The Federal Government has commenced the installation of solar systems in rural communities in Lagos to cushion the impact of the removal of subsidies on rural dwellers.
Specifically, the solar systems were installed in schools and public health facilities at Makoko, in the Yaba area of the metropolis by the Rural Electrification Agency (REA).
The Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Ahmad Salihijo Ahmad, made this disclosure yesterday while on an inspection tour of some of the schools and hospitals where some of the Solar Home System (SHS) had already been installed at Makoko.
Engr Ahmad said the deployment was a project captured under the FG’s National Poverty Reduction and Growth Strategy.
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He said though the agency’s role was to provide access to electricity for unserved and underserved areas; the role being played now is more of a social service to mitigate the environmental and economic challenges of the community.
According to him, the visit was part of a larger visit to the South West region with sites at Osogbo, Osun and Ijebu-Ode in Ogun states respectively.
“What is clear even in the immediate aftermath is that using a de-centralized approach towards electrification of communities such as Makoko is the right approach given the difficulty of operating a traditional grid system.
“We are offering rural dwellers free solar power as part of the ongoing efforts to alleviate the impact of fuel subsidy removal on the less privileged Nigerians,” he said.
