ECOWAS to invest$380m to electrify schools in Nigeria, others | Read Details
The Economic Community of West African States Commission, ECOWAS, says it has plans to invest $380m in electrifying public schools and health centres across 18 countries, including Nigeria, Benin, Chad, and other nations in West Africa and the Sahel region.
Speaking at a stakeholder forum in Abuja on Thursday, the Senior Adviser on the Regional Off-Grid Electricity Access Project at the ECOWAS Commission, El hadji Sylla, said the project which will be funded by the World Bank, the Clean Technology Fund, and the Dutch government fund, aims to increase electricity access in rural areas by focusing on off-grid solutions for essential public services.
“The cost of the project is $380m, and we want to promote a new innovative chain to electrify public institutions. Our target is to electrify schools and health centres to improve service delivery.
“We are piloting the project in Nigeria and the Benin Republic. The project covers 15 countries in the ECOWAS region and four countries in the Sahel region,” Sylla said.
“We are targeting schools and health centres to improve service delivery,” Sylla said, adding that the project is expected to be completed in five years across all participating countries, with the pilot phase in Nigeria and Benin to be executed within 18 months” he stated.
