Nigeria’s Jigawa State and the Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO) have signed an innovative partnership that will ensure stable electricity across the state.
Under the deal according to Premium Times, Jigawa State, in partnership with Future Energies Africa, the new core investor in KEDCO, will be increasing its shareholding in KEDCO from 7.5% to 10% while also committing KEDCO to an electrification partnership, Hamisu Gumel, the governor’s spokesperson said in a statement on Tuesday.
The partnership will see KEDCO (and partners) invest to build up to 10 megawatts of solar-interconnected mini-grids in the key urban hubs of Dutse, Gumel, Hadejia, Kafin Hausa, Kazaure, and Ringim to augment the power supply and ensure stable electricity across the state, Mr Gumel said.
He said the partnership will also see KEDCO complete the Gagarawa-Taura-Ringim line and connect the communities on the axis to the grid.
“The agreement between the Jigawa State Government and KEDCO will include the two parties partnering on joint electrification plans to raise access levels for electricity in the state to greater than 90 per cent by 2030”.
The electrification plans will include grid expansion, embedded generation, solar hybrid mini-grids, and solar home systems across the state”.
“This agreement is in line with Governor Mr Umar Namadi’s dynamic agenda for the state, dubbed “The Agenda for Greater Jigawa,” which is encapsulated in the Governor’s 12-point agenda blueprint for the development of Jigawa State” Mr Gumel explained.
The multi-billion-naira agreement is expected to catalyse the continued transformation of Jigawa into an agro-processing and renewable energy hub, was signed on Tuesday in the presence of the governor at the Council Chamber of the Government House, Dutse.
At the event, Governor Namadi remarked that with stable electricity across the state, “the lives of our people will be improved, and we can sustain a consistent double-digit growth rate to expel more and more people from poverty and make Jigawa State a prime destination for investment and jobs in Nigeria.”
In his remarks, the Chairman of Kano DISCO, Adamu Ibrahim Gumel, emphasised his company’s aspirations and commitment to diversify green energy in partnership with the state government.
“We are very excited about this agreement. The new core investor in KEDCO is focused on ensuring that KEDCO becomes the best DISCO in Nigeria in the next few years. We hope to unveil similar partnerships with Kano and Katsina states later this year as part of our broad recapitalisation exercise.
“We will make KEDCO the first green electricity distribution company in sub-Saharan Africa while supporting the development agendas of the state governments in our franchise areas,” the KEDCO chairman said.
The Secretary to Jigawa State Government, Bala Ibrahim, signed the memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the Jigawa State Government, while the Chairman of the Board of Directors of KEDCO, Mr Adamu Ibrahim, signed for the company.
The partnership for renewable electricity between the Jigawa State Government and KEDCO is the first of its kind in the country, Mr Gumel said.
