Federal Government has commissioned several sites in the six geopolitical zones of the country toward actualising its promise of electrifying five million homes with solar energy by 2023.
Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, said this while declaring open this year’s Seplat Energy Summit in Abuja.
Osinbajo who was represented by the Minister of State for Environment, Mrs Sharon Ikeazor, said the effort was part of the country’s direct energy compact.
He said the project, expected to affect 25 million people, and would also create 250,000 jobs.
“The implementation of this job is underway with several sites commissioned and being executed by the private sector and support from government,” Osinbajo said.
He noted that the Federal Government was eager to follow to a logical conclusion its national energy system and policy via renewables, to ensure a cleaner source of energy for Nigerians.
“Over the next decade, every aspect of national energy system is expected to be affected by the climate and energy policy.
“However, the transition needs to speed up significantly its scope to achieve SDG 7 in line with the goals of the Paris agreement on climate change but while at the sametime achieve the 2030 agenda for sustainable development.
“Nigeria has developed its energy transition plan which has three core objectives of achieving universal access to energy by 2030, zero emissions by 2050 and industrialisation to alleviate poverty and drive economic growth.
“While this plan has given us a roadmap with which we can accelerate our transition, it has also highlighted the skill of effort required.
“Transformation of the energy sector offers ample opportunity for sustainable economic development, social inclusion, energy security, improved health, job creation and other societal benefits, if achieved in just manner.
“Renewables will also create new jobs and spur new industries and can contribute to sustainable urban development,” He noted.
Vice President, Osinbajo said, to achieve all these, policies supporting enabling deployment and integration of renewable energy and energy efficiency must go hand in hand with a broader set of policies.
According to him, these policies must ensure that industrial and other economic capabilities are aligned with the COVID-19 recovery and other environmental objectives.
Speaking, the Group Managing Director, Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, Malam Mele Kyari, said the corporation would continue to take advantage of the time to transform the country’s energy sector.
“We are taking advantage of the time as it has been said that even in 50 years time, we will still have up to 100 million barrels, as we are not out of the oil age.
“We should look for transition that would work for everybody in this part of the world; we are not giving up on gas utilisation, especially the LPG,” Kyari said.