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The Federal Authorities has commenced the development of a N10 billion photo voltaic mini-grid venture to energy the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, a transfer that reveals each a shift in direction of renewable power and a deepening insecurity in Nigeria’s ailing nationwide electrical energy grid.
The Guardian can affirm that giant sections of the Villa, together with the whole parking zone of the Banquet Corridor, the guests’ parking zone, and the world across the lake have been transformed into websites for mounting photo voltaic panels, in a transparent departure from grid dependence.
Coming at a time when stakeholders are elevating issues on the implementation of the 2025 finances, the photo voltaic venture, which is a part of the 2025 nationwide finances and listed below code ERGP202502463 remained on the entrance line of implementation.
The venture is being applied by Julius Berger in partnership with renewable power companies, together with Bartum Vitality.
Bartum Vitality, integrated in 2016, has actively marketed photo voltaic options as alternate options to Nigeria’s unreliable public electrical energy provide.
Whereas the Aso Rock solar energy venture could sign President Bola Tinubu’s endorsement of power transition and sustainability objectives, it additionally casts a highlight on the state’s tacit admission of the grid’s failure.
Though Nigeria has about 14,000 megawatts put in electrical energy capability, houses and companies solely get about 4,500MW. Of this provide, companies and houses, particularly vital providers like healthcare, can’t depend on the grid. Most have been counting on fossil gasoline turbines however now turning to photo voltaic as the price of grid provide below Band A shoppers and price of diesel and premium motor spirit surged below the present authorities.
The price of the presidential photo voltaic venture represents greater than 17 per cent of the Villa’s capital finances, which went from N47 billion within the preliminary 2025 proposal to N57 billion on the level of legislative approval.
That sizable allocation has raised contemporary questions on fiscal priorities.
Some analysts had insisted that if the federal government should lead by instance in power reform, it may have first fastened the grid for everybody fairly than powering Aso Rock off-grid whereas the remainder of the nation struggles.
In response to information from the Producers Affiliation of Nigeria (MAN), industrial companies spent over N1 trillion on self-generation by way of diesel and gas-powered turbines in recent times. Households too are more and more turning to photo voltaic panels, inverters, and different off-grid choices as blackouts persist.
Nigeria’s grid collapse incidents stay frequent, and total era capability stays caught under 5,000 MW for a inhabitants of over 200 million.
Though the nation has one of many highest charges of self-generation globally, this shift, whereas revolutionary, has raised issues about power inequality, poor infrastructure planning, and the gradual tempo of grid modernisation.
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