By Ken Chiwendu
The Nigerian Government has secured a $1.1 billion loan from the African Development Bank (AfDB) for the provision of electricity for 5 million people by the end of 2026.
The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy said President Bola Tinubu made this known in a speech presented by Adebayo Adelabu, Minister of Power, at the just concluded two-day Mission 300 Africa Energy Summit in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
The president also stated that the AfDB’s $200 million in the Nigeria Electrification Project will provide electricity for 500,000 people by the end of 2025.
He said “I (Tinubu) acknowledged AfDB’s $1.1 billion, expected to provide electricity for 5 million people by the end of 2026, while its $200 million in the Nigeria Electrification Project will provide electricity for 500,000 people by the end of 2025.
“This is an ambitious goal, but we can achieve it together,” Tinubu said. “As Nigeria’s President, I am committed to making energy access a top priority.”
President Tinubu is also expecting the planned $1.2 billion AfDB investment in the Nigeria Desert to Power programme and facility for the Nigeria-Grid Battery Energy Storage System.
“We also look forward to the AfDB’s planned $700 million investment in the Nigeria Desert to Power programme and its planned $500 million facility for the Nigeria-Grid Battery Energy Storage System, which will provide electricity for an additional two million people,”
“We have equally begun making plans to ensure the effectiveness of the World Bank’s $750 million support for expanding Nigeria’s distributed energy access via mini-grids and standalone solar systems that will provide access to power to 16.2 million people,” he added.
President Tinubu thanked Ajay Banga, President of the World Bank Group, and Akinwunmi Adesina of AfDB for their transformative vision, which he said “will light up and power Africa.”
He also applauded the contributions of the UN Sustainable Energy For All, the Rockefeller Foundation, and the Global Energy Alliance for Development.
“As we all know, Africa is rich in energy resources, yet millions of our citizens still lack access to reliable and affordable energy.
“This situation is unacceptable. It is our responsibility to take collective action to change this narrative,” President Tinubu said.
