The Rural Electrification Agency (REA).has stated that to address electricity challenge in the country, over 1,000 mini grids and 50 interconnected mini grids have been developed that will inject over 200 megawatt of electricity into the national grid.
Speaking during a courtesy visit by the National Judicial Institute (NJI), the Managing Director of REA, Abubakar Abba Aliyu, said the federal government through the $750m project that will catalyze N1.1 billion private sector funding to deploy 1,350 mini grids, is ensuring electricity gets to Nigerians who been have abandoned by the National grid.
"We are witnessing the implementation of the energizing education program, where as of today, we have completed 15 programs. But now, for the first time, we are witnessing the implementation of the biggest publicly funded renewable projects, electricity renewable projects in the entire world.
"Through this, the University of Maiduguri, we deployed 12 megawatt power in the university, the teaching hospital, and now we are building a distribution network to power even the water treatment plant. We have done it in Federal University in Yobe, Federal University of Agriculture in Akure among others. And as we're completing the 15, another round of eight more have been developed. This is the quantum of infrastructure that has been deployed across the country to address the electricity access challenge," he said.
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He said the approved N100bn for the National Public Sector Solarization Initiative that seeks to provide intervention to public institution that are underserved or having the difficulty of paying for the electricity they are enjoying, has started at the Department of State Security Services, the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, National Hospital, and about 12 more educational institutions across the country.
The Institute Administrator of NJI, Justice Babatunde Adejumo, said the visit is to collaborate with the REA for the NJI to benefit from the public sector polarisation.
He lamented that lack of electricity is one of the major challenges Nigerians face and it is important for the judiciary to benefit from projects to enable them deliver their task effectively.
