By Nnenna Ezeah
To promote indigenous capacity in Nigeria, the Bank of Industry BoI, in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme, UNDP, is targeting to give about 53% of the population access to renewable energy. This group do not have access to electricity supply.

The project is being promoted by Schneider Electric, while BoI and UNDP provide the financial support.

The theme of the project, “Access to Renewable Energy” is focused at increasing the national capacity to invest in and utilize renewable energy resources to improve access to modern energy services for micro, small and medium enterprise, MSMEs, in Nigeria.

Speaking at an interactive session on renewable energy the occasion in Lagos last week, the Country Deputy Director, UNDP Nigeria, Mr. JanThomas Hiemstra, said the energy sector is of strategic importance to the Nigerian economy and a major driver for growth.

He noted that the energy sector has a major role to play in reducing poverty, improving productivity and enhancing the general quality of life of the Nigerian people.

Hiemstra said Nigeria is currently facing an energy crisis with only 47 percent of the population having access to electricity, deficiencies in access to modern thermal and mechanical energy services as well as insufficient public capitalization of oil and gas production.

He said the need for an alternative source of energy; the renewable energy, which apart from being infinite and environmentally friendly, also serves as an off-grid to the power supply in Nigeria. “Renewable energy remains an effective option for the future energy supply.”

He also said the absence of reliable power and energy supply is a challenge for MSME operations in Nigeria, as most private sector institutions rely on backup generators with high environmental and economic costs.

He added that the UNDP/BoI access to renewable energy programme is an intervention project aimed at catalyzing, promoting and supporting an expansion of renewable energy services for rural MSMEs to support private sector-led economic development. “We believe that this partnership will be of immense contribution to the energy sector.”

Also speaking, Project Manager, Access to Renewable Energy, Mr. Segun Adaju, said renewable energy an innovation, adding that one of the challenges faced in the energy sector is the chronic underdevelopment in the sector.

The Manger, Access to Renewable Energy, Schneider Electric, Mr. Lawal Gada, on his part noted that renewable energy is the way to go and is a viable business in Nigeria, as 75 percent of the energy needs can be met through this project.

The Lagos State Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Mr. Taofiq Ajibade Tijani, said the state will support the project whichever way it can, as “we are open to all sort of suggestion that can make us move forward.”