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The Rural Electrification Agency (REA) through the Nigeria Electrification Project (NEP) has been providing off-grid solutions to bridge the electricity gap in unserved and underserved rural communities.
Beneficiaries includes households, micro, small and medium enterprises, Federal Universities, as well as healthcare centers across the six geopolitical zones of the country.
The project is financially supported by the World Bank and African Development Bank respectively.
NEP is private sector driven and it provides grant subsidies under its; solar hybrid mini-grids, standalone solar home systems and productive use appliance components to bridge the access to electrification gap, and stimulate load demand.
It also improved the means of livelihood of the consumers, towards making the mini-grid powered communities more attractive and viable.
A total sum of $550m USD was provided by both the World Bank and African Development Bank as support for the implementation of the off-grid solution projects with $213m for the mini-grid components of both banks.
The objective of the project is to provide clean, safe, reliable and affordable electricity access to a minimum of 2.5 million Nigerians which equates to about 500,000 households.
So far, the programme has achieved
Signing of grant agreements under the mini-grid sub-component with 13 companies for the deployment of solar mini-grids across 86 sites in off-grid communities.
It also deployed and commissioned 7 solar hybrid mini-grids, with a total connection of 3,828 and 529.79kW energy capacity and signing of grant agreements with 26 companies under the Output Based Fund sub-component of standalone solar home system
The programme installed 221,971 Solar Home Systems in households, micro, small, and medium enterprises as well as public facilities.
It signed contract agreements with 8 companies for the deployment of containerized solar hybrid solutions to power 100 Isolation and treatment Centers (ITCs) under the REA/NEP COVID-19 & Beyond intervention programme.
It conducted community engagement exercises in 9 States (Ogun, Cross River, Sokoto, Niger, Plateau, Abia, Bauchi, Kano and Anambra) to sensitize and have community buy-in for the sustainability of the NEP mini grid projects.
It also commenced preparations for the deployment of solar hybrid power plants in Federal Universities and Teaching Hospitals under the Energizing Education Programme Phases II and III.
REA/NEP calls for more support from the private sector to help bridge the electrification gap.
The Nigerian Rural Electrification Agency is tasked with the electrification of unserved and underserved communities.
It has the mandate to promote and co-ordinate rural electrification programmes in the country.
ABOUT NEP
The Nigeria Electrification Project (NEP) is an innovative programme to catalyse off grid development in Nigeria, through the provision of grant funding, detailed market data and technical assistance, in collaboration with the World Bank ($350m) and African Development Bank ($200m).
Its components are Solar Hybrid Mini Grids, Solar Home Systems, Energy Efficient Productive Use Appliances and Equipment, the Energizing Education Programme and Technical Assistance.
Lateefah Ibrahim
