News
Niger Poised As Decentralized Electricity Model Under Tinubu’s Act – Santuraki
The Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Dr. Mohammed Kudu Santuraki, has described the establishment of a sub-national electricity market under the Nigerian Electricity Act 2023 as a major milestone that could position Niger State as a national model for decentralised electricity regulation.
Santuraki made this assertion at the inaugural stakeholders’ engagement forum organised by the Niger State Electricity Regulatory Commission (NSERC) in Minna, the state capital.
Signed into law by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in June 2023, the Electricity Act 2023 decentralises and de-monopolises the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity, granting states, companies, and individuals the legal authority to produce and manage power independently.
Highlighting Niger State’s potential, Santuraki noted that the state hosts nearly 100% of Nigeria’s hydropower assets, with an installed capacity of approximately 3,000 MW—more than half of the country’s total electricity generation.
He emphasised that this strategic advantage places Niger State at the forefront of implementing the new law and could serve as a blueprint for other sub-national electricity markets across the country.
He said, “Furthermore, with a landmass exceeding 76,000 square kilometers, Niger State lies within Nigeria’s high solar irradiance belt, receiving an estimated six Gigawatt-hour (GWh) of solar energy per square kilometre daily.
“This geographic and climatic advantage offers the state immense potential for hosting utility-scale solar farms.
“In addition, the state is dotted with numerous underutilised potential small dams, presenting viable options for decentralised and captive power generation across rural and industrial clusters.”
Santuraki, who is also Chairman of the Niger State Electricity Market Stakeholders’ Engagement, noted that the stakeholders’ forum was a clear demonstration of the NSERC’s commitment to transparency, stakeholder engagement, and purposeful reform.
He emphasised that the engagement marks a beginning, not an end, signalling the start of a sustained and open dialogue between regulators and the regulated, as well as between government and citizens.
Santuraki said, “We are here not merely to consult, but to collaborate. The establishment of a sub-national electricity market under the framework of the Nigerian Electricity Act 2023 is a pivotal milestone.
“It should deepen energy access, drive local and economic development. These should position Niger State, often rightly referred to as the Power State, given its hosting of all the nation’s hydropower assets, as a model for decentralized electricity regulation in Nigeria.”
He commended the state Governor, Umar Mohammed Bago, for his “visionary commitment” to the electricity sector reform, and the Executive Chairman of NSERC, Engr. Mohammed Sharu, for the “steady and commendable” progress made since the enactment of the Niger State Electricity Law in December 2024.
Santuraki calls for partnership, collaboration, and cooperation among power sector stakeholders operating in the state, “as they work together to shape the future of energy in Niger State and Nigeria.”
Thenationonlineng.net
News
Stop Politicising EFCC Investigation To Blackmail President, APC Chieftain Tells Opposition Parties
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, has cautioned members of opposition parties under the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) investigation to stop blackmailing President Bola Tinubu and focus on proving their innocence.
Oyintiloye, a member of the defunct APC Presidential Campaign Council, said this while speaking with newsmen on Sunday in Osogbo.
He said that the investigations being carried out by the anti-graft agency on some members of the opposition parties, based on petitions against them, were purely a constitutional matter and in line with international best practices.
Oyintiloye, a former lawmaker said that being a member of the opposition parties should not be seen as immunity against investigation into any alleged financial infractions whenever there were genuine reasons for it.
According to him, members of the ruling party are also being investigated by the EFCC whenever petitions alleging financial infractions are raised against them.
Oyintiloye said that the EFCC has a statutory mandate to investigate financial infractions involving public office holders across party lines without bias or favouritism.
The APC chieftain said that neither Tinubu nor the anti-graft agency would be swayed by unfounded allegations of witch-hunting but would rather continue to do what is right and just for the country.
“The EFCC has a mandate to investigate financial infractions against anyone, irrespective of political affiliations.
“Linking the President to the investigation of alleged financial infractions by opposition members in the name of politics is totally wrong.
