Nigeria targets 30 per cent electricity generation from solar

The Federal Government has renewed its commitment to deliver 30 per cent of Nigeria’s energy need by exploring renewable sources of power generation.

Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, who made this disclosure in Lagos, emphasized the need to embrace solar energy to reduce pressure on the national grid.

Speaking at a book launch titled: “Solar Electricity Generation for off-grid communities in Nigeria”, written by the Managing Director, Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC), Oladele Amoda, Fashola, said that Solar is going to play an important role in Nigeria.

According to him, investors are now free to manufacture solar systems in the country following the review of its pioneer status incentives.

Fashola advised Nigerians to invest in solar energy as it remained energy for the future. “Solar energy is very important to reach Nigerians living in various communities that are difficult to reach by the Discos.

“We are committed to incremental power and policies that will drive the power sector; Solar is one of the renewable energy,” he said. The minister, however, allayed fears of Electricity Distribution Companies (Discos) over the deployment of more solar power through mini-grids and other Federal Government initiatives aimed at improving service in the power sector.

He commended Amoda’s initiative in authoring a book that would address power sector challenges, adding that Amoda was outstanding. He said that the book presentation was timely, as power sector would start to witness dry session by next month

The minister said that power generation had increased from 2,600 megawatts to 7, 000 megawatts, while power wheeled out was gradually increasing to 7,000 megawatts.

Speaking as the occasion, former Minister of Power, Prof. Bart Nnaji, a commended Amoda for his painstaking research and knowledge input in a book that would address power sector challenges and proffered solutions

Nnaji, the Chairman of Geometric Power, said that Amoda had transformed the power sector under his watch as the managing director of Eko disco.

He said that renewable energy remained a major focus to power sector growth and development in rural communities in Nigeria. He urged stakeholders in the power sector to support the minister in developing the sector to deliver desire results in the country.

“Eko Disco was the best performing Disco during the privatisation era, so, am not surprised that Amoda authored a book. “Am not surprised to see an excellent managing director of Disco understood the prospects and challenges of the power sector,” he said.

Amoda said that the essence of the book was to create awareness on important alternative energy in Nigeria, as Nigerians could not continue to depend on the use of fossil fuel that was given environmental issues.