- The project is part of the EU’s Global Gateway initiative aimed at providing Nigerians with access to renewable energy
The European Union (EU) delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS announced on Monday that it has funded a solar mini-grid project, restoring electricity to Etomi, a community in Cross River State that had been without power for six years.
The project, implemented by GIZ, delivers 119.5kW of clean and affordable electricity to over 600 households and businesses.
Inga Stefanowicz, Head of the Green and Digital Economy Section at the EU Delegation, highlighted that the grid is managed through a public-private partnership to ensure its sustainability.
The project is part of the EU’s Global Gateway initiative aimed at providing Nigerians with access to renewable energy.
The Cross River State Commissioner for Power and Renewable Energy, Eka Williams, expressed confidence that the off-grid system would serve the community effectively. She also revealed plans to replicate the initiative in other communities within the Etung Local Government Area.
Residents of Etomi, like John Okpa, celebrated the return of electricity, thanking the EU for its support after six years of darkness. The project is expected to boost both social and economic activities, particularly for local cocoa farmers.