The Acting Governor of Kaduna state, Dr Hadiza Balarabe, has stressed the need for Nigeria to rapidly transit to safe and sustainable energy options, so as to combat global warming and save the environment.
Speaking at the 40th Solar Energy Forum that held at the Nigerian Defence Academy Postgraduate School, Kaduna, the Acting Governor said that Kaduna state has already embraced clean energy.
Dr. Balarabe said that the government is promoting safe energy options through the Kaduna State Power Supply Company (KAPSCO), which was created to provide energy through safe green energy options.
According to her, KAPSCO has facilitated solar energy for health facilities in the state, powered streetlights and provided lights for night markets for the promotion of Kaduna state’s economy.
“As at today, Kaduna state is the leading state in execution of Solar for Health. We have so far installed 2.3MW of distributed solar across 47 PHCs and Hospitals. We will grow that to 3.6MW by next year.
“We will be reviewing the off-grid Solar policy in the executive council in the coming weeks, to ensure that not just our hospitals, but our rural communities and SMEs also benefit from dependable solar power,’’ she added.
The Acting Governor who commended the Solar Energy Association of Nigeria for the choice of topic for the 40th annual forum, tasked it to sensitize the public on the importance of solar energy, green energy, and renewable energy.
She further said that with global warming posing threats to the environment, Nigeria must make deliberate investment in the use of solar power, wind power, hydro sources, and thermal power.
Dr Balarabe further pointed out that protecting the environment is a war that all persons must be involved in for the nation to win, emphasizing that existing installations have to be maintained to derive optimal benefits.
“Kaduna State Government is still enjoying the use of solar systems installed five to six years ago due to our strict maintenance regime,” she said, adding that solar systems are designed to last 20 years if well maintained.
