The renewable energy access roadshow held in Benin City, Edo State on Tuesday, May 16th, 2023, has emerged as an eye opener to those interested in participating in the clean energy sector.
Participants at the roadshow, which was organised by the Renewable Energy Association of Nigeria(REAN), were of the view that the renewable energy will be a win win for Nigeria if well utilized and managed in accordance with best practices.
Speaking on the sideline of the roadshow, Justin Tinsey, Vice President, Procurement Solutions, Odyssey Energy, said that his company’s participation in the renewable energy sector in Nigeria is to help the sector expand across Nigeria particularly as it relates to the procurement of equipment.
According to him, “it was very costly to procure renewable energy equipment if you’re a small solar installer in Nigeria. You have to pay a supplier very far away in China and you have to pay them 100 percent before the equipment ships. You have to pay them in dollars and you have forex issues.
“My company is here to help with those solutions. You can pay my company as low as 10 percent of you’re a member of the Renewable Energy Association of Nigeria(REAN). We import everything for you and then you pay us after it comes to Nigeria.”
In his own comment, Kelvin Uwaibi, Managing Director, Edo State Investment Promotion Office(EDIPO), said that the state government is happy that the organisers of the roadshow want to partner with businesses in the state.
“For us, we are forever supportive because we know the importance of power. We don’t see any reason why every business should not have power to do their businesses. It is when electricity is available that businesses can thrive and that’s why we are quite happy with this event,” he posited.
Participants at the roadshow included Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta(PIND), GIZ, German-Nigerian Hydrogen Office and NGOs.
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