Tanzania : Energy Ministry Pushes For Financial Support To Accelerate Clean Cooking Adoption
Ghana: NPA Boss Touts Authority’s Disciplined Regulatory Regime At 2026 Nigeria International Energy Summit
The discussion also explored Africa’s broader downstream opportunities and the urgent need for the continent to refine, utilise and retain more of its petroleum value within its own economies.
NIES 2026 was held from February 2 to 5 in Abuja, under the theme: “Energy for Peace and Prosperity: Securing Our Shared Future.”
It is regarded as Africa’s premier energy gathering and attracts global leaders, policymakers, and industry experts who convene to drive investment, forge partnerships, and explore innovative solutions to the continent’s energy challenges.
The summit is endorsed by the Federal Government of Nigeria, making it a key platform for strategic policy dialogue and investment opportunities in the energy sector.
Nigeria: Regulatory Discipline Key To Nigeria’s Downstream Success – TotalEnergies
Gambia: NAWEC Refutes Audio Claiming Nationwide Power Outage On Thursday
The Gambia’s National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC) has dismissed reports of a planned nationwide power outage purported to take place on Thursday, February 5, 2026.
The utility company described an audio message circulating on social media—claiming that electricity would be cut across the entire country—as false and without basis.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, NAWEC clarified that there is no scheduled activity, maintenance exercise, or technical operation that would necessitate a nationwide power disruption. The institution emphasised that its operations continue normally and that existing systems remain stable.
NAWEC noted that the country has recently seen improvements in power generation and distribution following ongoing investments in infrastructure, including upgrades to transmission lines and substations aimed at strengthening reliability.
The company reiterated that electricity supply will remain normal and uninterrupted, except in rare cases where unplanned maintenance becomes necessary due to unforeseen emergencies, such as equipment faults or severe weather conditions.
In such situations, NAWEC’s Public Relations and Digital Communications Team will promptly notify the public through official communication channels.
The utility company urged citizens to rely solely on verified and credible information from its official website and social media platforms, stressing that misinformation can cause unnecessary anxiety and disrupt public trust.
According to NAWEC, the circulating audio is misleading and appears intended to create unwarranted alarm while undermining the significant progress being made to enhance electricity supply nationwide.
NAWEC reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, accountability, and timely communication in the delivery of essential services to the nation.
Ghana: PETROSOL CEO Assures Consumers Of Top-Quality Products
He assured PETROSOL of Mactex Oil’s continued support to help deliver premium-quality lubricants at competitive prices.
In 2019, PETROSOL successfully introduced its range of branded lubricants, specially formulated to perform optimally under Ghana’s climatic conditions and the broader African terrain. These products are suitable for both heavy-duty and light-duty vehicles and equipment.
The range includes mineral and fully synthetic oils such as engine oil, hydraulic oil, gear oil, and automatic transmission fluid. Russia’s Latest Strikes Knock Out Power In Several Apartment Buildings Amid Cold Weather
Fresh attacks on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, by Russia have left more than 1,100 apartment buildings without power, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday.
According to the president, over 200 repair crews have been deployed to work quickly to restore electricity to affected parts of the country.
“As of today, the toughest situation is in Kyiv and the region, Kharkiv and the region, Sumy region, and Poltava region,” Zelensky wrote on social media, according to a BBC report.
“It is also difficult in other parts of central Ukraine, including the Dnipro and Cherkasy regions.”
He added that more repair teams would be brought in to help restore power “to ensure proper rotation of crew members – people are exhausted.”
Residents have been forced to spend the night sheltering in Kyiv’s metro stations, with some pitching tents on the platforms to protect themselves from the freezing cold.
Authorities have set up warming centres across the city, and more generators are being imported to cope with prolonged blackouts as engineers work to repair the damaged infrastructure.
In the eastern city of Kharkiv, a power plant has reportedly been damaged beyond repair.
Ukraine’s Energy Minister, Denys Shmyhal, said the national energy system would take time to fix. This includes Kyiv’s Darnytsia Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plant, which he said had been “severely damaged.”
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer described Russia’s attacks on Ukraine’s energy sector—carried out as temperatures plunged to -20°C (-4°F)—as “barbaric” and “particularly depraved.”
He made the remarks following a phone call with US President Donald Trump hours after Russia struck power plants and critical infrastructure in Kyiv and other regions.
Trump told reporters that President Vladimir Putin had “kept his word” on the week-long pause.
“The agreement was on Sunday, and Putin went from Sunday to Sunday,” Trump said when asked whether he was disappointed by Russia’s renewed attacks. “It’s a lot—you know, one week. We’ll take anything, because it’s really, really cold over there.”
The US president has been leading diplomatic efforts to end the war, but his Russian counterpart has rejected calls for a ceasefire.
The Ukrainian Air Force said it was targeted by more than 100 drones. While most were intercepted, drone strikes were reported in 14 locations, along with incidents of falling debris.
About seven people were killed and eight injured in the eastern Donetsk region, according to its governor, Vadym Filashkin.
He wrote on Telegram that Russian forces had hit the city with cluster munitions, including a busy market.
Zambia: President Hichilema Urges Regional Energy Cooperation To Fast-Track Economic Growth
Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema has called for stronger regional cooperation and coordination in energy management to accelerate economic growth across Africa.
