Article Summary
- SEForAll has highlighted renewable energy, clean cooking, and e-buses for mass transportation as ways incoming governors can implement the energy transition plan in their states.
- Governors need to focus on promoting industrialization in their states as a means of combating poverty in the nation.
- In February 2023, SEForAll empowered ten Nigerian companies to develop solar power projects. These projects are anticipated to facilitate the connection of approximately 3,500 businesses, markets, shopping malls, cold-storage facilities, clinics, schools, and other infrastructural assets.
Incoming governors in Nigeria have been asked to work to implement the country’s energy transition plan in their respective states. Damilola Ogunbiyi, the CEO of Sustainable Energy for All (SEForAll), addressed the incoming governors of Nigeria during the 2023 Induction Program for Nigerian Governors held on May 16 in Abuja. She urged them to prioritize the implementation of the country’s energy transition plan within their respective states.
Ms. Ogunbiyi emphasized the numerous opportunities available throughout the country that can contribute to Nigeria’s achievement of the energy transition plan’s objectives. She encouraged the governors to focus on promoting industrialization in their states as a means of combating poverty in the nation.
Furthermore, she underscored the importance of incorporating renewable energy, clean cooking solutions, and electric buses for mass transportation to successfully execute the energy transition plan. Ms. Ogunbiyi also mentioned that SEForAll is offering additional assistance to Nigeria through its results-based finance facility. Currently, the facility is implementing a program called stand-alone solar for productive use, aiming to enhance electricity access for households and small to medium enterprises (SMEs) across the country.
Renewable energy
The energy transition plan outlines Nigeria’s strategy to replace petrol and diesel generators with renewable energy sources and natural gas capacity as a backup, aiming to achieve universal electrification goals. By 2030, the plan aims to install approximately 6.3 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy, equivalent to an annual addition of 0.6 GW. This yearly increment will result in electrifying around 1.5 million households annually.
Clean cooking
As of 2022, a significant 87% of Nigeria’s population lacked access to clean cooking facilities, leading to adverse health effects for women and children in various communities. The objective is to encourage the use of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) as a preferable alternative to kerosene stoves, sawdust, or firewood. The focus should be on rural communities, replacing traditional firewood, kerosene, and charcoal with LPG. The goal is to proliferate the use of LPG stoves in communities, aiming for at least 2 million stoves per year.
E-buses
To combat carbon emissions in the transportation sector, electric buses are being prioritized as a sustainable mode of mass transportation. The transition from passenger internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles to electric buses is crucial for achieving net-zero emissions. The Lagos state government has already initiated plans for electric buses in collaboration with Oando Clean Energy Limited and Yutong, a Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer. These efforts aim to facilitate the adoption of electric buses for mass transportation.
What you should know
In February 2023, Sustainable Energy for All (SEForAll) introduced the Universal Energy Facility (UEF), a financing initiative that focuses on delivering results-based support to renewable energy enterprises in Nigeria. The primary objective of the UEF program is to provide funding for the establishment of stand-alone solar projects, enabling the connection of businesses, households, and social institutions across the country.
- Within the framework of this facility, SEForAll empowered ten Nigerian companies to develop solar power projects. These initiatives are anticipated to facilitate the connection of approximately 3,500 businesses, markets, shopping malls, cold-storage facilities, clinics, schools, and other infrastructural assets that foster economic activity and support communities.