The Rural Electrification Agency (REA) announced yesterday the connection of Olooji community in Ijebu East, Ogun State to electricity for the first time since the community came into existence 200 years ago.
Spokesman for the agency, Mr. Mouhtar Ebraheem said in a statement in Abuja that community has about 4,500 residents.
He said the community experienced power supply for the first time on Friday with the official inauguration of a 100KWP solar-powered off-grid electricity system by the REA.
He said the community’s leaders said there had never been power supply in the area, as residents had never used basic home appliances because of the absence of electricity since the community was first discovered.
The solar hybrid system was built by the federal government through the REA which is saddled with the responsibility of powering unserved and underserved communities across the country.
The managing director of the agency, Ahmad Salihijo, said the goal of the government was to deploy the solutions to improve electricity access in communities to aid socio-economic development.
“I am delighted that the people of Ijebu will henceforth enjoy clean, safe and reliable energy as deployed under the first set of grants through the federal government’s Rural Electrification Fund (REF).
“REF is an initiative of the federal government, implemented by the REA to promote off-grid electrification and ensure that electricity is equitably distributed across the country. Therefore, interventions such as these are being delivered across all zones,” he was quoted as saying.
He said the first set of grants under the REF would see the deployment of over 19,000 solar home systems.
“To deliver on our mandate, interventions such as this are designed to deliver the energy needs of Nigerians and enhance the socio-economic status of beneficiary communities.
“This will ultimately boost productivity and provide jobs in the community. With the delivery of this solar hybrid mini-grid, we are positive that entrepreneurial skills and resourcefulness of the people of ljebu will be improved through the productive use of this infrastructure,” he added.
In his reaction, the governor of Ogun State, Mr. Dapo Abiodun, emphasised the need to leverage novel technologies to aid the availability of reliable and sustainable electricity in Nigeria.
The governor who spoke through the commissioner for rural development, Mr. Oladotun Taiwo, commended the REA for lighting the community.
He said the project showed a lot about fairness, as remote communities now feel the impact of the federal government.