He stressed that energy security must be treated as a shared regional priority rather than an isolated national concern, noting that interconnected power systems, harmonised policies and joint planning would boost industrialisation, trade and investment across the continent.
Addressing participants at the Continental Energy and Infrastructure Investment Forum (CEIIF) in Zambia, President Hichilema said collaboration among neighbouring countries would help mitigate future energy shocks and build more resilient economies.
He outlined key reforms implemented by his administration in the energy sector, stating that these interventions had been crucial in addressing longstanding challenges in electricity supply and governance.
The President highlighted the adoption of Open Access to the national grid and the introduction of a single licensing framework as major milestones that have reduced bureaucratic bottlenecks and improved transparency.
According to him, the reforms have created a more predictable and investor-friendly environment while strengthening regulatory oversight and enhancing market efficiency.
He noted that, as a direct result of these regulatory changes, Zambia now has Independent Power Traders operating in the market alongside an expanding number of Independent Power Producers (IPPs).
President Hichilema explained that this evolving market structure has diversified power sources, promoted competition and improved supply reliability for both households and industries.
He acknowledged that his government had taken tough and sometimes unpopular decisions to address the recent energy crisis, emphasising that failure to act would have posed serious risks to Zambia’s economic stability.
Looking ahead, the President revealed Zambia’s ambition to expand national power generation capacity to 10,000 megawatts, including 3,000 megawatts from coal.
He described this as a balanced energy strategy that combines renewable sources with baseload power to support industrial growth and economic transformation.
He concluded by reaffirming his commitment to regional partnership, innovation and sustainable energy development as pillars for long-term prosperity.
Nigeria Hands Over Africa Energy Bank Headquarters To APPO And Afreximbank
APPO Secretary-General Farid Ghezali said the bank would play a vital role in mobilising capital for resource development, praising Afreximbank’s partnership as key to the institution’s credibility.
The Africa Energy Bank—an APPO–Afreximbank initiative—is expected to finance upstream, midstream and downstream projects, strengthen energy security, and help African nations monetise hydrocarbon resources responsibly.
Nigeria was selected as host after a competitive bidding process and pledged to provide the headquarters and other support commitments. Ghana: OSP Recovers GH¢8.5 Million From Fuel Diversion
South Africa: Former Eskom Contract Worker Jailed For 35 Years For Tampering And Theft At Camden Power Station
Mozambique: AfDB Approves $150M For Coral North Floating LNG Project
Ghana: GOIL Maintains Petrol Price At GHS 9.99 And Offers Diesel Discounts Across 200 Outlets To Support Vulnerable Ghanaians
Ghana: Only 6.2% Of Low-Income Electricity Consumers In Accra And Central Regions Benefit From Lifeline Tariff – Report
A recent International Growth Centre (IGC)-funded study by the GIMPA–PURC Centre of Excellence in Public Utilities Regulation (CEPUR) has found that only a small share of households actually benefit from the lifeline electricity tariff, with beneficiaries unevenly spread across Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) districts and largely concentrated in low-income communities.
The research, titled “The Lifeline Electricity Tariff Classification Policy in Ghana: A Hit or Miss!”, was carried out in the Greater Accra and Central Regions and supported by the International Growth Centre, an organisation focused on economic policy research. The survey sampled 1,098 households across the two regions. However, the findings showed that only 6.2% of low-income households—those whose electricity consumption falls within the lifeline bracket of zero (0) to 30 kWh—reflecting a poor targeting of the policy in the West African nation. The findings were presented by Professor Philip Kofi Adom, the lead researcher, at a stakeholder engagement in Accra on Thursday, January 30, 2026. Lifeline electricity tariffs provide subsidised power to low-income residential consumers, defined in Ghana as households that consume between zero and 30 kilowatt-hours per month. The report recommended fixing “targeting linkages” for beneficiaries and addressing exclusion errors through improved metering systems. It also proposed introducing micro-consumption bands such as 0–30 kWh and 30–35 kWh to reduce sharp increases in bills that were “driving bunching and conservation through deprivation.” Additionally, the report suggested automatic, time-limited rebates for repeat “near-miss” customers to protect near-poor and larger households that narrowly exceed the consumption threshold. Other recommendations included enforcing the one-household-one-meter policy to address shared meters and implementing intensive, district-specific public education campaigns to improve understanding of the lifeline tariff system. Dr. Ishmael Ackah, Technical Advisor at the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition, said the Ministry remained committed to ensuring reliable and affordable electricity. He noted that cost-effective tariffs were necessary to curb illegal connections, stressing that energy remained an anchor for integrating other sectors of the economy for national development. Professor Samuel Kwaku Bonsu, Rector of GIMPA, described electricity as the engine of development, emphasising that both households and industry depended heavily on it. He urged the government to design systems that ensured easy and affordable access to electricity, noting that many citizens spent a significant portion of their income on utilities. Participants at the event called for broader stakeholder engagement to clarify eligibility criteria for lifeline tariffs, pointing out that the policy—intended to benefit poor households—is often accessed by wealthier ones.Mozambique: TotalEnergies Restarts $20 Billion LNG Project In Mozambique After 5-Year Freeze
