Michael Olugbode
2 December 2008
Lagos — The Borno State Government officials came back from a trip to China with an eye to build solar power generators in the state in other to improve the perennial energy problem in the state.
The difference between developed, developing and underdeveloped countries is in the area of utilisation of manpower-both human and physical. Various researches have shown that the margin of development between these countries is mainly because of the gap in the power supply. Nigeria is on her knees and begging for development not because she has little resources in both human and physical. In fact, she has them in abundance, but has limited power (electricity) which lay to waste the resources that should have been put to proper use for the development of the country.
One other major hindrance to the nation's match from the back wood of development to economic paradise is the waste of man-hour, many people especially in big city find it difficult to get to their workplace on time, they are either trapped in traffic or the means of transportation is not good enough.
Problem known they say is half solved and luckily enough the leadership of the country know that the highly publicised agenda of the country to be one of the top twenty economies in 2020 is anchored on the realisation of these two. Nigerians are daily fed with plans put in place to address these two problems among others. But many still believe that the leaders are more of all talks than actions, the government is alleged to lack the will power to change the power situation of the country and as such the dream of becoming one of the top economies is seen as a tall one.
The realisation that the country need to place priority on power and transportation is not only dawn on the Federal Government, but many states which indigenes have been impoverished by economic knocks as a result of dearth of industries have come to terms that they cannot continue to wait on the government at the centre with its many promises and less action to change the situation for them.
As a result, many states have either introduced or have ongoing plans to initiate independent power project (IPP) to tackle the problem of power. Their efforts must be said to be instructive, but the road is still laid with many thorns as the power derived from this IPPs are mainly donated to the problematic Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN).
But as most of these states are finding ways out of this debacle, Borno State Government took alternative measure get out of this logjam and provide power for its people. The task of the government is made easier by the climatic condition of the state, being largely a desert state, sunlight the sole provider of solar energy is in abundance in the state. Though sunlight is in abundance, but the expertise to tap it is scarce not only in the state but indeed the country. This left the state government with no option but to venture out of the country, the journey to China was a long one indeed. The choice of China should be understood on the background that the country has an indelible mark in the state as numerous projects are already being executed by contractors from the Asian country and the solar powered streetlights were brought from there.
With this in mind off the governor went to China with a delegation which included some commissioners and special advisers, those who made the trip include Commissioners for Commerce, Mr. Ayuba Iza, Poverty Alleviation, Mr. David Ijai Mamza and Women Affairs, Hajiya Hauwa Mai Musa. Others were Hon. Baba Ali Modu member of the State House of Assembly representing Mafa Local Government and his colleague, Hon. Ahmed Jaha, representing Gwoza Local Government and the Special Adviser on Media Affairs, Mrs. Nancy Brian Mbaya.
The governor, apart from the plan to get expertise to better the power situation of the state, also had in mind the need to improve the transport sector of the state. So the trip to China was like shooting a bullet with the intention of downing two birds. He also asked for the country's assistance in establishing an automobile company that will build new vehicles for its transport company, Borno Express.
The transportation sector has been down for long and all previous plans to resuscitate it has not been successful, hence the need to seek assistance from outside to build new and stronger vehicles that would be able to travel the difficult desert terrain
With the plans laid out, the governor and his delegates on getting to China settled down immediately for business, undertaking the tour of facilities at the respected Chinese firm, Himin Solar Energy Group Factory located in Tekzhou , Shandong province in the Southern part of Beijing about three and half hours drive from Beijing capital of China . The team was received and conducted round the firm by the company's sales manager, Wang Joan and the Manager of Foreign Trade department, David Ran.
The officials told the delegate that Himin Solar Energy group which motto is "creating a new era of green lighting" believes in nature and truth with the core value of pursuing sustainable development and the mission of advocating ways of green living as well as building a green homeland, and has become the largest solar energy utilisation and manufacturing company in the world. This account for three quarters of the global production becoming the world's largest and most advanced manufacturer of solar water heater with about one tenth of the global production, and also produce photovoltaic terminal products such as solar lamp series.
The official further explained that the company places great importance to the development and utilisation of renewable resources as well as incorporation of the development and utilisation of renewable energy to promote economic and social development. Impressed by these records, Sheriff disclosed that the delegation's visit was informed by the need to make life meaningful and more comfortable for his people in the rural areas by providing an alternative source of energy with the perennial epileptic power supply only available to the cities but non existent for the people in the local government areas of the state, he said his intention was to ensure that every household in the rural area is given the opportunity to enjoy a steady and constant power supply.
He used the opportunity to invite the company's engineers to visit Borno to undertake the feasibility studies that will reveal the population of the rural areas, attitude and latitude of the area as well as the volume of the sunshine, and the megawatts to be produced for each household in the rural areas.
The governor who knew that the visit to China would be no success without finding solution to the transportation problem of the state took time off to visit Hefei capital city of Anhiu Province where Jianhuat, a bus manufacturing Company known as Anhui Ankai Automobile Company Limited is located. At the company, he and his co-travelers were received by its Chairman of Board, Jiang an Wang who disclosed that the Anhui Ankai Automobile Company Ltd established in 1997 is a listed company producing large and medium sized coaches and bus chassis with various versions ranging from luxury to common and has an annual comprehensive output of 8000 units including coaches and bus chassis of 5000 and 3000 respectively.
Wang further revealed that the main product of the company include Ankai Setra, Ankai highway bus, tour bus, city bus series and special chassis series of buses with all types ranging from eight metres to 13.7 metres in length and pointed out that the company exports its products to Algeria, Columbia, Vietnam, Libya, Turkey, Ukraine, Saudi Arabia, New Zealand, Ghana, Dominica and Malaysia among others, and that the company's product is well accepted not only in the field of tourism, passenger transportation and inner city transportation but for special type markets.
The governor told the chief executive that his state wants high quality buses that must be localised and tropicalised to meet modern day transportation needs with highly competitive price, promising that should the products meet these an order would be placed for 53 buses in the first instance with an eye for further orders.
Sheriff also told the executive that the state is interested in ordering an outside broadcast luxury bus for the Borno Radio Television Corporation (BRTV), noting that with the current technological and digital age in broadcasting, his administration plans to purchase the bus which would not only be of high quality and standard but can transmit and send signals directly to the satellite wherever live transmission is taking place.
Speaking on what the journey to China portends for the people of the state, the governor through his Special Adviser on Media Affairs, Mrs. Nancy Brain Mbaya said as a government which aims at meeting the yearnings and aspirations of its people, and places high premium on the quality of life of its citizens the many achievements so far need to be consolidated with an eye of moving the state to another level.
She added that on the assessment of the successes recorded by the administration so far not leaving out the shortcomings, the governor discovered that there is a need to find ways and means of providing electricity to the rural dwellers and improving the transportation needs of the state without compromising quality and the visit was embarked upon.
Mbaya revealed that the trip to China has shown that Borno can have solar powered generating system as the Solar Energy Company contactor has the capacity to bring down the technology. She said the next step is to invite officials from that company to see the rural areas, give their candid views and the megawatts to be generated. She added that the tour has opened a new vista to end the problem of transportation in the state.
She also revealed that the travel to china was a search and quest for technology advancement for the good people of Borno within a cost effective budget, and that had the state seek this from the Western world the cost would have created a big economic burden that may be way out of reach.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2008 This Day. 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.
