NEWS
Sahara Group Committed To Green, Efficient Future – Shonubi
Leading energy and infrastructure conglomerate, Sahara Group has restated its commitment to promoting generational sustainability through strategic greening of its businesses across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.
Speaking at the unveiling of Sahara Group’s 2021 Sustainability Report titled “Maximising the Present Efficiently; Safeguarding the Future Responsibly”, Executive Director, Temitope Shonubi, said Sahara had responded positively to its global sustainability targets through continuous review of the company’s operations and impact.
“At Sahara Group, we are more than a business. We inspire a green efficient future for generations by making a difference (MAD) responsibly through every thought, plan, action, and reaction. The irrepressible spirit of Sahara, as well as our ‘bridge and catalyst’ mindset for creating the extraordinary from the mundane, and providing bespoke services for all markets, was the driving force behind the significant sustainability gains we achieved in 2021,” he said.
Shonubi said Sahara had taken purposeful actions to better control its sources of greenhouse gas emissions, enhanced the efficiency of the Group’s power consumption and managed its environmental footprint in accordance with globally accepted best practices through the activities.
According to him, in 2021, Sahara effectively managed its impact within host communities establishing acceptable and consistent standards to initiate and implement sustainable community development programs.
“Further, through our employee volunteer program, we also give our employees the opportunity to be fully engaged and contribute meaningfully to community development. More than 170 Sahara employees from Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East have devoted over 15,000 hours of volunteer service to the Foundation’s sustainable development projects,” he added.
Ejiro Gray, Director, Governance and Sustainability at Sahara Group said the ideals of social responsibility, environmental impact management as well as transparent and accountable governance underscore the Sahara Group’s sustainability initiatives.
Gray said Sahara continually seeks ways to improve energy efficiency in its operations, reduce emissions from its power plants, preserve biodiversity, manage its waste in a sustainable manner, and instill a culture of environmental stewardship in its employees.
“In 2021, for instance, one of our businesses utilised our Intelligent Data Box (IDB), which independently analyses energy consumption, thereby increasing our energy efficiency and lowering losses in a quantifiable manner. Additionally, investments were made in energy-saving light bulbs (LED) and awareness was raised regarding the need for more efficient energy/power usages,” she said.
Gray said the above had continued to translate into positive results across the Group’s power operations.
“All of these are clearly indicators of our resolve to track our energy consumption at every level and to incorporate efficiency into the way we generate and use power. In addition, as part of our efforts to preserve biodiversity, we planted over 1,000 trees in different communities across Nigeria during the reporting period, with plans to embark on largescale tree planting in subsequent years,” she added.
Gray noted that the Sahara Foundation, which is the energy conglomerate’s social sustainability vehicle, had remained resolute in its commitment to touching lives and livelihoods, through its focus on ensuring a sustainable environment and energy access.
She stated: “The Sahara Green Life Initiative, Catch Them Young & Curious (CTYC)/ Sahara Science Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (Sahara STEAMers) Programme, Sahara Technical Regenerator Program (STRP), Africa Renewable Energy Forum, and Sahara Impact Fund that provides seed funding for young African social innovators are some of the programs implemented during the period under review.”
In a shocking incident on Sunday morning, unknown gunmen suspected to be kidnappers invaded the home of Alhaji Auwal, a prominent businessman, in Garo Town, Kabo Local Government Area of Kano State.
The gunmen, estimated to be around 10 in number, forced their way into the residence, breaking down a door to gain entry.
An anonymous source revealed that the attackers were heavily armed, with three carrying firearms and the rest wielding other weapons.
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They quickly gathered the entire family in one room, instilling fear and panic in the household.
According to the source, Alhaji Auwal pleaded with the assailants to spare his family and agreed to meet their demands.
The kidnappers, who were determined to extort money, received ₦8 million from the family.
Despite this payment, the gunmen took the businessman’s eldest daughter, Zainab, a secondary school graduate, before fleeing the scene.
The whereabouts of Zainab remain unknown, and as of now, the kidnappers have not contacted the family.
This abduction comes just 48 hours after the tragic kidnapping and subsequent murder of former Gombe State Permanent Secretary, Atiku Mu’azu, who was killed by gunmen after a ₦10 million ransom was paid.
The two incidents have left the residents of Kano in shock and fear, prompting calls for increased security measures in the area.
Attempts to reach the spokesperson for the Kano Police Command, SP Abdullahi Haruna, for comment were unsuccessful as his phone remained unreachable.
Authorities have yet to make any official statements regarding the investigation.
In a bold move, Colombian President Gustavo Petro declared on Sunday that he would not allow US deportation flights carrying Colombian migrants to access his country’s airspace.
The left-wing leader took to X (formerly Twitter) to express his strong stance, stating, “The United States cannot treat Colombian migrants as criminals. I forbid entry to our territory to US planes carrying Colombian migrants.”
Petro made it clear that such flights would only be accepted once Washington established a protocol to ensure the “dignified treatment” of deported migrants.
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The president later confirmed in a separate post that he had already turned back US military planes that were en route with Colombian migrants on board, although he did not provide further specifics on the matter.
While AFP sought confirmation from US authorities regarding the blockade of deportation flights, no immediate response was forthcoming.
Petro’s statements come just a day after Brazil’s government voiced similar outrage over the treatment of deported Brazilians.
Brazil condemned the US administration under President Donald Trump, citing instances where Brazilian migrants were deported while handcuffed on flights, describing it as a “flagrant disregard” for their basic rights.
In his remarks, Petro emphasized that he would be open to allowing civilian US flights to transport deported migrants as long as they were not subjected to treatment “like criminals,” signaling a broader call for humane treatment of migrants under international deportation policies.
An explosion at a mining site in Sabon Pegi, Mashegun Local Government Area of Niger State, claimed the lives of four individuals and left several others injured on Sunday morning.
The blast occurred as miners resumed operations, sending shockwaves through the community.
While the exact cause of the explosion remains undetermined, local residents have pointed to the poor handling of explosive devices by mining companies as a possible factor.
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The incident has sparked concerns about safety practices within the mining sector.
Community sources confirmed the recovery of four bodies, but authorities fear the death toll could rise.
Investigations are ongoing to establish the cause of the blast and assess the full extent of the damage.
One resident, Aminu, described the chaos that followed the explosion. “The sound was so loud that many of us thought it came from the hydroelectricity dam nearby. People panicked and ran into the bush for safety,” he recounted.
Another community member highlighted the potential role of mining operations in the tragedy.
“Mining companies here frequently use explosives during their activities, and this seems like an operational issue, not something related to terrorism,” the resident said, dismissing concerns about a security threat in the area.
As of the time of reporting, neither the state government nor security agencies have released an official statement regarding the explosion.
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