NIGERIA – Husk Power Systems, the leading rural energy services company operating solar mini-grids in Africa and Asia, has concluded agreements to develop and operate seven mini-grids with the Nigeria Electrification Project (NEP), which is funded by the World Bank and African Development Bank.
The agreements, which were fully executed on September 15, 2021, fall under the Solar Hybrid Minigrid Performance-Based Grant (PBG) sub-component of NEP.
The agreements marked an important expansion of Husk Power’s efforts to electrify rural communities and businesses across Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa.
In East Africa, Husk Power Systems already has more than 130 mini-grids operating in India and Tanzania.
Husk Power’s solar hybrid mini-grid projects will provide electricity to seven communities across Nasarawa State, with a total of about 5,000 connections that will benefit households, small businesses, medium-scale agro-processing and public institutions.
The communities are in Doma Local Government Area (Rukubi, Idadu and Igbabo) and in Lafia Local Government Area (Kiguna, Akura, Gidan Buba and Sabon Gida).
”Husk Power’s mission is to rapidly scale the electrification of rural communities and continuously spur economic growth for medium, small, micro-enterprises in Nigeria and across Sub-Saharan Africa,” said Olu Aruike, Husk Power’s country lead in Nigeria.
“We are grateful for the leadership and support provided by the REA and look forward to a long-term partnership in delivering power to all Nigerians,” he added.
On his part, Husk Power’s co-founder and CEO Manoj Sinha said that: “I am very excited to see our partnership with REA coming to fruition. It will enable Husk Nigeria, under our strong local leadership team, to scale rapidly in Nigeria and achieve our ambition of catalyzing socio-economic development in rural communities across the country.”
The objective of the PBG program is to increase electricity access to unserved and underserved communities across Nigeria using solar hybrid technology.
The agreement with Husk provides grants of US$350 per connection, with a minimum total grant request of US$10,000 per mini-grid.
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