The Renewable Energy Association of Nigeria, REAN has commended the Nigerian government over its planned deployment of 5 Million Solar Home Systems as part of the Nigeria Economic Sustainability Plan, NESP.
Describing the plan as a landmark in achieving Goal 7 of the Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs which is Sustainable Energy for All, the group in a statement signed by its president, Segun Adaju said it is positioned to support the government towards realising the goals of the initiative.
In his words, “we have established our own SHS Committee within the Association that will work directly with the relevant agencies of the Federal Government to support the government in ensuring that this initiative succeeds and delivers the expected outcome, with strong local content consideration.
With 5 million households and connections within 12 months, over 25 million Nigerians will be impacted, thereby reducing the huge numbers of Nigerians who rely on inefficient energy sources such as kerosene lanterns, candles, etc as sources of power.
The NESP clearly indicated that the objective to be achieved by this component of the plan is to create 250,000 jobs while providing affordable energy through solar power to rural communities that have little or no access to the national grid.
By creating these jobs, the multiplier effect of it would result in many more Nigerians being pulled out of poverty as articulated by this administration.
The plan also indicated that private sector installers of solar systems will be supported with access to low-cost funding from development finance institutions and the CBN in order to install solar systems at an affordable price to the beneficiaries,” he said.
Speaking further, he said the provision of “further palliative messures such as temporary waiver of import duty for imported components, access to affordable financing and lessening of administrative bottlenecks should be mainstreamed into the delivery of this project in order to achieve the objective of this initiative”.
REAN is the umbrella body of stakeholders in the nation’s alternative energy industry.
