NASENI, REA To Enhance Electricity Supply In Rural Areas

Executive vice chairman/chief executive officer of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Mr Khalil Halilu and managing  director/ chief executive officer of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Mr. Ahmad Salihijo Ahmad, have agreed to work together to deploy NASENI’s solar resources and other renewable energy technologies to increase electricity supply to Nigeria’s rural areas.

This commitment, according to a statement by NASENI’s director of information, Segun Ayeoyenikan, is the outcome of discussions between the two chief executives in Abuja on Friday when the EVC/CEO of NASENI visited the Rural Electrification Agency office as part of his efforts to engage with stakeholders to promote the adoption of NASENI’s technologies.

Mr. Halilu, who assumed office two weeks ago as NASENI’s chief executive, said; “The focus is to hit the ground running by nurturing effective collaborations with the right stakeholders who will assist NASENI to fulfil its mandate of providing the science and engineering infrastructure base for Nigeria’s businesses and economy to thrive.

“The strategy, going forward, for NASENI includes knocking on the doors of potential end-users of the Agency’s technology and engineering products, making off-take of our Research & Development (R&D) easy, while also bringing the direct impact of our work to bear on the Nigerian economy.”

The two chief executives pledged to work together to reduce the cost of solar power installation in rural areas through efforts such as increased local production of solar panels by NASENI. The overall goal, according to the REA MD, Ahmad Salihijo, is to facilitate the federal government’s ambition to achieve the electrification of Nigeria’s rural areas in record time.

Earlier,  Mr. Halilu visited the Director General/CEO of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) Mr. Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, on a similar mission. The two CEOs emphasized the need to look inward and develop local content (human and material) capacity to transform the economy.