The Federal Government has launched a significant initiative to revive the Aluminium Smelting Company of Nigeria (ALSCON), a key player in the nation’s industrial sector. This revival is expected to boost the local economy, create jobs, and strengthen Nigeria’s position in the global aluminium market.

During a two-day facility tour of ALSCON in Ikot Abasi, Akwa Ibom State, from Monday, January 27th, to Tuesday, January 28th, 2025, the Minister of Steel Development, Prince Shaiubu Abubakar Audu, underscored the strategic importance of resuscitating the company. He emphasized that the initiative goes beyond aluminium production, aiming to establish a robust industrial base that will attract foreign investment and stimulate economic growth. He further reiterated the present administration’s commitment to making Nigeria a hub for aluminium production in Africa.

Prince Audu, accompanied by the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Chris Osa Isokpunwu, and other Ministry Directors, disclosed that after extensive deliberations, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, directed the Ministry, as the regulator of the aluminium industry, to resolve all lingering issues surrounding ALSCON. He stated that once these challenges are addressed, the company is expected to generate thousands of direct and indirect jobs, significantly benefiting the local economy. Additionally, reviving ALSCON will enhance the supply chain for aluminium products, benefiting industries such as construction, automobile manufacturing, and packaging.

The Minister also highlighted the anticipated economic impact of ALSCON’s revival, noting that it is expected to attract substantial investments in the aluminium sector and generate significant revenue for the government through taxes and royalties. He emphasized that for Nigeria to achieve President Tinubu’s vision of a $1 trillion economy by 2030, critical industrial assets like ALSCON must be fully operational.

The visit aimed to provide a firsthand assessment of the plant’s capacity, enabling the Minister to prepare a comprehensive report for the President’s consideration and approval on the best approach to resolving all outstanding issues related to ALSCON.

In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Chris Osa Isokpunwu, stressed the plant’s critical role in the nation’s economic development. He reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to ensuring ALSCON’s revival and urged all stakeholders to cooperate by providing necessary information to facilitate a speedy resolution.

Speaking on behalf of ALSCON, Managing Director Zaviyalov Dmitriy acknowledged the challenges that have hindered the plant’s revival. He disclosed that the management has maintained a workforce of approximately 108 employees to preserve the plant’s infrastructure and equipment in readiness for an overhaul and full-scale operations.

The facility tour concluded with a technical session between Ministry Directors and ALSCON management to evaluate the plant’s current status and explore solutions to existing bottlenecks.

In an environment characterised by instant gratification, instant reward and instant feedback, the drive to speed things up comes at a cost. When it comes to IT architecture and investment, the focus should be on long-term sustainability over shiny new bling. That’s the message from Dariel Software’s Office of the CTO (OCTO) team as they reflect on 2024 and look ahead to the next 12 months.

Mastering the basics and the allure of silver bullets

Dirk Ras, Architect and Practice Lead for Cloud at Dariel, says 2024 highlighted the dangers of underinvestment in core systems. “One major challenge we observed was businesses suffering from the knock-on effect of years of underinvestment in proper technology and renewal roadmaps. Many businesses didn’t take steps to maintain or upgrade their systems when they should have, and now they’re racing against end-of-life deadlines.”

“We’re also seeing businesses try to cut costs by leaning into AI-assisted models while reducing reliance on expensive engineering talent. It’s a tempting approach because engineering talent is expensive and difficult to manage, but the problem is that this leads to poorly thought-out implementations. Businesses need to understand that the complexity of managing smart people is worth it if you want sustainable, high-quality outcomes,” says Wayne Yan, CTO at Dariel.

The allure of silver bullet solutions like cloud migrations or blockchain implementations often distracts businesses from addressing fundamental problems. Jason Evans, Software Architect at Dariel, says that small successes can lead to overconfidence. “We’ve seen companies migrate one website to the cloud successfully and then assume their entire IT infrastructure should follow. Cloud isn’t always the answer. Every decision needs a clear business case.”

Yan says businesses should “stay in the problem space longer” to fully understand the constraints and objectives before jumping to solutions. “A stable, needs-based approach might not be sexy, but it’s the key to long-term success.”

Responsible experimentation

Experimentation is another area where businesses often falter. According to Jacques Burger, Senior Business Analyst at Dariel, the goal of experimentation is learning, not delivering a polished product. “Businesses need to get comfortable with testing and discarding what doesn’t work. Controlled, iterative experiments lead to informed decisions and scalable solutions. Of course, all this hinges on understanding the problem you’re trying to solve. If the goal is to refresh the tech stack or move to the cloud, then that’s one thing. If you’re trying to rejuvenate the business and change the way that it works through process improvement, then that’s a different thing. And fundamentally, the approach to solving these problems are different.”

