President Bola Tinubu has approved the provision of 500,000 solar-powered lights for rural households across the South-East, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has said.
Kalu disclosed this during the flag-off of the Renewed Hope Light-Up initiative, where 26 transformers and 10,000 solar-powered lights and fans were distributed to communities in Bende Federal Constituency, Abia State.
According to the deputy speaker, 42,000 households in the constituency will benefit from the programme, with the first batch of 10,000 solar-powered lights and fans expected to arrive within two weeks.
He said the initiative had already begun on a pilot basis, with 1,000 units distributed to selected beneficiaries. Representatives from wards across the constituency reportedly confirmed that the equipment was working.
Kalu explained that the programme aims to bring the benefits of the Tinubu administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda closer to rural residents, particularly households struggling with unreliable electricity supply.
He described the planned distribution of solar-powered lights to 42,000 households in one federal constituency as unprecedented, saying the initiative would improve electricity access in underserved communities.
Communities Struggle With Poor Electricity Supply
The lawmaker representing Bende South Constituency in the Abia State House of Assembly, Emmanuel Ndubuisi, welcomed the intervention.
He said some communities had been without electricity for about two years following transformer failures, highlighting the need for improved power infrastructure in the area.
A representative of the project contractor, Solar Systems Nigeria, Peter Oko, said the programme would also create opportunities for youth training and empowerment.
Oko assured beneficiaries that the company would deliver quality and reliable services as the initiative progresses.
Earlier, Emma Trump Eke, Director-General of the Ben Kalu Campaign Council, described the intervention as a landmark project for Bende Federal Constituency.
The initiative is expected to improve access to basic lighting in rural communities, although the report did not provide a timeline for completing the proposed distribution across the South-East.
