The Nigerian Electrification Project (NEP) has obtained $550 million from the World Bank and the African Development Bank to improve power supply across the country.
The Nigerian government has also partnered with the UK-Nigeria Infrastructure Advisory Facility (UKNIAF), GIZ’s Nigeria Energy Support Programme (NESP), and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to provide technical expertise to help the government address the issues surrounding the country’s power supply, according to Anitu Otubu, Head of the Project Management Unit at NEP.
She said the project is being implemented by the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), a government agency under the Federal Ministry of Power.
“The REA was established to help bridge the energy access gap in the country between the underserved and unserved, with special emphasis on the last-mile areas.
She claims that the government is pursuing off-grid renewable energy alternatives through the REA, including captive solar hybrid power plants, isolated and connected mini-grids, and solar household systems.
“It takes a lot of money to achieve universal access to power, so we work with private sector players who can secure financing to increase energy access. Private sector players, though maybe passionate about socio-economic empowerment for the unserved, are also profit-driven.
