250,000 Households To Get Electricity In 2024 -REA

The Rural Electrification Agency (REA), says it is supporting 250,000 households with electric mobility, mini-grids, home systems to boost electricity in the country in 2024.  Malam Mutari Ibrahim, the Director Promotion and Outreach (PIO) said this in a statement in Abuja. “In response to subsidy removal, REA is implementing interventions to develop electric mobility, mini-grids, distribute home systems, deploy streetlights, potentially supporting up to 250,000 households in the coming year.” Ibrahim said that the agency had equally deployed more than 1,650 Kilo Metres (KM) of solar streetlights, improving power, security, and economic growth in rural areas,” he said. He said that REA also completed 1,403 projects under the capital budget, delivering solar streetlights, mini-grid projects, standalone home systems, and grid extension works. “Through various programmes, including Energisng Education Programme.  Energising Agriculture Programme beyond COVID-19, and Economic Clusters, REA delivered more than 65 Mega Watts (MW) of power across Nigeria’s six geo-political zones. “The agency has delivered more than 500MW of power, electrified numerous communities, created 500,000 new jobs, and attracted over two billion dollars in investments in the renewable energy sector over the past decade. “In advancing these achievements, we have established partnerships with the World Bank, the African Development Bank, the Global Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP),” he said. Other partnership secured are with Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Sustainable Energy for ALL (SE4ALL), Agence Française de Développement (AFD), and the United Kingdom Nigeria Infrastructure Advisory Facility (UKNIAF). He said that the agency also secured partnership with the European Union, the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), the Global Environment Facility (GEF), and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). ‘Others are the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the Korean Institute of Advancement of Technology (KIAT) “In 2022, as part of the National Poverty Reduction and Growth Strategy (NPRGS) Programme, REA secured an additional four billion in capital injection grants. “To provide clean power standalone home systems to more than 50,000 locations, including rural homes, micro-businesses, schools, and faith-based institutions,” he said. Ibrahim said that from 2020 to date, REA had provided power to more than 7.5 million people, including 1.5 million households, delivering 130 Mini-Grid Projects, including 1.3 million standalone home systems. According to him, most recently, the Nigeria Electrification Project (NEP), REA negotiated and secured the advance approval of a 750 million dollars facility with the World Bank. The aim he said was to expand renewable and rural electrification initiatives, providing additional resources to Nigeria during a challenging period. Ibrahim said that Mr Salihijo Ahmad, the current Managing Director of the agency, had been a steadfast leader who has tirelessly guided REA through challenging times. “Even in the face of internal, external pressures, and resistance to anti-corruption efforts. “Upon assumption of office, Ahmad encountered a myriad of unresolved staff issues within the agency. “Recognising the immense challenge of repositioning the agency for effective project delivery, human resources became a pivotal consideration. In response, “He wasted no time in addressing concerns related to the organisation’s processes, structure, and staff welfare, with the aim of fostering a conducive work environment for optimal performance,” he said. According to him, his first step is to initiate a comprehensive institutional assessment and appraisal of the agency, carried out by a globally renowned organisational re-engineering firm.  He said that the assessment rigorously evaluated the agency’s project delivery, institutional structure, and processes to determine its capacity to meet its mandate. “The recommendations from the assessment were meticulously reviewed and approved by the agency’s board and the minister before being put into action, resulting in significant accomplishments. “Over the past few months, we have collaborated closely with the ministry of power, National Assembly, anti-corruption agencies, and process organisations to initiate further reforms within REA in spite numerous obstacles,” he said.

FG To GenCos, DisCos: No More Excuses Over Poor Power Supply

The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has warned electricity generating and distribution companies over the poor distribution of electricity to Nigerians stressing that the government will no longer listen to their excuses. Adelabu, who made this known to Discos and generating companies during a meeting Saturday in Abuja, said the meeting was to find a lasting solution to the issues surrounding power distribution. According to a statement signed by the Minister’s Special Adviser, Strategic Communication and Media Relations Bolaji Tunji, Adelabu said: “We called this meeting to learn from you and the only way to salvage a bad situation is to understand the real issues on the ground. “Power is one of the most important things we need to energize the economy in terms of achieving the desired economic growth and Industrial development. ”The President has identified the power sector as a major driver of economic growth; therefore no excuse will be entertained for non-performance.” The minister also said that the meeting will become regular to create a stable and accessible environment that will enable discussions surrounding the generating, transmitting, and distribution value chain of electricity to be reviewed and decisions reached. He added that this development will make an impact in the power sector within two to three years.

Transcorp’s generating capacity to hit 1200MW by December

Transcorp Group has said it hopes to raise Nigeria’s power capacity by 300MW by the end of 2023.  Speaking on AriseTV, Group Chief Executive Officer of Transcorp Group, Owen Omogiafo, said that resounding the gas challenge will enable the company to achieve its milestone.  According to the Transcorp GCEO, despite the gas and transmission challenges, the company still witnessed an impressive improvement in its power business in the first six months of this year (2023). “Transcorp has an installed generation capacity of nearly 2000MW, and in the first half of the year, we focused greatly on improving our mechanical available capacity and we took our capacity to about 900MW.  “There were still some challenges with gas and transmission, but notwithstanding that, we saw a great improvement in our power business. Going by the strategy we are working with now, by year end, we will have about 1,200MW of available capacity.” On the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) acquisition, Omogiafo explained that Transcorp as part of a consortium that acquired a 60 per cent stake in AEDC was driven by the need to drive Nigeria’s economic recovery as no industry or sector can operate without power.  Experts have opined that lack of a stable power supply continues to be a drawback to the country’s development.  Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has said that its members spent the sum of N144.5 billion on alternative power sources in 2022.  She noted that the power sector is critical if the country’s real sector is economic growth.