Melvin Onwubuke
The Federal Government stated on Friday that, there are about 92 million Nigerians, who do not have access to electricity from the national grid.
This was disclosed by the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, at the closing ceremony of the 7th Nigeria International Energy Summit in Abuja, according to The Punch.
In the statement, Adelabu pointed out that 40 per cent of Nigeria’s population is currently at risk, although it is a global challenge for citizens to have sufficient access to electricity.
The Minister said “Access to electricity is undeniably a fundamental requirement for socio-economic development and it is a pleasure to see so many dedicated individuals and experts gathered here in this hall to discuss strategies and solutions for bridging energy access gas.
“Here in Nigeria, it is estimated that a whopping 92 million people are still suffering from energy poverty, which is over 40 per cent of our estimated population.”
He called for partnerships by stakeholders to address the challenge, as the government alone would not be able to solve this problem.
“It is our collective responsibility to address this issue, as it has far-reaching implications for poverty alleviation, healthcare, education, and overall improvement in the quality of lives including the reduction of youth unemployment in our society,” he noted.
Adelabu pointed out “We believe that to reach these unserved and underserved communities, our focus must also be on renewable energy and distributed power model.”
The minister highlighted that electricity from the national grid may not get to every remote area, adding that such locations could be powered by renewable energy sources.
He implores stakeholders to work together to bridge the energy access gap, to ensure, electricity becomes a reality for all, regardless of location.
