Dr Habib Nuhu, a Geologist and expert in international Energy Policy and Energy Economics, has urged the Federal government to encourage the establishment of mini-grid system to tackle the challenges bedeviling electricity supply in the country.
Nuhu made the call in Sokoto in a paper presented at a National Colloquium convened by Mr Zayyanu Yabo, an Engineer.
The second National Colloquium has as its theme, “The Role of Energy in National Development” and tagged, “Towards Deepening Nigeria’s Development.”
Nuhu, who was a Keynote Presenter at the event, said that Nigeria needed to decentralise its energy station in order to be able to tackle most of the arising problems in the system.
“Grid centralisation may not be a panacea to Nigeria’s electricity supply but off and mini grid system must be encouraged.
“Nigeria should have an integrated national energy policy that will be geared toward driving market oriented industry that has little or no barrier to entry,” he said.
The geologist also said that for any society to excel in the global energy drive it must leverage on God given capacity of women, “as such we should transform them to productive economic agents”.
“There should be a deliberate effort geared toward incentivizing to enroll on energy related vocational training and financing models designed to encourage women in energy business drive and participation.
“Moreover, focus should be on entrepreneurial opportunity that leverages on competitive advantage of local community for energy to serve as feedstock to drive economic activities like agriculture, ” he said.
He also said that Nigerian Youth must be committed to personally contribute in changing the societal narrative view of governance.
“Youth must take special interest in governance and demand for accountability from public officials,” he said.
In his address, the Chairman of the Colloquium, Prof. Omowumi Iledare, the pioneer Director, Emerald Energy Institute, University of Port Harcourt, commended the presenter for his justification on the topic.
Iledare said that the issue of energy was one of the most challenging issues that needed to be generally addressed among the whole citizens.
“As you all know,energy is like the food we consume, because if you don’t have energy it is like you don’t have food.
“As such, we need to make a reform in the energy sector for us to go to were we want to go in terms of energy development,” he said.
The Colloquium Convener, Zayyanu Yabo, in his address, said that the aim of the meeting was to engage people to discuss issues that would lead to national development.
“This is in commemoration of our tradition and legacy of the Sokoto Caliphate leaders to create awareness among the society to establish the real need for national development,” Yabo said. (NAN)