FG plans to introduce renewable energy to boost power supply

The federal government plans to diversify the country’s energy supply sources to include renewable energy towards accelerating socio-economic development, according to the minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu.

Dr Onu made this known when he declared open the forum on ‘Scaling-up interconnected mini-grids development in Nigeria’, ‎organised by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP-GEF) and the Energy Commission of Nigeria, in Abuja.

The minister noted that renewable energy will help the nation meet its electricity needs in a functional and sustainable manner, as well as improve the quality of life in the country.

“Nigeria is endowed with substantial energy resources such as coal, crude oil and natural gas; renewables such as hydro, wind, solar, geothermal, waves and tides, as well as biomass.

“The challenge before us has always been on how to efficiently transform these resources into adequate and reliable energy for national development using our enormous capacity in science, technology, innovation and entrepreneurship”, the minister said.

The minister disclosed that since the inception of the present administration in 2015, electronic power generation capacity had increased at an annual rate of about 390 megawatts per year.

However, he said this is commendable, but it could not adequately meet the needs of the country’s population and also sustain the desired level of economic development.

Onu asserted that Nigeria’s desire to industrialise cannot be realised without adequate power supply.

He maintained that all efforts must be made to ensure that homes, offices, factories, schools, hospitals and laboratories in the country have adequate, reliable and affordable electricity supply.

The minister said that “renewable energy could meet Nigeria’s energy needs in the area of job creation and improved standard of living in rural areas.

Onu opined that the development of solar photo-voltaic (Pv) in the country triggered by increase in demand for rural water supply, lighting, health services and micro-enterprise needs to be regulated to stimulate private sector participation.