By Bisola Adeyemo
The Executive Director of Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN), Dr. Godwin Uyi Ojo, has charged residents of Kalaba community in Bayelsa State to ensure they protect and properly manage the solar-mini grid system provided by the Netherlands Embassy in Nigeria.
The ERA/FoEN who disclosed this in a press statement issued on Thursday, stated that the Netherlands Embassy in Nigeria provided solar min-grid for an uninterrupted power supply in Bayelsa state, adding that the project was with technical support from Community Research and Development Centre (CREDC) in the establishment of the project.
The 8.5kw power project was completed and commissioned recently by a representative of Dr. Godwin Uyi Ojo, Executive Director of ERA/FoEN, Barrister Nosa Tokunbor reported.
According to Dr. Godwin, Environews reported that solar mini-grid station has been channelled to supply electricity to houses in the community, the resuscitated borehole that was hitherto dysfunctional, provision of pumping machine powered by solar, and extension of solar light to the Community Health Centre.
Over 30 households and a population of about 3,000 people are benefitting from the Photovoltaic systems as well as the community health centre, water supply and solar lights receiving power supply from the solar mini grid.
Dr Ojo commended the Netherlands Embassy and the Kalaba community stated that the project was in line with the Paris Agreement of 2015 to reduce carbon emissions released into the atmosphere and the urgency for an energy transition from fossil fuels to renewable sources.