Uthman Abubakar
14 October 2009
analysis
Abuja — Today, a growing number of Nigerians are turning to alternative sources of power such as solar and wind power.
It doesn't strike Ibrahim Ahmed that sunshine, wind or any matter at all can produce electric energy for the use of man. He believes that everything God has created in man's environment has innumerable uses for him, including the production of forms of energy.
However, he believes that there are two separate kinds of sunshine, wind and every other energy-producing matter, which are called sources of renewable energy, in the world - those obtained in all other parts of the world, on one hand, and those obtained in Nigeria, on the other.
The sources obtained in all other parts of the world, Ibrahim maintains, are completely pure for the purpose, while those obtained in Nigeria, " are contaminated by elements" which have corrosive, weakening and, in many instances, lethal effects on programmes and projects executed by government and other agencies.
Such elements, according to him, are corruption, indolence, weak and short-lived commitment and inadequate maintenance, as well as discontinuity of most programmes and projects on the part of the government and other executing agencies.
Ibrahim and most of his fellow Nigerians, while never doubting the fact that sunshine, wind and every other source of renewable energy can produce electric energy, exhibit doubt on these sources producing and satisfying their communities with sufficient electric energy in the foreseeable future. This is due to what they describe as the elements "killing programmes and projects meant to better our living."
Renewable energy, according to the Director-General of the Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN), Professor Abubakar Sani Sambo, includes solar, wind, hydro, oceanic, geothermal, biomass, and other sources of energy, that are derived from sun energy, and are thus renewed indefinitely as a course of nature. Forms of useable energy include electricity, hydrogen, fuels, thermal energy and mechanical force.
Broadly speaking, renewable energy is derived from non-fossil and non-nuclear sources, in ways that can be replenished, are sustainable and have no harmful side effects. The ability of an energy source to be renewed also implies that its harvesting, conversion and use, occur in a sustainable manner, i.e. avoiding negative impacts on the viability and rights of local communities and natural ecosystems.
The ECN has two renewable energy centers under it - the National Centre for Energy R&D (NCERD) at Nsukka and the Sokoto Energy Research Centre (SERC) which have mandates to carry out R&D, manpower development dissemination and promotion of renewable and alternative energy technologies. Other agencies established for this purpose are the Federal Department of Meteorological Services (FDMS), National Electrical Power Authority (NEPA), Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute (NBRRI), Project Development Institute (PRODA), Universities and Polytechnics (UAP), Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi (FIIRO), National Centre for Energy Research and Development (NCERD), Centre for Energy Research and Training, ABU, Zaria (CERT) and Centre for Energy Research and Development, OAU, Ile-Ife (CERD).
The most prominent source of renewable energy in Nigeria now is the Solar Energy Project which, according to the sources, has over 200 installations all over the country as at 1998, with capacities ranging from 3.5 to 7.2 kWp. These installations, most of which are in the Northern states, produce energy or power for water pumping in some communities, refrigeration and lighting in some rural clinics, village and domestic lighting, rural TV viewing and experimental room air conditioning.
Over the last one decade, several state governments, especially in the Northern states, have made some efforts to electrify parts of their rural communities with solar energy projects with counterpart funding. Most of such projects have, however, been at pilot stage only. For example, China has recently offered, or was said to have entered into agreement with some state governments in Northern Nigeria, to execute solar-powered rural electrification projects.
For example, in 2001, Solar Electric Light Fund (SELF), an NGO based in USA, and the Jigawa State Government initiated a proposal to bring solar-generated electricity (PV) to power essential services in three villages of the state, with funding arrangement by United States government through USAID and Department of Energy (60 percent) and Jigawa State government (40 percent). There is a solar-powered street lighting project at Hunkuyi in Kaduna State, among many others.
Currently, according to ECN, renewable energy technology developments in the country, apart from the pilot lighting projects in some rural communities in some of the Northern states, include solar crop dryers, solar manure dryer, solar cooker and solar water heater.
The second most prominent source of renewable energy in the country is wind energy. A number of wind-powered water pumps have been installed in some Northern states, for example, at Goronyo and Sayya Gidan-gada in Sokoto, and Kedada in Bauchi states, respectively.
The key elements in the national policy position on the development and application of renewable energy and its technologies, according to ECN sources, are: to develop, promote and harness the Renewable Energy (RE) resources of the country, and incorporate all viable ones in the national energy mix; to promote decentralized energy supply, especially in rural areas, based on RE resources; to de-emphasize and discourage the use of wood as fuel; to promote efficient methods in the use of biomass energy resources; and to keep abreast of international developments in renewable energy (RE) technologies and applications.
