E-Business
Get Smart, Go Local
There is little doubt that utilities today face a major challenge in maintaining sustained access to energy and in safeguarding its long-term delivery to consumers.
It is also indisputable that Nigeria needs to improve on its installed electricity generation capacity.
In light of this inescapable reality, it is encouraging to see that the Federal Government has a definite roadmap that will help it achieve its aggressive target of 40,000MW-installed capacity by 2020
The challenges also provide us with great opportunities of leapfrogging obsolete technologies and leveraging on smart and modern technologies on our way to achieving energy security.
Such technologies could very successfully be adapted to drive progress across the entire country.
The Nigerian Utility sector is at a point where the need to roll-out smart meters is inevitable in other for each distributing and generating operators within the country to capitalize on the full revenue potential
Transmission, Generating & Distribution operators (TGDO), whose responsibility is to ensure the safe, secure, reliable flow of power to consumers, will face many challenges as the grid gets linked to a growing number of private and localized energy networks.
To overcome these difficulties and successfully manage the integration of new technologies onto the grid, energy retailers will rely on smart grid technology, and on the network management systems that will allow them to balance demand and supply more effectively.
An Intelligent Grid
As dynamic, intricately connected webs, utility networks present unique engineering and safety challenges that make them particularly complex to manage.
To facilitate the move towards localised power generation and help support the accelerating adoption of renewable energy sources, power operators will need to adapt their network infrastructure and IT resources to keep networks running smoothly even as new energy sources are added to them.
For energy utilities, the key to modernizing their network management systems lies in the data they will collect and analyse from the smart grid.
This will include not only consolidating the vast amount of information that next generation grids will provide them, but also quickly converting this into valuable network insight.
With the heightened awareness of network behaviour they will gain with the smart grid, operators can then take a more proactive approach to managing energy flow and deliver a more stable and reliable service to their customers.
Applied to localised power generation sites, this means that the grid can provide utilities with data-driven insight into network behaviour that will allow them to accommodate flow disruptions caused once these new energy sources are added to the grid.
To add to this, data analytics tools can help energy retailers optimise distribution to keep wastage to an absolute minimum.
Putting Data To Good Use
As the smart grid roll out takes form, utilities will begin collecting and analysing information from a growing number of data points to better understand how voltage is being distributed throughout their networks.
Modern network management systems can help utilities make the most of the information they collect from charging stations by allowing them to automatically adapt demand response to network conditions in near real-time.
With the ability to automatically balance power supply and demand in the grid, utilities will be able to tailor their energy distribution strategy to match real-world network behaviour, and open the door to new levels of power efficiency Nigeria badly needs.
Once they can redirect flow as required in this way, energy retailers can drastically reduce the risk of localised overloading or outages.
This level of control will help utilities avoid overburdening transformers to the point of failure, and preclude the significant damage to network assets that these malfunctions can cause.
Ultimately, network management systems will allow energy utilities to unite complex processes across the grid to optimise load distribution, which will in turn help them accommodate the addition of major new energy sources such as localised generation centres and renewables.
These solutions can also provide utilities with continuous updates on the status of their network assets, and therefore give them a valuable head-start on crucial maintenance and repair works.
Making A Meaningful Change
An intelligent energy management strategy will be vital for our Distributing and Generating operators as they work to achieve this.
The data analytics tools and cutting-edge IT applications that support their smart grid operations will help them make sure technologies integrate seamlessly with the national power infrastructure and provide the public with a meaningful and reliable energy supply.
adebayo sanni, country managing director, Oracle Nigeria
Media Rights Agenda (MRA), has unveiled a visual brief emphasizing the critical need for responsible and ethical use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in journalism, particularly within Nigeria’s evolving media environment.
This is coming ahead of World Press Freedom Day today.
The visual brief, developed under this year’s global theme, “Reporting in the Brave New World – The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Press Freedom and the Media,” explores the opportunities and dangers AI poses to media freedom in Nigeria and across the world.
In a statement released in Lagos by John Gbadamosi, its programme officer,MRA noted that AI is quickly changing the way news is produced and consumed, adding that it offers powerful tools that can assist journalists in analysing data, translating stories into local languages, and extend the reach of vital information, especially to underserved areas with limited media infrastructure.
Gbadamosi added that AI can help to ensure that essential news and information are also disseminated to local communities.
However, Gbadamosi warned that the same technology is being weaponised to undermine truth and press freedom, saying: “While AI can be used to advance journalism, it can just as easily be exploited to spread disinformation, create deepfakes, and drown out independent voices with algorithmically generated propaganda.”
According to him, “In Nigeria, journalists face threats that go beyond just physical dangers; such threats now also encompass digital, algorithmic, and systemic harms and challenges, which requires media professionals to ensure that AI enhances, rather than undermines, media freedom and that technology is used to promote the truth, not distort it.”
