REA Inspects Solar Power Installations in Underserved Lagos Community

*Installs 100kw solar power grid in Ogun

Peter Uzoho, Oluchi Chibuzor in Lagos and James Sowole in Abeokuta

The Rural Electrification Agency (REA) has inspected some decentralised Solar Home Systems (SHS) installed in Makoko, Lagos State, in furtherance of the federal government’s efforts to bridge energy access gap in the underserved and off-grid riverine community.

This was just as it emerged that the federal government through REA, has installed a 100kw Solar Powered Mini Grid for use by entrepreneurs in the agric sector. The solar powered mini grid is located at Eriwe in Odogbolu Local Government area of Ogun State. The agricultural settlement, where several agricultural stakeholders operate, is owned by Ijebu Development Initiative on Poverty Reduction.

However, in Lagos, the Chief Executive Officer of REA, Mr. Salihijo Ahmad, during the inspection of the solar systems in Makoko, at the weekend, said the SHS deployment was a project captured under the federal government’s National Poverty Reduction and Growth Strategy.

Ahmad said given the agency’s role in providing access to electricity for unserved and under-served areas, the role being played by the agency was more of a social service to mitigate the environmental and economic challenges of the community.

He added that the installation continued the implementation of the government’s Economic Sustainability Plan, noting that the inspection was part of a more extensive visit to the South-west region, with sites at Osogbo and Ijebu-Ode also visited.

Ahmad stated, “The management will return and assess the impact of the projects so far. Stakeholder engagement (state governments, community groups and end-users) will continue while all the feedback gathered is considered.

“What is evident even in the immediate aftermath is that using a decentralised approach toward electrification of communities such as Makoko is the right approach given the difficulty of operating a traditional grid system.

“We are here on an inspection visit to access the solar systems that were installed six months ago in schools, hospitals and some homes in the Makoko community.

“We wanted to test and deploy a more decentralised solar system of 150 watts to critical places like schools, hospitals and essential places to provide lightening for effectiveness.

“About 30 solar units have been deployed so far, and we plan to deploy more.

“We wanted to scale up the project, but it is important to inspect the facilities and see the impact in the community.”

He maintained that the agency was also mindful of the impact of the petrol subsidy removal on communities, adding that the solar project would alleviate the suffering of people in the community.

He said the decentralised SHS would go a long way to impact rural communities in Nigeria positively.

He noted that the project would enable schools, hospitals and households to power fans, bulbs and televisions.

Responding, the Baale of the Makoko Community, Mr. Jeje-Aide Albert, expressed the community’s excitement at the development.
He lauded the agency for bringing life to rural communities and urged the federal government to do more to alleviate the suffering of the  residents of the community.

“We are grateful to the federal government through the Rural Electrification Agency, for providing solar systems to schools, hospitals and homes in Makoko community.

“We hope it will be sustainable. Makoko community has been neglected for years,” he said.

Relatedly, the solar power in Odogbolu Local Government area of Ogun State, was situated in a settlement, noted for poultry, piggery and fishery, boasts of annual fish sale in excess of N 2.5 billion and said to be the largest fish farm in terms of tonnage and market in West Africa.

Also leading a team on an inspection tour of the facility and the farm settlement, Ahmad, said findings during the inspection revealed the need to expand the capacity of the power grid.

He explained that the project was part of REA’s policies on alleviation of poverty especially around the agricultural sector.

Ahmad, a renewable energy advocate, said the idea was to have one of the project in each of the six geopolitical zones.
He said the project  would reduce cost and reliance on fuel to power pumping machines by the fish farmers, most especially now that fuel subsidy had been removed.

Ahmad explained, “The project is part of our pragmatic approach to budgeting that we have been doing in the last couple of years where we are looking at alleviation of poverty especially around the agricultural sector. We have one at each of the geopolitical zones.

“What we have here is a 100 kilowatt system, powering the agricultural setting under the Ijebu development community programme for poverty alleviation.  
“Beyond the mini-grid being powered, this inspection is to see what is the best use of the power that we have provided here,” he explained.
The managing director said the project presently can only power 10 per cent of the farm, but, “there is a plan for expansion of the project based on the demands we get.”

Ahmad added, “This is 100 kilowatts and I am hearing that it is only powering 10 per cent and so essentially, what is needed here, is about one megawatt grid.
“In terms of the payment, obviously, it is not going to be free because this is something the government has done as a proof of concept so that we can create that environment for private developers to actually expand upon it.”

He noted that the subscription fee would be determined by stakeholders in such a way that it would be affordable to the farmers.

The President of Farmer Aquaculture Union, Eriwe Farm Village, Quadri Oriyomi, described the project as a laudable initiative, saying it would relieve the farmers.
According to him, after the fuel subsidy removal, “it has been difficult for farmers to buy N500 per litre of fuel to power their pumping machines because it won’t yield any profit.”

He expressed the farmers’ willingness to pay for the subscription, saying it would pay off if compared to the money spent daily to buy fuel.

“The project can only cover 10 per cent because the land here is over 156 hectares where we have over 500 farmers. “We have about 42 groups and in each group we have over 30 people. This like they said is just like a sample to test-run how it is going to go round so that everybody will benefit.

“By the time you calculate it, this will just take care of 40 ponds, I mean 40 pumping machines out of over 200 pumping machines. Definitely, we have agreed to subscribe to solar power with the minimum price that is not going to affect the farmers.

“We appeal that they expand solar power to make other farmers benefit,” he said.