By George Mgbeleke

Foĺlowing the on-going efforts by the Senate to recover all unaccounted funds by revenue generating Agencies of government, the Red chamber on Tuesday through its Public Accounts Committee , gave Seplat Energy , Network E & P Nigeria Limited and two other oil companies , 48 hours to appear before it to answer queries raised against them in the 2021, 2022 and 2023 audit reports presented by Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative ( NEITI) .

The two other oil companies given similar 48 hours ultimatum for appearance or risk invocation of legislative powers against them are All Grace Energy Limited and Aradel Energy Limited .

But Dubri Oil Company Limited that appeared before the committee , defended $’3.025million royalty and gas flare debts recorded against it in the audit report .

48 hours ultimatum against the affected four oil companies followed resolution adopted to that effect by the Senator Ibrahim Hassan Dankwabo led committee in line with displeasures expressed by some of its members .

First to call for sanction against the erring oil companies , was Senator Abdul Ningi ( Bauchi Central ) who described letter written by Network E & P Nigeria Limited to the committee that Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission ( NUPRC) is the regulatory body it reports to , as disturbing and provocative .

The Senate according to him as provided for in sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 constitution, can invite any body or agency .

” The Senate and by extension , the National Assembly, is the custodian of Nigeria law that has power to invite anybody or agency for explanations on issues raised against them “, he said .

In supporting Ningi , Senator Shehu Kaka Lawan ( Borno Central ) , called for invocation of constitutional powers against management of the affected agencies which made the Chairman to issue 48 hours ultimatum for appearance against Managing Director of Network E & P Nigeria Limited .

” Having failed to honour invitation of this committee two consecutive times , the Managing Director of Network E & P Nigeria Limited should appear before us unfailingly on Thursday this week or risk full invocation of legislative powers against him”, he said .

Similar ultimatums were also issued against Managing Directors of All Grace Energy Limited , Aradel Energy Limited and Seplat Energy when when their absence was noted by the committee.

But Dubri Oil that appeared , rejected $3.025million royalty and gas flare debts recorded against it .

NEITI in the report alleged that as submitted by NUPRC in 2025 that Dubri Oil owes $3.025million debt which include $2.378million debt for gas flare and $646, 605.55 for oil production

The query was however faulted by representative of Dubri Oil , Soyode Olusoji Clement who said the report was compiled when the oil company had reconciliation issue with NUPRC .

The reconciliation problem between Dubri oil and NUPRC according to him , has however been resolved without any debt hanging on Dubri oil .

He presented documents to that effect to the committee which according to the committee, would be studied critically before issuance of clean bill of health .

By Our Correspondent

The Special Adviser to the President on Livestock Development, Prof. Attahiru M. Jega, has said the Presidential Livestock Reforms Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is designed to end subsistence livestock farming and build a commercially viable sector that will create jobs and strengthen food security.

Jega, who is also Co-Chair of the Presidential Livestock Reforms Implementation Committee, stated this in a goodwill message delivered at the 9th All Africa Conference on Animal Agriculture in Abuja on behalf of the Presidency.

The conference themed, “Repositioning Animal Agriculture for Africa’s Food Security and Global Competitiveness,” brought together stakeholders across the continent.

Jega, who was represented by Prof. D. J. U. Kalla, said Africa cannot achieve sustainable food security, improved nutrition and inclusive economic growth without transforming animal agriculture.

“Livestock is deeply woven into Africa’s culture, heritage and economy. Beyond food, cattle, sheep, goats, camels and poultry represent wealth, livelihoods, resilience and social capital for millions of African families,” he stated.

He noted that the sector generates employment and income across breeding, feed, animal health, processing, trade and value addition, describing livestock as “not a peripheral component of African agriculture, but a prime mover of inclusive economic transformation.”

“Our ambition is to unlock the enormous economic potential—the goldmine—of the livestock sector and build a productive, competitive, climate-resilient and commercially viable industry that creates jobs, strengthens food and nutrition security, and drives rural prosperity,” he said.

Jega stressed that the country must move “from subsistence to productivity, from fragmentation to value-chain integration, and from potential to investment and competitiveness.”

He listed key areas for investment to include genetics, animal health, feed and forage, water, research and innovation, infrastructure, value addition and markets.

The presidential aide urged the conference to move “beyond dialogue to action, partnerships and measurable commitments” that translate policy into impact.

“Africa has the livestock resources. Our task is to convert this biological wealth into nutritious food, decent jobs, resilient livelihoods and globally competitive enterprises. Africa must feed Africa—and animal agriculture must be at the fulcrum of that transformation,” Jega concluded.

By AbdulGaneey Akanbi

Renewable energy investor, Gigawatt Global, has pledged up to $500 million in project financing to deploy solar power plants across Nigerian universities.

Chief Executive Officer of the company, Yoseph Abramowitz, made the announcement on Thursday at the NextGen Innovation Challenge 2026 National Showcase in Abuja.

“We’re honoured to be able to present up to $500 million in project finance,” Abramowitz said.

He said the funding would cover up to 90% of the cost required to build solar facilities on campuses, subject to bankable power purchase agreements and agreed project milestones.

According to him, the intervention is aimed at solving the chronic power problems facing Nigeria’s tertiary institutions noting that many universities currently rely on expensive diesel generators and get only a few hours of electricity daily.

“How do you run a university in three, four or five hours? How do you not have internet because you don’t have electricity?” he asked.

Abramowitz explained that each solar facility would generate between 10 and 20 megawatts, which exceeds the immediate electricity needs of most universities.

The surplus power, he said, would be supplied to surrounding rural communities through prepaid metering systems.

“We want to bring down your costs, increase the amount of energy, make it green and sustainable, and empower the communities around each of these universities,” he said.

The CEO added that the project would also prioritise local content and job creation.

“The idea is to keep as many of the jobs locally, both for operations and maintenance and for the hardware to be made in Nigeria,” Abramowitz stated.

He said solar panels, cables, mounting systems and maintenance services would be sourced within Nigeria to build local capacity, disclosing that reducing universities’ energy costs would free up funds for education, research and innovation.

Abramowitz added that the initiative would also expand access to clean and affordable electricity in host communities.

The $500m pledge was announced during the launch of the Federal Government’s Tinubu Light Initiative by the National Board for Technology Incubation, NBTI.

The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, Muktar Muhammad, said the government was committed to policies that drive innovation and clean energy.

NBTI Director-General, Kazeem Kolawole Raji, said the Tinubu Light Initiative and NextGen Challenge were designed to position Nigeria as a global hub for creativity and entrepreneurship.

With the combination of government policy and private investment, stakeholders said the deal could accelerate Nigeria’s transition to a knowledge-driven, sustainable economy.