BY GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE

BENIN – EXECUTIVE Director of the Community Research and Development Centre, CREDC, Mr.Etinosa Uyigue, said, yesterday, in Benin,  that over 60 percent of Nigerians were excluded from the national electricity grid.

He said that a large number of the people are located in the rural areas. He lamented that those connected to the national grid were plagued by frequent power outages for several hours, daily.

Speaking at a workshop on, Access to Electricity in Odighi community in Edo State Using Photo Voltaic, he noted that to address the environmental and socio-economic challenges posed by the crisis in the electricity sector, the  group, launched in 2006, the project, Promoting Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency in Nigeria, PREEEN.

He said the objectives of PREEEN included increasing Nigerian’s access to electricity and modern energy services using renewable energy facilities to promote energy efficiency. He added that the vision of PREEEN was to provide electricity to 10 million Nigerians and create awareness on energy efficiency.

Under the project, he said, Odighi community in Ovia North-East Local Government Area of Edo State, was  to be connected to the national electricity grid while a total of 40 households in the community would benefit from the project.

According to him, “each of the 40 households would be provided with Photo Voltaic Systems (solar systems) that will provide lighting and also help them access modern information through electronic media. Also, 50 youths from the community will be given basic training on the installation and maintenance of solar systems.

This will help  give ownership to the project and sustain it.”

Edo State Governor, Mr Adams Oshiomhole, who was represented at the workshop by his Commissioner for Energy and Water Resources, Mr. Didi Adodo, commended the organisation for its laudable contributions to the development of the state, especially in its desire to provide jobs for the youths.