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Nigeria: Warming up to solar energy
Melford Ita
Receiving on average 365 days of radiant energy, Africa is endowed with
abundant sun. Nevertheless, 85 % of the people still live in rural areas without
electricity. Melford Ita reports from Nigeria and the EU.
 Photovoltaic (PV) technology, can offer a variety of practical alternative
energy solutions for Nigeria. The term PV is derived from the Greek/Latin
vocabulary composed of the words phos, and volt. Succinctly, PV converts
sunlight directly into electricity. It is environment friendly, modular, silent,
needs no fuel, there are no emissions or pollution; it is clean. Moreover, there
are no moving parts, which often lead to wear or tear, and there is little or no
maintenance. Lacking accurate information, sceptics have queried PV efficacy on
overcast days. Of course, the amount of sunlight available will affect the
amount of energy produced.
The good news is that batteries collect current from the solar modules,
storing the incoming electric energy as chemical energy; commonly referred to as
the charge. As needed, this chemical energy can be given off as electric energy,
the discharge. Appreciably no energy is lost but stored in the battery for later
use, as the case on overcast days.
When the Lagos State Government reactivated moribund traffic lights at busy
intersections around the city, motorists envisaged an imminent relief from
constant traffic snarls. Sadly, over one year after the lights were restored the
traffic situation has not improved. In a teeming tropical city of 13 or more
million people, there are 14 traffic lights: one traffic light per 928,000 stoic
inhabitants. Moreover, a United Nations (UN) survey revealed that Lagos
population could swell to 23 million by 2015. Consider the poor roads and
inadequate lights for regulating traffic flow and the implications are glaring.
In 2001, the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) claimed that of 12, 954
recorded accidents in Nigeria; 7, 769 were fatalities. Between the months of
April and June this year there were 1,200 fatalities; amounting to roughly 13.3
lives lost per day.
Regrettably, some of these lives may have been saved through a simple blood
or plasma transfusion; however, in the absence of solar powered refrigerators in
remote hospitals, healthcare facilities or clinics, these lifesaving fluids lose
their effectiveness.
 In Egypt - along the Sinai Peninsula - a photovoltaic radio link network
stretching 1000km is in place. Nigeria could follow suit in that law enforcement
agencies, natural resources and wildlife management, academic institutions, the
security services, air and seaport management, hospitals, customs and
immigration service, government, the fire service, the military, agriculture and
the private sectors amongst others can benefit from PV applications.
Engineer Eyo Ita of the African Credit Development Company Limited urged
government to adopt PV as an alternative source of energy because it would
reduce significantly the cost of GSM charges. Alluding to MTN - one of Nigeria's
mobile phone operators - engineer Ita advanced that GSM operators spend over
N500, 000 (?300, 000) on generators in each of their base stations - roughly 520
- with costs being transferred to subscribers in terms of billing. Were PV
deemed affordable, GSM operators would readily embrace its application as
opposed to generators, which are noisy, require fuel and pollute the
environment, he added. Recognising the enormous advantages connected with PV,
engineer Ita remarked on the issue of affordability.
In 1980 following the rapid depletion of Nigeria's natural resources together
with non-sustainable development practices, the late Chief Shafi Lawal Edu and
friends founded the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF); Nigeria's foremost
non-governmental organisation. Aimed at improving the quality of human life and
Nigeria's biodiversity, NCF policy is centred on the conservation of nature and
its resources.
Earlier this year during a GWU Solar technology presentation at the NCF
secretariat, Melford Ita - an environment consultant - claimed that Nigeria's
environment is responding to local and global market stimuli and in due course,
the nation can expect a significant increase in its demand for energy.
Solar energy fits into the overall European Union (EU) member states
framework for co-operation with Nigeria. Equally, the onus rests squarely with
the Nigerian and EU leaderships; where appropriate and relevant design and
implementation of a project, the active participation of parastatal, private and
non-governmental organisations should be encouraged. At the local level, the
Nigerian government should actively encourage public awareness in environmental
protection measures, promulgate and enforce legislation aimed at safeguarding
natural resources and pollution control.
It came to the fore that in Nigeria, for decades power supply has been
complemented by personal generating sets. Faced with the ever-increasing demand
for energy and a need to keep pollution to the bare minimum, Dr. Onyebuci
Onyegbule - NCF director fundraising and communications - expressed that the NCF
considered the introduction of PV technology a necessity. The consensus was that
GWU Solar should consider rural communities by fabricating small power machines
for agriculture, the running of cottage industries, and the introduction of
demonstration centres for raising awareness.
Majekodunmi committee member of the NCF - suggests that in the disaffected areas
in the Niger Delta where locals are not accruing the benefits of fossil fuels
extracted, that PV implementation is tantamount to meaningful intervention and
appropriate technology. It is cost effective in riverine areas; the cost of
sinking one pylon will
electrify nearly 100 homes. Besides, over a hundred pylons will have to be
sunk for an area to be connected to the national grid.
In terms of lobbying government, including foreign governments keen to
support community development programmes, Mr. Mathias von Polenz of the
German Embassy, a guest at the solar energy presentation, the diplomat was asked
to push the agenda forward. Undoubtedly, rural communities - the Niger Delta for
example - show signs of very low power consumption, therefore a little bit of
electricity and fluorescent lighting could significantly improve their
livelihoods. In a formal letter addressed to GWU Solar, the NCF suggested that a
photovoltaic unit could be mounted at its secretariat; this would demonstrate
the German firm's expertise and presence in Nigeria. The NCF committee opined
that irrespective of alleged claims over PV innovative qualities, in the absence
of a demonstration it would be unethical for the NCF to advocate for GWU
products. Mathias von Polenz has since been urged to intervene in order to
facilitate the initiative.
Global energy consumption is set to increase 60 per cent by the year 2020.
Supposedly, much of the growth is expected in the emergent world. Fortunately,
this year the first European Solar Thermal Energy Conference (ESTEC 2003)
convened in Freiburg, Germany and at which time a European solar energy strategy
for market development and the transfer of German market success to other
countries were discussed. Against this backdrop of viable commercial
opportunity, including industrial placements, exchange programmes etc, the
implications for north-south relations are glaring. Overall, growing and
compelling evidence indicates that prudent PV applications can mitigate many of
the aforementioned unforeseen contingencies facing the emergent world. Nigeria -
a regional power in Africa - is warming up to ESTEC 2003.
More information:
Melford Ita is an environmental consultant and freelance journalist.
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