Meet Buhari’s New Appointee, Sanusi Ohiare, Executive Director, Rural Electrification Fund Management & Board Member Representing North Central

·  
   He had his primary
education at Academy Staff School Suleja, Niger State, before proceeding to the
Federal Government College, Kwali – Abuja, for his secondary education.

·  Dr. Sanusi obtained his
Bachelor of Science degree in Economics
from the University of Jos, Plateau State, where he graduated with a second
class honours, upper division (2.1) in 2006.

·   He later
attended the renowned Centre for Energy, Petroleum, Mineral Law and Policy
(CEPMLP), University of Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom, where he obtained a
Master of Science degree in Energy
Studies, with Specialization in Energy Finance in 2011;

·  He also obtained a
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in Rural
Energy Development from the prestigious Institute for Energy and
Sustainable Development (IESD), De Montfort University, Leicester, UK in 2014,
and is currently the only Nigerian with that specialization.

·  His doctorate
thesis was on: “Financing Rural Energy
Projects in Developing Countries: Country Case Nigeria” (see https://www.dora.dmu.ac.uk/handle/2086/10462)

·     Before his
appointment, he worked with the German International Cooperation Agency (GIZ),
as a National Advisor on Rural
Electrification, under the Nigerian Energy Support Programme (NESP),
co-funded by the European Union and German Government.In this capacity, he provided technical support to the Rural Electrification
Agency and Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission; was in charge of data
management system and planning for rural electrification;supported the
development Mini-grids Pilot Projects and coordinated the Northern states of
the programme.

·      Sanusi has over 10 years’
experience within the Rural Electrification Space. He previously worked with
the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc. (NBET); Sustainability, Policy and
Innovative Development Research (Spider) Solutions; Federal Capital Territory
Administration-Abuja and other private companies, in various capacities.

·   He has published several peer-reviewed
articles and a textbook chapter on rural electrification, with bias to planning,
technology options and financing in Nigeria, and he was part of the
presidential committee that reviewed the rural electrification strategy
document for Nigeria in 2013; and also part of the team that developed the draft
Mini-grid regulations 2016.

·   He is a member of the
International Association of Energy Economics (IAEE), Nigerian Association of
Energy Economics (NAEE), Lagos Oil Club, Society for Petroleum Engineers (SPE), and Energy Institute UK.

·   With this appointment, he
has the mandate operationalize the hitherto comatose Rural Electrification
Fund. He is expected to use his network and experience to
pool monies (public, donor and private funds) to the funds, and set a
transparent criteria for drawing from the funds by Mini-grids developers, for
the purpose of accelerating access to electricity to the unserved and
under-served communities all over Nigeria.