The Federal Government of Nigeria has completed a total of 1,375 rural power projects in different districts across the nation with the sum of N45.89bn for three years.
Data from the Rural Electrification Agency showed that between 2020 and 2022, the Federal Government, through its REA, took on the projects by increasing the ability of the national power grid, expanding the number of mini-grids, utilizing solar home designs, as well as positioning solar street lights.
“The amount of capital projects in the last three years is 1,375 in number. The cost of total projects is N45.89bn,” the REA noted in its 2022 Strategic Interventions report released last week.
A study of the projects revealed that the government was capable of delivering an installed ability of 238.4 megawatts to the national electricity grid during the re-examination period.
It declared that a total of 476,800 families gained from this, as the installed capacity on the grid impacted 2.38 million people, while the expenditure of this particular project was N19.11bn.
The report stated that a total of 67 mini-grids designed during the three years, supplied 0.64MW of electricity to 657.14 families, incorporating a total of 3,290 persons, while N6.35bn was spent on this singular project.
The government, through its rural power agency, also supplied 556 solar home systems to support 2,780 people, at a cost of N1.03bn during the three years.
It was further accumulated that a total distance of 557.5km was covered with solar street lights supplied by the agency at a rate of N17.96bn during the same course of time.
The statement drafted the agency’s interventions for the year 2022, in the delivery of capital projects, including the initial conditions review and performance structure for the 2022 electrification schedules.
It let the programs include the usage of solar mini-grids (high-ability effective utility), solar water pumps (water supply systems), and solar home systems (low-capacity efficacious service) across the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria.
“Before the planned interventions, some of the baseline requirements and problems of the recipients included the availability of electricity and water, petrol consumption practices, security prerequisites, work needs, gender equality, and major crops planted.
“After the interventions, an evaluation exercise was organized to decide the social, environmental, and economic influence on the daily income in the recipient communities,” the report stated.
It stated that in 2022, six communities were provided with a 100-kW solar mini-grid system.
“The systems were developed to prioritize generative users, including agro-processing industries, homes, commercial users, as well as public spaces.
“Over 8,155 lives and 5,000 involved farmers have been impacted with uninterrupted power supply and clean accessible water, and over 60 direct and indirect jobs created, enhanced security, improved productivity, enhanced healthcare, as well as the decommissioning of over 40 diesel and petrol generators.
“Based on the latest and prospective analyses, the drops in carbon emissions were also promising,” the agency stated.
It said 1,392 water supply solar pumps were allocated across the six geopolitical zones, getting to 1,300 male and 92 female recipients, as well as about 200 farm bunches.
“About 11,000 lives and 6,000 farmers (including about 810 female farmers) have been directly impacted. This impact has led to the lighting of over 170 farms with solar street lights, the internship of over 3,000 farmers on pump care and new irrigation methods, and more importantly, saving funds,” it stated.
