The planned increase in electricity Tariff by 2023 for customers connected to the national grid has got most of them apprehensive.
The people of Danchitagi, a remote village in Niger state, North Central Nigeria, however, say they are not bothered by the proposed hike in electricity tariff as a government-private sector partnership solar power generation and supply to their community has changed the narrative for them.
A survey shows that over two hundred million Nigerians need constant, reliable and affordable electricity but only about 55%percent of the people currently have access to electricity.
Research released by Electricity Hub also estimates that 92 million Nigerians are not connected to the national grid for electricity supply.
A government-private sector partnership in solar power generation and supply to Danchitagi, a remote village in Niger state, North Central Nigeria, has however changed the narrative for the people of the locality.
More than 700 hundred people live in this village and a total of 702 of the households are connected to the 200 hundred kilowatts isolated solar mini-grid.
In a chat with AIT,
Dan Musa, a Miller who works with the women in the mill to produce clean rice in commercial quantity said business has been a lot better with constant and affordable electricity supply from the new arrangement.
Another villager, Sule who owns and manages a tailoring business, told this reporter that he relies on the new solar power generation and supply initiative to make ends meet.
The constant electricity supply to Danchitagi village has in many ways enabled the people to improve their businesses and livelihoods, a prime example of productive use of energy.
For now, the three categories of customers in the village, that is, the commercially inclined like Musa, the production-driven like Sule and the residents who take advantage of solar power for domestic use all have great and stimulating stories to tell because they have been existing, and living an Electricity filled day at affordable rate off the grid.
After embarking on the project’s quality delivery, and impact verification tour, the Managing Director of the Rural electrification agency, Ahmed Salihijo, said that if the arrangement is replicated in other localities across the country the dependence on the national grid will reduce drastically.
The project is carried out through the Nigeria Electricity Project Performance Based Grant initiative with over 80 similar mini-grids across the country.
There are indications that the initiative will get a boost under the Tinubu administration as the national grid clearly cannot meet customers demand for quality, affordable and reliable electricity for now.
(Editor:Nkoli Omhoudu)
