By Ejime Udueme….
One of the bane to Nigeria’s underdevelopment can be attributed to the epileptic power situation in the country, despite billions of dollars spent by successive federal governments to improve power supply to no avail.
The incessant collapse of the national grid has further worsened the situation as Nigerians pay for darkness rather than steady electricity.
To solve this epileptic power challenge, many Nigerians and homes have switched to the use of solar power for their electricity needs despite the hike in installing solar power.
Solar power in clear terms is the conversion of sunlight into electricity.
This technology is thriving in Nigeria because Nigeria’s geographical plain enjoys heavy sunlight almost on daily basis.
Solar power has become a new bride in many countries like Nigeria because it is a renewable energy source, zero greenhouse gas emissions, energy independence, .low maintenance and cost effective.
But due to non availability of public power supply in most part of Nigeria, many homes have embraced the solar power technology.
In contrast, Nigeria needs approximately forty thousand megawatts of electricity to meet basic, households and industrial demands but all attempt to achieve this has ended in futility.
Currently, the country has 23 power generating plants connected to the national grid but the generating plans cannot generate four thousand megawatts due to the challenges of transmission losses,vandalism and maintenance issues.
Solar energy can play a significant role in bridging the energy gap as approximately 71 percent of the total population lack access to electricity hence the need to embrace solar revolution.
Government at all levels can begin to invest in solar power to meet the country’s electricity needs rather than to power some streetlights in many roads and streets.
To address this teething challenge of public source of power, the federal government has been working to increase its generation capacity, improve transmission and distribution infrastructure and promote private sector investment in the energy sector but the generation and distribution has remained a mirage.
In pursuit of Universal energy access by 2030 by the federal government,solar energy remains a Springboard in achieving the goal.
This can be done through subsidizing the amount to procure solar energy in addition to sponsorship of youths on how to be trained and retrained on solar power technology.
Scaling up solar energy can be achieved through various initiatives like financing,private sector participation, renewable energy technologies,policy support and regulatory frameworks,capacity building, international cooperation and knowledge sharing.
Government can reduce the high cost of solar power through policy and regulatory measures, financial incentives, research and development, infrastructure development, education and training, Public Private Partnerships, tariff and trade policies and entrenchment of global best practices.
With all the dividends in solar power, Nigeria can maximise them to tackle insufficient power in private homes and channel the national grid into the industrial sector, as a way of reducing the cost of doing business. This will ultimately boost the economy and create jobs for the army of unemployed youths.
