The Rural Electrification Agency (REA) has built a solar-powered mini grid to host one of the biggest fish farms in Nigeria in the 156-hectare Eriwe Farm Village in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State.
REA’s Managing Director, Engr Ahmad Salihijo Ahmad, who led a team on the inspection of the 100 kilowatt project, told newsmen that the project was part of REA’s policies on alleviation of poverty, especially in the agricultural sector.
Ahmad, a renewable energy advocate, said the one-per geopolitical zone project would reduce cost and reliance on fuel to power pumping machines by the fish farmers, especially now that fuel subsidy had been removed.
He said, “The project is part of our pragmatic approach to budgeting that we have been doing in the last couple of years; where we are looking at alleviation of poverty, especially around the agricultural sector. We have one in each of the geopolitical zones.
“What we have seen here is a 100-kilowatt system, powering the agricultural setting under the Ijebu Community Development Programme for Poverty Alleviation.”
The REA MD further said the project would be powering 10 percent of the farm, but that “there is a plan for expansion of the project based on the demands we get.”
Ahmad added that, “This is 100 kilowatts, and I am hearing that it is only powering 10 per cent, so essentially it means we are talking about one megawatt. In terms of the payment, obviously, it is not going to be free because this is something the government has done as a proof of concept so that we can create that environment for private developers to actually expand upon it.”
