The Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) says it achieved significant milestones in 2025, advancing its mandate to deliver sustainable financial returns while driving tangible economic impact through investments across key sectors.

Aminu Umar-Sadiq, managing director and chief executive officer of NSIA, highlighted the milestones while presenting its 2025 earnings during a media engagement in Abuja on Thursday.

Mr Umar-Sadiq highlighted the authority’s catalytic role in mobilising capital, strengthening infrastructure, and supporting innovation in healthcare, energy, agriculture, technology, and capital markets.

In fostering innovation and entrepreneurship, he said NSIA partnered with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to launch a $50-million-Impact Innovation Fund to support Nigerian startups.

“The initiative provides flexible financing for startups in agriculture, healthcare, education, energy, and water management,” he said.

Mr Umar-Sadiq said the authority also expanded its NSIA Prize for Innovation programme, aimed at scaling technology-driven solutions by local entrepreneurs.

Supported by a $5.9 million commitment over five years (starting from 2023), the NSIA held the third edition of the programme in 2025.

On digital infrastructure, he said the authority was developing an indigenous hyperscale data centre platform known as Kasi Cloud.

According to him, it is expected to boost Nigeria’s position in Africa’s growing data market, with operations scheduled to begin in the second quarter of 2026.

In healthcare, Mr Umar-Sadiq said NSIA secured $24.3 million in concessional financing from the World Bank Group and the International Finance Corporation to expand diagnostic, cancer and cardiac services under its MedServe platform.

He said that ongoing projects under the federal government’s oncology initiative had delivered upgraded cancer centres in Katsina, Benin, and Enugu in July 2025, with additional sites planned.

In the energy sector, he said NSIA continued to scale its Distributed Renewable Energy Nigeria Fund and supported a 30 MW gas-fired embedded power project in Victoria Island, Lagos.

He said that the power project was aimed at improving the electricity supply and reducing diesel dependence.

“The authority also reported progress under its Renewables Investment Platform for Limitless Energy (RIPLE). It established a 400 MW solar assembly plant in Ogun to boost local manufacturing and support Nigeria’s shift to sustainable energy.

“In 2025, RIPLE partnered with EM-ONE Energy Solutions to deliver a clean energy plant at the MedServe-LUTH Cancer Centre under an Energy-as-a-Service model, providing reliable power with no upfront cost.

“The project aims to cut diesel use by about 250,000 litres annually, avoid up to 663 tonnes of CO₂ emissions, and lower operating costs, with plans to replicate the model across other MedServe facilities nationwide,” he said.

To strengthen financial markets, Mr Umar-Sadiq said NSIA committed N25 billion to the National Credit Guarantee Company to enhance access to credit for small businesses.

“NSIA invested N16 billion in Chapel Hill Denham’s Nigeria Real Estate Investment Trust (NREIT) series IV issuance, supporting the development of income-generating commercial real estate assets,” he added.

He said agriculture was bolstered by a $25 million commitment to a scalable cold-chain platform.

He said that the platform would provide 15,000 pallet spaces of temperature-controlled storage across strategic locations, including Lagos, Kaduna, Kano, Benue and Plateau.

“The project aims to strengthen food supply chains, reduce post-harvest losses and support economic diversification and job creation.”

Mr Umar-Sadiq said the NSIA successfully transitioned the Presidential Fertiliser Initiative to the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI) after nearly a decade of stewardship that transformed Nigeria’s fertiliser value chain.

On housing, he said the authority supported the federal government’s Renewed Hope Cities initiative, facilitating financing for 100,000 affordable homes nationwide with key projects in Karsana City, Abuja, and Janguza in Kano.

“Looking ahead, the NSIA is poised to sustain growth in its core revenue streams while preserving balance sheet strength and ensuring efficient capital deployment.

“The authority’s continued focus on portfolio diversification, risk-adjusted returns and catalytic investments is expected to drive broad-based economic impact across its stabilisation, infrastructure and future generations mandates,” he said. 

(NAN)