Leadership (Abuja)
27 August 2008
Nigeria has set an ambitious target of moving 20 per cent of the country to off-grid renewable energy sources by 2012.
Renewable energy presently contributes less than one per cent of the country's energy mix profile.
Dr Victor Fodeke, Head of the Nigeria Special Climate Change Unit, told NAN yesterday in Accra that the move was aimed at addressing Nigeria's "awful" energy situation.
"We have set targets for achieving this ambition within the stated time frame and this include energy saving programme for the country," he said.
Others, according to him, are the adoption of energy efficient strategies, the mass popularisation of solar energy plants, wind and small hydro-energy plants and encouraging investment in bio-mass for energy generation.
He said that the project would also enhance the Clean Development Mechanism status of the country.
He said that with strict implementation of the guidelines and the roadmap already prepared for presentation to the federal government, the country's energy situation would change for the better in line with the President Umaru Yar'Adua's seven point agenda.
He called on foreign investors to participate in the energy sector to enable the country achieve the vision 2020 goals.
Fodeke, who is leading Nigeria's delegation to the Climate Change Talks, said that by adopting such plan the country was joining global efforts to embrace green energy and reduce carbon dioxide emission. (NAN)
Read comments. Write your own.
Copyright © 2008 Leadership. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
WE DON'T HAVE TO PUT OUR EGGS IN ONE BASKET.IT IS GOOD TO HAVE THE 20% OF OUR ENERGY SOURCES IN THE SOLAR SECTOR,10% IN THE WIND ENERGY SECTOR,ANOTHER 10% IN THE NUCLEAR ENERGY SECTOR.IN THIS WAY ONLY 60% WILL COME FROM THE EXISTING SYSTEM.COUNTRIES LIKE FRANCE,USA,BRITAIN,AND RUSSIA,etc HAVE THIS TYPE OF DIVERSIFICATION IN THEIR FNERGY POLICIES. ALREADY OUR PRESIDENT HAD MADE CONTACTS WITH CHINA,GERMANY, AND RUSSIA,AND RECENTLY IRAN IS CONTACTED TO DEVELOPE OUR NUCLEAR FACILITY FOR ENERGY.
20% of how much power will be renewable energy? This administration is adept at making vague statements that eventually means nothing. What will be total power generation in the country by 2012 and what precise form of renewable energy is the country targeting? With the signing of multibillion dollars with a UK and a US company to manage the power projects and with no new power project being embarked by this administration, it seems very obvious that this administration, demonstrating a complete lack of vision for the country, depends completely on COVERTLY continuing the power projects started by the Obasanjo administration. Tis beliefseems corroborated by the resent bringing by backdoor into the power project picture Siemens that were handling the power projects under Obasanjo's administration and were earlier condemned by the present administration. Most of the power projects started by Obasanjo's administration were to be commissioned in 2009 due mostly to some years delay imoposed by the then corrupt members of the senate that also tried to delay the Bakassi problem. TRUTH IS PERENNIAL AND IT WILL EVENTUALLY BE REVEALED.