“The visual brief breaks down key concepts like misinformation, disinformation, mal-information, and information overload, which are increasingly shaping Nigeria’s digital media ecosystem. It also raises concerns about AI-enabled surveillance, political manipulation, and the marginalisation of community-based journalists.”
Gbadamosi stated that the visual brief also advocates support for independent media, transparent AI regulations aligned with Nigeria’s context, increased digital literacy, and stronger accountability from tech companies regarding platform content and influence.
He therefore urged all stakeholders to advocate for responsible AI usage and a free, independent, professional and vibrant media environment in Nigeria, stressing that “when media freedom thrives, democracy lives.”
The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has raised the fees for all its products and services, including charges related to data modification on the National Identification Number (NIN) database.
In a statement issued in Abuja, Kayode Adegoke, NIMC’s Head of Corporate Communications, announced that the updated service fees are published on the commission’s official website.
Adegoke noted that the new pricing structure for NIMC’s services and products marks the first comprehensive review of its fees in over a decade.
The statement stated that the revised pricing is designed to align with prevailing operational costs and industry standards, while continuing to ensure that services remain accessible and affordable for all Nigerians.
The statement warned its Front-End Partners (FEPs) to comply with the newly approved rates, stating that any failure to do so could attract strict sanctions, including possible license revocation.
“The new structure ensures that the quality and integrity of our services remain uncompromised. We are committed to protecting the interests of Nigerians through fair and transparent pricing,” the statement read.
NIMC urged the public to report any Front-End Partners (FEPs) found charging beyond the approved rates. Reports can be directed to the Commission’s Inspectorate and Enforcement Unit via email at ieu@nimc.gov.ng
It further reaffirmed its commitment to delivering secure and dependable identity services. A complete list of the revised service fees can be accessed on its official website at www.nimc.gov.ng.
In a related development, Abisoye Coker-Odusote, Director General of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), expressed sincere appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his unwavering support in enhancing the National Identity Database (NIDB).
She also extended her gratitude to the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, and other key partners for their pivotal roles in advancing a sustainable and effective identity management system.
Artificial intelligence (AI) adoption could boost Africa’s gross domestic product by an additional 4.9 percentage points by 2035, as the African economy is reshaped by the emerging technology.
This is according to PwC’s recently released report: Value in Motion. It is based on data-driven scenario analysis, which reveals that globally, AI has the potential to boost economic output by up to 15 percentage points over the next decade.
The global growth dividend from AI varies according to the region and depends on more than technical success – it also hinges on responsible deployment, clear governance, and public and organisational trust, notes the report.
This would effectively add one percentage point to annual growth rates − on par with the growth increment the world began enjoying with 19th century industrialisation.
In other scenarios analysed by PwC, characterised by lower trust and co-operation, the incremental boost to the economy from AI would be more muted at 8%, or in a pessimistic scenario just 1%.
The research finds that rapid reconfiguration of the economy is already under way. PwC analysis indicates the pressure for African businesses to reinvent themselves is at some of the highest levels seen in the last 25 years across six out of nine sectors in Africa.
The $150.54 billion in revenue in Africa is set to shift between companies in 2025 alone, a trend that begun prior to the recent global increase in tariffs.
PwC’s research suggests that over the next decade, industries will reconfigure to meet human needs in new ways, leading to the formation of new ‘domains’ that cross traditional sector lines.
Dion Shango, PwC Africa CEO, explains: “As the structure of the economy transforms, value will increasingly come from organisations that can connect the dots across traditional industry boundaries. By focusing on evolving customer needs and using technology to dramatically change the way business operates, business leaders can unlock a step change in growth.”
According to Google’s Digital Opportunity of Africa report, AI could contribute up to $30 billion to Sub-Saharan Africa’s economy by 2030. Africa stands to accelerate its growth through AI as more people gain connectivity and harness technology for good, it notes.
“Across the continent, a new generation of innovators are harnessing technology to solve some of the world’s most pressing challenges,” says Google.
In terms of AI’s impact on the climate, PwC’s analysis shows that while AI is set to accelerate growth, the costs of physical climate threats will impose economic constraints.
PwC’s economic modelling suggests that physical climate impacts could result in the African economy being over 12%smaller (globally: 7%) by 2035 in all scenarios than it would have been otherwise.
“Increased AI adoption is expected to lead to increased energy use by data centres. However, modest use of AI to drive energy-efficiency could offset this increased use of energy. PwC estimates that the energy use and emissions impact of AI would be neutral if each additional percentage point of AI use led to innovations which cut energy intensity by just 0.1% globally,” says the report.
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