ARB to spin off its IoT Business via a listing on NASDAQ

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● The listing aims to accelerate the expansion and growth of its IoT business, raising a minimum gross proceeds of USD4 million (based on the issue price of at least USD4 per issue share)

● Its IoT-business arm, ARB IoT Group Limited (“AIGL”) would enable the Group to unlock the value of its investment in the IoT business and efficiently allocate resources for its next phase of growth
● AIGL Group has built up an IoT development ecosystem to help customers seize opportunities brought by new digital technologies with 4 business lines in IoT segment.
● The proposed listing is expected to be completed tentatively by 4Q 2022, barring any unforeseen circumstances and is subject to all required approvals.

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA – Media OutReach – 12 August 2022 – Main Market-listed information technology (“IT”) software and platform provider ARB Berhad (“ARB” or “Group”) proposes to list ARB IOT Group Limited (“AIGL”), an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of ARB Berhad on the NASDAQ Stock Exchange as a spin-off exercise of its IoT business arm (“Proposed Listing”).

AIGL provides a wide range of IoT system services, such as system integration and system support service. A filing with Bursa Malaysia today shows that the Proposed Listing will unlock the value of its investment in the IoT business and efficiently allocate resources to accelerate the expansion and growth of its IoT business.

ARB Berhad Executive Director Dato’ Sri Larry Liew Kok Leong (拿督斯里刘国良) said: “This Proposed Listing will be a new milestone for the Group. AIGL has a robust growth prospect given the evolving demand for new technology trends such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), cloud computing, robotic process automation, Internet-of-Things (IoTs) and hyper-connectivity, which continues to gain momentum.

Driven by favourable factors such as rapid urbanisation, a proliferation of technology and mobile devices and a shift from traditional agriculture to IoT agriculture in ASEAN countries, AIGL aims to be one of the top IoT players in the ASEAN region, particularly in agriculture, property development and logistics industries. “We intend to set up a regional hub for IoT technology in Singapore to support this initiative,” Dato’ Sri Larry said.

“To remain competitive in this fast-paced and ever-evolving industry, we need to invest strongly in the business operation, strategic acquisition and our research & development activities. The spin-off of our IoT business through a listing on the US NASDAQ Stock Exchange will help to provide us with the funding to pursue these expansion and growth opportunities.”

Dato’ Sri Liew also added that a successful listing of AIGL on the NASDAQ Stock Exchange will allow the Group to gain better recognition as a separate listing status, enhancing its corporate reputation, business profile and visibility which in turn will enable it to achieve greater market penetration.

“It’s not just financial flexibility that we are looking at with the listing of AIGL. As a standalone entity, AIGL will achieve greater market penetration and a wider customer base,” Liew said.

He also pointed out that the AIGL’s investor base could be widened through the participation of the global investing community, given the prominence of the NASDAQ Stock Exchange among global investors.

As for ARB, it would unlock the value of its investment through the share offering exercise under the Proposed Listing, thus enhancing the value for its shareholders.

AIGL expects to continue to deliver profitable growth, generate robust cash flow, and return capital to shareholders while maintaining a strong balance sheet. The Company will continue to prioritise opportunities by collaborating with the potential M&A targets to expand its geographical presence by taking advantage of cross-border business opportunities from 2022 onwards.

The filing with Bursa also shows that AIGL has built up an IoT development ecosystem to help customers address the challenges and opportunities of new digital technologies. Accordingly, AIGL Group has been organised into 4 business lines: IoT Smart Home & Building, IoT Smart Agriculture, IoT System Development, and IoT Gadget Distribution.

It added that the proposed utilisations of the proceed from the listing of AIGL on the NASDAQ Stock Exchange will be for the strategic acquisitions and investment activities of the Group, working capital and general corporate purposes, estimated listing expenses and research & development activities.

