ECOWAS Commission allocates $380m to electrify schools, health centres in Nigeria, Chad, others

• ECOWAS allocates $380 million to electrify public schools and health centres in 19 countries, including Nigeria, Benin, and Chad
• The project aims to provide sustainable energy to schools and health centres across 19 countries over five years
• Officials emphasised the project's potential to improve service delivery, education, and healthcare, particularly in rural areas

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission has disclosed plans to invest $380 million to electrify public schools and health centres in Nigeria, Benin, Chad, and 16 other countries.

The commission noted that out of the over 406 million people residing in the region, 208 million lack access to electricity. It added that about 70 per cent of the population with poor access to electricity live in rural areas.

The commission said the electrification exercise would be carried out through its Regional Off-Grid Electricity Access Project (ROGEAP) to address the energy deficit.

The project is funded by the World Bank, Clean Technology Fund (CTF) and Directorate General of International Cooperation (DGIS) of the government of the Netherlands.

Speaking in Abuja on Thursday, September 26, at a stakeholder’s engagement forum on energising public institutions in Nigeria, the Senior Adviser at the Commission on ROGEAP, El hadji Sylla, said the project is aimed at increasing access to electricity in the ECOWAS region for rural communities.

He said: “The cost of the project is $ 380 million, and we want to promote a new innovative chain to electrify public institutions. Our target is to electrify schools and health centres to improve service delivery.

“We are piloting the project in Nigeria and Benin Republic. The project covers 15 countries in the ECOWAS region and four countries in the Sahel region.”

Speaking specifically on the implementation of the project in Nigeria, Sylla said the Commission hopes to electrify selected public schools and health centres in the FCT, Niger, and Nasarawa states in the next 18 months.

“For the pilot project in Nigeria and Benin, we are targeting 18 months for completion, but the entire project in the region is expected to be executed in five years in the various countries.”

The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, was represented by Engr. Bem Ayangeaor said that the rural electrification space in Nigeria has witnessed growth through grants and subsidies.

He said the ministry, through capital subsidies administered by the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), has been implementing innovative solutions to electrify rural communities.

The Director of Technology and Science Education, Federal Ministry of Education, Dr Muyibat Olodo, said electricity is the backbone of modern education.

She said: “The country continues to face severe electricity challenges. These challenges range from frequent power outages to a complete lack of connection to the national grid.

“This affects academic performance and research productivity. We have an opportunity to address these challenges through ROGEAP. By focusing on off-grid solutions, this initiative will not only bridge the electricity gap in the institutions but will also help them thrive in ways that were previously impossible.

“Access to power is not a luxury in Nigeria and especially in our public institutions. There is a need for uninterrupted power supply in our schools, especially those in the science and technology field.

“With proper implementation, our public institutions in the FCT, Niger, and Nasarawa states will become models of energy resilience, self-sufficiency, and sustainability.”

The Consultant and Head of the Cancer Control and Nuclear Medicine Programme of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Dr Nwokwu Emmanuel, said poor access to electricity by health centres caused many deaths and other unpleasant issues in the health sector.

He said: “The impact of electricity on our health facilities is critical. We understand the challenges of access to power, especially in rural areas. We have cases where doctors and nurses attend to emergency cases with torchlight. So, having a project of this nature executed will benefit the rural areas and the country at large.”

The Representative from the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Mr Fidelis Akpogu, said the project would support the federal government in addressing immediate electrification infrastructure needs in public institutions and improve access to sustainable energy by building a regional market for off-grid solar products.

Nigeria to achieve 6,000MW of power by year-end, 30GW by 2030 – Power Minister

Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, says Nigeria aims to achieve 6,000 megawatts (MW) of power by year-end through a combination of hydroelectric and gas-fired power plants and targets to generate, transmit and distribute 30 gigawatts (GW) by 2030, 30 per cent of which will be renewable energy.

Adelabu said the Federal Government plans to invest $800 million in constructing substations and distribution networks as part of the Presidential Power Initiative (PPI).