Nigeria Requires 50,000megawatts of Electricity For Economic Development

Nigeria needs over 50,000megawatts of electricity to effectively develop its economy, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Jamila Shu’ara, on Monday, February 29, said

The Minister, who delivered the keynote address at a workshop on renewable energy in Abuja, said for Nigeria to take its position as a leading economy in the world, it must generate sufficient electricity to drive its socio-economic development.

Represented by a director at the ministry, Armayaw Korfi, she noted that experience had shown that Nigeria must explore all possible means to expand energy access if it must make head way a nation in power generation.

“While the power requirement to drive Nigeria socio-economic development stands at over 50,000Mw, we currently generate less than a tenth of that. Similarly, we are not able to make any local contribution to the ethanol blending project, which was aimed at reducing emission from fossil fuel,” she said.

“Can we all imagine what economic development that would attend to Nigeria if we are generating about 20,000Mw of electricity from renewable sources, or locally providing ethanol for E10 blending?

“Definitely, the economic landscape of this nation and its people will dramatically change. It is only then that we can confidently take our potential position in the world as a leading economy.”

Shu’ara however said to translate the potentials of renewable energy sources in Nigeria to mechanism of economic development, capacities must be built to identify, explore and manage the renewable options.