- Saturday, May 4, 2024
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After 10 years without
electricity supply, the Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu yesterday laid
the foundation for the Rubochi 900kWp interconnected and the Ikea 100kWp solar
mini - grid, being the largest mini-grid plant in the country.
The standalone mini-grids are
under the Korean Energy Project through the Rural Electrification Agency (REA).
At the groundbreaking ceremony in
Rubochi, Kuje Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja,
Adelebu, who was represented by the Assistant Director, Renewable and Rural
Energy Access, Engr. Samuel Ayangeor, said he celebrated with the people of Rubochi, Ikwa, Gada Biyu and
Kugbaru as the beneficiary communities of the impactful support.
He described the foundation as an
immense progress that would add 1.6MWp and 3.0MWhr capacity energizing 7,300
residential and commercial homes in the communities.
He also noted that the project
will transform the socio - economic status of the people.
"It is a great progress to
have an additional 1.6MWp and 3.0MWhr capacity energizing 7,300 residential and
commercial homes in these communities while transforming the socio-economic
status of the people," the minister said.
According to him, energy poverty
is a problem that permeates different nations across the continent. Different
stakeholders, said Adelabu, continue to address the effect of energy poverty in
different ways.
He noted that in Nigeria, there
has been a unique history that has taken the country through varying phases of
the journey toward the desirable change it strives to see in the energy sector.
He said: "It is my distinct
honor to celebrate a milestone that embodies the spirit of progress and
international collaboration – the groundbreaking of four minigrid projects
through the generous support of the Korean Government under Official
Development Assistance (ODA)."
Adelabu noted that in the last
few months, there have been transformative changes in the power sector.
"We have a people-centered
Electricity Act specifically designed to decentralize the sector and expand
investment opportunities through the State Governments.
"This Act, as you can see,
gives us the opportunity to further explore renewable energy solutions across
the nation," he added.
He said he was already briefed
the level of support accorded to the REA on land acquisition, security, and overall
support by the community.
He sought collaboration with the
FCT on the long-term operation and maintenance of the plants.
The minister said the off-grid
electrification comes with culture change through deliberate sensitization of beneficiaries
and stakeholders.
He extolled the agency and its
strategic partners for taking a solid path towards sustainability through the
growth of the Productive Use Market in Nigeria.
Adelabu said through the central
role of the Productive Use Market, more lives are being transformed just as
more communities are being enlivened.
Speaking, the REA Managing
Director, Ahmad Salihijo Ahmad, noted that the rural communities suffer
profound health and economic impacts as a result of the wide use of non-renewable
or polluting energy sources.
He said growing the market for
lower impact energy technologies is a step towards equitable, cleaner
development.
The REA boss recalled that on the
16th June 2022, the Federal Government of Nigeria officially signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Korean Institute for Advancement of
Technology (KIAT) to develop four mini-grids within the FCT.
He said they include the Robuchi
Interconnected Minigrid which will have a total capacity of 900kWp divided into
three fractions.
"Construction of 100kWp is
also ongoing at Ikwa Community of Gwagwalada while the remaining two would be delivered
before December 2024."
Upon full delivery of the
Official Development Assistance (ODA) project, according to him, the intervention would have delivered a total
renewable energy capacity of 1.6 MWp and 3.0 MWhr system across four main
communities in the FCT.
Ahmad said the most significant
part of this intervention is the fact that it further strengthens the Agency’s
ongoing efforts on Productive Use through the auxiliary Productive Use
Equipment such as smart metering devices certified by NEMSA, streetlights,
indoor lighting, and clean water purification systems.
He said REA is currently working
on a sustainable operation and maintenance model which would be applied in
collaboration with the formed Rural Electricity Users’ Cooperative (REUCS) and
the FCT, in order to take care of this investment.
He said as to the Korean
Institute for the Advancement of Technology (KIAT) be assured that these
projects have been developed with sustainability dimensions embedded from their
conceptualization.
Meanwhile, the Korean Energy
Project, Coordinator, Dr. Salman Bello said the project has been designed to
deploy power to three communities.
Rubocuhi, he said, has the
largest and it is going to be the largest mini-grid in the country today,
adding that Rubouchi has not had light for the past 10 years and assuring the
communities that they will be energized this time next year.
According to him, it is not only
going to be reliable, will also be clean. He revealed that a cooperative has
been set up to support the project.
For the 25 years life span of the
project, Bello noted that all has been put in place for its sustainability.
Already 200 poles have been
deployed to the communities. From the communities, Community Head, Rubochi of
Rubouchi,
High Royal Highness, Alhaji Ibrahim
Pada Sa, appreciated the government for citing the project in the community.
He counted the community lucky
for meriting the project without money. According to him, the project will
serve 4,400 households when completed.
He noted that it will certainly change the lives of the people.
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