The Kaduna State Government has launched the Blue Camel Renewable Solar Power Assembly Plant and Renewable Energy Training Academy in the state. The State Governor, Nasiru El-Rufai said the plant was important to Government considering the significance of the renewable and solar energy in the future of the developing world.

The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring Ease of Doing Business in the country. Senior Special Assistant to the President on Industry, Trade and Investment‎, Dr Jumoke Oduwole stated this during a stakeholders sensitisation workshop held in Kano.
News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that the presidential aide, who is also the Coordinator of the Enabling Business Environment Secretariat, said the government was taking measures to reduce the duration of doing business.

Mr Wale Adegbite, Chairman, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) Ogun Chapter, on Thursday expressed disappointment over the Monetary Policy Committee (MPR) ‘s decision to retain all the monetary policy rates.

Adegbite expressed his view in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ota, Ogun.

He said MPC could have reduced the policy rates so as to jump-start the economy after the long seizure for close to two years.

Aishah Ahmad, Edward Adamu, and the two other newly confirmed members of the monetary policy committee of the Central Bank of Nigeria have voted to retain the record-high benchmark interest rate at 14 percent.

According to Godwin Emefiele, who addressed a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, the MPC unanimously voted to retain key rates.

This is the first time Ahmad and Adamu, the recently confirmed deputy governors of CBN; and two others members confirmed by the Senate — Adeola Adekinju and Aliyu Sanusi — are voting as part of the MPC.

Nigeria's power sector lost about N108 billion during the first three months of this year due to several constraints inhibiting the regular supply of electricity in the country.

According to data from the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI), the power sector is losing between N1.2 billion to N1.5 billion monthly to water, gas and transmission line constraints.

For example, on January 25, 2018, average power sent was 3,971mw and 2,302.8mw was not generated due to unavailability of gas.About 417mw was not generated due to unavailability of transmission infrastructure, while 290mw was not generated due to high frequency resulting from unavailability of distribution infrastructure.

The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, monetary policy committee meets this Wednesday to set interest rates for the first time this year.

Interest rates have been stuck at a record high of 14 percent since July 2016. However, the committee had to cancel its January meeting due to an inability to form a quorum following a number of departures that reduced it to just five out of 12 members.

A majority of analysts taking part in a Reuters poll said they expected rates to stay on hold for now, but that they would be cut later in the year.

Dr Chijioke Ekechukwu, an economist, has called for import restriction on goods and items that can be locally manufactured in order to protect local manufacturers. Ekechukwu, a former Director-General, Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry, gave the advice in an interview with reporters in Abuja.

Despite the bearish trend that prevailed in the equities market on the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, for the most part of March 2018, activities in the market ended the first quarter, Q1’18, on a bullish note, resulting in N1.38 trillion gains to the investors. Review of transactions in the market for the quarter showed that the market capitalization, which represents the total value of investors’ assets was up 10.17 percent to N14.993 trillion from N13.609 trillion at the beginning of the year.

Dr Jumoke Oduwole, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Industry, Trade and Investment‎, says the Federal Government is committed to ensuring Ease of Doing Business in Nigeria. According to reports, Oduwole said this during a stakeholders sensitization workshop held in Kano.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has reportedly written to the Former Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala inviting her to explain how the sum of $250million of the $500million recovered from the family of the late Head of State, Gen.Sani Abacha, was withdrawn, Vanguard reports.