FG, EU sign N6b support for renewable energy

The Federal Government and the European Union have signed a N6 billion financial agreement to support Nigeria’s energy and reforestation programmes.
The agreement was signed in Abuja on Thursday by the Supervising Minister of National Planning, Ambassador Bashir Yuguda, on behalf of the Federal Government, and Michel Arrion, the EU Ambassador to Nigeria, who signed on behalf of the EU.
According to Yuguda, the grant was to support the Federal Government’s efforts to improve renewable energy, energy governance, vocational training for the power sector and reforestation programmes in the country.
The Minister said the total budget for the programmes was euro 40.4 million, out of which the EU’s support would be euro 27 million.
Explaining further, Yuguda said: “The German Development Agency (GIZ) had contributed euro 9 million while the World Bank Global Environmental Facility contributed euro 4.4 million for the project ”
He added that the programmes will ensure access to electricity for a greater number of the population and also minimise reliance on fuel wood for cooking by the populace.
“We believe that this is an effective way to improve the well-being of all Nigerians and to combat poverty in the country,” he said
Yuguda listed the objectives of the programmes to include support for the design of state electrification plans and capacity development of selected institutions.
Others are development of strategies to increase access to energy and tackle deforestation linked to the use of fuel wood, with a tree-planting initiative in Katsina State.
He explained also that the European Development Fund Committee approved the financing agreement in Brussels based on the government request for the support of energy and aforestation in the 2013 Annual Action Plan
Arrion said the EU was also supporting the Transformation Agenda of the Federal Government through the improvement of access to efficient and reliable energy.