Stable electricity could become an everyday affair to Nigerian homes, offices, and hospitals as renewable energy promoters match capacity deployment with citizens’ pockets.
In a comical twist of fortune, Nigeria is suddenly on the cusp of a renewable energy revolution aided in no small way by the failures of fossil-fuel generated energy to sufficiently power her economy.
Through the ‘miracle’ of oil funds mismanagement, Nigeria appears hemmed to look to renewable sources for reliable electricity.
For years, switching the lights and leaving them on in homes and offices has being a big and tough job for Nigeria. Due mostly to endemic man-made challenges, public power supply has remained poor and insufficient – always at an average 3500MW per day.
The status quo is however changing because Nigeria is turning to renewables to power her economy, and she is doing this fast.
With new improved policies and the right political will, solar; wind; hydro; biomass and geothermal, could become the energy of choice for Nigeria. An electricity supply shift beckons on Nigeria.
In one fell swoop, Nigeria guaranteed 14 solar promoters to go ahead and generate 1,125MW of electricity from solar stations in 11 States, signalling an upswing in her turn to renewable energy to bail her from chronic energy shortage.
We are glad this is coming at an exciting time the global renewable energy industry is experiencing a very good pivot, and that Nigeria is taking this with so much dynamism.
Now, she sees she can quickly provide electricity to the homes and offices of her 93 million people without electricity at the moment using the sun, wind and small hydros.
This shift is also in tandem with a 2015 report of the Africa Progress Panel (APP) which identified Africa’s pole position in harnessing cleaner sources for energy.
Chaired by a former UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, the APP, a group of 10 distinguished individuals who campaign on shared responsibility between Africa and other global partners on issues affecting the continent averred in its report that Africa could initiate a renewable energy revolution.
We believe Nigeria do not need to reinvent the wheel to turn this corner, she is rich in renewable energy resources, and only needs to create the space for keen and trusted promoters.
Despite her seemingly late arrival to the scene, Offgridnigeria.com is certain it is Nigeria’s position to lose in Africa’s likely renewable energy revolution.
It was the International Energy Agency outlook on Africa that stated in clear terms that 645 million Africans, 93 million of who are Nigerians, could still lack electricity by the year 2030. Nigeria has the chance to turn this outlook into a mere forecast with her abundant renewables.
Commendably, she has opted for the right political will, she is currently pushing through an electricity diversification programme which could put her in the pole position not only to unlock the potentials of her renewable energy but to completely change the narrative in Africa’s renewable energy industry.
We are strongly of the view that a country with an average solar radiation of 6.70kwh in tropical Borno and 4.06kwh in coastal Cross River State, great wind speeds in central Katsina and eastern Enugu and Onitsha, as well as good water body in Rivers Katsina Ala, Donga, Suntai, Mambilla and Niger should be a big in renewable energy player.
Nigeria is right on this path, Offgridnigeria.com welcomes her embrace of this paradigm shift, and is certain it will be worth the curve.
