Hope rises at Utagba Uno as community awaits take-off of solar power project
A large-scale solar panel farm set for inauguration in Utagba Uno, Ndokwa West Local Government Area of Delta State, has been described by community stakeholders as a major breakthrough that
A large-scale solar panel farm set for inauguration in Utagba Uno, Ndokwa West Local Government Area of Delta State, has been described by community stakeholders as a major breakthrough that could transform the energy landscape and socio-economic fortunes of the community.
The project, facilitated by Edwin Nzei, director of Lifecycle Engineering Nigeria Limited, drew widespread commendation recently when Chuks Ododo, coordinator of Umu Ezeti Global Connect Initiative and a UK-based indigene of the community, paid an inspection visit to the site.
Speaking after the visit, Ododo said he was impressed by the scale of the installation, describing it as a landmark development for Utagba Uno.
“I was amazed. When you hear about a project of this magnitude being attracted to your home community, you feel a sense of pride. But standing there, seeing it with your own eyes, that is something else entirely. Nzei, an engineer, has done something extraordinary here,” he said.
According to the project facilitator, installation of the solar farm has been completed and the project is awaiting regulatory clearance for testing before operations begin.
It was further gathered that pre-paid meters have already been distributed and installed in homes of residents who registered for the scheme, indicating readiness for power supply once final approval is secured.
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Ododo described Nzei as a visionary leader whose efforts should inspire other indigenes of the community.
He said: “Engr. Nzei has shown us what is possible when you channel your expertise, your connections, and your love for your community into something tangible.
‘’This is not a small feat. Attracting a solar farm of this magnitude to Utagba Uno requires skill, persistence and an enormous amount of goodwill.”
He urged indigenes at home and in the diaspora to prioritise community development projects over personal prestige investments.
“Building mansions in the community is commendable, but bricks and mortar alone do not develop a community. What develops a community is social investment of this nature and government presence,” he said.
Ododo said stable electricity would encourage more residents, especially professionals working in nearby Kwale, to relocate home and contribute to local development.
“With stable electricity, that changes. They can come home, live in Utagba Uno, and commute to work. Home will become a place people want to return to, not just for Christmas and Easter, but permanently,” he added.
He also appealed to youths and community leaders to protect the facility from vandalism and theft.
“What Engr. Nzei has built belongs to all of us. Its destruction will be the destruction of our own future. Guard it. Respect it. Let it work for us,” he said.
The Umu Ezeti Global Connect Initiative, coordinated by Ododo from the United Kingdom, has continued to promote development-focused engagement and investments in Utagba Uno, with the solar project seen as a major step toward sustainable community-driven development in the Ndokwa axis of Delta State.
