Fashola: Over 2m Nigerians benefitting from solar products

Babatunde Fashola, minister of power, works and housing, says there are currently 2.23 million Nigerians benefitting from solar products. 

The minister said this in Abuja on Tuesday while inaugurating a 125 KVA (100KWp) solar power project executed by Protergia Energy for House on the Rock ministry‎., Fashola said the country’s journey to stable electricity is gathering momentum. as evident in the achievement so far recorded in the area of renewable energy alone and the keen interest being shown by prospective investors.

He said the country’s journey to stable electricity is gathering momentum.

He said this was evident in the achievement so far recorded in the area of renewable energy and the keen interest being shown by prospective investors.

“We have been following the development; in terms of solar home system, there were 372, 000 estimated solar products installed in Nigeria as of 2/4/2016. There are currently 2.23 million Nigerians benefitting from solar products and it is and it is increasing on a daily basis,” he said.

He added that Nigeria currently represents 7 percent of the African Lantern Market, and urged investors in the sector to prioritise homemade products and endeavour to manufacture them in the country in order to add value to the economy.

In his speech titled, ‘Let There be Light Now’, the CEO of Protergia Energy, Ayodeji O’ Deji, said renewable energy is the way modern society is going., adding the fear in some quarters that solar energy cannot power high power demanding

He added that the fear that solar energy cannot power high power demanding machines and appliances is baseless, “as it is capable of powering all that the conventional grid electricity can power”.

“The middle tier which caters to the power needs of most commercial and industrial (C&I) businesses haven’t shown any meaningful progress and this is mostly because most business owners have been misled into thinking that Electrons from Solar are somewhat inferior and cannot power heavy machineries or other similar factors,” he said.