Is South Korea Following China’s Divisive Investment Strategy for Africa?

The South Korean Government has today announced that it will invest the sum of $12.4 million for the construction of solar mini-grids in Nigeria. This was disclosed in a statement by Mr Kim Young-Chae, Ambassador of Korea to Nigeria, on Monday at the stand-alone mini-grid project presentation ceremony, granted by the Korean Government in Abuja, according to NAN.

The renewable energy event was organised by the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology (KIAT), in collaboration with the Ministry of Trade and Energy, ILJIN Electrical, S/D Powernics and Korea Polytechnic University. 

Ambassador Young-Chee said, “The project to be implemented by KIAT was designed to meet rising energy demands of rural communities, by constructing solar power generation systems, in cooperation with the Nigerian government.

“It involves the construction of mini-grids in non-electrified rural communities near Abuja, to ensure a stable supply of power, installation of transmission and distribution lines, supply of electric equipment and systems and training for the operation and maintenance of mini-grids”.

He went on to say that the solar project began with a framework agreement signed by South Korea and Nigeria, which provided the groundwork for technological support and associated policies, referencing the World Bank-supported Nigerian Electrification Project (NEP).

Sen. Ita Enang, Senior Special Assistant to the President on the Niger Delta, said the initiative was a step in the right way and urged that it be expanded to other regions of the nation, particularly the Niger Delta region, to encourage even development.

“For this demonstration, it is good to be in the Federal Capital Territory, but it will be better to extend it to other areas so that you will get wider buy-in. I will suggest we go to areas like Lagos, Port Harcourt, Akwa Ibom, which have a lot of concentration and Kano”, Enang said.

Mr Kim Dohyoung, the project manager, stated that the project would begin with project design in April 2022 and would last through December 2024, and that it would be delivered in collaboration with appropriate Nigerian government agencies and local companies.

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