The World Bank expresses concern over Nigeria’s lack of access to energy, and announces plans to supply electricity to 200,000 MSMEs.
Anna Bjerde, the Managing Director for Operations at the World Bank highlighted the importance of the Nigerian government endorsing clean energy by implementing necessary reforms and policies.
Bjerde pointed out that while there has been significant progress in global electricity supply over the past two decades, Africa stands out as the region where improvements have been lacking.
Barde emphasized that more than 600 million individuals lack access to dependable electricity in Africa, where efforts to provide electricity have not kept up with the increasing population. Specifically in Nigeria, Bjerde pointed out that over 85 million people, which is more than four out of every 10 persons, do not have access to electricity.
According to a senior World Bank official, communities will face challenges in safeguarding crops, watering their fields, participating in economic activities, operating healthcare facilities, and ensuring children can learn and play in suitable and secure environments if they lack access to electricity, which is essential for their well-being.
In addressing the efforts of the World Bank to improve the situation, she mentioned that the bank has ambitious initiatives in place for Nigeria, as well as the broader African continent.
“We have launched a ground-breaking programme called DARES (Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale-Up), which will provide access to clean and reliable energy to 20 percent of the un-electrified and over 200,000 Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) by 2030 through private sector interventions.
“To create the conditions for even greater victories, we are working closely with the Nigerian authorities on grid reforms and sector performance improvements,” she stated.
