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| Source: Student Edge |
All On, a global energy player and three
Nigerian renewable energy companies have signed agreement that would see to the
setting up of mini electric off-grids across the Niger Delta.
Dr Wiebe Boer, the Chief Executive Officer
of All On, disclosed this at the signing of the agreement with GVE, Lumos and
ColdHubs in Port Harcourt on Sunday.
He said the companies would have access to
funds for setting up and expanding off-grid renewable energy solution to end
perennial shortage of electricity supply in the country.
“As we know, Nigeria has one of the most
significant energy gaps in the world. The 5,000 to 7,000 megawatts the country
currently generates is grossly inadequate.
“Our research shows that 120 million
Nigerians have either no power from the grid or less than four hours of power a
day,” he said.
Boer said that the Federal Government has
taken a realistic step to addressing acute shortage of electricity supply in
the country. “The current regulation that Nigerian government has just put out
imply that companies are now free to generate power and sell power to whoever
they want to.
“So, the companies that All On is investing
in are companies that are actually trying to address that gap from the bottom
up rather than current method that is being used.
“So, we have three deals that we signed
today and all of them are focused on helping with the energy access problems in
the country, particularly in the Niger Delta,” he said.
Boer said the three companies had
potentials to improve the current power system in the country, adding that
Lumos alone was currently providing 600,000 Nigerians with constant
electricity. He said that Nigeria with its population and size needed about 180
megawatts of electricity to join the league of industrialized nations of the
world.
According to him, the privatization of the
power sector five years ago has not yielded result as
the approach was
expensive and long term.
“So, the off-grid companies are saying that
instead of waiting forever for Generation, Transmission and Distribution
companies to power homes that let each household and communities power their
homes through the sun. “I think what will happen in Nigeria is that we are
going to see new business development models that we haven’t really seen
anywhere in the world,” he pointed out. Boer said there were several investors
willing to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in the nation’s off-grid
energy market.
Mr Ashipa Olufemi, Vice President of Lumos
Nigeria; Ifeanyi Orajaka, Managing Director of GVE Projects and the Founder of
ColdHubs, Nnaemeka Ikegwuonu, expressed delight with the partnership.
They promised to deliver 24 hours
electricity supply to willing customers in the Niger Delta.
Source: Vanguard
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