“Businesses often chase flashy solutions rather than taking a boring but stable approach to technology decisions. A flashy pitch might look great in a presentation, but what really matters is staying in the problem space longer. Understand the constraints, budget, talent, and maturity before jumping into solutions. Requirement elicitation followed by responsible experimentation beats silver bullets every time,” agrees Yan.

Treating data as an asset

Data governance will be a critical focus for 2025. Businesses must move beyond seeing data as something to store and instead treat it as a valuable asset. “Data quality improves when it’s treated like any other business asset,” explains Ras. “You maintain it, protect it, and ensure it’s generating value.”

The consequences of poor data governance will likely become a major concern for organisations in the coming year and beyond as regulations around data protection and privacy tighten across the globe. “In the near future, data governance is going to become a monstrously big and important thing that businesses grapple with. More organisations will require a team of experts to guide them on best practices and compliance. While banks tend to be proficient in data governance, smaller companies often struggle with it,” Ras adds.

Prepping for 2025

South African companies face distinct challenges, which makes comparing local operations and capacity for innovation to those of US tech giants a misnomer. “Stop comparing yourself to U.S. tech giants like Uber or Facebook. I’ve had conversations with executives who want their businesses to be ‘more like Uber,’ but they don’t have the resources. Facebook has the luxury of 35,000 engineers. You’re not in the same league or even playing the same sport, and that’s okay. Success requires solutions tailored to your unique constraints,” says Ras.

Yan adds, “You can’t buy a digital business off the shelf. Building an engineering culture and integrating technology into your organisational DNA takes time and effort. 2025 isn’t about chasing the next big thing. It’s about getting your house in order and creating value where it matters most.”

The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) has celebrated its Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Khalil Suleiman Halilu, for being honoured with the Young Global Leader Award by ThisDay Newspaper during its grand 30th-anniversary celebration held on January 27, 2025, in Lagos.

The award recognizes Khalil Halilu’s transformative leadership, visionary contributions to Nigeria’s technology and manufacturing sectors, and his commitment to sustainable development through innovation.

Since assuming leadership at NASENI, Halilu has spearheaded groundbreaking initiatives that have solidified the agency’s position as a critical driver of Nigeria’s industrial revolution. Halilu’s leadership has led to 35 market-ready products for use by Nigerians and closed deals on 44 projects with Agency’s partners, ready for launching or commissioning.

Speaking on the award, Halilu expressed gratitude to ThisDay Newspaper for the recognition, dedicating the accolade to the entire NASENI team. “This award is a testament to the collective efforts of the NASENI family in advancing innovation and ensuring Nigeria remains at the forefront of technology and engineering infrastructure. It inspires us to work even harder toward creating solutions that empower industries and communities,” he said.

The Young Global Leader Award reflects Halilu’s visionary leadership, under which NASENI has implemented numerous landmark projects, including the development of sustainable green technologies, the establishment of world-class manufacturing facilities, and strategic collaborations with local and international partners to boost Nigeria’s economic growth and development.

ThisDay Newspaper, celebrating three decades of excellence in journalism, selected Halilu alongside other exceptional leaders for their exemplary contributions to societal development and innovation. The award ceremony, held at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos brought together luminaries from across Nigeria’s public and private sectors to celebrate excellence and leadership.

NASENI, under Khalil Halilu’s leadership, reaffirms its commitment to fostering innovation, industrialization, and sustainable growth in Nigeria. This recognition serves as a further motivation for the Agency to continue breaking new grounds in science, engineering, and technology for national development.

 In a major step towards strengthening Nigeria’s agricultural sector, the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Tiamin Rice Limited. The agreement is set to revolutionize irrigation infrastructure, enhance agricultural productivity, and contribute to national food security.

This partnership aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s food security agenda, focusing on sustainable agricultural practices that will improve crop yields, reduce dependence on food imports, and create employment opportunities. NASENI, known for its cutting-edge engineering solutions, will provide advanced irrigation technologies and innovative farming infrastructure to support large-scale rice production and other agricultural ventures.

