From Cyriacus Nnaji, Lagos
The need for advocacy and consolidation of efforts and commitment of different groups, Non-Governmental Organisation and the government of Nigeria for adequate energy for the people has taken a new shape with the launch of a new information website on renewable energy.
Nigeria indeed is endowed with abundant renewable energy resources namely solar, wind, hydro and biomass that can be harnessed to scale up its energy supply and achieve universal energy access, energy security and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions for climate change mitigation.
In view of its conviction in the renewable energy option, the Consumer Advocacy and Empowerment Foundation (CADEF) with mission to promote a fair and humane society through enhanced consumer protection, advocacy, entrepreneurship, and empowerment to strengthen sustainable economic growth, unveiled a website, distributed energy resources der.cadefng.org, designed as a one stop shop information sharing website on distributed energy.
Speaking to the media, at the CADEF office at Magodo, Lagos State, Professor Chiso Ndukwe Okafor, the Executive Director, CADEF said the website is a one-stop-shop for information sharing. “It is a one stop shop information sharing website on distributed energy, where you can learn what solar power energy is all about? What are the different aspects? It is where you can begin to calculate what your personal needs are, using the solar energy calculator, where you can say, okay, these are what the policies are, these are the organisations that provide financing options for you, this is where you can find installers and resellers.”
Prof Okafor urged installers and resellers to ensure that they register on the platform in order to be easily connected. “I would also want resellers and installers to register on the platform so that we can properly get them and add them, so that people who are looking for them can easily find them.”
Speaking on renewable energy as alternative to public power and its affordability, she said, “When it comes to renewable energy you have to remember it is not just the solar energy, there are solar cookers, there are solar hot waters, and solar energy, you go according to your pocket, what you can afford. If you cannot get a whole 8 hours, you do renewable energy for few hours; so you go to what you can afford. You can also approach financial institutions because some of them give out loans at an affordable rate that you can take and pay as you go. So there are lease options, there is pay-as-you-go and there is part-payment; so you figure out what your pocket can take, you cannot afford everything.”
Prof Okafor also spoke on the role of CADEF in renewable energy value chain and how it can assist those in need of consultation. She said that CADEF is neither an installer, nor an equipment seller. “What we can do is we have some consultants that we work with, that have agreed to have conversations, to say yes, let’s have conversation on what you need. Now apart from that, the person now has to talk to the consultants and work out whatever payment they can do. We are not consultants, we are not experts, but we work with consultants and experts.”
Speaking on the projection that there will be power for all by the year 2025, Okafor said it is not realistic. “It is not realistic to say that there will be electricity for all by 2025, but what is going to happen is for the media to disseminate the information so that the public will understand what the alternatives are, getting the people to know what to do, what can I afford, what is out there? A lot of people don’t even know some of the alternatives; it is about getting quality information and collaboration with other agencies; that is what we can do.”
On investment opportunities in renewable energy, Prof Okafor said that there are different financial institutions, the African Bank, that can be reached out to, ”CADEF is just providing information, so if there are specific information we are looking for we can reach out to the different agencies and get that information.”
