The North East Development Commission (NEDC) has approved a ₦100 billion investment to deploy 50 megawatts of renewable energy across the six states of the North-east to accelerate economic recovery and industrial development in the region.
Managing director of the commission, Alhaji Mohammed Alkali, stated this while briefing journalists in Abuja after a meeting of the commission’s board, saying the project would be executed through solar-powered mini-grids to provide reliable electricity to schools, hospitals, markets and rural communities.
He said the board approved the initiative after identifying inadequate electricity supply as the biggest obstacle to development in the region.
“Yesterday, the board approved that the commission should immediately commence the process of deploying 50 megawatts of power to the North-East. By our estimates, the project will cost not less than ₦100 billion, and the implementation process will begin immediately,” he said.
Alkali added that the commission opted for modular solar mini-grids instead of conventional power infrastructure to enable communities, institutions and businesses to access electricity more quickly.
He said the intervention would support entrepreneurship, boost production and improve service delivery in schools, healthcare facilities, markets and other public institutions built by the Commission.
“Power is number one, power is number two, and power is number three. Without electricity, schools cannot function effectively, hospitals cannot deliver quality healthcare and markets cannot operate optimally,” he stated.
The NEDC boss noted that about 61 per cent of residents in the North-east lack reliable electricity despite the region’s abundant solar resources.