The Minister of Power, Abubakar Aliyu, has reaffirmed President Muhammadu Buhari’s regime’s commitment to provide Nigerians with effective electricity supply through renewable energy as the nation battle incessant outages amid fuel scarcity.

The ministry’s spokesman Margaret Oyinboade disclosed this in a statement in Abuja on Monday.

Mrs Oyinboade quoted the minister as saying this during a meeting with GIZ country director Ina Hommers and her team, led by German deputy ambassador to Nigeria Martin Huth, in his office.

The ministry, working with GIZ under the Nigerian Energy Support Programme (NESP), had remotely mapped over 3,937 settlements, 3,244,605 buildings and 60,183 kilometers of 11 and 33 kilovolt medium voltage line of the grid in 28 states, added the minister.

“This data when concluded will provide information for electrification and planning, least cost, electricity access and decision making for would be investors,” he said.

Mr Aliyu added that six solar mini-grid, developed under NESP 1, was providing sustainable electricity to more than 15,000 people as of 2020, and 100,000 additional people would be reached under NESP II through the Mini-grid Acceleration Scheme (MAS).

He also mentioned that under the Inter-connected Mini-Grid Acceleration Scheme (IMAS) of NESP II, rural electrification materials valued at €9 million would be handed over to the Rural Electrification Agency (REA).

(NAN)