FG commissions 5 million Jigawa solar power project

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A solar power project worth 5 million has been launched by the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo in Jigawa State.

This project, according to the Federal Government, is meant to benefit about 25 million Nigerians who are not currently hooked to the national grid.

The Solar Power Naija Program is a project under the Economic Sustainability Plan (ESP) meant to cushion the effects of the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on the people.

The Vice President said the project he inaugurated in Jangefe community, Roni Local Government Area, (Kazaure Emirate) of Jigawa State, would be replicated in the nation’s six geographical zones of the federation.

He said after Jangefe, the rollout will continue in Edo, Lagos, Adamawa, Anambra, Kebbi and Plateau, after which the scheme will go to the entire 36 States and the FCT covering 25million Nigerians in the end.

He said the Jangefe community, with the commencement of the Solar Power Naija programme, will get 1,000 Solar Home Systems connections for it’s about 5,000 population.

The Vice President noted that the “President had emphasised that we could no longer rely solely on the grid if we were to electrify the whole country, which meant that we had to develop an effective strategy for decentralizing power supply.

“Two obvious things to do were, first to think of implementing more off-grid solutions and to use renewable energy especially solar power.”

Osinbajo added that one of the challenges turned opportunity was the advent of COVID-19 and the government’s response, the Economic Sustainability Plan.

He said: “A fundamental rationale for the plan was to retain existing jobs and create new jobs. A mass solar programme seemed like a real chance to kill several birds with one stone; electrify the country and in the process, create thousands of jobs from solar assembly and manufacturing plants to installers, payment system operators, and maintenance of solar systems once installed.

“The Solar Power Naija programme which is designed by the Rural Electrification Agency is an ambitious initiative that aims to create 5 million connections through a 140 billion Naira financing programme that will support private developers to provide power for 5 million households, which means providing electricity for up to 25 million Nigerians.”

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Francis Ogwo
The young and goal driven writer and cinematographer started his journalism as a print journalist in Kaduna in 2005 writing for Kaduna Chronicles Newspapers, Liberator Newspapers where he became the South Bureau Chief. In 2008, he moved into TV production with an employment into Siverbird Television and Rhythm Fm as a Correspondent. He got certified by Independent Television Producers Association of Nigeria(ITPAN) in 2009. After five years of hardwork and training, he was employed as Associate Producer, Moments With Mo and subsequently Producer, Playground on HipTV. Francis currently majors in documentaries and high profile scripts for news and movies. He is currently a Senior Contents Producer at News Central TV

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