Nigeria has launched the Central Data Management System (CDMS), a digital platform of the Nigeria Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) project, which monitors power networks across the country. The project is in partnership with the European Union and the German Government, the Ministry of Power has revealed.
The project will use satellite mapping to follow the project and has already mapped 22 states. The ministry revealed that the platform has a satellite mapping of 350,000 settlement clusters, over 3,000 settlement clusters remotely mapped with over 2.6 million buildings identified and about 50,000 kilometres of 33 kilovolts (kV) as well as 11kV power distribution lines being tracked nationwide.
The project was launched officially in a virtual launch ceremony, where the Minister of Power, Mr Sale Mamman, said that the CDMS will also remotely monitor mini-grids nationwide to digitally assess their performance, using an Application Programming Interface (API). “This initiative is part of our efforts to digitise the Nigerian power sector using new innovative digital technologies and processes that will help address many of the key challenges that our power sector is facing today”.
Describing the programme as remarkable, Mamman said that within just one year of starting the CDMS project, a lot of primary data had been gathered, classified and stored on the Nigeria SE4All web portal. He added that the online platform, CDMS, aims to offer the most accurate data and latest tools that empower data-driven electrification planning under the domain nigeriase4all.gov.ng.
“The platform has a satellite mapping of 350,000 settlement clusters; over 3,000 settlement clusters remotely mapped with over 2,600,000 buildings identified; about 50,000 kilometres of 33 kilovolts (kV) and 11kV power distribution lines being tracked across 21 States and the FCT,” he added.
The EU and the German government’s support, the minister said, is coming under the framework of the Nigerian Energy Support Programme (NESP), a technical assistance programme, while the German agency, GIZ, and the Federal Ministry of Power are implementing it.
The Head of Cooperation, EU delegation to Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Mr Kurt Cornelis, in his comments, said that the CDMS will provide the government, investors and project developers with accurate data for market intelligence and planning needed to achieve Nigeria’s SDG7 goal.
Also, the German ambassador to Nigeria, Birgitt Ory, said having data for the power sector was key to promoting development.
“Building on a solid database of these concepts can help to develop economic and ecological opportunities, and thus become an engine of sustainable growth,” she stated.
The Country Director of GIZ in Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ina Hommers, remarked that in order to promote electricity access through public-private initiative, there is need for available data which will help in growing the power sector.
“With the support of NESP in close cooperation with the Federal Ministry of Power and agencies across the sector, we have now mapped out the electricity situation in 22 states in Nigeria,” she disclosed.
The Authority on News, Data and Market Analysis for the African Space Industry.
