Ondo partners USTDA grant recipient to power Ilaje communities through solar

The Ondo State government in partnership with an international consulting firm, Community Social Enterprises Limited (CESEL), yesterday, launched the pilot implementation of Solar Micro-grid systems in Araromi Seaside, Ilaje Council of the state.

The launch of the microgrid system is as a result of the grant awarded to CESEL by the U.S Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) for a feasibility study supporting the rollout of photovoltaic microgrids across Nigeria for rural and quasi-urban communities that lack reliable access to electricity.

According to a statement from the Ondo State Investment and Development Promotion Agency (ONDIPA), CESEL selected 10 communities in the state to carry out the feasibility studies and have been actively working in these communities to maximize their solar energy potentials.

Therefore, to cater for communities that are off national grid and without access to electricity power supply, CESEL after consultations with the state government through her Investment Promotion Agency, ONDIPA, agreed to partner with the State in expanding the number of selected communities for the Microgrid project to 50.

The microgrid systems would provide the selected communities stable and dependable power supply at a lower cost than petrol run generators and would operate on a ‘pay as you go structure’ with production and consumption monitored on a real-time basis.

Speaking on the partnership, the Principal Consultant of CESEL, Dr. Patrick Tolani stated, “Araromi Seaside, Ilaje serves as the inaugural community for the project due to its economic potentials. My decision to partner with Ondo state and expand the microgrid project is as a result of the genuine intent of Arakunrin Akeredolu to make positive impact on the state especially with the creation of ONDIPA.