The first-ever grid-connected solar power plant in Nigeria has been inaugurated in Kano State by President Muhammadu Buhari. The 10 MWp solar energy facility required an investment of $15 million.
The renewable energy power plant is built on a 24-hectare site in the Kumbotso Local Government Area. The project demonstrates proof of a successful medium-sized solar energy deployment in Nigeria and will catalyze the growth of the power sector in the country.
The Kumbotso solar plant, which was tendered in 2020, is being implemented by Haske Solar Company, a special-purpose vehicle set up by the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA). Haske Solar is 80% owned by the Federal Government of Nigeria, 15% by Kano State, and the rest 5% by the Kumbotso LGA.
According to Aminu Sagir, the Managing Director of NSIA, the implementation of the Kumbotso solar project reinforces Nigeria’s credibility in countering climate change and the country’s commitment to achieving carbon neutrality by 2060. The success of the project also demonstrates Nigeria’s potential in strengthening its economy via decarbonized energy.
Currently, Nigeria has an installed renewable energy capacity of around 2,000 MW. Although the West African nation is relying on solar energy to electrify its rural and remote regions, the federal government has yet to initiate a real policy to attract the renewable power producers that are building solar plants across Africa.
. Haske Solar is 80% owned by the Federal Government of Nigeria, 15% by Kano State, and the rest 5% by the Kumbotso LGA.){kind=link}