Henceforth solar technology solution will replace the traditional use of diesel-run-generators as primary source of energy for the rural electrification projects across the country.
This position of government was made known by the Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, when a group of officers from the Defence Command and Staff College of Botswana, led by Brigadier Shadrack Moloi, visited him in Abuja.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Amb. Godknows Igali, the Minister said with improvement in the storage capabilities of solar, it was now possible for rural folks to enjoy basic electricity throughout the night.
He assured that the Ministry would soon put in place a well structured governance that would ensure that electricity users were made to pay some amount into a pool to be channelled towards minor replacements and maintenance.
He also identified the need for training of locals in the maintenance of solar panels and other ancillary facilities, adding that solar power was not only sustainable, but also renewable hence, far better than generators with diesel.
He described this as unsuitable in view of modern development in the solar technology.
Commenting on the privatisation, the Minister said Nigeria had an effective regulatory framework in place.
He said the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) was saddled with the task of fixing tariff structure, baring the new owners from taken advantage of the masses.
He said NERC had also provided social net in terms of its tariff structure to accommodate the poor.
He said because the market was not yet stabilised, tariff increase can only be incremental not geometric.
He said Nigerians wanted improved services before paying for any increase in tariff, saying there was the need to balance the need to recoup investment and the propensity to increase tariff.
Speaking, the leader of the Botswana delegation, had argued that the choice of Nigeria’s power sector for the study tour was informed by the similarities in the challenges in the provision and supply of energy in his country and Nigeria.
He said over reliance on Eskom, the South-African Energy giant, has caused his country to rethink, hence Nigeria’s bold privatisation of the sector was a good lesson for Botswana.
“There is no harm in privatising electricity generation and distribution as long as you have the right policy in place,” he said.
