9 October 2009
NIGERIAN PERCEPTIONS ON ELECTRICITY SUPPLY
Posted by admin under: Uncategorized .
By Faeeza Badmus(LLB, BL) based on survey conducted by Sheila Ojei(MSc.) in 2009.
Nigeria as a whole have gotten used to the idea that constant electricity supply is not our top priority, but things have since changed as the youth have realized the importance of electricity in the growth and development of the country. Therefore as survey (ages of participant ranging from 15 – 65) was then carried out to determine the state of mind of Nigerians and their perceptions on electricity supply and its relationship with economic growth. Below are the results of a survey carried out:
Q1. What infrastructure is the most important in the economic development of an emerging market?
A greater percentage of the people chose *Electricity Supply* over Transportation and Telecommunication
Q2. What is the major catalyst for attracting foreign investors into an emerging country?
Majority of the participants believe that the existence of efficient infrastructure is the major catalyst in attracting foreign investors/ FDI into an emerging country and this was chosen over cheap cost of production, cheap man power and better economic policies.
Q3. What makes emerging countries less developed than other ‘developed’ countries?
Again we see infrastructure topping the list as a major factor for development. Other factors here being: mismanagement of natural resources, inefficient agriculture, inadequate financial institutions and cultural barriers
Q4. How would you rate the performance of the Nigerian energy sector?
Most participants believed that the Nigerian energy sector is performing below average. Their reason being that in Nigeria, where there are constant power cuts, most businesses as well as private homes survive on alternative form of getting electricity (diesel generators).
People who believe that the energy sector is performing at an average level or above average, have compared the Nigerian energy sector to other African emerging countries where there is hardly any electricity even in the cities.
Q5. Does the government play a role in the current status of electricity supply in Nigeria?
Most people believe that the Nigerian government plays a role in the current status of electricity supply in Nigeria. This is because the government has not taken any major action in the past couple of years over the reform of the energy sector in Nigeria.
Q6. The lack of constant supply is a significant hurdle in the economic growth of Nigeria, Do you agree or disagree?
Ninety-eight percent of the participants agree that the lack of constant supply is a significant hurdle in the economic growth of Nigeria. This is because businesses and private homes depend on alternative forms of electricity; the cost of getting alternative forms of electricity contributes to cost of production and the standard of living. The final consumers usually suffer from this extra cost because the cost is transferred by increasing the prices of the final products.
Q7. What main industry would gain the most from the success of the energy sector?
Although the Nigerian economy depends mostly on the mining, quarrying and oil and gas exploration industry at the moment, more people believe the telecommunications industry will benefit the most from the success of the energy sector. There has been an improvement within the telecommunications industry in the past seven years but customers are still being charged at much higher rates than other neighboring African countries because of the specialized machinery used that depend solely on the diesel generators.
Q8. Is it the responsibility of the government or the private sector to invest in alternative forms of energy?
Majority of the participants believe that it is the responsibility of the government to invest in alternative forms of energy generation. The others
however believe that the private sector rather than the government should be responsible for this investment; this represents the individuals who have lost hope in the government revamping the energy sector and would rather take matters into their own hands.
Q9. What other forms of energy generation should be considered in the Nigerian economy?
Due to the nature of the weather in Nigeria, there is a common trend of people believing that solar energy should be considered in the Nigerian economy as a form of electricity generation. The other forms suggested are:
• Nuclear
• Waste to energy
• Anammox bacteria reactors
• Turbine
Some other participants believed that all forms of energy generation should be considered in the Nigerian economy.
Based on the above survey carried out, we would see that Nigerians are ready to move on to the next level of development, knowing full well that the only way for the economy to grow is to have constant electricity supply as they work hand in hand. There is a desperate need to lightupnigeria!
8 Comments so far...
Tim Potten Says:
23 October 2009 at 9:02 am.
It seems to me Nigeria may be able to generate hydrogen gas and metallic silicon fuel products for export, since it has plenty of sun (energy) sea-water (hydrogen oxygen magnesium) and sand (silicon) Exactly how these might be refined commercially is not clear to me.
The problem with solar, wind and tidal power is that it is available when nobody needs electricity, and not always available at peak consumption. We use coal, gas and oil because the conversion to electricity can be controlled to match the demand.
We need an alternative fuel which can be easily stored because fossil fuels such as oil and coal take millions of years to make, and there may not be many years supply in the ground. They also generate carbon-dioxide greenhouse gas, while burning hydrogen makes water, and burning silicon produces sand.
However, electrolysis of water for hydrogen and magnesium needs a lot of electricity, while silicon production requires vast solar energy concentrated by mirrors onto a furnace.
It seems likely we will need many different energy technologies: not just sun, wind and sea-power, but also geo-thermal heat recovery, harvesting wasted low temperature heat and much more……..
For nigeria to really develop, the energy sector effectiveness and efficiency is inevitable.stephen ezenwosu Says:
12 December 2009 at 10:36 am.
Just beleive nigeria has what it takes to industrialize
kokoette umoren ime Says:
26 December 2009 at 6:08 pm.
the electricity sector undoubtedly will bring about growth both in medium and small businesses
kokoette umoren ime Says:
26 December 2009 at 6:10 pm.
the electricity sector will undoubtedly bring about growth to bothy small and medium businesses.
Ajose Says:
19 January 2010 at 11:15 am.
I do not quite agree with Tim. Energry demand is actually peak during the day expecially in industrial and companies whose working hours are usually during the day. I believe solar, wind and all these these means of energy generation could be a very good suppliment for the present means of power and then reserve the present ones for mainly residencials which in the real sense of it, ( I stand to be correctd ) does not constitute the bulk of our power demands.
Also, there means and technologies dployed already in the world today that enables you store energy. I believe a little bit of research and serious investment could solve all these problems.
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25 January 2010 at 8:03 am.
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eyesofnaijapeople Says:
4 February 2010 at 7:21 pm.
Am here Watching NIGERIA while T T T burning on fire for the world to dig” Keep on searching 4 me – De S.H.T.P
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