Nigeria’s Ministry of Power, the European Union and the German Government, have raised concerns about the rate of electrification in Nigeria, calling for improvement.

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) had said that the number of Nigerians without access to grid electricity has risen by 5.8 per cent to 90 million at the end of 2021.

The stakeholders at the launch of the Nigeria SE4ALL.3.0 version platform, which aims at improving electrification planning using the mini-grid supply, noted that data remained key to improving electricity access in the country.

Minister of Power, Abubakar Aliyu, said at the event that the development marked a milestone as it aims to offer more accurate data that would assist Nigerians to develop a more robust business case in its effort to invest in the power sector.

“I have also been informed that it will also use the latest tools to empower data-driven electrification tools in Nigeria and hope that this will achieve all the promised outcomes,” he said.

Aliyu said Nigeria SE4ALL central data management portal would provide work-based data to assist utility operators, regulators, policymakers as well as critical stakeholders to plan and implement electrification.

Head of Green and Digital Economy at the European Union Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Inga Stefanowicz, said the new platform would serve as pre-feasibility for private sector investment, and help policy development while monitoring policy targets.

Chargé d’affaires of the German Embassy to Nigeria, Martin Huth, said: “This interactive platform with intuitive web apps will greatly assist the Nigerian Government in improving the regulatory framework for the set targets of electrifying Nigerians and will provide the private sector with the necessary information for the business plans and needed investments.”