EU Brings Light to Cross River Community with Solar Mini-Grid After Six Years of Darkness

On Monday, the European Union delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS announced that it had funded a solar min-grid project for the residents of the Etomi community in Cross River State.

According to the EU’s statement, the community had been without electricity for six years.

“After six years without electricity, residents of Etomi community in Cross River State now enjoy reliable, clean, and affordable electricity through the European Union-funded solar mini-grid project. The solar project, which provides 119.5kW of electricity to over 600 households and businesses in the community, was implemented by GIZ,” the statement noted.

Inga Stefanowicz, Head of the Green and Digital Economy Section at the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, explained that the grid operates under a public-private partnership to ensure its sustainability and long-term maintenance.

A private company is responsible for managing the grid’s operations in collaboration with the Cross River State Government.

Stefanowicz stated that the project is part of the EU’s Global Gateway initiative, designed to ensure that Nigerians have access to clean, renewable, and affordable energy.

“The provision of reliable, clean, and affordable electricity for domestic and commercial use will boost the social and economic development of the people. I am also glad to say that we are taking electricity to a cocoa-producing community. This will help their farming activities and processes greatly.”

The Cross River State Commissioner for Power and Renewable Energy, Eka Williams, explained that the solar mini-grid project is an off-grid system, expressing confidence that it will greatly benefit the Etomi community.

“I want to say a very big thank you to my Governor, in partnership with the EU, who has made this possible. We have a replication of this in about four communities in Etung Local Government Area.”