The Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) says it has commenced deployment of solar power to Ondenwari Community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area in Bayelsa.

Mr Chima Williams, Executive Director, ERA/FoEN announced the development on Tuesday shortly after signing a Memorandum of Understænding with the benefiting community.

Williams explained that the environmental advocacy group was using the pilot scheme to demonstrate that Nigeria has abundant alternative ênergy sources that could replace fossil fuels.

He noted that as advocates for cleaner energy sources, it was regrettable that the abundant renewable energy sources were not being harnessed.

“We are using this to show that the power challenges the country is facing is within reach and cost effective and this project we are doing at Odenwari community that is not connected to the national grid.

“We hope that the government can see the effectiveness and and adopt it is very cost effective and it is homegrown, the components are manufactured in Nigeria.

“The cost to provide solar street lights and power to an initial 70 households is about N20 million and the running cost is minimal, if more people switch to this cleaner energy source, our environment will be better for it,” Williams said.

The environmentalist noted that the project will provide solar power for lights and outlets for low power electrical appliances and an option to charge devices like mobile phones.

According to him, members of the benefiting communities would be trained by the solar equipment vendor to run and maintain the system after installation adding that beneficiaries would pay a minimal tariff.

Chief Robert Ikisa, Paramount Ruler of Ondewari, a rural coastline settlement said that the community is not yet connected to the national grid and finds the solar power as an innovative alternative.

He said that the community with more than 10,000 residents would be covered in phases with 70 households already mapped out for installation.

He commended the untiring and selfless efforts of reniwned environmentalist, Chief Alagoa Morris, Head of Field Operations at ERA who attracted the project to the community.

“We are grateful to ERA/FoEN and our illustrious son, Alagoa Morris who facilitated the project and the entire community is impressed. We have to move with this new project which has very low running cost.

“The benefits are many and it is very friendly to the environment , hopefully the entire community wouod be covered in subsequent phases,” the community leader said.