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Africa targets electricity access for 300m people by 2030

How plausible is the target by African heads of states to grant access to electricity to 300 million people by 2030?
That is the task before the over 1,000 participants expected at the Mission 300 Africa Energy Summit, which kicks off in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on Jan. 27.
“It’s a tight journey because 2030 is only five years away and we have to deliver, not expected connections, but actual connections to 300 million by 2030,” says Mr Daniel Schroth, African Development Bank (ADB’s) Director for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency.
Schroth emphasised the urgency of implementation of Mission 300 Africa Energy Summit at a media briefing in Dar es Salaam.
Mr Franz Drees-Gross, World Bank Director of Infrastructure for West Africa, said Mission 300 represented not just an ambitious target but a movement.
“We are creating a lasting impact that will power Africa’s growth and enable millions of people to access the essential services electricity provides,” said Drees-Gross.
The World Bank Group and the ADB launched the initiative in April 2024 to bridge the energy access gap in Africa.
Mr Wale Shonibare, ADB’s Director for Energy Financial Solutions, Policy and Regulation, said the summit would unveil new initiatives aimed at boosting domestic resource mobilisation.
Shonibare said it would also encourage cross-border trade to spread risk and increase financing for energy access.
Already, the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP) and The Rockefeller Foundation have committed $10 million to create a technical assistance facility supporting electricity projects across 11 African nations.
“What makes this initiative different from what institutions have done in the past is the ‘all hands-on deck approach’ with a lot of institutions working hand-in-hand to deliver the ambitious agenda,” explained Sarvesh Suri, IFC’s Director for Infrastructure in Africa.
About 12 countries, including Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Côte d’Ivoire, will pledge reforms in five key areas; low-cost power generation, regional energy integration, increased energy access, enabling private investment and utility strengthening.
The two-day summit is being hosted by the government of Tanzania, the African Union, the African Development Bank Group and the World Bank Group.
On the first day, at the ministerial level, participating countries, including Nigeria, will present their national energy strategies, termed compacts, detailing their approaches to achieving universal energy access within five years.
On the second day, Heads of State will endorse the Dar es Salaam Energy Declaration, outlining a unified roadmap for Africa’s progress towards the Mission 300 objectives.
President Tinubu will deliver a national statement reaffirming Nigeria’s commitment to achieving universal access to energy and its leadership role in Africa’s energy sector.
He will also highlight Nigeria’s ongoing clean energy initiatives and its strategy to drive integrated energy delivery on the continent.
Amb. Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Mr Adebayo Adelabu, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Minister of Power, Mr Olu Verheijen, the Special Adviser to the President on Energy, and other senior government officials will accompany President Tinubu on the trip. (NAN)
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Anambra Sanctions School For Selling Prefect Post

The Anambra Government has imposed a one-month sanction on Blossom Fount School, Awka, for allegedly selling the position of head prefect during a student election.
This was disclosed in a statement on Saturday by the Commissioner for Education, Prof. Ngozi Chuma-Udeh.
According to the commissioner, the school reportedly demanded N5,000 from each pupil aspiring to become head prefect in the primary section.
Chuma-Udeh condemned the act, describing it as an attempt to “sell the psyche of the children to the highest bidder from the cradle.”
According to her, such practices are unacceptable under the administration of Gov. Chukwuma Soludo.
She said that an investigation was ongoing to examine the school’s broader management practices, with the possibility of further actions based on the findings.
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Atiku Blasts EFCC Over Kazaure’s Detention

Former Vice President and 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has criticised the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for the arrest and continued detention of former House of Representatives member, Muhammad Kazaure, describing it as a violation of due process.
In a statement shared on his official X (formerly Twitter) account on Saturday, Atiku said Kazaure’s detention reflects a brazen disregard for the rule of law, accusing the anti-graft agency of operating beyond the limits of the Nigerian Constitution.
Atiku alleged that the EFCC is increasingly becoming a tool for political repression, citing what he called a troubling pattern of lawlessness under the current administration.
He said, “The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has once again plunged headlong into its well-worn pattern of lawlessness, arresting and detaining citizens with brazen disregard for due process and without offering any justification for its actions.”
Atiku also referenced the recent arrest of social commentator Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, whose release followed intense public pressure. He suggested that Kazaure’s case fits into a broader trend of state institutions being used to silence dissenting voices.
“We witnessed this same abuse in the unlawful arrest and detention of Mr. Martins Vincent Otse, widely known as VeryDarkMan, whose release was only secured after massive public outrage and pressure.
“Now, the EFCC has targeted Hon. Muhammad Kazaure, a former member of the House of Representatives and an unapologetic critic of the gross misgovernance and failings of the Tinubu administration.
“Abducted in Kano and whisked away to Abuja, Kazaure is presently being held incommunicado, with no formal charge or explanation offered to his family, legal team, or the Nigerian people.
“Let it be stated without equivocation: even if there were legitimate grounds for arresting any citizen, such action must adhere strictly to the rule of law. The EFCC is duty-bound to publicly disclose the reasons for any arrest and must not detain individuals indefinitely under the guise of investigation.
“The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is unequivocal on this matter—every detainee must be promptly charged to court or released. By once again trampling on the fundamental rights of a Nigerian citizen, the EFCC is entrenching itself deeper into the mire of impunity and constitutional delinquency.
“It’s deafening silence regarding the arrest of Hon. Kazaure, a man who represented the good people of Kazaure, Roni, Gwiwa, and Yankwashi federal constituency, lays bare the agency’s contempt for transparency and justice.
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Suspended Sen Natasha Trends Over ‘Omo Ologo’ TikTok Amid Akpabio Feud

Suspended Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has ignited social media buzz after posting a 15-second TikTok video set to the trending song Omo Ologo — a track closely linked with President Bola Tinubu.
The video, shared on her TikTok page on May 8, shows the embattled lawmaker smiling and playfully interacting with the camera. Captioned, “Just for fun, song choked,” the post has drawn mixed reactions online, with some interpreting it as a light-hearted moment, while others suspect a deeper political undertone.
The video comes just days after the song Omo Ologo was performed live by Kano-based singer Dauda Kahutu Rarara during a dinner in Katsina State held in honour of President Tinubu, who was on a two-day working visit to assess security in the region.
The song, which blends Hausa and Yoruba, praises Tinubu as a victorious leader who has outlasted his critics.
Akpoti-Uduaghan’s TikTok post follows a series of dramatic exchanges between her and Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
The senator was suspended from the upper legislative chamber in March after accusing Akpabio of sexual harassment — an allegation that triggered heated debate in the National Assembly.
In what appeared to be a bold response to her suspension, Akpoti-Uduaghan recently posted a sarcastic apology video to Akpabio on Facebook, in which she claimed she was sorry “for the crime of maintaining dignity and self-respect.”
The post was accompanied by a short video, further fueling controversy.
Akpabio’s legal team has since approached a federal high court in Abuja, seeking an order compelling the senator to delete the post from her social media pages.
In a counter-affidavit filed by her lawyer, Jubril Okutepa (SAN), Akpoti-Uduaghan’s camp described the motion as an attempt to silence and intimidate her.
The court is expected to rule on the matter on May 12.