Going forward, Dato’ Sri Liew shared that the Group is in a good position to expand its business regionally and will accelerate the expansion of its IoT business by gaining new market share. Aside from that, AIGL will expand its customer base by growing its direct sales force and regional sales channels in new markets. The Company will also push towards operational improvement to drive earnings growth, expand margin and improve cashflow.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances and subject to all the required approvals being obtained, the Board of ARB expects the proposed listing of AIGL on the NASDAQ Stock Exchange to be completed by the fourth quarter of 2022.
Hashtag: #ARB

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About ARB Berhad

ARB Berhad (“ARB” or “Company”) is incorporated in Malaysia under the ACT in October 1997 and was listed on the Main Market of Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad in February 2004.

The Company is primarily an IT software and platform provider company.

It’s business operates predominantly in two (2) business areas:
1. Enterprise Resource Planning (“ERP”) – designing and reselling of customised ERP solutions
2. Internet of Things (“IoT”) – integrated solutions in the systems, engineering, procurement, commissioning, and management of IoT systems

Its expertise lies in empowering businesses through digital transformation and technology integration

Beauty Sets Record With BBN’s Earliest Disqualification  

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Beauty Sets Record With BBN’s Earliest Disqualification  

Former beauty queen, Beauty got #TwitterNaija in a frenzy over repeated displays of aggressive behaviors which gave her three strikes in the reality show and led to her early disqualification. This is the earliest disqualification a housemate has received with just 14 days in the house. #TwitterNaija users share their thoughts.

 

#BBNaijaS7 first eviction and more twists

The new season has seen its first live eviction show, with Cyph and Christy O being the first to go home. Big Brother has also not stopped with the twists and introduced two new housemates: Rachel (Level1 aka ‘trenches’) and Chizzy (Level 2 aka ‘island’). The new housemates are riders, which means that they aren’t competing for the grand prize but can participate in every activity till the end of the show. Check out the hilarious reactions from #TwitterNaija users as Biggie plans to stir up more drama.

 

Showmax thrills fans with #BBNaijaTheBuzz

ShowmaxNg is serving fans of #BBNaija with the sauce and gist of this season with its biweekly episodes of #BBNaijaTheBuzz on Twitter Spaces. The previous episode about the ships, eviction nominees and fake housemates has stirred up an interesting conversation on #TwitterNaija.  Fans are anticipating the next episode on 12th August. You can also catch up with exciting #BBNaijaS7 chats on the page.

 

Football Is Back!

After the long wait and boring weekends, the English Premier League is back! Fans on #TwitterNaija are thrilled as the season of bants resumes. The major highlight of the weekend was Manchester United’s loss at home to Brighton. Here is a thread of conversations from fans of the football club.

 

Kizz Daniel Arrested in Tanzania

Buga hitmaker Kizz Daniel was arrested in Tanzania after show organizers accused him of failing to perform at a show. While #TwitterNaija users trolled him for not showing up and communicating with his fans, other users shared their hilarious reactions to his arrest. The Buga crooner later apologized to his fans in a video after his release and promised a free show. Check out the conversations here.

 

Nigeria wins its record gold at the Commonwealth Games

Team Nigeria’s spectacular performances at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games have got #TwitterNaija buzzing yet again. With a time of 42.10s, the relay team of Tobi Amusan, Favour Ofili, Rosemary Chukwuma, and Grace Nwokocha achieved the best performance ever for team Nigeria, shattering the African Record. Nigeria finished the competition 7th on the medal table with its record gold of 12 as the best performing African team in the tournament. #TwitterNaija users showered their love and support on the entire team and the outstanding athletes with #TeamNigeriaCWG2022  #Tobiamusan

 

@Twitter remains your official source for what is trending.

Udokan Copper receives first BelAZ dump trucks for industrial mining

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MOSCOW, RUSSIA – Media OutReach – 12 August 2022 – Udokan Copper, the developer of Russia’s largest and one of the world’s biggest copper deposits, has received the first batch of 136-tonne BelAZ dump trucks as it prepares to begin industrial copper mining. The company will also consider using electric hybrid trucks in the future to reduce emissions during the works.

