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ECOWAS finalises framework for $75m renewable energy facility

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The Economic Community of West African States has finalised the framework for a $75m Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Facility.

The announcement was made by the President of the ECOWAS, Dr. Omar Touray, during the 93rd Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers in Abuja, on Thursday.

According to Touray, the facility aims to provide grants, loans, and guarantees through competitive calls for proposals, focusing on clean energy solutions across the region.

“A Framework Document for the Establishment of an ECOWAS Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Facility has been finalised by the Ministers.

“This is a new blended finance facility with an initial amount of USD75m, whose objective is to provide grants, loans and guarantees through regular demand-driven competitive calls for proposals providing clean energy solutions for the ECOWAS region,” the president said.

Addressing food security, he highlighted the progress of the “Rice Offensive” project, which aims to achieve regional self-sufficiency in rice production by 2035.

This initiative targets the production of 33 million tonnes of milled rice and requires $15–$19 billion in investments to improve storage, milling, and mechanisation.

“Towards regional self sufficiency in rice production, the “Rice Offensive” project launched by the Commission in 2014, under the ECOWAS Agricultural Policy has now reached a second cycle with the development of a Second Regional Action Plan (2025-2035) to replace the 2020-2025 plan, which is expiring next year.

“To attain regional self-sufficiency in rice, it would require the local production of 33 million tonnes of milled rice to meet a planned consumption target by 2035.

“This will also require a financial investment of US15 to $19 billion dollars of capital expenditures towards improving storage facilities, milling initiatives, and enhancing mechanisation in paddy production,” he noted.

The Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline project also took center stage, with Touray noting its importance for regional integration.

The 6,800 km pipeline, including 5,100 km offshore, is expected to transport 30 billion cubic feet of natural gas annually, connecting Nigeria to Morocco and extending to ECOWAS member states, Mauritania, and Europe.

He noted, “This regional integrative project aims to build a gas pipeline linking Nigeria to Morocco, feeding ECOWAS member states and Mauritania with future extension to Europe.

“It is an infrastructure of 6,800 km long, including 5,100 km offshore, with a transport capacity of 30 billion cubic feet of natural gas per year.”

Touray also emphasised ongoing progress in regional integration projects. These include the phased implementation of affordable roaming tariffs, now live in six member states, and a proposed strategy to harmonize aviation charges, with plans to reduce passenger and security fees by 25 per cent.

Additionally, efforts to manage shared water resources and develop infrastructure in the water sector have been revived, aiming to reduce poverty and protect the environment.

However, challenges persist. Touray lamented that only 40 per cent of the Community Levy approved for 2024 had been received by October, hindering the implementation of ECOWAS programmes.

He called on member states to fulfill their commitments and support regional private sector actors in driving economic growth.

Security concerns, including terrorism, violent extremism, and organised crime, remain a significant focus.

Touray reiterated ECOWAS’s commitment to addressing these challenges and expressed hope that Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger would reconsider their withdrawal from the organisation.

The president concluded by emphasising the importance of unity and collaboration in achieving ECOWAS’s objectives, underscoring that the region’s strength lies in its collective efforts.

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HAPPENING NOW: Blackout hits Abuja, Embassies affected

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The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) has announced power outage in various parts of Abuja including hotels and diplomatic buildings.

The AEDC made the announcement in its verified X handle today.

It said the blackout also affected Bolingo Hotel, Wada Maida Building, which houses the headquarters of Sudan, Egypt embassies, Envoy Hotel, the European Union embassy, among others.

The other places affected by the blackout are the National Planning Commission (NPC), the National Hospital, and the Turkish, Pakistani, and Indian embassies.

“Also, Garki Area One, Two, Three, Seven and Eight; Garki village; Garki market; Ubiaja Street; Kaltungo Street; and Lagos Street have been affected.

“Also affected are Oka Akoko Street, Treasury House, Karibu Hotel, and part of Asokoro, such as Yakubu Gowon Street.

“Similarly, Imo Government Lodges, Gado Nasko Street, Justice Sowemimo, Hassan Musa Katsina Streets, part of Jasse Martin, NIA, and TY Danjuma Street are without power supply.

“It said also affected are Lugbe, Jedo, Forte Royal, Back Of Dunamics, Customs Quarters, Aviation Village Piwoye Kapwa Ok Water, Nicomsat, Korean School and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport,”.

It attributed the power outage to a technical fault.

“The technical team of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) is currently working to restore the power supply.

“We regret the inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your patience and understanding,” AEDC said.

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Burial begins for Oyo school teacher killed by JAS terrorist group

The deceased teacher is expected to be buried at his residence in the Owolake area of Ogbomoso.

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The burial arrangements for Adesiyan Adegboye, the teacher killed during last Friday’s coordinated attack on three schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, began on Friday at Ayegun Baptist Church, Ogbomoso.

Adegboye, 49, was shot dead during the invasion carried out by armed bandits at Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota, Community Grammar School, and L.A. Primary School, Esiele.

The deceased teacher is expected to be buried at his residence in the Owolake area of Ogbomoso.

The attackers reportedly stormed the schools around 9:30am, abducting several teachers and students during the operation that threw the communities into panic.

Following the incident, the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, visited the affected area on Saturday and ordered the deployment of additional detectives from the Force Headquarters in Abuja to support ongoing rescue efforts.

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FG launches GovGuideNigeria to boost citizens governance access

GovGuideNigeria platform is accessible through WhatsApp and the web, and is available in English, Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba to ensure wider accessibility for citizens across different linguistic backgrounds.

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The Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijan, has said that Nigerians can now access the government information and services through the newly launched GovGuideNigeria.

The artificial intelligence-powered platform was launched on May 21 by the government in collaboration with Meta, the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR), and local developer partner Publica AI.

According to the Minister, the platform is accessible through WhatsApp and the web, and is available in English, Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba to ensure wider accessibility for citizens across different linguistic backgrounds.

Tijani stated that the platform provides users with easy access to information from more than 35 federal ministries and over 60 government agencies.

He described the initiative as part of the government’s efforts to improve public service delivery through technology and digital innovation.

Sade Dada, Head of Public Policy, Meta, said during the launch “Meta’s open-source AI is critical to economic growth and productivity — and GovGuide Nigeria, is a clear example of what this looks like in practice.

Ignatius Willie, CEO, Publica AI said, “Today is not just a product launch. It is a step towards democratising how Nigerians engage with their government. With GovGuide Nigeria, we are not simply digitising access to public services; we are making them conversational, multilingual, and available on the channels Nigerians already use every day.

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