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EU Approves N42 Million for Solar Powered Water Supply Systems in Niger Delta

28th March '08

The European Union (EU) has approved a grant of N42 million to develop sustainable energy sources to three un-served rural poor communities in Bayelsa State. The project will assist the communities to construct water supply schemes powered by solar energy. The absence of air pollution associated with traditional generator powered water systems and the low operating and maintenance cost of the solar powered system will make these projects environmentally and economically sustainable. The project is executed by a local Non-governmental Organisation (NGO) - Rural Communities Development Outreach and is co-funded with the Government of Bayelsa State.

Under this project, three poor rural communities of Agbura, Otuabula II and Toru-Angiama in Bayelsa Central, East and West Senatorial Districts respectively, will benefit from the support through: the provision of community access to solar energy for communities' power needs; provision of community mechanised water borehole with pump, water treatment and distribution network powered by the community solar energy system, and assurance of overall project and investment sustainability through the establishment of community institution that will own and manage the installed facilities. Up to 6,000 people are expected to benefit directly from the project.

The objective of the project is to contribute to Nigeria attaining the UN Millennium Development Goals of eradicating extreme poverty and hunger and halving the proportion of people living without safe drinking water and adequate sanitation by the year 2015. The EU-assistance covers 75% of project cost while the Bayelsa State Government provides the other 25%. The European Union supports a number of Water Supply and Sanitation projects in Nigeria in 11 states for a total value of more than N17 billion

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