By Mike Adeyemi
Harmony Holdings Ltd (HHL) yesterday unveiled a N40million power project in Lajolo community in the Ilorin East Local Government Area of Kwara State.
The project, which is the first of its kind in the state, is aimed at boosting socio-economic activities of the community and its environs.
Speaking at the event, the Group Divisional Head, HHL, Alhaji Yinka Yahaya said the solar plant initiative is timely amidst global move towards alternative energy system.
“These solar powers are very economical and also deplete the conventional generator usage which is hazardous to the ozone layers,” he noted.
Yahaya further said the solar power maintenance is 0% as it would not require much running cost as against the hydro generation.
In his address, the Managing Director of Shaybis Nigeria Ltd, Engr. Tunde Saliu said.
“We have done it in other parts of the country like Rivers and Niger State, but as a Kwaran, I felt it appropriate to bring the scheme to my state, in the middle of 2017, Harmony Holdings management supported us and by September same year, we erected Lajolo solar power plant.”
On the capacity generation of the plant, Saliu said it is 200 kilowatt per day.
“At the initial stage, the question we asked ourselves was that, are we providing power just to have power”? But we said no. We are providing power to enhance the economic viability of this people, with this the idea of irrigating farming scheme came up.
“Harmony Holdings is working in collaboration with the Kwara State Government to replicate this alternative energy supply in other villages in the state, and a full surveillance has been carried out on other communities.”
Speaking to this medium, the Acting Head, Energy Desk, HHL, Mr. Akeem Olaniyan said the giant stride is to complement the Kwara state government in its rural electrification scheme. “This is an alternative to national grid and the first of its kind in Kwara State”. He said the solar power plant was a joint project of Harmony Holdings and Shaybis Nigeria Ltd.
Akeem further said that the Harmony Holding Solar Mini Grid scheme is a total package, apart from boosting social-economic activities of the Lajolo community, it will also enable the people who are mostly farmers to embark on all year round farming (Fadama), through the irrigation facility Harmony Holding has provided.
Speaking on the Agriculture Estate HHL has put up in the community, Akeem said “About 40 hectares of land have been set aside for the uptake of irrigation system in Lajolo, with 3 over head water tanks of 6,000 capacities which will enables farmers under the Harmony Holding Farm Estate arrangement gain access to 24/7 water utility for cultivation of their vegetables”.
