TheCable

The federal government says it has commenced the construction of a 2.5 megawatts (MW) solar power plant at the Nigeria Defence Academy (NDA) in Kaduna. 

On August 31, TheCable reported that the federal government said it would build a solar power plant at the academy to enhance security.

Laying the foundation on Thursday, President Muhammadu Buhari said the project is the second phase of the energising education programme (EEP) funded by the World Bank. 

The president, represented by Bashir Magashi, minister of defence, said the first phase is already helping to provide sustainable energy to students and staff of seven federal universities across the geo-political zones.

“This marks the commencement of the 2.5 megawatts solar hybrid power project under the Energising Education Programme (EEP) Phase II being implemented by the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) with financial Support from the World Bank,” he said. 

“This intervention started with EEP phase 1, which was financed by the federal government through the green bond.

“The programme is already providing sustainable energy to the students and staff members of seven federal universities across the geo-political zones of Nigeria.

“With REA as the implementing agency, we expect nothing but a high standard and quality project that would ensure sustainability and power supply to this prestigious military academy.”

On his part, Ahmad Salihijo, managing director of REA, said the project would be completed within 12 months, adding that “the idea of the solar power project is to supplement supply from the national grid”.

Salihijo said the agency is committed “to remain steadfast in the delivery of fit-for-purpose, deliberately designed and sustainable projects under this programme to serve hundreds of thousands of students, staff members and medical workforce in these institutions”.

“Clean, sustainable energy is a common denominator shared across industries anywhere in the world. This is why all the programmes and initiatives REA is mandated to implement sustainably are targeted at different ecosystems and beneficiaries,” he added.