The Economic Community of West African States Commission has unveiled a significant initiative to invest $380 million aimed at electrifying public schools and health centers across 18 countries, including Nigeria, Benin, and Chad.
This ambitious project seeks to tackle the persistent electricity access challenges faced by over 208 million people in the region, with a particular focus on rural communities.
The initiative underscores ECOWAS’s commitment to improving infrastructure and enhancing quality of life in West Africa and the Sahel region.
This was disclosed by the Senior Adviser on the Regional Off-Grid Electricity Access Project at the ECOWAS Commission, El hadji Sylla, At a stakeholder forum in Abuja on Thursday, according to The Punch.
Sylla outlined the initiative’s goals, which are supported by funding from the World Bank, the Clean Technology Fund, and the Dutch government.
Sylla explained that the project aims to enhance electricity access in rural areas by prioritizing off-grid solutions for essential public services.
“The cost of the project is $380m, and we want to promote a new innovative chain to electrify public institutions. Our target is to electrify schools and health centres to improve service delivery.
“We are piloting the project in Nigeria and the Benin Republic. The project covers 15 countries in the ECOWAS region and four countries in the Sahel region,” Sylla said.
“We are targeting schools and health centres to improve service delivery,” Sylla said, adding that the project is expected to be completed in five years across all participating countries, with the pilot phase in Nigeria and Benin to be executed within 18 months.
In Nigeria, the initiative will kick off with electrification projects in select schools and health centers located in the Federal Capital Territory, Niger, and Nasarawa states.
The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, highlighted that Nigeria’s rural electrification efforts have significantly improved through grants and subsidies.
Adelabu, represented by Bem Ayangeaor, expressed optimism that public support will increasingly attract private-sector investment to the sector.
““I do not doubt that the rural electrification space in Nigeria, thanks to grants and subsidies, has grown significantly and will soon reach a stage where public support leverages private sector financing at higher efficiencies than it is presently done.
“A stage where the private sector would be more excited in investing in the electrification space because of the benefits to be gained,” Adelabu said.
The Director of Technology and Science Education at the Federal Ministry of Education, Muyibat Olodo emphasized the critical role of electricity in modern education, particularly for institutions specializing in science and technology.
“Access to power is not a luxury in Nigeria and especially in our public institutions. There is a need for uninterrupted power supply in our schools especially those in the science and technology field.
“With proper implementation, our public institutions in the FCT, Niger, and Nasarawa states will become models of energy resilience, self-sufficiency, and sustainability,” she stated.
