Introduction
Within a fast-growing modern society, mainly based on technological advancements, there is still a significant gap between The First World and Third-World nations, such as Africa. One of the central issues regarding the African population and ways of living implies access to electric power throughout most rural land parts, wherein it remains a luxury nowadays. In this research, the critical problem-solving approaches will be examined regarding the lack of proper governance, infrastructure, poverty, theft, corruption, and related concerns in Africa that need to be addressed urgently.
Personal Reflection
It is generally considered that modern life predominantly revolves around the power of light and electricity, which shaped the current society and made it a comfortable place to be. The critical aspects of socioeconomic performance, including business, healthcare, and other industries, thrive on the premise of electricity. However, this does not apply to the current situation in African countries, where the power supply has become a luxury. Despite the dramatic shift in modern approaches to energy power, the African nation still lacks a steady supply of electricity. As a Lagos native, I faced the first twenty years of my life living in gross darkness due to the indifference of the establishments responsible for providing power to its citizens. According to the report by the Access to Energy Institute, Nigeria has the most overwhelming history of failing to realize its great potential in generating and delivering electricity to its people. Since moving to the United States eighteen years ago, the situation in Nigeria has remained the same.
Energy Poverty in Nigeria
The current government failed to provide increased hourly electricity per person for the citizens, considering the existing policies and infrastructure in Africa. In particular, Nigeria demonstrates the consistent decline of public infrastructures, such as healthcare, education, and security, concerning inadequate electricity production, transportation, and distribution capacity. Money et al. state that distributed generation technologies serve to handle electricity at regional levels and are the most proper solution to fully exploit renewable energy sources. The pivotal role of government implies creating the facilitating environment to “finance, policy, and regulations” to enhance the access to electrical power in rural and off-grid communities (Monyei et al. 1590). As the solution, the government could advantage of the feed-in tariff system to support electricity supply from renewable energy.
Bioenergy Technologies
Nigeria is the most heavily populated region in the African continent, with abundant human and natural resources. Nevertheless, the governmental structures failed to use the accessible resources to provide an adequate electricity supply for the country. As described by Dahunsi et al., there is an urgent need for “appropriate government policies and implementation plan” regarding the adoption of bioenergy technologies across Africa (2). The prevailed bioenergy solution in Nigeria remains biodiesel because of the affluence of Jatropha curcus plantations across all geopolitical zones. Nigeria is highly abundant in “biomass, forest residues, non-edible seeds, and waste resources” that are sufficient for the biodiesel project implementation to a regular extent (Dahunsi et al. 10). However, the government failed to use the accessible resource in a smart way to help the country achieve economic growth. The biogas technology in Nigeria can serve as the groundwork for grid decentralization to alleviate energy access to all regions, specifically in the rural sector.
Conclusion
Electricity has been proved to be the primary driver of any economy. The global economies require the regular availability of electricity for the country’s stable economic development and ongoing provision of jobs for a particular population. Therefore, the lack of appropriate electricity supply in Africa poses critical challenges in multiple aspects of African society, from education, health, and safety, to obtaining vast opportunities for the dynamic economic growth of the region. The Nigerian market predicts extensive capacities for the complete utilization and integration of renewables.
References
Access to Energy Institute. Putting an End to Nigeria’s Generator Crisis: The Path Forward. A2EI Report. Dalberg, 2019.
Dahunsi, Samuel Olatunde, et al. “Bioenergy Technologies Adoption in Africa: A Review of Past and Current Status.” Journal of Cleaner Production, vol. 264, 2020, 121683. Web.
Monyei, Chukwuka G., et al. “Nigeria’s Energy Poverty: Insights and Implications for Smart Policies and Framework towards a Smart Nigeria Electricity Network.” Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, vol. 81, 2018, pp. 1582–1601. Web.