The trucks are designed to transport quarried materials in difficult climatic and mining conditions and will provide the technological capabilities to develop the Udokan copper deposit, located in Russia’s Far East near the border with China. The vehicles, each weighing 107 tonnes, are highly manoeuvrable and can operate under temperatures ranging from -50 to 50ᵒC, while ensuring the safety and comfort of their drivers.

In July 2020, Udokan Copper started developing the deposit as part of the works at the Western mine pit. The Company plans to develop two sections of the mine pit during the first phase of the project. The BelAZ trucks will enable open-pit mining at the site to reach a projected 15 million tonnes per year. A total of 15 vehicles will be delivered by February 2023, rising to 58 by the end of 2023, to be used to transport ore for crushing, floatation, and smelting at the mining and processing plant.

Aleksei Yaschuk, First Deputy CEO and COO at Udokan Copper, said:

“As part of our mining and capital works, we have already set up the sites, roads, and dumps needed for excavating overburden. As of today, we have excavated more than 2 million tonnes of by-product at the mine pit. In the future, the Company is ready to consider using BelAZ diesel-electric hybrid dump trucks, which will allow us to reduce atmospheric emissions and operating costs by saving fuel.”


Hashtag: #UdokanCopper

About Udokan Copper

Udokan Copper was founded in 2008 to develop the Udokan copper deposit. Located at Transbaikal Krai in the Russian Far East. It is part of the diversified holding company USM. The Udokan deposit, with over 26 million tonnes of copper reserves, is the largest new deposit in Russia. The JORC compliant copper grade is 1.05%.

As part of the project, a mining and metallurgy facility will be commissioned to produce copper cathode and sulphide concentrate, with annual copper production expected at 135,000 tonnes.

First-Ever BBNaija Documentary Will Air On August 13th

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First-Ever BBNaija Documentary Will Air On August 13th

The first-ever documentary on the television reality show, Big Brother Naija (BBNaija) is set to premiere Saturday, August 13, 2022.

Femi Falodun, Chief Executive Officer of ID Africa, media consultants to the reality TV show, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday.

Falodun said that the mini documentary titled ‘BBNaija: the Fame, the Fans, the Frenzy’, produced by ID Africa’s The Bang Studio, would premiere on Africa Magic Showcase.

”‘BBNaija: The Fame, the Fans, the Frenzy’ will take viewers behind the scenes of the biggest reality TV show in Africa and reveal some truths about the show’s production.

”It features some of the show’s most popular housemates, including Mercy Eke, Laycon, Nengi, Prince, Alex Asogwa, Bisola Aiyeola, Elozonam, and Ozo.

”’BBN: The Fame, the Fans, the Frenzy’ tells the untold story of the show and examines its impact through the eyes of relevant stakeholders, with appearances from the host, crew and organisers of the show.

”This has grown to become the biggest Big Brother franchise in the world,” he said.

Falodun explained that the show was an African pop-culture phenomenon, so it was necessary to tell its story.

”At ID Africa, we love to tell untold stories, and what better story to tell than that of the biggest Big Brother instalment in the franchise’s history?

”In the recently-concluded season alone, the show recorded over a billion votes from millions of viewers.

”It was also watched in over 30 countries across the globe, I am thrilled that we get to share the backstory of how this show is made and how much it changes the participants’ lives,” he said.

Dr Busola Tejumola, Executive Head of Content and West Africa Channels, MultiChoice, also shared her excitement about the premiere of the documentary.

She said: “We have worked tirelessly behind the scenes for years to make Big Brother Naija a success, so, it is quite exciting to see the story of how the show comes together each year being told so brilliantly.

”The documentary will give fans an insight into how much work it takes to deliver the show each year.

“’BBN: The Fame, the Fans, the Frenzy’ will premiere on Saturday, August 13, 2022, at 2 pm on Africa Magic Showcase (DStv Ch. 151)”.

