The World Bank has announced plans to assist in funding the construction of 1,000 mini solar power grids in Nigeria. The project, which is a collaboration between the government, private sector, and the World Bank, aims to address the electricity crisis in the country.
Nigeria, with a population of over 200 million people, has a power generation capacity of 12,500 megawatts (MW). However, the actual production falls far short of this capacity, leading to a reliance on petrol and diesel generators by households and businesses.
Mini grids are small-scale electricity generating units that can provide power to communities without access to the main grid. These grids typically range from a few kilowatts to up to 10 MW, which is sufficient to power around 200 households.
The World Bank has already funded the construction of nearly 150 mini grids in Nigeria. The aim now is to increase this number to 1,000 grids, with the government and private sector taking an active role in funding. The exact timeline for this expansion has not been provided.
Addressing reporters during a visit to a mini grid site on the outskirts of Abuja, the World Bank President, Ajay Banga, stressed the importance of investment in these mini grids. He highlighted that the initiative would require significant financial investment, but also emphasized that the World Bank would provide part of the funding as a subsidy.
According to World Bank data, 568 million people in sub-Saharan Africa still lack access to electricity. The majority of these individuals reside in Africa, where nearly 8 out of 10 people without electricity reside.
The construction of these mini solar power grids in Nigeria is a step towards providing access to clean and sustainable energy for millions of people in the country.