Nigeria is eyeing 30 per cent renewable energy by 2030. But, despite having bountiful renewable energy resources, the country has not made any significant addition from renewables to achieve the target and boost electricity supply. To analysts, the government’s weak commitment to proposed renewable energy policies and dearth of investments, among others, are curtailing the march towards renewable energy. Assistant Editor CHIKODI OKEREOCHA reports.

Nigeria has never hidden her intention to change the outlook of her Electricity Supply Industry (ESI) by exploiting opportunities in renewable energy. With about 85 per cent of all power generation coming from gas-fired turbines, successive governments have articulated a number of policies and targets aimed at diversifying the country’s power generation mix via renewable energy sources.

This was in the hope of significantly boosting electricity supply to homes and businesses. The whole idea was to latch onto such strategic policies and targets to move the country away from its age-long over-reliance on fossil fuels as the primary source of electricity generation.

Consequently, the Federal Government put the right foot forward, at least, at the level of policy pronouncement, when it unveiled the National Policy on Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (NPREEE).

The policy was developed by the then Federal Ministry of Power in 2014. Expectedly, it raised hopes of a robust ESI powered by an increased share of renewables in the national energy mix.

For instance, under the policy, Nigeria targeted a total of 8,188 megawatts (MW) from Renewable Energy (RE) by 2020 on a medium term. The long term target was on the realisation of 23,134 MW by year 2030.

Nigeria’s targets for renewable power capacity, The Nation learnt, include bio-mass, 50 MW by 2015; 400 MW by 2025; hydro-power (small scale), 600 MW by 2015; two gigawatts (GW) by 2025; solar photovoltaic (solar PV) (large scale, >1MW) 75 MW by 2015; 500 MW by 2025; wind power, 20 MW by 2015; 40 MW by 2025; Concentrated Solar Power (CSP), 1MW by 2015; 5MW by 2025.

Source: http://thenationonlineng.net/