The documentary will have a repeat broadcast on the channel at 12 pm on Monday, August 15 and 3:30 pm on Thursday, August 25.

It will also air on Africa Magic Urban on Sunday, August 14, 2022, at 12:30 pm and 3:10 pm, Thursday, August 18 at 12 pm.

There will also be repeat broadcasts on Sunday, August 21 at 3:30 pm and Thursday, August 25 at 5:30 pm.

DStv subscribers will also be able to watch the documentary on the go through the DStv app on multiple devices at no additional cost.

The app is available for download from the Apple and Google Play stores.

Tems And Others Make Headlines Accra, Ghana, And New York Host The Global Citizen Festival

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Tems And Others Make Headlines Accra, Ghana, And New York Host The Global Citizen Festival

Global Citizen, an international advocacy organization, announced the lineup of events for the 10th anniversary Global Citizen Festival, which will take place on September 24 in New York City’s Central Park and Black Star Square in Accra, Ghana.

 

Since its inception on Central Park’s Great Lawn in 2012, the Global Citizen Festival has become the world’s longest-running global campaign calling for an end to extreme poverty, uniting millions of voices, amplified by the world’s biggest artists, and demanding that world leaders take action NOW!

 

The festival will call on world leaders to invest $600 million in the future of women and girls, close the yearly $10 billion climate financing shortfall, deliver $500 million to help African farmers respond to the global food crisis, and provide urgent relief from crushing debts to End Extreme Poverty NOW at the United Nations General Assembly and ahead of the G20 and COP27 in November.

Accra’s iconic Black Star Square will host live performances by fast-rising Nigerian music star TEMS, as well as other world-renowned artists such as Usher, Sarkodie SZA, Stomzy, H.E.R., Gyakie, and Stonebwoy, to commemorate Ghana’s 65th anniversary of independence and the 20th anniversary of the African Union.

 

The festival will call on world leaders to invest $600 million in the future of women and girls, close the yearly $10 billion climate financing shortfall, deliver $500 million to help African farmers respond to the global food crisis, and provide urgent relief from crushing debts to End Extreme Poverty NOW at the United Nations General Assembly and ahead of the G20 and COP27 in November.

 

Accra’s iconic Black Star Square will host live performances by fast-rising Nigerian music star TEMS, as well as other world-renowned artists such as Usher, Sarkodie SZA, Stomzy, H.E.R., Gyakie, and Stonebwoy, to commemorate Ghana’s 65th anniversary of independence and the 20th anniversary of the African Union.

 

Global Citizen will continue to defend and promote advocacy throughout the campaign, ensuring that marginalized voices are heard and leaders are held accountable to deliver on their promises.

Global Citizen will raise the voices of citizens, particularly those from the Global South; defend the right of anyone to speak freely, dissent, and organize without fear of retaliation or violence; and call on corporations to refrain from using litigation to silence frontline activists.

Without such efforts to champion the causes of those in danger, the achievement of our campaign goals will continue to be prioritized by those in power.

Several governments and world leaders have backed the campaign. “While communities face injustices, crises, and inequalities around the world, we simply cannot give up the fight and solidarity to end poverty,” said Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations. We need all voices to call for a better future for everyone, everywhere. Now is the time for bold action. We can keep the Sustainable Development Goals’ promise if we work together with Global Citizen.”

Meta Begins Experimenting With End-To-End Encryption 

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Meta Begins Experimenting With End-To-End Encryption 

Meta announced today that it will expand its end-to-end encryption testing to individual Messenger chats. Beginning this week, people who participate in the test will have their most frequent chats automatically protected by end-to-end encryption.

The announcement comes just days after the company was involved in a Nebraska case involving a teen facing abortion charges, in which the company turned over her private Facebook Messages to cops. Notably, if these messages had been encrypted end-to-end, Meta would not have been able to reveal these details.

