Abuja – The United States government has assured the Nigerian government of its commitment to add 10,000 megawatts to its generation capacity across the country through its partnership program, Power Africa.
The assurance was given when the US-led Power Africa Coordinator, Mark Carrato, met with government officials, federal regulators, service providers, and other development partners, as part of the itinerary for his four-day official visit to the country.
The Federal Ministry of Power’s website shows that the nation’s current peak electricity generation is within 4,211.10MW.
But in a statement by the US Diplomatic Mission in Abuja, Carrato is in the country to assess the current challenges and progress in increasing electrification efforts in Africa’s most populous country.
According to him, the megawatt additions, when arrived, will provide three million people with new electricity connections.
The Coordinator, Carrato also met with the Minister of Power, Abubakar Aliyu, “on the recent launch of the Energy Transition Plan (ETP) and discussed Power Africa’s role in advancing Nigeria’s transition to net-zero emissions and sustainable energy access for all Nigerians under the ETP and the Presidential Power Initiative.”
He said he was proud that Power Africa had assisted in the achievement of 1.4 million new connections in the off-grid space in Nigeria.
The statement partly reads, “To date, Power Africa has trained over 4,000 people in technical energy fields in Nigeria.
“Coordinator Carrato noted how inspiring it is to see these new skills and tools being put to use, from companies who build investor pitch skills and can now negotiate with funders, to women who are better positioned to compete and succeed in the workplace.
“It was remarkable to feel the energy and enthusiasm of the off-grid sector at the Quarterly Off-Grid Stakeholders meeting where private sector companies along with the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) strive to increase access to electricity.
“He also discussed power sector stabilization initiatives, national metering programs, and Power Africa designed data management systems with regulators and distribution companies.
“The trip marks the Coordinator’s first official visit to Nigeria and comes as a stop in a larger regional tour of Power Africa projects in West Africa.”
