- Signs MOU With REA On Rural Electrification
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu has expressed his administration’s commitment to promoting renewable energy initiatives, particularly in the electricity sector, to boost economic activities within Lagos State.
The Governor made this commitment on Monday at the Roundtable Meeting on Rural Electrification and Sustainable Energy Development, organized by the Lagos State Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (MEMR), held at the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by his Deputy, Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, noted that the initiative, which is in partnership with the Rural Electrification Agency, aligns with the government’s vision for a cleaner, safer, and more environmentally friendly power grid in Lagos.
According to the Governor, “In terms of us supporting you, we are ready. Whatever you want us to sign, we will sign it, as we just signed one. This initiative, if well implemented, is capable of addressing the menace of unemployment. It is common knowledge that there will be jobs if there is a constant power supply. Without power, how would there be jobs? If you are generating power, we know that it leads to more economic activities.”
Sanwo-Olu stated that the government recognizes power supply as one of the biggest challenges facing companies in Lagos and Nigeria at large, emphasising the need to address it to boost productivity and create more job opportunities across the country.
Speaking further, he also said that Nigerians generate a lot of power, but it doesn’t get distributed to everybody. He noted that “We know that we have about 4.5 million generators in Lagos. People have 30 kVA, 50 kVA, and they don’t use power. So we have excess energy, but it is just misdirected. In terms of the funds necessary for power production, the truth is we are spending it, but it’s just misdirected.”
Sanwo-Olu stressed the importance of sustainability in government, adding that a lot of the time, the government plans things but doesn’t plan sustainability. He noted that the state government will work with the Renewable Energy Asset Management Company for its sustainability.
The Governor also said that Lagos has a “traditional government”, which is the Community Development Associations (CDAs) and Community Development Committees (CDCs) that are active, adding that engaging them will engender positive results and better identification of the community’s needs and problems.
He, therefore, urged the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources to engage the CDAs and CDCs, stressing that by engaging them, the government is spreading its work, policies, and activities to the grassroots right away.
In his welcome address, Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Mr. Biodun Ogunleye noted that the State Government, in collaboration with the Rural Electrification Agency, is set to launch a groundbreaking renewable energy initiative in the electricity sector.
Ogunleye noted that the innovative project aims to harness sustainable energy sources, reducing reliance on traditional fossil fuels and promoting a cleaner, more environmentally friendly power grid within the state.
He added that the collaboration is about to unlock a new set of opportunities in the energy sector. The Commissioner noted, “We are about to launch into a partnership with RDA. I believe we are about to unpack a whole new set of opportunities. An opportunity for Lagosians to experience or live within an environment where there will be a constant stable supply of electricity.”
In his address, the Chief Executive Officer of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Abba Abubakar Aliyu, stated that the Rural Electrification Agency is going to be the home of renewable assets in the entire country and will continue to ensure the sustainability of all its interventions across the country.
He added that one of the key areas the agency is striving for is domesticating the manufacturing of deep renewable equipment in the country, adding that Lagos is going to play a pivotal role in that domestication.
“We want to seek the approval of the state to pioneer the first floating solar power plant in Lagos. With the unique challenge of limited land availability in Lagos State, we want to deploy an 8 MW in Lagos State University and University of Lagos, but we want to seek the approval of the state to give us that approval to make it a floating solar power plant, which will be the first of its kind in Nigeria. And we hope that that approval will be granted to us,” said the CEO.
The highlight of the event was the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Lagos State Government and the Rural Electrification Agency.
qnqc6q