By Tony Obiechina, Abuja
The Federal Ministry of Environment supported by the European (EU) and German Government within the framework of the Nigerian Energy Support Programme (NESP) has developed Environmental and Social Management Plan Guidelines for solar mini-grid projects in Nigeria.
According to the Director of Environment Assessment Department in the Ministry, the aim is to support the establishment of an enabling framework for private investment in solar minigrids, which will play a key role in ensuring universal access to electricity in Nigeria, especially in rural and peri-urban areas.
At the ESMP Guidelines Public Hearing held in Abuja on Tuesday, Engr. Gomwalk Celestine who represented the Director spoke on the benefits of the Guidelines to the development of solar mini-grid projects in Nigeria.
He said, “In the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Procedural Guidelines of 2017 solar energy projects is not one of the Mandatory Study Activities being a Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) however the scope of deployment being major developments and frequency deems that these projects are subjected to the EIA Process.
“Hence, the ESMP Guidelines for Solar Mini-Grid Projects in Nigeria was developed as an abridged form of the EIA Procedures Guidelines with the aim to aid Proponents adapt a simplified method of preparing ESMPs for proposed solar mini-grid projects. The simplified method is also to optimize the mini-grid projects EIA timeline and the cost of development”.
Also speaking at the Public Hearing, Ms Inga Stefanowicz, Head of Section of Economic Cooperation and Energy at the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, said the simplified ESMP Guidelines would boost private investment in the renewable energy sector.
“It will also improve the standard of living of the people by increasing access to electricity especially for those in the rural and semi-urban areas of Nigeria. This aligns with some of the EU’s objectives of supporting more ecofriendly sources of energy and improving the standard of living of the people especially those in disadvantaged areas of the country,” she said.
The ESMP Guidelines provide a detailed step by step guide to preparing ESMPs. It ensures that Proponents are aware of these steps and will experience more seamless method of preparing their ESMPs thus, the Public Hearing on the ESMP Guidelines was held to give full awareness to Stakeholders and Proponents on the ESMP Guidelines and to collate last comments and feedback before its final approval.
Pursuant to Section 58 of the Environmental Impact Assessment Act of 1992, the Ministry revised the general Environmental Impact Assessment Procedural Guidelines 2017 including the Social Impact Assessment Guidelines.
A summary of the Draft Guidelines showed that primarily the aim is to ensure that “proponents are aware of the steps to be taken for preparing EMPS, rather than partial or full-blown EIEs, for their Solar Mini-Grid projects, complying with the criteria stated in the Guidelines, thereby optimising their time and cost of development”.
NESP is a technical assistance programme co-funded by the European Union and the German Government and implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Power (FMP). It aims to foster investments for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency and to improve access to electricity for disadvantaged, rural communities.
