Yemisi Izuora
The World Bank has explained that its rural electrification project intends to give Nigerians in rural areas access to electricity.
The International Financial Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group is driving an initiative known as ‘Lighting Africa programme for Nigeria’ which it said will help increase access to affordable, clean and safer lighting for more than 30 per cent of Nigeria’s population who live in rural areas, and have low incomes and no access to grid electricity.
Lighting Africa mobilises the private sector to build and develop markets that enable access to clean, affordable, quality lighting products by fostering partnerships among local and global manufacturers and creating new channels through local distribution companies that will help build robust supply chains for off-grid lighting products.
Itotia Njagi, Programme Manager for the Lighting Africa initiative, said: “Lighting Africa is helping to build a market to bring off-grid lighting and energy services across Africa by establishing quality standards, investing in consumer education, creating a favorable investment climate, and supporting innovative business models.
As we foster these partnerships among all parties in the industry, various opportunities would be explored and our goal of inclusive electrification would be achieved in Nigeria.”
The expansion of the Lighting Africa programme to Nigeria supports the World Bank Group’s Energy Business Plan.
Under the Energy Business Plan, each World Bank Group institution will leverage its competencies and products to provide solutions to projects that encourage their viability and contribute to the sustainability of Nigeria’s power sector to underpin the government’s ambitious privatisation and reform programme.”
Eme Essien Lore, IFC Country Manager for Nigeria said, “Part of the World Bank Group’s targeted interventions in the power sector includes off-grid solutions that make access to power more inclusive.
These solutions, mostly solar powered, will reduce the hazards of using fuel based energy resources, improve the climate and accelerate development in Nigeria.”
Lighting Africa is a key component of the Global Lighting and Energy Access Partnership (Global LEAP), an initiative of the Clean Energy Ministerial.
The Clean Energy Ministerial is a global forum where best practices are shared, and policies and programs encouraging and facilitating transition to a clean global energy economy are promoted.
The IFC-World Bank Lighting Africa programme aims to catalyse and accelerate the development of commercial markets for off-grid solar lighting products in sub-Saharan Africa.
Forming part of the World Bank Group’s wider efforts towards the goal of ‘Sustainable Energy for All by 2030’, Lighting Africa mobilises the private sector to build sustainable markets that provide affordable, modern solar lighting products to families that are not connected to grid electricity, most of whom are low income rural families.