The Nigerian Government has unveiled its new Solar Power for five million households in rural communities in Jigawa State.
Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, while unveiling the Solar Power Naija Programme, aimed at Jangefe community in Roni local government area of Jigawa, said the project was expected to create 250,000 jobs, through its value chain.
“The project launch is the first phase of the deployment of 100,000 Solar Home System (SHS), under the Solar Power Naija Programme of the Nigeria Economic Sustainability Plan (NESP), by the Federal Government with the objectives to;“Expand energy access to 25 million individuals, representing five million new connections, through the provision of solar home systems or connection to a mini grid.
“Increase local content in the off-grid solar value chain and facilitate the growth of the local manufacturing and assembly industry;
” Incentivize the creation of 250,000 new jobs in the energy sector,” Osinbajo said.
Universal access to Electrification
The Vice President also announced that the Nigerian government was working to ensure universal access to electrification in Nigeria, through the decentralization of grid power solutions.
He disclosed that the government had committed more than N140 billion to the project, with the Central Bank of Nigeria providing soft loan worth about 200 million dollars.
The Minister of Power, Mr Sale Mamman, said when the project was fully implemented, it could generate over N7 billion in annual revenues for the Nigerian government.
The Managing Director, ASOLAR, the project handlers, Abubakar Twumasi, thanked the Nigerian government for giving them the opportunity to actualise the innovative vision.
Earlier, Governor Muhammad Badaru of Jigawa thanked the President Muhammadu Buhari administration for supporting the state through its various interventions.
Badaru, however, expressed the hope that Jigawa would get the minimum of 150,000 units of the new five million homes expected to be powered.
He said each state was expected to get about 150,000 units, if the five million units were shared.
NP/Confidence Okwuchi
