Niger State government is targeting 100,000 homes to be connected to solar sources of power by the end of the year.
Governor Bago revealed this in Minna yesterday during a meeting with the management of the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, AEDC, and the Minna Area office at the Government House, Minna.
He said that the state government is partnering with a private company to provide 10,000 different solar capacities to 10,000 interested homes in the next month and that the target is to reach 100,000 homes by the end of this year.
He said that there is a need for the transition of its facilities, such as the government house, IBB Specialist hospital, water board, and Secretariat, among others, off the national grid soon.
The governor said the state government intended to have a 200-megawatt solar park and other initiatives that would provide an effective alternative power supply.
He said all the street lights in the State have already been converted to solar, adding that efforts are being made through relevant agencies to provide a mini grid of 25 megawatts across all the local government areas of the state.
He said that while the state government intensifies efforts to provide alternative sources of power to its citizenry, it will ensure that AEDC does what is necessary in power supply, especially as the state is hosting four hydroelectric dams.
