The Ministry of Power has inaugurated the Central Data Management System (CDMS), a digital platform of the Nigeria Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL).
Speaking at the occasion of the virtual launch of the platform on Tuesday, the Minister of Power, Mr Saleh Mamman, said the initiative was to digitise the nation’s power sector.
He said that the innovative would help tackle many of the major challenges that the nation’s power sector is currently facing.
“It is very remarkable to note that within just one year of starting the project; a lot of primary data have been gathered, classified and stored on the Nigeria SE4All web portal being launched today.
“The online platform, CDMS aims to offer the most accurate data and latest tools that empower data-driven electrification planning under the domain nigeriase4all.gov.ng,’’ he said.
Mamman said the platform had a satellite mapping of 350,000 settlement clusters; more than 3,000 settlement clusters remotely mapped with more than 2,600,000 buildings identified.
“About 50,000 kilometers of 33 kilovolts (kV) and 11kV power distribution lines being tracked across 21 states and the FCT.
According to him, the CDMS also remotely monitors mini-grids nationwide to digitally assess their performance, using Application Programming Interface (API).
Mamman said the platform was to drive President Muhammadu Buhari’s Electricity Vision 30:30:30 and to deliver 30,000 megawatts (MW) of electricity by 2030, with at least 30 per cent coming from renewable energy.
On his part, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Power, Mr Chinyeaka Ohaa, said that the platform would promote transparency and accountability in the power sector.
He, therefore, called on the private sector and other stakeholders to key into this maiden initiative.
Head of Cooperation, European Union Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Mr. Kurt Cornelis, said the CDMS would provide the government, investors and project developers with accurate data for market intelligence and planning.
The German Ambassador to Nigeria, Ms Birgitt Ory, said having data for the power sector was key to promoting development.
“Building on a solid database of these concepts can help to develop economic and ecological opportunities, and thus become an engine of sustainable growth,” she said.
The Country Director of GIZ in Nigeria & ECOWAS, Ina Hommers, emphasised that in order to promote electricity access through public-private initiative, there was need for available data.
“With the support of NESP in close cooperation with FMP and agencies across the sector, we have now mapped out the electricity situation in 22 states in Nigeria,” she said.
Also, Mr Faruk Yabo, the Acting Director, Renewable and Rural Power Access in the ministry, said that the Federal Government was advancing grid and off-grid power to Nigerians.
Yabo, who is also the Focal Person for SE4ALL in Nigeria, said that CDMS would help meet the energy goal and the database would help in the decision-making process.
“This database will help to define the extent of electrification and identify the clusters across the country.
“We have been able to map 50,000 medium power lines which means pole by pole, we have been able to count the networks at the distribution level.
“This is the first time in the history of this country,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the project is supported by the European Union (EU) and the German government and conducted in the framework of the Nigerian Energy Support Programme (NESP).
It is a technical assistance programme, co-funded by the European Union (EU) and Germany, while the German agency, GIZ and the Federal Ministry of Power are implementing.
