Business
AEDC Signs Landmark Deal to Deliver Uninterrupted Power Solution in Abuja
Abuja Electricity Distribution Plc (AEDC), on Thursday, 18th January, 2023, consolidated its lead in the provision of integrated power solutions with the signing of a tripartite agreement with DAYSTAR Power Solutions Limited (DAYSTAR Power) and The Wood Factory Limited (Wood Factory), to pioneer the delivery of its first grid-connected and solar hybrid power solution for commercial and industrial customers in Nigeria.

This comes on the heels of the first interconnected mini-grid power solution for communities in Nigeria launched by AEDC and its strategic partners in Toto, Nasarawa State, in November 2023.
Under this historic agreement, AEDC will provide 18 hours of reliable electricity supply to Wood Factory (a top furniture manufacturer) while Daybreak Power will provide 6 hours of solar powered electricity to Wood Factory, both leveraging interconnected power facilities to deliver seamless electricity supply and great value to the customer.
This integrated power solution is expected to yield an estimated 44% reduction in energy costs and an impressive 76% annual decrease in carbon emissions for Wood Factory.
The unique value offering is in furtherance of AEDC’s transformational strategic objective of redefining customers’ experience by providing reliable electricity supply to both existing and new customers, including the unserved and underserved customers. Under the ongoing transformation of AEDC, the Management of the company is driving its repositioning as a clear leader amongst the power distribution companies (DisCos) in Nigeria.

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of AEDC, Christopher Ezeafulukwe, stated that “We are excited about the great opportunities that the transformation and turnaround of AEDC is giving us to serve our customers, both new and existing, in more delightful ways. This project is a product of our consistent questioning of the status quo in the resilient push of our conviction and belief in using diversified energy sources to serve our customers better, while closing the supply gap in our market.”
He further stated that having previously commissioned an integrated power solution to serve some unserved communities in our network, the current solution for which we signed the agreement today, is focused on serving industrials and commercials, thus repositioning AEDC to serve all bands of customers within its network better.
The two projects also confirm to the world, the readiness of AEDC to enter into complementary partnerships that will add great value to the Nigerian electricity market.
AEDC has been in partnership with the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) through which the United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) provides funding for feasibility study grant and facilitating the optimization of energy supply through distributed solar energy and grid power.
Jasper Graf von Hardenberg, CEO of Daystar Power, expressed his excitement about the innovative interconnected solar installation, stating, “Working together with DisCos, we can provide reliable and affordable power to Nigerian businesses which will save on energy costs to reinvest in their operations. Our partnership with AEDC supports this position. It is just the beginning; we are looking forward to developing more hybrid solar projects for C&I customers in partnership with the likes of AEDC.”
Mohamed Akar, Director and General Manager of The Wood Factory, expressed his excitement about the transition from self-generated supply to the integrated power supply which AEDC and Daybreak offers, “We’re thrilled that we’ll soon be switching to a reliable integrated power solution to power our factory.
For many years, we’ve operated on diesel generators, which is hardly sustainable or affordable. We believe that the future of our business has become brighter with this new partnership with AEDC and Daybreak.”
Abuja Electricity Distribution Plc (AEDC) is a leading electricity distribution company in Nigeria serving the FCT, Niger State, Nasarawa State and Kogi State. As a trusted service provider, AEDC is dedicated to ensuring reliable, safe, and sustainable electricity delivery to its diverse customers. With a strong commitment to delighting its customers, AEDC continues to contribute to the growth and development of Nigeria’s energy sector through investments in infrastructure, innovative technologies, and sustainable practices, AEDC consistently seeks to improve the quality of life for its customers, promote efficient energy usage, and actively engage with its communities.
Business
Cement: Manufacturers Post N5.8tn Nine Months Revenue
The surge in the revenue is being driven by the increasing prices of cement selling N12,000 to N15,000 between July and September 2026 in Lagos and Ogun States, compared with around N10,000 sold in September 2025.
The three largest cement manufacturers in Nigeria Dangote Cement Plc, Lafarge Africa Plc, and BUA Cement Plc have reported a combined N5.8 trillion revenue for the nine months ended September 30, 2026.
The surge in the revenue is being driven by the increasing prices of cement selling N12,000 to N15,000 between July and September 2026 in Lagos and Ogun States, compared with around N10,000 sold in September 2025.
