States in Nigeria are beginning to trim and develop functional electrification plans with established number of consumption clusters and their levels of electrification, using the window of opportunity provided by a €25 million programme of the European Union (EU) and government of Germany.
Referred to as the Nigerian Energy Support Programme (NESP), and jointly funded by EU and Germany, the scheme supports fives states in the country to design and adopt energy programmes that fit into the Sustainable Energy for All (SE4All) initiative of the United Nations.
The Deputy Director, Renewable Energy in Nigeria’s ministry of power, Faruk Yabo, stated this on the side-line of a recent energy event in Abuja.
Yabo who doubles as the Country Focal Point, SE4All, also stated that besides the EU and Germany, many donors were supporting Nigeria’s sustainable energy programme.
According to him: “The NESP One is being funded by approximately €25m, which is the contribution from the European Union and the German government. That is purely under the NESP, but of course, there are many other donors that are contributing a lot of money into these areas of sustainable energy for all initiative.”
“The Niger State government is one of the five partner states that we have been working with under the NESP that is funded by the German government and the EU, and is implemented by the ministry of power together with the GIZ.
“So far, we have been able to help the states to come out with electrification plans which establish the total number of clusters in the states, their levels of electrification, what are the least cost of providing electricity for them,” he explained.
He noted that aside Niger, other states in the partnership include Sokoto, Cross River, Ogun and Plateau.
Yabo explained that the sustainable energy for all programme was a long term initiative of the United Nations which seeks to push for universal access to modern energy by the year 2030, as well as doubling the status of renewable energy when compared to what was obtained in 2010.
