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| President Buhari |
Bank loan for Edo State. The agenda was adopted at the end of debate at yesterday’s plenary presided over by the Speaker, Yakubu Dogara. In another development, the power sector has received a N5.3 billion grant from the European Union (EU) and German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) to boost investments in renewable energy, energy efficiency and rural electrification in Nigeria. Signing the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Nigerian Energy Support Programme (NESP) and Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Programme (REEP) in Abuja yesterday, Head of NESP, Felix Nitz, said it gives the 11 beneficiary training institutions the opportunity to primarily train and create a skilled pool of workforce for deployment to and development of clean energy in Nigeria.
President Buhari’s letter to the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, which was read on the floor of the Senate yesterday, further informed that the World Bank had in 2012 approved a development policy programme to the tune of $225 million (N44.1 billion) for the state, which was expected to be implemented in three tranches of $75 million a year. “The first tranche was approved by the National Assembly in the 2012/2014 Federal Government External Ruling Borrowing Plan. The Development Policy Operations (DPO) has since been successfully implemented by the state in 2014,” it noted. “Following this success, the bank’s board of executive directors approved the second tranche.
On April 29, 2015, the DPO 2 was captured in the Federal Government External Ruling Borrowing Plan of 2014/2017, which is pending with the National Assembly.” Buhari added: “It is for the above reason that I seek your favour to facilitate the consideration and approval of the Development Policy Operation 2 Loan of $75 million to enable the state consolidate the gains of the first tranche of the operation DPO 1. “Your Excellency, it is instructive that Edo State has informed me that the key programme objectives of the DPO are already beginning to show in terms of increased influence of private investment to the state, increased private sector employment opportunities and increased internally generated revenue. “An accelerated approval of this request will help to sustain these gains.
I look forward, distinguished Senate President, to the usual kind, expeditious consideration of the above request by the Senate.” EU boosts power sector with N5.3b Meanwhile, Nitz said the fund was set aside for such EU and BMZ objectives, adding that the 11 institutions, which include Nigeria’s premier power training institute, the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN), would benefit from the €24.5 million (N5.3 billion) training supports pool.
The 11 institutions include NAPTIN, Centre for Renewable Energy Technology in the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), Sokoto Energy Research Centre (SERC) in the University of Sokoto, as well as the National Centre for Energy Efficiency and Conservation (NCEEC) of the University of Lagos, among others. According to him, “from the content of the MoU, which was signed between the NESP implementing agency, the Deutsche Gessellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), and the 11 institutions, courses to be covered within the framework include off-grid renewable energy design for engineers, energy efficient building design for architects and solar photovoltaic installation for technicians,” he said. “Gone are the days when training is done for training sake.
For the clean energy sector to become an engine of growth for the Nigerian economy, professionals have to be equipped with relevant skills that render them employable in the industry.”
by guardianngr
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