According to NASENI officials, this collaboration will introduce modern irrigation systems that ensure efficient water management, allowing farmers to cultivate crops all year round. This is expected to significantly increase Nigeria’s rice output and reduce post-harvest losses, ultimately driving economic growth in the agricultural sector.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, the CEO of Tiamin Rice Limited expressed confidence that the partnership would not only enhance food production but also strengthen Nigeria’s position as a key player in Africa’s rice industry. He emphasized that integrating NASENI’s technological expertise with Tiamin’s agricultural experience will result in a more efficient and productive farming system.

The move has been widely applauded by industry stakeholders, who see it as a crucial step towards achieving Nigeria’s goal of self-sufficiency in food production. As climate change and population growth continue to challenge food security, investments in innovative agricultural solutions like this will play a pivotal role in ensuring long-term sustainability.

With this agreement, NASENI and Tiamin Rice Limited have set the stage for a transformative shift in Nigeria’s agricultural landscape—one that promises increased productivity, economic empowerment for farmers, and a more resilient food system.

#RevolutionizingAgricultureInNigeria
#SustainableFoodSecurityForNigeria

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has concluded his visit to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, where he joined other African leaders at the **Mission 300 Africa Energy Summit**. The two-day summit, hosted by the Tanzanian government in partnership with the African Union, the African Development Bank (AfDB), and the World Bank Group, ended with the adoption of the **Dar es Salaam Declaration**—a bold commitment to provide electricity access to 300 million Africans by 2030.

President Tinubu, who arrived in Tanzania on Sunday, has since returned to Abuja. During the summit, he reaffirmed Nigeria’s determination to ensure that every citizen has access to reliable and affordable electricity within the next five years.

The event, held at the Julius Nyerere International Convention Centre, brought together leaders from 12 African nations, including Nigeria, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Tanzania, and Zambia. Together, they signed the Dar es Salaam Declaration, which outlines a roadmap for achieving energy access through National Energy Compacts. These compacts will address specific policy measures and set tailored targets for each country.

In a speech delivered by Nigeria’s Minister of Power, **Adebayo Adelabu**, President Tinubu commended the AfDB, the World Bank Group, and other development partners for their collective efforts to bridge Africa’s energy gap. He urged African leaders to prioritise energy access as a foundation for economic growth and development.

“Let us work together to create a brighter future for our citizens—where every African can access reliable and affordable energy. A future where our industries thrive, our economies grow, and our people prosper,” President Tinubu said.

The President highlighted Nigeria’s progress in the energy sector, including the AfDB’s $1.1 billion investment, which is expected to provide electricity for 5 million Nigerians by 2026. He also mentioned the $200 million Nigeria Electrification Project, aimed at powering 500,000 households by 2025. Additionally, he noted the AfDB’s planned $700 million investment in the Nigeria Desert to Power Programme and a $500 million facility for the **Nigeria-Grid Battery Energy Storage System**, which will benefit an additional 2 million Nigerians.

President Tinubu also revealed that Nigeria is set to leverage the World Bank’s $750 million support to expand distributed energy access through mini-grids and standalone solar systems, targeting 16.2 million people.

“As Nigeria’s President, I am committed to making energy access a top priority. This is an ambitious goal, but we can achieve it together,” he said.

The President outlined Nigeria’s ongoing investments in renewable energy, particularly solar power, and announced plans to develop an **Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Infrastructure Programme**. He shared that the first 100 electric buses have already arrived in the country, marking a significant step towards sustainable transportation.

“Nigeria’s energy sector is growing as a direct result of our reforms. We are incentivising investments in renewable energy, oil, and gas, as well as energy efficiency,” President Tinubu added.

The summit also saw the **International Finance Corporation (IFC)** commit $70 million in private sector funding to five Nigerian Renewable Electricity Service Companies (RESCOs) under the **Nigeria Distributed Access Through Renewable Energy Scale-Up (DARES)** programme. This initiative will be implemented by the **Rural Electrification Agency (REA)**.

Nigeria’s **National Energy Compact**, presented at the summit, sets ambitious targets, including expanding power generation, investing in transmission and distribution infrastructure, and incentivising private sector participation. The compact estimates that Nigeria will require $23.2 billion in investments to achieve last-mile electrification, with contributions from both public and private sectors.

President Tinubu concluded by thanking Ajay Banga’ President of the World Bank Group, and Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina, President of the AfDB, for their transformative vision, which he described as “a beacon of hope that will light up and power Africa.”

The Nigerian delegation expressed optimism that the commitments made at the summit will pave the way for a new era of energy access and economic prosperity across the continent.