ENERGY CRISIS: NCEEC URGES CAUTION ON N500BN POWER FUND

Director, National Centre for Energy Efficiency and Conservation (NCEEC) of the University of Lagos, Prof Oluwole Adegbenro, has called on the Federal Government to carry out a managerial study before appropriating the N500 billion power fund, noting that there was need to adopt a holistic approach by addressing all other variables that would bring about constant power for the economy to grow.

According to Adegbenro, with the fund granted recently by Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for investment in emergency power projects in industrial areas, there is need to invest the fund in manpower development through the training of people for energy development.

He explained: 'Even in our energy sector, manpower need is not as adequate for the size of the country and energy needs. Due research into new materials is required, making sure as the materials that were invented and funded are not always adequate with the improvement. But, in the midst of research you can still find materials that can do the job better than they are doing it now.'

Adegbenro, who stated this during an exclusive interview with Daily Sun , said that as a way out of the power crisis, environmental impact assessment has to be done, and not building white elephant projects that would only work part of the time, even as he noted that the output of research in Nigeria is not at par with the size of the country.

Specifically, the university don stressed on the need for government to build fewer generating stations and the need for the consumer to adopt the attitudinal change in energy efficiency and conservation as it remains the most economical means of generating energy for household and industrial uses that will prevent even environmental hazards.

He further stated that energy conservation ensures sustainable economic development of the country by bring about reduction of energy cost, accelerates production of goods and services, even as businesses will thrive on improved access to energy supply. Noting that without its conservation, manufacturers tend to pass the cost on the consumers.

The don also stated the need for government to topple its effort on fixing the dearth of infrastructures, especially the bad roads and transportations should be worked upon as this will reduce the consumption of fuels by road users.

'If public transport is efficient, there is no need for occupier car on the road but with these old vehicles they pollute the atmosphere. Government should ensure that the transportation are functional, especially the railway should be made to function. If all these are fixed, there will sufficient energy for household use and get the economy, going,' he stated.