement and institutional influence.
“Across Africa, the complexity of public sector challenges demands more than good intentions. It requires reformers who understand systems, can navigate institutional realities, and are equipped to implement sustainable change.
The AIG PLP is designed to meet this need,” said Ofovwe Aig-Imoukhuede, Executive Vice-Chair of the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation.
As part of the programme, a PLP alumna, Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, Executive Secretary of Lagos State DSVA, launched a secure self-reporting tool that allows survivors of domestic and sexual abuse safely document incidents and preserve evidence.
Survivors are already accessing support, and the tool ensures that crucial proof is protected until justice can be sought. This is one of over 230 impactful reform projects being implemented across sectors as diverse as healthcare, finance, agriculture, and education.
We are seeing proof every day that investing in the capacity and leadership potential of people, delivers the kind of transformation that policy alone cannot achieve.”
The AIG PLP is a blended learning experience that combines online sessions with an intensive residential module.
It is offered at no cost to selected participants, with the Foundation covering all costs of the programme including accommodation and feeding during the residential weeks.
Participants gain direct access to world-class faculty from the University of Oxford, and learn to tackle core public sector challenges such as: Negotiating in the public interest. Harnessing digital technology for governance.
Strengthening public organisations.
Upholding integrity in public life.
The curriculum culminates in a capstone reform project, where participants apply their new skills to a real-world challenge within their institution.
This practical component ensures that learning translates directly into actionable solutions.
Interested candidates are encouraged to apply early. For more details on the application process and to apply, please visit the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation website.
Renewed Hope Ambassadors Inspect RHA Secretariat
Renewed Hope Ambassadors, led by its Director-General and the Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodinma, alongside Zonal Coordinators (NW, NC, SE), the Media & Publicity Directorate, and other key stakeholders, inspected the RHA Secretariat two days after President Bola Tinubu unveiled the Renewed Hope Ambassadors grassroots engagement drive in Abuja.
Harmony Gardens’ Ibeju-Lekki Portfolio Crosses $1bn
Harmony Garden & Estate Development Limited has expanded its development activities across Ibeju-Lekki, pushing the projected long-term value of its estate portfolio beyond $1 billion.
Led by Chief Executive Officer Hon. Dr. Audullahi Saheed Mosadoluwa, popularly know Saheed Ibile, the company is developing seven estates within the Lekki–Ibeju corridor. Details available on Harmony Garden & Estate Development show a portfolio spanning land assets and ongoing residential construction across key growth locations.
A major component is Lekki Aviation Town, where urban living meets neighborhood charm, located near the proposed Lekki International Airport and valued internally at over $250 million. The development forms part of the company’s broader phased expansion strategy within the axis.
Other estates in the corridor tagged as the “Citadel of Joy” (Ogba-idunnu) include Granville Estate, Majestic Bay Estate, The Parliament Phase I & II, and Harmony Casa Phase I & II.
With multiple projects active, the rollout of the Ibile Traditional Mortgage System, and structured expansion underway, Harmony Garden & Estate Development Ltd continues to deepen its presence within the fast-growing Ibeju-Lekki real estate market.
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