Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja
The federal government yesterday commenced the construction of 1.6mwp solar mini-grids to serve four suburbs of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, after a prolonged blackout spanning over 10 years.
The standalone mini-grids which are being executed by the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) under the Korean Energy Project (KEP) will supply power to four communities in Kuje, Abuja and one in Nasarawa. They include: Rubochi, Ikwa, Gada Biyu and Kugbaru.
Speaking at the event, the Managing Director of the REA, Mr Salihijo Ahmad, lamented that rural communities suffer profound health and economic impacts as a result of the wide use of non-renewable or polluting energy sources.
He recalled that for this reason, in June 2022, Nigeria officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Korean Institute for Advancement of Technology (KIAT) to develop the four mini-grids within the FCT.
According to him, these include the Rubochi interconnected mini-grid which will have a total capacity of 900kWp, divided into three sessions.
In addition, he stated that the construction of 100kWp is ongoing at Ikwa community of Gwagwalada, while the remaining two would be delivered before December 2024.
At the ground-breaking ceremony, Ahmad stated that upon full delivery of the projects, the intervention would have delivered a total renewable energy capacity of 1.6 MWp and 3.0 MWhr system across the four main communities in the FCT.
Also speaking, the Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, who was represented by the Assistant Director, Renewable Energy and Rural Electrification Access, Samuel Ayangeor, stated that Nigeria has a unique history that has taken it through varying phases of the journey toward the desirable change it strives to see in the energy sector.
While harping on recent plans to decentralise the sector and expand investment opportunities through the state governments, he stated that the new Electricity Act, now gives the opportunity to further explore renewable energy solutions across the nation.
“I celebrate with the people of Rubochi, Ikwa, Gada Biyu and Kugbaru as the beneficiary communities of this impactful support. It is a great progress to have an additional 1.6MWp and 3.0MWhr capacity energising 7,300 residential and commercial homes in these communities while transforming the socio-economic status of the people,” Adelabu said.
The programme being carried out with the support of the Korean government under the Official Development Assistance (ODA), he said, should come with culture change through deliberate sensitisation of beneficiaries and stakeholders.
“This is why I am particularly proud of the REA and its strategic partners for taking a solid path towards sustainability through the growth of the productive use market in Nigeria. Through the central role of the productive use market, more lives are being transformed just as more communities are being enlivened,” he added.
In his remarks, the Ambassador of Korea to Nigeria, Kim Young-Chae, described the event as a pivotal step forward in illuminating the rural landscapes of Nigeria, bolstered by the unwavering support of the Korean government.
“Undoubtedly, Nigeria grapples with electricity challenges, particularly in its rural areas. In a significant stride towards addressing this issue, the Korean government, in collaboration with the World Bank, signed an MoU in 2018, allocating $350 million to the Nigeria electricity supply project.
“In the same vein, the World Bank pledged its support, a testament to the global commitment to alleviating Nigeria’s energy woes.
“The year 2019 also saw Korean experts dispatched to conduct a comprehensive feasibility study for the Nigeria electricity improvement project. Subsequently, the Korean government pledged a substantial sum of $12.4 million to ameliorate the power deficit in Nigeria’s rural areas.
“This transformative project encompasses the installation of solar power generation facilities in four rural areas in close proximity to Abuja. The envisaged outcome is a tangible improvement in the lives of those grappling with inadequate power supply,” he said.
