Business
FG Launches Energise Commercialisation Now (ECoN) To Boost Industrial Productivity
The Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr. Kingsley Tochukwu-Udeh, described ECoN as a national framework designed to bridge the gap between research and the marketplace.
• Kano ECoN launch by First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, Thursday April 23,2026.
The federal government has launched the Energise Commercialisation Now (ECoN) an initiative of the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology.
Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, launched the programme in Kano, yesterday, and calling for a shift from ideas to industrial productivity.
The First Lady said that Nigeria must move beyond generating ideas to building industries that create jobs and drive economic growth.
She noted that although innovative concepts continue to emerge from universities, technology hubs and young entrepreneurs, many do not translate into real-world solutions.
“This initiative represents a decisive effort to close that gap by creating an environment where ideas can grow, attract support and scale into real solutions,” she said.
The Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr. Kingsley Tochukwu-Udeh, described ECoN as a national framework designed to bridge the gap between research and the marketplace.
He said that the initiative aims to transform research outputs into revenue-generating ventures while promoting inclusive economic growth.
Business
TIME Names Moniepoint CTO Felix Ike Among 50 Global Executives of the Year
In its citation, TIME said Ike “has helped to establish the business as one of Africa’s leading financial platforms.
TIME magazine has named Felix Ike, co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of Nigerian fintech Moniepoint, to its inaugural Executives of the Year: Tech and Data list.
Ike is the only executive representing an African company among the 50 leaders selected for the 2026 list.
The list, unveiled on Tuesday, September 22, recognises chief information officers, chief technology officers, chief data officers and chief product officers whose decisions are shaping how major organisations deploy technology and use data.
Moniepoint is also the only African company represented on the inaugural list.
Ike was named alongside executives from Netflix, CrowdStrike, Dell, Duolingo, AT&T, OpenAI, Anthropic, Shopify and Reddit, among others.
In its citation, TIME said Ike “has helped to establish the business as one of Africa’s leading financial platforms.
“The recognition follows Moniepoint’s inclusion in TIME’s 2025 list of the 100 Most Influential Companies, giving the Lagos-founded fintech another global distinction.
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Business
Djibouti, Ethiopia and Dangote to build $660 million petroleum pipeline
In Kenya, Dangote and the government are due to break ground on a new 700,000-barrel-per-day crude oil refinery in Lamu next week.
Ethiopia, Djibouti and Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote plan to build a $660 million refined petroleum pipeline that will connect Ethiopia and Djibouti, a spokesperson in Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s office said on Thursday.
The project will include a 120-km (75-mile) pipeline, as well as approximately 375,000 cubic metres of storage capacity at Damerjog in Djibouti and 800,000 cubic metres at Dewele in Ethiopia, the spokesperson told Reuters, adding it should become operational within 18 months.
Abiy said on his X account the project will be developed through a partnership between Ethiopian Investment Holdings and the Dangote Group, which separately is already building a $4 billion fertiliser pipeline and power plant, and a polypropylene packaging facility, in Ethiopia.
The project aims to reduce logistics costs and delays along the Ethiopia-Djibouti transport corridor, Abiy said.
Developers say the infrastructure will strengthen energy security and improve supply chain resilience for the two countries, he said.
Abiy is on a visit to Djibouti and made the announcement alongside its president, Ismail Omar Guelleh, and Dangote.
In Kenya, Dangote and the government are due to break ground on a new 700,000-barrel-per-day crude oil refinery in Lamu next week.
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