From Douglas Blessing
The Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) has urged the federal government to encourage the use of renewable energy in the country, in order to boost the nation’s economy.
A former Director General, Energy Commission of Nigeria, Prof Abubakar Sambo, made the call at the 2021 Nigerian Content Workshop, organised by the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) in Port Harcourt, recently.
Represented by a University Don, Prof Cosmas Anyanwu, Sambo noted the need for government to encourage the diversification of energy to meet Net Zero target of 2050 and for sufficiency.
Sambo who is also a member of NSE further advised the federal government to invest in renewable energy, just as he noted that other rich oil countries have started diverting from fossil fuel energy to save the environment.
He stressed: “The Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) is governing the petroleum industry but the oil rich countries are investing in renewable energy and we have to take a queue because there will a time this oil will finish.
“Even though gas is cleaner than other crude oil and coal, but renewable energy is still better.
“Why we can achieve Net Zero with renewable energy is because the plant absorb carbon iv oxide to grow. So even if you generate carbon iv oxide when you are using biomass, you are sure that plant will still absorb it again so you can achieve Net Zero.
“We must develop the petroleum industry at the same time because Nigeria has oil. So we have to make the most benefit of the oil. But renewable energy is aboundant to Nigeria also and nothing prevent us from tapping what we have.
“The Nigerian Energy Master plan recommends that we should use all forms of energy that are available in the country, not just renewable or oil and gas. It is only by diversifying the whole basket of energy means in Nigeria that we can achieve energy sufficiency.
“My advise is to pursue vigorously both the PIA, but also the national energy master plan which stipulate that we use the energy resources where we find them and to encourage the adoption and usage of renewable energy in Nigeria. So, government should incentivise renewable energy”, Prof Sambo added.
Similarly, Mr. Babagana Mohammed, President of NSE, called for a more cohesive coordination and transparency in the transformation of the energy sector.
“Even though we agitate for transition from fossils to renewable energy in Nigeria, we have not lost sight of the need to be methodical about that transition”.
Earlier, in his speech, Chairman, Nigerian Content Committee, NSE, Dr. Aloaye Alli, disclosed that the essence of the programme was to “empowering and domesticating services, production, manufacturing and logistics towards growing and entrenching economy-wide critical expertise and skills in key sectors of the Nigerian economy”.
Alli who noted the theme of the workshop as “Renewable Energy and Clean Fuels: Opportunities for the Nigerian Engineer”, said the choice of Port Harcourt is because is a home to numerous oil and gas and renewable firm.
