Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo
The Rural Electrification Agency (REA) has selected the Ayegbaju International Market, Osogbo, Osun State, for the delivery of the next phase of its Energising Economies Initiative (EEI) project.
The alternative electrification project was said to be about 95 per cent completed and would initially power 48 shops, out of the 1,600 shops in the Ayegbaju International Market for the business owners to grow their businesses and drive more investments.
The EEI supports the rapid deployment of off-grid electricity solutions to provide clean, safe, affordable and reliable electricity to economic clusters comprising of market places, shopping centres, and industrial facilities in Nigeria through private sector developers.
Addressing journalists during a working visit to inspect the progress of the EEI project in Osogbo, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of REA, Engr. Ahmad Salihijo Ahmad, said the Ayegbaju International Market, Osogbo and Abubakar Gumi Central Market, Kaduna were selected among the over 158 that had been audited directly through the agency to deliver the next phase of the projects.
Ahmad, who was accompanied by the Executive Director, Technical Services, Engr. Barka Sajou; Executive Director, Rural Electrification Fund, Mrs. Saadatu Belgore, among other officers, said the market men and women were excited about the project. He said the agency would work together with developers, most especially the state government and market association and come back with robust plan on how the project will be sustainable.
He explained, “Over 148 sites have been audited directly through the REA and with support from partners such as E-guide and Rockefeller Foundation. It is from these sites that Ayegbaju International Market Osogbo and Abubakar Gumi Markets were selected to deliver the next phase of EEI projects.
“These projects are taking into account the lessons learnt from Phase 0 and 1 of the Initiative and will look to be models for sustainable and collaborative projects with the states and Distribution Companies.
“Once the construction is completed, the State Government and/or DisCo, developer, and REA will be able to sit with the market association to sign a multilateral agreement which ensures the long term viability of the project while ensuring energy access to the markets.
“These projects will also as an incidental, provide much needed relief to the businesses in these markets by reducing the dependency of petrol generators while increasing the generation of renewable energy sources.”
Speaking further after meeting with the business owners and inspecting the project, Ahmad said the project was timely especially when fuel price had increased due to subsidy removal.
He stressed that small and medium scale entrepreneurs would be saved from spending so much powering their generator by having affordable energy that the project would provide after completion.
In her remarks, the Chairman of Ayegbaju International Market, Osogbo, Oroleye Musibau, expressed excitement and appreciated efforts of REA in powering the market, saying, “We really appreciate the fact that the project is zoned here by the federal government.
“We heard that they are targeting 48 shops out of 1,600 shops we have for a start, but we are appealing to them to move to the second phase swiftly so that other shops will benefit from it.”
