- According to Montgomery, Nigeria’s prosperity depends on getting the power sector right.
- Nigeria urged to explore new opportunities to expand electricity delivery to more Nigerians, mainly through increased renewable integration.
The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Richard Montgomery, has stressed the critical role of the power sector in Nigeria’s prosperity. Montgomery stated this in his remark at a roundtable in Abuja on the Electricity Act 2023 themed, “Implications and Opportunities for State Electricity Markets”.
The two-day event organised by the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) was funded by the Foreign Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) and implemented by United Kingdom Nigeria Infrastructural Advisory Facility (UKNIAF). Montgomery, represented by Deputy British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Gill Atkinson, urged Nigeria to find ways to connect the dots between the power sector and inclusive growth.
He emphasised the need to explore new opportunities to expand electricity delivery to more Nigerians, mainly through increased renewable integration, both on and off the grid. He said, “This is the time to explore new opportunities to scale up electricity delivery to more Nigerians, which we have already recognised the importance of. We need to give primacy to ways to promote expanded renewable integration, both on and off grid.
“Nigeria gave fantastic commitments to COP26 and the future of its power sector. This forum will help Nigeria deliver those commitments. We must also find ways to connect the dots between the power sector and inclusive growth. Nigeria’s prosperity depends on getting the power sector right,’’ Montgomery said.