USTDA Partners with Electricity Distribution Companies in Nigeria
December 12, 2014
(USTDA)
Promotes U.S. Smart Grid Solutions to Increase Energy Access in Lagos
LAGOS, NIGERIA – This week, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency signed
memoranda of cooperation with the Eko and Ikeja Electricity Distribution
Companies, who together serve nearly one million customers in the Lagos
metropolitan area. The agreements formalize the Agency’s partnership with the
recently privatized Distribution Companies, both of which previously
participated in a USTDA-sponsored reverse trade mission that introduced them to
U.S. technologies to help reduce electricity losses on their grids.
“The Agency is pleased to strengthen its cooperation with our Eko and Ikeja
partners, who have already purchased U.S. technologies that can help them
improve power distribution,” said USTDA Director Leocadia I. Zak. “The next
phase of our partnership will introduce them to U.S. industry experts who can
assist them in developing comprehensive plans to modernize their electricity
networks.”
The memoranda of cooperation were signed by the Director of Eko’s Board, George
Etomi, and Ikeja’s CEO, Abiodun Ajifowobaje. Under the agreements, USTDA is
sponsoring a feasibility study that will develop a roadmap for implementing
smart grid solutions throughout the Distribution Companies’ power networks. The
study will assess the technological, economic, regulatory and financial
frameworks required to expand and enhance the networks by focusing on business
process reengineering and distribution automation. U.S. financial services firm
Delphos International (Washington, DC) will also provide recommendations on how
the Distribution Companies can collaborate to ensure network interoperability.
USTDA’s cooperation with Eko and Ikeja supports the goals of Power Africa, a
U.S. government-led initiative to increase electricity access across sub-Saharan
Africa. It also seeks to address one of the primary challenges of energy access
on the continent: the need to improve the delivery and distribution of installed
power, in addition to generating new power. As USTDA has long recognized the
importance of improving electricity transmission and distribution, the Agency
has been working to introduce its African partners to U.S. smart grid solutions
that can reduce technical power losses and increase service reliability. This
includes a project with another Nigerian partner, the Benin Electricity
Distribution Company, to develop an investment plan to update their power
network.
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