Access to digital data, key to increasing electrification – Minister

The Minister of Power, Mr Abubakar Aliyu, on Tuesday in Abuja said that access to digital, ground-truth data would increase the electrification planning rate in Nigeria.

The minister said this at the official inauguration of the upgrade of Nigeria Sustainable Energy for All (Nigeria SE4ALL) platform version 3.0 (https://nigeriase4all.gov.ng), with extended datasets from field data collection and brand new web apps.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the initiative is under the Nigeria Energy Support Programme which is a technical assistance programme.

It is also co-founded by the European Union (EU), BMZ, and implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) Gmbh in collaboration federal ministry power.

Aliyu, speaking at the cutting of the ribbon ceremony of the new web platform, said that “access to digital, ground true data is key to increase the electrification rate in Nigeria.

“That is why the ministry under the umbrella of the nationwide SE4ALL initiative has developed this platform, which will serve as the go-to platform for data-driven electrification planning to achieve Nigeria’s Vision 30:30:30,’’ he said.

Ms Inga Stefanowicz, Head of Green and Digital Economy at the European Union Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, speaking at the event, said the delegation was delighted about the website.

“The EU is happy to have supported the government to develop the new Nigeria SE4ALL web platform.

“The collected data and the new tools would be used to serve as pre-feasibility for private sector investment, allow development of policies and frameworks as well as monitoring policy target.”

Mr Martin Huth, the Chargé d’affaires of the German Embassy to Nigeria, highlighted the importance of the platform for the energy sector in improving the energy sector.

“These interactive platform with intuitive web apps will greatly assist the Nigerian Government in improving the regulatory framework for the set targets of electrifying Nigerians.

“Also, it will provide the private sector with necessary information for the business plans for investments,’’ he said.

Mr Abubabar Ali-Dapshima, Acting Director, Renewable Energy and Rural Power Access Department for the Ministry of Power, said the platform launched provided the availability of primary and empirical data for key investors.

He added that the investors that were in the Mini-grid, renewable energy, energy efficiency sub-sectors of the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) would gain access.

NAN reports that the inauguration presented lessons and insights from stakeholders, the private sector, companies, industry association, ministry of power, the World Bank Group, and donor organisations on the new platform and introduced new features.

Mr Duke Benjamin, Head of Programme, NESP, said that Nigeria SE4ALL project team had carried out further special projects on field data collection including energy supply assessment.

“Also on off-grid settlement surveys, and mobile mapping of grid network, in collaboration with national partners,’’ he said.

NAN further reports that the high point of the event was the demonstration of the collected data and data collection methods including the demonstrations of the mobile mapping device Trimble MX.

It is a vehicle-mounted imaging system enabling fast and productive capture of road, infrastructure and city environmental data.

It captures 360-degree, geo-referenced images with highway speeds to vastly reduce project operating cost whilst improving public safety.