Electricity is without a question, a stimulant for any country's march toward industrialization. Energy is critical to socioeconomic development because it creates a plethora of options for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to prosper. The concept of 'renewable energy' refers to all kinds of power production gotten from natural resources such as sunshine, wind, biofuels, water, geothermal heat, biomass, and biofuels. They are generated through naturally renewed systems, hence referred to as alternative forms of energy. These are regarded as clean energy and serve as a means towards achieving the United Nation's 7th Sustainable Development Goal.
Energy Supply in Nigeria
Nigeria has the world's greatest oil and gas reserves, with crude oil contributing to 90% of the country's export revenues and the government's major budgeting choices and yearly income projections. As the global oil and gas sector continues to decline, other nations and Nigeria are considering the implications of the phasing out of fossil fuels. As per the World Bank's Doing Business report for 2020, Nigeria was ranked 171 out of 190 countries on the basis of access to power.
Nigeria is a country with the largest economy in Sub-Saharan Africa, but its progress is hampered by electricity shortages. Access to electricity still remains one of the major challenges for private industries within the country. With a high electricity consumption that cannot be matched with that supplied by on-grid power, Nigeria's prospects for renewable energy is bright if she is willing to produce it. Nigeria has abundant petroleum, gas, hydro, and solar resources, and current facilities have the capacity to create 12,522 MW of electricity. Nevertheless, on most days, it can only deploy roughly 4,000 MW, which is inadequate for a country the size of over 195 million people. Despite these shortfalls, the country has the ability to revolutionize the renewable energy sector.
Renewable Energy: Solar Energy in Nigeria
Nigeria has the ability to access a variety of renewable energy sources, including hydrothermal, wind, biomass, and solar, the latter two of which are the most promising for off-grid alternative energy growth. The combustion of fossil fuels has constantly resulted in an energy dilemma for mankind, as well as pollution in our environment. Solar energy has therefore long been considered a feasible solution to energy, environmental, and international issues.
Nigeria’s solar energy sector has exploded, making it one of the world's thriving marketplaces. Solar Photovoltaic (PV) systems, which take advantage of Nigeria's naturally available solar energy provide a clean and efficient energy, more alternative to gasoline generating units as a source of basic and fallback electricity production for consumers and firms. To absorb, store, and utilize photovoltaic electricity, many solar systems include a mix of panels, charge controllers, batteries, and inverters. Each of the key components has its own set of maintenance requirements and breakdown points. This poses a serious challenge in an environment where planned maintenance and funds are scarce, and understanding of novel technologies such as solar power is scarce.
Solar technology and scientific initiatives in Nigeria were primarily low-energy capacity until recently. Solar illumination for houses in Nigeria has progressed from a rudimentary trial with substantial cost difficulties to a viable option. Collaborative efforts and creativity spurred by international initiatives have culminated in explosive development for small businesses in other regions of Africa, as well as a limited but growing understanding of Nigeria's market opportunity and advantages.
State Governments are increasingly looking for alternate energy sources while the Federal Government develops and expands the national grid. However, the outcomes are uneven, and other funded ventures have also had issues. However, major triumphs, such as a solar plant in northern Nigeria, stand in stark contrast to these failures. For remote people, the system was transformative, supplying not just water but also a microenterprise centre, as well as fueling healthcare coverage and education programs and creating new economic opportunities. Currently, a variety of renewable energy technologies are being employed to provide fuel for cooking, space heating, lighting, cars, and other applications. A number of initiatives are assisting with the Nigeria Grid-related project, which aims to bring renewable energy accessibility to off-grid populations. Despite these moves, some state-run initiatives, which were less ambitious, have failed. In Lagos and Abuja, solar lighting has failed. More than a dozen Nigerian states, including Sokoto, Borno, Nasarawa, Bayelsa, and Delta, have shared Lagos' experience. Following the failure in Sokoto, some state administration decided to forsake their solar projects and instead focus on connecting the state to the national grid.
Some of the challenges impeding the growth of the solar energy in Nigeria are as follows:
In Nigeria, public awareness of the enormous socioeconomic advantages derived from solar energy is quite low.
Despite the fact that technologies for capturing solar energy are being developed in Nigeria, the majority of components must be imported, increasing the investment prices.
Until relatively recently, Nigeria had no detailed energy policy. Only energy-related sub-sectorial policies exist, thus affecting the effective production and consumption of energy in the country.
Energy generation still remains a major challenge in Nigeria. To cater for its fragile economy which has worsened with the global progress towards reducing fossil fuel impact on the environment, there is need for exploring other forms of alternative energy that are less harmful and can support the national power grid to aid development and industrialization.
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