Renewable energy adoption has potential to reduce poverty, says minister

Abubakar Aliyu, minister of power, says the adoption of renewable energy will help enhance national energy security as well as reduce poverty in the country. 

He spoke on Tuesday during the inauguration of the regional off-grid electricity access project (ROGEAP) by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission, in Abuja.

The project is designed to boost electricity for households, commercial enterprises, and public institutions.

ROGEAP is to be carried out through stand-alone solar photovoltaic systems in West Africa and four countries of the Sahel regions.

Aliyu said the ROGEAP project had been designed to provide solutions to improve the living conditions of the populace.

The minister, who was represented by Ali-Dapshima Abubakar, director, renewable and rural power access, ministry of power, said renewable energy was locally available and could be used for heating purposes and supply of electricity.

“It helps to reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels, enhance national energy security, reduce oil import bills, thereby reducing poverty,” he said.

Aliyu said the ministry had in the past collaborated with the ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE) on the implementation of the ROGEP project.

“ROGEP, as conceived, entails the development of Solar Home Systems (SHS) to rural areas by providing developers with soft loans funded by the World Bank,” he said. 

“The loans are to be issued by World Bank through intermediary banks and the interest to be borne by the project developers.”