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Watch Over Power Infrastructure, Jonathan Tells Nigerians

Nigerians have been asked to watch over power infrastructure scattered across the country to avoid the incessant acts of sabotage aimed at disrupting the government’s efforts in … Continue reading Watch Over Power Infrastructure, Jonathan Tells Nigerians


Nigerians have been asked to watch over power infrastructure scattered across the country to avoid the incessant acts of sabotage aimed at disrupting the government’s efforts in the power sector.

Flagging off the operation Light Up Nigeria in Durumi, a rural community in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, on Tuesday, President Goodluck Jonathan said that the project was designed to provide electricity to Nigerians living in areas where grid power supply may not be feasible at the moment.

He said that Nigeria would overcome the challenges of power outages across the country if power infrastructure was well taken care of.

The rural electricity project, which is using solar panels, is aimed at exploring renewable energy possibilities. It is designed to electrify over one thousand households in the Federal Capital Territory as a take-off point.

Utilising Abundant Solar Energy

Durumi is a suburb of Mpape in Bwari area council in the Federal Capital Territory.

The residents of the area rolled out the drums to celebrate the flag off of Light Up Nigeria from their community.

A resident of the area, Abdulsalami  Idris, said he had lived in darkness in Durumi for years.

“Since December 2013 I have had constant light in my apartment,” he said.

He took journalists round his apartment with a solar panel placed on the roof.

In excitement, he switched on the battery, courtesy of the Light Up Nigeria project handled by Schneider Electric.

Mr Idris is among the over 1,050 residents of the Durumi community who thronged the community square to welcome the president on arrival for the commissioning of the electricity project.

The Minister of Power, Professor Chinedu Nebo, said that the Federal Government instituted the Light Up Nigeria to utilise the abundant solar energy to power communities across Nigeria.

“What you have seen is just a pilot, of renewable energy, the idea is to show that a whole community can be lit using the solar energy and this administration wants to replicate this in as many remote communities as possible,” Professor Nebo said.

The country President of Schneider, Mercel Hochet, promised Nigerians improved living condition for rural dwellers.