The Genesis Energy Group, a United Kinhdom (UK) clean energy solution company, has begun the implementation of the $500 million energy infrastructure investment agreement it recently signed with the Katsina State Government.
The implementation of the project is said to be the beginning of one of the largest private sector-driven renewable energy investments by the Group in Northern Nigeria.
Confirming the take-off of the project, Governor Dikko Umaru Radda of Katsina State, said that the implementation of the project aligns with his vision to industrialise the State, and enhance inclusive economic growth through addressing the State’s energy deficit.
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Speaking during a strategy meeting with a delegation of Genesis Energy Group held at Government House in Katsina, Katsina State on Friday, Governor Radda said that the project would equally deliver clean, sustainable energy solutions through the development, financing, construction, and operation of major infrastructure projects across the State.
He emphasised his administration’s commitment to fostering investment and innovation, noting that his administration’s partnership with the company aligns with our strategic agenda to transform Katsina into a model for clean energy adoption.
According to him, the project is expected to impact on economic development through provision of reliable power that is known to be the foundation of industrialisation and other forms of economic activities.
He explained that the projects would reduce diesel generator dependence, lower operational costs, and ensure uninterrupted power supply, adding that initial priority areas of the project includes, suppling power to the Green Economic Zone for agro-industrial enterprises, water treatment plants statewide, Umaru Musa Yar’adua University, 102 Primary Healthcare Centers, and Rimi Orthopedic Hospital.
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Earlier, Melissa Sikwila, Genesis Energy Executive Vice-President of Project Development and Investment, noted that the goal of her company was not just to deploy energy infrastructure, but to build lasting capacity that will empower local communities through access to clean, and, resilient power.
Sikwila said that Katsina State would be setting the pace for what public-private partnerships in the energy sector should look like across Africa, noting that the partnership is expected to attract additional private sector investment to Nigeria’s renewable energy sector, create jobs, support climate resilience, and promote inclusive development.
“The first phase of the project which involved provision of power to the Government House, and General Hospitals, is scheduled to be commissioned in the next few weeks”, she said.
