One Billion People Lack Access To Electricity Globally- World Bank
…80 Million Nigerians too.
As Nigeria and other Sub-Saharan African Countries gear up towards increasing access to electricity for its people, reports have shown that over one billion people lack access to electricity globally.
World Bank Lead, Energy Access, Mr Mac Cosgrove-Davies stated this during the opening ceremony of the “4th Mini Grid Action Learning Event: Upscaling Mini Grids for Low-Cost and Timely Access to Electricity”, held in Abuja
“Globally, more than 1 billion people still lack access to electricity; Sub Saharan Africa is home to about 600 million of these. In Nigeria, 80 million people are without access, and millions more suffer from poor service”, he said.
Cosgrove-Davies further said that Nigeria’s Rural Electrification Agency(REA) expects mini grids to fill a substantial portion of that gap covering up to 8000 villages nationwide.
Stressing that the meeting was the fourth time since the World Bank and other developing partners have assembled around the topic of mini grades, he said
each meeting has doubled in size from its predecessor: the first one in Tanzania welcomed 75 participants; the next in Kenya hosted 150; in Myanmar 300 people joined us; …today in Abuja, we are expecting 600 participants at this event.
He noted that the Government of Nigeria is pushing hard toward universal electrification and has asked the World Bank’s support for a National Electrification Project that focuses on off-grid opportunities including mini grids, hence the response to this request.
He was optimistic that other development partners present are also standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the Nigerian government on this effort.
“For the World Bank’s part, the National Electrification Project fits well into a broader energy portfolio in Nigeria which aims to holistically support sector development. Together with all of you, we are seeking to help our Nigerian colleagues make the most of international expertise and experience as it fits the Nigerian setting”, he said.
While adding that everyone must contribute, each in our own way, he remarked “that success for this learning event, for all of us, will be measured in how far, how fast, and how high we can take this sector”.
Present at the occasion were energy experts, development partners, top Nigerian government officials, World Bank Country Director, Nigeria, Mr. Rachid Benmessaoud, among others.
