Electricity is ONE of the main ways the inequality gap can be addressed. It is a major way to ensure that we do not leave a huge population of the country behind and expect peaceful co-existence. It is therefore time to not just make it a priority, but to make it an emergency.
Up Nepa! Nigerians, rich and poor, know this phrase. Electricity is a leveler. Once there is no power, everyone is thrown into darkness.
Electricity is also a divider. Once there is no electricity, everyone shows their power through their response: huge generators, expensive solar panels, I-better-pass-my-neighbour generators, lanterns, solar lamps, torchlights, candles, and more. Many Nigerians get work done despite power shortages, yet we should remember that there are many who cannot afford to pay for anything that can give them light. These people are the ones this article is about. This article is also about how government can reach them. And by doing that generate electricity for the rest of us. And provide jobs along the way.
During the “Safe Schools Initiative” launch in 2014 the immediate past Minister of Finance was reportedly told by affected communities that the biggest security concern in schools in the North-East region was the lack of electricity, not high walls. When Boko Haram abducted the Chibok schoolgirls in April 2014, they arrived the school at night under the cover of darkness. They pretended to be Nigerian soldiers there to protect the students. Had there been adequate light, the girls might have been more aware of their danger and run for safety. Had there been light, the community would have been aware of the terrorists’ movement. The nation would not have been lost in the dark, scurrying, asking: where did they take the girls?
The lack of electricity in Nigeria is a huge catalyst for rising insecurity. Energy is an important catalyst for economic and social development. It cannot be ignored. That is why several local and international initiatives have begun to address issues around energy poverty and energy sustainability across Africa.
Off-grid technologies (and policies) can be a way of addressing energy poverty in these areas, particularly as grid connection may be slow to get there and may not make economic sense in the short term.
In 2012, Nigeria privatised and reformed its electricity industry; the government sold all its generation and distribution assets. However, in 2015, about a third of the country remains largely unconnected to the grid; and for those connected to the grid, it is unreliable. Many of the initiatives around the Nigerian electricity sector remain largely tied to transmission grid connection. This has stunted innovative thinking to address issues of electricity poverty and access. It is time to re-think electricity by creating opportunities to address energy poverty. This must be done deliberately. I share four ways to make this a reality.
First, it is important to create more opportunities for “embedded generation” and “captive power” to help our weakened grid. An embedded generating unit simply means a ‘generating unit’ that is directly connected within a distribution network rather than passing through the transmission network. The country’s transmission grid is overloaded and many economic clusters will definitely benefit from embedded generation. This will also increase economic activities and foster job creation. Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) defines ‘Captive Power Generation’ as “generation not exceeding 1MW for the purpose of consumption by the generator, and which is consumed by the generator itself, and not sold to a third-party”. In other words, most renewable farms, usually large solar plants, can be “Captive Power Plants” if they are over 1MW in capacity and setup by the generator for own use. Which brings me to the Renewable Revolution taking place across Africa.
Second, it is time to look somewhere else: renewable energy. Most underserved communities that lack electricity in Nigeria, particularly in the North-East, tend to be quite isolated. Off-grid technologies (and policies) can be a way of addressing energy poverty in these areas, particularly as grid connection may be slow to get there and may not make economic sense in the short term. There is an increasing interest in renewable energy projects but there is no clear strategy on its deployment as a way to drive access and create economic clusters. Nigeria’s recent renewable energy policy is a first step, but it needs a lot of work to link the policy and its implementation strategy to strong economic generating activities, either through agriculture, ICT, or manufacturing. This has to assume some urgency so that underserved communities most affected by the burgeoning wealth gap will have greater opportunities for development.
Numerous studies show that women are the most affected by energy deficit, inefficient supply of electricity or by issues related to affordability. It is important that as the largest consumers of energy products, especially in homes, there ought to be energy programmes targetted at women.
Third, it is important to create opportunities for young Nigerians in the emerging electricity sector which has huge potentials for growth. Government can partner with development agencies, tertiary and vocational schools to scale up training and capacity building, particularly in the constantly evolving area of renewables and energy-efficient infrastructure. This is yet to make it into most engineering curriculums in the country. I see a future where knowledge from higher institutions can translate into localised manufacturing in this industry. This will spin out other outlets for creative enterpreneurship and disruptive innovation similar to what has occurred in the ICT space.
Four, the design of a better civic engagement strategy in the energy sector. This can be done by ensuring gender representation in the design, development and implementation of energy intiatives. Numerous studies show that women are the most affected by energy deficit, inefficient supply of electricity or by issues related to affordability. It is important that as the largest consumers of energy products, especially in homes, there ought to be energy programmes targetted at women. This goes beyond clean stove initiatives introduced by the previous administration. It should include an active mainstreaming of gender in reform intiatives. This will develop expertise for women in the energy industry. It will also set up a more robust development framework that will create better economic opportunities; foster local entrepreneurship; promote inter-community collaborations and sustainable cultural change in the way we use electricity in homes and communities across Nigeria.
We cannot treat a sector as important as the energy sector as a quasi-primary sector as we have done in the past.
Nothing I have written here is exactly new. However, it bears continuous repetition (and in some cases refining) to enable us understand what is at stake. We cannot treat a sector as important as the energy sector as a quasi-primary sector as we have done in the past. While initiatives by the last administration are laudable, there is more to be done. Electricity is ONE of the main ways the inequality gap can be addressed. It is a major way to ensure that we do not leave a huge population of the country behind and expect peaceful co-existence. It is therefore time to not just make it a priority, but to make it an emergency.
Then, it will be time to stop saying Up Nepa! For there will always be light!
Ify Malo is the CEO of Clean Tech Hub and Energy Innovation Centre, Abuja. She was the immediate past Senior Policy Adviser on Energy Policies, Regulations and Partnerships to the Honorable Minister of Power in Nigeria.
This article is part of the #EvenItUp Campaign by BudgIT with collaboration from OXFAM, Nigeria.
