To mitigate the impact of the removal of subsidies on rural residents, the Federal Government has begun the installation of solar systems in rural communities in Lagos.
The Rural Electrification Agency (REA) specifically installed solar systems in schools and public health facilities at Makoko, in the Yaba area of the metropolis.
Ahmad Salihijo Ahmad, Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), made this disclosure yesterday while on an inspection tour of some of the schools and hospitals where some of the Solar Home System (SHS) had already been installed at Makoko.
Engr Ahmad stated that the deployment was part of the FG’s National Poverty Reduction and Growth Strategy.
He stated that while the agency’s role was to provide access to electricity for unserved and underserved areas, the role is now more of a social service to mitigate the community’s environmental and economic challenges.
According to him, the visit was part of a larger trip to the South West region, with stops in Osogbo, Osun, and Ijebu-Ode, all in Ogun state.
What is clear even in the immediate aftermath is that using a de-centralized approach towards electrification of communities such as Makoko is the right approach given the difficulty of operating a traditional grid system.
We are offering rural dwellers free solar power as part of the ongoing efforts to alleviate the impact of fuel subsidy removal on the less privileged Nigerians, he said.