No more "Up Nepa"
FG wants to fix Nigeria’s irregular electricity supply problem
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Let’s get into the news you missed during the weekend:
FG wants to free you from the shackles of irregular power supply
There won’t be another lockdown on WHO’s watch
The Big Deal
FG wants to free you from the shackles of irregular power supply
As a Nigerian, when your village people cannot get you, they send a power outage that comes without warning. The next time electricity distribution guys try to frustrate you with blackouts, remind yourself that President Tinubu has a very expensive plan to fix this and it’s kicking off soon.
In May, President Tinubu requested a loan of $750 million from the World Bank to improve the technical performance of electricity distribution companies. This money was supposed to be spent on the construction of 1,200 mini-grids in rural communities across Nigeria. But for months, it was almost as if the president ghosted us. It turns out that he didn’t ghost us, he was just working silently to power things up.
After months of planning, FG has finally announced it's ready to kick off the "Distributed Renewable Energy Scaleup" project and it has an ambitious goal of bringing electricity to 17.5 million Nigerians using renewable energy.
According to Abba Aliyu, the Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), this is “one of the most ambitious projects in the world”.
Why is this a big deal?
“Up NEPA” is probably the only phrase that has the power to make you extremely happy or embarrassed as a Nigerian. According to the World Bank, 85 million Nigerians still don't have access to electricity. This age-long problem has been so normalized that many people have completely lost faith in the government’s ability to fix it.
Now the Distributed Renewable Energy Scaleup project has the potential to change things. India is one of the few countries in the world that has worked with a similar strategy and has been able to increase access to electricity among its poorest households to 86%.
We can’t say that Nigeria would immediately achieve similar results but reaching 17.5 million people is not beans either. If FG didn’t overestimate the potential of the project, this project would comfortably reduce the number of Nigerians who lack access to electricity by 14.5%. Might not sound so impressive but India didn’t achieve 86% overnight either.
Again, can’t believe we’re saying this but this might be one of Tinubu’s finest projects. We hope this statement ages well.
There won’t be another lockdown on WHO’s watch
Of all the craziest things that have ever happened to the world, the COVID-19 lockdown tops the list. Not to scare you but there’s a tiny chance of having another lockdown because the Mpox virus is spreading faster than a rumour. The World Health Organisation (WHO) pulled a “not on my watch” card so things should be looking up soon.
WHO has approved the first quick test for diagnosing mpox (monkeypox), which can give faster results. The new test would help stop the virus's rapid spread worldwide, especially in Africa.
This is a big W because the tests the world has relied on to control the virus were not as fast as the new test. Of all the 30,000 suspected mpox cases that have been reported across Africa this year, only about 40% have been confirmed through the old tests. Right now, samples have to take a long road trip to labs and return days after. But with this new PCR test, a quick swab from a skin sore gives you answers on the spot.
WHO itself believes that this will help reduce the spread of the virus to the barest minimum and provide better medical care, especially in countries like Nigeria that don’t have the best access to healthcare.
The Big Picks
Nigeria Officially Commences Crude Oil Sales In Naira: The Federal Government has announced that Nigeria is now officially selling crude oil and refined petroleum products in naira.
Bauchi Gov Present As Fubara Swears In 22 APP Chieftains, Other As LG Bosses: Governor Siminalayi Fubara has inaugurated 23 newly elected local government chairmen in Rivers State.
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