Federal Govt Assures Of Adequate Energy For Effective Transition

Federal government has assured that Nigeria will have adequate energy to transition to sustainable energy resources.

The minister of science and technology, Senator Adeleke Mamora made this assertion during the opening ceremony of the national workshop on ‘Energy statistics: benchmarking for effective energy transition’ convened by the Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN) with support from the ECOWAS Commission yesterday in Abuja.

The minister pointed out that the ECN, with the mandate to collect, analyse and publish information relating to energy from all sources is doing its bit in ensuring Nigeria is keeping track of its energy sources.

Represented by the ministry’s director of renewable energy statistics (RES), Mattias Eluma, Mamora stated that ECN has initiated the constitution of the National Committee on Renewable Energy Statistics to provide a platform to share RES, achieve greater coordinator, avoid unnecessary duplication of effort and support national data bank.

Earlier, the statistician-general, National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Prince Semiu Adeniran posited that Nigeria’s energy transition programme contains multiple projects, aimed at improving household access to any form of electricity.

“Energy can play a role in policy making. Energy statistics are relevant in tracking performance and assuring that result is delivered to Nigerians.

“We plan to use collaboration technology to address the constraints in generating and reporting energy and statistics through increased collaboration, openness and agents with critical stakeholders, such as the ECN.

“Us being here today means that the country is ready to get data on energy in large quantities and in the right quality for NBS,” he said.

Speaking further Adeniran disclosed that, in the next 10 years, through the ECN, the Federal Government will be able to lift 100million Nigerians out of poverty and create job opportunities.

In his remarks, the ECN director general, Prof. Eli Bala stressed that energy statistics will solve the problem of energy supply in the country.

“ECN is charged with the responsibility for strategic planning and for coordination of National Policies in the field of energy.

“The commission is the national focal point of the ECOWAS Energy Information System.

“The commission established a national data bank which is to serve as a repository of bankable energy data in the country. ECN must work with other government and non-government organisations to achieve its mandate,” he added.

Similarly, the senior programme officer, ECOWAS Commission, Roumion Arkadius promised that the commission will provide the necessary information on energy association in Nigeria.

“ECOWAS commission is responsible for coordination and harmonisation of policies and programmes in the field of energy,” he added.