Follow Us on Google
For enhanced productivity and wealth creation, the Federal Government has partnered with two foreign investors, Singaporean-based renewable energy firm, B&S Power and SunnyFred Global, to develop 200MW solar farm in Ashama village, Aniocha South , Delta State
According to the Minister of Power, Mamman Saleh, the project, which is to occupy about 304 hectares of land is an offshoot of the Federal Government’s policy to attract investment into the off-grid arena.
The minister, who disclosed this Thursday in Lagos during a media chat and project roadmap presentation that attracted both local and international stakeholders, said the solar photovoltaic farm is the largest so far in West Africa. He explained that the Federal government was committed to a national development path that is guided by the desire to diversify the economy away from oil with a focus on the agricultural and manufacturing sectors, this means the power system is central to achieving this desired goal of economic diversification.
He stated: “This require us to develop and implement an overarching unified path to electrification leveraging both grid modernisation and extension; and renewable energy based distribution systems integration in the power system.
“In recognition of this, the Federal Government of Nigeria under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari has launched vision 30:30:30, a target to deliver 30GW of electricity with 30 percent renewable energy by 2030. This is a key focus of the nation’s electrification strategy to avail Nigerians reliable, sustainable andaffordable power.”
The power minister, who was represented by his senior adviser, Abba Aliyu, disclosed that the Ministry under his leadership has developed five focus areas to serve as a roadmap to support the national policy directive, explained that government key policy intervention in the sector is to improve access to power.
Speaking in the same vein, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity, Dr. Yerima Tarfa, noted that the change in climate has brought to focus the need to reverse the negligence of natural Potential with which Africa is generously endowed for solving the challenges of human existence, one of which is the efficient exploitation of solar energy.
“The Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, with a mandate that focuses on job creation, skills development, employment-related social safety-nets, industrial peace and harmony, etc, for enhanced productivity and wealth creation, is therefore pleased to identify with this project. Mrs. Adelaide Okocha of the Environmental Assessment Department, Ministry of Environment, Abuja,noted that“a critical challenge in 21st-century geopolitics will be conflict created by scramble for the use of renewable natural resources and the environment. A project can triumph in a manner where it achieve its expected objectives, yet overshadowed by the problems or conflict which its success triggers,”
Chairman, Minister’s Policy & Technical Advisory Committee on Environment, Prof. Abubakar Sambo, said when the project is completed, it would be a major addition to the much-needed clean energy in the country.
Sambo, who reeled out benefits of renewable energy, said for Nigeria to have a significant expansion of its electricity supply, there is absolute need for the government to consider that it is possible for only solar PV to produce 11,575 MW in 2030; 60,310 MW in 2040 and 99,658 MW in 2050.
