ON November 12, the people of Eka-Awoke, Ikwo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State rolled out the drums and danced out their hearts for the inauguration of the REA100KW Solar Hybrid project. It is the baby of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) headed by Ahmad Salihijo Ahmad.
According to the Minister of State for Power, Goddy Jedy-Agba, the Managing Director Cloud Energy Photoelectric Limited, Theophilus Nweke had already promised to establish a rice milling plant in the area in the next year due to the availability of reliable power supply. It was his firm that implemented the project in partnership with the agency.
Jedy-Agba said: “It will attract industry. The MD Cloud Energy has promised to establish a rice milling plant here. While we were coming, the MD said this time next year, he will establish it.”
Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi, who inaugurated the project, said the solar power plant would trigger industrialisation in the community. According to him, the impact of the project was already changing lives positively. His Deputy, Kelechi Igwe, who represented him, said: “This project has also provided jobs for those indigenous to this community and will create more jobs during its expansion. We look forward to witnessing and inaugurating more of these projects that will improve the quality of life for the people of Ebonyi and revolutionise the face of our economy.”
REA Managing Director Ahmad explained that the project was designed to provide jobs for the community. He urged the people to put it to productive use because the Federal Government was looking forward to assessing its positive impact on the economy of the rural community.
According to him, the project was designed with some economic impact assessment measures. The REA boss said the project would power the health care facilities in the community. He revealed that the project was implemented from the first set of the grant to the Rural Electrification Fund for off-grid electrification across the country. Salihijo said the essence of the project was to promote economic activities in rural communities.
The traditional ruler of the community, His Royal Highness (HRH), Ezeh Omereoha I of Eka -Awoke Unweueka Ikwo, expressed his joy over the project. He told The Nation that there was no electricity in the community until the REA project illuminated it. From the time of test-running the solar project, the monarch said there had since been a 24-hour power supply in his domain.
The next day, the stakeholders of the Joint Hospital in Ozubulu, Ekwusigo Local Government Area, Anambra State, welcomed the REA team to the hospital, where the agency’s harvest of completed projects continued.
There, Governor Willie Obiano said the 7.5KWP Solar Mini-Grid Project was for powering of the hospital. It was expected to improve its quality of service to patients.
The REA implemented the project in partnership with a private-sector contractor; Eauxwell Nigeria Limited, for a duration of eight weeks. But, according to the governor, the solar project would ensure clean, safe and reliable electricity in the hospital.
His Senior Special Adviser on Power, Energy and Water Resources, Victor Meju, represented the Commissioner for Public Utilities and Water Resources, Emeka Ezenwanne who represented the governor.
The governor urged the agency to extend the solar projects to other communities in order to address their health challenges.
The Executive Director, Rural Electrification Fund, Sanusi Ohiare revealed that plans were already underway to replicate the project in another community around the area. He noted that the plan was already accommodated in the 2021 Appropriation Bill.
The proprietor of the hospital, Rev. Fr. Chukwujekwu Akabugu, said owing to the provision of electricity from the solar project, the hospital had started operating a 24-hour service daily. He said the power supply had given the hospital an edge over its competitors in the area.
Salihijo, who was represented by Alozie Solomon, said as a mandate by the Federal Government, the agency would continue to implement sustainable and reliable energy infrastructure deployment, using off-grid technologies.
The Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Appropriation, Chris Emeka Azubogu said no economy could develop without electricity supply. He said the hospital had hitherto been powered from a generator, noting that he was grateful to the agency for providing the facility for the hospital to expand.
Similarly, the agency’s inauguration team arrived at Unguwar Dutse in Malumfashi Local Government Area of Katsina State on November 19, 2020. The Governor, Aminu Masari urged the residents of Unguwar Dutse to take advantage of the 300KVA transformer that REA installed and inaugurated for them to boost their economic activities.
His Senior Special Adviser on Power, Mansur Musa represented him and inaugurated the project and the grid extension electrification (33/0.415kv) transformer project in the community. He told the villagers that the project would be used to power schools, hospitals and businesses across the community.
He said: “I will, therefore, urge the people of Unguwar Dutse to take care of the project. This is what you have been praying for. It is now up to you to take advantage of this opportunity to better your lives in the community.”
Masari also explained to the residents that the inauguration of the grid extension project under the capital projects of the Rural Electrification Agency would provide reliable electricity for them which would, in turn, lead to more productivity for the people as well as the neighbouring communities.
He enjoined the people to protect the transformer from being vandalised and work with stakeholders in the industry to ensure the sustainability of the project.
Salihijo said the agency was tackling the nation’s power challenge of one community at a time. He expressed joy that the Anguwar Dutse community would utilise the access to electricity for socio-economic growth.
The Unguwar Dutsen Village Head, Gambo Wada said as a rural area, the community would now experience what electricity could provide in terms of prosperity, stressing that with the inauguration, business opportunities in farming, processing, storage and external trades would become a reality for the industrious people.
Continuing, the village head said: “I must appreciate the people of Unguwar Dutse and the government, for this project. It is my prayer that it will help increase our commerce and trade, especially as our local economy is dependent on trade.”
The team left Malumfashi for Bambami Village in Batagarawa Local Government Area, where Masari also inaugurated a 30kw mini-grid.
In Bambami Village in Batagarawa Local Government Area, Masari said the project was going to ensure clean, safe and reliable electricity for the community. Still represented by Musa, he said the “benefits of clean and constant nature of solar will increase the income of the people in this community through improved business activities as well as improved productive life of the people while ensuring a good education for school children.”
The project was executed through public and private partnership with IBK Services Limited.
Salihijo said the agency designed off-grid intervention to automatically enhance the socio-economic status of the village, boost productivity and provide jobs in the community. He tasked the people to leverage on the reliable nature of the solar hybrid mini-grid to improve their well-being.
