Emmanuel OchayiIn a groundbreaking development for Nigeria’s rural electrification, Mr. Khalil Halilu, the recently appointed Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), and Mr. Ahmad Salihijo Ahmad, the Managing Director/CEO of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), have vowed to join forces.
Their mission? To harness the potential of NASENI’s solar resources and renewable energy technologies to turbocharge the electricity supply to the nation’s remote areas.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelThis pivotal commitment was solidified during discussions that took place in Abuja on Friday, September 15, 2023, when Mr. Halilu visited the REA office as part of his ambitious agenda to collaborate with stakeholders and promote the adoption of NASENI’s cutting-edge technologies.
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Speaking passionately about their shared vision, Mr. Halilu asserted, “The focus is to hit the ground running by nurturing effective collaborations with the right stakeholders who will assist NASENI to fulfill its mandate of providing the science and engineering infrastructure base for Nigeria’s businesses and economy to thrive.”
Elaborating on their strategy, he added, “The path forward for NASENI includes reaching out to potential end-users of the Agency’s technology and engineering products, streamlining the uptake of our Research & Development (R&D) initiatives, all while ensuring that our work directly benefits the Nigerian economy.”
These two dynamic leaders have pledged to work in tandem to drive down the cost of solar power installations in rural regions, with a special emphasis on increasing local production of solar panels by NASENI.
The overarching objective, as articulated by REA’s MD, Ahmad Salihijo, is to accelerate the Federal Government’s ambition of electrifying Nigeria’s rural areas in record time.
Earlier in the day, Mr. Halilu embarked on a similar mission, paying a visit to Mr. Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, the Director General/CEO of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).
In their discussions, the two CEOs underlined the importance of nurturing local content capacity—both human and material—to fuel economic transformation.
Mr. Abdullahi shared insights into NITDA’s success, revealing that their strategy focuses on reshaping the mindsets and skill sets of their staff, resulting in the attainment of a remarkable 62 percent of their goals and objectives within just two years, outpacing their initial four-year projection.
He emphasized that this same approach could work wonders for NASENI, provided there is a well-crafted strategic plan and a crystal-clear vision of goals.
Emmanuel Ochayi is a journalist. He is a graduate of the University of Lagos, School of first choice and the nations pride. Emmanuel is keen on exploring writing angles in different areas, including Business, climate change, politics, Education, and others.
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