Zamfara: Gov Lawal, REA sign MoU on solar energy

The Zamfara State government and the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on solar energy in Abuja.

Speaking at the ceremony on Wednesday, Governor Dauda Lawal described Zamfara as an ideal site for the harvest of solar energy, highlighting the availability of intense sunlight all year round throughout the area.

A statement by the Governor’s spokesperson, Sulaiman Bala Idris, said the MoU on solar energy signing ceremony also featured roundtable discussions and commitments involving energy sector stakeholders.

According to the statement, the roundtable focused on revitalising the Zamfara electricity sector to promote social justice, strategic development and innovation through renewable energy.

In his remarks, Governor Lawal said he inherited a government gripped by widespread energy poverty.

The Governor said, “Many Local Government Areas were disconnected from the national grid. Public utilities were decayed, vandalised or non-functional. Critical infrastructure had collapsed under years of neglect and our industrial and commercial centres were crippled by unreliable power supply.

“However, we chose not to wallow in the blame game. Instead, we intentionally responded to the challenges we met with strategic vision, unwavering resolve and decisive action.

“Since then, our administration has embarked on a mission to rewrite that narrative by placing energy access at the heart of our development strategy. We launched one of the country’s most ambitious state-led transformer deployment programmes, installing more than 150 units across urban and rural communities.

“In collaboration with Kaduna Electric, we restored power to six Local Government Areas, and we are reconnecting seven more, some of which have been without power for over a decade. These efforts are part of a plan to expand access, stimulate enterprise and unlock private sector investment.”

Governor Lawal noted that Zamfara offers compelling advantages for renewable energy investment. “We are blessed with high-intensity year-round sunlight, making us a prime location for solar farms, mini-grids and standalone systems.

“Coupled with this is the immense potential of the Bakalori Dam, a largely untapped hydropower asset with an irrigation command area of over 30,000 hectares. This synergy of solar and hydro presents an opportunity to deploy hybrid energy solutions that can power semi-urban and rural clusters.

“Our agricultural sector is another strong anchor. Zamfara is consistently ranked among Nigeria’s top millet, sorghum, soybeans and groundnuts producers. We are repositioning this sector through improved inputs, mechanised systems and irrigation rehabilitation.

“Yet, what is lacking and what renewable energy can provide is the critical power infrastructure needed for agro-processing, cold-chain storage and value addition at the source. Energy is the missing link that can transform our agrarian communities into engines of rural industrialisation.

“Our infrastructure renewal is exemplified by the nearly completed Gusau International and Cargo Airport, envisioned as a gateway for passengers, trade, logistics and investments.

“To realise our green vision, we aim for this facility to be Nigeria’s first airport powered by at least 50 per cent renewable energy, offering RESCOs a chance to lead in sustainable aviation,” the Governor said.

Earlier, the REA Managing Director, Abba Abubakar Aliyu, assured Governor Lawal of the agency’s commitment to deploying electricity infrastructure in Zamfara State.

“For the first time in the history of Nigeria, mapping the entire country has been done and it shows the number and location of the people who do not have electricity. The nature of their community and their electricity demand.

“This helps the RESCOs, the finances and the state government develop a strategy for channelling efforts to ensure that these people have electricity,” he said.

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