The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to providing electricity to 17.5 million Nigerians.
Mr. Abba Aliyu, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), gave the assurance in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Talasse community, Balanga Local Government Area (LGA), in Gombe.
Aliyu, who spoke on the sidelines of the inauguration of a 620Kw small hydropower-solar PV hybrid system project at Balanga Dam, said that the President Bola Tinubu’s administration remained committed to providing rural communities with electricity.
He explained that the 750 million dollar project was a Federal Government collaboration with the World Bank, known as the Distributed Renewable Energy Scaleup.
He added that the project was already underway, utilizing renewable energy sources to enhance access to electricity in rural areas.
According to him, the REA has inaugurated the implementation of 42 interconnected mini-grids and signed grant agreements with eight developers, aimed at providing electricity to 17.5 million Nigerians.
“This is the first time in the history of the country where means of powering all the communities have been designed by REA, as directed by President Tinubu.
“Mr President has provided us with funding and approved the biggest public sector renewable funding of 750 million dollars, which is being implemented to power 17.5 million Nigerians.
“He has also approved another funding of about 200 million dollars, and all these investments are targeted at improving access to electricity, which will propel economic growth in rural communities.
The managing director/chief executive officer added that the entire country had been mapped and rural communities without electricity, had been identified.
According to him, the peculiarities of all these communities have been highlighted, as well as the lowest cost of providing them with electricity.
He noted that the government had implemented necessary initiatives to provide 100 mini-grids across the country.
Vanguard News
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