Business
Electricity Generation, Picking Up After N’Delta Attack – FG
President Muhammadu Buhari (right), with Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo (left), Minister of Budget and National Planing, Senetor Udoma Udo Udoma (2nd left), Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara (3rd left) and Senate President Bukola Saraki, at the signing of the 2016 Appropriation Bill into Law by President Buhari in Abuja, recently.
Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola says that power generation is picking up after last week’s vandalism of power stations in the Niger Delta.
He announced this while addressing newsmen after inspecting facilities at Shiroro Hydro Power Station (SHPS) in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State, yesterday.
Fashola said there was a slight increase of three megawatts from the previous week drop to 2005 megawatts in the country.
The minister, however, said that measures were being taken to ensure stability in the supply, adding that generating companies should live up to expectations.
“I don’t want us to focus on mega watt; for me they are just bus stops; we will only announce them as milestone that we have reached the bus stops, but we know our journey is much more longer.
“I have spoken on our incremental power, to steady power, to uninterrupted power and that is the journey.
“We are edging up to 2008; we lost power due to the explosion that took place last week. We were down to about 2005; presently we are up to 2008.
“We are working hard to get the incremental power to that level and beyond that to where we have been in February of 5,704 and beyond that to where we have never being,” he said.
Fashola urged the generating companies to continue to keep to the concession agreement by improving on the condition of their asset.
“For me it is good news that somebody is focusing on maintenance. The Shiroro station has four generating plants and three of them have been refurbished.
“So for the next eight years, nothing will go wrong in the time of turbines. When it was being managed by Federal Government, this capacity we have now was not there.
“Power generation companies need regular and periodic maintenance. During my visit to Jebba dam, I learned no maintenance has been done for over 30 years.
“The Public Private Partnership (PPP) is a step forward. If this was done in the last 10 years instead of keeping money under the bed, we will not be faced with this insufficient power supply,” he said.
Fashola commended the SHPS for its effort to increase energy generation by 300MW through the use of solar plant.
The minister urged the distribution companies and consumers to keep to their obligations, adding that government would continue to give it support for effective service delivery.
“Government also have obligation to ensure that all it ministries and departments owing must pay their dues. We are working hard to pay what we owe just as consumers must pay.
“The transmission company must pay the generation company and the generation must also pay the gas company so that we can have stability in the system”, he added.
MoniePoint Inc. a digital financial firm in Nigeria, has said it is empowering community pharmacists across the country with innovative payment solutions to improve access to drugs.
The financial firm said it had also provided loans for pharmacists under the aegis of the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) to drive healthcare delivery in the country.
MoniePoint in a release titled, “Inside Nigeria’s community pharmacies: How Moniepoint drives healthcare access with payments and funding”, has reaffirmed its commitment to providing digital payment solutions to improve health outcomes in Nigeria.
The release examined how community pharmacies play a crucial role as vital access points for medical care in Nigeria, especially in areas with limited hospital or clinic access.
According to the release, the ACPN National Chairman, Ambrose Igwekwam, highlighted the critical role played by community pharmacies in Nigeria’s healthcare system over the years.
Igwekwam, however, expressed concerns over the challenges confronting the nation’s pharmaceutical industry which he said was hindering access to affordable medicines.
The pharmacist listed poor infrastructural systems, power, transportation, regulatory bottlenecks, importation dependency, and limited research opportunities as major challenges facing the pharmaceutical sector.
He also stressed the need for robust collaborative efforts with institutions like Moniepoint to strengthen the sector.
“As Nigeria continues to grow, improving local pharma manufacturing to meet the demands of this growth presents a key opportunity for us all.
“There is also the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement, which is expected to boost our industry, especially when we start producing our drugs locally, which will provide the much needed foreign exchange from exports.
“We are also seeing advancements in digital health and technology which would hopefully deepen the practice of e-prescription in Nigeria”, the ACPN boss said.
Corlins Walter
In order to enhance customer service and streamline operations, the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN) has called on stakeholders in the insurance industry to embrace Artificial Intelligence (AI).
The President of the institute, Yetunde Ilori, made this call at the 2024 Office Representatives Committee (ORC) Workshop, organised by the institute, with the theme “AI and the Future of the Insurance Industry”, in Lagos.
Ilori at the event, emphasised the importance of AI adoption, noting that it was not a threat to jobs but rather a tool to improve efficiency across the insurance sector.
“It is not about AI taking over our jobs, but about us using AI to simplify processes and give maximum satisfaction to all the customers we serve whether as underwriters, brokers, loss adjusters, or in educating our members”, she said.
The workshop, which brought players in the insurance sector together, aimed to address how AI could be leveraged to transform business processes and improve customer interactions.
The Chairman of the ORC, Monica Nwachukwu, underscored the role of AI in modernising the industry, adding, “AI can automate customer and claims processes, allowing insurers to provide faster and more efficient services to their customers”.
She explained how AI could help extract data from legacy systems, enhancing decision-making processes.
“By integrating AI with APIs, insurers can feed valuable data into AI solutions to improve operations and customer service”, she added.
In his address, the Managing Partner of A4S and Training Heights, Orlando Odejide, stressed the need for companies to align their strategies with future technologies like AI, especially as they prepare for 2025.
“Any organisation that wants to grow into the future must have its strategic plan in place. If your strategy for 2025 is not ready, it should be done by October”, he advised.
He encouraged participants to think critically about how AI could be integrated into their business models to ensure they remain competitive.
“The idea is for you to use this workshop as a platform to think about your organization and how AI can help streamline your processes and improve growth”, Odejide noted.
In order to gain global respect and recognition, the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) has reaffirmed its determination to pursue its goal in ensuring that Nigeria’s space capabilities are recognised on the world stage.
The agency also reaffirmed its commitment to positioning Nigeria as a key player in the global space economy.
In a statement by the Director of Media and Corporate Communications, Dr. Felix Ale, NASRDA revealed that the Director-General of the agency, Matthew Adepoju, emphasised this during recent engagements at the 79th United Nations General Assembly and the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) and Global Alliance Business Association international conference in Michigan, United States.
The statement noted that Adepoju outlined a forward-thinking agenda, stressing the importance of Nigeria’s space programme as a leader in research, exploration, and technological innovation.
“Our goal is to ensure that Nigeria’s space capabilities are recognised on the world stage.
“We must foster collaborations with global space agencies to enhance our satellite capabilities and technological infrastructure”, he stated.
The NASRDA boss said the agency is focusing on enhancing satellite capabilities, expanding international collaborations, and leveraging space science for national development.
He said NASRDA will have no stone unturned in pursuit of excellence, ensuring the agency secures the necessary resources and recognition to propel it forward.
“The relationships we build today will pave the way for tomorrow’s advancements in space science.
“Innovation and progress thrive in an environment built on collaboration and inclusivity”, he stated.
He emphasised that with the support of the government, international partners, and a dedicated team, NASRDA is poised to make significant strides in the evolving global space landscape.
“We are on the brink of a new era for Nigeria’s space agency. Together, we will ensure our nation stands out in the global space economy”, he said.
Corlins Walter