End-to-end encryption features for Messenger were first tested by Meta in 2016 for “secret conversations.” Later, in 2021, it expanded that protection to include voice and video calls. The company introduced opt-in end-to-end encryption for groups in January.

Backups that are encrypted

For iOS and Android, the company is also testing the “secure storage” option for end-to-end encrypted conversations. Users will be able to protect their Messenger backup keys with a PIN or code and upload them to third-party cloud services such as iCloud or Google Drive. According to the company, the backup will remain on Meta servers.

Secure Storage currently only protects end-to-end chats — such as group conversations — on iOS and Android, and does not apply to non-encrypted chat or Messenger for web and desktop.

Last year, after years of criticism, WhatsApp began offering encrypted backup to its 2 billion+ users. While the chat app always provided end-to-end encryption for chats, its backups were not protected, giving law enforcement potential access to all data.

Meta also stated that it intends to expand its end-to-end encryption test for Instagram direct messages in the near future. Instagram began testing end-to-end encrypted messages last year via an opt-in setting. The feature was initially made available to all users in Ukraine and Russia in February.

In another experiment, the social media giant will soon allow users to unsend encrypted messages and sync deleted messages across devices.

Meta stated last year that it expects to implement default end-to-end encryption protection across all of its apps by 2023.

New Times Energy issues profit alert and expects to post a profit of HK$200 to HK$220 million for first half of 2022

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HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 12 August 2022 – New Times Energy Corporation Limited (“the Company” or “New Times Energy”, together with its subsidiaries, the “Group”, HKSE stock code: 0166) is pleased to announce that, the Group expects to record a profit after tax of approximately HK$200 million to HK$220 million for the six months ended 30 June 2022 as compared to a loss of approximately HK$22 million for the same period in 2021. The Company considers the turnaround in the results was primarily attributable to the contribution of operating profits of its Canadian subsidiary, NTE Energy Canada Ltd. (NTEC).

NTEC is headquartered in Calgary, Alberta and operates over 800 producing wells in various oil and gas fields across the provinces of Alberta and British Columbia, with current oil and gas production of over 12,700 barrels of oil equivalent per day (95% natural gas) and was able to realize substantial positive cash flow from surging commodity prices. The Group also owns a 1,200 acres multi-use site (“NTE Discovery Park”) at Campbell River, British Columbia which is leased to tenants in industries including but not limited to green data centers, modular homes construction, and vertical farming.

NTE Discovery Park has entered into agreements with CubicFarm® Systems Corp. (“CubicFarms”) (TSX:CUB), a leading chain agricultural technology company, in relation to the purchase of 26 CubicFarm System indoor growing modules and setting up vertical farming operations to provide efficient, localized food supply solutions. Using CubicFarms’ CEA technology and given 90% of leafy green vegetables consumed in British Columbia are imported, NTE Discovery Park aims at providing local communities with better access to delicious fresh food year-round without importing over long distances, thereby reducing the carbon footprint of food delivered to consumers. It plans to expand with the sale and manufacturing of an additional 100 modules in the near future.

[Additional information and media on Discovery Park can be accessed at the Group’s corporate website: www.nt-energy.com.]

Hashtag: #NewTimesEnergy

About New Times Energy Corporation Limited

New Times Energy Corporation Limited (HKSE stock code: 166), headquartered in Hong Kong, is an international resource company that operates natural gas weighted assets in Alberta and British Columbia and is taking steps to transform its business model into clean and sustainable energy, in its effort to be a part of the global “Energy Transition” that is underway, with social responsibility towards the environment and climate change at the forefront.

Crypto Exchange Bybit Branches Out in India with Learning and Earning Campaign

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  • Leading exchange help users rise up to “enormous opportunities” in crypto
  • Exclusive offers for Indian users to trade with confidence and ease at Bybit

VICTORIA, SEYCHELLES – Media OutReach – 12 August 2022 – Bybit, the third most visited cryptocurrency exchange in the world with more than 7 million users, announced a series of offers for Indian users with unprecedented rewards and bonuses from Aug. 12, 10AM UTC to Sept. 1, 10AM UTC.

