Osinbajo Inaugurates 1.5MW Mini Grid Power System in Lagos
Says provision of off grid electricity to business clusters across Nigeria on course
Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo has said the federal government would provide off-grid electricity to power business clusters across the country to support them to create jobs and wealth.
The vice president stated this, yesterday, as he inaugurated a 1.5 megawatts (MW) independent mini grid power supply system to provide electricity at Sura Shopping Complex in Lagos.
The off-grid electricity was developed by a private operator - Solad Power Holdings, from the Island Power Plant in Marina, through a dedicated underground distribution network infrastructure.
The Sura mini grid power system was initiated by the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) under the Energising Economy Initiative (EEI) of the federal government which is aimed at providing off grid electricity to business clusters across Nigeria.
The off grid system has reportedly taken out 700 generators out of operation in Sura, reduced harmful greenhouse emissions and noise pollution, and provided gas-fired electricity to 1,047 shops in the mall for up to 70 days since it kicked-off.
According to Osinbajo, many other markets across the country are slated to benefit from the EEI. “This is a very special federal government project and one of the reasons why this project is particularly important is because it tells us what can be done. It tells us what is possible, and so much is possible. There are several other markets that we are going to.
“The reason why we are going to the markets is because we believe that small businesses hold the future, they are the future of the Nigerian economy and we must support the small and medium enterprises,” the vice president explained.
While inaugurating the mini grid system, Osinbajo said that societal factors such as tribes or religious affiliations should not be determinants of elections and governance in Nigeria, stating clearly that Nigerians should rather consider voting for people who cared about advancing the country and providing good solutions to its challenges.
According to him, corrupt practices were Nigeria’s major problem and often perpetrated by all the tribes and religious groups in the country.
He asked Nigerians to ignore people who often ask them to vote along tribal or religious lines, adding that the battle for the soul of the country was between good and bad people.