Renewable energy and the federal ministry of power; Improving access by consumers to hydropower

 I will always be a firm believer in the notion that Nigeria's problems can be summarised into just two; Corruption, which is an embedded problem that will require surgery, and lack of electricity (You're welcome to change my mind and drop your take in the comment section). On the latter problem, hydropower will go a long way to solving it but how can we guarantee our access? Let's find out.

In the previous post, we looked at how the federal ministry of power has handled the task of power generation and we concluded it's been a piss poor job (You can read that post here). Sometimes, I ask myself if those in charge know what they're doing but it would seem that when you and those around you are equipped with Inverters, soundproof generators, and mini-transformers, the darkness doesn't touch you. Anyway, I digress...

Hydropower is a really big deal in the world. It's a steady source of electricity that is ready to keep going as long as there's water on the surface of the earth. It would seem that it is not being taken full advantage of in terms of power generation in Nigeria today but that's just us (after all, Norway receives 99% of its power production from hydropower). This brings in the question; what exactly are we waiting for?

Well, the policies alone involved in power generation in Nigeria are just layers of excuses created by people who didn't want to do their job  (personal opinion) and some of them shouldn't even exist but why stop there? Let's look at the major obstacles to the sustained access of hydropower in Nigeria:

1. Dam construction is expensive and time-consuming: As I write this point, something at the back of my head keeps saying "yen yen yen". Sure, it costs money but I find it hard to believe a country that proposed 13.8 trillion naira as expenditure in its 2021 budget can't foot that bill. As for time consumption, this varies depending on size and capacity e.g the Akosombo dam in Ghana took 5 years while the Three Gorges dam is taking china 17 years.

2. Policy disparities: With the dissolution of NEPA, different companies and private investors came into the game of power generation in Nigeria. There was a need to create policies to regulate their activities but it's those same policies that are crippling the supply of power across the country. Corruption and bad blood have made it difficult for key organizations to carry out their duties effectively.

3. Geological damage: The construction of a dam will always have an effect on the land because it has to be altered for the construction to begin.

If you look at the points I've talked about, you'd assume that hydropower is not worth the stress. Ladies and Gentlemen, take deep breaths and chill out. Let's tackle them with ways to improve access by consumers to hydropower;

1. Proper Planning: Before dam construction begins, look at the cost and the length of time it will take. This makes it easier to get the job done in record time and with only the best materials (It also reduces embezzlement).

2. Eliminate complicated policy: For God's sake, a policy does not have to be full of words or hard to understand before you know it's a good one. By focusing on straight forward guidelines and regulations, all parties know what to do and how to relate to each other.

3. Environmental analysis:  "Before breaking ground, know what the ground is". Not everywhere is suitable for the placement of a dam so it's important to pick a place where the dam won't pose a problem to nature or the citizens.

Know any other ways to improve access to electricity? Let me know in the comment section.

In the next post, we'll be analyzing the present energy situation of Nigeria supplying electricity to chad (we are ballers o ). See you then