President Muhammadu Buhari has inaugurated the 10 megawatts Kano Solar Power Project funded by the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) at a cost of $16 million.
Inaugurating the project, Buhari expressed satisfaction with the installation of the solar power plants.
The plant has more than 21,000 solar PV panels, two 6MVA transformers and 52 inverters, a state-of-the-art warehouse and storage building, a control room building, office and workshop building among others.
It was built by a consortium of Eauxwell Nigeria Limited, an indigenous local contractor, and their international partners – Greencells Energy Middle East and Africa Ltd – on a turnkey basis.
In his speech, the NSIA Managing Director/CEO, Mr Aminu Umar-Sadiq, said the project would help to catalyze growth in the power sector.
According to him, the project will also help Nigeria in the fight against climate change and the commitment to attaining net zero carbon emissions by 2060.
In addition to providing access to clean, affordable, and sustainable energy to local industries and other consumers, Umar-Sadiq said the power project will increase industrial output by ensuring companies reach their full capacity utilization.
“This project will truly be transformative to the Challawa Industrial Area which is the industrial area within Kano metropolis.
“We have heard extensive discussions in the course of developing this project and what was clear from speaking to the factories, the manufacturing plants and the facilities in that industrial cluster is it will enhance production efficiency, reduce production costs and in time begin to attract foreign direct investments into that cluster by essentially being the best place within this area cost wise to do business,” he said.
Umar-Sadiq added: “The investment is about $16m but NSIA did a couple of things to ensure that the money went further than what it ought to be.
“The procurement process was detailed, we focused on technical and money. So, through the procurement process, we managed to reduce the cost of this proposition.
“We also focused on ensuring we got the best Engineering, Procurement and Construction contractor that were able to be inventive and creative despite the constraints if executing such a project in Kano.
“And finally, through our Treasury Activities, the funds that were given to us, we found ways to enhance it to increase the returns on those funds that we also used in the cost of developing this project.
“The project also showed a strong commitment to improving the welfare of people in the community by providing multiple community boreholes to ensure access to clean water supply, renovating classroom blocks to ensure students have a conducive environment to learn and constructing a 2.07km access road to improve ease of movement in the community.”
Also speaking, the NSIA Board Chairman, Farouk Gumel, expressed satisfaction with the quality of job done by the project team.
“I feel very happy. This is a turning point in terms of how Nigeria’s power sector future is going to play out. Its an interesting project that shows how mental capacity and physical will can deliver projects for the people.
“The NSIA was asked to manage this project and giving all the necessary support to implement this project and we have done the project and hopefully the impact of the project will be felt and that is what the greatest achievement is found,” he said.
Dignitaries, who witnessed the occasion include Governor Umar Ganduje, the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed, the Chairman of the NSIA Board of Directors, Mr Farouk Gumel,
Also in attendance at the event are Kolawole Owodunni, NSIA Executive Director and Chief Investment Officer; Mallam Ali Goni Kadugum, Executive Member Non Executive Director; Olubisi Makoju _ Executive Director; and kabir Suleman Oniyangi, Executive Member Non Executive Director.
Haske Solar Company Limited – the project vehicle whose name means light in the Hausa language – is jointly owned by the Federal Government, Kano State Government, and the host Local Government – Kumbotso.
The project is currently the largest grid-connected solar PV plant and is a proof of successful mid-sized solar PV deployment in Nigeria and has provided about 2,000 direct and indirect jobs.
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