Gilbert Ekugbe
A United Kingdom funded solar programme, the Africa Clean Energy Technical Assistance Facility (ACE TAF) has announced plans to bridge Nigeria’s huge energy deficit.
The move is also aimed at improving the enabling environment for high-quality stand-alone solar products and facilitating private sector investment and growth in the nation’s energy sector.
In a statement issued to THISDAY to announce the closing of its programme, the UK-funded solar programme, which is a four-year programme identified barriers that still exist to scaling solutions available in the off-grid sector to achieve universal electrification for all Nigerians.
The report added that the Facility identified some of the achievement it recorded since inception in 2018 to include the development of off-grid solar policies and action plans in Lagos, Kaduna, Jigawa and Kano States as part of efforts to catalyse the transition and adoption of off-grid solar power in those States.
“The ACETAF programme also provided a fully equipped quality test laboratory for the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to support its market surveillance as well as supported the development of an importation guide for Solar PV products and technologies to provide a clear understanding of the importation process for solar energy technologies and to increase transparency for solar companies. Both interventions were aimed at reducing the number of poor-quality products reaching the market and hence improving consumer confidence and stimulating growth,” the statement read.
