Page 12 - AfrElec Week 31 2021

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the renewable energy space. projects GRID
In Nigeria’s over 200mn population, over
80mn are still lacking access to electricity Goddy Jedy Agba, minister of state for power, Ghana’s ECG argues with
from the national grid and many homes and says Nigeria needs more funding from
businesses have resorted to using petrol or international partners and donor agencies to GRIDCo over decision to sell
diesel generators as alternative. boost the off-grid and renewable energy sub-
Nigeria’s comatose power sector sector in the country. power for industrial use
characterised by constant grid collapse, According to a statement issued by Ofem
epileptic electricity supply and the too low Uket, media aide of the minister, Agaba said There is growing anger between the Ghana
generation, transmission and distribution this on Tuesday in Abuja at an international Grid Company (GRIDCo) and the Electricity
capacities of the country has further provided energy roundtable conference between Company of Ghana (ECG) over the former’s
a brighter business opportunity for the players Nigeria and Senegal. decision to invade ECG’s territory and sell
in the renewable energy sector. The minister said the conference was power for industrial use.
Cardoso told journalists recently in Lagos convened to help Nigeria and other West JoyNews is learning that development
that generators had been making up for the African countries develop their energy and affects cooperation among the utility
huge on-grid energy gap in the country, with power sector to enable it to be competitive producers with dire consequences if not
a very huge market, thus presenting a good globally. immediately addressed.
business prospects for solar and the likes. The minister said President Muhammadu As JoyNews understands, the two entities
He said: “Today in Nigeria, the generation Bubari has deliberate strategic policies to have complained to the Energy Minister,
capacity of our whole grid is around 10,000 develop the power sector in Nigeria using Dr Mathew Opoku Prempeh, demanding a
or 15,000MW and Nigeria really needs to domestic and international power sector resolution.
get about 10 times that, which is 140,000 models to ensure regular and steady supply of At the heart of the simmering discontent is
to 150,000MW. Why are we not always in electricity in the country. the unpaid ¢1bn ECG owes Gridco.
darkness? It’s because of generators. He said Buhari’s directive on ensuring that The company, which is currently replacing
He said, “Today, Nigeria is the largest six million homes are provided with electricity obsolete transmission lines on major lines in
market for generators. I think, there are 65 meters under the national mass metering the country for reliable and sustainable power
or 70mn generators in Nigeria. So, that’s the programme is yielding result. supply, requires an additional $350mn to
prospects for renewable energy in Nigeria. Agaba said the West Africa power pool is complete the projects.
“From generators to renewable, there is designed to lighten every home in the sub- Unhappy with the lack of progress in
a huge gap and that’s a huge prospect for region, adding that it is strategic enough to paying the debt, JoyNews is learning Gridco
renewable in the country. Also on the grid unlock the economic potential of member decided to sell power to industries at a
side, where we need to make up for about countries. cheaper tariff than what ECG offers.
100,000MW -to go from 10,000MW, there is In her remarks, Aissatou Sophie Gladima, They claim the law establishing the Grid
also a lot going there.” Senegal’s minister of energy resources, said Company grants it such right, but ECG sees it
Cardoso, whose firm emerged from she is in Nigeria to seek collaboration in areas as an invasion and are unwilling to tolerate it
a merger and acquisition process, said of competence to strengthen the energy sector any further.
renewable energy, especially solar, was in her country. The Minister tells JoyNews the matter is
reaching the point where the solar panels were being handled, stressing he has charged the
now efficient and also affordable, and makes new governing board of Gridco to resolve the
sense for people to start converting from
generators to solar systems.
Admitting that the upfront cost for solar
systems was still high, Cardoso expressed
optimism that in the next two to five years, the
high cost would start coming down and more
and more people would start using that.
“So, the prospects for solar in Nigeria are
huge. Nigeria is recognised potentially as the
number one mini-grid market in the world.
Because we understand that there is a huge
energy deficit in Nigeria, and decentralising
the power and producing mini-grids close to
Nigerians is the easiest way to do it,” he added.

INVESTMENT
Nigeria needs more funding

for renewable energy

P12 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 31 05•August•2021