Government targets renewable energy to boost power supply

The Federal Government is targeting renewable energy to boost power supply in the country. According to the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, the aim is to accelerate socio-economic development of Nigeria.

Onu said this when he declared open the forum on “Scaling-Up Interconnected Mini-Grids Development in Nigeria: Current Status, Challenges and Prospects” organised by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP-GEF) and the Energy Commission of Nigeria in Abuja yesterday. He said that renewable energy would help the nation meet its electricity needs in a functional and sustainable manner.

The minister said 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 how to efficiently transform these resources into adequate and reliable energy for national development using our enormous capacity in science, technology, innovation and entrepreneurship.”

Onu said since the inception of the Muhammadu Buhari administration in 2015 there had been an increase in power generation capacity at an annual rate of about 390 megawatts per year, stressing that it could not adequately meet the needs of the country and spark economic development.

However, the ex-Abia State governor said Nigeria’s dream to become an industrialised country cannot be realised without adequate power supply.

“Renewable energy could meet Nigeria’s energy needs in the area of job creation and improved standard of living in rural areas,” Onu said.