3 States in Nigeria improve rural energy problems by deploying NASENI Solar Panels

Governor Godswill Akpabio

The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), a parastatal under the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, is to install its locally manufactured 7.5 MW capacity solar panels for rural electrification in Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom and Delta States.

Director General of the agency, Prof. Olusegun Adewoye, disclosed this when the Senate Committee on Science and Technology visited its solar panel plant in Karshi, Abuja.

He said, “The Federal Executive Council has approved that we should have pilot schemes, using our solar panels in the rural areas. For now, this is going to take place in three states: Bayelsa Delta and Akwa Ibom.” The project, he said, would be completed within four months.

“On top of this the ministry of science and technology is already sending a proposal before the federal government to do what we call cluster development schemes. Each cluster will use renewable energy to boost small scale industries and other economic development such as building for rural areas, processing of food, trees and other domestic or industrial processing.”

On the committee’s impressions about the plant, the Chairman, Senator Ajayi Boroffice, said, “We have seen the plant, very strong plant. We are really excited, we are impressed and we wish that other government establishments have the culture of excellence and hard work as this agency.

“It is a focused establishment that is addressing a very serious problem of the country, that is energy and what is being done, if well supported and well funded, can be of tremendous result for improving the quality of life, not only in the urban areas, but also in the rural areas,” he added.

While pledging the committee’s support, he said the project was in the right direction, since the country is blessed with abundant solar energy, adding that the plant deserved every encouragement and adequate funding.