Solar Democracy in Nigeria: The End of Energy Poverty

Yakubu Busari

Insufficient energy has continued to cause economic, social and environmental development of Nigeria as a nation.

The over dependence on fossil fuels for household and industrial activities despite the attendant challenges (scarcity, exorbitant prices) is not abating either and has continued to occupy central position in national discourse.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) 98,000 Nigerian women and children lost their lives  annually from firewood smoke and  also  the loss of over 400,000 hectares of forest land to deforestation during the same period in rural communities in  Nigeria.

A combination of these shortfalls and many more  have persistently kept poverty figure very high especially among the low-income Nigerian.

To reverse this trend, SF Green Resources Nig. Ltd. and Solar Fire Concentration Oy of Finland have partner with some private sector to arrest this situation permanently with solar democracy using the GoSol technology.

According to the country manager, Gabriel Ojobo who spoke to our correspondent ,said Plateau will serve as a pilot scheme for this technology were People will no longer trek  far distances to fetch firewood.

He said ¨when we came into partnership with GoSol, a company based in Finland, the idea was to immediately bring this technology to Nigeria to ameliorate the long suffering and hardship people go through.

They have different models which they have introduced and done in so many countries and Nigeria will be one of such countries.

Ojobo said soon Nigerians will heave a sigh of relief as solar democracy beacons on Nigerians.

Meanwhile, work on the first prototype has been completed and demonstrated in Jos and Ushongo in Benue State.