The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola says the Federal Government will provide electricity for over 39,000 shops in Ariaria International Market Aba in Abia before the end of the year, Vanguard reports.
Fashola, who made the disclosure in Abuja, said the project was a presidential mandate to the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) working with the ministry to energize the market. He said electrification of the market became necessary given the huge cost incurred by traders who use generators to power their businesses and the important role small businesses play in driving the economy. He also said government had commenced electrification of Sabon-Gari market in Kano, adding that 3,000 shops out of the 12,000 shops in the market have signed up to be electrified.
He said the provision of a model of electricity for the markets by the federal government would change the many years’ narrative of no power to improve the economy. He noted that for over almost 30 years the government had ignored the key drivers of the economy, which are the small businesses in terms of power provision. As such he said that this new model was developed by the ministry through the REA to electrify these businesses and in turn rapidly improve the nation’s economy.
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