The Director General, National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies, NILDS, Prof. Abubakar O.Sulaiman has called for prioritisation of renewable energy and empowerment of state and Local Governments to set up their own legal frameworks and invest directly in renewable energy.
Prof. Sulaiman made this known on Monday at the opening of the maiden Legislative Summit on Renewable Energy in Nigeria organised by the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) in Abuja.
” The movement to a sustainable and accessible renewable energy system is the correct direction for Nigeria at this time. In fact, it is a key direction for most developing countries, of which Nigeria is one.
“It is also most important for Nigeria being one of the key petroleum producing countries to prepare for diversification as economies move away from fossil fuel. Nigeria needs to both understand the impact of fossil fuel and its limits and, most importantly, the benefits and the vast potential for renewable energy.
“The continued emphasis and reliance on fossil fuel is currently heightened by a lack of understanding of renewable energy, its potentials, and how the frameworks for its maximization can be developed,” he said.
Meanwhile, the President of the Senate, Sen. Godswill Akpabio has tasked stakeholders in the energy sector to work toward accessible and affordable renewable energy for Nigerians in the near future.
Represented by Sen. Jarigbe Agom, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Gas, Akpabio, said that Nigeria could be a force to reckon with in the renewable energy with little more efforts
Also speaking, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas decried the inadequate electricity supply, cost of electricity, and the effect of electricity powered by fossil fuel on the environment
Represented by the Chairman, House Committee on Renewable Energy, Rep. Victor Afam Abbas said that Nigeria had infinite sources of alternative electricity that were unharnessed.
He said that full adoption of renewable energy would ensure instant electricity supply, stimulate economic activities in rural areas, create jobs, reduce cost of electricity and carbon emission.
