Over 5,000 Nigerian households and Businesses benefits from Husk Power solar mini-grids electrification
Victoria Ogunrinde
Following the installation of 50KWP solar hybrid minigrid by Husk Power, 6 Nigeria communities with over 5000 households and Businesses will now get to access affordable and reliable electricity that enables social economic opportunities.
This was disclosed on Tuesday at the installation of the 50KWP in Rukubi, Nassarawa State.
It is the first time that the company has rolled out multiple minigrids at one time under the Nigerian Electrification Project (NEP), an initiative funded by the World Bank and the African Development Bank and implemented by the Rural Electrification Agency (REA).
Speaking at the event, the CEO Husk Power System, Manoj Sinha, said the company is proud to be contributing to the government’s vision of public-private partnership to provide clean, quality, reliable electricity that powers economic opportunity for small businesses
and households across the country.”
According to Sinha, the newly launched minigrids in Nassarawa will provide clean, reliable and affordable electricity
to about 5,000 households and 500 businesses in Doma and Lafia Local Government Areas (LGAs).
“The six communities accessing electricity for the first time are Rukubi, Idadu and Igbabo in Doma LGA, and Kiguna, Akura, and Gidan Buba in Lafia LGA.
Sinha added that “Nigeria’s leadership in rural electrification and making minigrids a centerpiece of national energy strategy is a global best practice.”
Similarly, the CEO stated that with a strong local leadership, Husk forecasts a fleet of more than 100 minigrids in Nigeria within the next 24 months, targeting 500 minigrids by 2026. He added that it also plans to expand to several other Nigeria states before the end of 2023.
“Besides providing electricity to the local Doma and Lafia households and businesses, the minigrids will also support local agricultural activities such as milling, cold chain and irrigation,” he added.
In his remarks, Nassarawa state Governor, Engr. Abdullahi Sule noted that the completion of six minigrids by Husk Power Systems in Nasarawa State is an important step in scaling rural electrification and achieving energy access for all Nigerians.
“It is with great pride that Nasarawa state has collaborated with Husk Power, the world’s leading rural clean energy services company, and the Federal Government through the Rural Electrification Agency to implement these impressive projects, which will ensure clean, safe and reliable electricity for the communities in Rukubi, Idadu, Igbabo, Kiguna, Akura and Gidan Buba.
The Acting Regional Director for Infrastructure, Africa West and
Africa East; Practice Manager, West and Central Africa Energy, Ashish Khanna, while speaking at the event said “The World Bank is a proud partner of the Government’s Nigeria Electrification Program (NEP).
“It is 2 years ago that the first solar minigrid was commissioned under NEP at Rokota village, since then significant progress has been made with 359 private sector led solar minigrid projects
under development with the potential to provide electricity to 1.1 million people. Husk Power is now showing the way in scaling, with the first ever deployment of 6 sites simultaneously under the program, contributing to their ambition to roll-out 500 systems by 2026.
“We look forward to jointly continue to move the needle in providing electricity to the 80 million people who don’t
have access to this today,” Khanna added.