Minister of State for Environment, Ibrahim Usman Jibril, has disclosed that the Federal Government will power nine universities in the country with solar energy under efforts to ensure a clean and healthy environment through the issuance of sovereign green bonds.
The minister made the submission on Thursday, March 9 2017 when he paid a working visit to the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) Solar Energy Ltd (NSEL) Plant located in Karshi, Abuja.
Jibril described the decision to power the tertiary institutions with solar energy as a laudable development which, according to him, is in line with the nation’s Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC) that aims at reducing carbon emissions in line with global best practices.
According to the minister, his visit to the solar energy plant was to identify with as well as offer the ministry’s support to the local manufacturing company in the production of solar panel. He ‎stressed that renewable energy is a critical focus of the soon-to-be-launched green bond project.
He further maintained that solar energy would encourage the use of local content which will in turn help the country to save foreign exchange as well as create employment for the teeming youths.
Conducting the minister on a facility tour of the plant, Executive Vice Chairman of NASENI Solar Energy Ltd, Prof, Mohammed Sanni Haruna, noted that the plant was the first Solar PV Module/Solar Panel manufacturing company in Nigeria.
He also revealed that the plant has a 7.5MW capacity and it can produce all sizes and capacities of Solar PV module.
Haruna explained that NASENI Solar Energy Ltd was established by the Federal Government to primarily reduce cost of quality solar panel by producing solar panels that are 100% made in Nigeria.
He further said that the company’s products can compete favourably with any imported solar panel in Nigeria.
