President Muhammadu Buhari has commissioned the Ariaria Market Independent Power Project in Aba.
The project constructed under the Energizing Economies Initiative(EEI) of the federal government is aimed at providing safe and affordable electricity solutions to business clusters while 33,000 shops in Ariaria market are to be connected to the project this year.
Speaking at the occasion,President Buhari said that the provision of a dedicated power supply to small businesses in the area would strengthen the “Made in Nigeria” program of the Federal Government which Abia had become synonymous with adding that reliable power supply is critical to promoting ease of doing business to ensure sustainable and improved economy in Nigeria.
Describing the project as a demonstration of the Federal Government resolve to protect the interest of every Nigerian irrespective of party difference and constitutional limitations,Buhari said that he had been informed that Ariaria International market contained 37,000 shops ,which would benefit from the project ,adding that that 4,000 shops had been connected to new power supply.
He said that the Federal Government was replicating the power project in Abia in Kano ,Lagos and Ibadan ,adding that plans were underway to execute similar initiative in 37 federal universities and commended the Abia state government for its response and support toward the success of the power project in the state.
In his speech,the Minister of Power ,Works and Housing,Mr Babatunde Fashola ,said that the project was targeted at making Nigeria a better place adding that the policy that facilitated the execution of the power project had provided an avenue for the Federal Government to create an impact that would strengthen small businesses.
In her address,the Managing Director of Rural Electrification Agency, Mrs Damilola Ogunbiyi said that decentralised power is an important part of the power sector reform program aimed at giving small businesses an enabling environment to thrive.
Ogunbiyi said that first phase of energising 4,000 shops had been completed ,which had boosted the activities of 15,000 small- and medium-scale enterprises in the market adding that a metering system had been installed in each shop to enable consumers pay for what they use.
In his remark,the Managing Director of Ariaria Market Energy Solutions Limited (AMES), Mr Nkaginieme Ubani said that AMES had deployed modular environmentally-friendly natural gas feul generator to power the market pointing out that the project had facilitated the reduction of emissions from the market by over 85 per cent and reduced the ambient noise in the market by over 50 per cent.
Governor Okezie Ikpeazu in his remarks, thanked the Federal Government for ensuring the successful execution of the Ariaria Market Independent Power project in the state.
Ikpeazu while thanking the president for the initiative said that the state government would continue to align with the policies and programs of the federal governments to enable small businesses in Abia to thrive.
