NIGERIA – The Federal Government of Nigeria in September this year inaugurated 98.8KW solar hybrid mini grid power plant at Kare-Dadin Kowa, in Kebbi State.
According to a statement from the Rural Electrification Agency, the Kebbi Solar power plant demonstrates the Federal Government’s commitment to providing equitable access to electricity across regions in Nigeria.
Kare-Dadin Kowa where the project is being implemented, is a small riverine community in Argungun Local Government Area of Kebbi State.
It is estimated to have a total population of about 3,180 people, whose major vocations are agriculture and fishing.
According to the statement, the newly inaugurated solar hybrid mini grid system would provide clean energy to 483 residential buildings, 82 commercial buildings and serve over 3,000 inhabitants of Kare-Dadin Kowa.
It added that a total of 565 high grid solar panels had been installed to power homes, businesses, places of worship, schools and health centres among others.
The Nigerian Rural Electrification Agency is the implementing agency of the Federal Government of Nigeria tasked with electrification of unserved and underserved communities.
It provides equitable access to electricity across Nigeria to maximize the economic, social and environmental benefits of rural electrification grants; to promote off-grid electrification, and stimulate innovative approaches to rural electrification.
REF projects are said to be administered using a Public Private Partnership model.
The first phase of the project would energise 12 communities and deploy 19,000 solar home systems.
The current national average of power access stands at 45 percent. This means that 55 percent of the nation which is close to 20 million households does not have access to electricity.
Nigeria’s Federal Government has however been aggressively pursuing a universal electricity agenda and hopes to achieve its target of 100 percent household connection to power by 2030.
In September this year, it announced that it had secured US$2.5billion from a Chinese lender to finance its pipeline project.
Information from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation show that, once fully implemented, the pipeline project will deliver 3,600 megawatts of power and supply two billion standard cubic feet of gas.
