The Federal Government has called for foreign technical support to fast-track the implementation of the Mission 300 Targets – a continental initiative aimed at providing electricity to 300 million Africans by 2030.
The Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, made the appeal while receiving a delegation from the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP) led by its African Director, Labna Bhyani, in Abuja.
Adelabu said Nigeria, as a signatory to the Mission 300 framework signed in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, earlier this year, is taking concrete steps to expand energy access through solar-powered, off-grid solutions that will boost rural electrification and agriculture.
‘We so much need technical support to monitor and track progress across different parts of the country so that we can measure achievements and collect accurate data,’ he said. ‘Although we have made significant progress in implementing this policy, there are still gaps to be filled. We must fully implement it.’
The minister explained that the policy aligns with efforts to transform the agricultural sector through the deployment of solar-powered irrigation systems, pumps, and storage facilities for rural farmers.
‘We want to deploy thousands of solar-powered pumps to help rural farmers boost productivity,’ Adelabu said. ‘We will also introduce solar-powered storage facilities so that when they produce more than can be consumed, they don’t suffer losses.’
He added that small-scale rural enterprises, such as patent medicine stores and agro-processors, would also benefit from solar energy access to improve their operations and productivity.
Adelabu noted that the Federal Government, working with the Ministry of Finance, is implementing several programmes to strengthen the power sector, including the Presidential Power Initiative (PPI) and the Siemens project.
‘Through the PPI, we have already generated an additional 700 megawatts. The first phase of the Siemens project will add another 7,000 megawatts and help stabilise the grid. We are also enhancing our metering initiative to ensure consumers get accurate bills instead of estimated charges,’ he said.
He reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to achieving the Mission 300 goals by 2030 but emphasised that technical collaboration with international partners would help accelerate progress.
In her remarks, GEAPP’s African Director, Labna Bhyani, commended Nigeria’s policy reforms and progress in grid and off-grid programmes.
‘Our mission here is to get first-hand information on how you are progressing,’ Bhyani said. ‘We are impressed with what Nigeria has achieved so far, and even though GEAPP does not provide loans like the World Bank, we are ready to offer technical assistance and collaborate in areas where our support can make an impact.’
She praised the minister for his leadership and reaffirmed GEAPP’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s efforts to expand clean energy access and meet the Mission 300 targets.