VP Osinbajo Commissions The Kasuwan Magani & 100 Kilowatt Solar PV Mini Grid In Kajuru, Kaduna On 23/09/2021

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REMARKS BY HIS EXCELLENCY PROF. YEMI OSINBAJO, SAN, GCON, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA AT THE COMMISSIONING OF KASUWAN MAGANI & 100 KILOWATT SOLAR PV MINI-GRID, KAJURU, KADUNA ON THE 23^RD  OF SEPTEMBER, 2021

There are two important themes that the Kasuwan Magani market project symbolizes, the first is the history of the market, burnt down so many times in the heat of ethnic conflicts. There is no point looking for who was right and who was wrong, only to say that the destruction of a place of trade and commerce is bad for everyone; loss of jobs and the goods and services that the market provides.

No matter what our grievances maybe we must never burn down public facilities. It hurts the people we claim to want to assist for far more. So there are many important and difficult lessons about the importance of community building, partnership, and tolerance amongst our people. This is very important because of the need for us to understand that we must live together. Our country is great because of the diversity that we have; religious and ethnic diversity.

We have great talents from everywhere in this country, the more we are able to work together, the greater our country will be, and the more successful each of us can be.

I appeal to everyone in this community that this is a time for coming together, uniting, and working together. We can do great things when we work together.

These lessons must be learnt, but in learning these lessons, it is also critical that the history of this market does not prevent us from moving forward. I am extremely pleased that the history and antecedents of this market have not prevented the State government from moving forward to ensure the reconstruction of the market.

It is important that this community in Kaduna State looks forward and creates a new narrative for this market, a narrative that is built on growth, togetherness, economic progress, and development.

The second theme is the effective coordination and collaboration between the Federal Government and the Kaduna State Government.   The Kaduna State Government’s commitment to rebuilding and modernizing the Kasuwan Magani Market is commendable.

I am also happy that the Ministry of Power through the Rural Electrification Agency partnered with Kaduna State Government and Blue Camel to create a sustainable, clean source of power for the market.

The 100 kilowatts Solar PV mini-grid built by Blue Camel I understand is planned to go up to 500 kilowatts. We hope it can go above 1MW as the market and economic opportunities here grow.

It is impressive what the Kaduna State Government has been able to achieve with the repositioning of the Kaduna Market Development and Management Company (KMDMC). This is an exciting prospect to have a management company that is able to deliver quality projects on this scale without any direct interference from the State government.

The Galaxy Mall we just visited as well as this project at Kasuwan Magani are both products of the focus of the Kaduna State Government ably led by Governor El-Rufai on enabling commerce and improving the economic prospects of its citizens.

The Federal Government and its agencies will continue to partner with the Kaduna State Government and other State Governments in furtherance of the growth and development of the Nigerian citizenry.

I commend Mal. Hafiz Bayero the dynamic Managing Director of the KMDMC for the great work on both projects and his zeal to reach out and create partnerships with colleagues in the Federal Government and the private sector.

It is important to note that the funding mechanism for the Solar PV Plant today would not have been possible without the intervention of the Buhari Administration. Despite the passage of the Electric Power Sector Reform Act in 2005, the activation of the Rural Electrification Fund (REF)  only commenced in 2019, 14 years after the passing of the Act.

The Rural Electrification Fund provides capital subsidies in a clear and transparent competitive process to qualified electrification projects and companies focusing on Mini-Grids, Solar Home Systems, and Grid Extension.

In the two REF cycles executed thus far, more than N6 billion worth of projects have been executed with 42,000 connections being created (impacting an estimated 200k Nigerians). I’d like to commend the Ministry of Power and the REA for continuing to expand the Rural Electrification Fund.

The Federal Government will continue to find innovative ways to expand the financial capability of the Rural Electrification Fund. It is important to note that the Rural Electrification Agency has begun State focused grants that allow State Governments to provide matching funds for qualified projects, which I understand will continue.

With the focus on climate change, there is a key focus globally on renewable electrification that we will take advantage to expand REF and make it a revolving endowment to provide electrification for our most underprivileged communities.

I have heard about the unique design of the new market and the reorganization of the 942 stalls to encourage interaction and partnership amongst diverse groups.

This approach in social interaction and interconnectivity is a laudable one. I must commend the governor for his foresight and his understanding of the ways things need to be done and everyone feels a part of the community and there is fairness and justice.

The interconnectivity that has been created among the people of this community is one that ensures that our joint and common interests as Nigerians outweigh our ethnic and religious differences. We must always keep fairness and justice to all at the back of our minds and I am sure we will all achieve our objectives.  I for one hope this thoughtful approach to market planning can be replicated across the country.

In closing, I would like to thank the Kaduna State Government for inviting me to this historic commissioning. I would also like to commend the Governor for his very kind and generous comments about me.

I would also like to commend the Kaduna Markets Development and Management Company for a job well done, the MD, Hafiz Bayero, and his deputy, Tamar Nandul, and your great team.

In the same vein, let me also appreciate the dynamic team at Blue Camel led by Yusuf Suleiman and the REA team led by Ahmad Salihijo Ahmad (represented by the Executive Director REF) that made the electrification of this project a reality.

We must also thank CCECC for the exceptional and prompt construction of this market.

And finally, I would like to acknowledge the efforts of the Special Adviser to the President on Infrastructure, Ahmad Zakari, for coordinating discussions amongst the parties to conceive and execute the Solar PV Project at the Kasuwan Magani Market.

Job well done to all, God bless Kasuwan Magani, God bless Kaduna and God bless Nigeria.