How power supply can provide employment and improve livelihood in Nigeria
Why cant we have uninterrupted power supply in Nigeria? This is a multi billion dollar question that is begging for answers year in year out, generation after generation.
So what’s the challenge right now?
It’s sad that a country of over 160 million generate less than 5, 000 megawatts of electricity barely enough to power a state in the country
The Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN said that the country’s power generation has improved from 3,810 megawatts recorded in September, 2016 to 4,285.90 megawatts.
Though power has improved compared to what it was before now, many parts of the country remain in darkness due to problems with the distribution companies, including provision of pre-paid meters thereby hampering small and medium scale enterprises in Nigeria.
The question of when Nigeria will have uninterrupted power supply still cant be answered even by those saddled with the responsibilities in the power sector thereby leaving Nigerians with nothing but mere hope. The sounds of generators have become the lullabies singing Nigerians to sleep every night.
Business are folding up, citizens are losing their jobs as big corporations and manufacturing companies like Cadbury Nigeria, Unilever Nigeria, Dunlop Nigeria to mention a few, have left the country all these as a result of poor power supply or as a result of its non availability. We are sure that Airtel Nigeria is spending a fortune to keep business running in Nigeria in terms of power generation.
How can Nigeria get out of this nightmare?
Like they say all hope is not lost as there are ways that Nigeria can get out of this and it is not a rocket science as other countries are doing it and having better result.
Energy companies have been taking steps to recycle waste to energy. Here are a few countries that have adopted the latest trend of converting waste into energy. Lets check out what these nations are doing in that regard.
Sweden
Sweden is a country that has set up several waste incineration plants in order to generate energy for heating purposes. It is one of the most successful countries to have converted waste into energy. Waste recycling fulfills around 20 percent district heating needs of Sweden. Sweden not only collects its own household and industrial waste, but also imports waste from neighboring European countries in order to recycle it or use it as a fuel in waste incineration plants. In fact, you will be amazed to know that just four percent of Sweden’s household waste moves to landfills. Waste to energy trend has picked up very well in this country over the last few years. Its waste recycling program has been very efficient and successful.
Denmark
Denmark has also been burning waste to generate energy that has been helping the country to reduce its energy costs. Denmark has also been reducing its dependence on fossil fuels since the time it started waste to energy programs. This country has majorly contributed to saving the landfill space on earth.
United Kingdom
Some major companies have started running waste recycling programs in various communities and have planned to set up plants to convert waste into energy. These companies are also making people aware of huge emissions and the need for facilities that could manage waste in helpful ways.
Norway
Norway is a country that has been turning waste into cash through its waste recycling efforts. It not only generates energy from its own waste, but also imports waste from other European Union countries that find it tough to handle waste. Thus, it is receiving cash to manage their waste.
Germany
Germany is one of the leading countries that has been importing waste from other nations and converting it to energy for its own cities. In Germany, waste to energy is a preferred method for disposing off their garbage.
United States
While electricity is cheaply available in the US, the country has still been making appreciable efforts in the area of converting waste into electricity. However, it still needs to go far in order to match the recycling efforts being done in many European nations.
United Arab Emirates
Various firms in the UAE have been transforming household waste into energy. These private efforts are greatly helping the country to handle the huge amount of waste it generates
Several countries across the world have been making efforts in the area of managing waste and converting it into energy. This may significantly solve the problem bedeviling Nigeria in terms of power supply and protecting the environment and provide opportunity for the teaming youth roaming the street looking for jobs that are not there.
Nigeria: we can do it
Some part of Nigeria is blessed with abundant sunlight and wind all year round which means that Nigeria can diversify its source of power supply from a mono source which is hydro to different sources like the solar, wind and waste to energy.
Waste generated in Nigeria especially Lagos and other commercial cities like Aba, Port Harcourt and Onitsha can also be use to generate power that will create opportunity for small and medium scale enterprises to thrive thereby creating employment for the teaming youth as unemployment is one of the most critical problem the country is facing.
