The European Union (EU) and the
German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) has supported the Federal Government of Nigeria through the Nigerian Energy Support Programme (NESP) with additional £15 million to enhance electricity supply across the nation.
EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ms Cécile Pelzer speaking in Abuja on Thursday at the signing ceremony and extension of the NESP Phase II stated that the EU has decided to further replenish and extend the programme with additional contribution of £15 million bringing the total EU contribution to £35 million.
According to Pelzer, the NESP programme will address the policy gap and incubate the private sector engagement to appropriate handling of renewable energy equipment at the end-of-life cycle, promote the diversification of the energy mix in the renewable energy space.
She added that the programme will support distribution companies to improve fee collection efficiency from populations residing in peri-urban areas whilst enhancing the promotion of productive uses of renewable energy and improve the profitability of mini-grids.
Country Director of GIZ Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ms.Ina Hommers stated that the NESP II extent will expand its activities and upscale geographically while extending its measures to strengthen the support to the Nigerian Government in the areas of solar battery recycling, clean cook stoves and access to finance mechanisms for renewable energy and energy efficiency investment investments.
Meanwhile, Hommers Described the NigeriaSE4ALL platform, as a major milestone of NESP which aim at offering the most accurate data and latest tools that empower data-driven and the least cost electrification planning in Nigeria.
‘Over 3,000 settlements and 2.6 million buildings have been remotely mapped, with over 50,000 kilometers electricity grid tracked in 22 states,” she stated.
Head of Nigeria, NESP II Duke Benjamin, said the programme in the first phase has been able to electrify 15,000 Nigerians and continue to count and hoping that by the end of 2022 which will climax the second phase we are targeting 130,000 Nigerians with access to electricity.