The campaign in India seeks to improve crypto literacy and offer a frictionless and safe trading experience for traders of all levels. Bybit is poised to be a one-stop crypto destination offering spot, derivatives, staking and earning products and services, complete with an NFT marketplace and advanced tools to automate trading strategies.

New users in India can enroll in three simple steps: learn, practice and share. The first 1,000 traders to sign up will get to share a $10,000 rewards pool and take part in a NFT giveaway. Eligible users are also entitled to up to $420 in bonus through the Bybit referral program.

The learning benefits include tutorials on trading basics and “Bybit 101” videos:

“We are rolling out this educational and promotional campaign in India in response to the demand from the fast-growing communities in the region. India is a vibrant and unique economy with a rising, digitally savvy middle class looking for innovative solutions to diversify into digital assets and capture the enormous opportunities in the crypto economy,” said Ben Zhou, co-founder and CEO of Bybit.

“Crypto offers the opportunity of a lifetime for our generation, and to reap the benefits people need access to technology and knowledge. Choosing a secure and trusted platform is step one,” said Zhou. “We are in the business of supporting the delivery of crypto’s promise by building the fastest, safest and most reliable platform for all things crypto,” he added, referring to Bybit’s record of 99.9% uptime and its high-throughput trading engine capable of processing 100,000 transactions per second.

Hashtag: #Bybit

About Bybit

Bybit is a cryptocurrency exchange established in March 2018 that offers a professional platform where crypto traders can find an ultra-fast matching engine, excellent customer service and multilingual community support. Bybit is a proud partner of Formula One racing team, Oracle Red Bull Racing, esports teams NAVI, Astralis, Alliance, Virtus.pro, Made in Brazil (MIBR) and Oracle Red Bull Racing Esports, and association football (soccer) teams Borussia Dortmund and Avispa Fukuoka.

For more information please visit:

For updates, please follow Bybit’s social media platforms on








Schneider Electric makes steady progress toward 2025 sustainability targets

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HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 12 August 2022 – Schneider Electric, the leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, announced today the results of its sustainable impact program for the second quarter of 2022.

Schneider’s Sustainability Impact (SSI) scored 4.17 out of ten, relative to its 4.70 year-end target. The SSI dashboard measures Schneider’s Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) performance. It details the progress made on each of the company’s global and local sustainability goals relative to long-term commitments on climate, resources, trust, equal opportunities, generations, and local communities.

“Our planet is burning, literally. We have to face the reality in front of us and keep accelerating our sustainability efforts,” said Gwenaelle Avice-Huet, Schneider Electricity’s Chief Strategy and Sustainability Officer. “As an Impact company, we are convinced that we can help each other with technology, collaboration, and trust. Advancing on our Sustainability Impact program is not about ESG compliance. It’s about embarking and working with our entire ecosystem of employees, clients, suppliers, and partners to progress together.”

Second quarter 2022 sustainability highlights

  • Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxureTM solutions helped customers and suppliers make significant decarbonization progress and reduce their CO2 emissions by 381 million tonnes since 2018. In June, Schneider Electric and Hitachi Energy agreed to collaborate on green electricity solutions for renewables, data centers, mining and other sectors of industry.
  • Schneider Electric just expanded its biodiversity pledge to use only deforestation-free wood across its supply chain and operations by 2030.
  • Schneider Electric provided +1.1 million people with access to green electricity in Q2 2022, bringing it to +6.4 million since January 2021.
  • In 2022, 82% of Schneider employees feel confident to report an unethical conduct. A good progress since last year (+1pt) in its commitment to provide a trusted environment and Speak Up culture.
  • Schneider Electric launched its Sustainability School to educate employees on climate and social issues and encourage them to take action and deliver impact in every aspect of their lives.
  • Schneider Electric’s teams in countries and regions continue to play a specific role in ensuring the maximum impact of their locally-led sustainability initiatives, including projects in France, USA, China and India.

