Decentralized Solar Home Systems (SHS) are being installed by the Rural Electrification Agency in the Lagos State neighborhood of Makoko in order to bridge the energy gap for underserved and off-grid communities.
On Saturday, Mr. Salihijo Ahmad, the agency's CEO, informed reporters during a visit to the Makoko village that the agency has supplied lights to rural areas under the direction of the Ministry of Power.
Ahmad claims that the National Poverty Reduction and Growth Strategy of the Federal Government covers the Makoko SHS deployment.
He said that given the agency's responsibility for supplying unserved and underserved areas with access to energy, the role being played here was more of a social service to lessen the community's economic and environmental problems.
According to him, the installation was another step in the government's Economic Sustainability Plan's implementation.
He claims that the inspection is a part of a longer trip to the south-west region, which also included stops at Osogbo and Ijebu-Ode.
“The management will return and access the impact of the projects so far.
“Stakeholder engagement (state governments, community hroups and end-users) will continue while all the feedback gathered is considered.
“What is clear even in the immediate aftermath is that using a de-centralised approach toward electrification of communities such as Makoko is the right approach given the difficulty of operating a traditional grid system,” he said.
Ahmad said: “We are here on an inspection visit to access the solar systems that were installed six months ago in schools, hospitals and some homes in the Makoko community.
“We wanted to test and deploy more decentralised systems of solar of 150 watts to critical places like schools, hospitals and essential places to provide lightning for effectiveness.
“About 30 units of solar have been deployed so far and we are also planning to deploy more.
“We wanted to scale up the project but it is important to inspect the facilities and see the impact in the community,” he added.