…Intellectuals are left out in policy formulation which often hit the rocks.
-Felix Douglas
Developing Nigeria policy roadmap for long term energy security and sustainability has always been a cogent issue due to inconsistency by policy markers.
Speaking in a panel session at the Nigeria Independent Energy Summit (NIES), Prof. Wumi Iledare, Executive Director, Emmanuel Egbogah Foundation, opined that the key words and phrase to note from the theme for this panel are, energy access expansion, policies and innovations.
Iledare espoused that expanding energy access requires innovations and effective policies.
Energy access expansion requires innovations and resources availability with clear policy frameworks. The country has a good petroleum policy document that has been gazetted and the second is the natural gas policy document, which is anchored on three dimensions within the concept of energy access. Firstly, industrialization using natural gas and the second is export value creation through LNH and pipeline.
According to Iledare, the innovations that are required for energy access expansion also include effective pricing mechanism in gas to power policy frameworks; there are now availability to petroleum products and better access for energy services which includes cooking fuels and effective transportation system in the country because of downstream sector deregulation.
Interestingly, Nigeria has a robust energy expansion agenda but for lack of sustainable implementation strategy.
The other dimensions of energy access apart from availability are affordability and equity. Nigeria needs to price energy in such a way that it is accessible and affordable. You can have all the energies in the world, but people must have the willingness and ability to pay for it, according to Iledare.
Continuing, he said innovations and equity are very significant keys to expanding energy.
In terms of pricing of electricity, entity demands creativity and using progressive pricing mechanism rather than just ability to pay as the basis for energy access. There is need to pay higher rate for electricity consumption using luxury items.
The third important aspect of energy access expansion is adaptability, which needs proper public education and enlightenment. Nearly every Nigerian has access to telephone with easy to pay per minute mechanism. “Nigeria needs to begin to think about this when paying for electricity or energy services in general; we can use electronic system to make payment based on what is being used but not a monthly type of estimated billing.”
The fourth dimension of energy access expansion is sustainability. The mantra, prosperity without posterity is inconsequential with adverse effect is very applicable here making energy access expansion inevitable. There has to be prosperity for posterity, which makes it operative, make energy available, accessible, affordable and adaptable. “You will be surprised at the rate at which people will respond. Let us continue to think about how we can encourage our leaders in terms of having a leadership mindset that is transformational. And not transactional, when it comes to energy access expansion in Africa” Transformational mindset incorporates a vision that is shared with the intent that future generation has something to leverage and learn upon. “If we are able to make energy accessible with innovative ideas and sustainable policy frameworks, there is no better place to be in the world or at least in Africa than Nigeria.”
In his final remarks on the roles of policies and innovations in energy access expansion in Africa and specifically in Nigeria, Prof. Iledare advised the government on the Electricity Act that it should work with the provision and follow it to the letter by seeking for people who understand the intent of the law to enlighten its understanding and expectations.
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