“Whether you are a member of the ruling party or opposition, you are not immune to financial investigation.
“I want to caution members of the opposition parties to stop politicising what the EFCC is doing and prove their innocence, if any.
“President Tinubu is a man of honour and integrity, and he will not compromise his ideals in the name of politics. So, it is no longer business as usual,” he said.
According to him, there is no room for graft under the Tinubu administration
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has emerged winner of the Ghari/Tsanyawa supplementary election in Kano state
The returning officer, Professor Muhammad Waziri of Bayero University, declared Garba Ya’u Gwarmai of the APC winner with 31,472 votes
Waziri defeated the candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Yusuf Ali Maigado, who polled 27,931 votes
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has secured victory in the Ghari/Tsanyawa supplementary election held in Kano state.
Announcing the results on Sunday morning, August 17, the returning officer (RO), Professor Muhammad Waziri from Bayero University, declared APC candidate Garba Gwarmai the winner with a total of 31,472 votes.
He defeated the candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Yusuf Maigado, who polled 27,931 votes, according to The Punch.
The supplementary poll was conducted after the initial election in the constituency was declared inconclusive. With a margin of 3,541 votes, Gwarmai’s victory marks a key win for the APC as the party continues to reinforce its influence across the state.
Meanwhile, the NNPP won the Bagwai/Shanono state assembly by-election in Kano state.
Daily Trust and Vanguard noted this update.
Announcing the result at 12:36 a.m. on Sunday, August 17, the RO for the election, Prof. Hassan Adamu Shitu, declared the NNPP candidate, Ali Hassan Kiyawa, winner with 16,198 votes, defeating the APC candidate, Ahmad Muhammad Kadamu, who polled 5,347 votes.
Former Governor of Niger State, Dr. Babangida Aliyu, has said that the administration of President Bola Tinubu is performing well but lacks an effective communication strategy to relay its achievements to Nigerians.
Aliyu made the statement on the Thursday edition of Arise Television’s ‘The Morning Show’, while reacting to the outcome of a recent public accountability session held in Kaduna.
Aliyu, reflecting on the discussions at the Kaduna Forum, said the government is facing public dissatisfaction not because it hasn’t delivered, but because it is failing to tell its own story effectively.
The ex-governor said it is proper for political leaders in the North to make demands from Tinubu’s administration since the bulk of the votes that took power came from the region.
“Let the people understand what is happening on the ground. If by what we say that 63/64 percent of the vote came from the north, it is only logical that the north will be expecting so much from the government.
“But from what we have seen so far is that the government is doing well but they do not know how to communicate very well,” he said.
I’m A Married Man, I Can Never Get Myself Involved With Such A Thing, Delta Gov Aide Reveals Why He Offered Comfort ₦500,000 Job
Stop Politicising EFCC Investigation To Blackmail President, APC Chieftain Tells Opposition Parties
FG Invites Nigerians To Apply For N100k Interest-Free Loans. No Collateral Needed – Details Emerge
-
News2 weeks ago2027 Election: Work Against North If Obi Can’t Become President, Archbishop Tells Igbos
-
News2 weeks agoWinner Emerges As AI Predicts 2027 Presidential Election Between Tinubu, Obi, Atiku (See Result)
-
Lifestyle2 weeks ago4 Wives, 300 Cars, 38 Private Jets And Gold Boats: Meet The Richest King In The World
-
News1 week ago2027 SHOCKER! New Prophecy Reveals On Peter Obi’s Joint Ticket With Atiku
-
Politics2 weeks agoPrimate Ayodele’s Prophecy On Jonathan’s Running Mate For 2027 Election Resurface
-
Lifestyle7 days agoVIDEO: Mixed Reactions As Pastor Abel Damina Drops BOMBSHELL On Marrying Two Wives As Christian
-
News1 week ago2027 Election: Jonathan, Peter Obi Deal Revealed
-
Politics1 week ago2027: Ohanaeze Splits Over Tinubu’s Re-Election