By Robert Egbe
The Federal Government will on Thursday through its Rural Electrification Agency (REA) commission a 100KW solar hybrid mini grid power plant in Akpabom Community in Onna Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.
The project, which is the third under the Rural Electrification Fund (REF), will provide clean, safe, affordable and reliable electricity.
Akpabom, with a population of over 2,000 people, will join Upake (80KW) in Kogi State and Kare-Dadin Kowa and Tsulaye (98.8KW) in Kebbi State in the project.
The REA Managing Director/CEO, Mrs. Damilola Ogunbiyi, emphasised the Federal Government’s commitment to meeting its developmental goals by providing electricity access for all. Reiterating REA’s role, she said: “As an agency, we are responsible for powering unserved and underserved communities, therefore, it is fulfilling every time homes, businesses, schools and medical centres are connected to sustainable solar power.
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“Almost immediately, we are able to witness rural communities being transformed with clean energy through the jobs that are created during construction, to their micro and small businesses scaling to larger capacity thanks to reliable electricity.”
GVE Projects Limited Chief Executive Officer, Ifeanyi Orajaka, listed the benefits of the mini off grid.
Orajaka said the installed mini grid had 306 solar panels and a distribution network cable of 5.5KM, that will adequately energise the community.
According to him, 58 jobs were created as a result of local labour.
“It is a thing of pride that GVE, an indigenous Nigerian firm, can be a part of developing Nigeria’s rural areas. Thanks to this project, Nigerian solar developers like myself, can access these investment opportunities and participate in growing Nigeria’s evolving off-grid sector.”
The REA is the Implementing Agency of the Federal Government tasked with the electrification of unserved and underserved communities.
The REF provides equitable access to electricity across Nigeria to maximize the economic, social and environmental benefits of rural electrification grants, to promote off-grid electrification, and to stimulate innovative approaches to rural electrification.
REF projects are administered using a Public Private Partnership (PPP) model.
The first call of the Rural Electrification Fund (REF) will energize twelve communities with solar mini grids and deploy 19,000 Solar Home Systems (SHS).
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