The University of Lagos Faculty of Engineering Alumni Association in its sixth public lecture discussed the challenges and solutions of the power sector in Nigeria.
The lecture, delivered by the Group Managing Director, Sahara Power Group, Mr Kola Adesina and titled, ‘The Nigerians Power Industry: Past Present and the Future,’ was part of the 60th anniversary of the founding of the faculty.
Adesina’s lecture examined the power sector in three aspects including the history of the Nigerian power sector, impact of the privatisation reform & current overview of the sector and plans for the industry.
He narrated that Nigeria’s power issues had been on for a long time from the inception of the Electricity Corporation of Nigeria to the National Electric Power Authority to the advent of the Power Holding Company in Nigeria and onto the privatisation into the 11 discos and six Gencos from the privatisation process.
He said, “Several Issues cut across the whole sector and affect the generation, transmission and distribution of power. These issues are numerous and solving these issues is not a short-term endeavor.
“The current government has been quite ambitious in deploying support to the sector, but power supply stability and sector self-sustenance is yet to be achieved.”
He, however, said that there were execution mishaps following the privatisation, adding that most things prioritised in Nigeria were of no economic value to the development of the nation.
While speaking on the plans or solutions for the power sector, he added that the future of Nigeria’s energy sector was set for several significant shifts, focusing on decentralisation, regulation, and market reforms.
He revealed that the renewable energy sector would also play a fundamental role in Nigeria’s energy future, saying Nigeria had developed several policies aimed at improving energy access through Renewable Energy.
Speaking on the policies, he said, “The Renewable Energy Master Plan [2013] seeks to increase renewable electricity supply to 36 per cent of total electricity generation by 2030.
The National Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Policy [2015] aims to improve hydropower (small and large) capacity by about 12GW and solar capacity by 6GW by 2030.
The Energy Transition Plan [2022], which provides a roadmap to decarbonising the power sector, envisions 197GW of solar by 2050.
He listed solar, wind, and hydropower as the Nigeria’s renewable energy potential.
“Nigeria has incredible solar energy potential, with average sunshine hours of six hour/day. The potential for concentrated solar power and photovoltaic generation is around 427,000 MW.
”The Nigerian Federal government has embraced solar for rural electrification. The falling costs of solar have made it a cost-effective option for electrifying remote areas where grid connection would not be feasible.
”As one of its provisions, the new law aims to accelerate the development and integration of renewable energy sources, including solar to the grid. The law mandates the regulator to create an enabling environment to attract clean energy investments.
“The wind energy potential in Nigeria is moderate, with average speeds of about 2.0 m/s at the coastal region and 30m in the far northern region of the country
“Nigeria is endowed with large rivers and natural falls, which have an exploitable potential of 11,500 MW.”
On his part, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, who chaired the event, lauded the institution as well as the Faculty of Engineering on the milestone, which he said, underscored decades of resilience, commitment, and dedication to engineering development in Nigeria.
He advised the present set of students to take their cue from the alumni by re-committing to their studies with the mind of returning to give back to their alma mater in the future.
Similarly, in her remarks, the Ogun State Deputy Governor, Mrs. Naimot Salako-Oyedele, an alumnus, described the celebration as a testament to the faculty’s enduring legacy of impact in grooming great minds that have shaped the world of engineering, nationally and globally.
Salako-Oyedele who graduated from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, charged students and alumni of the university to commit to its development and remain worthy ambassadors through their outputs.
The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola, acknowledged the waves being made by various alumni of the faculty and solicited their support towards improving infrastructure in the faculty.
She reiterated the need for a new direction in course curriculum and students’ training.
The Dean, Faculty of Engineering, Prof Samson Adeosun, and chairman, UNILAG Faculty of Engineering Alumni Association, Dideolu Falobi, emphasised the feats of the faculty, especially in raising exceptional minds and developing engineering practice in Nigeria over the last six decades.