Abuja – This week, Power Africa Coordinator, Mark Carrato, arrived in Nigeria for an official four-day visit to assess the current challenges and progress in increasing electrification efforts in Africa’s most populous country.
Coordinator Carrato met with cabinet level ministers, federal regulators, service providers, and other development partners. He reaffirmed the United States’ commitment, through Power Africa, to add 10,000 megawatts to Nigeria’s generation capacity and three million new electricity connections.
To date, Power Africa has trained over 4,000 people in technical energy fields in Nigeria. Coordinator Carrato noted how inspiring it is to see these new skills and tools being put to use, from companies who build investor pitch skills and can now negotiate with funders, to women who are better positioned to compete and succeed in the workplace. “It was remarkable to feel the energy and enthusiasm of the off-grid sector at the Quarterly Off-Grid Stakeholders meeting where private sector companies along with the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) strive to increase access to electricity,” said Coordinator Carrato. “I am proud that Power Africa has supported the achievement of 1.4 million new connections in the off-grid space in Nigeria.”
Coordinator Carrato also consulted the Minister of Power, Abubakar Aliyu, on the recent launch of the Energy Transition Plan (ETP) and discussed Power Africa’s role in advancing Nigeria’s transition to net-zero emissions and sustainable energy access for all Nigerians under the ETP and the Presidential Power Initiative. He also discussed power sector stabilization initiatives, national metering programs, and Power Africa designed data management systems with regulators and distribution companies.
The trip marks the Coordinator’s first official visit to Nigeria and comes as a stop in a larger regional tour of Power Africa projects in West Africa.