 igns  먹어 ți 只是 ți                                                                                                                                                                                                                      గోిరోన్లునులెనేరినేనేన్చికకిమోదోవౌట్నేరానావ్యికాంటనికోనేవ౉యన్వూన్పచఈరే. గోచికోమికోదోనుయచాన్నులియానేదికోరొివీ. The Deputy Governor of Katsuna State, Allaji Manil Yakubu. The only Minister of Power, Engineer Saleh Maman. The only Minister of State for Power, Mr. Bordi Jediyaba. His Royal Highness, the Emmy of Kazari, Allaji Dr. Najib Buzemi-Adamu. The Special Advisor to the President on Infrastructure. And Santorakim Kazari, Mr. Ahmed Rufaizakari. The Managing Director, CEO of the Niger Delta Power Holding Company, Mr. Chirugu Ugo. The Managing Director, CEO of the Ural Electrification Agency, Engineer Ahmad Salehjo. The Director-General of the Royal Public Enterprises, Mr. Alex Oko. The Managing Director of Aesola, Mr. Abubaka Tumasi. Members of the Jigawa State House of Assembly President. Members of the Jigawa State Executive Council President. Honored guests, ladies and gentlemen. Let me say how very happy I am to be here in Jigawa State. And especially in this Emirate. I want to thank my brother, the Governor of Jigawa State especially, for the warm hospitality and his great friendship. And also I must thank the Israel Highness, the Emmy of Kazari, a large doctor Najib Buzemi-Adamu. Many people may have forgotten that Israel Highness is a lawyer since he has been, since he has settled down here in Kazari. Israel Highness and I, who are classmates at the Nigerian Law School in 1979. So I think it's very appropriate for us to begin this very important project, the electrification of Nigeria, which the President approved just last year. The electrification of 5 million homes using solar power. It's very appropriate that we should begin here in Jigawa State and in particular here in the Kazari Emirate. Today marks another critical milestone in the Buhari administration's focused efforts to ensure that Nigeria has access to electricity. The President had emphasized that we could no longer rely solely on the national grid if we are to electrify the whole country, which meant that we had to develop an effective strategy for decentralizing power. Two of your things we could think of were the first to implement more of grid solutions and to use renewable energy that is solar power. But a happy coincidence which occurred at that time was that the cost of solar panels and batteries was falling. So we support the deployment of solar power cheaper than ever before. So if there was ever a time in the history of our country when the dream of electrifying the whole of Nigeria was possible, that time is now. The rural electrification agency had always been the vehicle for rural electrification across the country. What has changed is the fresh mandate it now has to add more renewable energy in particular solar power to its repertoire of solutions for electrification. Another challenge which became an opportunity for us was the COVID-19 and our response to that which as many know was the sustainability plan. That economic sustainability plan enabled us because the president's whole vision around the plan was that rather than have a situation where people lose jobs and lose opportunities, we could take the opportunity of COVID-19 to create more jobs. We could take the opportunity of economic fallouts to create more opportunities for the Nigerian people. So the president approved that we should do these 5 million solar home connections across the country which will mean that 25 million Nigerians will have jobs. But not just that, there will be jobs around it. Those who will manufacture, those who will assemble the solar systems will have jobs. Those who will install them will have jobs. Those who will maintain them will have jobs. And those who will also supply the payment systems and retain the payment systems will also have jobs. So 100 million solar home systems. So Mr. President approved what we now know as the Solar Power Niger program in the economic sustainability plan which is the plan that I've just described, one that enables us to effectively electrify millions of Nigerian homes. It's an ambitious initiative which aims to create 5 million connections through a 140 billion Naira financing program that will support private developers to provide power in all of the households that we mentioned which means providing electricity for 25 million Nigerians. So the Solar Power Niger project will provide cheap and environmentally friendly renewable power and all of this of course is ugly power and we are starting here today in Jangefe this emirate in the Jigawa state. The brilliance of this initiative is that it is a partnership program with the private sector driving the connections supported by concessionary lending by the Central Bank of Nigeria and commercial banks. The power provided is not free but we have put in place structures to make sure that the connections are affordable to all those who will use it. In addition to the concessionary lending rates the government has provided subsidies and rebates for private developers to the tune of over 200 million dollars under the rural electrification agency and World Bank Nigeria electrification program. The program incorporates several innovative solutions to increase affordability for the citizens while also providing sufficient comfort to investors and financiers alike. It is said that it takes a village to raise a child therefore the success of this program has required partnerships from government agencies from private sector players and our traditional institutions and they all deserve special mention. First is the excellent overall leadership provided by the Honourable Ministers of Power the engineer Saleh Maman and the Honourable Minister of State for Power Mr. Godi Jigawa. The ministry has created an environment and support structure that enables the REA to continue to thrive and excel. Then the REA itself has a rural electrification agency led by Ahmad Saleh Jigawa. As we have heard they have very creatively developed the complex components of the entire program from financing to production and installation Then the Niger Delta power holding company led by Mr. Chiru Ubo who has been an important catalyst for off-grid solar systems such as we have here today they were the first to launch the 100,000 systems which is solar the same group that is providing this has provided here provided in several states of the Federation our efforts here today would not happen without the exemplary leadership espoused by my dear friend and mother His Excellency the Governor of Jigawa State Alaji Badaron Abubaka He is a leader that wakes up every day focused on development and economic growth of the people and his style has helped a great deal in ensuring that this project works and several similar projects I also want to commend His Royal Highness the Emirate of Kazare the Emirate Council and the local government of Rony they have been outstanding exemplars of the progressive leadership that our communities require for development the Emir himself has been involved with the process of bringing electrification to Jangefe community all the way his role has been critical in supporting the developer in the sensitization of the community around the understanding that the power systems will be paid for at the rate of around 3,500 Naira per month while ownership will revert to the community over time the Emir himself has directed several community engagements to ensure that people are well informed about this project and has also sponsored the down payment for all 1,000 homes in the community thereafter the community themselves will take over the payment of monthly fees this is unprecedented anywhere and we commend your Royal Highness for this profound expression of love and concern for your people I must finally say that this is only the beginning of what we will do I'm happy that the His Excellency the Governor has encountered the various things that the President has planned and has done for Digawa State as well as several other states of the Federation and I know that there is every opportunity for us to do even more and I know that very soon Digawa State will experience even more from the Federal Government of Nigeria so let me thank all of our collaborators the Ministry of Power, the REA the Niger Delta Power Holding Company Central Bank, Stelling Bank A-Solar, the Digawa State Government the Kazare Emirate Council and the Rani Local Government Authority also the Special Advisor to the President on Infrastructure and Santoraki of Kazare Ahmad Rufai Zakari who has also been very diligent in coordinating with all the relevant parties to lead to a successful launch of the program today God bless Digawa State the Federal Government of Nigeria