The Federal Government is set to provide renewable energy to the 104 Unity Schools and 200 Primary Health Centres (PHCs) across the country.
The Federal Ministry of Power said that the initiative will be implemented under the Economic Sustainability Programme (ESP). According to the Minister of State for Power, Goddy Jedy-Agba, the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) will implement the project across the six geo-political zones and it would be completed in 12 months. He said the initiative tagged, ‘Energy for All-Mass Rural Electrification’, is to support Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) to mitigate the impact of COVID-19.
Agba further said the project targets the deployment of solar-hybrid captive power solutions to 100 secondary and tertiary health facilities which have also served as isolation and treatment centres for COVID-19.
The minister declared that the project will create jobs and facilitate energy access to unserved and underserved areas in the country, in line with the federal government’s plan to have 30 percent of its total electricity supply from renewable sources.
He also noted that the Mass Solar Electrification Project will strengthen the functionality of health centres, unity schools and communities that were in time past faced with the absence of electricity for a productive health and education sectors.