The Lagos State Government says it has concluded plans to ensure steady power supply in public schools and health centres across the state through its solar system project.

The project, which involved maintenance of existing solar systems and installation of new ones, would commence after a 10-day training organised for technicians that would carry out the task, a statement said on Thursday.

The Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Olawale Oluwo, who declared the training open, encouraged institutions that had the facilities to participate.

Oluwo said the training, which was organised in collaboration with the United Kingdom Department for International Development, was to ensure a regular maintenance of solar components to guarantee steady power supply to public schools and primary health care facilities powered by the solar systems.

He said 172 schools and 11 health centres would benefit from the project, adding that it would create about 30,000 jobs.

He said, “The first 32 schools and the Epe health care centre have received their polar photovoltaic systems under the first phase of the Lagos Solar Project, providing reliable pollution-free power and lighting at a cost lower than fuel-burning generators.

“No fewer than 172 flagship schools and 11 rural primary health centres are targeted as the intervention sites, which will result in these institutions benefitting from improved services, with over 3o,000 jobs generated through the supply chain. The solar power systems have so far been installed in 32 government-owned schools and primary health centres.”

The training provider, Adebayo Adelakun of Enertech Limited, said at the inauguration that the objective was to keep solar power installations running, as well as reduce economic losses in schools and primary health centres operating within the solar systems.

“The 10-day training programme, which kicked off in Ikeja on Monday, is organised by the Lagos State Electricity Board, the implementing agency of the state Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources,” he added.

It will be recalled that the UK Minister for International Development, Grant Shapps, had visited Nigeria in October 2015, to have first-hand information on the progress made on the project, which is now at the completion stage.