As part of efforts in improving the supply of electricity to rural areas, the Federal government of Nigeria has signed an Interconnected Mini-grid Acceleration Scheme (IMAS) award grant agreement with eight indigenous Solar Mini-grid developers.
The agreement is aimed at developing 23 mini-grids across eleven states of the country.
The €9.3m project is coordinated by the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) with support from the European Union and the German government through the Nigerian Energy Support Programme (NESP).
The Minister of State, Power, Goddy Jedy-Agba, who spoke at the grant award signing ceremony, disclosed that the project is expected to generate a 5.4-kilowatt peak to connect about 27,600 households, and impact over 138,000 Nigerians in two years.
According to him, the development is geared towards achieving the country’s vision of generating at least 30, 000 megawatts of electricity by 2030.
“According to the developed National Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Policy, the vision 30:30:30 aims at achieving 30,000 Mega Watts of electricity by the year 2030, with renewable energy contributing 30 per cent of the energy mix. To achieve this, Nigeria will have to construct over a thousand mini-grids of 100 Kilowatts”, he noted.
Investors King gathered that the eight (8) local solar mini-grid developers are: Acob Lighting Technology Limited, Gve Projects, Nayo Tropical Technology Limited, Rubitec Nigeria Limited, Darway Coast Nigeria Limited, Havenhill Synergy Limited, Sosa-Protergia Joint Development Company Limited, and A4&T Power Solutions Limited.
These developers will receive in-kind grants through REA with support of the European Union and the German Government within the framework of the NESP and are expected to develop 23 mini-grids across Zamfara, Niger, Plateau, Kwara, Kogi, Osun, Ogun, Lagos, Delta, Anambra, and Cross River states.
The Nigerian Rural Electrification Agency (REA) is the Implementing Agency of the Federal Government of Nigeria tasked with the electrification of rural and unserved communities. Its mission is to provide access to reliable electric power supply for rural dwellers irrespective of where they live and what they do, in a way that would allow for a reasonable return on investment through an appropriate tariff that is economically responsive and supportive of the average rural customer.
The NESP, on the other hand, is a technical assistance programme co-funded by the European Union and the German Government and implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Power (FMP).
It aims to foster investments for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency and to improve access to electricity for disadvantaged, rural communities.