From Maryam Ahmadu-Suka, Kaduna
Governor Uba Sani has said that the central focus of his electrification drive is to boost economic activities and strengthen small and medium enterprises.
He made this known at the flagging off of Phase One of the distribution of 600 transformers and accessories across the 23 Local Government and the deployment of 10,000 solar-powered street lights.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Governor said that “we are enabling welders, tailors, cold-room operators, ICT hubs, and manufacturers to operate with dignity and predictability.”
“We are sending a clear message that access to energy must no longer be the privilege of a few urban centres but the right of every community,” he said, adding that electricity is not a luxury but the bloodstream of modern society.
The Governor pointed out that electricity powers hospitals and preserves vaccines, lights classrooms and expands the horizons of children, as well as “drives our industries, irrigates our farms, and sustains the small businesses that form the backbone of our economy.”
According to the Governor, without reliable power, development is stunted, security is weakened, and opportunity is constrained.
Governor Uba Sani disclosed that his administration had completed some abandoned power projects and initiated new ones since he assumed office close to three years ago.
“In the health sector, under the previously stalled Indian-Exim Bank initiative, we completed solar mini-grid installations in 190 out of 225 Primary Health Care Centres, delivering 1.35 megawatts of clean energy.
“We restored 32 abandoned systems; 21 in PHCs and 11 in General Hospitals. The result has been tangible: improved service delivery and a measurable reduction in maternal and child mortality,” he added.
The Governor also said that his administration has “completed the long-abandoned 2x60MVA, 132/33kV Substation at the Green Economic Zone in Maraban Jos.”
He argued that the substation is more than infrastructure, adding that it is an industrial catalyst which “unlocks investment potential, stimulates manufacturing, and positions Kaduna as a competitive economic hub.”
“In Kubau Local Government Area, the Damau solar model, delivering 100 kilowatts, has ended a decade of darkness for 450 households.
“Additional distributed generation projects totalling 1,694 kilowatts are underway in Chara, Gidan Kundi, Gora, and Hawan Mai Mashi,” he promised.
