China provides solar powered traffic lights to Nigeria

Published: September 15,2022

By Staff writer 

In the Nigerian capital Abuja, China will install solar-powered traffic light control signals at 98 intersections. This will be a second phase of the project according to media reports. The first phase was implemented in 2015. 

The Chinese ambassador to Nigeria Cui Jianchun, said that the project is a great symbol of China-Nigeria friendship, the project symbolizes “a concrete embodiment of the implementation” of the nine programs of China-Africa cooperation. Ambassador Cui further noted that, “this project will bring a lot of relief to the transportation system of Abuja, will be useful to the country, and will equally impact positively on the social life of local residents.”

The permanent secretary of Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Administration, Adesola Olusade,  said the construction comes at a time when the FCT was in dire need of having its major road intersections signalized for ease of traffic flow and and create order.

“The era of energy supply through solar is fast overtaking the age-long energy supply through the national grid, which is mostly unreliable. The solar-powered traffic light system in the FCT is just desirable at this moment,” Olusade added.

Abuja being one of the fastest-growing cities in the world with and a fast-growing population is facing pressure on city infrastructure, including trafficmanagement. “Today’s event, therefore, could not have come at a better time as we seek to ensure ease of traffic and orderliness on our roads through the provision of traffic control signals at major road intersections,” said Muhammad Musa Bello, minister of the FCT.