AfDB provides $200 million to expand the Nigerian power sector:
The African Development Bank (AfDB) has revealed plans to invest $200 million to expand Nigeria’s power sector and improve access to electricity. The bank will provide the funds through the country’s Rural Electrification Agency. According to Wale Shonibare AfDB’s acting vice president of power, energy, climate and green growth claimed that “the bank is ready to provide more assistance to Nigeria in the future.” Separately, the AfDB has already started working on a $410 million transmission project in Nigeria It recently approved $200 million of funds to support the first phase of the initiative, which will involve the expansion of transmission lines and the construction of substations. Furthermore, in June 2019, the World Bank already lent $550 million to the country to develop mini-grids and solar home systems.
- Why are international financial institutions not doing the same to finance nuclear projects in Africa?
Zambian power firm Zesco says electricity deficit growing:
Zambia’s power supply deficit has grown by nearly 20% since September, state power utility Zesco said on Friday, despite massive price hikes and government fast racking support for green energy projects to fight drought-induced electricity shortages. Zesco’s Director of Corporate Services Patrick Mwila stated, “the electricity deficit had grown to 810 megawatts (MW) from a 690 MW gap in September.” He added that “Zesco was now relying on short-term power imports from the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) to plug the deficit”
- Nuclear power is a must to remind to energy crisis Zambia is facing. Thankfully, Zambia already made the decision to go nuclear and started to work toward achieving that goal by drafting the nuclear policy and bill as well as partnering (MoU) with nuclear technology providers (Rosatom)