Mallam Ibrahim Ahmed hails from Kwanni in Sokoto metropolis, Sokoto State.
"Our sunshine and wind are contaminated by the elements of dishonesty and lack of seriousness on the part of government officials. They cannot produce the electric energy our communities need to make up for what NEPA can't supply. But I don't know if you will be able to tell me how they can," he began humorously.
"I lived in Libya, and I went round the country sufficiently, and I can tell you that the sunshine and wind in such countries are pure enough to generate electricity. Ours in Nigeria is not pure at all. They have to be purified from all such elements (vices) before they can do so for us in reality and according to our need, especially in the rural communities, and with the viability required," he maintained.
"Everything God has created has many uses. So, nobody will doubt that sunshine or wind or any other thing can produce any form of energy if they are processed by the mechanical and chemical requirements. But in Nigeria, there are other determinants as important as the mechanical and chemical processes. Those determinants are honesty, commitment and continuity on the part of government executing projects, to supply the electric energy with sunshine and wind," he noted.
Mallam Ibrahim stressed: "Our sunshine and wind in Nigeria have to be purified from these contaminating elements first before we can begin to talk of any considerable and sustainable supply of electricity from sunshine, wind or any other sources."
"I am not telling you that sunshine, wind or any other thing cannot produce electric energy to satisfy communities which are inaccessible to the national grid," Candidos Chijioke began, "what I am telling you is that government officials in Nigeria will always ensure that the Nigerian sunshine, wind and any other thing, cannot produce near as much as required, according to the huge funds expended."
According to him, "For over 20 years now, NEPA has ceased to provide sufficient electricity, while there has been the growing need for rural communities to be electrified. This created the need for other sources of energy to provide electricity. I don't know about other sources of energy, but the solar project has been with us for over 20 years now. Even with the pilot projects said to have been executed, this solar thing, and consider its snail speed, has still not been developed to satisfy any considerable rural community with electricity with a sustainable supply system."
For Candidos, "There will be the talk of electrification with sunshine or wind or any other thing, and there will be huge funds for the projects, the projects may be executed to a very minimal level, just enough to arouse the innocent rural dwellers. But most of the projects don't pass that stage, that is if they don't crumble away in due course. Contrasting the situation with the huge funds spent for the projects and maintenance will give you hypertension. Go and ask any other person. He may tell you something different. For me, I can't see how such sources can give rural communities electricity. They are more intended as drain pipes for government officials to enrich themselves, than as community service initiatives. Although they may initially be well-intentioned, they all get hijacked and retarded by diversion of funds for personal enrichment."
He observed: "But for the corruption by government officials, and the lack of the maintenance or continuity of the projects by government, I believe these sources can produce enough electric energy for rural communities, and state governments can do it for their communities because solar energy, for example, is rechargeable, and because there is always sunlight. We are in Africa where there is enough sunshine. It can be on public and private sector partnership. But I am sorry... (he shrugged and passed by)."
Engineer Austin Okoye was more doubtful: "Over the years, there has been a lot of publicity on this, and even most rural dwellers now have heard about sun, wind and many other sources, processed to produce electricity. But the projects executed by whoever for this purpose is meant for government officials to siphone the money. We have heard some state governments executing such projects, but I can bet you, you will not see many of them functioning. Where some of them function, don't attempt to find out how much has been spent. Why is it that there has been too much noise about it over about 20 years, but just a negligible number of pilot projects have been executed? Nobody is really serious about all these things. On the surface, the projects will be publicized as being genuinely intended for the rural communities, but they are used by government officials to get money."
He queried: "In this situation, can the Nigerian sunshine and wind give us electricity in the rural communities which cannot be accessed by NEPA? If there is honesty, renewable energy projects, especially solar and windmill energy projects, are realistic, but because dishonesty, lack of seriousness and continuity are so endemic in the Nigerian society, they are not achievable. This means solar and wind energy supplying communities with enough electricity in Nigeria, will remain wishful thinking, until there is honesty and commitment, on the part of whoever is doing the service for the communities."
That was also the view of Patrick Bala: "With commitment, sustainability and honesty on the part of government officials, every village in every local government area of Nigeria, can have enough solar-powered or wind-powered electricity under a lasting project. But because these virtues are still far away from us, I can tell you that I don't see how our sunshine, wind and any other thing in Nigeria, can supply communities with electricity."
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I weep for my country Nigeria and pray that God in His mercy will give us leaders that have genuine interest in improving the lots of the ordinary downtrodden citizen. With God all things are possible. He can still give us selfless and servant leaders.