The National Lottery Authority (NLA), in collaboration with the Nation Builders Corps (NABCO) Secretariat, has trained a number of graduates on Solar Panels Installation and Maintenance as part of the NLA Solar-powered e-Kiosk Project.

The training is one of the key policies of Mr Kofi Osei-Ameyaw, the Director General of the NLA to cement the vision of President Akufo-Addo, in relation to achieving a sustainable alternative energy and creating skilled related jobs for the youth of Ghana.

A statement signed by the Public Relations Unit of the NLA and copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra at the weekend said, Renewable Energy had become an urgent necessary addition and relatively cheaper, and its readily available and accessible.

It said renewable energy is very key to the successful implementation of Ghana's international obligations under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 7 and 13. Goal 7 of the SDGs focuses on access to affordable, reliable and sustainable energy, whilst Goal 13 dwells on the urgent action to combat Climate Change. According to the statement, President Akufo-Addo, during the 2019 State of the Nation's Address to Parliament on February 21, 2019, announced that the Jubilee House will from August this year be powered by Solar Energy, and that, the target of Government was to install up to 200 megawatts of distributed Solar Power by 2030 in both residential and non-residential facilities. "In the same way, the NLA from July 2019 will start rolling out the solar-powered e-Kiosks across the country".

It said the e-kiosk depends on Solar Energy for its multi-purpose functions and have the greatest goodwill to reduce the pressure on the national grid.

The statement said, the Solar-powered e-kiosk will free users from the payment of electricity bills and can be used in any parts of the country including remote areas or communities due to its dependence on Renewable Energy.

It said affordable and reliable energy is absolutely crucial to the realization of the country's vision of achieving socio-economic transformation.

The statement said, the NLA Solar-powered e-kiosk would be greatly useful to the local economy especially, the energy needs of Ghana.

It said the Solar-powered e-kiosk would enable the NLA to increase accessibility, create jobs and increase revenue generation for Government as well as economically improve the living conditions of lotto marketing companies and retailers.

The statement added that, the NLA under Osei-Ameyaw aimed at training over 2,000 graduates on the installation and maintenance of Solar Panels for the e-kiosk Project.

These trained graduates would be responsible for installing and the provision of maintenance services to the Solar Panels Component of the e-Kiosk, and assist in the training of other graduates, it said.