Renewable Energy Solution To Energy Crises In Nigeria
By Abubakar Atiku Nuhu-Koko
The solution to Nigeria’s electricity conundrum lays in renewable energy resources (Suns shine, wind, biomass/bioenergy and river streams which are super abundantly available in almost all of the 36 States and the FCT. Over the past decades attempts were made by various governments both military and civilian administrations to solve the electricity supply deficits in Nigeria in order to meet the very growing need of energy supply but without much tangible sustainable results after spending huge sums of money. The challenge of chronic shortage of electric power in Nigeria due to poor performance of public power sector resulted in privatizing it in 2013 under the now defunct Nigeria electric power Sector Reform Act, NEPSRA (2005). A situation where more than 200 million Nigerians living in a country that has an installed electricity generation capacity of around 13,700 MW which in 2020, only around 4,500 of it were available due to gas and other infrastructure and technical constraints ( in comparison to South Africa, with less than 100 million inhabitants) which generate 51GW. Nevertheless, Nigeria has come up with new energy and power policies and laws. One of which is the national renewable energy and Energy efficiency Policy (NREEP) AND Vision 30:30:30 which calls for the installation of 30 Giga watt, by 2030 with a share of 30 percent renewables in addition to the latest Electricity Act 2023) which further devolved and decentralized electricity generation, distribution and regulation to subnational governments and the private investors. Therefore, with this new enabling laws and policies harnessing of the nation’ bountiful renewable energy resources utilizing their potentials of energy efficiency, integrating renewables via min grids and thus, scaling rural and suburban electrification targeted at the provision of reliable, affordable, and sustainable clean energy for the Nigerian people; especially provision of energy to disadvantage parts of the population that have not had access to modern energy services. The good news is that in addition to the new policies and enabling laws, the European Union and German ministry of economic cooperation and development (BMZ) are supporting the Nigerian government in this direction under their flagship jointly funded Nigerian Energy Support Programme (NESP) implemented by deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenabeit (GIZ) GMBH and the Nigerian federal Ministry of power and other local partner institutions
In order to meet this demand, the consideration and implementation of interconnected off grid/mini-grids based on green renewable energy resources (which Nigeria offers in super abundance) as possible solution is hereby proposed. The literature on the advantages of harnessing of renewable energy resources for generation of utility grade electricity and energy is beyond review in this brief narrative. For instance it has been established in the literature that cheap green energy from renewable energy resources can be produced and even exported to other countries if political and corruption and security challenges are eliminated. These challenges discourage s foreign and local investor to pump money into large scale interconnected grids relaying on renewable energy resources and successfully tackling the challenges of bringing sustainable clean energy to Nigeria.
However, with the constitutional amendment that removed electricity generation, distribution and transmission from the Exclusive list to Concurrent list and with new Electricity Act (2023) that replaced the Nigeria electric power Sector Reform ACT, NEPSRA (2005), Subnational governments can now be involved in generation, distribution and transmission of electricity but only within the state – for instance, each local government council can be tasked to generate at least 2.5 MW using solar energy or a combination of conventional and renewable energy resource across each state. They can equally establish their own independent electricity markets by establishing the necessary regulatory agencies and laws governing them.
It is against the above backdrop that some Nigerians are urging the subnational governments to take this opportunity to provide decentralized off grid electricity in their respective domains using for instance, solar photovoltaic mini premium grids which are innovative approaches for attracting public private investment to the Nigerian electricity supply industry (NESI) And delivering premium services (24/7) in ring-fenced areas and or under-served or un served areas. Furthermore, the decentralized or unbundled mini grids are part of electricity distribution franchising projects developed in a manner of embedded generation or an additional generation source (mostly solar energy or small hydropower plants) which aim to deliver reliable 24/7 service. Hence, state governments and other willing private investors key stakeholders need to actively participate and key into the implementation of the electricity Act (2023) for it to succeed. Doing this will improve the availability and reliability of electricity across the 36 states of the federation and the FCT.
Abubakar Atiku Nuhu-Koko is of the
Sokoto Energy Research Center (Energy Commission of Nigeria), Usmanu Danfodiyo Universityy, Sokoto
Tuesday, September 26, 2023