...says firm empowers 3,000 Nigerians via renewable mini-grids

By Olasunkanmi Akoni

An executive of an indigenous energy firm, ENGIE Energy Access, Nigeria, has stressed the need to increase financing for private sector energy efficiency, renewable energy development so as to meet the energy demand of the growing population in the country.

Head, Mini-Grids, of the firm, Onyinye Anene-Nzelu, stated this, while speaking during a panel session at the second Edition of the Solar Week Nigeria 2023 Conference and Awards, recently held in Lagos, with the theme, “Partnering For Success: Collaborating with Communities and Stakeholders in Mini-Grids Project With Energy Storage in Nigeria.”

Anene-Nzelu, however, announced that ENGIE, has impacted the lives of over 3,000 Nigerians, majorly youths, comprising households, businesses, schools and healthcare centres in rural communities by providing them with access to renewable energy through the construction of its mini-grids project in Niger State.

The firm, ENGIE Energy Access, is one of the leading providers of solar homes systems and mini-grids solutions in Nigeria.

According to her, strategic partnership with relevant stakeholders in the renewable energy ecosystem is essential in bridging Nigeria’s huge energy gap.

Anene-Nzelu said that: “The importance of collaboration in the renewable energy space cannot be over emphasised. With 92 million people with no access to electricity especially in rural areas, shows that more needs to be done to increase investment in electric power infrastructure.

“More needs to be done to increase financing for private sector energy efficiency, renewable energy development so as to meet the energy demand of our growing population.

“From the beginning of the value chain is Policy, we need to make sure that we get our policies right. We also need to make sure that our regulatory framework is well aligned with the right methodology to ensure that we are able to attract and sustain investments that will enable us bridge the energy access gap across the country.”

Responding to questions about the impact of mini-grids to the development of rural communities in Nigeria, Anene-Nzelu, noted that Nigeria is gradually moving from rural electrification to rural economic transformation, all thanks to the deployment of mini-grids in rural areas.

She described the move as an economic enabler for rural dwellers, as it has opened the communities to more business opportunities, increased productivity and reduced urban migration in the country.

She explained that “The on-boarding of the mini-grids to the Nigeria electricity value-chain has shown the possibility within the off-grid decentralised renewable energy industry in Nigeria and across Africa, signalling to other investors interested in becoming partners in progress to bridge Africa’s huge energy gap.

“The disconnect at the community level reveals the lack of access to clean and reliable Energy for the development of mini-grids has offered Nigeria the unique opportunity to get the rural communities connected to uninterrupted Energy sources that will make them productive and economically valuable to the country.”

She stated that “The current hike in the cost of energy occasioned by the removal of fuel subsidy would adversely affect the socio-economic well-being of the rural dwellers if much attention is not given to the adoption and utilisation of renewable energy to that segment of the society.

“Solar and mini-grids have been projected to become the primary key player in the Nigerian Energy Sector by 2030, so we must position ourselves as a country and as a business to take advantage of the enormous potential the market has to offer.”

Highlighting the role played by the firm in positively impacting the lives of its customers in the rural community, Anene-Nzelu, disclosed that since the construction of its mini-grids project in Gbangba-Niger State, the company has helped unelectrified homes, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), schools and primary healthcare centres gain access to stable electricity supply using renewable energy.

“We have gone far and beyond to ensure that villages that have never experienced power now have unlimited access to power to improve their socio-economic life and become more productive to themselves and the country at large.

“This means that a child can now read at night and that shows that we are empowering the next generation, we are also able to provide better quality of healthcare to the vulnerable to improve maternal health and that goes on and on providing relief to the rural dwellers, with such initiative we begin to see that we are impacting lives one community at a time,” she stated.

Anene-Nzelu added that: “As a company we have converted over 45 kilowatts of diesel-powered machines to electric-powered machines reducing Greenhouse emissions and promoting the usage of clean energy, thereby helping farmers spend less in food processing.

“Our mission is to deliver life-changing, affordable and reliable clean energy solutions to the underserved and we remain dogged, determined and resolute in achieving that.”