17 July 2014, Abuja – The European Union on Thursday made a donation of N3.4bn to scale up the Nigerian Energy Support Programme.
The donation was jointly announced by the Federal Ministry of Power, the EU and the Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammnarbeit at the headquarters of the ministry in Abuja.
The EU Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Michel Arrion, said the funds would help deepen access to electricity in villages that were still not connected to the national grid.
“These funds show that the EU is committed to ensuring that a greater number of Nigerians get access to electricity as well as to a lasting partnership with the government and other donors in the power sector,” Arrion said.
In his address, the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mr. Godknows Igali, said the funds would be managed by the EU and would be used to boost solar power technology in Nigeria.
He explained that most of the infrastructure to be developed with the money would be built in the northern part of the country, adding that the ministry would ensure that the projects were completed on schedule.
“Part of the Federal Government’s transformation agenda is to improve the supply and efficiency of electricity for Nigerian households and businesses. This is to improve the livelihoods of the greater population of Nigerians,” Igali said.
The Country Director, GIZ, Dr. Thomas Kirsh, said the funds would greatly help in scaling up successful activities aimed at improving access to energy.
The Head of Cooperation, EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Mr. Alan Munday, explained that the NESP would improve the conditions for investments in renewable energy, energy efficiency and rural electrification.
He noted that the programme started in 2013 with N2bn support from the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development.
According to the EU, the N3.4bn additional funding will allow the NESP to continue advising Nigerian institutions on the enabling policy, institutional and regulatory framework conditions at the federal level.
The union also noted that the funds would also support improved rural electrification planning in five states and set up various demonstration projects and provide business models to increase energy access through sustainable energy resources.