NEDC proposes N100bn solar power project for North-East

The North East Development Commission (NEDC) has approved a significant N100 billion investment in a 50-megawatt solar power project, aiming to improve electricity supply across the North-East region of Nigeria. The commission identified power as the most critical requirement for the region's economic recovery and development.

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The board thought and came up with the resolution that we must do something as quickly as possible because without power, we cannot do anything. Power is number one. Power is number two. Power is number three.

Mohammed Alkali, the Managing Director and CEO of NEDC, announced that the commission's board has sanctioned the immediate commencement of the project. It will involve deploying modular solar-powered electricity systems to schools, hospitals, markets, and other essential public infrastructure throughout the six states in the North-East. This project is part of the NEDC's third phase of development, focusing on expanding economic opportunities after years of stabilization and reconstruction efforts.

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Yesterday, the board approved that the commission should start immediately the process of deploying 50 megawatts of power in the North-East. By estimates, this will cost not less than N100bn.

Alkali highlighted that inadequate electricity remains one of the most substantial barriers to development in the region, where an estimated 61 percent of residents lack access to power. "The board thought and came up with the resolution that we must do something as quickly as possible because without power, we cannot do anything. Power is number one. Power is number two. Power is number three," he stated. The NEDC opted for modular solar systems over conventional infrastructure to ensure direct community benefits and create a robust value chain.

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This power is not going to be through conventional power. It is going to be modular. We have a module that goes to one school, one market and so on and so forth. That will help the ecosystem in general and create a good value chain.

The commission also plans to promote electric mobility by deploying 10,000 solar-powered electric tricycles and buses assembled in Nigeria. This initiative, approved by President Bola Tinubu, is expected to generate employment for young people while supporting clean transportation and reducing reliance on fossil fuels. Alkali emphasized that electricity is fundamental to sustaining the NEDC's previous investments in education, healthcare, and commerce.

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We have built schools. Without power, those schools cannot function. We have built health centres. Without power, they cannot work. We have built markets. They need power. Anything we do, at the end of the day, power is required.