Alhaji Mustapha Shehuri, the Minister of State for Power, Works and Housing, on Friday called on the Adamawa Government to spearhead efforts to generate and use solar power in the country.
Shehuri made the call in Yola when he paid a courtesy call on the state’s Deputy Governor, Mr Martin Wabale.
He said that the Federal Government had developed three programmes in the power sector to ensure improved generation and supply of power.
“Power generation is being diversified from the traditional sources to solar, wind, biomass and nuclear to achieve the right energy mix for the nation.
“It is on this ground that I urge Adamawa, `the Sunshine State’, to take the lead in solar power generation and transmission,” he said.
Shehuri said that the Federal Government was making tangible efforts to improve and expand electricity generation and transmission capacities across the country.
He said that budgetary allocations to the infrastructure sector had increased tremendously under President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, when compared to what obtained prior to its inception.
He said that the Federal Government had so far committed about N3 trillion to infrastructure projects, adding that many roads were either undergoing rehabilitation or reconstruction across the country.
“A noble financing window in road infrastructure development was opened through the issuance of the `Sukuk Bond’.
“The funds realised are being used to fund road projects, outside budgetary provisions, so as to ensure quick delivery of the projects,” he added.
Responding, Wabale called on the Federal Government to improve the funding of its infrastructure projects in order to ensure the commitment of contractors and retain them on site.
He said that the call became imperative following the slow pace of work in various ongoing federal road projects across the state.
The deputy governor said that the “off-and-on’’ activities at the project sites were not in the interest of citizens, who were mostly affected by the deplorable state of the roads.
Besides, Wabale said that the state government was making efforts, via a partnership with a Chinese firm, to utilise the high intensity of sunshine in the area for solar power generation.
“Adamawa stands out to be the state that has the highest intensity of sunshine that can be used to generate solar energy.
“The Chinese, who came here to examine the intensity of the sun, said that it is possible to generate more than 100 megawatts of electricity through solar means,” he said.
He commended the Federal Government for executing various projects across the state. (NAN)