FG commissions SURA off-grid power project to empower SME’s
The federal government has commissioned the 1.5 megawatts SURA off-grid independent power project, as part of its Energizing Economies Initiative (EEI), targeted at empowering the Small and Medium Scale (SME’s) businesses across the country.
The SURA off-grid project will serve over 600 shop owners out of the 1047 shops in the complex, with all shops metered to curb the complain of estimated billings.
Speaking at the commissioning of the project, the Vice President of the Federal republic of Nigeria, Yemi Osinbanjo said the project is a special project for the government, because it speaks on what can be done and what is possible.
According to him, the reason for the project is because the government believes that the SME’s hold the future of the Nigerian economy hence their growth signifies growth for the country thus the need for governments support.
The Vice president said noted that similar other power projects are already in the pipeline to cater for other markets across the country.
“The only way we can grow this country is to give the hard working people in the country the facilities to run their businesses whether it is power, money, that is why we are going across the country to provide the resources to our people to get their work done smoothly”, Osinbajo said.
The Energizing Economies initiative (EEI) is an initiative of the federal government of Nigeria that was launched on September 2017. It targets the Micro, Small, medium Enterprises (MSMEs) with the objective of supporting the rapid deployment of Off-grid decentralized electricity solutions that will provide clean and consistent power to economic clusters in Nigeria through private sector developers.
The initiative is being implemented by the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), which is an agency under the Ministry of Power, Works and housing. The aim of the EEI is to increase energy access and economic growth by assisting private sector developers to provide clean, reliable and affordable power to economic clusters such as markets, shopping complexes and agricultural/industrial clusters across Nigeria.
Also present at the commissioning was Babatunde Fashola, Minister of Power, Works and Housing who said the event signifies success, progress and much more project underway to better the lives of the citizens.
According to him, the success of the project was as a result of the minigrid policies that have enabled democratization of access to power, giving the populace the right to choose.
He noted that the SURA independent power project is the 3rd of other such projects by the government that has yielded success. According to him, about 13,000 shops in Sabon gira market will benefit from the project alongside 37,000 shops in Ariaria market will also benefit. Also, 37 universities expected to benefit from the project with the first phase of 9 universities and one teaching hospital already on the way.
Damilola Ogunbiyi, MD/CEO Rural Electrification Agency (REA) said the project was 100 percent funded by the private sector with strong commitment by the federal government.
Ogunbiyi noted that the project has also succeeded in creating jobs for the populace, promoting gender inclusion as more women have been encouraged to join the sector than they did last year, “Over 90 percent of people working on the project are under the age of 35”, she said
Affirming this statement, the chairman, Market association SURA shopping complex said the project has brought joy to businesses in the complex as unstable power that has been a nightmare and hindrance to businesses is now a thing of the past.
She noted that due to the project, power came in at an affordable rate, erasing the problem of estimated billings as a total of 1,047 shops were all metered.
OLUSOLA BELLO & MICHEAL ANI