With widening concerns of the poor power supply in the country,the Rural Electrification Agency,REA is urgently seeking the National Assembly’s ratification of about $350 million World Bank facility which is specifically targeted at addressing concerns of over 100 million off-grid Nigerians who are not connected to the grid.
The ratification of the $350 million facility from the World Bank would enable the agency on its role of energizing economies,markets and education programmes,as well as connecting Nigerians who are off the national grid through its mini-grid acceleration scheme,and solar
home systems.
Sanusi Ohiare,the Executive director of the Rural Electrification Fund,told BusinessDay exclusively that the federal government approval of the Rural Electrification Strategy in 2016 has enabled it swing into full action to cover off-grid Nigerians and energise markets,economies and institutions,but is constrained by the non ratification of the $350 million World Bank facility by the National Assembly,which would enable it access to the facility.
“The money has been approved by the World Bank board,which is about $350 million .It has also been approved by the federal executive council,and we are waiting for the National Assembly’s ratification,and once that is done,we are good to go.
“It is now in the hands of the National Assembly,who are the through representatives of the people and we call on them to ratify it as soon as possible,so that the people they represent could enjoy the benefits of having consistent power supply.”
The REA’s programmes in addressing off-grid consumers focuses on energising education programmes-which focuses on Universities.Also, energising economies,which supports the rapid developments of off grid electricity solutions to provide clean and consistent power to economic clusters with specific focus on viable markets,places,shopping centres,as well as industrial facilities in Nigeria.
The REA, Ohiare noted is utilising the programme to support the young people as he revealed that the current administration deliberately uses it to provide consistent power to Universities,focusing on training centres-with specifical concession given to female engineers.
“In this scheme of energising education,we are targeting 37 Universities and seven teaching hospitals across the country.We have started with seven Universities and work is advancing in the first phase,and now we are trying to get money from the World Bank and the African Development Bank to speed up and complete the rest of the Universities”
The REA focuses on solar home systems,solar mini-grids,energising education,energizing economies and capital projects of expanding mini-grid solutions among off grid Nigerians.”Sanusi said. Princewill Okorie,a Policy sector analysts told BusinessDay that the National Assembly could score a gold with the ratification of this fund so that Nigerians could begin to reap the benefits of consistent power supply.
“The Universities are citadel of learning .There is no place a University is located that does not stimulate developments bringing forth ancillary services that grows the small and medium enterprise developments.I expect the NASS to expedite actions on this to enable
REA cover already earmarket federal institutions”
“This is an initiative that we would like the NASS to put a trademark on .Does it really worry you that a major operation would be going on in teaching hospital and suddenly the light goes off .Now we have a solution at hand,and we want the NASS to speed up the ratification of
this loan facility.
According to the World Bank,there are 74 million Nigerians without access to electricity.Some estimates put the number of un-electrified people as high as 93 million.This is excluding the millions of Nigerians who are connected to the grid but don not recieve power
supply.
Coming on the heels of this development,Ify Malo,the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Clean Technology hub Inc told BusinessDay that the government must urgently ensure the operationalisation of the Rural Electrification Fund,which is meant to subsidise rural
electrification projects through mini-grid solutions.
Apart from the World Bank support of $350 million, Sanusi told BusinessDay that the European Union and the German government are also supporting improved and consistent access to power by off grid Nigerians.
Speaking further on the EU and German government’s support,Sanusi said,”Under the European Union and the German government,we have been able to raise some funds.We have a programme called mini-grid acceleration scheme,which we are also collaborating with the
distribution companies.”
On the mini-grid accelerating scheme,he noted that:”Cumulatively,we are looking at € 8.3million for the programme. We are looking at doing 40 mini-grids from the mini grid accelerating scheme,which is support by the German government through the GIZ”
For the African Development Bank,Sanusi said,”They are also complementing the $350 million from the World Bank with $200 million and that is geared towards complementing the Nigerian Rural Electrification programme,which is anchored on energising educations,markets and economies programme of the agency,alongside mini-grid and solar home systems for communities.
In the past two years,we have been in the saddle,we have been able to provide clean and renewable power to 99,450 connections,and we have impacted 457 000 people directly,and created over 5000 jobs, Sanusi informed.
HARRISON EDEH, ABUJA
