The Federal Government announced yesterday that it expects the renewable energy sector to contribute approximately 9,000 megawatts of power supply to Nigeria by 2030, as part of its broader vision to eliminate energy poverty in the country.
Speaking at the opening of a summit on accelerating the scale-up of renewable and distributed energy resources, organized by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) in Abuja, Minister of Power Chief Adebayo Adelabu emphasized the government’s commitment to providing affordable and reliable power to industries and other institutions.
Adelabu stated, “It is disheartening that for decades, Nigerians have faced unreliable grid supply, frequent power outages, and load shedding, which severely impact businesses, industries, and households. The lack of grid reliability hampers economic productivity and deters foreign investment, exacerbating unemployment and economic stagnation. We are determined to end that.”
He further noted that despite the challenges, the government remains committed to mitigating risks in renewable energy generation through programs like the Interconnected Mini-Grid Acceleration Scheme (IMAS), with support from the EU and the German government. This initiative aims to deploy 23 mini-grids across 11 states, serving over 138,000 Nigerians.
NERC Chairman Engr. Sanusi Garba highlighted the goal of scaling up renewable energy supply to ensure rural communities are quickly connected to modern electricity sources.
Additionally, Godfrey Ogbemudia of the European Union Delegation in Nigeria mentioned that the EU has invested about 200 million Euros in various power sector programs from 2008 to 2020. From 2021 to 2027, the EU plans to invest an additional 100 million Euros to provide 400MW from renewable sources, supplying electricity to about five million Nigerians.
“The EU has partnered with Nigeria to promote the adoption of renewable energy in its energy system since 2008, committing approximately 200 million Euros in grants until 2020 on various projects focusing on policy, regulations, capacity building, and facilitating access to finance in both public and private sectors. As of 2021, we have renewed our efforts with an additional 100 million Euros for innovative financing, technical assistance, and energy infrastructure projects. This will result in about 400MW of new renewable energy capacity by 2027, benefiting over five million Nigerians and saving approximately 500,000 tonnes of CO2,” Ogbemudia added.
