Who’s stalling Jonathan’s energy programme?

And we all know how much his government desires to get the power sector right, which he has at several fora said, it is at the heart of his administration to improve the situation of power supply in the country. That Nigerians have been subjected to so much suffering from inadequate of power supply is […]

And we all know how much his government desires to get the power sector right, which he has at several fora said, it is at the heart of his administration to improve the situation of power supply in the country.

That Nigerians have been subjected to so much suffering from inadequate of power supply is an unspeakable crime. It is unjustifiable to speak of frequent blackouts and indeed, lengthy periods of blackouts in a nation that is literally floating on energy resources.

Experts have described Nigeria as a nation that is especially blessed with energy resources, such that there are few countries in the world where the prospect of power generation and power delivery could be less challenging.

Furthermore, Nigeria is blessed with several water resources that could be tapped and used for hydroelectric power generation – although this is a capital intensive alternative, it does have the advantage of being able to produce unparalleled low cost electricity.

For many decades, urban and agricultural wastes have been used in several parts of the world as viable energy sources for urban and rural power generation. The problem in Nigeria has always been the viral corruption that emanates from the top, thus consuming all public institutions and compromising the government’s ability to effectively achieve its desired goals. And also the prevailing culture of acute negligence and dereliction of duty which is further exacerbated by a thriving culture of corruption, thus allowing for a total lack of commitment to public projects that will enhance development.

There’s no gainsaying the fact that there can be no meaningful economic stimulation or invigoration unless the critical issue of Power generation and distribution is resolved, and it is not only one of great economic importance whereby sustainable growth and development can be achieved, but it is also one of fundamental national security.

One does not need to be a genius to know and understand the urgent need for great investments into Power and Energy Production. However, there have been misguided and misdirected effort that ended up being a colossal waste and a white elephant project. Nigeria is a country that has suffered enough of such useless and wasteful projects.

It’s sufficed to say that today, hydroelectric power supplies are 20 percent of the world’s electricity. And Canada remains the world’s largest producer of hydro power and produces over 70 percent of its electricity from hydroelectric sources.

In Norway it accounts for virtually all electricity production, while Iceland produces 83 percent of its requirements and Austria produces 67 percent of all electricity generated in the country from hydro.

Most developing countries round the world today are embracing hydro systems due to the elimination of the cost of fuel, with no additional economic or environmental effect. Hydroelectric plants are mostly unaffected by price fluctuations for fossil fuels such as oil, natural gas or coal, and do not require imported fuel.

Experts say that hydroelectric plants tend to have longer lives than fuel-fired generators, with some plants remaining in service for 50 to 100 years. Labor costs are also low because the plants are mostly automated and have few personnel on site during normal operation.

And Reservoirs created by hydroelectric schemes often provide excellent leisure facilities for water sports and become tourist attractions in themselves. Multi-use dams for irrigation, flood control, or recreation may host a hydroelectric plant with relatively low construction cost, providing a revenue stream to offset the cost of dam.

Ambrose Inusa Sule wrote in from Gwarimpa, Abuja