Renewable energy: Ministry advocates for more investments

The Ministry of Science and Technology has called for more investments in the renewable energy sector to promote sustainable industrialisation of the nation.

Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, the Minister of Science and Technology made the call in a statement issued by Mr AbdulGaniyu Aminu, the Deputy Director, Press in Abuja on Wednesday.

Onu was speaking at the stakeholders’ forum on the Implementation of Re-Policy/Feed-in-Tariffs Implementation in Nigeria.

The minister described the sector as a gold mine.

“The target of providing electricity-for-all by the year 2030 can only be realised with the participation of the private sector.

“Government is committed to removing all obstacles that hinder the utilisation of renewable energy in Nigeria.

“In this wise, the Federal Government will initiate legislative and judicial framework that will enhance utilisation of the sector, “ he said.

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He said that renewable energy could be used in energy mix to create jobs and reduce poverty and help to raise the standard of living of rural dwellers in the country.

The minister said that the level of exploitation of the renewable energy for generation of electricity in the nation was low.

Earlier, the Director-General, Energy Commission of Nigeria, Prof. Eli Bala said that environmental considerations supported the use of renewable energy for driving sustainable development in the country.

“Nigeria is blessed with abundant biomass resources that can be exploited and transformed into electricity to enhance electricity access from 60 per cent to 75per cent by 2020 and to all by 2030 in the country.

“This forum will discuss barriers to electricity generation and proffer solutions that will move the Nigerian renewable energy subsector to a greater height,“ he said.