MALIAN ARMY WITHDRAWS FROM KEY TESSALIT MILITARY CAMP. (PHOTO).

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 Malian army withdraws from key Tessalit military camp: sources Mali’s army and its Russian mercenary allies have surrendered Camp Tessalit, a strategic military post in the north, multiple sources told the AFP news agency on Friday. An official from the Tuareg-led separatist group claimed soldiers and mercenaries at the camp had "surrendered", following a fierce fight over the weekend. Simultaneous attacks in Mali by militants linked to Al Qaeda and separatist Tuareg rebels on April 25 showed how fighters ​from different groups with different goals were able to strike at the heart of the West African country's military government. Gunfire and explosions were reported in the capital Bamako and around a large military base outside the capital, as well as Gao and central areas, as gunfire continuing in the northern city of Kidal. Defence minister Sadio Camara was killed at his residence in Kati, a garrison town near the capital, Bamako, following the fierce weekend fighting...

FG SECURES $500M WORLD BANK LOAN TO FUND DISCOS. (PHOTO).


 FG secures $500m World Bank loan to fund Discos

 

The federal government has secured a $500  million loan from the World Bank to fund electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos).


According to the Bureau of Public Enterprises,  in a statement in Abuja, yesterday, the loan would fill financing gaps in the distribution segment, considered as the  most problematic in the industry.


“This funding supports the Nigerian Distribution Sector  Recovery Program (DISREP) aimed at improving the financial and technical performance of the DisCos.


“The DISREP is designed to enhance the financial and technical operations of the DisCos through capital investment and  the financing of key components of their Performance Improvement Plans (PIPs), which have been approved by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC),” the Bureau said in the statement signed by Amina Othman, Head, Public Communications.  


It added that the $500 million DISREP loan  offered  concessional financing with more favorable terms than commercial bank loans.  


It is expected that DisCos would invest the funds “in critical distribution infrastructure; Improve ATC&C losses; increase power supply reliability; achieve financial sustainability in the power sector; and enhance transparency and accountability. Significant progress has been made in the preparation of the DISREP Programme”, BPE explained.


According to the privatisation agency, key areas of improvement include: bulk procurement of customer/retail meters and meter data management systems; implementation of a Data Aggregation Platform (DAP); strengthening governance and transparency within the DisCos; and programme components.


The DISREP loan, particularly the Investment Project Financing (IPF) component is expected to significantly benefit the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI)  by closing the metering gap, reduce Aggregate Technical, Collection, and Commercial (ATC&C)  losses; improve remittances and liquidity for the DisCos; enhance the reliability of power supply; as well as increase transparency and accountability within the DisCos.

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