‘Strengthening Nigeria’s energy policy will spur investment option’

Analysts believe that achieving the desire result in ultilisation of energy sources such as fossil fuels, hydro, solar, tidal, geothermal and biomass to drive output in power generation depends on implementation of the theoretical framework of the energy policy. But absence of an enabling business environment in the alternative energy space is also not helping matters and can contribute to forestalling the drive to move away from over reliance of gas as the major source of power generation.

Weak implementation of the policy framework on diversification of Nigeria energy sources by government may stall the chances of the country optimising the abundance energy sources for effective power generation energy experts have warned.

They maintain that the Federal Ministries of Environment and Power and the Energy Commission of Nigeria should implement their blueprints of renewable energy technologies in at least, direct capturing of the excess solar energy, abundant in Nigeria.

Long-term investments in renewable energies like solar and wind have the potential to contribute significantly to the electricity deficiency, observes Smart Amaefula, a climate change expert. He pointed out that Nigeria should not be lagging behind in towing this alternative energy sources path that other visionary and proactive nations are towing to save their countries from impending energy cataclysm.

According to him, “The theoretical framework of the energy policy outlined by the Nigerian government seems promising, but there is a discontinuity, however, between implementation and theory”.

“Nigeria receives about 4909.212 kWh of energy from the sun which is equivalent to about 1.082 million tonnes of oil; this is about 4000 times the current crude oil production per day, and also put at about 13 thousand times of daily natural gas production based on energy unit”. He said.

Dada Thomas, managing director, Frontier Oil Limited noted that only a clear government policy on the right energy sources to adopt will attract the needed investment.

“We must drive Nigeria in this direction, but my view is that solar will beat all of these other sources of energy. The cost of solar per kilowatts is dropping at a ridiculous rate”. He said

Dada insists that the energy mix for Nigeria should be deployed based on the comparative advantage that each regions in the country have.

“Solar should be the major source of energy in the northern part of Nigeria, Hydro one of the cleanness is already in existence, gas which represents 70 percent of current sources, coal in Enugu state, wind, Biomass etc.

From all indication, Nigeria continues to grapple with the challenge of high-energy loss due to the physical deterioration of the transmission and distribution facilities, an inadequate metering system and an increase in the incidence of power theft through illegal connections.

This situation industry experts observe can be traced to the absence of any strategic government policy to harness the various energy sources in abundance which implies that the country cannot meet her energy needs and failed to generate energy for export revenue.

Concerned industry watchers opine that electricity supply or the lack of it will remain a very sensitive issue with several political and economic sophistications as questions around the will power of Nigeria to fully optimise her other energy sources for effective power supply will continue to be asked.

Report indicates that currently Nigeria depends on an estimate of 1.1 trillion standard cubic feet of gas per day from Escravos Lagos Pipeline System which serve as a back bone of power supply.

“Nigeria needs to look at harnessing other sources of power; we need diversify our energy base because 70 percent concentration of gas as a major energy base is too much as it renders us vulnerable whenever there is an attack on gas trunk lines says Dolapo Oni Head, Energy Research, Ecobank Development Company (EDC) Nigeria Limited.

Most countries around the world don’t allow a particular source of energy to control more than 50 percent of their power output Oni observe stressing that Nigeria need to consider the option of actually burning light crude oil in place of gas as is applicable in neighbouring Ghana.

From the NIMET’s info sheet, Nigeria is endowed with an annual daily sunshine that is averagely 6.25 hours, which is ranging between about 3.5 hours at the coastal areas of the northern boundary of the nations and also has an annual average daily solar radiation of about 3.5 KWm2/day in the coastal area which is in the southern part and 7.0 KWm2/ day at the northern boundary.

KELECHI EWUZIE