Nigeria Secures $1.1bn AfDB Loan To Power 5m People By 2026 – Tinubu

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Nigeria has secured a $1.1 billion loan from the African Development Bank (AfDB) for the provision of electricity for 5 million people by the end of 2026.

According to Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President, (Information & Strategy), President Bola Tinubu made this known in a speech presented by Adebayo Adelabu, Minister of Power, at the just concluded two-day Mission 300 Africa Energy Summit in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Tinubu also stated that the AfDB’s $200 million in the Nigeria Electrification Project will provide electricity for 500,000 people by the end of 2025.

“I (Tinubu) acknowledged AfDB’s $1.1 billion, expected to provide electricity for 5 million people by the end of 2026, while its $200 million in the Nigeria Electrification Project will provide electricity for 500,000 people by the end of 2025.

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

Meanwhile, the president of Nigeria is also expecting to get the planned $1.2 billion AfDB investment in the Nigeria Desert to Power programme and facility for the Nigeria-Grid Battery Energy Storage System.

“We also look forward to the AfDB’s planned $700 million investment in the Nigeria Desert to Power programme and its planned $500 million facility for the Nigeria-Grid Battery Energy Storage System, which will provide electricity for an additional two million people,” Tinubu said.

“We have equally begun making plans to ensure the effectiveness of the World Bank’s $750 million support for expanding Nigeria’s distributed energy access via mini-grids and standalone solar systems that will provide access to power to 16.2 million people,” he added.

President Tinubu thanked Ajay Banga, President of the World Bank Group, and Akinwunmi Adesina of AfDB for their transformative vision, which he said “will light up and power Africa.”

He also applauded the contributions of the UN Sustainable Energy For All, the Rockefeller Foundation, and the Global Energy Alliance for Development.

“As we all know, Africa is rich in energy resources, yet millions of our citizens still lack access to reliable and affordable energy.

“This situation is unacceptable. It is our responsibility to take collective action to change this narrative,” Tinubu said.

Max Air Plane Suffers Tyre Burst On Landing In Kano

A Max Air plane belonging to Katsina-born businessman Dahiru Mangal suffered a tyre burst while landing at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) on Tuesday night, causing panic among passengers. All passengers and crew members onboard were, however, safely evacuated without major injuries.

An airport source confirmed that the incident occurred at 10:57 pm when Flight VM1605, which had earlier departed from Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA) in Lagos, touched down in Kano.

“The aircraft suffered a tyre burst on landing. Emergency response teams were immediately activated, and all passengers were safely evacuated,” the source said.

It was gathered that the aircraft may have lost its nose landing gear tyre, which led to the incident. However, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) is expected to conduct a thorough investigation to determine the exact cause.

One of the passengers, Abdullahi Ibrahim, described the moment onboard as tense. He said, “As soon as we landed, there was a loud sound, and the plane shook violently. Some passengers started praying, but the crew assured us everything was under control. We are just grateful to be safe.”

Efforts to reach Max Air officials for an official statement were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report. However, aviation experts have assured the public that such incidents, while concerning, are not uncommon in the industry.

An aviation analyst Kabiru Ali said, “Tyre bursts can happen due to multiple factors such as runway conditions, excessive wear, or impact forces during landing. The most important thing is that no lives were lost, and the crew handled the situation well.”

Meanwhile, normal flight operations have resumed at the Kano airport, with authorities working to clear the affected aircraft from the runway.

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