RENEWABLE ENERGY TAKES CENTER STAGE AT NERC Summit
Abuja, Nigeria – July 24, 2024
The recent two-day summit held on the 22 – 23 July, 2024 organized by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) on Accelerated Scale-Up of Renewable and Distributed Energy Solutions in Nigeria marked a significant milestone in the country’s journey towards achieving sustainable energy access. Held in Abuja, the event brought together key stakeholders in the energy sector, including government officials, private sector developers, financial institutions, non-governmental organizations, and international partners, to discuss strategies for boosting renewable energy adoption in the Nigeria.
The summit featured keynote addresses from industry leader as including the Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, and NERC Chairman, Sanusi Garba, who both emphasized the significance of the summit in driving the growth of Nigeria's energy landscape.
A key highlight of the event was the presentation by Abba Abubakar Aliyu, Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA). He outlined the agency’s impressive achievements in electrifying over 7.8 million Nigerians and deploying over 1million solar home systems through the World Bank funded Nigeria Electrification Programme (NEP). "Our priority is to provide electricity access to communities that have gone decades without it. Simple tasks like charging a phone should not be a big deal," Mr Abba said.
Mr. Abba also revealed the agency’s ambitious plans to expand electricity access to an additional 17 million Nigerians under the upcoming Nigeria Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale-Up (DARES) initiative, a USD750 million world bank funded project "We aim to electrify over 17 million Nigerians through the Distributed Access Scale Project, increasing from 1.8 million to 3.2 million households. Our ambition is to scale up what we have done and amplify the impact," he added.
Mr. Olufemi Akinyelure, Head of the Nigeria Electrification Project (NEP), provided insights into the project's successes and emphasized the need for collaboration among regulators, developers, and financiers to unlock the full potential of the off-grid space.
"Our ultimate goal is to ensure that off-takers and consumers have a more reliable power supply. By leveraging the success of NEP, we are poised to scale up our efforts with DARES, focusing on simplicity, speed, and transparency," Mr. Akinyelure remarked, He also emphasized "the $750 million allocated should not be seen as a limitation. There is a lot more financing available, and with the right cooperate governance, we can lead the sector," he stated.
The NERC Deputy General Manager, Abba Terab, noted that the summit served as a valuable learning curve for the NERC, renewable energy companies and the Distribution Companies. "This is the beginning of more collaborations for those present here to see that we deliver renewable energy and distributed energy in the power system. NERC will take note of all the feedback and requests, especially on the mini-grid regulations, and provide feedback. NERC will also work on the relevant regulations in line with the business rule and come up with the reviewed regulations,"
The summit also provided a platform to showcase success stories from ongoing renewable energy projects across Nigeria. A recurring theme throughout the summit was the importance of collaboration and engagement with all stakeholders in the energy sector.
The introduction of DARES, alongside NEP’s continued success, promises to bring about significant advancements in energy access and sustainability. As Nigeria continues to innovate and lead in the energy transition plan, collaboration with of State government, and ensuring that every Nigerian has access to reliable, sustainable, and affordable power.