Yunus Akintunde, the lawmaker representing Oyo Central senatorial district, said the prioritization of urban centers over rural areas in energy allocation is not bringing about the necessary developmental penetration in Nigeria. .
According to Mr. Akintunde, initiatives aimed at promoting agribusiness agglomeration in rural areas should be established.
He said policies that encourage companies to cluster in rural areas are likely to encourage power companies to expand into rural areas.
The Oyo-born lawmaker, who is the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment, spoke on Tuesday at the 2nd Professor Nyaudo U. Ndeyo Public Lecture held at the University of Uyo in Akwa Ibom State.
He said that as experts, there is a need to engage in dialogue with stakeholders, including the Rural Electrification Authority (REA). Regarding rural electrification, the Federal Ministry of Power, the Nigerian Energy Commission, and the Rural Electrification Boards of some states have concluded that political interference, inferior off-grid technology, economic factors, and corruption are contributing factors to the reduction of energy poverty in rural Nigeria. revealed to be the main obstacle.
Of Nigeria’s population of over 206 million, more than 81 million people lack access to adequate electricity, with rural areas being the most affected. “This is disrupting the orderly planning and implementation of the department’s electrification plan.” Most of the off-grid equipment imported into this country is substandard and non-durable, while most of the officials in charge of each of these stages exhibit blatant rent-seeking behavior at times. ”
He also cited high costs of infrastructure, lack of investment, and inadequate power generation and distribution infrastructure as challenges for rural electrification in the country.
Revealing that Nigeria is rich in energy resources, Akintonde, the first Nigerian to earn a PhD in energy and environment, said the country’s renewable energy potential is 207,000 GWh from solar power and 207,000 GWh from hydropower. He said it will generate 50,800GWh of electricity. “Renewable resources include solar, wind, biomass, hydro, wave and tidal power, while non-renewable resources include crude oil, natural gas and coal,” he added.
Mr. Akintunde explained that despite being rich in natural resources, Nigeria continues to face challenges in the energy sector.
“There is a problem of insufficient power generation, with installed capacity of 12,522 MW and actual power generation of 4,000 MW. There are also problems of poor transmission infrastructure and frequent power outages. There is also the problem of insufficient investment in the energy sector. “What I want to convey to this audience is that energy poverty affects each gender differently. Women spend 4 to 6 hours a day collecting firewood in rural areas. “In women’s kitchens, they are often exposed to deadly gases, and cultural norms mean that access to energy does not always ease the burden on women,” he added.
Mr. Akintunde said that the way forward is the need for institutional reforms to increase energy consumption, noting that the current structure of the REA, which is currently centralized, should be decentralized to local areas.
“Public policies aimed at improving both the quantity and quality of electricity services need to be underpinned by broader macroeconomic policies. The private sector should be encouraged to expand into areas where there are no rural areas. Reform and development priorities should also focus on alternative financing for rural electrification programs. It must be tailored to encourage strategy.
“Furthermore, we need to increase investment in general education and energy use, so we must seek to raise awareness about clean and efficient energy. To achieve this goal, there is also a need to adopt alternative energy supplies, such as renewable energy sources. Policies should target the development of mobile infrastructure, micro-loans and strengthening payment solutions suitable for low-income people. The government could work with multilateral institutions to establish a fund that would give innovators access to capital to scale up their off-grid generation ideas.
Since his arrival in Uyo on Monday, Mr. Akintunde was warmly received by the Yoruba community and the university administration and was later invested as a major patron of the Yoruba community in the state.
