US Based Nigerians Donate Solar Energy To Kaduna General Hospital

A team of volunteers from the USA based Minnesota Renewable Energy Society (MRES) will arrive Kaduna State next week for a far reaching solar energy project.

The project is the initiative of Nigerian born US based MRES members with deep interest, expertise and business in solar and other renewable energy systems with focus of helping to solve energy problems in their home country.

“A nation unable to produce enough energy internally to meet it’s energy needs will likely experience prolonged under development” says Harry Olupitan, the team leader.

The MRES is a non profit, membership-based society based in Minnesota, USA, chartered for the advancement of renewal energy system like solar, wind, geo-thermal, etc.

It’s International Committee’s goal include sharing MRES’s technical expertise in renewable energy system installation, education and business, with people in developing countries.

The general hospital kaduna project is MRES’s first on-the-ground international project and first under their “Light Up Africa” program aimed at using Solar energy and other renewable energy system as tools to address pressing development issues in Africa.

MRES Nigeria-born members connected their organisation with kafanshan based Fantsuam Foundation, who have been working for 2 years to provide crucial on-the-ground support for this project.

This project is funded by MRES, their members and friends, who have donated equipment, materials, cash, time, services and expertise towards the project. While in Kaduna the team will, install solar panels for lighting at the Kaduna general hospital’s paediatric wing, lead an informal workshop, teaching attendees how to make solar panels and cell phone charging stations, support any interest in establishing cottage instries making solar products, provide electricity for primary school in nearby Mamuda subject to availability of funds, provide a much needed refrigerator for the paediatric ward also subject to availability of funds among other things.

According to Sunny Onadipe, a Nigerian born US-based MRES member who is also a solar energy professional and business owner, he said ” we have a portfolio of products, systems and technologies designed to respond to the fact that in Nigeria power supply is simply not available in some locations and it’s unreliable in many others. We and other firms like us are available to do solar energy projects with serious credible individuals, businesses, public or private organisations and non government organisation, (NGO’s) all over Nigeria be it rural or urban, from small scale systems to community-scale systems and large utility grade systems”

The MRES installation-training volunteer teem includes Fran Crotty, Jeff Lahay as well as Nigerian-born US based members Phillip Moses, Harry Olupitan and Yahaya Nok