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Health News of Wednesday, 21 April 2021

Source: www.today.ng

Nigerian government to deploy solar energy in 304 health centres, unity schools

Minister of State for Power, Goddy Jedy-Agba Minister of State for Power, Goddy Jedy-Agba

The federal government is set to provide renewable energy to 304 Primary Health Centres (PHC) and the Unity Schools.

According to a statement by the Federal Ministry of Power, the initiative which targets 200 PHCs and 104 Unity Schools will be implemented under the Economic Sustainability Programme (ESP).

The Minister of State for Power, Goddy Jedy-Agba, said the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) will implement the project across the six geo-political zones and would be completed in 12 months.

He said the initiative tagged, ‘Energy for All-Mass Rural Electrification’, is to support Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) to mitigate the impact of COVID-19.

Agba further said the project targets the deployment of solar-hybrid captive power solutions to 100 secondary and tertiary health facilities which have also served as isolation and treatment centres for COVID-19.

The minister declared that the project will create jobs and facilitate energy access to unserved and underserved areas in the country, in line with the federal government’s plan to have 30 percent of its total electricity supply from renewable sources, especially solar power by 2030.

He also noted that the Mass Solar Electrification will strengthen the functionality of health centres, unity schools and communities that were in time past faced with the absence of electricity for productive health and education sectors.