By Stephen Ojo
Niger state government has stepped up arrangements to have a 200 megawatts solar park and other initiatives that would provide effective alternative power supply in the state.
The state Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago stated this in a meeting with the management of the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) in Minna.
He said, “Niger State Government will transit some of its facilities such as government house, IBB Specialist hospital, water board, and Secretariat among others, off the national grid soon”
According to him, “already all the street lights in the state have been changed to solar while efforts are being made through relevant agency to provide a mini grid of 25 megawatts across all the local government areas of the state”.
Bago said that the state government is in partnership with arivate company to provide 10,000 different capacities of solar to 10,000 interested homes in the next one month, adding that, “our target is to reach out to 100,000 homes by the end of this year”.
He explained that while the state government has intensified efforts in providing alternative source of power to its citizens, it will also ensure that AEDC do the needful in power supply to the residents especially as the state is hosting 4 hydroelectric dams.
Meanwhile solar panels have been installed at government house vicinity Minna ready for the take off of the alternative power supply in the state