Former Energy Minister Nnaji calls for expansion of solar, hydropower as Nigeria aims for 2060 clean energy targets

A former Minister of Energy, Professor Barth Nnaji, has said that if Nigeria is serious about increasing the percentage of clean energy sources by 2060, it should accelerate the construction of solar and hydropower plants across the country.

Speaking at the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Alliance-Alliance (REEEA-A) International Conference 2024 in Abuja, Nnaji, now Managing Director of Geographic Power Ltd., argued that even if the key path to energy self-sufficiency for Nigeria at present If the time is gas, renewable energy is also expected to constitute a major part of the energy mix.

The conference, which aimed to serve as a dashboard for the energy transition plan and the way forward, had the theme: “On the road to net zero emissions: concrete initiatives for success. »

REEEA has been at the forefront of promoting sustainable energy practices and facilitating the transition to a low-carbon future, with the aim of advancing the energy transition discourse and highlighting the progress made so far.

Nnaji maintained that there was a need for a well-articulated program to achieve the set targets, but argued that for now, gas remains a viable transition fuel for Nigeria.

“However, for new energy, Nigeria should really focus on building hydroelectric plants and solar plants,” the former energy minister said, adding that studies have shown that while these alternatives can work , they must also be economically viable.

“And so, it’s very, very close to what I would say, which is that for now, hydropower and solar are the key elements,” he stressed, explaining that if Nigeria is to To take advantage of the rush to electric vehicles, charging infrastructure must be built. and should be available at charging stations.

Furthermore, the Minister of Energy, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, in his speech emphasized that Nigeria’s energy transition continues to be driven by the need to reduce energy-related carbon dioxide emissions in order to mitigate the effects of climate change.

Adelabu, who was represented by the Director of Renewable and Rural Energy, Sunday Owolabi, said under the climate change pledge, Nigeria seeks to reduce its greenhouse gases (GHG) unconditionally by 20 percent and 47 percent conditionally, according to the agreement. Paris Agreement through its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC).

“Centralized electricity capacity must increase to 200 GW by 2060, comprising 90% renewable energy; decentralized power capacity will include approximately 3 GW of solar PV and approximately 12 GW of mini-grids/solar home systems,” he said.

He listed some of the Federal Government’s efforts including: the 30MW Gurara, 40MW Dandinkowa, 40MW Kashimbilla, 700MW Zungeru and 3,050MW Mambilla hydropower projects, which he said , had been hanging around for years before this administration.

In his speech, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of REEEA-A, Professor Abubakar Sambo, said Nigeria is well endowed with renewable energy resources and the opportunities to harness these for the benefit of Nigerians are great .

“For solar energy, the use of commonly available 300 Wp solar panels with an efficiency of about 15 percent on 1 percent of the land area of Nigeria with an average of six hours of sunshine and an average irradiation of 500 watts per square meter can produce the following power output: 551,000 MW at 100 percent capacity factor; 275,500 MW at 50 percent capacity factor and 37,750 MW at 25 percent capacity factor. percent,” he said.

On the country’s electricity supply situation, the current efforts of the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI), he said, are quite remarkable and commendable.

“However, the electricity supply of around 5,000 MW for a current population of around 230 million comes to an average annual per capita electricity consumption of 190 kWh. The figure for sub-Saharan Africa is around 600 kWh, while for the world it is around 3,000 kWh.

“For Nigeria to be at the level of consumption of sub-Saharan Africa, the power supply should be about 12,000 MW and for it to be at the level of the world average annual electricity consumption per capita, the “The country’s power supply is expected to be about 73,000 MW,” Adelabu noted.

Also speaking, Chairman of the House Committee on Renewable Energy, Hon. Afam Ogene, stressed that one of the important objectives of the Electricity Act, 2023 was to provide a holistic integrated plan that recognizes all sources of electricity generation, transmission and distribution, including the integration renewable energies in our country’s energy mix.

“There is indeed a global quest for more secure, sustainable and renewable energy due to the global impact of carbon emissions from fossil fuels on our environment. The great effects of global warming and climate change are not just reserved for major climate conferences around the world, but could be felt alarmingly all around us, in our different environments, in different forms,” he said. he argued.

The Managing Director of the Association of Power Generation Companies of Nigeria (APGC), Dr. Joy Ogaji, has stressed that while the Electricity Act is full of potential, it is in its implementation that lies the real problem.

“It’s time to start asking questions other than just swallowing whatever comes from the hook and sinker and then drinking some water,” she said.

The President of REEEA-A, Professor Magnus Onuoha, earlier in his welcome address said that seven associations had formed the alliance and were collectively sharing the burden of using clean energy technologies to improve access and energy security in Nigeria and beyond.

“Over the past five years, we have provided and will continue to provide regulatory support and services to virtually all of our public and private sector clients and partners; network and information exchange; infrastructure; responsibilities for corporate well-being and sustainability; youth and gender empowerment; and research support services (databank).

“These are all core values that we used to execute our vision and mission statements,” Onuoha said.

Emmanuel Addeh