THISDAY reported that their unaudited result and accounts, the N5.8 trillion revenue is about 21 per cent increase over the N4.8 trillion revenue reported in nine months of 2025.
A breakdown revealed that Dangote Cement reported N3.8 trillion revenue during the period under review, about 19.6 per cent increase when compared to N3.15 trillion in 2025.
Dangote Cement’s production capacity increased by 9 per cent to 22.1million metric tonnes from 20.2 million tonnes in the corresponding period of 2025. It sold 14.1Mt, up by 6.4 per cent in the period under review. Its average selling price also rose by 9.4 per cent to N170,493 per tonne.
Exports of cement and clinker from Nigeria increased by 41.8 per cent to 1.5Mt, including 26 clinker shipments to Ghana, Cameroon and Ivory Coast. The company’s operations in other African countries sold 9.1Mt, up by 14 per cent. Senegal grew by 30%, Ethiopia by 19 per cent and Tanzania by nine per cent, and a new grinding plant in Ivory Coast sold 0.53Mt. Sales in Ghana and Cameroon were lower.
The first phase of the company’s 6Mt/yr plant at Itori in Ogun state is on track to be commissioned in 2027, part of a plan to increase capacity to 80Mt/yr from 55Mt/yr across Africa.
On its part, BUA Cement posted N1.09 trillion revenue, a growth of 26.5 per cent from N858.72 billion in 2025, while HBM Nigeria declared N928.25 billion revenue, representing an increase of nearly 19 per cent from N780.5 billion in 2025.
Business
Dangote Says Refinery’s IPO Misses 10 Million Investors Target
According to him, the company is yet to establish the official number of investors who participated in the offer, as the necessary reports are still being compiled.
Chairman of Dangote Industries Limited (DIL), Aliko Dangote, has disclosed that the initial public offering (IPO) of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery failed to meet its target of attracting 10 million investors.
Dangote disclosed this during the 25th annual conference of the Women in Management, Business and Public Service (WIMBIZ) in Lagos.
Dangote, however, said the public offer recorded significant participation, attracting millions of investors despite not reaching the projected figure.
According to him, the company is yet to establish the official number of investors who participated in the offer, as the necessary reports are still being compiled.
“We cannot tell the figure right away because we have not reported to this, but we’ve gotten an amazing demand from various people,” Dangote said.
Business
Dangote Rice Mill in Jigawa Begins Processing
The Jigawa State Government investment tracker has confirmed that the Dangote Rice Mill in Hadin is operational with a processing capacity of 32 tonnes per hour, equivalent to roughly 280,000 tonnes annually.
The commencement of the rice mill is trending on a video shared on X.
The footage comes 12 years after Aliko Dangote committed $1 billion to commercial rice farming and processing across Nigeria
The facility is linked to commercial cultivation schemes around Hadejia and Kafin Hausa.
Dangote Group signed a memorandum of understanding with the Federal Government in August 2014 to invest $1 billion in integrated rice farming and milling across Jigawa, Kebbi, Niger, Kwara and Edo states. Two years later, the company launched an 8,000-hectare rice outgrower scheme in Hadejia, Jigawa State. Participating farmers received improved seeds, fertilisers and technical support, and the company committed to buying their harvested paddy for processing.By February 2017, the outgrower scheme had expanded to 25,000 hectares across 14 states. Dangote set a target of 225,000 metric tonnes of milled rice by the end of that year, with an ambition of reaching one million tonnes annually. Construction announcements followed over several years without matching production results.
Dangote laid the foundation for a processing plant in Hadin, Kaugama Local Government Area of Jigawa State, in March 2018.
The facility was initially designed to handle 16 tonnes of paddy per hour.In July 2025, Dangote said Niger State had joined Jigawa, Sokoto, Kebbi, Kano and Nasarawa as locations with rice mills under construction.
By November 2025, the group outlined plans for mills across five states with a combined annual processing capacity of 1.5 million tonnes.
To secure raw materials, Dangote Rice Limited signed a N1.8 trillion paddy rice supply agreement with Niger Foods Security Systems and Logistics Company in July 2025.
The 10-year deal requires Niger State to develop 25,000 hectares of commercial rice farms and support 50,000 local farmers.
In May 2026, Dangote confirmed the company had committed to purchasing one million metric tonnes of paddy rice from Niger Foods over the life of that agreement.
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