Chinese Firm Donates Solar Power Tools To UDUS, Communities

A Chinese Company, PowerChina-Kunming Engineering Cooperation Ltd, has donated 170 units of rural solar power photovoltaic equipment to Skipton Energy Research Centre at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto (UDUS).

The equipment was donated on Tuesday, under the ” Green Energy Africa, One Belt, One Road Lightening Up of Thousands of Households Project ”, initiated by the Yunnan Province Department of Commerce 2021 Foreign Aid Project.

Presenting the items of an undisclosed amount, Wang Jiulin, the Managing Director of the company, said 30 units of similar equipment were donated to the Federal Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation under the same project.

Jiulin said the project was aimed at facilitating more access to modern clean green energy to rural communities and the neighborhoods of the Sokoto Energy Research Centre located in UDUS, as part of the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CRS) mechanism.

"It will also ease the challenges of lack of access to the electricity grid by rural communities and to improve the social and economic development of the rural populace, as well as cement the mutual collaborations between the organizations,"

"The support will also promote understanding and benefits of solar photovoltaic products in Nigeria,"

"The collaboration is expected to facilitate technicians’ training exchange, in order to enable more Nigerians to join the solar photovoltaic industry, with assistance from China, ” Jiulin said.

Responding, the Vice-Chancellor of UDUS, Prof. Lawal Bilbis, expressed appreciation for the support describing it as beneficial, in recognition of the worldwide agreement to address the global challenge of climate change.

Bilbis said challenges mostly emanate from human activities comprising production and consumption of fossil energy, deforestation and overpopulation, through migration, adaptation and energy strategies.

He explained that measures and strategies were being put in place by the combined efforts of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and about 200 member nations.

The Vice-Chancellor noted that donations to the Sokoto Energy Center at UDUS would serve as a pathway stimulus towards achieving the targeted goals.

"Distribution of equipment to the center and surrounding communities is in line with UN 2015 Paris Agreement on Climate Change and recent UN conference of parties on Climate change (COP26) committed to zero-emission by 2026 ” Bilbis said.

He further commended the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, and his team’s efforts on renewal and conventional energy, as well as the establishment of mutual collaboration.

Earlier, the Director, Sokoto Energy Center, Prof. Mahmud Garba, said the donation and continued partnership with the Chinese firm would ensure robust development in the area.

Garba assured of the maximum utilization of the equipment, including the promotion of its technical processes and maintenance.