The Kano State government has announced a partnership with the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI) to attract $23.5 million in investments and promote wealth creation in the energy sector.
This initiative, under the Governor’s Energize the Economy of Kano State (GEEKS) programme, aims to reform the energy supply to boost industrialization and drive economic growth in key sectors across the state.
During the 18th Executive Council (ExCo) meeting at the Government House, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf received the GEEKS programme’s conceptual framework and praised the team for their detailed blueprint to move the initiative forward.
According to a statement by the Governor’s spokesman, Sanusi Bature Dawakin-Tofa, a team comprising representatives from the Kano State government and TBI presented the road map designed to stimulate economic growth. The presentation highlighted the strategic steps planned to reform the state’s energy sector.
TBI’s Country Director, Joy Dariye, explained that the reform focuses on key objectives, including planning for the development of a State electricity market and ensuring universal access, particularly to enhance electricity use in commercial and industrial activities.
Victor Adamu, TBI’s Energy & Climate Team Lead in Nigeria, stressed that the reform includes mapping electricity demand across the state and creating pathways to ensure universal access to electricity. He added that Kano State will play a key role in preparing electrification projects to make them attractive for private investment and development.
Adamu further revealed that the GEEKS initiative includes transitioning the state’s transportation sector to electric vehicles, starting with the conversion of existing 2-3 wheelers to electric-powered models. This transition is expected to begin with local assembly and manufacturing activities in Kano. The 3-wheeler market currently generates over N1 trillion annually, excluding capital costs. Future phases will also include electric taxis and buses for mass transit.
The initiative will also promote the productive use of renewable energy in agriculture and healthcare. This will involve deploying solar-PV systems with energy storage for hospitals, starting with all primary healthcare centers, and providing subsidized solar irrigation pumps, milling machines, and cold storage systems for smallholder farmers across the state.
Dariye emphasized the economic benefits of the GEEKS programme, noting that it aims to attract millions of dollars in energy sector investments, generate over 1 million jobs within three years, and increase agricultural production by 35%. “The program will also support year-round agricultural production and reduce mortality rates with energized primary healthcare centers,” she added.
According to Dawakin-Tofa, Governor Yusuf is committed to leveraging the partnership between TBI and the Kano State government to foster growth and development. “The administration will utilize state resources and seek support from development partners, including concessional financing and technical assistance, to drive private sector investment,” the statement read.
The initiative is being spearheaded by the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Renewable Energy, Engr. Abduljabbar Muhammad Nanono.
