The Rural Electrification Agency (REA) has commissioned four solar power mini-grid plants at the Isolation Centres in Abuja, Lagos and Ogun States with 14 days, to provide uninterrupted power supply as health workers battle to treat rising cases of COVID-19 nationwide. The Managing Director of the REA, Malam Ahmad Salihijo Ahmad said the initiative was a swift response to a national call on agencies by government to intervene in the ongoing fight against the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

President Muhammadu Buhari had on 29th March, 2020 in a national broadcast on COVID-19 pandemic, charged all agencies and well-meaning Nigerians to support the federal ministry of health and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) in curbing the COVID-19 pandemic. As the supervisory minister of the REA, the minister of power followed up with a directive on the 31st of March, 2020 itemising palliatives for the power sector, specifically mandating the agencies for full implementation.

Even before the directive by the minister, the REA has been implementing the Nigeria Electrification Project (NEP), Energizing Economies Initiative, Energizing Education Programme, Rural Electrification Fund (REF), Energy Database and Capital projects. Solar power facilities completed in 2 weeks Speaking on the agency’s role at this period of national emergency, the REA Chief, Ahmad, who provided a background on the projects, said the agency launched some emergency programmes to install Solar Home Systems (SHS) and solar power mini grids at the isolation centres for COVID-19 and other healthcare centres nationwide.

According to him, the agency is mindful of the impact of reliable electricity access, especially at this difficult time and will continue to engage with stakeholders to complement the efforts of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 among others to ensure that the pandemic is contained and managed effectively. The emergency programmes began around 3rd of April 2020, using renowned solar power firms that include Blue Camel Energy. By 15th of April, 2020 (Wednesday), REA had handed over two completed solar hybrid mini grid plants in Abuja and Lagos to the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 through the NCDC.

Two other completed solar hybrid mini grids were handed over on Thursday in Ogun state. The fully installed solar hybrid projects are 53.1 kilowatt power (kwp) solar mini grid at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital (UATH) COVID-19 isolation centre, and the 25kwp mini grip solar plant at the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) Public Health Laboratory in Lagos. There is the 20kwp solar hybrid mini grid at the 128-bed Ikenne Isolation Centre in Ogun State, and the 10kwp mini grid solar plant at the 100-bed Iberekodo Isolation Centre still in Ogun State.

“This initiative is being implemented by the agency to complement the efforts of the federal and state governments as well as the private sector in containing the spread of the COVID-19 virus in the country,” Ahmad noted. Expatiating further shortly before he handed over the UATH facility in Gwagwalada in Abuja, Ahmad said, “The REA being the implementing agency of the federal government for the electrification of un-served and underserved areas across the country hereby provides and hands over this 53.1KWp solar hybrid mini grid at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital COVID-19 Isolation Centre.

This project is one of initial four solar hybrid mini grids implemented by the REA at COVID-19 health facilities. “Implementing these projects will provide clean, safe and reliable electricity to enable our health workers thrive towards the fight against this Covid-19 disease,” he said. In his remarks at the event, the Director General of NCDC, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu who was represented by an official of the Centre said, “We applaud this generous gesture by the Rural Electrification Agency of providing these solar hybrid mini grids to COVID-19 isolation centers and the public health laboratory in Lagos state. This will truly help our health workers in containing the spread of COVID-19 in the country”.

Responding, Yakubu Abdullahi who represented the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the UATH, Prof. Bissalla Ekele, on behalf of the beneficiary institutions of the solar mini grids, thanked the federal government and the REA for delivering the projects towards combating COVID-19.

They expressed optimism that the projects will provide constant power to the centres to help combat COVID-19 and will also provide conducive environment for patients to recover from this disease. In spite of this milestone, REA said it will complementing the efforts of the federal government towards containing the spread of COVID-19 while it continues fulfilling its mandate of providing clean, safe and reliable electricity to rural areas across the country.

Read more: https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/why-we-completed-4-solar-power-plants-for-covid-19-centres-in-14-days-ahmad.html

Den it shld b noted dat U ppl are simply into witchcraft considering how long it is taking to provide constant power supply to Nigerians

Where's pics. This might be propaganda.

Shameful and pathetic lots.

Music for the soul