NIGERIA – The Government of Nigeria has embarked on an ambitious project to enhance electricity penetration in the country particularly in the rural areas which are hugely under-electrified when compared to the urban areas.
As a first step to the electrification project, Nigeria has recently issued a call for proposals for the selection of several companies to build off-grid solar power plants in the country.
The Nigerian authorities intend to rely on solar off-grid as part of their electrification policy, as indicated by the call for expressions of interest that has recently been issued by the Federal Ministry of Energy.
Nigeria in its call for proposals explained that it targets off-grid suppliers who will submit bids for the construction of several facilities in different states of Nigeria.
In Imo State, the federal government will build an off-grid and on-grid solar system in Umuchiaka, in the autonomous community of Lowa.
In Taraba in eastern Nigeria, the government has plans to build a solar system in the villages of Bantage and Tella.
In Bayelsa State, which already has several operational mini-solar grids, the Federal Government of Nigeria plans to build a new facility for the electrification of the community of Bumoundi, in the locality of Yenagoa.
Also, as part of the off-grid electrification project, the Nigerian Ministry of Energy is planning to build several green power mini grids of 40 kW in Benue State, 50 kW in Pakau, Kaduna State and 60 kW in Torankawa, Sokoto State.
The tender also includes the selection of companies for the supply and installation of solar street lamps in a number of localities in the Enugu State and the installation of electrical transformers in the Bauchi, Edo and Kogi States.
The Nigerian Ministry of Energy also wants to select consultants for the development of the various projects.
In addition to the projects, Nigerial also plans to grant concessions for the construction of photovoltaic mini-solar power plants with distribution networks in the states of Kaduna (40 and 50 kWp) and Sokoto (60 kWp).
The implementation of these off-grid projects confirms the Nigerian government’s policy of relying on decentralised solutions for the electrification of areas not served by the national power system.
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