Report Reveals MDAs’ N22bn Photo voltaic Set up Expenditure
Nigeria’s federal ministries, departments, and companies spent a staggering N22,782,065,914.14 on solar energy installations throughout the nation in 2024. This vital funding in renewable power was revealed by means of information accessed on BudgIT’s accountability platform, GovSpend.
The expenditures, geared toward boosting rural electrification, road lighting, and infrastructure upgrades, have been distributed throughout a number of initiatives. Beneath is a breakdown of the bills:
On March 6, 2024, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Meals Safety headquarters paid M3 @ JW Ltd N573,537,170.75 for the emergency development and set up of photo voltaic streetlights in Kaoje and Ambursa in Kebbi State.
On March 18, 2024, the Nationwide Rural Electrification Company disbursed N508,587,421.44 to LRB World Funding Restricted for the provision and set up of photo voltaic streetlights in numerous markets throughout Lagos State.
On April 6, 2024, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Meals Safety headquarters awarded N713,215,984.98 to 24 Brilliant Photo voltaic Restricted for photo voltaic streetlights in Rimi Gado, Tofa, and Dawaki Tofa Native Authorities Areas of Kano State.
On April 8, 2024, Northwest Enterprise Options Ltd obtained N712,778,775.68 from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture for the emergency provide and set up of photo voltaic streetlights in Gabasawa, Gwarzo, and Bagwai Native Authorities Areas in Kano State.
On April 18, 2024, Delicom Nigeria Restricted was paid N712,778,745.69 by the identical ministry (Agriculture) for emergency photo voltaic streetlights in Kunchi, Bichi, and Shanono Native Authorities Areas in Kano. Equally, African Trendy Electro Ltd obtained N712,778,775.68 for installations in Kabo and Tsanyawa Native Authorities Areas.
On April 23, 2024, the Nationwide Rural Electrification Company contracted JRB Photo voltaic Funding Ltd for N626,121,074.56 to put in high-output photo voltaic streetlights in chosen areas within the Northeast geopolitical zone.
The Federal Ministry of Works made a number of funds, together with N653,955,813.95 on August 9, 2024, to JRB Photo voltaic Funding Ltd for solar energy installations in flood-affected areas of Lagos State.
In Might, African Trendy Electro Ltd obtained N774,127,759.38 for photo voltaic streetlights in Kabo, Kunchi, and Tsanyawa Native Authorities Areas of Kano. Diamond Leeds Ltd obtained N567,467,525.98 on July 17, 2024, for photo voltaic streetlights in Sokoto State.
Monnex World Assets Nig Ltd secured N873,815,471.68 on July 31, 2024, for slum improve initiatives in Kano, whereas Apex World Development Idea Nig. Ltd obtained N612,093,023.26 on August 2, 2024, for installations in federal constituencies.
Centerview Enterprise Idea Ltd obtained N771,229,545.45 on August 26, 2024, for street development and photo voltaic streetlights in Agwara/Borgu, Niger State. Safiatu World Assets Restricted was paid N854,251,921.15 on August 29, 2024, for infrastructure initiatives in Sokoto.
On September 27, 2024, AU Step Nigeria Restricted obtained N873,994,613.35 from the Transmission Firm of Nigeria for photo voltaic panel installations at Dawanau market.
In October, the Power Fee of Nigeria made vital funds, together with N1,206,075,615.35 to A 4 Worldwide Assets Nig Ltd for 3-in-1 photo voltaic streetlights in Kano and N1,206,075,534.88 to A.A. Albasu Nigeria Ltd for comparable initiatives in Niger and Bauchi States.
Unique Power Restricted was paid N1,206,169,759.53 for installations in Kano and Ogun States. Okay&H Consultancy Restricted obtained N804,393,674.42 for initiatives in Jigawa State.
Additional funds by the Federal Ministry of Works included N765,507,915.96 to Delicom Nigeria Restricted on October 25, 2024, for photo voltaic streetlights in Bauchi, and N508,126,499.85 to Dehanet Towers Restricted for streetlights alongside Hassan Usman Highway in Katsina.
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The Federal Authorities’s funding in photo voltaic power aligns with its broader technique to spice up renewable power entry throughout key sectors, together with training, well being, agriculture, rural communities, and transportation.
The federal government additionally plans to deploy mini-grids below the e-HEART undertaking, focusing on 80 million Nigerians with out electrical energy to create sustainable economies and curb rural-urban migration.
As a part of this initiative, $700m from the African Growth Financial institution will fund the “Desert to Energy” undertaking, harnessing daylight in northern Nigeria for renewable power.
The Minister of Energy, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, emphasised the importance of off-grid options, stating, “The dichotomy between on-grid and off-grid options ought to now not be seen as a division however as complementary parts of a holistic power technique.”
In the meantime, the President of the Nigeria Client Safety Community, Mr Kunle Olubiyo, in a cellphone dialog with our correspondent, has expressed issues over the nation’s inadequate funding in renewable power, highlighting the huge disparity between Nigeria’s energy technology and international clear power developments.
Evaluating Nigeria’s renewable power efforts to China’s fast development, Olubiyo famous that China added 160.88 GW of photo voltaic capability throughout the first 9 months of 2024, representing a 19.85 per cent year-over-year enhance.
“Simply the solar energy capability China added in 9 months of final yr is over 40 occasions what Nigeria generates and transmits,” he identified, citing information from China’s Nationwide Power Administration.
Olubiyo criticized Nigeria’s renewable power funding in 2024, pegged at over N22bn.
“Once you divide that by the trade charge of $1 to N1,750, it quantities to roughly $13m. That’s how a lot the Nigerian authorities invested in renewable power final yr,” he revealed.
He described this determine as “insignificant, particularly when contemplating the extreme devaluation of the naira and the pressing want for sustainable energy options.”
He additional known as for a paradigm shift within the authorities’s method to wash power funding, emphasising that Nigeria should prioritize substantial funding and strategic insurance policies to realize significant progress within the renewable sector.
“We have to transfer past token investments if we’re severe about lowering our dependency on fossil fuels and addressing energy shortages,” Olubiyo stated.
“If we don’t act decisively, we threat being left behind within the international power transition,” Olubiyo warned.
The Government Director of the Electrical energy Client Safety Advocacy Centre, Chief Princewill Okorie expressed reservations relating to the standard, sturdiness, and supervision of photo voltaic installations throughout Nigeria.
He known as for stringent monitoring to make sure compliance with requirements.
“It depends upon the standard and sturdiness of the photo voltaic supplies and the competence of those that put in them,” Okorie stated.
“Recall that Nationwide Meeting members beforehand applied photo voltaic streetlights as constituency initiatives—what number of of them are useful at the moment? Earlier than investing such enormous sums, MDAs ought to have performed an intensive evaluation of previous experiences within the energy sector,” he stated.
Okorie additional lamented the absence of key stakeholders in vital discussions on renewable power.
“I used to be shocked to watch that donor organizations and improvement companions selling renewable power didn’t take part within the Nigerian Electrical energy Provide Business Security Convention we organized with the Home of Reps Committee on Security Requirements and Laws in October 2024,” he famous.
“Even the Renewable Power Affiliation members didn’t attend. This absence makes it troublesome to establish and regulate these importing and promoting substandard photo voltaic merchandise,” he added.
He advocated for the Federal Authorities to represent a Fee of Inquiry to judge the facility sector when it comes to safety, funding, and shopper satisfaction.
“A lot consideration needs to be given to shoppers and non-state actors to grasp the true challenges relatively than relying solely on public servants who usually cowl up points in opposition to nationwide curiosity,” Okorie added.
