Via Solarbuzz,
Nigeria is slated to launch its first solar project. According to this article, it will cost 10million Naira and will serve about 5000 people.
Using this currency calculator it comes up to 77,836.12 US DOLLAR (USD). Contrast that to the cost of tying the area to the electricity grid, per the article it would cost N150 million or about 1,167,542.32 US DOLLAR (USD). The time frame given is by the end of the year, I hope that this project becomes a reality.
Blurb from article:
STATE government is set to officially launch its first solar energy project, estimated to cost N10 million. It is located at Kodji village in Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area.
Commissioner for Science and Technology Dr Hamzat Kadiri, who made the disclosure while briefing the press on the activities of his ministry as part of the on-going ministerial press briefing, described the project as an environmentally friendly alternative to the use of fossil fuels to generate power would be established in 10 other rural communities areas of the state before the end of the year.
The commissioner who explained that it would have cost the state government about N150 million to connect the area to the national grid stressed that the state government spent N10 million for the provision of solar energy in the village.
hi Afro:
I had thought your site ceased to exist, then i realized i had been accessing it using the url http://afromusing.org (not http://www.afromusing.org). maybe you need to setup a redirector for the root domain?
nice catching up on all the posts….
Ashok
oops, my bad…i was using the wrong domain
Karibu here!
a lot more of these projects need to be started, and not just in rural areas. it isn’t my area of specialty, but i’m not sure why research isnt dedicated to the use of solar energy as a primary means of lighting, cooking, etc when we have the sun as an abundant and consistent resource here in africa. thanks for keeping us informed on these efforts.
FROM PHYSICAL PLANNING POINT OF VIEW, UNLESS NIGERIA ENCOURAGES SOLAR ENERGY, A SYSTEM THAT DOES NOT REQUIRE MAINTAINANCE, WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO EXTEND BEYOND THE URBAN CENTERS LIKE LAGOS,
THIS TECHNOLOGY HAS BEEN WIDELY ACCEPTED HERE IN USA, WHERE THE SUNSHINE IN MOST STATES ARE FAR BELOW WHAT WE HAVE IN NIGERIA,
A LOT OF ENCOURAGEMENT IS NEEDED ON THE PART OF GOVERNMENT TO BE ABLE TO ADOPT THESE ALTERNATIVE ENERGY. IF N10M IS ENOUGH TO SERVE 5000 RESIDENTS AGAINST ABOUT N150M +COST OF INFRASTRUCTURE+COST OF CONTINOUS MAINTAINANCE, WE NEED TO PUT SOME MATHEMATICS INTO CONSIDERATION AND FIND A LASTING SOLUTION TO OUR PROBLEM,
MOST STATES LIKE NEW JERSEY IN THE USA HAVE SUBSIDIES FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE WILLING TO USE THIS ENERGY ALTERNATIVE, I WOULD EXPECT THE GOVERNMENT AND INDIVIDUAL INVESTORS TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING IN THIS AREA OF TECHNOLOGY.