ABUJA: The World Bank would help finance the construction of 1,000 mini solar power grids in Nigeria in collaboration with the government and private sector, western media reported.
Reuters reported that Nigeria, a country of 200 million people, has a power generation capacity of 12,500 megawatts (MW) which is not fully functional, and the people are forced to rely on petrol and diesel generators.
World Bank president Ajay Banga said the capacity of mini-grids varies from a few kilowatts to 10 MW, sufficient to power 200 houses.
During a visit to a mini-grid site near Abuja, Banga told media that nearly 150 mini-grids constructed were financed by the World Bank to bring electricity to communities deprived of the facility.
World Bank to Fund 1,000 Mini Solar Nigerian Power Grids
He added the aim of the World Bank is to enhance the number of mini-grids to 1,000. He noted that hundreds of millions of dollars would be invested in the energy sector of Nigeria.
Nigeria is the biggest economy in Africa and was ranked as Africa’s largest crude oil producer in May 2023.
World Bank data shows that in Africa, 568 million people still have no access to electricity. Internationally 8 out of 10 people are without electricity resides in Africa.