Detailed results and highlights of the SSI program are presented in the Q2 2022 report.

Because of its robust sustainability programs with concrete and measurable progress, Schneider Electric continues to link its financing instruments to the Group sustainability trajectory. During the first half of the year, the Group set up a €2,7 Billion euros bank facilities with a pricing indexed on the annual performance of the Schneider Sustainability Impact (SSI).

Recent sustainability awards and recognition:

Read more about Schneider’s Sustainability Impact results and highlights:

Schneider Electric’s Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG):

Hashtag: #Sustainability #ESG #Impactcompany

About Schneider Electric

Schneider’s purpose is to empower all to make the most of our energy and resources, bridging progress and sustainability for all. We call this Life Is On.

Our mission is to be your digital partner for Sustainability and Efficiency.

We drive digital transformation by integrating world-leading process and energy technologies, end-point to cloud connecting products, controls, software and services, across the entire lifecycle, enabling integrated company management, for homes, buildings, data centers, infrastructure and industries.

We are the most local of global companies. We are advocates of open standards and partnership ecosystems that are passionate about our shared Meaningful Purpose, Inclusive and Empowered values.

Follow us on:





Discover the newest perspectives shaping sustainability, electricity 4.0, and next generation automation on

Nigerian Government Deploys IoT, VPN To Monitor, Prevent Grid Collapse

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Nigerian Government Deploys IoT, VPN To Monitor, Prevent Grid Collapse

The Nigerian government has deployed a new technology as a stop-gap solution to the challenges confronting Nigeria’s power grid, the Transmission Company of Nigeria has said.

Officials of the company said the technology, comprising Internet of Things and the Virtual Private Network, was deployed by the government through TCN to monitor real-time grid operations and help mitigate power system collapse.

It was also gathered that the facility would boost power grid management at the National Control Centre, Osogbo in Osun State, as it would improve real-time operations of the national grid, pending the deployment of a long-term network automation system.

Nigeria’s power grid has recorded a series of collapses this year, throwing many parts of the country in darkness on those occasions.

On July 22, 2022, for instance, The PUNCH exclusively reported that power generation on the grid crashed from over 3,900 megawatts to 3MW when the grid collapsed on July 20, 2022.

The July 20, 2022 grid collapse made it the sixth time that the system had crashed in 2022. On June 13, The PUNCH reported a grid collapse. The nation’s power system collapsed twice in March and twice again in April this year.

Power generation on the grid has continued to fluctuate due to various concerns such as gas constraints, water management challenges, and gas pipeline vandalism, among others.

But the TCN stated on Wednesday that with its new technology the power grid would receive improved monitoring, as this would help in its management going forward.

“The deployment of the smart grid system is in the advanced stage of the procurement process for a robust deployment of a full-scale state-of-the-art Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition/Energy Management System,” the General Manager, Public Affairs, Ndidi Mbah, stated.

TCN operates the national electricity grid with over 20,000km of 330 and 132 kilovolts transmission lines, which are said to be among the few largest transmission networks in Africa.

At the moment, Nigeria’s transmission network consists of high voltage substations with a proven 7,300 megawatts of electricity wheeling capacity, and still expanding.

This transmission system is being reformed by TCN as the Nigerian electricity market, which comprises the generation, transmission and distribution companies prepares for a competitive market stage away from the transitional stage it has been for over seven years.

This new stage will mean that all transactions are based on contracts with optimal customer service delivery.

And to test run this, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission pushed for the Service Level Agreement in 2021, which became binding on all operators to ensure improved service delivery to power users.

The Managing Director, TCN, Sule Abdulaziz, said the company had boosted the digitisation of grid operations, as the NCC’s control room was solely responsible for all activities related to grid network data acquisition, real-time grid operations and management for optimal service delivery.

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