The Presidency said it will offer 5 million solar systems under the Economic Sustainability
Plan to 25 million Nigerians previously unconnected to the national grid via Solar Home Systems
(ESP).
This was disclosed on Sunday in Abuja by Laolu Akande, Senior Special
Assistant to the President for Media and Publicity, Office of the Vice President.
He said that over a 3-year cycle, the
solar system will be given monthly at N4,000.
Akande replied to inquiries about the cost of the ‘SOLAR POWER
NAIJA’ tagged ESP Solar initiative, for which installations would begin in December.
Akande said the Rural Electrification Agency
was introducing the ESP Solar Programme
(REA).
The media assistant said the initiative was intended to improve ongoing efforts to resolve
Nigeria’s energy supply problem, the Federal Government’s Solar Home System, scheduled for inauguration this week.
The presidential aide said that Nigerians living in rural areas and urban settlements
will be given priority, either under-served or totally cut off from the national grid.
According to him the choice of direct ownership by beneficiaries at a cost ranging from N1, 500 per week to
N4, 000 per month depending on the power, is a significant feature of the scheme for a duration of 3 years.
He claimed that the arrangement allowed as many as 25
million Nigerians in their respective homes to own personal solar systems.
Akande said that the 5 million connections project, as indicated in the ESP, was a private sector-led electricity access
acceleration programme to be supported by the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) low-cost loan facility and introduced by the REA
He listed the objectives of the programme as, “Expand energy access to 25 million individuals (5 million new connections) through the provision of solar home systems (SHS) or connection to a mini grid;
“Increase local content in the off-grid solar value chain and facilitating the growth of the local manufacturing and assembly industry
“Incentivise the creation of 250,000 new jobs in the energy sector.”
With regard to the program’s advantages, aside from providing access to cheap and
renewable energy, he said that the local solar assembly industry will be affected.
According to him the program will include the assembly or
development of off-grid components to promote the local manufacturing industry’s growth.
“In view of the scale of materials required, solar equipment manufacturers/assemblers will be incentivized to set up facilities in Nigeria, thereby offering additional job opportunities to Nigerians.
”In addition, installation, servicing and payment collections are expected to provide thousands of other jobs. In all, at least 250, 000 jobs will be created,” he said.
Explaining the position of the World Bank in the project, the Presidency claimed that the acceptance of the scheme by the institution
was evident in its approval of a grant from which the bank would undertake 20% of the cost of the solar system.
He said that the Federal Government was on course to resolve the nation’s energy crisis by connecting
25 million new Nigerians to renewable energy and the ongoing introduction of the National Mass Metering Programme (NMMP).
For the first time in 200 years, REA, one of the implementing agencies of the Solar Home System,
linked the citizens of the Olooji community (Ijebu East) in Ogun State to electricity through its off-grid solar program.
Olooji solar hybrid, completed with 304 solar panels, 72 batteries and over 30KM
of distribution network cables, has a total capacity of 100kw, serving over 4000 people.
Under the Rural Electrification Fund (REF), the off-grid solar network was launched; it is one of 12 solar
mini grids nationally, in addition to 19,000 solar home systems implemented through a Public Private Partnership under the initiative
(PPP).
SOURCE: NNN
