The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has stated that for Nigeria to achieve functional, reliable, and stable electricity, the country requires no less than 10 billion dollars annually for the next ten to twenty years.
He made the disclosure during the commissioning of the 600kW and 3MW Solar PV Power Plant at the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna, on Tuesday.
He noted that there are foundational bottlenecks that have been experienced in the past, which must be addressed for this level of investment to be meaningful.
“Number one is the legislative and policy foundation, which this administration has achieved by signing the Energy Bill into law.
“This bill has ensured the liberalisation and decentralisation of the power sector, enabling all levels of government—federal, state, and local—to legally and morally play roles in the power sector for the benefit of their citizens at sub-national levels.
“This has granted autonomy to more than eleven states, with more expected to follow. These states can now participate in the power sector, from generation to transmission, distribution, and even metering.”*
“Secondly, we must address the infrastructure deficit, which has accumulated over the last 60 years due to a lack of maintenance and insufficient investment to revitalise our transmission grid.”
The Minister also emphasised the need to bridge the over 50 per cent metering gap, stating that the Presidential Initiative aims to achieve this through the installation of 18 million meters over the next five years.
He said the commissioning of the 600kW and 3MW Solar PV Power Plant at the prestigious Nigerian Defence Academy underscores the Federal Government’s resolve to tackle the electricity deficit.
“These projects, implemented by the Federal Ministry of Power and the Rural Electrification Agency, not only underscore our commitment to improving electrification across key institutions in Nigeria, but they are also part of our broader mandate to diversify energy sources, expand access to clean and reliable electricity, and support critical sectors of national development, including education and security.
“As an institution that combines academic rigour with military excellence, the Nigerian Defence Academy represents a strategic national asset that must be strengthened through sustainable infrastructure.
“Powering the Academy with renewable energy aligns with our vision for a secure, self-reliant, and energy-efficient Nigeria.
“It also reflects our commitment to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises accelerated national development through universal energy access.”
The Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Abba Abubakar Aliyu, described the commissioning of the 2.5MW solar project as “a turning point in Nigeria’s journey towards energy access for learning institutions.”
He noted that “the agency is not just commissioning a project, but rather commissioning social impact, research, and sustainable development.”
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