Business

U.S Gifts Nigeria $2 Million Broadband Study Grant

During the Technology Dialogue, the U.S. Department of State hosted a senior delegation from the Nigerian government led by the Honorable Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy Bosun Tijani.

Published

1 year ago

January 14, 2025

OCHEFA

689 Views

The United States and Nigeria have signed a new $2,095,000 grant to assess the viability of the deployment of at least 90,000 km of new fiber optic backbone infrastructure across Nigeria.

The grant was signed during the U.S- Nigeria Technology Dialogue hosted by the Department of State in Washington, D.C.on January 10.

In a statement, the Office of the Spokesperson said that the project, funded by the U.S. Trade and Development Agency, supports Nigeria’s National Broadband Plan 2020-2025 to increase the country’s broadband penetration rate from 42.27 percent to 70 percent and ensure that at least 90 percent of Nigeria’s population has access to affordable and reliable broadband coverage.

The parties discussed enhancing the resilience and security of essential services and facilities; promoting digital trade, e-commerce, and innovation-driven economic growth; developing a skilled workforce to meet the demands of the digital age; expanding our artificial intelligence partnership related to capacity building, infrastructure, and rights-respecting approaches to governance; and promoting information integrity.

Following the formal Technology Dialogue, the delegations joined a roundtable discussion with industry representatives hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Industry participants included representatives from over 25 U.S. and Nigerian companies active in technology sectors, including artificial intelligence, telecommunications, digital infrastructure, satellites, aerospace, fintech, and cybersecurity.

The program featured a panel discussion on Advancing Public-Private Sector Investment in Innovation and Digital Talent Development.

This panel highlighted opportunities for public-private partnership and investment solutions to spur innovation and promote digital talent development through the U.S.-Nigeria commercial partnership.

A second panel discussion on the role of critical infrastructure in advancing the use of AI examined the interplay between the infrastructure that is essential to the development of AI and the governance frameworks that can help spur deployment of emerging technologies to support inclusive growth.

In line with the Technology Dialogue, the United States and Nigeria agreed to hold a virtual expert exchange on AI-enabled biotechnology.

This discussion will explore how the convergence of AI and biotechnology can spur progress in addressing global health, food security, and science – with a focus on sub-Saharan Africa.

Related Topics:Bosun Tijani Broadband penetration Featured

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BUA Group Denies Reports of Bid to Acquire Stake in Kano Pillars Football Club

Published

9 hours ago

June 30, 2026

Charles Flames

26 Views

BUA Group has firmly dismissed online reports claiming that the conglomerate and its Chairman, Abdul Samad Rabiu, submitted a bid to acquire a 70% stake in Kano Pillars Football Club.

In a press statement issued on Tuesday, the company described the publication as inaccurate and misleading.

PRESS STATEMENT

Re: False Claims of Bid to Acquire Stake in Kano Pillars Football Club

Our attention has been drawn to an online publication suggesting that BUA Group and its Chairman, Abdul Samad Rabiu, have submitted a bid to acquire a 70% stake in Kano Pillars Football Club.

We would like to clarify that this report is inaccurate and does not reflect any position, action, or communication from BUA Group or Abdul Samad Rabiu. No such bid has been made, and there has been no engagement with any party on this matter.

We kindly request that this report be disregarded, and we encourage the public and members of the press to rely only on official statements issued through BUA Group’s verified channels for accurate information regarding our activities.

We appreciate the continued interest in BUA Group and thank the public for their understanding.

BUA Group reiterated its commitment to transparency and urged stakeholders to verify information through its official communication channels.

Business

Nigeria’s oil minister orders marketers to reduce fuel price

“While we believe that market forces will eventually restore equilibrium, the regulator also has a statutory responsibility to ensure that deregulation does not become an avenue for profiteering. This must be done in line with the extant provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act,”said Lokpobiri.

Published

13 hours ago

June 30, 2026

OCHEFA

19 Views

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, at the NMDPRA General Counsel and Legal Advisers Forum, directed petroleum marketers to reduce fuel price .

At the two-day forum themed: “Beyond Compliance: Driving Regulatory Certainty and Investment Confidence in Nigeria’s Petroleum Sector, Lokpobiri noted that refiners and marketers have continued to sell petrol at elevated pump prices despite the significant decline in crude oil prices from a peak of $120 per barrel to about $72 per barrel last week.

He said: “Following de-escalation of tensions between Iran and the United States, we expected to see a commensurate downward adjustment in the prices of PMS and other petroleum products.However, that has not yet happened.”