Ijasan: Promoting Diversification Via Renewable Energy

Engr. Olere Ijasan, COREN-registered chemical engineer with over 12 years experience in operations and projects across the telecommunications, manufacturing and oil and gas industries both in Nigeria and overseas, is an energy sector technocrat that knows her onions.

The graduate of chemical engineering from the University of Benin is driven by her passion for supporting and influencing the transition to clean and sustainable energy.

Olere, who is trained and expanded her expertise by obtaining an MBA in Sustainability and Energy Transitions from Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen and an MSc in Sustainable Energy Development from the University of Calgary, asserted that, Nigeria should leverage from the dynamics that renewable energy security offer, stating that “Renewable energy emerges as a critical component of Nigeria’s economic diversification agenda. This pathway can reduce dependence on oil, address energy poverty, enhance energy security, and contribute to environmental sustainability. “

The renewable energy expert, who lauded the diversification economic agenda of the present government, added that, diversifying the energy mix not only mitigates the risks associated with oil price fluctuations but also provides a stable revenue stream and fosters sustainable development.

Olere advised Nigeria to harness her full potential of renewable energy by developing comprehensive policies via incentivise investments through tax breaks, subsidies, feed-in tariffs, and public-private partnerships. She added that, investment in research and development would support innovation by funding academic and industrial research in renewable technologies.

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As someone with a proven track record of leading and delivering improvement initiatives, underpinned by a strong aptitude for data analysis, research, and innovation, Eng. Olere Ijasan opined that, for Nigeria to be a hub in renewable energy industry and optimize, there should be a capacity building of the players in the sector and this can be enhanced by promoting training programmes to develop a skilled workforce capable of driving the sector’s growth and launch campaigns to educate stakeholders about the economic and environmental benefits of renewable energy.

She opined that, energy solutions are not far-fetched if there is a will to nip it in the bud. Olere Ijasan’s solution-oriented mindset fuels her enthusiasm for exploring and applying cutting-edge research and technologies to develop practical and effective solutions for sustainability challenges.

According to her, “Nigeria is often referred to as the giant of Africa, boasts the largest economy on the continent. However, its economic trajectory has been heavily influenced by shifting sectoral dominance.

“In the 1960s and early 1970s, agriculture accounted for over 65% of total exports, serving as the backbone of the economy.”

“The discovery of oil in the late 1960s marked a turning point, with petroleum quickly becoming the cornerstone of Nigeria’s economic development, now contributing over 90% of export earnings and around 50% of government revenue.

“This reliance has rendered the economy vulnerable to the volatility of global oil prices, leading to periods of economic instability. In light of these challenges, renewable energy emerges as a critical component of Nigeria’s economic diversification agenda.”