North-East Development Commission Suggests 100 Billion Naira Initiative for Solar Energy Development in the Region

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The North East Development Commission has approved plans to invest about N100bn in a 50-megawatt solar power project aimed at improving electricity supply across the North-East, describing power as the region’s most critical requirement for economic recovery and development.

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The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the commission, Mohammed Alkali, disclosed this on Thursday during a press briefing in Abuja while outlining the commission’s transition from recovery to expansion under its regional master plan.

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Alkali said the NEDC board had approved the immediate commencement of the project, which will deploy modular solar-powered electricity systems to schools, hospitals, markets and other critical public infrastructure across the six states of the North-East.

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He explained that the project forms part of the commission’s third phase of development, which focuses on expanding economic opportunities after years of stabilisation and reconstruction.

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According to him, inadequate electricity remains one of the biggest obstacles to development in the region, where an estimated 61 per cent of residents lack access to power.

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“The board thought and came up with the resolution that we must do something as quickly as possible because without power, we cannot do anything. Power is number one. Power is number two. Power is number three.

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Yesterday, the board approved that the commission should start immediately the process of deploying 50 megawatts of power in the North-East. By estimates, this will cost not less than N100bn,” Alkali said.

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The NEDC boss said the commission deliberately opted for modular solar-powered systems instead of conventional electricity infrastructure to ensure communities could benefit directly from reliable power.

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“This power is not going to be through conventional power. It is going to be modular. We have a module that goes to one school, one market and so on and so forth. That will help the ecosystem in general and create a good value chain,” he said.

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Alkali noted that electricity was central to sustaining investments already made by the commission in education, healthcare and commerce. “We have built schools. Without power, those schools cannot function. We have built health centres. Without power, they cannot work. We have built markets. They need power. Anything we do, at the end of the day, power is required,” he stated.

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The commission also announced plans to promote electric mobility in the region through the deployment of 10,000 solar-powered electric tricycles and buses assembled in Nigeria.

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According to Alkali, the initiative, approved by President Bola Tinubu, is expected to create jobs for young people while supporting clean transportation and reducing dependence on fossil fuels. “We have already prepared 10,000 pieces of those minibuses. The tricycles are being assembled here in Nigeria. One, we need to empower youths.

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Second, it is a good form of education because those who assemble and maintain the vehicles will acquire engineering skills,” he said. He added that the electric vehicles would be supported by charging stations powered through the proposed solar energy network.

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Beyond energy, Alkali said the commission had achieved more than 80 per cent of its stabilisation and renewal targets under the North-East Recovery and Development Master Plan.

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He said the commission had completed over 300 kilometres of roads, constructed about 150 bridges, installed more than 100,000 solar streetlights and delivered over 500 solar-powered boreholes, with a target of about 1,000 before the end of the year.

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The NEDC boss also revealed that the commission had increased access to advanced healthcare by expanding the number of MRI machines in the region from one functional unit to eight.

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“Our study showed that the entire North-East, with a population of almost 28 million people, had only one functional MRI machine. Today, by the grace of God, the region will have eight modern MRI machines,” he said.

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Alkali further disclosed that the commission was considering reviving rail transport in the region. He expressed optimism that ongoing investments would redefine the region’s image, stating, “Very soon, the North-East will no longer be defined by the past, but by the promise of the future”.

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