The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission has unveiled plans to invest $380m in electrifying public schools and health centres across 18 West African countries, including Nigeria, Benin, Chad, and others.
This initiative seeks to address the significant lack of electricity access, which affects over 208 million people, particularly in rural communities.
During a stakeholder forum in Abuja, El hadji Sylla, Senior Adviser on the Regional Off-Grid Electricity Access Project at the ECOWAS Commission, shared details of the project, which is funded by the World Bank, the Clean Technology Fund, and the Dutch government.
The project focuses on providing off-grid electricity solutions to rural areas, specifically targeting schools and health centres to enhance service delivery.
Sylla noted that the initiative will be piloted in Nigeria and Benin and aims to cover 15 ECOWAS countries and four Sahel nations.
The project is expected to take five years, with the initial pilot phase to be completed within 18 months.
In Nigeria, the electrification efforts will begin in selected schools and health centres in the Federal Capital Territory, Niger, and Nasarawa states.
Nigeria’s Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, represented by Bem Ayangeaor, emphasised the country’s progress in rural electrification through grants and subsidies.
Adelabu expressed optimism that increased public support would encourage private sector investment in the electrification space.
Muyibat Olodo, Director of Technology and Science Education at the Federal Ministry of Education, highlighted the importance of electricity in modern education, especially in science and technology institutions.
She remarked that the project would help schools in the FCT, Niger, and Nasarawa states become models of energy resilience and sustainability.
