The Federal Government has announced a strategic shift towards the renewable energy sector to address energy access challenges and enhance supply to critical sectors such as education, health, agriculture, rural communities, and transportation.
The move is part of efforts to meet the energy needs of millions of Nigerians, particularly in rural areas.
A key component of this initiative is the deployment of mini-grids through the e-HEART project, which aims to solve energy access issues in rural communities.
The project is expected to benefit over 80 million Nigerians, who are currently without electricity, and help in creating sustainable local economies while reducing the rural-urban migration.
In addition, the government has secured $700 million from the African Development Bank (AfDB) for the “Desert to Power” project, aimed at harnessing the abundant sunlight in northern Nigeria to generate renewable energy for communities in the region.
Speaking at a stakeholder engagement workshop hosted by the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) in Abuja on Wednesday, December 18, the Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, underscored that off-grid electricity solutions have become essential in bridging the electricity supply gap in the country.
Adelabu, who was represented by Dr Sunday Owolabi, the Director of Renewable and Rural Power Access, expressed optimism that these projects will positively impact at least 13 million Nigerians.
Adelabu highlighted the importance of both on-grid and off-grid solutions, stating that they should be viewed as complementary elements of a comprehensive energy strategy.
He noted that although Nigeria continues to face significant challenges with the national grid, the government has been actively working to transform these challenges into growth opportunities.
“At the recent Federal Executive Council meeting, €161 million worth of contracts were approved for the upgrade of power substations under the Presidential Power Initiative. We are confident that we are on track to deliver an additional 150MW to the grid, impacting 14 existing substations and establishing 21 new ones,” Adelabu said.
The Minister also touched upon the World Bank’s $750 million investment in the Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale-up (DARES) programme, which is set to impact millions of Nigerians.
The REA Managing Director/CEO, Engr. Abba Aliyu, gave an overview of the agency’s achievements, including the deployment of 124 mini-grids and 25,580 solar home systems, providing a combined capacity of 16.6MW.
He added that 195,198 connections have been made to 183 communities and 12 markets.
Aliyu also shared the agency’s plans to provide uninterrupted power supply to 3,700 primary healthcare centres, 25 schools per state and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), 25 communities in each state and the FCT, as well as solar-powered tricycles and charging stations across the country.
“We have never seen the level of attention and support for renewable energy that we are getting from this government,” Aliyu stated, emphasising that the newly signed Electricity Act is key to the government’s commitment to improving energy access.
He urged sub-national governments and the private sector to actively participate in these initiatives to ensure the provision of sustainable power supply.
Looking ahead, Aliyu revealed plans for the launch of several major projects in 2024, including the Desert to Power project funded by the African Development Bank and the National Power Central Solarisation Initiative, which is expected to receive significant public sector funding.
He called on state governments to leverage the Electricity Act to take advantage of the opportunities being created in the renewable energy sector.
The Federal Government’s focus on renewable energy marks a significant step towards addressing the country’s electricity challenges and fostering sustainable development in key sectors.
