The European Union, EU, has commended Enugu State, under the leadership of Governor Peter Mbah, for becoming the first state to key into the Nigeria Solar-for-Health Project, NISHP, an initiative of the EU to provide 24-hour access to clean, efficient, and reliable energy to public healthcare facilities across Nigeria.
The commendation was given by Miss Inga Stefanowicz, head of the Green and Digital Economy Section, EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, during a working visit by the delegation and its technical partners to the governor at the Government House, Enugu, on the sidelines of the official launch of the NISHP in the state capital.
Miss Stefanowicz said the EU was also interested in harnessing all the state’s renewable energy potential and would, therefore, visit some of the sites with such potential.
“Congratulations on being the first state and governor to commit time, resources, and money to this Nigeria-Solar-for-Health Project.
“It is a project that primarily addresses the issue of public sector service, being health service, and integrates this new approach of working through and with the private sector.
“This programme is a reference for everything regarding power sector development in Nigeria, looking at the entire ecosystem and the stakeholders.
“We are here to have a comprehensive look at the opportunities in Enugu State and the potential for our further cooperation,” she stated.
In his response, Governor Mbah appreciated the EU for partnering with Enugu State, noting that the EU objectives also aligned with his administration’s.
Mbah said that having embarked on the construction of 260 Type 2 Primary Healthcare Centres across the state; his administration did not waste time latching on to the NISHP once the opportunity presented itself.
“Some things you said about your strategic objectives also align with our broad objectives, which speak to peace, security, inclusive economic development, prosperity, and sustainability.
“What we are doing with the EU and the other development partners is mainly at the core of our governance philosophy—partnership, collaboration, transparency, and accountability.
“Since we assumed office, the issue of human capital development has been our preoccupation because we recognise the importance of providing essential social services and amenities for our people.
“So, many of these sectors, such as education, healthcare, and basic amenities like electricity, water, etc., are not things we joke about. For example, 33% of our budget is dedicated to the educational sector, where we are building 260 innovative schools. We know that the true wealth of our nation primarily comes from the standard of our public education.
“The same goes for primary healthcare, where we do not find the indicators in that space acceptable. We started the construction of 260 Type 2 Primary Healthcare Centres. The idea is to ensure our people have access to 24/7 primary health care. To achieve that, you must have power, and today, even when you have access to power, the costs of just connecting to the grid are prohibitive.
“Therefore, this idea of having renewable sources is something we find very compelling to partner with, and when the proposal came, we did not spare any time or effort. we immediately latched on to it,” Mbah stated.
The governor also welcomed the Germans’ interest in helping to develop Enugu State’s renewable energy potential, which aligns with the state’s pattern.
“I am also happy to hear that there are windows of opportunities we can explore in the renewable space, whether hydro or wind. I am happy to hear you will visit some of the sites for a view. There is also the viability of wind, which also exists here. We have explored that, and we know it is possible.” He concluded.
