Kehinde Fajobi
The European Union (EU) and the German government have launched the third phase of the Nigerian Energy Support Programme (NESP), a €17.9 million fund aimed at driving investments in renewable energy, energy efficiency, and rural electrification.
This phase will enable 1,500 Nigerians to gain access to electricity and 30,000 to clean cooking gas, while generating an additional eight megawatts of electricity.
First launched in 2013, NESP is a technical assistance initiative co-funded by the EU and Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) in partnership with Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Power.
At the programme’s launch and steering committee meeting, the EU’s Head of Section for Green and Digital Economy highlighted the EU’s ongoing support for Nigeria’s sustainable energy ambitions.
“Achieving a cleaner future is the responsibility of all stakeholders,” she said, adding that the EU was pleased to contribute additional funding to help develop innovative models, attract renewable energy investments, and ensure a reliable power supply.
Deputy Ambassador of Germany, Johannes Lehne, reiterated Germany’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s energy transition targets
While noting, “Technologies and investments for renewable energy and energy efficiency are essential for diversifying Nigeria’s energy mix and decarbonising the critical sectors identified in the Energy Transition Plan (ETP).”
Lehne noted that the third phase of NESP was initially commissioned by Germany’s BMZ with €8.9 million in May 2024, with an additional €9 million recently contributed by the EU to expand the programme’s scope.
The Permanent Secretary of Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Power, Mahmuda Mmman, expressed gratitude to the EU and German government for their continued partnership, emphasising that their support was critical to achieving energy security in an affordable and sustainable manner.