FG targets 70 communities for rural electrification

The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, has unveiled the federal government’s plan to connect about 70 rural communities in five states to the national grid.
He added that plan was in fulfillment of the Electric Sector Reform Act (2005), whose implementation was approved by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2016.
Fashola disclosed this on Tuesday night while playing host to a delegation from Gura community in Karu local government area of the Nassarawa state, who paid him a thank-you-visit over the electrification of their community.

The minister, who blamed past administrations for delaying the implementation of the Strategic Rural Electrification Plan (SREP) for ten years, said that the development made it difficult for some rural communities to enjoy power supply.

 While describing rural communities as most critical pillar for the diversification of the economy, Fashola, disclosed that more communities were being connected to the nation grid.
This, he noted, are the testimonies that the off and on grid policy of his ministry was working, adding that the government has assessed $200 million to carry out pilot electrification project in five states.

He said: “When we say that we are now generating 7000wm power and we have distribution challenges, our work does not start and end on the grid because more communities are getting electricity off the grid and Gora community is an example of what we have done with off-grid power and the members of Gora community are here to testify that our mini-grid regulation and off-grid policy is also working.
“It is important to point out that when the Electric Sector Reform Act was passed in 2005, it stipulated very clearly that the Rural Electrification Strategy Implementation Plan must be developed and approved by the President within one year but that was not done until President Buhari was elected.

“So, the last administration delayed the implementation of the Strategic Rural Electrification Plan by ten years. So it was not done until 2016 and as soon as we presented it to President Buhari, he had no difficulty at all in approving it and it is that plan that is impacting communities today and Gora is one of the dozens of communities that have been impacted.
Earlier, Sarkin of Gura community, Alhaji Jafaru Adamu, who spoke through his secretary, Alhaji Baba Ishiaku, thanked the ministry for the electrification of community, which he said, has boasted the economy of the community.

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