Katsina Govt signs 2 MoU for provision of 80mw of solar power
NAN-HE-11
MoU
By Zubairu Idris
Katsina, Feb. 6, 2017 (NAN) The Katsina State Government has signed two Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Pan Africa Solar Company for the provision of 80 megawatts of solar power in the state.
Gov. Aminu Masari signed one of the MoU’s for the supply 75 megawatts of solar in Kankia Local Government Area of the state on Monday in Katsina.
He said that the project was in line with the administration’s determination to provide the state with enough power supply.
Masari further said that when completed, the project would boost socio-economic activities in the state.
The state Commissioner of Resource Development, Alhaji Muhammad Mahmoud-Kanti, signed the second MoU, which was for the supply of five megawatts of solar power to three tertiary institutions in the state.
The institutions are Umaru Musa Yar’adua University, Hassan Usman Katsina Polytechnic and Katsina Orthopedic hospital, all located in Katsina.
A Director in the company, Mr Jim Howlett, who signed on behalf of Pan Africa Solar, revealed that over $140 million would be spent on the projects.
He said that the construction works on the two projects would commence by mid 2017.
Howlett expressed gratitude to the state government for finding the company worthy of executing the two projects.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the immediate past administration of Alhaji Ibrahim Shema, had signed an MoU with a foreign firm for the provision of 30 megawatts of solar power station in Kankia, few months to the expiration of his tenure.
However, the project could not be executed; instead, the present administration signed a fresh deal with another company.
Experts said that Kankia town was suitable for the project because it would be easy to connect the solar electricity to the power substation in the area for sell to consumers.(NAN)
ZI/MZA
Edited by Maharazu Ahmed