The European Union and Government of Germany have unveiled plans to increase power generation in Nigeria by 500 megawatts (MW) through renewable energy to serve 100,000 people.

Iner Hommers, Programme Head, Nigerian Energy Support Programmme (NESP), said this at a presentation of a compendium of the achievements of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ) in Abuja.

Hommers said that 33 million Euros had been earmarked to execute the project, which is the second phase of NESP to enhance further developments in Nigeria’s power sector, especially renewable energy.

She said the EU would provide 20 million Euros in the programme while the German government through, its federal ministry of economic cooperation and development, would give 13 million Euros to support it.

”The programme will ensure as part of its schedule that up to 500 MW of solar photovoltaic electricity would be procured and generated to serve about 100,000 people.

“It will also provide support to renewable energy operators to scale up their electricity provision,” she said.

She added that it was also to support Nigeria’s provision of stable data for electrification planning, sustainable on-grid and off-grid electricity, as well as creating an enabling environment for renewable energy and energy efficiency investments.

Hommers explained that the new financial package would be used in the second phase of the NESP, which would last from December 2017 to November 2020.

She said that the first phase of the NESP was successful and contributed in providing electricity to about 10,000 people in Sokoto, Niger, Ogun, Cross River and Plateau.

The European Union Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Mr Ketil Karlsen, said at the event that studies had shown that Nigeria could generate up to 53,950MW of electricity from solar and hydro sources.

He said there was a need for to ensure that right investments were made in this regards.

Karlsen explained that the success of the first phase of the NESP inspired the EU to continue with its support for the second phase.

He called for a replication of the same expertise that was used in implementing the first phase.