KWARA BEGINS ROLL OUT KWARA LIGHT PROJECT IN JUNE

Following a successful pilot, full implementation of the Light-Up Kwara (LUK), an innovative solar-powered streetlight project of the Kwara State government, will commence in June.

This was disclosed on Tuesday in a statement by the Kwara State Public Private Partnership Bureau (KP3), signed by Mr. Yomi Ogunsola, Chief Economic Assistant to Kwara State Governor. KP3 is coordinating the project, while the  State Ministry of Energy supervises and monitored it.

Ogunsola said that the pilot phase of the project, which began few weeks ago has been completed and valuable feedback from the public has been incorporated into the forthcoming roll-out.

According to him, the roll-out plan for the Solar Farm Tunnels (SFTs), which will be for the dual arm poles, will be released next week.

Providing further details of the roll-out installation plan, Dr. Dickson Aleroh, the Managing Director of Riccofortezza-Asteven Energy Limited, one of the two firms executing the LUK project,  noted that the civil work component of the project, which commenced yesterday, will last till 10 June.

He added that the installation of single arm streetlight poles across Ilorin metropolis will begin on 12 June.

Dr. Aleroh disclosed that his company will install a total of 341 poles covering 9.7km across 11 routes within Ilorin metropolis. He listed the routes to include Admiralty Drive, Ipaye road, Iloffa road, Abdulkadri road GRA, Adelodun Street-Reservation road (Flower Garden) and Aderemi Adeleye Street.

Others are Abdulkarim Adisa Street, Bishop Court Close (Simon Okedi–GTB) Tanke Junction, Ogbeha Street (Simon Okedi-Ukpabi Asika-Umaru Audi road), Henry George-Sokoto road junction-General Hospital roundabout, and Stadium road.

 It will be recalled that in February this year, the State Government signed a technical agreement with two firms, Riccofortezza-Asteven Energy Limited and Rubitec Power Limited for the execution of the Light-Up Kwara (LUK) project.

The two firms are to handle the project on build, finance, operate and transfer basis under the state Infrastructure Development Fund(IFK).