The Nasarawa State government has commenced the process of developing the Off-Grid Electrification Strategy and Action Plan in a bid to increase electricity access to rural and underserved clusters.
The state government in December 2023, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Nigeria Off-Grid Market Acceleration Program (NOMAP) to enhance power supply.
The State Electricity Power Agency (NAEPA) will serve as the technical lead in the implementation of the agreement.
NOMAP is an off-grid energy market-building program supported by the Shell Foundation and the United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) that aims to address market barriers limiting access to energy in Nigeria.
NOMAP team and stakeholders in the state which include the Nasarawa Investment and Development Agency (NASIDA) and the State Electricity Power Agency (NAEPA) met at one day technical workshop to come up with a tentative policy and action plan on the matter in Lafia.
Declaring the workshop open, the Deputy Governor, Emmanuel Akabe, said the government was working to improve the energy sector to encourage the establishment of industries in line with its industrialisation agenda.
He noted that the state government would be happy to have an off-grid plan that is implementable and solve the electricity needs of the state, especially through the provision of cleaner energy sources.
Managing Director/ CEO of NASIDA, Ibrahim .A. Abdullahi, said the gesture would make the off-grid electricity sector of the state more attractive for private investments as the state continues to woo investors in the state.
General Manager of NAEPA, Engr. Yakubu Suleiman, said the policy would enable the state government regulate electricity generation, distribution and transmission, while propelling the state towards growth and development.
The programme director of NOMAP, Adedotun Eyinade, noted that the policy aims to boost the delivery of clean electricity access to unserved and underserved communities in the state as well as unlock the economic potential of the state in line with the industrialisation agenda of the state government.
