Renewable energy in Nigeria aims to change a few things in the Nigerian energy industry so that you are never stuck between pricing and light again.
With the recent hike in energy bills, renewable energy in Nigeria has become a topic of great interest and debate. With the emergence of new technologies, there is indeed no need to be stranded in darkness. Learn about grid innovation: Leveraging of grid modernization.
What is Renewable Energy
This is a source of power that comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, e.t.c. Renewable energy includes solar, hydroelectric, geothermal, ocean thermal, and biomass resources. As the world moves towards sustainable energy, Nigeria is not left out.
Hydropower has the highest potential for renewable energy in Nigeria, which gives a total of 10,000 MW for large hydropower and 734 MW for small hydropower.
Read- Top 11 Solar Energy Companies in Nigeria.
9 sources/Types of renewable energy in Nigeria?
Renewable energy is the future of the country and is the source includes
- Wind: Wind is a source of energy where turbines turn the breeze into electricity
- Solar: Solar uses cells to generate and convert sunlight into electricity
- hydroelectric: It is generated from abundant flowing water, which turns into turbines to give electricity.
- Landfill gas/ Solid waste of energy: Electricity here is generated from harnessing the decomposition of organic material around.
- Biomass: Biomass comes from plants, trees, and other organic material that is burned to generate energy.
Pros and Cons of Renewable Energy
| Source of renewable energy | Pros | Cons |
| Wind | No pollution whatsoever limited maintenance and doesn’t cost much. | When the wind is blowing, no energy is generated. |
| Solar Power | No pollution and an unlimited supply of sunlight. | Relies on sunlight and so can not generate electricity at night. It is expensive and consumes a lot of geographical footprints to generate energy. The panels used can cause glare. |
| Biomass | It is abundant, cleaner than fossil fuel, and has no interruption. | Consumes more energy during production, which leads to air pollution and it competes with food production. |
| Hydroelectricity | It is an abundant clean source of energy is abundant where there are bodies of water. | The dams can be a great environmental concern are limited to where there is water. |
| Landfill gas/ Solid waste of energy | Harnesses the efficient use of waste reduces methane emissions in the air. | Requires large areas of landfill is compared to plants powered by fossil fuel. Pollution problem and recycling reduces landfills. |
Who regulates renewable energy in Nigeria?
The Energy Commission of Nigeria regulates renewable energy in Nigeria. They came into existence through Act No. 62 of the 1979 constitution, as amended by Act No. 32 of 1988. Also, as amended by Act No. 19 of the 1989 constitution.
Understanding Renewable Energy in Nigeria
Renewable energy is a substitute for non-renewable energy sources. It comes from geothermal, solar, wind, hydro and biofuels, etc. As the name suggests, it is a sustainable source of power as it can be renewed or replenished. Renewable energy doesn’t pollute the environment as much as any other source of energy.
Nigeria’s future economic growth is tied to the development of renewable energy resources that are locally available and can sustainably generate energy. Renewable energy is also important because of its contribution to rural economic development, job creation, and poverty reduction.
Renewable energy is the future of energy. It is one of the powerful ways to ensure that we meet the growing demand for access to modern, reliable, and affordable electricity today. Renewable energy sources are also currently being developed in many parts of Nigeria.
8 Challenges of renewable energy in Nigeria
Accessing affordable and clean energy in Nigeria comes with a lot of challenges. They are
- Poverty
- Short-term policies
- Lack of awareness
- Political instability
- Reduction in the general economic growth
- Poor research development and inadequate solar initiative research
- Socio-economic imbalance
- Lack of technological know-how.
7 Opportunity of Renewable Energy in Nigeria
Nigeria has been confronted with constant electricity problems and issues which come from power generation to transmission and distribution. It is pertinent to note that the major sources of electricity in Nigeria are gas and hydropower.
However, for many years, homes, businesses, and industries have faced huge challenges when accessing electricity in Nigeria. The opportunities for renewable energy in Nigeria includes:
- Government stepping in to promote it by creating and enabling a sound investment environment
- By creating favorable policies, to guarantee financial rewards like tax exemptions and renewable energy credits.
- To also create avenues to the benefits of generating more electricity from solar, wind, hydropower, and biomass in Nigeria.
- Will amount to the most apparent in the creation of millions of jobs for the citizens
- It will help in an increased income
- Opportunity in boosting economic growth and
- This will lead to a more stable power supply in Nigeria.
Legal Framework and Regulatory Institutions Overseeing Renewable Energy in Nigeria
| Legal framework and regulatory institutions | Functions |
| The Energy Commission of Nigeria | ECN is the apex government organ that is empowered to carry out overall energy sector planning and policy implementation. They achieve this by promoting the diversification of energy resources. They also Oversee and regulate the renewable energy sector in Nigeria. |
| The 1999 Constitution of Nigeria. (As amended). (As amended) places electricity on the concurrent legislative list | Stating that all levels of government are permitted to participate in major phases of electricity allocation and distribution in the country. Which was shown and provided under Paragraph 14 of the Schedule II of the Nigeria Constitution. |
| The Electric Power Sector Reform Act of 2005 | Highlights the importance of renewable electricity in the global energy mix to guarantee access to electricity in rural places. |
| National Energy Policy of August 2003 | Marks the total drive of energy policy of ensuring full usage of Nigeria’s energy resources for justifiable growth of its energy sector |
What is the demand for renewable energy in Nigeria?
Renewable energy use in Nigeria is not so high. It was perceived to have increased by about 3% in 2020. There was an almost 7% growth in electricity generation from renewable sources using solar by so many companies like Greenage Technologies Power Systems Limited and so on.
9 Key Players in Renewable Energy in Nigeria
- Rensource who is an off-grid energy company
- Greenage Technologies Power Systems Limited
- Lumos Nigeria
- Green Village Electricity (GVE) Projects Limited
- Arnergy Solar
- Daystar Solar
- Auxano Solar
- Mojec Power
- Momas Electricity Meters
Percentage of renewable energy in Nigeria?
According to Statista, the percentage of Nigeria’s renewable energy is 75.4%. In the year 2018, the renewable energy sources in primary energy consumption are around 75.4%.
What energy will be used most in the future?
- Solar
- Carbon capture and sequestration
- NextGen nuclear power
- Nuclear fusion
- Offshore wind
- Geothermal
- Space technologies
Conclusion
Renewable energy is the future. And as the world invests in solar, wind, geothermal, and other renewable sources of energy, Nigeria finds itself not at the table but on the menu. That is because Nigeria boasts some of the most abundant renewable energy resources in Africa.
But the nation continues to burn oil because of poor planning and a lack of government investment in renewable energy infrastructure.
Renewable energy is taking Nigeria by storm. This new segment of the energy industry will have a significant impact on the country in many ways, and it is important to stay up-to-date.
