Sustainable Development

Many Nigerians have grown skeptical about the power of solar. The general impression is that solar energy cannot provide a lot of power, that ‘it’s not bright’ and that it breaks down after just a few months. One solar engineer in the capital city of Abuja has gone all the way to demonstrate that this impression is wrong: He has built a block of apartments which are run entirely on renewable energy.

Zenabou Segda, Burkinabée, et Moutari Abdoul Adjid, Nigérian, militants du Réseau Climat et Développement, se préparent  pour les négociations à Paris, en Décembre 2015.

In Amakpa community in Edo state, Solar panels have powered a borehole for the past four years. The experience has been without hitches, a win-win for the villagers as Adesesde Oghademegbe explains in this short video. Watch video

Nigeria’s renewable energy industry is tiny by all means, despite excellent conditions for electricity production from solar, small hydro and biomass sources. If Nigeria covered only 1% of its land mass with solar panels, it could produce 192,000 megawatts of power, compared to the 4,000 megawatts that are currently available on the national grid. In his contribution to the Green Deal Nigeria study, Huzi Mshelia describes the manifold efforts on energy policy and regulation, which have so far resulted in little results.

186 words to inspire you to imagine Nigeria without gas flaring and with a more transparent management of the oil and gas sectors, where communities who own natural resources such as oil, gas or minerals would earn royalties on the exploration of these resources...

Out of 160 million Nigerians, about 100 million are still waiting for electricity. The 40% national grid makes large-scale rural development almost impossible to achieve. Renewable energies can provide power to millions of people in Nigeria, as the country has enough sun, small water ways, wind and biomass to produce 200,000 mega watts or more. But there is lack of awareness and of large-scale government support. This video is meant to increase awareness of renewable energies as cheap sources of reliable power. Watch Video

Forty per cent of Nigerian agricultural products ends up as waste. Fruit and vegetables at the famous Mile 12 market in Lagos are no exemption, despite the fact that Lagos’ gastronomy and people depend on this market for their daily supplies. Aniche Phil-Ebosie sees money in this waste, and is using the rotting veg to produce gas, which he turns into electricity for the market stalls. Watch Video

Nigerian agriculture relies heavily on synthetic or nitrogen fertiliser, and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture is trying to facilitate the growth of an internationally viable fertiliser industry in Nigeria. However, not many farmers know about organic fertiliser and how it can protect soil fertility over a long period of time. The Green Deal Nigeria team interviewed two organic farmers who seem to be ahead of their time:

Governments at local and state level need to map agricultural potentials of their areas and offer farmers advice based on research from national and international agencies. Irrigation powered by renewable energy can reduce unemployment, hunger and poverty in the most remote areas. Capital budgets at state level should be spent on irrigation systems based on renewable energies. Desertification can be contained with Re-Greening techniques. Government, farming and civil society representatives should visit Niger to learn from their experience of re-greening even barren land.

The Eko Atlantic project is portrayed by Lagos State Government and developers as a model of sustainability, climate change adaptation and economic growth. However, reconciling plans for economic development and environmental protection with the aim of achieving social justice for all requires more open debate and participatory planning.