Salpha Energy: Solving the energy crisis in Northern Nigeria’s IDP Camps

Salpha Energy is supporting the Federal Government and UNHCRs mission to improve energy access in IDP Camp settings. For this purpose Salpha Energy is delighted to announce a successful partnership with the Global Initiative for Food Security and Ecosystem Preservation, which delivered clean energy to 3000 households living without electricity, through the provision of 400 Solar Home Systems.

ow in its tenth year, the humanitarian crisis in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states in Nigeria’s north-east continues to uproot the lives of tens of thousands of children, women and men. As of 2019, 1.8 million Nigerians have fled from their homes and are internally displaced, the majority in Borno State – the epicentre of the crisis. 80 per cent of internally displaced people are women and children, and one in four are under the age of five.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, refugees often face limited access to fuel and energy, resulting in a wide range of environmental, health, gender, livelihood, disasters and natural resources conflict. The United Nations General Assembly continually highlights the central role renewable energy can play in solving the refugee energy crisis, as SDG7, sustainable energy for all, means energy for the poorest.

Bakassi IDP Camp is the second largest camp of internally Displaced persons in Africa after the Dalori camp and houses more than 39,000 people. Up till this point, the camp had been without any form of electricity and heavily relied on those that could afford petrol generators to charge their phones or perform any activities requiring power.

The first Phase of the solar project, was executed in February 2019, which powered 1000 families, the second phase completed May 2019 also powered an additional 2000 families.

Salpha Energy, through its Light For All Nigerians Initiative (LIFAN), trained and equipped women in the IDP Camps on how to install and maintain the Solar Home Systems. Salpha Energy believes thatthe project will ameliorate the power challenges the IDPS faced in the past while alsocreating directjobs.

For these communities having access to energy translates to improvements in vital spheres of life: education, health, economic activities, safety and equality that are fundamental to a decent quality of life.

Salpha Energy has carried out successful pilots within several off-grid communities in Oyo, Lagos and Abia states, installing over 1000 solar home systems. The affirmative response from these communities is a promising signal that Nigerians are willing to switch to a cleaner, reliable, affordable and easy-to-use sources of energy.